What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?

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In all fairness if you do a google search you’ll negative things also you shouldn’t believe everything you read from angry people. Theres always 2 and 3 sides to each stroy.
my opinion of Jehovah’s Witnesses comes only from my own experience of being one for 34 yrs, 15 of which I was a full time pioneer (missionary) and how they destroyed my family and most of my youth. But I am not speaking out of bitterness here—I can save that for another group. Jehovah’s Witnesses have a facade of brotherly love but it applies only to themselves and only if you obey what the Organization and their representatives tell you to. If not they become a hate group. They rejoice in the prospect of everyone but themselves dying at Armageddon. And they are very graphic about how people will die—one of the earliest books in my childhood talks about eyes and tongues rotting out of your head and birds pecking your brains. I was encouraged to pick out which mansion I would live in after the evil residents died when I knocked on doors in Hollywood. And I was told to let my own infant die rather than accept a blood transfusion (I never had children–it was hypothetical at the time but expected to be obeyed.) Yep a cult just bursting at the seams with Christian love…
read my previous posts and check the link as to why I finally left—it took murder and two suicides to shake me out of the brainwashing.
Ravyn
 
incidentally–ask any JW what charity they contribute to and they will tell you they only give to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society because they see no value in wasting their money on the poor or the sick or the abused since Jehovah is going to destroy all those victims anyway since they are not Jehovah’s Witnesses. ask the Organization what charitable works it contributes to and you will get the same answer. They keep all contributions and print books and magazines with it and supply their heirarchy with expense paid lives. They buy massive pieces of realestate and then turn around and LOAN the money they collect from the congregations back to individual congregations at a ‘reduced’ percentage for their Kingdom Halls. How thoughtful!
I know a JW who fell thru a roof on one of their 2-day quickbuilds and broke his back and is a quadriplegic now. His wife was pregnant at the time with their second child and he had to take the WTBS to court to get any insurance money. It took years and he lived in abject poverty with no medical. And of course he was disfellowshipped (excommunicated) and shunned by all his family and friends for taking ‘his brothers’ to court! He is just one story I know of personally. JWs only appear to have Christian love. Just like Satan and his demons can appear as angels of light…do not be misled by a misguided sense of ecumenical good will and tolerance.
Ravyn
 
Thank you Ravyn for expressing your opinion and I’m glad to note your comment that none of this was stated out of bitterness.

I’m also happy for you that you are now part of an organization and group of people that historically is completely free from anything negative or hurtful.

Steve
 
Care to discuss what Jason David BeDuhn’s conclusion is about the insertion of “jehovah” in the New Testament?
I appreciated reading his thoughtful analysis. His conclusion is that God’s name (Jehovah/ Yahweh) should not be re-established in the New Testament.

I enjoy reading both sides of a discussion. Have you studied JW’s reasoning behind this, or have you just read one side of the discusion?

Also, do you agree that YHWH’s name should be re-established in the Old Testament?

Steve
 
To add to dawgfan’s question regarding the insertion of anything in the Bibile, what does Rev. 22: 18-19 say?
Rev 22:18, 29 says:

(Revelation 22:18-19) “I am bearing witness to everyone that hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; 19*and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things which are written about in this scroll."

Although the words apply to the book of Revelation, I’m sure your point is regarding the NWT’s inclusion of Jehovah’s name 237 times in the text. Certainly, this is a controversial point in Bible translation… one worthy of detailed analysis and discussion.

Did you know that the NWT is not the only translation that includes Jehovah’s name? What do you think the reasoning is behind all these translations? Have you read the thoughtful analysis of these translators?

Also, note how it mentions taking “anything away”. If you are critical of those translators who believe Jehovah’s name should reestablished in the New Testament, are you similarly concerned over the 7,000 occurances of his name being removed from most modern translations?

How do you feel about Jehovah’s name being removed from the Bible?

Do you consider yourself to be one of these people mentioned here:

(Malachi 3:16) At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name.

Steve
 
How do you feel about Jehovah’s name being removed from the Bible?

Steve
Hi Steve -

Just to add historical context for those who don’t know - God’s proper name as expounded in Exodus to Moses was replaced by the seventy Jewish scholars who translated the Hebrew into Greek 200 years before Christ.

