Does God count it as sin if you leave Jehovah's Witnesses?

[trevor1055]

4 letters to help you on your way home … R.C.I.A. I am a convert from a Pentecostal family – my whole family. First Catholic in the history of my family on both sides. You know what, though? My parents came into the Church this past Easter. You may end up being a powerful witness! I will be praying for you!

 

[small_sister]

Greetings small sister,

I hope you will find this helpful, if not ironic. Official JW literature says vows made to God are not always binding. The link below is to the JW “Watchtower Online Library”, to an article from the November 15, 2002 Watchtower, Questions From Readers, “Are vows made to God always binding?”. It says in part “What if a vow called on one to do something that was later learned to be out of harmony with God’s will? … Obviously, such a vow is not binding.”

wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2002847

Like I said, ironic. Forgive me for doing a JW-like quote of two sentences out of an article, complete with the “…”. (trying to be humorous here). But seriously, the fact that the Watchtower itself says this, might help you let go of the concern. For anyone who might think it bizarre that a Watchtower article would help, please understand how difficult and complex it is to escape the JW mindset. I’m encouraged to read on this forum of so many who like me are finding their way to the Catholic faith, through a painful and often confusing journey.

Dear Winston,

thank you so much. That was an excellent quote! It helps regarding the concern about my vow.
I hope so much that you are feeling okay. Know that you are in my prayers. Cling to Jesus.
He loves us , even when we feel miserable. The truth has set us free, Winston! Carry on.

Love, small sister

 

[small_sister]

4 letters to help you on your way home … R.C.I.A. I am a convert from a Pentecostal family – my whole family. First Catholic in the history of my family on both sides. You know what, though? My parents came into the Church this past Easter. You may end up being a powerful witness! I will be praying for you!

Thank you so much for your prayers, Trevor. I am glad for you and your parents. What a wonderful testimony! Praise God!

Love, small sister

 

[small_sister]

Why on earth would any rational priest scold you for having worked as a flight attendant? Despite some stereotypes, most of which I doubt have much basis in reality, that is an honest and responsible job. You’re responsible for the well-being and in part the safety of your passengers, you have to deflect some ridiculous behavior on the part of some male passengers, and ever since 9-11, you have to be particularly aware of any unusual or dangerous activity on the part of a passenger and be prepared to act immediately and effectively. You might be called on to administer lifesaving first aid to a passenger with a sudden medical emergency until the plane can land. And on top of all that, you have to smile while you do so.

There is absolutely nothing illegal or immoral about that job. The fact that some people in your previous religious affiliation seem to think it is a morally questionable job just points out to me how irrational some people can be about things of which they have little knowledge.

And as far as being a “shunned JW,” I’d be willing to bet, say, a dozen cream donuts that Father would congratulate you for getting out!

Dear Odile,
thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate them. Well, the Watchtower sets the standards for its members. So they feared that I could bring worldly attitudes into the organization. Because I did not have a husband by my side, every dialogue between single JW men and me was overheard. Once a kind brother hugged me because we both rejoiced about some preaching success, he was disciplined afterwards. Hence I chose not to communicate with my JW brothers as far as possible in order not to bring them into trouble. I never had ‘worldly’ intentions, they just assumed it.

Regarding the shunning, it’s cruel. I hope that Jesus helps others like me through this.
We are cut off from anyone we’ve known, because we were told not to have outside contact. Hence there is nobody left who cares. If I would commit suicide, they would have a good example to show their members what happens when they leave.
Forgive me my bitterness. I truly appreciate your reply.
Love, small sister

 

[small_sister]

Wow, incredible. God really is removing the viel off JWs, I am in the same situotation sort of. I started studying with my JW grandmother about 2 years ago and I still am atm. I believed everything she told me vecause I didn’t know anything about the Bible and she ke_pt telling me bow everybody but JWs will make it through Armageddon and how its near scared me so I made myself believe it anymore. A month ago I finally did some research on the NWT and how they delibratley mistranslated John 1:1, John 10:33 (which is laughable because claiming to be a mere angel isn’t punishable by death) and in John 20:28 where Thomas calls Jesus his Lord and God and Jesus never rebuked him. I also looked into the false prophecies and realized this is not Gods true organization and its a brainwashing cult!IDK why I started looking into Catholiscim I just don’t remeber how but I did and here I am wanting to convert to Catholicism lol. I’m onlhy 17 and don’t have a liscence so I can’t drive myself to Mass. Let me just say thank God I never got baptized as a JW. Are story is very similar and its funny how you started this thread on the day of my Birthday. I think the Holky Spirit is guiding us to truth in all honesty.

