Posts by dunsscot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

Dear larc,

1) I have a college degree. I based my decision on what the WT said about education in the middle 90s. Not everyone agrees with my decision, however, and some do think that you should not attend college at all. But I had to do what was practical for my family, and what is more, I love the life of the mind. It is what keeps me going in this world.

2) I received a lot of heat for studying philosophy. But no one can rightly tell me that I cannot studying this subject. Admittedly, most Witnesses are antipathetic towards philosophy. But I know a number of brothers and sisters who are not. Certain Witnesses (like myself and the others I mentioned) think that we can use philosophy to defend the truth. Look for books written by Witnesses to come out that take this approach.

Christian love,
Dan

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

Dear larc,

Why stay with JWs if any religion can claim it is in the process of development? What it basically comes down to is presuppositions and one's experience of the Living God. I might also add that intuition and phenomenological eideation play a part in my decision, larc. Simply put, being one of JWs works for me: It is in some ways pragmatic.

But maybe a more objective criterion will suffice here. I think the JWs are the pillar of support of truth when I look at their body of teachings and apply certain truth tests to the WTS. The Bible is of course my main touchstone of truth, but there are other ways one can discern the truth or lack thereof.

Is a certain religion's teachings coherent? For me, JWs are coherent in their dissemination of religious data (as a whole), though other religions and churches are not, for the most part.

Secondly, does the teaching correspond with my view of reality? I think that JW teaching does. See William Barrett's work _Irrational Man_ for a review of this notion.

Thirdly, is the doctrinal framework pragmatic? Does it work in praxis? I think that JW belief does.

Lastly, can JW doctrine meet the test of a semantic theory of truth (A metalanguage)? Again, I think we can answer affirmatively. But in order for anyone else to feel this way, he or she must experience the spirit of holiness at work in his or her life. The Bible's dynamic force must also exert power on his or her heart. Additionally, one must intuit truth as it (truth) shows itself from itself--as it presents itself from itself to consciousness in all of its essence or quiddity.

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

Dear TD,

Biblically, Christianity cannot be an entirely "open" system (I think some degree of openness, psychologically speaking, is okay). Those governing the body of Christ must watch over the flock and make sure that no "poisonous root" appears in the ecclesia. They govern in accordance with the knowledge that they possess at a certain Hegelian "moment."

Secondly, part of Spirit's unfoldment involves (in this case) believing that the part equals the whole at times. That is, we JWs may have part of the truth or to put it another way--Spirit may still be in the process of unfolding epistemically and we finite autonomous subjects who have to deal with ontological inertia (a term used by Merold Westphal) mistake a certain "moment" in Spirit's development as a realized or actualized development: Our cognitive powers do not function as they should in our infralapsarian state. We must deal with a form of inertia that affects our very being or existence. Thus the imperfect men of the GB may stress conformity to certain ideas that are not in fact fully formed. But we must not be hindered by such small details. The whole is more important than its constituent parts: I look at what the JWs teach as whole.

Christianity has always stressed conformity to the Christian deposit of teachings. But the same religion has also had to make continued adjustments. JWs do the same.

BTW, I am a JW in good standing.

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

Dear SixofNine,

So you think that my use of Hegel's dialectical triad is a "hoot." Well I have a wry sense of humor, so I'm glad you got a kick out of my Hegelian apologetics. I'm also crazy about Paul Tillich and employ his dialectical theology as well. But I really do think that Hegel's dialectical triad explains the development of the Witnesses' teachings.

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

The so-called "changes" in the WT used to bother me until I learned about Hegel's dialectical triad. The movement and unfolding of Absolute Spirit throughout human history regulates in an ontological and epistemological manner. Hegel's delineation of Spirit also sheds light on the cognitive workings of finite agents who share in the outworking of Spirit. Dialectically, thought develops by affirmation, negation, and then by negating the negation. Such epistemic movement might SEEM contradictory and maybe in a sense it is. But this dialectical triad need not be construed as false in any moment or erroneous in an absolute sense.

Think about it! :-)

Duns the Scot

5

Stafford and Furuli

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

i hear that stafford and furuli are coming out with new books.

one will deal with the gentile times, and the other will discuss jws via three "dissertations.

" i immensely look forward to these works.. .

dunsscot

I hear that Stafford and Furuli are coming out with new books. One will deal with the Gentile Times, and the other will discuss JWs via three "dissertations." I immensely look forward to these works.

Duns the Scot

41

Kierkegaard on Abraham and Isaac: Blood

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

to whom it may concern,.

the witnesses are often condemned for refusing blood transfusions and "permitting" their children to die.

such a religious position is untenable, opponents of jws will argue.

dunsscot

To whom it may concern,

The Witnesses are often condemned for refusing blood transfusions and "permitting" their children to die. Such a religious position is untenable, opponents of JWs will argue. Yet such ones should reflect on the example of Abraham and Isaac before they castigate Jehovah's people.