In Jewish law God’s proper name was to be used only in the synagogue. The Greek scriptures would not have been used in the synagogue, ergo they replaced the proper name with “Lord,” thus avoiding the use of His Name outside of the synagogue.

The JW’s accuse the Catholic Church of commiting this deed. I once pointed out the above fact to a JW, a friend of mine actually, an he was speachless.

Here is a JW article that explains the Septuagint, however it claims that the Holy Name was actually included in Greek copies found with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Curiously, they are the only ones to claim this.

watchtower.org/library/w/2002/9/15/article_01.htm

One other thing that the article misses is that the Septuagint contains all of the books of the Catholic bible. (It is the source of the Catholic bible) I pointed this out to another JW friend and, again, he was speachless. Read this in light of the article and it’s claim that the Septuagint is still a valid source. (The claim gives validity to the Catholic bible because it is the Septuagint! 😃 )

Subrosa
 
I was the best JW they ever had. I was third generation, raised near Brooklyn Headquarters in the company of the ‘Governing Body’, my father was an elder and one of the annointed (who was going to heaven,) I was a pioneer—(missionary) for 15 years, I left at age 34. I literally lost everything and everyone to leave and had death threats for years afterwards from family members. Do not let them mislead you—I was on the deep inside of the cult and it is absolutely Satanic. The average JW does not have a clue what goes on behind the Watchtower walls. It is a dangerous cult and not in the slightest bit Christian. And incidentally, I was not kicked out—I walked away willingly.
A true perspective of the group is found in the book Crisis of Conscience written by Ray Franz—the nephew of the late President of WTBS Fred Franz–he was as inside as you can get and he left and is now the number one enemy. He lives near Atlanta.
Ravyn
Hi
If JWs are not Christian then why they call themselves as Christians?
I am sorry for what happened to you. Have you become a Catholic?
Thanks
I am an Ahmadi – a peaceful faith in Islam bridging gaps between faiths/denominations/religions/agnostics
 
Hi
If JWs are not Christian then why they call themselves as Christians?
I am sorry for what happened to you. Have you become a Catholic?
Thanks
I am an Ahmadi – a peaceful faith in Islam bridging gaps between faiths/denominations/religions/agnostics
Jehovah’s Witnesses consider themselves the ONLY Christians. They believe they are the only ones going to heaven and inheriting paradise on earth and everyone else will deservedly die. Some do have good motives and care about others and try to preach to them to convert, but sooner or later those ones get burned out by the wasted effort. I am not saying JWs as individual people are bad, just that the religion is a dangerous cult that looks out only for its own interests at the cost of its own devotees.
Hallowed be the Ori, (Stargate SG-1)
Ravyn
 
Just to add historical context for those who don’t know - God’s proper name as expounded in Exodus to Moses was replaced by the seventy Jewish scholars who translated the Hebrew into Greek 200 years before Christ. In Jewish law God’s proper name was to be used only in the synagogue.
Hi Subrosa…

Yes, you are touching on the question I’ve posed. God’s proper name (YHWH) was initially recorded about 7,000 times in the Old Testament.

Because of superstition or tradition, Jewish translators removed God’s personal name from His own book.

Since I was presented with an argument against “adding” to the scriptures by including Jehovah’s name in the New Testament (which I understand is controversial), I asked how these people felt about Jehovah’s name being “removed” 7,000 from the accurate, original manuscripts.

I’d hope that some would be concerned that tradition/superstition trumped truth and accuracy.

Steve
 
Thank you Ravyn for expressing your opinion and I’m glad to note your comment that none of this was stated out of bitterness.

I’m also happy for you that you are now part of an organization and group of people that historically is completely free from anything negative or hurtful.

Steve
sarcasm so early in the game? I am disappointed Steve.

Obviously you would not be here if you were a good and faithful JW because it is totally against all the ‘advice’ of the Borg. and since there have been a few of us openly admit to you that we are X or former JWs then you are also talking to apostates which will get you disfellowshipped real quickly.

