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I understand your view, but sometimes there is no compromise when lifestyles conflict.
They are told to shun. Shunning someone who has left is loyalty to God. They are also prolific writers and videos makers if you want to see the receipts. I am very careful making statements about the Watchtower I can't back up.
They are told to shun. Shunning someone who has left is loyalty to God. They are also prolific writers and videos makers if you want to see the receipts. I am very careful making statements about the Watchtower I can't back up.
People can think for themselves. I am familiar with a devoted family who are currently shunning their grandchildren for not adhering to the tenants. Jehovah's Witnesses are not a new organization. And yes, though I am not Jehovah's Witness, I have had to distance myself from irresponsible people, like drunks and jailbirds who, coincidently, refused to take accountability for themselves.
The Watchtower does phobia indoctrination with other belief systems. They are ALL from Satan. If you have anything to do with the "occult" that ramps it up. They believe if you give them anything it will have demons attached to it and the demons will attack them.
That was a very interesting video L8Gr8Apost8, thanks for sharing. So it wouldn't be good to give them tea and crumpets then? Lol, it's funny you mention that anything you give them will have demons attached it and will attack them. During our little coven party get together at Mr. Gattis restaurant while the children were playing video games, a witch friend of mine told her ex husband she used to put a love potion in his tea and he was concerned, until she told him it was just natural herbs and maybe a spell or two to make him happy. We all had a laugh, especially when I looked at my drink my friend gave me when I arrived. "Are there any herbs in my drink?" Oh we had so much fun that night, ha-ha!
Last edited by High.priestess.Sarah; 06-13-2023 at 09:15 AM..
Reason: Had to add a few details about party for clarity purposes
People can think for themselves. I am familiar with a devoted family who are currently shunning their grandchildren for not adhering to the tenants. Jehovah's Witnesses are not a new organization. And yes, though I am not Jehovah's Witness, I have had to distance myself from irresponsible people, like drunks and jailbirds who, coincidently, refused to take accountability for themselves.
To be fair, there are a few branches of fundamentalist baptists that are rather cult-like.
Yes there are some that are not mainstream, and are extreme and cultic in nature.
But then again David Koresh was leader of the Branch Davidians, who were an offshoot of the more mainline Seventh Day Adventist church, and we all saw what happened there. (he even said he was the same age as Jesus Christ when he died at 33, and that he would be resurrected just like Christ)
Any group can deviate enough to become a cult, even if we refrain from calling them cults here.
Take what is posted here and elsewhere on social media with a grain of salt.
Much of the negative posts can contain facts but ultimately facts can be twisted into a negative narrative. No doubt some former JWs were raised in a way that caused them to hate. I wasn't raised as a JW and my personal experience is when you raise children with Bible principles in mind AND in a way that they don't feel forced into it...you can successfully raise children that appreciate those principles as adults.
Personal experiences can vary widely simply because although JWs are united in our beliefs we are not uniform. Also, no sincere JW will think each of us is above making mistakes. Nor believe that our organization is perfect and does not make corrections at times. The apostles themselves made mistakes and had at times serious disagreements among themselves so how would any Christian or Christian faith consider themselves perfect. Rather, the sincere Christian will make an honest effort to learn and change for the better. A faith that says they have Christ as head will apply those principles that Christ taught.
Some of beliefs are as follows:
1) We put faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus and we consider Christ the head of each one of us (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23)
2) We worship YHWH. Yahweh, Jehovah (Psalm 83:18)
3) We believe things will get worse but ultimately the earth is not destroyed but transformed into the paradise that YHWH promised since the founding of the world. Who ultimately lives on that earth is in Jesus's hands as Jehovah has given him that authority. Not us. Not any human being. We can, however, do our part to make it known we want to be a part of God's Kingdom. (Ecclesiastes 1:4, Psalm 37:29)
4) We believe there are two deaths as mentioned in the Bible. There is a death that is common to us all. We die because of natural disasters, wars, disease, crime, and old age.
5) There is a second death (Revelation 20:14). This is the death that Jesus referred to in Mark 9:47-48 and which John mentioned in Revelation 20:14. The second death means no resurrection to everlasting life. BUT No hell fire no torture.
