M
McCartney
Guest
I think the 7 books you are talking about are the 7 deutronimical (Spelling??) books of the old testament. All protestant bibles have these books missing.
- Status
K
kingston1
Guest
Their national anthem is “the watchtower” by Jimi Hendrex I’ve been told, who knew?
A
andrewstx
Guest
Yes, I too had a roomie like that. He went all the way through 5th grade! He would drink like mad (an alcoholic) and start telling me about armageddon (sp), and other unusual things all with his JW point of view. I felt so sorry for the woman he ended up married to.
I have not seen this man in years, but this thread reminded me of him.
A
andrewstx
Guest
Dueterocanonical I think. But other Protestants (not so sure JWs qualify as Protestants) do not intentionally translate the scriptures so poorly. Like in John I they have changed “The Word was God” into “The word was a God”.
S
Skye_Ariel
Guest
I don’t like them at all. 
Everything about their beliefs is messed up and I don’t like how they try to force their way upon you. :nope: They are truly a cult, not just another denomination. Their beliefs are crazy. They don’t celebrate any holidays not even birthdays, they don’t believe in education, they shun their own people for breaking their rules, I don’t understand how they believe only 144,000 people will make it to heaven. 
As many people that have lived since Adam & Eve and they think only 144,000 will go to heaven??? That number was already passed before their great grandparents to the 10th power was even conceived! :doh2:
Everything about their beliefs is messed up and I don’t like how they try to force their way upon you. :nope: They are truly a cult, not just another denomination. Their beliefs are crazy. They don’t celebrate any holidays not even birthdays, they don’t believe in education, they shun their own people for breaking their rules, I don’t understand how they believe only 144,000 people will make it to heaven. As many people that have lived since Adam & Eve and they think only 144,000 will go to heaven??? That number was already passed before their great grandparents to the 10th power was even conceived! :doh2:LaughingBoy1503
Well-known member
After the last time I tried to dialog with a JW on this site, I came to believe that their religion is one of the top examples of how scripture can be dangerous if interpreted incorrectly. Not that scripture is dangerous, just the radical interpretations of it that have come from so many new Christian sects since The Protestant reformation (I am not speaking about mainline protestant denominations)
Their sect is nothing special. Though the minority, non-Trinitarian sect’s exist, they are not the only ones who teach that the end is coming soon, like the one Jw I talked to seemed to think. With that said, I had a JW friend when I was a kid and he was a good guy. And I think pretty much all the JWs I have talked to were generally nice.
Their sect is nothing special. Though the minority, non-Trinitarian sect’s exist, they are not the only ones who teach that the end is coming soon, like the one Jw I talked to seemed to think. With that said, I had a JW friend when I was a kid and he was a good guy. And I think pretty much all the JWs I have talked to were generally nice.
V
vsedriver
Guest
The Amish have a stricter practice of shunning. If you don’t join the church you can never go home or speak to the family again.
M
McCartney
Guest
It comes from Revelations 7 where John saw 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel sealed. Revelations goes on to say that there were multitudes of people that no man could count… Hence more than 144,000 will be saved.I don’t like them at all.
F
Falco
Guest
I studied for 2 years alongside a lovely JW girl. Difficult.
We had an ongoing argument that went for months, on the fact that they deny the shape of the cross - they say Jesus was killed on a ‘torture stake’ with his arms above his head, as if he was nailed to a telegraph pole. ‘So how come the word is ‘crucify’, which implies a cross shape?’ ‘Oh, that was just a figure of speech in ancient times.’ Ha!
My favourite joke:
John arrives in Heaven and is being shown round by St Peter. After he has been given his mansion, St Peter shows him how other religions are catered for in their styles of worship. He explains that Heaven endeavours to cater to all the various beliefs that humanity developed over the millenia.
There are groups of African Americans singing gospel as they sway and wave their hands. A group of monks are intoning Gregorian chants. Someone is playing a massive organ as massed choirs sing ‘The Messiah’. People are meditating under trees and beside a lake. Dervishes are whirling. Everyone is happy, loving God in their own way.
As they walk on, St Peter puts his finger to his lips and indicates that John should be silent for a while, and they walk past a huge walled enclosure, from which a great amount of cheering and singing is coming.
