123321 Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Okay, then change the word 'shunned' (I get your point - that word is reserved for members) to something equivalent but different. The point is, I was told clearly that I would not be an acceptable member because of my divorced status. This is simply incorrect. Again, they have published standards, it's not like it's some Scientology top secret thing or something. I know people who have been on their 3rd marriage and joined them. What is your goal here? Link to post Share on other sites
Author Hope Shimmers Posted May 12, 2014 Author Share Posted May 12, 2014 This is simply incorrect. Again, they have published standards, it's not like it's some Scientology top secret thing or something. I know people who have been on their 3rd marriage and joined them. What is your goal here? What is my goal here? I stated that in my thread. Why would you ask that? What is YOUR goal here? If it's incorrect, then okay. I'm just telling you my experience. If it helps, I live in the south where this religion is very much the minority compared with southern baptists so maybe that is it. My experience is my experience, however - it wasn't misinterpreted and even if it's "incorrect", it still happened. Link to post Share on other sites
taiko Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 What is my goal here? I stated that in my thread. Why would you ask that? What is YOUR goal here? If it's incorrect, then okay. I'm just telling you my experience. If it helps, I live in the south where this religion is very much the minority compared with southern baptists so maybe that is it. My experience is my experience, however - it wasn't misinterpreted and even if it's "incorrect", it still happened. They are a micro minority everywhere. It is because of going to the doors of people they get more notice then other minority faiths even ones with similar theologies and church disciplines like the larger Iglesia Ni Cristo which makes up 4% of the Philippines population and also has the no visiting other church discipline and Jesus is only the Son of God and not part of the Trinity beliefs Link to post Share on other sites
Kizmet Fisher Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm not sure what questions are specifically being asked, but I feel pretty qualified to answer anything people are curious about. I was raised in "the truth" as the Jehovah's Witness religion calls it, until I was about 12. I left because my Dad quit, but my paternal grandparents are actually prominent members of the church in Australia. So if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. I'll make a few general points about being a Jehovah's Witness though, for anyone who's interested. - JW's are not allowed to celebrate Christmas, birthdays, Easter, Halloween. - JW's believe that Jesus was crucified on a straight stake, not a crucifix. - They do not believe in the trinity. - No blood transfusions, even if it will save your life - You can be excommunicated, or 'disfellowshipped' for any matter of sins, from infidelity, to smoking or drinking or associating with other people who are disfellowshipped. -They do not believe in hell. - They do not believe people will get into heaven, per se (except for the 144 000). They believe that when Jehovah is ready, Armageddon will come and all the people who are not Jehovah's Witnesses will be struck dead. The earth will be transformed into a paradise for believers (dead ones will be ressurrected) and those who have been struck dead will have their eyes pecked out by crows. -Like the Catholic Church, JW's have previously tried to handle sexual abuse allegations in-house. Never works out for the victim though, because unless there is an extra witness to the abuse who can come forward, you will be dismissed. -No holy spirit People can rejoin the JW congregation after being disfellowshipped. It just takes a lot of time, speaking to the congregation leaders and being willing to sit in the back until you are invited to rejoin. -JW's have a different bible to the standard version that other forms of Christianity have. I haven't read it for ten years, but it doesn't isn't a contradiction in that version that Jesus and God and separate. - Being a JW is a lot of work. You have services three times a week, which you are expected to attend. And then, of course, there is witnessing. - JW's have many divorcees in their congregation. They will pretty much take anyone so long as whatever they did was done before joining the religion. For instance, the Yorkshire Ripper is a Jehovah's Witness. There is much much more, but I don't want to make this any more of an unreadable block post, particularly if the thread is dead. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Madman81 Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 It's one thing that people shove religion down your throats, but to try to get people to switch churches?? I find that to be a bit unethical. You could tell a Jehovah Witness, "No thank you, I go to the "so and so church of God". and they still would try to recruit you to THEIR church. I'm not religious at all, but as supposed Bible literalists, isn't it pretty sinful for a JW to try to get somebody to switch faiths? Deuteronomy 13:6-10 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Link to post Share on other sites
