Convince me

Originally posted by galveston75
I do try as hard as I can to understand. I feel I do as good as anyone can. And not reacting right with others views is not always easy and something I'm really working on even when others try to make me react in a way I shouldn't. I should never do that.

You are still trying to confuse "understanding" with openness.

Saying you are "trying to understand" (in the context of the debates you are generally involved in) is a somewhat disingenuous way of deflecting from your real position of understanding, but not being open; wouldn't you agree?

Originally posted by divegeester
You are still trying to confuse "understanding" with openness.

Saying you are "trying to understand" (in the context of the debates you are generally involved in) is a somewhat disingenuous way of deflecting from your real position of understanding, but not being open; wouldn't you agree?

To me and my simple understanding is they are almost the same. But the term "open minded" that you are implying can be a little different in the sense that when a human says they are "open to new things" so to say means they are willing to "try it all or try it once".
A Christian cannot really do that when it comes to their relationship with God. The truth of his teachings is just that, the truth. One cannot go out and experiment with other and sometimes dangerious teachings that can and probably would hurt or even kill their relationship and their faith in God and the truths he teaches us.
So yes on a learning level and still with caution one wants to understand what others believe and even "test" the scriptures on what one is being taught. It would be stupid not to follow this advice.

Originally posted by galveston75
So yes on a learning level and still with caution one wants to understand what others believe and even "test" the scriptures on what one is being taught. It would be stupid not to follow this advice.

How many times have you come to a different conclusion about "the scriptures" than your organisation, during your 40 years as a member?

Originally posted by FMF
How many times have you come to a different conclusion about "the scriptures" than your organisation, during your 40 years as a member?

When I had a girlfriend who was JW, I liked some of things about the JW religion, such as pacisim and no hell. I asked her if I believed in 90% (a hypothetical arbitray figure I threw out there) of what JW teaches, but disagreed with 10% of what they teach, would her church accept me. She never really answered. We were distracted to some "evil" pleasures of the moment. Anyway, near the end of our relationship, she did have a discussion with her elders about me.

Originally posted by galveston75
A Christian cannot really do that when it comes to their relationship with God. The truth of his teachings is just that, the truth. One cannot go out and experiment with other and sometimes dangerious teachings that can and probably would hurt or even kill their relationship and their faith in God and the truths he teaches us.

This sounds like you're making this up. Have you got bible references that specifically and explicitly support your words here?

Originally posted by moon1969
Anyway, near the end of our relationship, she did have a discussion with her elders about me.

Wow, creepy. Talking of which, have you read galveston75's PM to me? PM me if you want me to forward it to you.

Originally posted by divegeester
Convince me I should follow your view or philosophy.

A recent exchange with robbie carrobie provoked me to thinking about openness to new ideas and how, no matter how "informed" or educated a person may claim to be, if they are closed to even the slightest piece of new information or revelation then they/you/me/us are trapped in our own, or worse, someone else's paradigm.

I want to be open.

I suggest you follow your own view or philosophy, but allow them to be influenced (at your discretion), by the views or philosophies of others.

Originally posted by galveston75
To me and my simple understanding is they are almost the same. But the term "open minded" that you are implying can be a little different in the sense that when a human says they are "open to new things" so to say means they are willing to "try it all or try it once".
A Christian cannot really do that when it comes to their relationship with God. The t ...[text shortened]... he scriptures on what one is being taught. It would be stupid not to follow this advice.

So you admit you are in fact not "open to new ideas" on Christianity?

Originally posted by FMF
How many times have you come to a different conclusion about "the scriptures" than your organisation, during your 40 years as a member?

Good question.

Originally posted by divegeester
Good question.

And you have seen the PM galveston75 sent me for asking questions like that.

Originally posted by FMF
And you have seen the PM galveston75 sent me for asking questions like that.

Yes I have; it is curious how Galveston posts about himself here as a JW who is open to new ideas and yet gets defensive to the point of sending threatening PMs when questioned about his beliefs and attitudes.

Originally posted by divegeester
Yes I have; it is curious how Galveston posts about himself here as a JW who is open to new ideas and yet gets defensive to the point of sending threatening PMs when questioned about his beliefs and attitudes.

I hope that I am wrong about FMF and maybe I am. But others here have agreed with me by PM and have even posted their thoughts on what appears to many as stalking in a sense of his relentless questioning of many subjects that I've answered either the best I can or the way I understand a subject to him.
But for as long as he has been posting he never accepts any explinations and goes on and on with a relentless pursuit of following me no matter where I post.
Either he simply cannot understand anyones explinations or he is here to stir the pot and see how many he can irritate with his constant questioning when he is really not wanting our answers and could care less to actually learn.
No one in normal mind set would do this to anyone that ask them to move on and leave one alone.
If you think this is being rediculas on my part, maybe it is, but it's a simple request by a human being that he should respect, but we all know he will not as he does not care and seems to have no respect.

Originally posted by divegeester
So you admit you are in fact [b]not "open to new ideas" on Christianity?[/b]

I've answered you on this. If you don't understand it then nothing else I can say.

Originally posted by galveston75
I hope that I am wrong about FMF and maybe I am. But others here have agreed with me by PM and have even posted their thoughts on what appears to many as stalking in a sense of his relentless questioning of many subjects that I've answered either the best I can or the way I understand a subject to him.
But for as long as he has been posting he never ac ...[text shortened]... should respect, but we all know he will not as he does not care and seems to have no respect.

If you don't want the claims you make in this public forum scrutinized then ask the moderators to ban me from the site. See what they say. My responses to the claims you make are for everyone to read, not just you. You are free to ignore them. Having written the kind of PM you did and then sent it to me, you have some cheek lecturing another person on "respect". If you can't or don't want to field comments or questions pointing out the hypocrisy or contradictions in your public pronouncements, then just ignore them, and people will make what they will of you and of me.

Originally posted by galveston75
I've answered you on this. If you don't understand it then nothing else I can say.

I understand virtually everything you say; I just don't agree with hardly any of it and therefore question it. Once again you are seemingly deliberately confusing my alleged lack of "understanding" with your lack of "openness".