“I’m asking, do you believe and follow the teaching of the Watchtower Society?”
The reason I don't have anything on my about page is that is that to my mind a person comments should be judged on their content not whether a picture of Mom, Dad, and the family Dawg on my page looks “right”.
A person's arguments are sound or not, their statements are correct and reasonable or not and it doesn't depend upon the personal.
With that in mind I have no problem with looking to Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, whatever sources for their expertise if their conclusions seem sound. And on the other hand being a highly educated expert is no guarantee of bias free opinion. Unfortunately that is frequently not understood to be the case here on FR.
But back to you question: The Watchtower Soc. is just a legal corporation and I am not a Watchtowerian. I am convinced Jehovah’ Witnesses practice and believe Christianity more closely and completely to the primitive Christian model than anyone else I’ve come into contact with.
I also appreciate the dozens of cases in defense of religious freedom, benefiting all religions, JW lawyers have fought before the Supreme Court. Some they won, some they lost but they fought the good fight.
I suppose had I lived in the Middle Ages I might have sided with the Waldensians and headed for the French Alps though they certainly had their faults too.
“It’s not my fault that history makes your systematic effort to dismantle the deity of Christ so nearly identical to theirs. I am sorry if saying it upsets you, but I didn’t write history, and I didn’t construct the Arian theology that creates a greater and a lesser deity, and is therefore polytheistic, just like Gnosticism.”
Once in a shop where I worked the most hateful and obnoxious character in the place told me I was doing a certain task wrong and that accounted for my poor results. I'd have eaten glass before even considering the possibility.
Then someone else said I was doing my task improperly and I wondered why he would listen to the lies told by the most hateful and obnoxious character in the place.
You get the point, I'm sure.
“...I didn’t construct the Arian theology that creates a greater and a lesser deity, and is therefore polytheistic, just like Gnosticism.”
Sometimes simple questions can clarify large answers. so,
In Jewish and Christian theology could the term “god” be properly applied to any being other than the one almighty God? Not pagan gods although Paul said there were many but “gods” that had their area of authority under almighty God?
I'm going to leave off here as your answer to this question will determine the direction I wish go forward.
You get the point, I'm sure.
Um, actually, feeling pretty dense at the moment. Maybe its the lateness of the hour, but I haven't a clue what you're getting at.
Or maybe you think my association of two very similar forms of angel worship, both of which seem determined to discredit Christian monotheism, and both of which truly are polytheistic by the book, is a causal fallacy. I don't think it is, if that's what you're getting at. I think there are spritual reasons for such similarities. We can discuss that more later if you like. But I hope you don't think I am being hateful for pointing out true corrolaries. Don't shoot the messenger. My aim is always, if not always realized, to speak the truth in love.
As for my question about the Watchtower Society, I am curious to know whether you believe Jesus is Michael the Archangel, because I understand that is what they teach. And if you do believe that, I was also wondering if you could explain how you arrive at that from Scripture.
Peace,
SR