isn't the answer clearly yes that all human beings have free will. I mean, aren't we all posting and reading this under our own control? there are things that may limit us like circumstances, slavery, biology, but by being alive we all have at least some free will.
Did I say I was offended? No. I was having a go at you calling yourself a Christian when you use that type of talk. It may have been viewed as a below the belt snap but I feel it was never any more than just that. Put it this way. It takes quite a bit to upset me and you are far from being one to make me that upset. There's no whining going on down here. I have no right to whine about anything really, and on that point I have no right to judge others or to attack anyone else's beliefs (like you are doing to me). AGAIN! I can only go by what is written in the Bible. However, there is something you just said about being forgiven. If God can forgive you then why can't he forgive a snake charmer? You know it is written that we ARE forgiven if we show a repentant attitude. Correct me if I am wrong here? No one on this earth is perfect. We ALL make mistakes and we continually ask forgiveness for our mistakes through prayer on the basis of Jesus' ransom sacrifice for us to be saved. However again, the apostle Paul said we need to put on the new personality. How can we possible do this if you will not forgive your neighbour even though Jesus said we should do so? Col
Free will ? not at all In todays life it cost to much to have a free will.Everything i do cost money and if i dont have $$$ then i dont a free will. cheers
Dead Corn "believes" that Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult organisation. He has no idea and is probably too scared to find out for himself. Instead, he most likely read misleading things off the net like most people "read" and "believe" without checking it out for themselves. Col
Ah... thanks Col Hate to say it, but I would have to agree with him..... I still love you though I went to school with several Jehovah's Witnesses, and spent quite a bit of time in theological discussion. I was very inspired by the dedication they had, but was a bit confused about how they couldn't read their Bible by themselves, without the aid of the Watchtower magazine. I like to think for myself - and have been to Bible College to study the Scriptures, and think it's healthy to be able to pull them to pieces yourself - and meditate on them, letting the Holy Spirit speak through them (Oh, yeah, I said Holy Spirit). I don't wanna pick on you, but if I had the option of worshiping my God - and ending up in heaven, and worshiping yours, and worst-case scenario ending up in nothingness - then I choose mine. Oh dear! I still like you Col - TRUE!!!
LOL....Thanks..I think?? It takes a lot of time and study for anyone to have a firm grasp on the Bible. Hence, the watchtower and other publications to aid us in that study. Kids of school age are doing really well to use the Bible and these publications in comparison to most other kids. The learning is continual. You said before your age. I gather those kids today would not need a publication to say what the Bible is all about. Our organisation world-wide has a fantastic Bible education system for all ages. As I said, it is a continual process. You may feel this way to worship God to think you will go to heaven. However, the Bible clearly states this is not the case. There are so many scriptures pointing out that our destiny as humans is for the earth if we wish to pursue it. It is only a select number that will be in heaven to rule as co-rulers with Jesus (as king) over us on the earth. Even though young witnesses may know this teaching from the Bible. They most likely will not know where to find that information immediately. But, with a little time would be able to find the appropriate Bible verses for whatever answers you may have. None of us profess to have full understanding of the scriptures and never will in this system of things. Anyone that says "I know the Bible completely" would be foolish to say so. We can only try to continue to learn what it really teaches. Col
Cool, so - do you read the Bible on your own, or are you only allowed to with the Watchtower magazine? I just thought that this aspect of it was a bit strange. I can see that it would be very useful to have guidance, and think that our churches should invest in setting up something like this
I study the Bible every day and I use as many publications as I can to assist in my study. We have thousands of different publications to use as a study aid. However, most importantly we use the Bible as a measuring stick and always do. Everything we do will always point back to what the Bible really teaches and not what man teaches. I can't see the churches doing this. They can't seem to pull away from the worship of idols even though the Bible says in many places we should not be doing this. However, most people do not know what is written in the Bible. Most people go by what the church leaders tell them. If you ever go to one of our Kingdom Halls you will see 99% if not 100% of people attending have their own Bibles and use them right throughout the meeting just as it should be. Most people are very scared at anything that seems different. Only 5 years ago I thought the very same about witnesses. Only because of what others said and because I really had no idea what was in the Bible. It was only through an invitation to find out for myself when I realised what it was all about and have never looked back. Col
Apparently, it seems that we have free will. Religion also tells us that. But, I don't know why I feel that we don't have free will. What actually 'will' is? This 'will' itself is not free, its bound by genetics, our past and much of ourself. I have a small example. There are two friends A and B .. both are in O Levels. Both fail in their final exams. 'A' commits suicide while 'B' doesn't and decide to study with care. Right? Why two people made two different decisions in the very same situation? Making a decision depends on many factors, like genetics (by birth decision power, ability to face problems etc etc) and past experiences. Right? Who created these factors? God or whoever, but we didn't .. right? So, how are we responsible for that decision? In this example suicide. How person 'A' is responsible for the suicide if he was not given enough power to face the difficulties and problems in the life? If his decision was based on the factors i mentioned above. He is not fee to his will. IMO.