Once they are past the wall, St Peter grins and explains: ‘There are 144,000 Jehovahs Witnessess in there, and they think they are the only ones up here!’
We had an ongoing argument that went for months, on the fact that they deny the shape of the cross - they say Jesus was killed on a ‘torture stake’ with his arms above his head, as if he was nailed to a telegraph pole. ‘So how come the word is ‘crucify’, which implies a cross shape?’ ‘Oh, that was just a figure of speech in ancient times.’ Ha!
My favourite joke:
John arrives in Heaven and is being shown round by St Peter. After he has been given his mansion, St Peter shows him how other religions are catered for in their styles of worship. He explains that Heaven endeavours to cater to all the various beliefs that humanity developed over the millenia.
There are groups of African Americans singing gospel as they sway and wave their hands. A group of monks are intoning Gregorian chants. Someone is playing a massive organ as massed choirs sing ‘The Messiah’. People are meditating under trees and beside a lake. Dervishes are whirling. Everyone is happy, loving God in their own way.
As they walk on, St Peter puts his finger to his lips and indicates that John should be silent for a while, and they walk past a huge walled enclosure, from which a great amount of cheering and singing is coming.
Once they are past the wall, St Peter grins and explains: ‘There are 144,000 Jehovahs Witnessess in there, and they think they are the only ones up here!’
M
Matt_Guitar_Man
Guest
Good one!
A
adf417
Guest
My :twocents:
The JW organization is the extreme version of protestant theology, if there is such a thing as “protestant theology”. When one decides for their self they can interpret the word of God and it’s meaning then that same person can justify, through the same theology, they also have the authority to change the word of God.
The protestant theology pattern is seen in this way: remove authority…change the interpretation… remove some of the books…
But I think the JW organization is a bit smarter in that they recognize this paradigm cannot hold itself together without a governing authority so the JW theology pattern is seen in this way- remove authority…change the interpretation…remove some of the books…change the wording…remove the deity of Christ…add back a governing authority.
Similar to our magisterium, the Watchtower, their “organization” is what separates them from typical protestant organizations. Many differences in the Catholic magisterium and the JW governing body. The most significant difference is the controlling aspect. Most non-Catholics look at the Catholic Church as being controlling which it is in a teaching and doctrinal sense only. The difference is in the control of the mind and the emotional aspect.
Peace!!!
The JW organization is the extreme version of protestant theology, if there is such a thing as “protestant theology”. When one decides for their self they can interpret the word of God and it’s meaning then that same person can justify, through the same theology, they also have the authority to change the word of God.
The protestant theology pattern is seen in this way: remove authority…change the interpretation… remove some of the books…
But I think the JW organization is a bit smarter in that they recognize this paradigm cannot hold itself together without a governing authority so the JW theology pattern is seen in this way- remove authority…change the interpretation…remove some of the books…change the wording…remove the deity of Christ…add back a governing authority.
Similar to our magisterium, the Watchtower, their “organization” is what separates them from typical protestant organizations. Many differences in the Catholic magisterium and the JW governing body. The most significant difference is the controlling aspect. Most non-Catholics look at the Catholic Church as being controlling which it is in a teaching and doctrinal sense only. The difference is in the control of the mind and the emotional aspect.
Peace!!!
B
badJojo
Guest
I live near a Kingdom hall so my small farm is often visited by the JW. In the past I simply goofed with them. However; In the last year I had a visit from Harold who was actually a nice guy. He converted to JW in the last 5 years and his wife has belonged all her life. Anyway, he would drop his info and we would chat. I realized that any question they would ask they had tagged bible quotes to support. Very specific. I was embarrassed that I was not bible literate enough to discuss theological points. So The JW drove me back to prayer, bible study and kindled in me a renewed love for my Catholic faith. As the year has progressed my Bible knowledge and prayer gave me confidence in speaking with Harold. I found now I was asking him questions and taking him to my discussion points in the bible. The end of this is as someone had previously commented. Once my faith was clear and my spirituality identified that I love everyone, respect everyone and would help anyone …even Harold… the visits started getting further apart. I thank Harold for sparking me back to my faith. Had JW not stopped who knows how much longer I may have walked. So I think their fundamental thoughts and rules are odd but I do not judge. I am just glad for the path I am on. Peace…and prayers for the Ukraine. Jojo
S
St_Donatus
Guest
I was a JW for about 20 years. I realized it wasn’t the truth after about five years.
