"True worship acceptable to God"

[Elijah John]

Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be the only group which practices "true worship acceptable to God" and that all other sects do not.

Seems an extraordinary claim.

Prove it!,... Give us extraordinary proof to support your extraordinary claim.

[onewithhim]

I don't believe that I said that a belief in God was necessarily involved. I was making the point that people are happier when they put standards into effect that are the same as what God teaches in the Bible.

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 88 by onewithhim]



[center]
A lack of imagination?[/center]

As to your first question, isn't it a pretty common realization that people who live a life of selfishness, greed, carelessness....they (MOST of them) are unhappy, insecure, and largely end up "crashing and burning" like an airplane disaster? I have crashed and burned a couple of times.

Yeah, but you seem to be saying without GOD.. we crash that way.. why would you say something like that?

It's not true.

I didn't intimate that a person outside my faith couldn't be healthy and happy and safe.

Good.
I love it when people clear things up like that.

Thanks.

My point was that God gives us laws, not so that we are bound-in-chains to genuflect from morning to evening to polish His ego, but He informs us of His standards and laws for the purpose of our having a happy, healthy, safe life.

Informs?
How?

Some people in here tell us that they talk with Christ.. all the time.. and they tell us where, too. On the porch.. really not making this up.

We can accept His standards or not.

I think you really mean.. accept what you BELIEVE his standards are, right?
People might disagree on what those god standards really are.

I don't accept any Bible standard.. I found them to be lacking.
I want better standards.

So .. Im trying to get them.
One at a time, right?

Wish me luck.

I personally believe that it is very difficult for a person to have a truly happy and safe life without employing standards equal to God's standards in their life.

I have to ask you why you believe that?

Really.. why?
Never met or can imagine a happy safe atheist?

Really?

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 91 by onewithhim]

I don't believe that I said that a belief in God was necessarily involved. I was making the point that people are happier when they put standards into effect that are the same as what God teaches in the Bible.

You think the good standards need a GOD for us to figure out?

I don't think that the Bible is a modern bit of moral philosophy or psychology.. sorry.

Do you?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 88 by onewithhim]



[center]
A lack of imagination?[/center]

As to your first question, isn't it a pretty common realization that people who live a life of selfishness, greed, carelessness....they (MOST of them) are unhappy, insecure, and largely end up "crashing and burning" like an airplane disaster? I have crashed and burned a couple of times.

Yeah, but you seem to be saying without GOD.. we crash that way.. why would you say something like that?

It's not true.

I didn't intimate that a person outside my faith couldn't be healthy and happy and safe.

Good.
I love it when people clear things up like that.

Thanks.

My point was that God gives us laws, not so that we are bound-in-chains to genuflect from morning to evening to polish His ego, but He informs us of His standards and laws for the purpose of our having a happy, healthy, safe life.

Informs?
How?

Some people in here tell us that they talk with Christ.. all the time.. and they tell us where, too. On the porch.. really not making this up.

We can accept His standards or not.

I think you really mean.. accept what you BELIEVE his standards are, right?
People might disagree on what those god standards really are.

I don't accept any Bible standard.. I found them to be lacking.
I want better standards.

So .. Im trying to get them.
One at a time, right?

Wish me luck.

I personally believe that it is very difficult for a person to have a truly happy and safe life without employing standards equal to God's standards in their life.

I have to ask you why you believe that?

Really.. why?
Never met or can imagine a happy safe atheist?

Really?

I would say something like that because I see Jehovah's standards as presented to us for our benefit. We see reports all the time about people who even kill themselves because they were so miserable, trying to find happiness in striving after constant physical satisfaction and/or material greediness and/or using other people to get what they want, or chasing after fame which turns out to be hollow.

All that can be avoided if one practices what Jehovah teaches. Even if they don't believe in Him!

He informs us through his inspired word, what we call the Bible. An ancient book with lots of cool stuff in it.

I know there are folks here who say they talk to Jesus all the time.

You ask if I've ever met any happy, safe atheists, and I can't say that I have. Of course I haven't met too many, so I couldn't say that all atheists are unhappy. I just say that I think everyone would be truly happy if they followed standards LIKE what we see in the Bible, atheist or not. I have observed over the years that atheists have no one to answer to, no one higher than they are to which they would owe any explanations. Because of that, it seems that they are more apt to be rather impervious to strict morals, and more likely to cheat on their wives or on their income taxes. This usually leads to difficulties for said atheist. My son, Doug, has lived what I always could see as an ideal life. He says he is atheistic, but I always thought that his life was somehow unbelievably golden. Not a problem, not a care. Three gorgeous children, a fantastic wife, a job he loves, no money problems, lots of friends, a beautiful home, two cars...it just goes on and on. But I'm sad to say that it was recently uncovered that he has been carrying on dalliances with other women for years! His poor wife was crushed so bad. She nor I could hardly stand it, it was so debilitating and so sad for the children if they found out. (Thank God they haven't, as far as I know.)

