I have been in contact with some of the gang i used to hang with in high school. This is an excerpt from a conversation i have been having from one of those friends.
Okay...imagine we are "God's Antfarm"....he is watching us move about our world in our hurried fashions or walk about in wonder. What would bring Him the most pleasure?? Would not He want us to experience the many wonders He has provided, rather that saying, "Hey thanks, but I just don't have time for these things....I am just going to keep thanking you and assume their nice." It's like when I am teaching math. (No...I am not saying I am a math Goddess) Is it the kid who stares at me like I am "so cool" that makes me feel like I am doing something productive with my life? No...it's that argumentative hyper little shit in the corner who questions the theories, who has to experience the problem solving in their own way, who comes in the next day with a question they hope (and sometimes I can't) answer. It is the kid who comes in the next day with this useless long division problem they had to tape two pieces of paper together to solve (and got it way wrong anyhow...but I can't bear to tell them that). That is the kid who I am reaching. That is the kids that is enjoying the world I am providing for them. I am not trying to slam religion, although I am much more cautious than the rest of you in this area, due to my background. I am also not saying to question your faith, absolutely believe in whatever your heart allows you. Instead, I am trying to say that we have been given so much in this world...nature, friends, relatives, education, entertainment, relationships, and I don't think that we are meant to chose only one and go with it alone. To chose one, and SHUT out the other areas is turning away from the gifts of this world. This...is my thoughts...
She goes on to say after another friend chimes in on the conversation:
You will still talk to me when Darin pretends I am a "dead goat"! (Talk for someone you no longer speak to because they aren't a Jehovah anymore!)
Dead Goat? What the?? She explains. "JW" is Jehovah Witness.
And the "goat" thing, let me explain. When you are a "JW", you are a "sheep", everyone else are "goats". When you leave, you are not only a "very bad goat", but also "presumed and treated dead" by the continuin JWs. The vocabulary is, well, interesting!
Wow. I am taken back by this whole conversation. I am struggling how to respond. My first reaction is frustration that a group of people would treat someone as if they are dead because they left the church. Sympathy for the gal writing this is another.
I may edit this later and add more thoughts. Stay tuned.
Thoughts??
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
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4 comments:
JW's shouldn't be confused with "the church." They frequently excommunicate and alienate any -- relative, friend or otherwise -- who do not believe as they do. It's a cult. It's not the church.
Speaking to the main subject of her letter, you could always point out that God actually asks to love him in very specific ways... namely, obedience. See Exodus and Deuteronomy for his early covenant with Israel, and the book of John for Jesus request that if we truly love him we'll obey his commands. Evidently, it's God's love language. And he asks us to love him the way he wants us to, not the way we think he wants us to.
But, before you do that, it's probably better not to engage your friend on a logic level. It sounds like she's been burned by people she believes to be Christians. She needs to be tangibly shown unconditional love and grace before she'll listen to anything a Christian would have to say about God.
That's my take, at least.
I have nothing at all to say other than..I pray for people like that. Is it better to have false beliefs rather than no beliefs at all? Our God would never abandon a sheep...regardless. Goats?? Isn't that the sign of lucifer?
hey Cheryl what is up? Send me your current contact information. would love to hear from you!!!!!
CARTER! Dude, how are you? I'm coming to check out watermark so beware! ;)
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