You Know,
Are you an active Jehovah's Witness. Do you attend meetings and go in field service? Or are you, like Friday, inactive and waiting for the Watchtower to be cleaned up? Just curious.
I take full responsibility for myself. I am no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses because I don't believe it is the truth. I did not read Franz's book until after I was an exJW for 3 or 4 years.
I am no longer a Jehovah's Witness because I came to a point where I no longer believed their explanation of the purpose for life (the glorification of Jehovah and proving his Universal Sovereignty) or their explanation of Jehovah's judgement system (being aligned with an earthly organization at a specific point in time). This is simplistic, it is much more complicated than that. I continue to research and discuss my feelings with witnesses, ex-witnesses and those of many philosophical ilks. So far, no one has a satisfying answer, so I remain a student.
Since I don't believe there is some vast eternal plan. I am an admitted hedonist. I live for pleasure, the pleasure I can give to myself and to others around me. Since I believe this life is all there is, I am trying to make the most out of it.
I will not make a choice based on a scare tactic. I will not serve God simply to avoid being destroyed. I will serve God (if he exists) when I am shown how his purpose for the earth and the methodology he uses to govern and judge his creation makes sense. If I am wrong, so be it. As I have stated here before, it won't break my heart for the many fine people I have known during my life to be rewarded with eternal life on a paradise earth.
I don't like your approach. You make some interesting points. When you make these rationally and do so with kindness, I listen to you and meditate on what you say. When you end your posts with LOL and utilize other silly jeers and insults, you appear to me as a someone who does not represent truth or love. More importantly, you appear to me to be someone who does not care enough about people to warrant the careful choice of words you use to discuss matters with them.
Yes, Jesus rebuked the false teachers and hypocrites of his time. Those who set themselves up as leaders over others for the glory it brought them. I don't think there are many people of that sort here. There are a few. Most of the people here are like me, they are searching for answers, about their own lives and life in general. I don't like the way you treat them. I doubt that if Jehovah exists that he likes it either.
Deliver your message with love or don't deliver it at all. The topic you are discussing is too important to be laden with LOL's and juvenile put downs. If you stumble even one lurker or poster here who might have otherwise listened to you, you are a fool for doing so.
Are you a fool or are you a man who is serious about truth and respects truth enough to discuss it with love and reasoning?
I wish you peace.
Joel