Posted by GOLF [GOLF] on November 17, 1999 at 07:15:32 {xx2d.1sWpQxcw/M2TiI6XmY6g1Cg2g}:
In Reply to: *Would You Still be a JW.. posted by Searching on November 17, 1999 at 05:51:15:
Ah, fear and guilt the ear marks of a mass movement.
My faithful fleshly sister who resides in Phoenix, wonders why she has this fear and guilt complex, when she is morally upright.
We need to define the difference between a healthy fear and a morbid fear. My sister has a morbid fear. How so? She does all that is asked of her and more, and yet, she feels guilty? This is abnormal.
Jesus said at Matt.11:28-30, "For my yoke is kindly and my load is LIGHT!" Where is the fear and guilt in Jesus words?
If were are folloing the kingly law of 'practicing love to your neighbor and yourself, James said, "You are doing quite well." James 2:8 Where's the fear and guilt feeling in this scripture?
Would someone kindly refer me to a scriptue that Jesus made to an everyday person making him/her feel guilty? How about living a life of fear?
Paul gives us the definition of God's love at 1 Corinthians the 13th chapter. Please read it carefully and just think of the two greatest commandments that Jesus gave us at Matt 22:37-39.
As a group of friends we ignore Jesus words,"To love thyself." We are made to feel guilty by demanding elders. We are made to feel guilty because we are not doing enough. We are made to feel guilty about thinking of ourselves. With all these restrictions impose on us, we are denying the right to think and live our personal lives! Jah does not make us feel guilty, it's men!
Mass movements deprive their followers of free thinking, free choice, free expression. To those who want others to think for them, mass movements is the ideal place for them to avoid personal responsibilities.
Such movements takes God out of the person's personal relationship. You do things for the movement and NOT for yourself and your creator.Your loyality is to the mass movement and not to God.
Why does Joshua ask the question, "...choose for yourselves today whom you will serve...? Josh 24:15. How can we have a choice if were told what to do? We are not allowed and deprived to question our personal lives! Where's the freedom of love? Where's the freedom of choice?
Does Jehovah demand so much out of us that we lose the joy in serving him? Jesus said, "Come to me, all you YOU who are toiling and loaded down, (with guilt and fear) and I will REFRESH you." Matt.11:28 When was the last time you took a shower and felt 'unwashed' or 'unclean' afterwards? Even when we are pulling our load we are still made to 'feel' its not enough. Yes, I have 'felt'unwashed many times. Enough already!!!
"Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve."
DK