Dear yogosans,

thank you for your encouraging post. I am glad that you do the research. It is so important. Thank God that He spared you from becoming a JW and be shunned later. I assume that our Dear Lord loves you a lot, so He did not like to see you in trouble.

You wrote some important points. If possible compare always the NWT with the NASB which is close to the original text, I found.
I am not yet used again to congratulate anyone for his birthday, but I surely will pray for you .
Never forget, Jesus is (!) the way and the truth and the life.

Love, small sister

 

[odile53]

Smallsister, what you are saying about these people is truly chilling to an outsider. Being Catholic all my life, I thought they were just a well-intentioned but misinformed and, forgive me, maybe slightly kooky religious fanatics. However, the things you describe are firmly putting them in the category of a cult to my way of thinking.

If you’re getting professional help for your depression, do yourself a big favor and mention to the therapist that you have left that organization. You might be able to profit from some cult debriefing, and the therapist would be in a position to be able to tailor your counseling to accommodate that. In the meantime, please be assured of my prayers. And I hope you find a welcoming, joyful, and life-giving home in the Catholic Church (we are most decidedly NOT a cult!)

 

[small_sister]

Hello “small sister”.

I see you list yourself as “raised catholic, shunned JW, clinging to Jesus’ hand.”

Come on back home, we’d all love to have you back here.

I think you answered your own question in your first post.

You said:

You also said:

But notice what the Bible verses you sighted DOESN’T SAY . . . .

The mind control methodology that the Watchtower routinely employs in my opinion, lends itself to you having these ongoing doubts. That will get better over time and with grace but the injury causes a lot of damage.

Cult in this bad or negative sense (there is a good sense to the word “cult” too but I am not using it that way here) means **control **who your friends are, **control **your money, **control **your time, **control **what you read (“If you read Catholic stuff you will be eating off the table of satan” they will keep telling you), **control **where you go on vacation, control, control, control.

Mary Kochan does a good job of explaining all this from an ex-witness point of view. I’ve listened to her old 3 part audio at least a couple of times (“My Journey from the Watchtower”). It is amazing.

May I recommend getting back to Confession (you said you were an ex-Catholic). You will need to be very careful at this stage for good spiritual guidance. Probably the best thing you can do is to find a Catholic Priest who knows and believes ALL the Catholic faith. Search prayerfully and carefully.

Go to Eucharistic Adoration at a Catholic Parish too. Bring your study materials and read them there as well as at home—you’ll understand WHY later.

May I recommend to you a couple of Mary Kochan’s audio series?

“Inside the Watchtower” and “Meeting The Challenge of the Cults” look very good. The one I have doesn’t seem to be available anymore or they may have just re-titled it (they do that sometimes).

I don’t work for St. Joseph Communications and I get no royalties etc. from them so I feel I have complete freedom to recommend their audios—and I DO recommend them.

God bless.

Cathoholic

Dear Cathoholic,

thank you so much for telling me that I would be welcomed back.
In fact, your words made me cry. I already went to our nearby Catholic Church, and I even registered for a ‘Rediscovering Catholicism’- program. But when the first day of those meetings approached, I did not have the courage to go. Thus I am now again without church, with my books as companions. But that’s fine. I’d rather be alone with Jesus.

Thank you for your recommended Mary Kochan audio series. It is so important in my opinion to let other people know what’s going on. Once they are caught by the cult, they won’t be left without consequences if they’d like to leave after doing proper research.

This may be of interest : youtu.be/JooR5Mx4Hvk

Everyone who watches this video will understand that shunning is a real form of torture.
I am one of those Advocates. But we are many. Even if I cease to exist, there will be others who try to free 7 1/2 million JWs plus the many sympathizers.

Again ,dear Cathoholic, I appreciate your kind words very much, and I know that in the presence of The Lord everything will be all right.
May He bless you.
Love, small sister

 

[small_sister]

Dear Small Sister, May peace be with you and with your Spirit. God Bless you.

Dear CarolNoel,
thank you.
May God bless and guide you, too. Never let lose the hand of our Lord.
Love, small sister

 

[Sparlock]

I haven’t read this entire thread, to be honest. I am glad the OP had the strength and courage to leave the Watchtower organization. I left the Catholic Church in 1977 to become a Jehovah’s Witness. In March of 2012, I finally came to the realization that it was all a lie, a sham.