Why do they seem so nice. This is more a front than anything. When you go behind the front, you find that they are like anyone else. My brother in law was an elder (leader in the congregation) and spoke at conventions. All the women would tell his wife how lucky she was to have such a wonderful husband since their husbands were nearly as nice. They put on the mask both at their meetings and at the door. The worse thing was that he was both verbally, emotionally and physically abusing her and the children at home. They ended up getting a divorce.
They don’t have worship services or mass. They have training sessions on how to be a better Jehovah’s Witness and how to convert others. These take up about four hours per week. If you refuse to go in the door to door ministry, they take away desired positive strokes and other JWs treat you as if you had some type of a plague. They won’t associate with you because you are a ‘bad association’. You also can’t be ‘friends’ with non JWs. When they act like they are your friends, in fact, they are being nice to convert you, that is all. They actually are not getting close to you emotionally.
At one time I was a JW missionary (Pioneer) and had leadership functions in the congregation. Since becoming Catholic, I can no longer associate with any of my previous JW friends or my wife’s family who are all JWs. My wife treats me coldly about half the time but when she forgets herself, she will be friendly.
As far as the teachings go, there are many that are just wrong.
Why do they seem so nice. This is more a front than anything. When you go behind the front, you find that they are like anyone else. My brother in law was an elder (leader in the congregation) and spoke at conventions. All the women would tell his wife how lucky she was to have such a wonderful husband since their husbands were nearly as nice. They put on the mask both at their meetings and at the door. The worse thing was that he was both verbally, emotionally and physically abusing her and the children at home. They ended up getting a divorce.
They don’t have worship services or mass. They have training sessions on how to be a better Jehovah’s Witness and how to convert others. These take up about four hours per week. If you refuse to go in the door to door ministry, they take away desired positive strokes and other JWs treat you as if you had some type of a plague. They won’t associate with you because you are a ‘bad association’. You also can’t be ‘friends’ with non JWs. When they act like they are your friends, in fact, they are being nice to convert you, that is all. They actually are not getting close to you emotionally.
At one time I was a JW missionary (Pioneer) and had leadership functions in the congregation. Since becoming Catholic, I can no longer associate with any of my previous JW friends or my wife’s family who are all JWs. My wife treats me coldly about half the time but when she forgets herself, she will be friendly.
As far as the teachings go, there are many that are just wrong.
- They believe that Jesus is not God or part of the God head but St Michael the archangel.
- They believe that everyone who is not a JW at armagedon will be killed without no hope of everlasting life.
- They don’t believe in the Holy Spirit as a being but as only as God’s power.
- They believe that Jesus died on a stake.
- They do not celebrate Jesus birth, crucifixion, or resurrection.
- They do not fast.
- The organization was started by a furniture salesman who was a bit of a con artist having been successfully prosecuted for several cons such as ‘Miracle Wheat’ and others.
- They teach against going to college.
- It is taught to avoid having children (because you can preach door to door more without the responsibility).
- They make sure to teach things that could become embarassing only verbally and not in writing so that you can’t prove they ever taught it. This is handy because many of their teachings change a lot. Examples of this are the fact that for a few years in the 1990s they were teaching that having children was irrisponsible because of the nearness of armagedon. At the time they believed that it would come by the year 1995. Once it didn’t happen, they changed their teaching on what the word ‘generation’ means. Prior to 1995 they taught it was 70 or 80 years, after 1995 they taught that it was a period in history of any length. This was because they believed that Armagedon would happen with 70 or 80 years of 1914. They believe that in 1914 Satan was sent to the earth and Jesus became king in heaven.
- we should avoid media that influences our thinking against Christian teachings like homosexual lifestyle, people sleeping together outside of marriage, etc.
- Avoid colleges that teach anti Christian beliefs (which includes most Catholic colleges today).
- Avoiding bad associations that might take us away from our faith.
- Strongly encourage and provide both child and adult training in the truths of the Catholic faith.
- Strongly encourage volunteer service, especially to help in teaching the truths of the church.
