What's the difference between Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses?

[flameburns623]

One quick question here, probably more in regard of the JWs than the Mormons:
*why do they use a man-made name for God? Is it disrespectful to God to change his name?
I refer here to the term Jehovah. As we know that it is a man-made version of the ancient Tetragrammaton, which I always understood would properly be called Yahweh, as in YHWH, which being written originally in hebrew, woukd have been written down without vowels. Correct me if I’m wrong on this.

God bless

Paul

The exact pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton is unclear. pronunciation when they were established was “Jehovah”. They recognize this is an anglicized and inaccurate pronunciation–but it still is recognizable and distinct from the generic “God”. It identifies which god is being addressed. You do not speak of Jehovah if you are worshipping Ba’al, Mithra, Allah, or Vishnu. The deity being addressed can be none other than the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And names are often modified slightly across linguistic boundaries. “Paul” for instance has many variants throughout the world: “Paulus”, “Pavel”, “Pawel”. In some languages it is difficult or impossible to replicate certain sounds, which necessitates approximating a name or even using the version of that name common to that language.

 

[BlaconPaul]

Thanks they are both really helpful answers.
I know it’s going a little off topic here, but flameburns623, you do know that Allah is the same God? (as in same person as God the Father).
Allah is an Arabic derivation of El/ Elohim / Eloha / Elah (some of the Israelite names for God). Allah is also used by Arabic speaking Christians as name for God.

God bless

Paul.

 

[flameburns623]

Some Islamists deny this and there are places where Christians and others can go to jail or suffer execution for using “Allah”.

 

[ajcstr]

Why did they look shocked, and why did they scarper so quickly? Is this because they have some negative image of Catholics?

They would view Catholicism as a babylon/pagan religion and the Pope as the antichrist in line with their Adventism beginnings.

I do like that though, how you actually turned the tables on them. A similar approach is to say something like, “I see you have a Bible, you must be Catholic”

They are trained for their door to door work so I try to throw them for a loop very quickly. I once asked if Jesus was a false god since he is called “a god” in John 1, but there is only one true god. They responded that Agripa (sp?) spoke as a god in Acts, not sure what that had to do with the question.

 

[BlaconPaul]

So now that explains their reaction
Can’t help but wonder how they’d have reacted if my ex-mason housemate had answered the door with his tattoo showing!
I’m always amazed at the various kooks who think that the Pope is the Antichrist. I mean do they really thInk that God himself gave up on his biblical promise (through Christ) to Peter?
Or that Christ was lying when he said “the gates of hell will not prevail against it” ??
Surely the real Antichrist will be a master mason and/or a scumbag lying politician?

 

[ajcstr]

So now that explains their reaction
Can’t help but wonder how they’d have reacted if my ex-mason housemate had answered the door with his tattoo showing!
I’m always amazed at the various kooks who think that the Pope is the Antichrist. I mean do they really thInk that God himself gave up on his biblical promise (through Christ) to Peter?
Or that Christ was lying when he said “the gates of hell will not prevail against it” ??
Surely the real Antichrist will be a master mason and/or a scumbag lying politician?

They think the Pope is the antichrist because they contend that the Pope changed the day of worship from Sat to Sun. Also, Ellen Gould White a promenant adventist claimed that the Pope’s title (Vicarius Filii Dei) adds up to 666. I don’t believe this was ever an officail title of the Pope. I do know that the name Ellen Gould White adds up to 666 so go figure.

Actually, I wear a gold cross, which they would consider pagan (they believe Christ was killed on a tourture stake, not a cross), so they can’t be too pleased with me either.

I always try to engage them, but its tough, they are trained to “deflect” and change the subject if they get in trouble. They should have been consulted to help train Sarah Palin.

 

[anruari]

Mormons require their members to tithe one tenth of their income to the church.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not tithe or take up collections; all contributions are anonymous and voluntary, and all of their Kingdom Halls are built and maintained by unpaid volunteers.

I would point out that the JW’s do use professional building companies in the UK.
I know. I’ve worked on a major housing development for them designed to provide housing for their students either as singles or as families.

 

[BlaconPaul]

They think the Pope is the antichrist because they contend that the Pope changed the day of worship from Sat to Sun. Also, Ellen Gould White a promenant adventist claimed that the Pope’s title (Vicarius Filii Dei) adds up to 666. I don’t believe this was ever an officail title of the Pope. I do know that the name Ellen Gould White adds up to 666 so go figure.

Actually, I wear a gold cross, which they would consider pagan (they believe Christ was killed on a tourture stake, not a cross), so they can’t be too pleased with me either.

I always try to engage them, but its tough, they are trained to “deflect” and change the subject if they get in trouble. They should have been consulted to help train Sarah Palin.

Being a bit of a conspiracy theorist, I’ve found online that pretty much everyone’s name can be made to add up to 666 using gematria (think I’ve spelled It correctly), and if it doesn’t add up to 666, you just change the transliteration a little bit, til it does add up.
For example HRH Charles, Prince of Wales doesnt add up to the evil one’s number, but if we change his title to the (incorrect) one: “prince Charles of Wales” it now does add up to 666. I assume Miss Gould White must have put the Holy Father’s various titles through the same kind of distortions until she made it add up to 666. I wish I had known the catholic church was the home of the antichrist, it just seemed so innocent, what with all those little old ladies praying in pews - who’d have known they were satanists?
By the way I am not suggesting that Charlie and his big ears is actually the anti-Christ, I mean he could be I suppose, but I doubt it, I was only using his title to make the point.