So I will assume you are seeking greater spiritual depth and perhaps doubting what you yourself have seen in the Borg. In which case I sincerely hope you find the truth of Christ and He touches your heart to come home to his Church. I will pray for your conversion. And I certainly will pray that it goes easier than mine did and you are shielded from the pain and suffering of shunning and losing perhaps everyone you ever knew. That’s a hard one tho, JWs do not let go of you without taking a piece out of your soul.

Open your heart and your mind and God will speak to you and call you to Himself. It might mean leaving JWs or might not. Who are we to question His methods? All I do know is I was called out of JWs by God and if I had stayed I would have failed my own integrity. We are not judged by what we do, we are judged by waht we are called to do…

May you have Christ’s peace.
Ravyn
 
Hi Subrosa…

Yes, you are touching on the question I’ve posed. God’s proper name (YHWH) was initially recorded about 7,000 times in the Old Testament.

Because of superstition or tradition, Jewish translators removed God’s personal name from His own book.

Since I was presented with an argument against “adding” to the scriptures by including Jehovah’s name in the New Testament (which I understand is controversial), I asked how these people felt about Jehovah’s name being “removed” 7,000 from the accurate, original manuscripts.

I’d hope that some would be concerned that tradition/superstition trumped truth and accuracy.

Steve
I will call the Father what the Son called Him—‘Father’. If it was good enough for Jesus then it is good enough for me, after all the NT teaches the New Covenant and that Jesus fulfilled the the Old Law. The Bible is progressive, the Old Testament introduces man to the Father and then we meet the Son and now we are comforted by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Mother and the Holy Communion of Saints–The Church Triumphant and the Church Militant. The Trinity is built out of our progressive understanding of God thru the ancient times to current times. St. Paul said we are further built on oral and written tradition. This is why the Catholic Church is the Fullness of Truth.
Ravyn
 
Jehovah’s Witnesses …believe they are the only ones going to heaven and inheriting paradise on earth and everyone else will deservedly die.
This statement is not accurate… JW’s believe that the majority of people who have every lived will ultimately inherit the earth in fulfillment of Matt 5:5 and Psa 37:9-11.

This will include Billions of people who have previously lived, died, and were never Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In fact, even those who died without learning about Jesus as the Messiah will likely be resurrected to live here on earth.

However, unlike most religions that believe that everyone is destined to head to heaven, JW’s believe the Bible teaches that only 144,000 individuals will be selected to live in heaven and work with Christ as part of his heavenly Kingdom.

These 144,000 individuals began to be selected at the time of Christ… first his apostles, his disciples, and faithful individuals throughout the last 2,000 years.

The vast majority of these were selected well before the “Bible Students” or “Jehovah’s Witnesses” came on the scene in the late 1800’s.

So, saying that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they are the only ones going to heaven is completely inaccurate.

Steve
 
This statement is not accurate… JW’s believe that the majority of people who have every lived will ultimately inherit the earth in fulfillment of Matt 5:5 and Psa 37:9-11.

This will include Billions of people who have previously lived, died, and were never Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In fact, even those who died without learning about Jesus as the Messiah will likely be resurrected to live here on earth.

However, unlike most religions that believe that everyone is destined to head to heaven, JW’s believe the Bible teaches that only 144,000 individuals will be selected to live in heaven and work with Christ as part of his heavenly Kingdom.

These 144,000 individuals began to be selected at the time of Christ… first his apostles, his disciples, and faithful individuals throughout the last 2,000 years.

The vast majority of these were selected well before the “Bible Students” or “Jehovah’s Witnesses” came on the scene in the late 1800’s.

So, saying that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they are the only ones going to heaven is completely inaccurate.

Steve
so you are telling me then that the belief that the first Jehovah’s Witness was Abel has changed then? Up until 1997 Jehovah’s Witnesses considered every one of the faithful of old to be Jehovah’s Witnesses, and that the ones who did not ‘know’ Jehovah would indeed be resurrected but they would have to convert during the Millennium or be destroyed at the final judgement when Satan was loosed and allowed to test everyone one last time? Or has that basic doctrine changed too? Being intellectually dishonest and playing semantics don’t cut it with me Steve–remember I pioneered for 15 yrs. I know all the tricks and subterfuge. I was an expert at the soft-sell and the hard-sell.