There are various and intense criticisms that we face. However, the end result is a faith that:
a) Does not use the political or legal process to force change on others even those that have a 360 degree lifestyle than our own.
b) We respect people of all sorts. Individuals may fail in this regard. Each of us is imperfect but collectively that is our faith. If you are gay, straight, atheist, non Christian, black, white and any color in between I am not going to hate or disrespect you. I don't have to agree with your practices or beliefs to treat you as the human being that you are.
c) We do not engage in carnal warfare and individuals have lost their freedom and lives (Nazis, Stalin's Soviet Union, Rwanda, Malawi, South Korea, modern day Russia, its a long list) to abide by Christ's commands: That we have love for one another and love for our neighbors.
d) Collectively we are known as peaceful and law abiding citizens.
However, haters will continue to hate. Do I hate in return. No. I believe that until the "end comes" anyone has a chance to change and come to know who God is and the goodwill he extends to us at this time.
Take what is posted here and elsewhere on social media with a grain of salt.
Much of the negative posts can contain facts but ultimately facts can be twisted into a negative narrative. No doubt some former JWs were raised in a way that caused them to hate. I wasn't raised as a JW and my personal experience is when you raise children with Bible principles in mind AND in a way that they don't feel forced into it...you can successfully raise children that appreciate those principles as adults.
Personal experiences can vary widely simply because although JWs are united in our beliefs we are not uniform. Also, no sincere JW will think each of us is above making mistakes. Nor believe that our organization is perfect and does not make corrections at times. The apostles themselves made mistakes and had at times serious disagreements among themselves so how would any Christian or Christian faith consider themselves perfect. Rather, the sincere Christian will make an honest effort to learn and change for the better. A faith that says they have Christ as head will apply those principles that Christ taught.
Some of beliefs are as follows:
1) We put faith in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus and we consider Christ the head of each one of us (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23)
2) We worship YHWH. Yahweh, Jehovah (Psalm 83:18)
3) We believe things will get worse but ultimately the earth is not destroyed but transformed into the paradise that YHWH promised since the founding of the world. Who ultimately lives on that earth is in Jesus's hands as Jehovah has given him that authority. Not us. Not any human being. We can, however, do our part to make it known we want to be a part of God's Kingdom. (Ecclesiastes 1:4, Psalm 37:29)
4) We believe there are two deaths as mentioned in the Bible. There is a death that is common to us all. We die because of natural disasters, wars, disease, crime, and old age.
5) There is a second death (Revelation 20:14). This is the death that Jesus referred to in Mark 9:47-48 and which John mentioned in Revelation 20:14. The second death means no resurrection to everlasting life. BUT No hell fire no torture.
There are various and intense criticisms that we face. However, the end result is a faith that:
a) Does not use the political or legal process to force change on others even those that have a 360 degree lifestyle than our own.
b) We respect people of all sorts. Individuals may fail in this regard. Each of us is imperfect but collectively that is our faith. If you are gay, straight, atheist, non Christian, black, white and any color in between I am not going to hate or disrespect you. I don't have to agree with your practices or beliefs to treat you as the human being that you are.
c) We do not engage in carnal warfare and individuals have lost their freedom and lives (Nazis, Stalin's Soviet Union, Rwanda, Malawi, South Korea, modern day Russia, its a long list) to abide by Christ's commands: That we have love for one another and love for our neighbors.
d) Collectively we are known as peaceful and law abiding citizens.
However, haters will continue to hate. Do I hate in return. No. I believe that until the "end comes" anyone has a chance to change and come to know who God is and the goodwill he extends to us at this time.
All you folks have to do is stop proselytizing and the controversies end.
If people want to seek you out, that's another thing.
I loath proselytizing. It immediately tries to set up the speaker as though on some higher level than the audience, and kills any chance for a reasonable conversation. It's one person instantly mocking another.
Now, leaving the channels open for a non-confrontational and welcoming open discussion, that's 180 degrees in the healthy direction. Sorry if it sounds like I'm copying Phet, but those are my words.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 07-06-2023 at 03:27 PM..
I loath proselytizing. It immediately tries to set up the speaker as though on some higher level than the audience, and kills any chance for a reasonable conversation. It's one person instantly mocking another.
Now, leaving the channels open for a non-confrontational and welcoming open discussion, that's 180 degrees in the healthy direction. Sorry if it sounds like I'm copying Phet, but those are my words.
As I have said before...in my community there are something like 20 churches, most with their electronic billboards. Most also have weekly ads in our community newspaper. I get mailings. I'm intelligent enough to seek them out...IF I want to. I don't buy solar panels door to door (etc), either.
They actually believe that their prostituting door to door sets them apart as Jehovah's True expression of Christianity. Calling them on it will fall on deaf ears.
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