I think i am the first actual Jehovah’s Witness to post anything in this “What do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe” thread. So I hope my opinion counts.
The above thread starts with the false premise that most JW’s are born into their faith. They are JW’s (allegedly) because their parents were and they have never known anything else. Trapped into an unchosen life that is all they know! - This is almost never the case.
**This is actually quite common in alot of religions, so to claim “this is almost never the case” is disingenuous. I was a born in JW, my wife was, my mother, my wife’s mother, all cousin’s, etc., etc. JW’s are very ignorant about what other religion’s believe and you yourself, Regardless, have many times misrepresented what the Trinity teaching actually is in your arguments. This is to be expected since most JW’s are poorly educated. If a JW suddenly doesn’t believe that the JW’s are the one true religion, it’s not a simple matter of just walking away, because it is guranteed that they will be labeled an apsostate (like my wife and I have) and lose contact with all their family because of the shunning practice. **
In two congregations I have lived in I have done a survey asking all: “Were you raised a Jehovah’s Witness?”
Both times about 75% said “No.”
they had been raised as “another” or “no religion.”
Infact some had engaged the JW’s with the sole intent of “proving them wrong.”
I don’t doubt that you believe this, but I have been a member of over a dozen congregations and have never, ever had heard of someone converting after trying to prove them wrong. JW’s are highly successful with those who are disaffected individuals and ones that have no religious background. Sadly, many poorly catechized Catholics have been swayed by the JW’s supposed command of the bible when they show at the door. Happily, this trend has been reversing as of late and many former JW’s are coming home to Christ’s one true Church, the Catholic Church.
JW’s do not baptize infants and claim them as thier own. To become a JW you would need to have spent at least a year, often many years studying the Bible. Even then, the elders may tell someone desiring baptizim: “You are not ready yet.”
**This is true to a point, but baptism with JW’s is more about assenting to authority of the Watchtower than following the formula that Christ gave in Matthew 28:19. And studying, as you say, is more about what the Watchtower teaches about the bible, rather than the bible itself. **
Away with the idea “JW’s are born into their faith,” - an accident of geography or ancestry, - like most other religions.
**I still know many JW’s ( I just attended a JW funeral a couple of weeks ago) and just about all of them were born in’s, so to suggest otherwise is untrue. Most of their baptisms are children of JW’s. When I was baptized at one of the District Conventions, out of a class of about 70, perhaps half a dozen were converts. The rest were sons and daughters of JW’s. **
They have all studied it hard as adults and decided: “Wow. This is the truth! I want to dedicate my life to Jehovah and his organisation.”
No wonder they can all participate in the preaching work! They have proven their faith to themselves by evidence - and can therefore prove it to others.
The “truth” as JW’s understand it is neither biblically or historically proven to be the Church established by Christ. Studying by JW’s is done with Watchtower publications that give a very biased view of history, and we really don’t need to open the can of worms about the transliteration they use as a bible.
Yes, some who are Jw’s are disfellowshipped. (usually for adultery or fornication.)
They are a religion that insists on God’s specific and high standards.Yet, any who are baptized are well aware of that and have entered the congregation as informed adults who know what is expected of them. Kinda like a marriage.
**Many young ones are baptized as JW’s and do not understand the full weight of disfellowshipping should they come to believe that JW’s are in fact not Christ’s true Church. I sadly saw a few JW’s that were baptized as 10-13 year olds and later disfellowshipped when things started to not make sense for them as they grew in knowledge and challenged their religious upbringing. **
I work with several people who claim to belong to “Christian” religions and who live lives contrary to the Bible standards. It strengthens my faith extremely to stand out as belonging to an organisation that insists on following the Bibles standards. A contrast to their religions.
**Is it your understanding that JW’s do not sin? Some of the things I have seen myself with JW’s, for example with sexual immorality, would take your breath away or their business dealings with fellow JW’s that are outright deceitful. It’s been my experience that JW’s sin just as much as anyone else. A supposed claim of “not sinning like everyone else” is a red herring. **
If a Jehovah’s Witness is expelled from the congregation it is because they have unrepentantly engaged in conduct that is a violation of the Bibles clear standards.
Shouldn’t all who claim to be Jesus followers have such a strict standard?
The JW’s very existence is a violation of clear bible standards. But I guess that would depend in part to what version of the bible we would be talking about. Then again, Christ did promise that religions like yourself would spring up to lead many astray, so in a way, your religion is biblical.
)
Well, I guess they’re not carting around the phonographs like they use to.