Will there be anyone alive after the end of the 1000 years and the final test who is not a Jehovah’s Witness (not counting anyone who is not yet born–since the last I heard JWs do not believe reproduction will continue forever either)?
HINT: it is a yes or no question.

I am not going to argue with you Steve, but I will not allow you to mislead these people either.

Ravyn
 
Ravyn,

Given your bitter attitude, condescending name calling (cult, borg), argumentative style, and desire to tell nasty stories about JW’s while ignoring multiple similar stories that occur within your own religion, I will not be conversing with you.

I am here to enjoy conversation with Catholic folks that exhibit interest in peaceful discussion… not spiteful arguments.

Good day.

Steve
 
Ravyn,

Given your bitter attitude, condescending name calling (cult, borg), argumentative style, and desire to tell nasty stories about JW’s while ignoring multiple similar stories that occur within your own religion, I will not be conversing with you.

I am here to enjoy conversation with Catholic folks that exhibit interest in peaceful discussion… not spiteful arguments.

Good day.

Steve
you just proved everything I said about JWs.

not willing to answer the question eh? well I think the people on this group are smart enough to see your evasion. I think they also see the futility of trying to be ecumenical or to convert a JW.
And if you check the posts I am not the first or the only person who called it the Borg. Calling JWs a cult is not name-calling.

But since you didn’t answer anything I asked you and rejected my sincere good will in my previous post, it should be obvious now that your purpose here is not to have any kind of discussion but to undermine the faith of others and start trouble.
your elders would not allow you here if they knew.

I have no intention of continuing the conversation with you anyway, it only dperesses me when I meet with JWs who are trolling other religious groups to count their time. (for those who don’t know- JWs count every minute they ‘witness’ to unbelievers and turn in a time slip every month and get in big trouble if they don’t get enough hours in–as a pioneer I had to get 1000 hours a year or 83.3 hours a month, I believe they have since reduced the requirements.)

I really feel sorry for those still trapped behind the walls of the Watchtower, but I can’t do anything for anyone who doesn’t want help.

May you find Christ’s peace (anyway)
† Ravyn
 
my mistake–sorry Steve, I was thinking of the other thread on JWs that mentioned the ‘Borg’–it is here:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=132726

I have however called the ORG the BORG since way before I ever left them—we had an elder who was a Star Trek fanatic and he was the first one I ever heard call it that. Other nicknames for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society are: the ORG, the Society, WTBS, WTBTS, ‘Brooklyn’, ‘Headquarters’–that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. The GB are the Governing Body, the rank-and-file are the individual ‘publishers’ or members. Pioneers are the local missionaries. JW-speak. or J-Dub speakese. You will see alot of these clever little ditties on personalized vanity plates in the parking lot at any large Convention.

Ravyn
 
Care to discuss what Jason David BeDuhn’s conclusion is about the insertion of “jehovah” in the New Testament?
Here’s an interesting article in a Catholic Magazine, making the point that God’s personal name YHWH was actually in early copies of the New Testament:

jehovah.to/exe/greek/yhwh.htm

I found it an interesting read. I hope you do too!

Steve
 
so you are telling me then that the belief that the first Jehovah’s Witness was Abel has changed then? Up until 1997 Jehovah’s Witnesses considered every one of the faithful of old to be Jehovah’s Witnesses, and that the ones who did not ‘know’ Jehovah would indeed be resurrected but they would have to convert during the Millennium or be destroyed at the final judgement when Satan was loosed and allowed to test everyone one last time? Or has that basic doctrine changed too? Being intellectually dishonest and playing semantics don’t cut it with me Steve–remember I pioneered for 15 yrs. I know all the tricks and subterfuge. I was an expert at the soft-sell and the hard-sell.

Will there be anyone alive after the end of the 1000 years and the final test who is not a Jehovah’s Witness (not counting anyone who is not yet born–since the last I heard JWs do not believe reproduction will continue forever either)?
HINT: it is a yes or no question.

I am not going to argue with you Steve, but I will not allow you to mislead these people either.

Ravyn
Actually Ravyn, I think you are the one who’s got it right. It is still as you say, we are all going to die and that there will be 1000 yrs to learn about Jehovah.

