Posts by Knowsnothing

I am glad I am not God so I don't have to make decisions like that. My moral perspective is too narrow and therefore I could not destroy an entire nation with kids. That doesn't mean that total annihilation is not an option with a celestial perspective. -Sabastious

Your moral perspective is too narrow, but not because you are merely human. You fail to recognize the OT God for what he really is.

An All Mighty, All Knowing, Perfect entity would have no trouble approaching the problem a different, more compassionate way. In fact, he seems to have a change of heart in the NT.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

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If you don't understand what "accretion" is---how can you understand Bible?

by Terry in

jw
friends

morality, in order to be anything, cannot be everything.. it cannot be both good and bad.

a standard must be definitive.

borders and boundries define exactly where is is.. what is the bible?.

Knowsnothing

On what basis would GOD have dealings with inferior creatures incapable of perfect behavior?

Only by LOWERING HIS PERFECT RIGHTEOUS STANDARDS!

Isn't this the nonsensical foundation of GRACE? The innocent (Jesus) is punished and dies while the guilty sinners are pronounced righteous!

INJUSTICE from a JUST God??

For the sake of argument (for God in this case), I think it boils down to a more fundamental question. Why anything? God didn't have to create anything or anyone. I would go so far as to say that creating what could never aspire to be on God's level, was already a bad move? And yet, it wouldn't be, because here we are. Even if God made a bad move, you're still happy to be here, aren't you? The only way he could deal with inferior creatures is precisely by lowering his standards. There is simply no other way. No one could be on God's level.

Guilty sinners are pronounced righteous, but only if they reform their behavior. Even then, there is always short fallings. They are pronounced righteous, not out of their own pious acts, but out of their accepting the sacrifice. Jesus dying doesn't seem all to inconvenient anyways, seeing as he was resurrected in a higher position than he was before.

268

Is Biblical Morality Situational, Based Upon the Arbitrary Whims of Yahweh?

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

is biblical morality situational, based upon the arbitrary whims of yahweh?

murder is wrong... if god orders it however, then murder is right, and failing to murder is a sin.. .

exodus 20:13 versus 1 samuel 15:1, 7-11. .

Knowsnothing

The Torah depicts God allowing the Israelites to conquer surrounding nations by war. -Sabastious

Deuteronomy 7:1,2

1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. [a] Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.

I ask, allowed or commanded?

268

Is Biblical Morality Situational, Based Upon the Arbitrary Whims of Yahweh?

by leavingwt in

jw
friends

is biblical morality situational, based upon the arbitrary whims of yahweh?

murder is wrong... if god orders it however, then murder is right, and failing to murder is a sin.. .

exodus 20:13 versus 1 samuel 15:1, 7-11. .

Knowsnothing

But that is to read these works in the wrong way, I suggest. The right way is to place the Jews within their cultural framework that was, everywhere, shockingly violent (in ways that are familiar to us in the 21st century) and observe how the preparation for the ultimate Christian revelation was made. -Sulla

Rome was incredibly violent, perhaps more so than the Jewish framework you defend.

These are religious works, james woods, and need to be read in that manner. When God instructs Joshua to take the Promised Land, we are correct to note that this instruction can only be accompished with the means available at the time and with the people, and their own limitations, who happened to live then. These did not have the benefit of a couple thousand years of Christian reflection and several thousand years of Jewish reflection and hundreds of years of Greek philosophical reflection. -Sulla

If the OT is really inspired of God, it shows not just to be a religious work, but an interaction of God with his people. It also shows the brutal commands he gives them.

If God paved the way for the Israelites to take the Promised Land through for example, the 10 plagues in which they didn't even have to fight, why not do the same for the Caananites and such? In fact, why eliminate these people when he could've educated them better? Just what point is God trying to prove here?

51

Does the Watchtower magazine carry more weight than the Bible?

by Sour Grapes in

last week as i listened to the public talk, i noticed.

that several times the speaker referred to the watchtower.

as the source of authority.. he said that "in the july1, 1980 watchtower page 15. paragraph 4 it says".... it is like he was looking up a bible.

Knowsnothing

We are not going to be condemned/shunned IF we do choose to associate with worldly people, however. Which testifies to the fact that we ARE NOT A CULT. I can choose to hang out with WHOEVER I want, where I want, when I want, and how long I want. Do some research on cults and see if they're allowed to do that? -nananana

Kid got marked for having worldy friends

OP:

It's true. Last night, a kid got marked for having worldy friends. The usual no friendship with the world texts made its way in. The elder repeated several times that the kid had been admonished several times, but refused to listen to the elders' advice. The elder giving the talk in the Local Needs also went to great lengths to emphasize that while this wasn't a DFing offense, it was serious business. I guess they (elders) didn't take too kindly being brushed aside. It almost sounded like he wanted the kid to get DF'ed. He almost had a sad, dejected tone about his not get DF'ed.

I still can't believe they can do that. This religion is ridiculous. The way this religion controls its members makes me irate.

51

Does the Watchtower magazine carry more weight than the Bible?

by Sour Grapes in

last week as i listened to the public talk, i noticed.

that several times the speaker referred to the watchtower.

as the source of authority.. he said that "in the july1, 1980 watchtower page 15. paragraph 4 it says".... it is like he was looking up a bible.

Knowsnothing

I would say, not just the WT magazines, but the literature in general. Similar to a thread I started.

The-JWs-dependence-on-WT-literature

A "Bible study" to a possible convert is done with "What does the Bible really teach" book.
The 5 meetings consist of heavy use of literature such as the:
1.) Congregation Book study, which uses any of the books publised by WT
2.) Theocratic Ministry School's use of "Benefit" book (although this section does use the Bible the most, as it includes the home Bible reading, yet many people comment from a WT comment anyways),
3.) Service meeting using "Our Kingdom Ministry" which in turn usually directs us to the "Yearbook", "Benefit", and "Organized to do God's will"
4.) The Public talk that, while not based on publications per se, uses an outline given by the Society
5.) The Watchtower study, which I need not even elaborate on.

Preaching is done through literature as well. Magazines, tracts, books, etc.
WT encourages "research" with their publications, such as Insight for the Scriptures, among other resources.

It cannot be denied that the Bible isn't used, but think about the heavy use of literature, and how that influences what you think what the Bible says.

Also think how the use of this literature binds you to their organisation. The Bible isn't enough, sufficient on its own. It needs interpretation through them.

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