God bless

Paul

 

[housefone]

The j/ws believe salvation is through knocking on doors and how many doors and how many watchtower magazines you handout, and how many people you can bamboozel, its not by grace through faith. That explains why they down play jesus, his birth (the Christ mass) and his cruxifiction and resurrection.

 

[Porknpie]

They think the Pope is the antichrist because they contend that the Pope changed the day of worship from Sat to Sun. Also, Ellen Gould White a promenant adventist claimed that the Pope’s title (Vicarius Filii Dei) adds up to 666. I don’t believe this was ever an officail title of the Pope. I do know that the name Ellen Gould White adds up to 666 so go figure.

It’s actually pretty ironic is that Ellen Gould Whites name expressed in Roman numerals adds up to 666.

Ellen = L+L=100
Gould=U+L+D=555
White = a double ‘U’ = 2 ‘V’s +1 =11

100 + 555 + 11 = 666

 

[TexanKnight]

It’s actually pretty ironic is that Ellen Gould Whites name expressed in Roman numerals adds up to 666.

Ellen = L+L=100
Gould=U+L+D=555
White = a double ‘U’ = 2 ‘V’s +1 =11

100 + 555 + 11 = 666

I coulda told you what she represented without all that math.

I hate math…

 

[Porknpie]

I coulda told you what she represented without all that math.

I hate math…

So if I asked you to calculate the volume of the earth in cubic centimeters … That’s something you wouldn’t like to do?

 

[TexanKnight]

So if I asked you to calculate the volume of the earth in cubic centimeters … That’s something you wouldn’t like to do?

It would not take me but a second to answer…

Answer: a lot.

 

[Slaney]

They are also anti catholic.

no way can’t believe it

Mormons think the church was restored by Joseph Smith who got gold plates from an angel named moroni. But yet…these gold plates disappeared…

And to this day forget St Paul, who said even if an Angel appeared …

 

[Pepband_Mom]

Hi Jharek mind if I ask (if you know) what they view negatively about us? Is it one of them “they worship a pope who is really the anti-Christ” type things, or just that we’ve corrupted Christ’s message or one of them jack chick type “Catholics are cannibals who drink blood at mass” lies? Or other?

Thanks

God bless

Paul

Cannibals eat the flesh of dead people (usually ones they have done in). Who says Jesus Christ is dead?

Funny, we’re DEAD if we DON’t eat His flesh & drink his blood which gives us eternal LIFE (verily, verily or truly, truly - how much clearer can He make it?)

 

[Oranda]

Any differences are totally irrelevant as they are all a bunch of wackos!

 

[fhansen]

JW’s believe in the bible, and follow the teachings of Jesus the closest of any religion. They seem to be very misunderstood, and if you actually listen to their message it flows together seamlessly. I have studied with them and was charged with proving the scriptures they gave me wrong. Honestly I couldn’t, and it was ok for me to have to adjust my way of thinking about the scriptures after careful study.

Funny, I did that same thing, sincerely trying to prove them right, exploring 3 different teachings. One concerned the name of God, one was on their dating system for the return of Christ, and I can’t remember the third. What I do remember was being embarrassed for my JW friend who’d been convinced by the same challenge, so unsupportable were their claims.

This refers to Jesus dying for our sins to reverse the sin we inherited.

BTW what do they consider to be the ‘sin we inherited’? What is the nature of man’s guilt?

 

[ajcstr]

ChristianAD,

I am still looking for the name of the JW before Charles Taze Russell and subsequently before that person and so on back to Christ. I see this as being important as with your arguments beg many questions that have been erased by our early church fathers.

I asked a JW not long ago who were some early Christians (I understand they wouldn’t be called JW) that preached JW beliefs. After stumbling and not being able to “remember” the names I decided to throw out some. She stopped me at Justin Martyr and said “yea, I remember that name, he was one”! Obviously this can’t be true if you know anything about Justin Martyr but I hope you see the point. I left it with this question open and either they will come up with a list of early Christians w/ JW beliefs that I just don’t know about yet or not.

Can you answer this question? Do you not see the importance of this?

Peace!!!

I believe the “official” answer would be that the first generation of Christians after the Apostles went into apostasy. Russell restored the true faith. However they would also argue, I would think, that the Apostles, Mary, Jesus, etc were JWs. So there is a broken line between them and Russell. Mormons take a similar approach with Joseph Smith. Fr Mitch Pacwa explains it as a way to disassociate with history.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

Well when you get down to specifics, they have their own Scriptures, their own gods, their own cosmologies, etc.

When not being so narrow, they’re really not that different. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are both polytheists,
they both have their failed prophetic moments, they both reject the True Bible, they both are not upfront about how
they differentiate from Christianity on their door-to-door missions, they both hold the Cross in contempt, and they
both believe that Christianity has been wrong for quite a while.