So....if Doug, though not believing in God, would follow high standards (like Jehovah's), there would be no danger of his family being destroyed because of infidelity. That's just my take on it.


.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to onewithhim]

I disagree with you. it does not matter if you are a believer or not people crash and burn if they are believers or not believers. God is not calling the whole world now.

Matt. 5 45 that ye may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven. For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

If you had read carefully you would have seen that I said that it is difficult to have a happy and safe life without employing standards that are EQUAL to God's standards which are in the Bible. Whether a believer or not, exercising standards in one's own life that are the same as the Bible's standards are necessary, IMHO, for a truly safe, healthy and happy life.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 88 by onewithhim]

I personally believe that it is very difficult for a person to have a truly happy and safe life without employing standards equal to God's standards in their life.

It is a hard thing to actually establish as factual, as anyone can say that they are happy etc and think that theists or atheists FAIL if they do or do not believe in GOD(s)

Some non-believers in GOD(s) say things like "What can GOD give anyone that anyone cannot provide for themselves?" and/or give the impression they are bitter about GOD and go out of their way to make such points - and the impression of their expressions tend to be saying "if anyone needs a GOD they are LESS a person than those who do not", and oft make barely concealed references to the believers state of mind as if believing in GOD is a mental problem - a brain disorder which they need to help the believer deal with by trying to encourage the believer to become a non believer.

To me, this is no different than saying that someone who is depressed and uses medication to help with that depression is LESS than someone who is depressed and finds ways in which to deal with their depression without the use of meds.

The way I see it, if a believer or a non believer is genuinely happy and their happiness is expressed into the world as kindness and love for others, then it does not matter whether they identify as being 'atheist' or 'theist'. It does not matter whether they have a belief in a GOD or not and neither is better than the other in that.

I appreciate your point.

I often wonder why people think that "God" is merely a crutch for weak people and that it doesn't matter whether He exists or not. Tell me....who is going to bring them back from death? Depending on God to do that...that's weakness?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 91 by onewithhim]

I don't believe that I said that a belief in God was necessarily involved. I was making the point that people are happier when they put standards into effect that are the same as what God teaches in the Bible.

You think the good standards need a GOD for us to figure out?

I don't think that the Bible is a modern bit of moral philosophy or psychology.. sorry.

Do you?

It probably doesn't take a God for humans to figure out what good morals are, but it is my opinion that it takes feeling responsible to God for one to keep applying those morals in one's life.

I think that the Bible is as relevant today as it was millennia ago. (Most people didn't live according to it then and they don't today.)

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 95 by onewithhim]


[center]
HO vs HO[/center]

Whether a believer or not, exercising standards in one's own life that are the same as the Bible's standards are necessary, IMHO, for a truly safe, healthy and happy life.

I'm happy to see that you included the IMHO, onewithhim.
Because it's my MHO that Bible standards are quite out of date.

[JehovahsWitness]

[quote="JehovahsWitness"]
[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

Jehovah’s Witnesses base their claim on the bible. We recognise that the bible is only acceptable as a reflection of God's standards, and therefore proof of what is and is not true religion, to a very small number of nominal Christians. When the bible is put aside, or dismissed as a unreliable source of religious truth, no proof can exist.

To such ones the only reasonable response is that Jehovah's Witnesses BELIEVE that our organisation is the only one that represents true Christianity today (reasons see above). This is indeed my personal conviction, others are more than welcome to reject this belief, because it is just that, a belief, if they choose.


JEHOVAH'S WITNESS





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FURTHER READING

Are all True Christians Are Evangelizers
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2002002

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https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesse ... -religion/

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

Jehovah’s Witnesses base their claim on the bible. We recognise that the bible is only acceptable as a reflection of God's standards, and therefore proof of what is and is not true religion, to a very small number of nominal Christians. When the bible is put aside, or dismissed as a unreliable source of religious truth, no proof can exist.

To such ones the only reasonable response is that Jehovah's Witnesses BELIEVE that our organisation is the only one that represents true Christianity today (reasons see above). This is indeed my personal conviction, others are more than welcome to reject this belief, because it is just that, a belief, if they choose.


JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

The Bible? You mean the one compiled by "apostate Christendom"? The RCC, then edited by the Trinitarian Protestant reformers? That's the Bible that you are working from? And a New Testament heavily comprised of the thelogical meaderings of a man who did not preach, nor did he honor the name of God? But instead preached "Christ and him crucified" when there was salvation offered in the Name of YHVH, all along? (Psalm 79.9) Well did Thomas Paine characterize such when he said "instead of God, a man is preached".

And even if your interpretation of the Bible is correct, how then does that necessarily follow that your orgainization offers "true worship acceptable to God"?

Does God approve or your man-made prohibitions? Such as the one's against the observation of birthdays, blood transfusions, etc?

If so please demonstrate that those prohibitions are indeed "true worship acceptable to God" and not merely the laws of men.

Seems to me that "true worship acceptable to God" is better encapsulated by verses such as Micah 6.8.

"He has showed thee, O man, what is good and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, to love kindness and to walk humbly with thy God?"