XPost: alt.religion.jehovahs-witn, talk.religion.misc
From: NothingGood@Watchertowerland.net
"Mark Sornson" wrote in message
news:3F660FC2.E5AA72BB@zk3.dec.com...
> Hey DuRunRun wrote:
> > $$ Free will? The message they bring is one of FEAR,... "Join our WTS
or
> > our god Jehovah will kill you for all eternity and very, very soon."
Many
> > people will join them out of FEAR.
==============
> I personally haven't met a single one who
> joined out of fear.
## Gee, and I have.......
And when I talk to people
> about my faith, it never even occurs to me to
> attempt to instill a climate of fear within
> them.
## You don't think telling them about your WT god's plan to kill everyone
but the JWs doesn't instill fear in those who believe in such nonsense?
PLEASE!!!!! I've known many Catholics who lived in FEAR of hell! I've
known JWs in fear of Armageddon. Get real Mark!
> [I did once have an apostate tell me that
> after he was disfellowshipped for immorality,
## What kind of immorality? He had sex with a willing adult woman? He
kissed one? The WTS allows pedophiles to remain in good standing but will
DF willing adults. Why is that do you think?
> he later rejoined out of fear, but he still
> didn't last, because his heart really wasn't
> in it. No person can stay a JW if their only
> reason for being one is fear.]
## That depends on the person.
> >The ignorant, the gullible, those who
> > have an abnormal dread of death.
>
> Please tell us what a normal dread of death is.
## You're a grown man, figure that one out for yourself.
> Perhaps you embrace death with open arms -- but
> it's quite normal to view death as the Bible does,
> as an "enemy" (1Cor 15:26),
## So we're all supposed to DREAD the inevitable? Face it Mark, we're all
going to die some day. With open arms? In some cases, YES. As volunteer
in a large NY Hospital I saw those suffering with the diseases your Jehovah
created make them pray for death. Yes, death was welcomed with open arms
for people living in agony week after week.
and quite a relief
> to put faith in the Bible's promise that one day
> death itself will be "destroyed" (NIV) or "abolished"
> (NASB).
## Only if you NEED to believe in fairy tales to get you through the
night...... :-)
> > That still doesn't mean they all
> > mindlessly believe every utterance from the mouth of the GB.
> Yes indeed, JWs don't "mindlessly believe" anything.
## Of course not... they're gently "convinced" to believe anything the GB
says. Those who don't believe have to pretend to believe or be DFed and
shunned. I know the story... remember?
> > The problem
is
> > they are NOT ALLOWED to voice their concerns, their doubts and ask
> > questions.
> Before joining, each one is encouraged to have a
> personal, home Bible study, during which they can
> voice all of their concerns and doubts, and ask
> questions. People who don't voice their concerns
> and doubts are short-changing themselves.
## The JWs who go out to houses for Bible studies are NOT university trained
Bible experts qualified to answer the questions I have heard JWs mumble
among themselves. Some questions are met with silence and avoidance. Why
have the questions asked in such a way as to keep other JWs from learning
from the answers too?
> The goal is for each one who joins to have a reasonable
> depth of knowledge and a strong faith. JWs (as a
> whole) don't want people to 'sign up' on a whim, only
> to have the whim fade shortly there-after.
## Just like all other cults, sects and religions.
> > They're accused of a weak faith, being demon inspired, and
put
> > in fear of stumbling others and perhaps even being disfellowshipped.
> It is possible for people to have a weak faith.
> See James 1:5-8.
## So? That's their prerogative. Maybe they simply don't buy into the fact
the WT expects them to labor without pay or compensation for their time.
Maybe they don't believe the GB are inspired by a god.
There's
> usually some sort of behavior that accompanies claims
> of a loss of faith that presents more of a danger to
> others.
## How could it present a danger to others unless it's some exposure of the
WT Publishing House or the communistic dictators who run the show? Not
everyone wants to live under a religious dictatorship like the WTS,
especially those in free countries.
> I've never heard anyone ever be threatened by saying,
> "If you don't believe, you'll be disfellowshipped".
## You haven't? Then they don't trust you enough to talk to you, or in
front of you. People were DFed in the 60s and 70s for rejecting the
1975-fiasco. Since when do they keep members who don't believe what the GB
tells them to believe?
> On rare occasions, a person experiences SUCH a radical
> change of mind, heart, AND behavior that they earn
> the label "apostate" --
## And who the hell are the JWs to judge someone and give them that label?
Please try and keep your posts to a reasonable level, or break them up into
several posts. All this ground has already been covered here, in the past,
in any case.
-- --
Seymour Greenfields....
God likes people to drink and eat blood....
Numbers 23:24 Here God tells them they will not lie down until they eat
the flesh of their prey and DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE SLAIN!!!!
---<---<---<---{@ ---<---<---<---<{@ ---<---<---<---{@ ---<---<--
-{@
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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