I am in the process of coming home to the Catholic Church, and what a joyous relief it is! I keep asking myself, how could I have given all this goodness up, for a sham.

God absolutely will not hold you accountable to keep a vow that is a bad vow! But it just may be that he is leading you back to His true church because of your right heart condition. To all ex-JWs, be strong. I still struggle with the indoctrination even today. Hopefully someday I will be totally free.

 

[small_sister]

I haven’t read this entire thread, to be honest. I am glad the OP had the strength and courage to leave the Watchtower organization. I left the Catholic Church in 1977 to become a Jehovah’s Witness. In March of 2012, I finally came to the realization that it was all a lie, a sham.

I am in the process of coming home to the Catholic Church, and what a joyous relief it is! I keep asking myself, how could I have given all this goodness up, for a sham.

God absolutely will not hold you accountable to keep a vow that is a bad vow! But it just may be that he is leading you back to His true church because of your right heart condition. To all ex-JWs, be strong. I still struggle with the indoctrination even today. Hopefully someday I will be totally free.

Dear Sparlock,

I am so glad that you found your way out. I understand your struggling very well.
“… and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)

Carry on, and know that you are in my prayers.
Love , small sister

 

[small_sister]

Dear Lady,
The priest will help you and it will be far easier than you may think. He also will not remember any of it.

Be not afraid. My return began with a confession that said,

“Bless me Father for I have sinned.
It has been about 35 years since my last confession.”

The dear old priest whistled softly and we both laughed and proceeded from there.

I walked out of there feeling better than I had in all those years.

Dear Church Militant,
thank you for your nice, encouraging words.
I wished I could be like you. I wished that I could use the same introduction like you to begin confession. But I just can’t. I am sorry. You meant so well.

Again, thank you for your consideration. I would really like to read some of your poetry.
Love, small sister

 

[small_sister]

For those who are interested, there are several new press releases of AAWA.
The work has just begun. My family doesn’t forgive me that I joined the cult, so my case is different . But those of you who have left the Watchtower and are grieving for the loss of your family, please know that there is an immense (!) project of exposure through all sorts of available media under way. Watch out for it, we are trying to make reunion with your family possible. ( See video link in my reply to Cathoholic.)

One example: youtu.be/b2hsOolwaC4

You are not alone! May God guide us.
Love, small sister

 

[KathleenGee]

Good to know people are now starting to fight shunning and false teachings.

I was invited to a study group on a Psalm. There was a former JW in there. But when I said I was Catholic, her disposition really changed, and we had no group afterwards.

Throughout my life, although such prejudice in the name of Christ hurts, still some how the Holy Spirit would affirm that this sort of behavior is another means, if a little painful, that the Catholic faith is the true faith.

Thank God we do not have this ‘machine’ in motion in our faith and in our worship of denigrating others.

Christ gave Peter and the Church the power to bind and loosen. Christ did not give this power to any other belief system, including the Jehovah Witnesses. Subsequently, you cannot vow to such an institution because their beliefs are not binding.

 

[small_sister]

Good to know people are now starting to fight shunning and false teachings.

I was invited to a study group on a Psalm. There was a former JW in there. But when I said I was Catholic, her disposition really changed, and we had no group afterwards.

Throughout my life, although such prejudice in the name of Christ hurts, still some how the Holy Spirit would affirm that this sort of behavior is another means, if a little painful, that the Catholic faith is the true faith.

Thank God we do not have this ‘machine’ in motion in our faith and in our worship of denigrating others.

Christ gave Peter and the Church the power to bind and loosen. Christ did not give this power to any other belief system, including the Jehovah Witnesses. Subsequently, you cannot vow to such an institution because their beliefs are not binding.

Dear Kathleen,

You have given me so many encouraging replies, I thank you from deep in my heart.
I am sorry that some people have such prejudices against Catholics, even without studying their belief. But note what Jesus said: " ‘Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’ " (Mat.5:11,12)

May God bless you, dear Kathleen.
Love, small sister

 

[CalvinistPastor]

Dear readers,
I have been a Jehovah’s Witness until I disassociated myself from the Watchtower 3 months ago after intensive research. Consequently I am shunned. Beside the fact that I am now viewed as an apostate who willingly acts against God and that they “handed [me] over to Satan” (see 1.Tim.1:20), I am afraid that God Himself could count it as sin that I did not ‘pay my vow’ which I made at my baptism, namely to follow that organization. Deuteronomy 23:21 reads: “When you make a vow to The Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and The Lord your God will surely require it of you.” (Also verse 23.)

