Posted by weasy [weasy] on April 13, 1999 at 12:35:22 {3msX9WvmSosdCZQY8e4IUCssdY6lnc}:
In Reply to: *******End times posted by AF on April 12, 1999 at 11:32:18:
I see things a little differently now that you have opened this up to me. I have been a catholic, a seventh day adventist, a lutheran, and in a non-denominational church for just a few places I went looking for answers. I studied
scriptures in english and greek by myself for 4 years in the mountains of Montana on the Flathead Indian reservation. I was in an area where catholics were a minority for the first time in my life...and I had a need to set these people
straight who came knocking on my door. I needed to prove catholocism! In the process I did just the opposite.
But I was equally sure the JW's were wrong. Some of that was based on the medical aspect, some on translation of
scripture.
Later I moved to Michigan where I studied with my best friend who was also looking for correct answers for about another 6 years.
After studying the history of the pagans and comparing scriptures I did realize that certain
holidays had pagan origins and that I was sure that God would not like me to do anything that had a pagan origin. You can call a rose a peach if you like, but it's still a rose!
I also noted that God is constant in his purpose and
fullfilled all the promises he made. So when my oldest daughter said to me, in that teenage voice, "Mom, it's the 90's", I thought...wait a minute, God doesn't care what year it is! He didn't change his mind on morality or love because
it's 1990 and not 3000BC!!! Where does it say that you can start killing or stop honoring your parents, or start committing adultery because it is 1920 or 1999??
I do understand fully how you feel when you find that the most important
thing in your life has been a lie. The catholics did that to me. But I don't hate them for it, they just don't know. They don't study scripture. But I think that maybe you can't let it go, not just because you feel betrayed, but
because you still have a need to find the real truth. If you didn't care you would simply drop it.
Don't be too angry with the JW's. I look at it this way, if the entire world were Jehovah's Witnesses (right or wrong) there would be a
more moral society, no more war and killings, there wouldn't be babies born with crack habits or there wouldn't be child abuse. People would care more about each other, or at least be more tolerant. And governments would spend their
money, not on weapons, but food for their starving people. And just maybe we all wouldn't have to lock our doors anymore.
I don't mean to sound fluffy about all this. You know their phlosophy about all those things. They are just
trying to be good people. I would rather live next to all JW's than next to other so called christians who beat their wives, rob banks and molest children. Wouldn't you feel safer?
I'm not a JW. But who knows, maybe someday. I could
think of worse things to be!
Thanks for posting for me!
weas