The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard draws our attention to the lesson we can learn from the example of Isaac and Abraham when he discusses the "teleological suspension of the ethical." Abraham, Kierkegaard contends, teleologically suspended the ethical when he showed himself willing to sacrifice a son that he loved "more dearly than himself." As Kierkegaard writes:

"By his [Abraham's] act he overstepped the ethical entirely and possessed a higher telos outside of it, in relation to which he suspended the former . . . Why then did Abraham do it? For God's sake, and (in complete identity with this) for his own sake. He did it for God's sake because God required this proof of his faith; for his own sake he did it in order that he might furnish proof. The unity of these two points of view is perfectly expressed by the word which has always been used to characterize this situation: it is a trial, a temptation (Fristelse)."

Reflect on that!

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

To Larc, Introspection, and others:

I have not left the board. I do not plan on leaving. Moreover, I am not here to defend any organization. Contrariwise, my interest is primarily twofold.

First, I want to examine how human cognition functions in an environment where ex-JWs thrive and flock. Secondly, I want to provoke thought in those who oppose God's organization. Thirdly, I want to defend biblical Christianity and show that the very structures that make knowledge possible are inclined to seek and know an infinite horizon of being. That is, my apologetic efforts are focused on defending the Bible and the God who inspired it. I may also defend JWs in the process. But I do not think that JWs are perfect and unblemished, since we all sin and fall short of God's glory. If errors were what Jehovah watched, who could stand? Thus, despite the mistakes JWs have made through the years, I remain a JW because I think that Jehovah's people collectively constitute a pillar and support of the truth.

They have shown that Christendom's Trinitarian god is non-existent; there is no burning Hell, and God has not predestined some humans to everlasting life and others to everlasting torture. Furthermore, the ethics espoused by the Witnesses seem to conform closely to Scripture and insights from other world religions and natural law. While serving Jehovah, I have been protected by heeding the sage counsel of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have no worries about AIDS, illegitimate pregnancies or emotional turmoil over the commission of immoral acts. I also refuse to view my fellow autonomous self-constituting subjects as means to certain ends. Each autonomous subject IS an end in itself, and should be treated accordingly. Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses allows me to act thusly toward my fellow man or woman.

So I remain one of JWs for various reasons. I hope you'll reconsider your position as well.

Christian love,
Dan

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

Dear larc,

I appreciate the spirit you show. I am not trying to be insulting, but simply attempting to state the way that I view matters as a one who is interested in epistemology and the structures of consciousness as they relate to religious epistemology.

As a lurker for a few weeks, I have seen many posters state without reservation that JWs are cultic. I have also read posts by atheists, who seem to be convinced that there truly is no God. I'm not so sure that such ones can rightly make such asseverations with any degree of certainty if Kant, Descartes or Rudolph Bultmann are anywhere near correct as respects their individual epistemic theories. BTW, I apply the same epistemic standard to myself. With Descartes, the most that we may be able to say conclusively is 'We think, therefore we are.' Philosophically or even scientifically, we may not be able to go beyond this volitional (according to Descartes) insight.

I think that no matter what religious organization one chooses to commune with, he or she has to exercise his or her critical thinking abilities. If one is a Witness, is not his or her first allegiance supposed to be to the Bible? Does not the Bible say that no man knows the day or the hour? Did not Jesus say (or it is reported that he declared) that the end will come (or something to that effect) when Christians think that it will not happen? Should not a Witness reason on such biblical principles when evaluating anything the WT or AK magazines say?

Let's assume that the WT has printed erroneous statements in the past. Does this fact mean that JWs are cultic or false in their religious outlook? I happen to think that certain erroneous (or seeming erroneous) statements do not make a religious organization false. We are all existing in a state of existential fallenness. We have been thrown into our situational existence and tend toward ontological inertia as a result. JWs, Catholics, atheists, and Baptists are all in the same existential and epistemic boat, in a sense. Lastly, I think that human thought itself is contradictory in nature as it ascends toward the ultimate pinnacle of cognition. Read GWF Hegel and you will get my drift.

The Holy Scriptures themselves indicate that we humans are oh too fallible in thought. Even the apostle Paul wrote that we see in a "hazy outline by means of a metal mirror" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Please keep these thoughts in mind when assessing the WT.

Duns the Scot

137

Freedom of Thought and JW Opposers

by dunsscot in

jw
friends

does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum?

are those who have left god's organization and jehovah god himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased?

if those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some olympian perspective, i beg to differ.

dunsscot

Does freedom of thought really obtain in this forum? Are those who have left God's organization and Jehovah God Himself actually now more open-minded and unbiased? If those who espouse atheistic thoughts or those who believe every vile utterance spoken against Jehovah's people think they are now speaking from some Olympian perspective, I beg to differ.

First, if one mistakenly places too much confidence in his or her own wisdom, he or she unwisely ignores the ancient Greek thinker who taught us to be aware of our ignorance, namely, Socrates. What is more, modern thinkers have helped us to learn that we are very limited epistemically. Each human starts with certain presuppositions or preunderstandings, and processes the manifold of experience throuh these basic preunderstandings. Furthermore, Kant suggests that we are locked up in our minds. Thus, we can only deal with phenomena, not noumena. If Kant is anywhere near correct, an atheist or a JW opposer can speak with no more self-assuredness than a loyal Witness can. Alvin Plantinga also has shown us the prevalence of basic beliefs in other non-religious aspects of life.

I think 2 Tim 3:8-9 says it all.

Duns the Scot