My secret research led me to the conviction that the Watchtower organization is not only a false prophet (see Deut. 19:20-22), but also a misleading teacher who willingly manipulated the Word of God by false translation of key verses. I collected so many evidences of such mistranslations and know how they control the mind of all Witnesses.
Still, I have made a vow " voluntarily", and I can’t see any way of ignoring the verses above.

What is your opinion? Does God want me to return to the Watchtower? What can I do?

I left the Watchtower in December 2008. Best decision I have ever made!
I am also shunned by my family and friends, but remember all of those so called friendships are conditional. That is not the nature of Christian friendships.
The bible calls us to love our enemies. The fruits of the spirit compel us to be long-suffering, patient and kind. The Watchtower instead dictates to control us by fear. All external manipulative ways to get you to conform to what they say. And this is what those former friendships were based off of, mechanical conditional relationships that are only there so long as you conform to Organizational standards. I would not call those friends at all.

Some unsolicited advice for you as well. Remember leaving this religion is a lot like seeing your house burnt down. Your standard of living [lifestyle], value, future, sense of belonging are all in ashes right now. I have counseled hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the reaction for almost all of them is to try to piece together [as quickly as possible] a sense of normalcy again. This usually involves trying to have certainty in their belief system again. In other words everything must be as “black & white” as in the Watchtower.
Just because somebody claims to have all the answers, does not make it so, just because somebody claims certainty in all areas of doctrine does not make it so * Making this mistake could lead to simply replacing one set of misguided beliefs for another.

Just remember that the Bible is not a instruction book for every area of life. Its PURPOSE is to point you to The Messiah and by extension Gods Kingdom. Not everything is “Black & White” as the Watchtower likes to assert, so it’s ok not to have all the answers. The important thing is to go to God in prayer and say something to the effect of: “*I trust you no matter what” *
You have no idea how much of a burden will be lifted off your shoulders.

Another reaction I see from people leaving the Watchtower is that of hurt pride and trust. The Watchtower damages people emotionally and causes many to turn their trust inwards. The only people they effectively trust is themselves and they become their own gods. Effectively turn to Atheism. Their hate for the Watchtower [which was viewed as gods mouthpiece] is translated to hate for God himself.
The Watchtower is no more a mouthpiece of God then Joseph Smith is. Again, just because somebody claims to be representing God, does not make it so. Jesus came to the earth to restore a broken relationship between us and God, not to give us a religious organization.

Life has more questions than answers. Have fun exploring those questions and don’t be afraid of asking them and challenging them no matter who it comes from. Your security is not found in having all the right answers, your security is found in Having faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for you on the Cross [or torture stake, whatever you prefer ]*

 

[small_sister]

I left the Watchtower in December 2008. Best decision I have ever made!
I am also shunned by my family and friends, but remember all of those so called friendships are conditional. That is not the nature of Christian friendships.
The bible calls us to love our enemies. The fruits of the spirit compel us to be long-suffering, patient and kind. The Watchtower instead dictates to control us by fear. All external manipulative ways to get you to conform to what they say. And this is what those former friendships were based off of, mechanical conditional relationships that are only there so long as you conform to Organizational standards. I would not call those friends at all.

Some unsolicited advice for you as well. Remember leaving this religion is a lot like seeing your house burnt down. Your standard of living [lifestyle], value, future, sense of belonging are all in ashes right now. I have counciled hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the reaction for almost all of them is to try to piece together [as quickly as possible] a sense of normalcy again. This usually involves trying to have certainty in their belief system again. In other words everything must be as “black & white” as in the Watchtower.
Just because somebody claims to have all the answers, does not make it so, just becasue somebody claims certainty in all areas of doctrine does not make it so [ie…See Joseph Smith and Mormonism] Making this mistake could lead to simply replacing one set of misguided beliefs for another.

Just remember that the Bible is not a instruction book for every area of life. Its PURPOSE is to point you to The Messiah and by extension Gods Kingdom. Not everything is “Black & White” as the Watchtower likes to assert, so its ok not to have all the answers. The important thing is to go to God in prayer and say something to the effect of: “*I trust you no matter what” *
You have no idea how much of a burden will be lifted off your shoulders.