Last time I went to KH w/DH (around beginning of April) was because I wanted to make sure he’d come home right after his meeting instead of go home with his JW sister, so I sat there with him and listened. Seriously, I had never heard such BS in my life. The guy giving the public speech on Sunday was telling them to remember how things are going to be, that they’ll get to choose where to build their precious mansions, and choose their wonderful luxurious cars, that their dead infants will out of nowhere start crying and the mother would go to the next room and find her formerly dead baby in a crib. His eyes actaully got filled with tears (I wonder if he actually does believe this or he was just acting). Then he said they’d be teaching/preaching to those who did not get a chance to know Jehovah and that if those people didn’t believe they’d be eliminated forever.

He also said that those family members who were not resurrected or didn’t make it through Armageddon, that you wouldn’t even remember who they were, you wouldn’t have memories of them so no one would suffer any longer… mmm… it sounds like a satanic fantasy to me…
you just proved everything I said about JWs.

not willing to answer the question eh? well I think the people on this group are smart enough to see your evasion. I think they also see the futility of trying to be ecumenical or to convert a JW.
And if you check the posts I am not the first or the only person who called it the Borg. Calling JWs a cult is not name-calling.

But since you didn’t answer anything I asked you and rejected my sincere good will in my previous post, it should be obvious now that your purpose here is not to have any kind of discussion but to undermine the faith of others and start trouble.
your elders would not allow you here if they knew.

I have no intention of continuing the conversation with you anyway, it only dperesses me when I meet with JWs who are trolling other religious groups to count their time. (for those who don’t know- JWs count every minute they ‘witness’ to unbelievers and turn in a time slip every month and get in big trouble if they don’t get enough hours in–as a pioneer I had to get 1000 hours a year or 83.3 hours a month, I believe they have since reduced the requirements.)

I really feel sorry for those still trapped behind the walls of the Watchtower, but I can’t do anything for anyone who doesn’t want help.

May you find Christ’s peace (anyway)
† Ravyn
Remember Ravyn that they all do that (ignoring questions), you did this too I’m sure. You will not get a straight answer, plus, you shouldn’t let that bother you, you know what really goes on there, and you already are in the truth!!!

That organization only causes pain and suffering, it separates families. I know some of them are really nice and love each other, but don’t love anyone outside their watchtower walls.

The little I’ve had to deal with them, I’ve suffered a lot. I don’t want kids because I don’t want to raise them as JWs, I don’t want to sell their souls to the devil. I’m just praying incessantly so that DH returns to the CC.

On regards to the hours, I think the minimum a pioneer has to do now is at least 60 hrs. That’s what they said last time I was there.
 
BibleSteve, we’re not against you, we’re against the way the WTBS treats people. I have heard many horrific stories from ex-JWs and they have a reason to be against JWs. They were treated like garbage not like human beings. Just go back a few posts and find Ravyn’s story… I know JWs are capable of doing that. I have lived with one who was once DF’d and the way he was treated was horrible. Even one time the overseer of his congregation questioned our marriage, he assumed DH didn’t love me, how dare he question why we married? He also said to DH he wasn’t a good example of a husband to me… that’s one of the other reasons why I dislike the WTBS so much…

Oh, and we don’t deny YHWH, if you check out the New Jerusalem Catholic Bible, it’s used in the OT.

But just let me tell you one thing Steve, us Catholics think it’s improper to call God by his name. He’s our Father. You don’t go around calling your mom or dad by their first names, do you? I call my mom by her first name just to bother her, she hates it and tells me I’m disrespectful when I do so…
 
[But just let me tell you one thing Steve, us Catholics think it’s improper to call God by his name. He’s our Father. You don’t go around calling your mom or dad by their first names, do you? I call my mom by her first name just to bother her, she hates it and tells me I’m disrespectful when I do so…
Why would you choose to believe it’s improper to use God’s personal name? Where did that belief come from?

By reading through the OT, you see thousands of occurrances of faithful people using God’s personal name in everyday speech and reverential prayer.

It was the tradition of Jewish men that removed His name from Scripture, and made it “improper” to use.

Jesus spoke of the traditions of men trying to invalidate God’s word.

Steve
[/quote]
 
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