- Preach forcefully about the teachings of the Church from the pulpit.
P
PaulDupre1
Guest
The Mormons were started by a con man, too. He pretended to be able to find buried treasure by looking at a peep stone. He charged money for it. He was eventually arrested and brought to trial for it.
Then he got into the religion biz, replaced treasure hunting with ancient scripture hunting and the rest is history.
M
Matt_Guitar_Man
Guest
In all honesty, I think the Catholic Church could learn something from their techniques. I dont’ think we need to be manipulating people, but in our ever more sinful world, we need to take some advice from them. For example:
Your comments are welcome however nearly all these things are covered with a good education, and parents practicing their faith.
- we should avoid media that influences our thinking against Christian teachings like homosexual lifestyle, people sleeping together outside of marriage, etc.
- Avoid colleges that teach anti Christian beliefs (which includes most Catholic colleges today).
- Avoiding bad associations that might take us away from our faith.
- Strongly encourage and provide both child and adult training in the truths of the Catholic faith.
- Strongly encourage volunteer service, especially to help in teaching the truths of the church.
- Preach forcefully about the teachings of the Church from the pulpit.
Your comments are welcome however nearly all these things are covered with a good education, and parents practicing their faith.
B
boomerang
Guest
My experience with my JW friend and his family is that they will not participate in any kind of civic life - they don’t vote, won’t serve in the armed forces, won’t get involved in any kind of civic organization (city, county or otherwise), but will take full advantage of any and all government handouts they can get their mitts on.
They are also obsessed with demons. Demons are present everywhere in their lives. They hear footsteps around their bedrooms at night, they see demonic shadows, demons can and will possess their pets and their furniture. Everything is demonic. Well, what can you expect when you deny the divinity of Jesus and don’t ever call upon His Holy Name for deliverance? Demons aren’t afraid of “Jehovah”. They are afraid of Jesus and His Mother.
They use a deliberately faulty translation of the Bible, which makes it almost impossible to argue with them based on scripture. We have to be using the same scriptures in order to have a basis for argument and there is just no agreement with their translation.
They are also obsessed with demons. Demons are present everywhere in their lives. They hear footsteps around their bedrooms at night, they see demonic shadows, demons can and will possess their pets and their furniture. Everything is demonic. Well, what can you expect when you deny the divinity of Jesus and don’t ever call upon His Holy Name for deliverance? Demons aren’t afraid of “Jehovah”. They are afraid of Jesus and His Mother.
They use a deliberately faulty translation of the Bible, which makes it almost impossible to argue with them based on scripture. We have to be using the same scriptures in order to have a basis for argument and there is just no agreement with their translation.
P
PJM
Guest
GREAT POST; thank you.
The first thing to understand is while they use “Christian Terms”; NOT one of them has the Christian or catholic Definition. By all logical and moral standards they are a CULTl not a Christian religion.
There Moral grounds ARE exemplary:thumbsup:
BUT then so are are the Catholics who also Do have the Sacraments; including Jesus In Person in the Moist Holy Eucharist
So the choice it seems to me is “gods’” [and becoming one yourself]; or the One True God and His faith beliefs and His only church.
[biblically provable too]God Bless you,
Patrick
D
DelsonJacobs
Guest
I haven’t been one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years, about 20 now. And I didn’t keep up with them after I left until recently, when the calendar year turned to 2014
–a year they promised in the name of God that I would never grow old enough to see,
not without all the religions (save theirs) being destroyed by Jehovah,
all the governments on earth being overturned by Jesus,
and every man, woman, and child–yes even infants–slaughtered by angels and scattered into piles of rotting corpses for the birds of heaven to eat!
I was promised by them in the name of God that I would never see the age of 40–today I am a just shy of 50.
I was taught by their Governing Body that I should not go to college after high school or develop a career (even to avoid marriage) as I would never grow old in this world–I was 17 then. Thank goodness I didn’t listen to them.
I was told that the Holy Spirit had guided them to produce the most precise and most modern translation of the Bible, the New World Translation–they just released a major revision of their Bible a few months ago, removing much of that “precision” they once boasted about.