Another reaction I see from people leaving the Wachtower is that of hurt pride and trust. The Watchtower damages people emotionally and causes many to turn their trust inwards. The only people they effectively trust is themselves and they become their own gods. Effectively turn to Atheism. Their hate for the Watchtower [which was viewed as gods mouthpiece] is translated to hate for God himself.
The Watchtower is no more a mouthpiece of God then Joseph Smith is. Again, just because somebody claims to be representing God, does not make it so. Jesus came to the earth to restore a broken relationship between us and God, not to give us a religious organization.

Life has more questions then answers. Have fun exploring those questions and dont be afraid of asking them and challenging them no matter who it comes from. Your security is not found in having all the right answers, your security is found in Having faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for you on the Cross [or torture stake, whatever you prefer ]

Dear CalvinistPastor,
thank you. You are surely right. It is better not to think only in ‘black and white’. We can’t have all the answers right away, and we must trust our Lord.
I love Jesus. More than anyone else. I am just too bad to fully return to Him.
I have visited various churches in the last months, including the catholic. I prayed, I fasted, I cried, read counseling books, read the bible regularly, devotions, and so on.
I don’t know what else to do right now.

My heart goes out for you as you’re also shunned. But your words reveal to me that you are strong in your faith. I am glad. Don’t let the devil take it away from you.

Let’s cling to Jesus’ hand.
May God bless you and guide your way.
Love, small sister

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

Dear readers,
I have been a Jehovah’s Witness until I disassociated myself from the Watchtower 3 months ago after intensive research. Consequently I am shunned. Beside the fact that I am now viewed as an apostate who willingly acts against God and that they “handed [me] over to Satan” (see 1.Tim.1:20), I am afraid that God Himself could count it as sin that I did not ‘pay my vow’ which I made at my baptism, namely to follow that organization. Deuteronomy 23:21 reads: “When you make a vow to The Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and The Lord your God will surely require it of you.” (Also verse 23.)

My secret research led me to the conviction that the Watchtower organization is not only a false prophet (see Deut. 19:20-22), but also a misleading teacher who willingly manipulated the Word of God by false translation of key verses. I collected so many evidences of such mistranslations and know how they control the mind of all Witnesses.
Still, I have made a vow " voluntarily", and I can’t see any way of ignoring the verses above.

What is your opinion? Does God want me to return to the Watchtower? What can I do?

You must remember one key thing about the Jehovahs Witnesses or Watch Tower religion.
As St John makes very clear in his letters, those who do not have the son also do not have the father. And because one of the titels given to Jesus is “The Word of God” and because scripture is rightly called the “Word of God” all scripture is about Jesus and all scripture is fullfilled in Jesus. Because JW’s have an (name removed by moderator)ropper understanding of Jesus they also have an impropper understanding of scripture. They do not have the incarnate, eternal life that is the light of the world to illuminate thier understanding and interpritation of scripture. Instead thier minds have become darkend and they rely on rationalist, human understanding to interpret scripture and like other who have done the same have ended up with a diminished, legalistic interpritation that controls and in the case of thier blood laws denies life.
Pay no attention to thier interpritations of Gods Word and keep moving towards the Church were Gods incarnate Word who is also the light of life will illuminate your path to freedom.

 

[small_sister]

You must remember one key thing about the Jehovahs Witnesses or Watch Tower religion.
As St John makes very clear in his letters, those who do not have the son also do not have the father. And because one of the titels given to Jesus is “The Word of God” and because scripture is rightly called the “Word of God” all scripture is about Jesus and all scripture is fullfilled in Jesus. Because JW’s have an (name removed by moderator)ropper understanding of Jesus they also have an impropper understanding of scripture. They do not have the incarnate, eternal life that is the light of the world to illuminate thier understanding and interpritation of scripture. Instead thier minds have become darkend and they rely on rationalist, human understanding to interpret scripture and like other who have done the same have ended up with a diminished, legalistic interpritation that controls and in the case of thier blood laws denies life.
Pay no attention to thier interpritations of Gods Word and keep moving towards the Church were Gods incarnate Word who is also the light of life will illuminate your path to freedom.

