How can one have fair and honest debate with those who would get in trouble with their church if they conceded any valid point of criticism against said church?
I'm thinking of Jehovah's Witnesses*, Mormons, Scientologists, and even Muslims, as well as others.
I don't think Catholics, Mainline Protestants and Orthodox get excommunicated these days for debating and exploring and exchanging ideas. Or even for being critical of their churches.
Can the same be said of the smaller, evangelizing sects?
(*to the active JWs among us, please correct me if I'm wrong, and provide an example when any of your opponents here have made a fair and valid criticism of your church which you have found convincing)
Do dogmatic and authoritarian churches put "blinders" on their members?
How can one have fair and honest debate,
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Elijah John
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How can one have fair and honest debate,
Post #1 My theological positions:
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
-God created us in His image, not the other way around.
-The Bible is redeemed by it's good parts.
-Pure monotheism, simple repentance.
-YHVH is LORD
-The real Jesus is not God, the real YHVH is not a monster.
-Eternal life is a gift from the Living God.
-Keep the Commandments, keep your salvation.
-I have accepted YHVH as my Heavenly Father, LORD and Savior.
I am inspired by Jesus to worship none but YHVH, and to serve only Him.
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JehovahsWitness
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Re: How can one have fair and honest debate,
Post #2You are wrong. Jehovah's Witnesses are more than happy to recognisze and correct any valid criticism about our beliefs or the way our organization is run. Indeed Jehovah's Witnesses have published lists of changes we have made in our 100 or more year history and regularly study articles about revisions and changes. We view our organization as "progressive" in nature and are welcome changes.Elijah John wrote:
[Jehovah's Witnesses] would get in trouble with their church if they conceded any valid point of criticism against said church?
*to the active JWs among us, please correct me if I'm wrong...
Regarding the use of the internet, Jehovah's Witnesses are reasonably warned of the dangers of the internet and not encouraged to enter into debate with apostates (ex-witnesses that actively oppose our organization) or disfellowshipped individuals. Jehovah's Witness also avoid pointless antagonistic and time wasting debate. Our primary goal is to preach the good news no matter the platform. If someone confessed to ignoring this counsel as far as the internet, they would be further advised about the dangers of doing so but still left to do as they saw fit as the use of the internet is essentially a personal matter there is no system by which anyone* is or can be monitored in this regard*.
* Parents are strongly encouraged to closely monitor what there children do online. An adult confessions to persistent and unrepentent use of pornography might be an disfellowshiping offense.FURTHER READING
Guard Against Deception by Apostates
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2004124#h=10
Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Respond to All Accusations Made Against Them?
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesse ... cusations/
RELATED POSTS
Do Jehovah's Witnesses practise shunning?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 72#p895672
What is an JW "apostate"?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 84#p846284
How do members react when official JW teachings change?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 55#p846255
Does the Jehovah's Witness organization recognize it can and has made errors?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 01#p840101
Do Jehovah's Witnesses shun/disfellowship folks for leaving their organization ?
viewtopic.php?p=1065834#p1065834
Are people disfellowshipped for internet debating?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 43#p895843
Do JWs view shunning a legitimate motive for divorce ?
viewtopic.php?p=1032193#p1032193
To learn more please go to other posts related to...
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES , SHUNNING and ... ORGANISATIONAL INFALLIBILITY
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:27 am, edited 18 times in total.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
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JehovahsWitness
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Re: How can one have fair and honest debate,
Post #3Elijah John wrote:
Do dogmatic and authoritarian churches put "blinders" on their members?
Yes, I believe so and as one of Jehovah's Witnesses I would never belong to a church were critical thinking and the ability to express one's view is prohibited. That said, all Jehovah's Witnesses recgonize the biblical authority of headship and the relative authority of our governing body. The bible remains for us ultimate expression of God's direction for humans and nobody is considered above bible law.
FURTHER READING
How Are Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses Organized?
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesse ... organized/
RELATED POSTS
What is the authority of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (scroll down)
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 84#p846284
Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
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Bust Nak
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Re: How can one have fair and honest debate,
Post #4[Replying to post 2 by JehovahsWitness]
I don't think you can call yourselves progressive and welcoming changes when you still reject evolution, even the Catholics are ahead of you on that.
I don't think you can call yourselves progressive and welcoming changes when you still reject evolution, even the Catholics are ahead of you on that.