They taught me that it was God’s promise to bring a paradise to earth before the generation who witnessed World War I passed away–a couple of years after I left they stopped saying God had ever promised such a thing and completely changed this “God-promised” teaching.
I left a largely obedient, kind, and honest people–but we rarely admitted to ourselves that we were being obedient out of fear because if we didn’t act this way we could be removed from our religion and, since Armageddon was always imminent, if found outside we would lose our lives now and eternally. Ours was a religion of fear of being struck down by a God that was ready to line each and every street with corpses because most were not Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I was made to spy on other people, report about their personal dealings without their knowledge, all of this to “earn points” to move “up the ranks” in their organization–until I realized I was being unjust and creating false information that would ruin the personal lives of others. When I tried to stand up for what was right I was punished.
So I eventually left.
All those who told me I was going to end up being killed by God for leaving their religion are all dead.
They died of old age believing that they were in the true religion–
a religion that was telling them they had to belong because it was the only true religion–
and that only the true religion was going to be a safe haven when God destroyed the world–
and that the world would be destroyed in the lifetime of these now dead men–
the same who told me I was going to be dead if I left and that they were going to walk straight into a paradise earth over my lifeless corpse as they did so.
Today I can walk over their graves.
So what is my take on the Jehovah’s Witnesses? All who hold on to that religion will end up just like those men.
–a year they promised in the name of God that I would never grow old enough to see,
not without all the religions (save theirs) being destroyed by Jehovah,
all the governments on earth being overturned by Jesus,
and every man, woman, and child–yes even infants–slaughtered by angels and scattered into piles of rotting corpses for the birds of heaven to eat!
I was promised by them in the name of God that I would never see the age of 40–today I am a just shy of 50.
I was taught by their Governing Body that I should not go to college after high school or develop a career (even to avoid marriage) as I would never grow old in this world–I was 17 then. Thank goodness I didn’t listen to them.
I was told that the Holy Spirit had guided them to produce the most precise and most modern translation of the Bible, the New World Translation–they just released a major revision of their Bible a few months ago, removing much of that “precision” they once boasted about.
They taught me that it was God’s promise to bring a paradise to earth before the generation who witnessed World War I passed away–a couple of years after I left they stopped saying God had ever promised such a thing and completely changed this “God-promised” teaching.
I left a largely obedient, kind, and honest people–but we rarely admitted to ourselves that we were being obedient out of fear because if we didn’t act this way we could be removed from our religion and, since Armageddon was always imminent, if found outside we would lose our lives now and eternally. Ours was a religion of fear of being struck down by a God that was ready to line each and every street with corpses because most were not Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I was made to spy on other people, report about their personal dealings without their knowledge, all of this to “earn points” to move “up the ranks” in their organization–until I realized I was being unjust and creating false information that would ruin the personal lives of others. When I tried to stand up for what was right I was punished.
So I eventually left.
All those who told me I was going to end up being killed by God for leaving their religion are all dead.
They died of old age believing that they were in the true religion–
a religion that was telling them they had to belong because it was the only true religion–
and that only the true religion was going to be a safe haven when God destroyed the world–
and that the world would be destroyed in the lifetime of these now dead men–
the same who told me I was going to be dead if I left and that they were going to walk straight into a paradise earth over my lifeless corpse as they did so.
Today I can walk over their graves.
So what is my take on the Jehovah’s Witnesses? All who hold on to that religion will end up just like those men.
N
Nicea325
Guest
LOL! My ex-roommate who is a JW also had a thing for beer and yet hid it from his own mother when she came over. He once hid his girlfriend in the bathroom from his mommy? Mind you, he was already 27 years old at the time?
I bit on the cultish side,yet according to him it is not control? 
Okay…whatever!
P
PaulDupre1
Guest
The JWs I have known have been some of the unhappiest people I have ever met.
I think it speaks volumes that people in the West living in comfort, safety and prosperity could be so unhappy. But it’s their religion that makes them that way. It robs them of any joy they might feel and replaces it with fear, suspicion and dread. I wonder why they stay.
Paul
I think it speaks volumes that people in the West living in comfort, safety and prosperity could be so unhappy. But it’s their religion that makes them that way. It robs them of any joy they might feel and replaces it with fear, suspicion and dread. I wonder why they stay.
Paul
- Status