Jehovah's Witnesses - What do they really believe?

Yeah I've heard some horror stories about the whole ex-communication thing, makes me wonder why people fall into the trap of becoming one in the first place. It seems unnecessarily judgemental really, especially when children are coerced in that way- it's hardly their fault that they were born into a JW family.

It is a Command from God, first to the Jews and then to the Christians, to bring their children up in the faith. That involves going to meetings as scripture tells us "not to give up on the gathering of yourselves together". One always wants what is best for one's kids, whether they want it or not.

I used the term 'rapture' loosely. Apparently the sarcasm was lost on you.

Well they may be 'trained' to tend to their children, but this group did not. The neighbors called the cops on them and social services got involved. The girl was lethargic and ended up in the hospital before it was all said and done.

The analogy is not appropriate. You aren't saving lives - at least you have no proof you are. You're just banging on about religion - which by its very nature is unprovable. So all you're doing is spitting in the wind.

Of course I annoy people now and then. I just don't go out of my way to do it.

Well that's the problem with many highly religious folks, especially ones that subscribe to the 'only one true way' philosophy.

JW's have just made it into an artform.

Not even in a cool way like the Hare Krishnas. Now there's a religion with a groovy way of indoctrination I could listen to them chant for hours.

What do the Jehovah's Witnesses believe?

I am not entirely sure, but I do know that they do not believe the bible (unless indicated otherwise, I am using the badly corrupted Jehovah's Witnesses translation of the bible).

For example, Jehovah is not Jehovah. Exodus 18:1 Afterward Jehovah appeared to him among the big trees of Mam´re, while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent about the heat of the day... [Abraham said]... “Jehovah, if, now, I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant." [...] 17 And Jehovah said: “Am I keeping covered from Abraham what I am doing?"

Despite the fact that the bible and Abraham call Jehovah Jehovah, and Jehovah refers to himself as, "I" the JWs say, "no, that can't be Jehovah because according to our doctrine, it can't be Jehovah."

The JWs also do not understand the bible. That is obvious in their inability to translate the term, "Son of God," despite the fact that the bible makes it crystal clear what that term means. John 5:17 But [Jesus] answered them: “My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working.” 18 On this account, indeed, the Jews began seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

Here, John says the term "Son of God," made Christ "equal to God."

The Jews also affirm this idea. John 10:30 (NIV Translation). [Jesus said] I and the Father are one. [31] Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, [32] But Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me.?" [33] "We are not stoning you for any of these," they replied. "But for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

The Jehovah's Witnesses also believe the world will end in 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1975.

The Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that when they interpret the bible to predict the future, that this is not prophecy - and in a sense they are right. As their predictions were all wrong, it is *false* prophecy, but, nonetheless, it was prophecy.

The Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the early Christians did not consider Christ to be God, despite the fact that the early church fathers did - and indeed, even those taught by the Apostles, adhered to the belief that Christ was God. Polycarp who was taught by the Apostle John, for example, said, in his letter to the Phillipians, 12:2 "Now may God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal Priest himself, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, build you up in faith and truth ... and may he give you a share and place with his saints, ... and to all under heaven who shall believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ and in his Father who raised him from the dead."

So, in short, the Jehovah's Witnesses believe in things that are untenable.

I am a disfellowshipped person so I am qualified to talk about it.

whether you see it as judgemental or not, it is a command from the scriptures that unruly ones, ones who don't follow the tenets of the faith are disfellowshipped.

However it is never an instant process. There are a few counselling sessions to go through first to try to sort out the problems and bring the erring one back into the fold. Only if that fails and the errant one refuses to repent of what they have done do they get disfellowshipped.

As for shunning, the scriptural exhortation is:-

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 "In my letter I wrote YOU to quit mixing in company with fornicators, 10 not [meaning] entirely with the fornicators of this world or the greedy persons and extortioners or idolaters. Otherwise, YOU would actually have to get out of the world. 11 But now I am writing YOU to quit mixing in company with anyone called a brother that is a fornicator or a greedy person or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even eating with such a man. 12 For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Do YOU not judge those inside, 13 while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves."

It may seem harsh, but it sin't, and the hope is always there that such a one will eventually repent and return to the fold. However once it reaches that point it take a while for the elders to be convinced that the errant one really means it.

It is not something they do lightly.

I don;t doubt you have heard some "horror stories" some who get disfellowshipped resent such discipline, and turn against the Congregations in bitterness, however anyone who respects God's arrangements accepts it.All their getting bitter about it proves that they were not truly of the right sort in the first place.

It is however a situation that can be abused by some, but all "offences" have to be proved at the mouth of two witnesses, so in theory someone only has to find one other person prepared to lie about something and they can cause the Christian to be disfellowshipped. That is of course exactly what happened to Jesus at his fake Sanhedrin "trial". If that happens the one who has been accused is in a tricky situation. They either express repentance for something they didn't do, or they are disfellowshipped. The trouble being that to confess something that you haven't done is to lie, so it is an invidious position to be put in.

Some would see it as a weakness in the system, and maybe it is, but only God is perfect and humans cannot know the truth of everything, and any system can be abused, especially when that system relies to an extent on trust.

However it is God's arrangement, and therefore has to be accepted. Any "miscarriages of justice" has to be left to Jehovah to sort out, which, if the sufferer is patient He will do. However not all are that patient, nor have such strong faith as to withstand it and so they give up.

The likelihood of me actually reading your post is rather slim so I'd give up now

Of course they have, it is a command from God and therefore cannot be ignored. To ignore that command would be to show a distinct lack of love for their family.

s***, I can't make this stuff up. We are being preached the JW faith by a disfellowshipped JW.

Oh, for crying out loud, sometimes it's just too too much.

=-0987654324567tygvcvx90o[pl;,. .

That is your choice of course, but I cannot give up, others may read what I post even if you don't.

Even if no-one read it I would still post, just in case. It is all a part of the commission from Christ that all who wish to follow him are
under.

I may be in that state but I still cannot ignore the truth no matter what. Truth is vital, I am not.

Whatever dude.

Then do me a favour and don't quote me. I only unblocked you in the first place because your arguments are entertaining.