I'm not going to answer this email from my Dad. He didn't listen the umpteen times I responded to his questions before - I'm not putting myself through that again. However, I thought sharing his latest letter to me would be entertaining.
Good morning,
You left yesterday saying you would think about what we discussed. I too thought about these things. The following are some of my thoughts.
Thought 1:
There must be a powerful influence at work for you to be ready to cut off ties with father, mother, sister, aunt, uncle, and grandmother. What are you pursuing that makes that kind of result worthwhile? In the past I have seen sisters do this when a man was involved. (just an observation not an accusation) You came in asking me what the bottom line was going to be. You already knew the answer. You are making the choice to separate from us. If that is the case we will recognize your wishes. But, you cannot say we drove you away. Blaming the police officer who gave you a ticket for running a red light totally ignores personal responsibility.
Thought 2:
The main attraction to the nondenominational group seems to be that there are no requirements. Everyone is free to believe what they please without fear of contradiction (agree to disagree) from the rest of the group. This has never been an earmark of true religion, nor a basis for finding truth. In this environment truth is whatever you wish it to be.
This was not a quality of the gospel Jesus preached. How do you fulfill the scriptures below without agreement on what is and what is not truth?
(1 Corinthians 1:10) 10 Now I exhort YOU, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that YOU should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among YOU, but that YOU may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought. . .
(Philippians 2:1-2) 2 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any sharing of spirit, if any tender affections and compassions, 2 make my joy full in that YOU are of the same mind and have the same love, being joined together in soul, holding the one thought in mind. . .
Thought 3:
What kind of people are you joining with in your search for truth?
- Do they vote or take political stances?
- How do they view Jesus’ command on marriage and divorce?
- Do they include religious holidays in their personal worship?
- What are their feelings on homosexuality and fornication?
- What do they do about Jesus’ statement at Mt 24:14
- Do they agree on what “THIS” good news is? Jesus obviously had something specific in mind.
- How do individuals feel about abortion? or lying?
Do you open your studies with prayer? If so do you take turns praying to whatever is an individual’s idea of who God is?
If you don’t pray and ask for guidance then how is Jehovah supposed to know that you are looking for truth and pure worship?
If you pray then all pretenses that this is not a religion go out the window.
If you don’t pray you disobey the scriptures (Romans 12:12) . . .Persevere in prayer. . .
And no enlightenment is possible.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) . . .. 17 Pray incessantly. 18 In connection with everything give thanks. . .
Your standard reply to such questions was “I don’t ask”. {A lie. I answered his questions, but he kept responding as if I hadn't said a word. He'd made his assumptions and nothing I said about the reality of the situation mattered.}Well, you should. Th e scriptural requirement is here: You are obliged to ask.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15) 14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be´li·al? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever. . .
How will you know who is an “unbeliever” if you don’t ask. And, when you find out that some hold unscriptural beliefs (i.e. ransom for Adam and Eve, or any of the above) why do you yoke yourself to them?
Thought 4:
The idea of an organization that say it is the only way seems to irritate you. (see thought 6below) Yet an organization ( A group of persons organized for a particular purpose) is what Jehovah has always dealt with. It is what Jesus addressed in Revelation in his directions to the various congregations. (Yet all were under his headship)
Under the definition from the dictionary above your study group is an organization. There is a purpose to your bible study isn’t there?
Read again Matt 24:14 and ask yourself; How can this scripture be fulfilled without an organization?
When Jesus set up the arrangement to have his sheep fed through a faithful and discreet slave does this not indicate organization? Or are his sheep to be fed randomly by groups where you agree to disagree, and all ideas are equal?
Thought 5:
Who are these people you are studying with? What is their background? What are their goals? What have they done to direct you to the truth? Who do they worship? {All answered, all answers ignored.}
Make up a list with columns in it as follows:
1 Truths I have learned from studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses
2. Things I disagree with or have difficulty accepting.
3. Truths that have come to light as a result of my association with this study group.
{Gee, what an idiot I am! I never thought about any of this until he brought it up! I must have just imagined giving hours of thought and study and gallons of tears to this. I'm so glad someone knows how to use my mind better than I do! }
The Bereans also examined the scriptures. They did so with a view to finding truth. There was no general attitude that you accept what you want and I’ll do the same. Truth does not work that way. Don’t ask don’t tell is designed to let you associate with any sort of person with no responsibility on your part. And no need on their part to cease ungodly conduct or beliefs. (1Cor 15:33)
(Acts 17:11) 11 Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni´ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. . .
Thought 6:
Satan does not care if you worship him directly. If your worship is not going to Jehovah in the manner prescribed by Him, Satan gets it.
Biblically speaking true worship is an absolute. There are no alternatives offered by Jehovah. There is no scripture that offers an alternative to what Jesus described as “the will of my Father”. There have never been two or more organizations existing at the same time that have had God’s blessing. For an organization to recognize this and say so is not arrogance if the overwhelming evidence supports that. {So nice of him to give me absolutely no evidence to support this assertion about the GB.}
Jesus said that would be the case. (Matthew 7:13-14) 13 “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it. . .
(Ephesians 4:4-6) 4 One body there is, and one spirit, even as YOU were called in the one hope to which YOU were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all [persons], who is over all and through all and in all.
Are the above statements arrogance or simply a statement of fact that there is only one way.
Enough thoughts for now.
By the way, if you want to study the bible I would be glad to study with you. {}
Have you read the “Draw Close to Jehovah” book.? Excellent study material. {WTH? I must have been hallucinating that I attended the book study with him and the rest of the family when the Org told us to study this book. Talk about re-writing history.}
Dad