Parents on their way to prison for not providing medical care for child.

[Deeje]

Yep. Don't engage with the "apostates" lest they provide you with a few uncomfortable home truths.

How would you know the "truth" about any of it? You believe what you want to believe because someone told you something you wanted to hear? You are entitled to do that, but remember that Christians accept that Jesus was the son of God who spoke nothing but the truth. (You don't have to believe that for it to be true) How was he treated? His own people believed the lies that others with a hateful agenda had spread about him too. They were talked into hating him enough to blackmail the Roman Govenor into executing him....by his own judgment, an innocent man. That is the truth of the Bible.

Jesus said that his true disciples could expect the same kind of 'opposition' spread by the complainers and fault finders that he and his first century disciples encountered. (John 15:18-21)

History repeats...do you know why?

There are a lot of ex-JW's who behave just like a lot of the Israelites did in the wilderness after their delivery from slavery in Egypt. All they did was whine about the negatives, because that is all they focused on.....but they failed to appreciate the positives....for 40 years they received a perfect food, clean uncontaminated water, their clothing and footwear didn't wear out and they were led by God throughout their entire sojourn. They were in that predicament because of their own unfaithlfulness, yet God still provided for them. Why? Because of the faithful ones among them.

Do we expect our brothers to be perfect? Not unless we are.

Funny how the finger pointers can never answer the questions put to them about their own practice of Christianity. Who are their brothers? Other sad and sorry defectors?

The apostle Peter's words ring true today, just as they did back then....when some stumbled at Jesus' words....

"Because of this, many of his disciples went off to the things behind and would no longer walk with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve: “You do not want to go also, do you?” Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life." (John 6:66-69)

I am very happy to put up with the faults of my brothers because God does. Jesus told us to do what he did......and understand that perfection is something for the new world. You won't find it in this system of things. He put up with the faults of his apostles and they were going to heaven!

Haters are gonna hate....they don't need much provocation. God does the best with what he has in this system of things....so do we. Realistically Christianity is what makes ordinary people carry out an extraordinary work.....one that cannot be done without God's spirit. (Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19-20) That extraordinary work is coming to its completion and when the judgment time comes, as we believe it must, there will be the faithful "few" still standing, when all the rest have given in to the world that is "passing away". (1 John 2:15-17) Any who are not living up to the standards Jesus set will be dealt with by him.

"Just like the days of Noah", Jesus said.....no one believed him either. (Matthew 24:37-39) There is only one "ark".

Time will tell I guess....won't it?

 

[RedhorseWoman]

How would you know the "truth" about any of it? You believe what you want to believe because someone told you something you wanted to hear? You are entitled to do that, but remember that Christians accept that Jesus was the son of God who spoke nothing but the truth. (You don't have to believe that for it to be true) How was he treated? His own people believed the lies that others with a hateful agenda had spread about him too. They were talked into hating him enough to blackmail the Roman Govenor into executing him....by his own judgment, an innocent man. That is the truth of the Bible.

Jesus said that his true disciples could expect the same kind of 'opposition' spread by the complainers and fault finders that he and his first century disciples encountered. (John 15:18-21)

History repeats...do you know why?

There are a lot of ex-JW's who behave just like a lot of the Israelites did in the wilderness after their delivery from slavery in Egypt. All they did was whine about the negatives, because that is all they focused on.....but they failed to appreciate the positives....for 40 years they received a perfect food, clean uncontaminated water, their clothing and footwear didn't wear out and they were led by God throughout their entire sojourn. They were in that predicament because of their own unfaithlfulness, yet God still provided for them. Why? Because of the faithful ones among them.

Do we expect our brothers to be perfect? Not unless we are.

Funny how the finger pointers can never answer the questions put to them about their own practice of Christianity. Who are their brothers? Other sad and sorry defectors?

The apostle Peter's words ring true today, just as they did back then....when some stumbled at Jesus' words....

"Because of this, many of his disciples went off to the things behind and would no longer walk with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve: “You do not want to go also, do you?” Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life." (John 6:66-69)

I am very happy to put up with the faults of my brothers because God does. Jesus told us to do what he did......and understand that perfection is something for the new world. You won't find it in this system of things. He put up with the faults of his apostles and they were going to heaven!

Haters are gonna hate....they don't need much provocation. God does the best with what he has in this system of things....so do we. Realistically Christianity is what makes ordinary people carry out an extraordinary work.....one that cannot be done without God's spirit. (Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:19-20) That extraordinary work is coming to its completion and when the judgment time comes, as we believe it must, there will be the faithful "few" still standing, when all the rest have given in to the world that is "passing away". (1 John 2:15-17) Any who are not living up to the standards Jesus set will be dealt with by him.

"Just like the days of Noah", Jesus said.....no one believed him either. (Matthew 24:37-39) There is only one "ark".

Time will tell I guess....won't it?

JWs tell those of other religions to examine what their religion does. Examine its history. Examine what the members of that religious group do. But when it comes to the JW organization, all we hear is that JWs should not examine anything. JWs should just put up with all of the inconsistencies (Jehovah will take care of it in his due time) and all of the failings of the leaders (be they elders, ministerial servants, or those higher in the JW hierarchy.)

There was an illustration given in public talks and, I believe, in the literature as well (Deeje, I'm sure will remember this, since I get the impression that she has been around for awhile) that a glass of water with just one drop of poison in it would still be unfit to drink. This illustration was given to impress upon us the "fact" that any religion that had any members who were not what could be considered to be "good Christians" or if the leadership made errors or committed acts that were not appropriate would automatically be considered to be "false religion" and people should leave those organizations because they were obviously not serving God.

None of that applies to the JW organization, however. JWs will twist themselves into knots explaining away any bad or criminal activity by members, lies, hypocrisy, false teachings, etc. and state that such things must be ignored. Why? Why should others be encouraged to leave any religious organization that does any of those things because those acts are like the "drop of poison" in a glass of water, but the "drop of poison" in the JW glass should just be ignored and the water swallowed without complaint?

It's interesting to note that any religious group that can rightly be deemed to be a high-control religion (aka cult) will denigrate any members who have been smart enough to see behind the curtain and leave. Anyone who points out the errors and the problems in their religion is considered to be a "hater," "disgruntled," or even immoral and disgusting.

Deeje puts up with the "faults of her brothers" while, I'm sure, advising people that she meets out in field service (if, in fact, her field service entails actually going door-to-door and not merely posting on forums in order to get her "time" in) to "examine their religion" and if they find that the "brothers" in those other religions have faults, they should definitely not put up with anything, but they should "get out of her." Such hypocrisy!