Dear Matt Guitar Man,

that is an excellent explanation, logical and true. Thank you so much.
Indeed JWs are practicing their ministry out of a legalistic understanding, not so much out of love for Christ and joy due to their salvation. The majority of them even don’t believe they are saved through faith in Christ, because in their view the New Testament is only written for the 144,000 anointed. The ‘other sheep’ have to obey the ‘Faithful and Discreet Slave’ (Governing Body of JWs) in order to have the chance to be eventually saved.

You are absolutely right that he who does not have the Son, the not have the Father neither.

Thank you again, and may God bless you.
Love, small sister

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

Dear Small Sister
The J. W’s teaching indeed employs many misinterpritations that seperate and distance thier followers from Christ and the eternal life and salvation brought by Christ for Mankind.
This is very obviouse in thier teaching and misinterpritation of the Kingdom of Heaven that Christ initiated during his ministary. They interperit this as millenialism, or as they might put it resurection into the “New System”, the litteral 1000 year reign of Christ here on earth within history.
Thier teaching distorts the message of Christ so that His kingdom is Material, Temporal ( or within time and history), Remote ( or at some unspecified point in the future) and Exclusive ( one needs to be a member of thier particular group to participate).
The Church teaches that the kingdom Christ initiated is Spiritual rather than Material, is Eternal rather than Temporal, Present rather than Remote ( or in other words we can participate in it right now) and Inclusive rather than Exclusive ( it is for all who turn to Christ).
One interpritation distances people from Christ and his message with a result that people must rely on an itermediatry body such as the Governing Body to get access to the Water of life that Christ offers, and this water is muddied and doled out to individuals dying of thirst.
The other interpritation immidiatly allows people to participate in Christs kingdome and drink from the water of life freely as soon as they turn to Christ regardless of an Earthly intermediatry body such as the Church, the Church is there to to assist us in comming into an ever closer relationship with Christ and drinking more fully from the water of life through the Sacraments.
As Christ tells us in Revelations Chapter 22 “The Spirit say’s come and the Bride say’s come and drink freely from the water of life”

 

[Porknpie]

Dear readers,
I have been a Jehovah’s Witness until I disassociated myself from the Watchtower 3 months ago after intensive research. Consequently I am shunned. Beside the fact that I am now viewed as an apostate who willingly acts against God and that they “handed [me] over to Satan” (see 1.Tim.1:20), I am afraid that God Himself could count it as sin that I did not ‘pay my vow’ which I made at my baptism, namely to follow that organization. Deuteronomy 23:21 reads: “When you make a vow to The Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and The Lord your God will surely require it of you.” (Also verse 23.)

**My secret research led me to the conviction that the Watchtower organization is not only a false prophet **(see Deut. 19:20-22), but also a misleading teacher who willingly manipulated the Word of God by false translation of key verses. I collected so many evidences of such mistranslations and know how they control the mind of all Witnesses.
Still, I have made a vow " voluntarily", and I can’t see any way of ignoring the verses above.

What is your opinion? Does God want me to return to the Watchtower? What can I do?

Little Sister,

God created us to know, love and serve him. He created you to know him and not some twisted representation of him. Follow your conscious and the truth that you’ve found. God desires all to be saved and to be with him in heaven forever. Not simply 144,000 and a select number that would remain on earth (of course JW first started with 144K…then added the more would be saved on earth part as years went by). This conflicts with an all loving God as we know him.

The ‘summit of our faith’ is receiving Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Read John 6 and reflect a bit on the words there, in how Jesus gave us his actually body and blood to nourish us in our faith through added grace…to help us in our journey.

Another terrific website is scripturecatholic.com. Scripture is organized by subject matter but what is also very nice, is that the subject matter has references to what the early Church wrote. For example, on the Eucharist, St. Ignatius and Justin Martyr wrote:

“Th**ey abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, **which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again.” Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to Smyrnaeans, 7,1 (c. A.D. 110).

**“For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have *we been taught *that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” **Justin Martyr, First Apology, 66 (c. A.D. 110-165).

Couple of things that are good to know…

• St Ignatius was a disciple of St John…who was an apostle of Jesus (neither Jesus nor St John would teach in error)
• I love Justin Martyr’s words…“We Have Been Taught”…by Christ to the Apostles and from the apostles to their descendants.

Keep following the Truth Little Sister…he’s is really present in the Eucharist. He waits for you to receive him. May I also suggest reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the subject of the Eucharist here. I you have any questions, I would expect you to…post them and the good people of CAF will answer.

Pork

(PS…ah yes, do listen to anything KathleenGee says)