123321 Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm not sure what questions are specifically being asked, but I feel pretty qualified to answer anything people are curious about. I was raised in "the truth" as the Jehovah's Witness religion calls it ... The only mistake I saw was WRT the holy ghost, or spirit, which JWs don't believe is a person, but they do believe exists as the agency or force God uses to implement his wishes. Link to post Share on other sites
123321 Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I'm not religious at all, but as supposed Bible literalists, isn't it pretty sinful for a JW to try to get somebody to switch faiths? Even the Israelites, to whom this was addressed, allowed/coerced Gentiles into worshiping the Jewish god. It's a warning against leaving the religion, not against evangelization. Link to post Share on other sites
Kizmet Fisher Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 The only mistake I saw was WRT the holy ghost, or spirit, which JWs don't believe is a person, but they do believe exists as the agency or force God uses to implement his wishes. Not a mistake. I should have clarified better, admittedly. I meant for JW's, it is not a person/actual spirit, as it seems to be with other forms of christianity. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jay1983 Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I don't like the missionaries, they knock on your door and try to get in your business. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
M30USA Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm not religious at all, but as supposed Bible literalists... Define "literal". The problem with your view is that prophets were often told to write down things they saw which were too wonderful to describe and, sometimes, were events in the future. How, I ask you, were they supposed to write a literal account of what they saw? Half the time they didn't even know what they saw. So they used similes and metaphors. Does this mean its not literal? I think anyone with intact reasoning would surely see the error in saying no. Literalism is determined by the whether the object/event being described is real--not whether the linguistic choice of words is literal. Link to post Share on other sites
123321 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Just had a visit, it was typical. I am working from home, hear a polite knock, walk to the door, inform them I'm working, am offered the magazines instead of a conversation, decline, they politely leave. I don't see what the big deal is. Link to post Share on other sites
eleanorrigby Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Just had a visit, it was typical. I am working from home, hear a polite knock, walk to the door, inform them I'm working, am offered the magazines instead of a conversation, decline, they politely leave. I don't see what the big deal is. Can I trade my group for yours? lol Mine are obnoxious! Link to post Share on other sites
janedoe67 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Simply put, if a group does not believe that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man, God in the flash, then no, they do NOT believe all of technology Bible. The Bible is clear that Jesus was born of a virgin, was fully God (John 1:1) and fully man (John 1:14), that hE lived a sinless life, died in our place, and literally, physically rose from the dead. Birthdays, holidays, women wearing skirts, sprinkling versus immersion....all of that is seconday. If we don't believe Jesus is who Gods word says He is, none of the rest matters. Link to post Share on other sites
123321 Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 The Bible is clear that Jesus was born of a virgin, was fully God (John 1:1) Opinions vary. Link to post Share on other sites
M30USA Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Opinions vary. The Muslims even believe Jesus was born of a virgin. Link to post Share on other sites
123321 Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 The Muslims even believe Jesus was born of a virgin. So do JWs. Link to post Share on other sites
M30USA Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 (edited) Jesus being born of a virgin is not the defining trait of him being God in the flesh. Even the Nephilim (giants) were technically born of virgin women in the Old Testament. Jesus is God because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, meaning he is the physical manifestation of God himself. The Holy Spirit is eternal and had no beginning; therefore Christ had no beginning even though he was in human form. Edited May 26, 2014 by M30USA Link to post Share on other sites
janedoe67 Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 I included the born of a virgin part because A) it IS in the Bible abd B) if you start in Genesis 3 and read all the references to Jesus, it is clear why it is important that He did not have a human father. If you are saying that maybe her marriage was consummated before Jesus was born, maybe. But I believe the fact that she was a virgin when she CONCEIVED (Luke 1:34) is essential. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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