pia, the funniest thing about you (and my own teenage daughter) is how full of yourselves you both are. You're not nearly so rude as you are clummsy, and like an amateur boxer you always lead with the punch never quite assessing how open and vulnerable you really are. Like I've told you before: "It's what you learn after you know it all that really counts." - Harry S. Truman
Col, you write: Well, first off, forgiving ones neighbor is essential to Christianity, what you don't understand is that when Jesus, who will be both our Judge and Advocate (good guy to know ), when He forgives it is of an offense between others, yet He behaves the one chiefly offended. For instance, if your neighbor hits you in the the head with a baseball bat, on a personal level you may or may not forgive him, yet he may not require your forgiveness - why? because whether you forgive him or not, Jesus very well may - if your neighbor repents of his act and asks for this forgiveness. You jumped into the fray during my discourse with Cindy and acted offended at my words... therein lies the analogy. I am not certain you will find any of this in the Watch-Tower. I can't remember, is yours the cult that believes Jesus and satan are brothers? They all get so confusing to me.
That's the funniest thing I have heard for ages...ROFL This is what I mean. Here you are accusing our organisation of being a cult and you still ask this very funny question. Therefore, giving very little weight to the credibility of your knowledge about us. If you read your Bible (you keep telling all of us here that you do) you will see that it quotes Jesus as being the "firstborn of all creation" and then "everything else created through him". Therefore, all angels were created by God, but through Jesus (the Master Worker). That makes Satan (a fallen angel) in no way Jesus' brother. Hope this clears things up for you. Col
Um, DeadCorn.... I actually asked him why you kept referring to him as being in a cult - he didn't really butt in. I was curious, because that's quite an allegation that you are throwing around - as well as the brothers one! That's kinda insane. I haven't heard this one before - is it true? I thought that JW's believe that Jesus is not God. I think that is the most major difference in belief - don't think there is any brother thing... and well, I don't know how it would effect the theology of the gospel, but I do know that my brother and I are very different people - so, why couldn't Jesus and Satan be brothers? Oh yeah - except that this would make Satan God... lol
i dont claim to know it all, and like your daughter, i have my own mind and my own will, and if that is something a devine thing has a problem with, then thats it's problem, not our's (your daughter and I) i am going to tell you something so personal, and make it so public (as it's on a DP post) i am going to ask you to think of your god, and your daughter and me. i was born on the 8th november 1982, makes me 24 years old today. on 31st december 1997 i was allowed out to a party on my own for the very 1st time. i was just turned 15 years old, my mom was very religous and my daddy was just very passive to my mom, so i lead a very sheltered life and with my gymnastics, i developed slowly. i never had time for social stuff, and guys were never allowed to talk to me, in fact i only knew 3 boys that were gymnasts that could spend time with me at 14. on that new years eve party, i was taken home, and beaten and raped and left to die. i spent 6 weeks in hospital after that, and it hit me, thats all i am here for, to be fucked all my life, that scared me, that freaked me out so much, i couldnt understand why i was made to live a life like that, when i didnt want that, god made my life hell, and he made me, and that was what i had to look forward to for the rest of my life, oh boy things became really clear to me, that no god would make me live that life, and no god would wish that on any little girl, all i ever did wrong in my life, was stop going to church when i was 7 or 8 years old, when the vicar sat me on his hand and was doing things i didnt understand, when i asked about the nice feelings i had, i was taken outta the church. now i choose to date more girls than guys, i'm a freak, i'm a threat to the male domain., i take girls away from guys. girls dont hurt me, or beat me, but they do comfort me and give me what i need, (the sexual release. the love, the closeness of being held and loved.......) your god calls me a homo and any guy that might have been sexually abused, the same for seeking conmfort in thier own gender. i ask you, would you love your daughter any less? if she was lesbian? would you question yor god on her behalf?
What defines a "cult" versus a misguided religion is how the members are controlled or not controlled. Social Engineering + a belief system = cult Seventh Day Adventists have some wrong ideas about things but they're not really considered a cult. I view a cult as a religion whose members can't question (or discouraged to question) the authority set up by the church. If a random bum off the street with no prior knowledge of your religion can't know everything about your religion (at no cost) before becoming a member, your religion is also probably a cult. If questions have answers but leaders refuse to answer them, you might be a member of a cult.
Thank you for making that very clear to others. In our organization no questions go unanswered coming from anyone, regardless if they are part of the organization or not. The best part is all answers will come from what the Bible teaches and not from what man teaches. In no way does this class our organization as a cult. Col