Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Misconceptions about JW's (Re: Lazarus again) Message-ID: Date: 3 Apr 91 07:59:10 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 91 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article alan@syacus.acus.oz.au writes: >True, Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be Christians by definition. Mark 9:38-41 38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man who was driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our group." 39 "Do not try to stop him," Jesus told them, "because no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say evil things about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I assure you that anyone who gives you a drink of water because you belong to me will certainly receive his reward. (TEV) Luke 9:49-50 49 John spoke up, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our group." 50 "Do not try to stop him," Jesus said to him and to the other disciples, "because whoever is not against you is for you." (TEV) How many times on this list have accusations been hurled against other denominations or their beliefs? (They're not *real* Christians.) Now, I don't agree with all the beliefs of a "JW", but I'm not going to say they aren't "Christians." I have a great deal of respect for the JW's. I have spoken a number of times with them at my door and in my home. It's not my style to go door-to-door preaching the good news, and more importantly, I don't have the guts! How many people have been brought to Jesus Christ through the outreach of the JW's? We are called to "make of all disciples". Have we done our part? I don't agree with all the beliefs of the LDS Church, but I'm not going to say they aren't "Christians." How much money have they dedicated to their advertising campaign? They are a witness in the public eye for the values (I believe) we all hold as Christians. Recently, they have begun a commercial advertising the book of Mormon, and I've got to admit it's been a tempting offer. What witness have we been to the world? I don't agree with all the beliefs of the Roman Catholic church, but they are the mother church, and celebrating with Roman Catholics I see things that were missing from my upbringing in the United Methodist Church. (Ex. In the UMC the "passion" of Christ has never been preached to me with the fervor I have heard it preached in an R.C. pulpit.) I don't agree with all the beliefs espoused by my fellow United Methodists, but our church is diverse, and they are my brothers and sisters. It seems that much of our identity as Christians nowadays is based upon those things which we do *not* believe. Isn't it time that we collectively started coming together on what we *do* believe. From the very beginning, the church had fundamental disagreements. (Should Gentiles be welcomed into the fellowship? Must they be required to abide by The Law?) Yet, the apostles worked together to found our great church. Why can't we (with our disagreements) rededicate the church to Christ? An Example: In my denomination, we don't serve communion every Sunday. People are made uneasy if it served "too often". (It's "Too Catholic".) Now, none of the reformers said, "The church should not have Communion every Sunday". In our case, there were far more congregations in the colonies than there were ordained ministers. Although John Wesley would have preferred that communion be served every Sunday, it just wasn't practically possible. Many fellowships served "Agape meals", but Communion was a sacrament, and needed ordained layity. Still, the every Sunday communion is perceived as "Catholic". Once again... Mark 7:6-8 (See also Matthew 15:1-9 and Isaiah 29:13) 6 Jesus answered them, "How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you! You are hypocrites, just as he wrote: `These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me. 7 It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach man-made rules as though they were my laws!' 8 "You put aside God's command and obey the teachings of men." (TEV) "Love one another, as I have loved you." "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your and all your mind and all your strength". "Love your neighbor as yourself." We stand accused. How do we plead? Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton