02-25-2007, 05:36 PM
"I believe strongly that the Spirit of Truth that Christ promised to pour out after his death and resurrection, continues to be poured out here in the twenty-first century. What you wrote in the latter part of this paragraph, I agree completely with. It was men that started the religion that has come to be known as Christianity. There is no question that these men were sincere in their endeavors to bring the knowledge of Jesus to the masses.
The problem began early in the first century when opposing groups within Christianity began to jockey for position. Of course, these groups were still considered Jewish. Just another sect of Judaism. Each group had its own particular set of doctrines that, in their minds, one had to embrace the doctrines that they espoused to gain God's approval. One only has to look back at the history of early Christianity dispassionately to see that that was so.
What is important to understand is that Jesus did not come here to establish the true religion. He came here to show ALL MANKIND how to attain the Father. It was not about pomp and circumstance or how we might look to other people. It was all about changing the inner man or woman. It was not about changing our religion. It was about becoming the kind of persons that would reflect the unconditional love of the Father. Imagine what the world would be like if all the adherents of all the religions of the world would agree that we are divided by religion. Imagine if all the people of the world would simply reflect the unconditional love of the Father. Imagine if all the people of the world would recognize that all men and women are the children of God and that we belong to that great universal family. We are all brothers and sisters. Imagine if all the religions of the world would stop erecting artificial barriers that prevent each other from recognizing that we are all loved unconditionally by the Father.
I have no doubt that you love all of your brothers and sisters. But can you entertain the possibility that one does not have to be a Jehovah's Witness to be approved by God? How can God love mankind unconditionally and yet destroy every last soul that is not a Jehovah's Witness? Can you truly imagine a God of unconditional love doing something so cruel and merciless? That would be completely out of character. Jesus does not want us to convert people to our way of thinking. He wants us to love people unconditionally, the way that the Father loves us. I make this request of you. Jesus said that he would pour out the Spirit of Truth to his followers after his death. Why don't you request that he does that in your case. Then see where Christ's Spirit of Truth leads you.
Love,
Paul"
Thanks Paul, (slightly edited)
The problem began early in the first century when opposing groups within Christianity began to jockey for position. Of course, these groups were still considered Jewish. Just another sect of Judaism. Each group had its own particular set of doctrines that, in their minds, one had to embrace the doctrines that they espoused to gain God's approval. One only has to look back at the history of early Christianity dispassionately to see that that was so.
What is important to understand is that Jesus did not come here to establish the true religion. He came here to show ALL MANKIND how to attain the Father. It was not about pomp and circumstance or how we might look to other people. It was all about changing the inner man or woman. It was not about changing our religion. It was about becoming the kind of persons that would reflect the unconditional love of the Father. Imagine what the world would be like if all the adherents of all the religions of the world would agree that we are divided by religion. Imagine if all the people of the world would simply reflect the unconditional love of the Father. Imagine if all the people of the world would recognize that all men and women are the children of God and that we belong to that great universal family. We are all brothers and sisters. Imagine if all the religions of the world would stop erecting artificial barriers that prevent each other from recognizing that we are all loved unconditionally by the Father.
I have no doubt that you love all of your brothers and sisters. But can you entertain the possibility that one does not have to be a Jehovah's Witness to be approved by God? How can God love mankind unconditionally and yet destroy every last soul that is not a Jehovah's Witness? Can you truly imagine a God of unconditional love doing something so cruel and merciless? That would be completely out of character. Jesus does not want us to convert people to our way of thinking. He wants us to love people unconditionally, the way that the Father loves us. I make this request of you. Jesus said that he would pour out the Spirit of Truth to his followers after his death. Why don't you request that he does that in your case. Then see where Christ's Spirit of Truth leads you.
Love,
Paul"
Thanks Paul, (slightly edited)