You sound like you really hold your traditional back ground in disdain. I have crossed over many times in duscussions with C of C brothers.
There are many hard hearts in that fellowship.
I have met many sincere and loving foljs there.
I have been cadt out of a C of C in a small city in South Mississippi.
The men wanted me removed from any influence in that church after I criticized their hypothetical scenario of a martied couple getting a divorce and then getting married and later becoming Christians. And how as leaders they would council the two to divorce their now spouses and remarry.
I said gentlemen you are talking like Pharisees.
That didn't go over well.
Neither did my leading in singing Marvelous Grace of Jesus. You could tell they had never sung it.
I said that to say this. Claiming that you are following a different way by saying you are now following "the Word". Sounds like subjective theology that is open to criticism because of self-deception authority.
We can lie or deceive ourselves when we FEEL we are justified in following "The Word and of course we say its Jesus", in wonderful inner directions, because those old dictums have now be done away with in our minds.
Sorry about your regrets of being manipulated by C of C leaders.
I broke with Traditional thinking on many dogmas in clergy led theology, 50 years ago.
Good for you reforming your thinking abd again in the future. Many times over.
However the Word of God is what allows you to know about Jesus.
No inner theology will inform you of God's loving kindness or His judgments on those who mock Him.
I don't think I hold it in disdain. I believe there is much to be respected within that tradition. I mainly have a deep sadness in my heart for those who go their whole life thinking that anyone in their lives who doesn't agree with them on very specific issues within the Christian tradition are going to Hell. I write from a place of compassion and, hopefully, humility. When I write about COC issues, I try to reflect on my personal experience rather than attack others. I used to take that approach when I did have disdain for the tradition, but I abstain from that as much as possible.
I appreciate your critiques as well. I understand that Scriptures point to Jesus. We wouldn't know Jesus except for Scripture.
Our only criticism that helps us is of ourselves. Self-deception is the essence of "The vainful pride of life."
I just am wondering about the direction of thinking that puts us in a position of claiming we are following Jesus when it sounds like an inner direction and not a direction that actually follows as much as possible "thus says the Lord."
I know all to well the axioms from the "We be brethren" book As that was a very important creed for the C of C elites.
The three assessments of ardent doctrinal tests are interesting but still man made.
Enjoy your adventure in faith.
Remember there may be someone farther along and our current wisdom might need to be modified. Happens to me all the time. In 1973 I had a JW of about 10 years of age girl square me around on the word "Cross".
Daniel,
You sound like you really hold your traditional back ground in disdain. I have crossed over many times in duscussions with C of C brothers.
There are many hard hearts in that fellowship.
I have met many sincere and loving foljs there.
I have been cadt out of a C of C in a small city in South Mississippi.
The men wanted me removed from any influence in that church after I criticized their hypothetical scenario of a martied couple getting a divorce and then getting married and later becoming Christians. And how as leaders they would council the two to divorce their now spouses and remarry.
I said gentlemen you are talking like Pharisees.
That didn't go over well.
Neither did my leading in singing Marvelous Grace of Jesus. You could tell they had never sung it.
I said that to say this. Claiming that you are following a different way by saying you are now following "the Word". Sounds like subjective theology that is open to criticism because of self-deception authority.
We can lie or deceive ourselves when we FEEL we are justified in following "The Word and of course we say its Jesus", in wonderful inner directions, because those old dictums have now be done away with in our minds.
Sorry about your regrets of being manipulated by C of C leaders.
I broke with Traditional thinking on many dogmas in clergy led theology, 50 years ago.
Good for you reforming your thinking abd again in the future. Many times over.
However the Word of God is what allows you to know about Jesus.
No inner theology will inform you of God's loving kindness or His judgments on those who mock Him.
Hey brother.
I don't think I hold it in disdain. I believe there is much to be respected within that tradition. I mainly have a deep sadness in my heart for those who go their whole life thinking that anyone in their lives who doesn't agree with them on very specific issues within the Christian tradition are going to Hell. I write from a place of compassion and, hopefully, humility. When I write about COC issues, I try to reflect on my personal experience rather than attack others. I used to take that approach when I did have disdain for the tradition, but I abstain from that as much as possible.
I appreciate your critiques as well. I understand that Scriptures point to Jesus. We wouldn't know Jesus except for Scripture.
Our only criticism that helps us is of ourselves. Self-deception is the essence of "The vainful pride of life."
I just am wondering about the direction of thinking that puts us in a position of claiming we are following Jesus when it sounds like an inner direction and not a direction that actually follows as much as possible "thus says the Lord."
I know all to well the axioms from the "We be brethren" book As that was a very important creed for the C of C elites.
The three assessments of ardent doctrinal tests are interesting but still man made.
Enjoy your adventure in faith.
Remember there may be someone farther along and our current wisdom might need to be modified. Happens to me all the time. In 1973 I had a JW of about 10 years of age girl square me around on the word "Cross".
English translation is inaccurate.
It is stake or stick. Not Cross.
I was willing to eat my overconfidence.
Happened regularly as I learned more.