Ode to the Apologist
More like, ohhhhhh the Apologist.....
First let me just get this little fact out of the way. This is my personal blog with my personal opinion about my views as a Jehovah's Witness.
I do not speak for all Jehovah's Witnesses, unless I am quoting something from a Watchtower etc.
This is my personal opinion of the Apologist ( Christian Apologetics ) are who I am referring to.
Oh, I have wanted to write something for awhile now and I have had so many idea's. The writer I am not, in me - did not take the time to write all those thoughts out...
As a Jehovah's Witness, I have spent the better part of my life from a Non Apologist platform, openly showing all of Christendoms many faults. I do not apologize for them because the bible clearly stated these things would happen, from the moment Jesus died right up to the End of this system as we know it. My job was to show the truth from the bible and teach that.
From the apologists I have personally come across, I have found the same things over and over again. They are often just one man or a small group of men who like to debate. Nothing wrong with debate at all, it is the intention behind the debate that is often the problem.
Everyone should have the freedom to say what they want, Jehovah's Witnesses have fought endlessly for freedom of speech and religion since day one.
Believe me when I say I have debated and debated with these " Apologists " for hours...
I don't do that much anymore, Now I keep my comments short and factual.
No, not because I can't debate or have anything to hide - in fact going over some of the debates I have recorded, I can hardly believe it is me. The Truth is so deeply instilled in me now, I surprise myself. It is so true when we are reminded by our brothers " this preaching work is so often about building ourselves up spiritually, in the debate we become stronger because the Truth is on our side" !
I have found this to be a fact.
Apologists prove who they are, often by having no real spiritual compass and they rarely agree with each other.
Everything they do is just an endless debate, literally they can not see the "Forest for the trees" as the saying goes.
What I find most interesting about them is, they just love second and third hand knowledge about Jehovah's people.
If you are an apostate and have a story to tell, well go friend the Apologist because they can not wait to hear it - and use it, in what ever way they can. ( not painting all with the same brush - but most are like this - that I have come across.)
They- love finding any fault at all and then painting the entire organization with that same brush. Taking what one Witness has incorrectly said to them and then making a bold statement like " Why do Jehovah's Witnesses feel the need to lie" or " when has the Watchtower ever apologized for anything". These are sad statements coming from people who were never actually physically THERE to know what REALLY took place.
Infact resorting to that second and third hand information- as fact. Boy they can dish it out but can not turn that same questioning on themselves. So what, One out of thousands of missionaries walked away because they didn't like what they "say" they saw. Why tell their story ? Why not the stories from the 1000's of others who could tell you the most wonderful experiences- teaching people worldwide the bible ? No, because that is not their Agenda, oh yes Apologists have an Agenda - but they just love to tell you that- they don't !
I just love that story about that one missionary - it has been a long time since I read the story, from an Apologist website. From what I remember- he was sent somewhere that there was a large amount of Evangelical Christians who read their bibles.....
Well I won't go into those thousands of accounts of missionaries who go to places where people have bibles- but never read them etc..
Anyways, I can tell you what I know from calling on Evangelicals in my ministry- using facts, ok. Many of them often know they should be preaching but - just cant find the spirit to do so. Some I have personally talked to are told oddly, from their Church they should read their bibles more and study more. I say oddly because most Churches in Christendom don't like to tell people that. But again sadly they are spiritually starving, like all the rest of Christendom and putting most of their spiritual energy into Pagan Holidays and get togethers. Evangelicals do not as a whole, even know that Christmas is Pagan, along with all the other holidays they partake in. They often believe they are living in the "last days" and know they should be preaching - but they just can't bring themselves to do so. They also take part in wars and politics. Now tell me as a ex Missionary - really, you had nothing to teach these people ???
Often the emphasis with Apologists is Jesus. They usually believe in the Trinity- but not always. Still many do not like to refer to the Creator of the universe as Jehovah. Well folks, that was all Jesus talked about, all the time. Jehovah was the main teaching of Jesus. How Jehovah was giving Jesus the authority to rule as King in this God given Kingdom. Jesus was the sacrifice Jehovah made in our behalf, the giving of his first and most beloved son.
If you were to take the bible without any preconceived understanding or teaching, read it- with Jehovah's name put back in it's right full place.
You would, with Jehovah's help " maybe" be able to see the truth loud and clear. In the end, it comes down to your heart condition.
The Apologist as I mentioned earlier, do not often agree with each other. I repeat, they are not in agreement ! What they do agree on however is, how much they like to accuse Jehovah's people of anything they can. They love to nitpick and find fault = this is something they can agree on.
This will overshadow anything they do not agree on. So if you are an ex witness and no longer even believe in Jesus- Great ! You can help them out, many of them don't mind one bit. There is such a double standard it is almost insane = really.
Again, the debate with them never ends no matter what undebatable info you give them. Even if their info is secondhand knowledge and has been proven as false or taken out of context.
They will turn around often and say you " don't have enough proof "or still continue the debate.
So, I just return to the cold hard FACTS kids.
We are undebatably near the very End. This past hundred years has been the ongoing fulfillment of Revelation to the incoming Kingdom of Jesus.
We are not false prophets for endlessly keeping watch of events occurring and reporting on them.
note-(true false prophets would not show Obvious backing from Jehovah God- would not be able to fulfill all requirements of Jesus followers in the last days) - even if having made some imperfect statements- does not a false prophet make)
Remember all the examples of the prophets and apostles from the bible making mistakes sometime big ones. Imperfect men like Peter's denial of Jesus etc.
Yet, these men were forgiven, Peter too and given the keys to the kingdom and overseeing of all Jesus belongings on earth- because the truth was in these men.
Requirements of Jesus followers from day one and " in the last days" is to openly preach worldwide the incoming Kingdom of Jesus.
The telling and accurate understanding of the book of Revelation and warning of the impending Tribulation.
Teaching the bible and baptism worldwide.
Not going to war and not being any part of Pagan worship in any way.
Most important, the sanctification of JEHOVAH's Name worldwide.
This would all be done in a organized manner with undeniable Unity.
Apologists for the most part, even well meaning ones, have soo little to offer that even comes close to this.
They are not organized and can not even agree with a large group on much of anything. Still many of them delusionally believe they are going to water seeds of truth worldwide. Often, this is said from the comfort of their computer chair.
They can't agree, so what are they going to teach ? Many of them believe we are at the end, so they better get busy...
The fact is, they can't and they wont. They do not have the backing from God to do so. There are soo many examples I could give of people who have honestly tried- but never got to far. Or had to rely on book and video sales to get their info even past- go.
As Jehovah's people, we are set up for anything ! If the Internet goes down, it won't make a bit of difference. We are organized worldwide with millions of bibles and printed information. As well as the unity of a Worldwide brotherhood that is soo beautiful No-one on the planet could offer anything better ! They can't and won't because Jehovah is not backing them ! They won't come to a unified agreement before the end, it is far to late for that.
I personally wish them no harm ( though I am sure they will debate that ). I wish they would see " the forest for the tree's " and will pray they do before the end.
2 Peter 3:8-10 However, let this one fact not be escaping YOUR notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. 9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. 10 Yet Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a hissing noise, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be discovered.
