Why do people give jehovah witnesses as being negative? Do you think they are good people?
2006-10-17 06:20:56 · 67 answers · asked by t j 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is true that Jehovah's Witnesses are not loved by everyone.
http://jw-media.org/newsroom/human_rights.htm
Some people hate Jehovah's Witnesses out of ignorance, or over some misunderstanding. A few may have had a bad personal experience with an individual who claimed to be a Jehovah's Witness, and prejudicially extended their animus to this entire Christian religion.
However, it seems that the majority of anti-Witness hatred is motivated by religious intolerance and bigotry. A few may even be motivated against their Christian worship by the unseen 'god of this system of things', Satan the Devil.
(2 Corinthians 4:4) the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers
Interestingly, such "hatred" should be expected by true Christians in this time of the end, and it actually helps identify Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true disciples:
(John 15:19) If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.
(Luke 6:22) Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.
(1 Peter 4:4) Because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you.
(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.
It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:
(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2003/3/1/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2002/4/1/article_01.htm
2006-10-17 07:22:59 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 7⤊ 3⤋
Most people paint Jehovah's Witnesses as being negative because they view them as a nuisance. However, Jehovah's Witnesses are only doing what the bible commands them to do: Make Disciples. Please read Matthew 28:19,20
Also, Jehovah's Witnesses are hated in fulfillment of bible prophecy, "If YOU were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because YOU are no part of the world, but I have chosen YOU out of the world, on this account the world hates YOU." (John 15:19)
They are good people. Speak with them. They are very down to earth. They help the community by educating them about the bible and how to live a good clean life.
2006-10-18 05:05:52 · answer #2 · answered by binolong 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure that Witnesses have a negative image in general, although I do think that they have a well-deserved reputation for being an extremist religious sect.
There are good and bad people in every religious denomination, but I think that what generally turns people off of religions like Jehovah's Witnesses is that the members of the organization are so tightly controlled. In my experience, any church willing to condemn its members to the point of splitting up families and forbidding parents from talking to their children is going to receive some negative attention from members of more moderate religions.
Also, Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a brand-new religion, founded less than 80 years ago, by a guy known now to be a bit of a crook. That doesn't help their credibility, ya know?
2006-10-17 06:28:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
When Johnny Carson was still hosting his show, he had on Jane Fonda and Charlton Heston. Fonda was talking about how many movie stars employ Jehovah's Witnesses because they cannot be bought and respect the privacy of their employers, provided the employers are not doing anything illegal.
Heston ask her why, if she liked them so much, doesn't she become a Jehovah's Witness? She said that she doubts she could live as close to the teachings of God and Christ as they did, and neither could he (Heston).
There is a rumor that since Prince became a JW, that she is now studying.
2006-10-17 08:41:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Some Jehovah Witnesses are fakers. Others are true. I know this because I was one of them. They are polite and can make good friends. Making them Jehovah Witnesses is no different from other Christians, it's just a title they label themselves. There will be fakers and real nice people.
2015-03-27 09:37:25 · answer #5 · answered by ALicia 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I consider my brothers and sisters as if they were my own family. They are very caring and we all have a love for people,regardless of race or nationality. Many people are negative towards us and often claim to hate us, but that is because they do not fully understand what we believe and do not want to hear the life-saving message we bring to them. What we believe should come from someone who is a Witness so here is our beliefs:
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the entire Bible is the inspired word of God.They hold to the Bible as a standard for all their beliefs.
They worship Jehovah as the only true God(Psalms 83:18 Exodus 6:3)
They believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, the first of all God's creations, that he sacrificed his life for imperfect humans so that we have the chance to receive everlasting life,something that our first parents Adam & Eve lost.
They believe that God's Kingdom is the only hope for mankind; that it is a real government; that it will soon put an end to all wickedness, including all human governments, and that it will produce a new government in which righteousness will prevail.
They believe that God's original purpose for the earth will be fulfilled; that the earth will be completely populated by worshippers of the true God and that these will be able to enjoy eternal life in human perfection; that even the dead will be brought back to life with an opportunity to also share in those blessings.
They believe that the dead are conscious of absolutely nothing; that they are experiencing neither pain nor pleasure, that they exist in God's memory, so hope for their future lies in a resurrection from the dead.
They believe that we are now living in the last days, that some living today will also see the destruction of the wicked; that lovers of righteousness will survive into a paradise earth.
They remain separate from the world just as Jesus commanded them to do.They remain neutral when it comes to politics or warfare against their fellowman.
They believe that blood is sacred and that life is in the blood and their lives rightly belong to God. (See Gen.9:4, Leviticus 7:27, Acts 15:20, Acts 15:29. )
They strive to apply Bible counsel in every aspect of life.
2006-10-17 06:42:53 · answer #6 · answered by Micah 6 · 4⤊ 5⤋
Many of the individuals are good people, but the organization has some terrible, negative teachings.
Their principle message is how bad conditions are, how bad 'worldly' people are and that soon God will kill every one that is not a Jehovahs Witness.
What happens to a JW that disagrees with this teaching. They get disfellowshipped and their JW family and friends made to practice strict shunning for the remainder of their lives.
2006-10-17 10:53:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
I am not a JW. But I am Christian enough to recognize that, more than most Christian denominations, JWs are just taking the Bible's "Great Commission" (which is "Go into all the world and teach the Gospel to every living creature") as their directive to come knocking at your door.
Try as I may, though I definitely disagree with some of their interpretations of the Bible, I cannot find it in me to say that they're wrong to do this. Can you? They CERTAINLY mean well, and try to obey the sacred scriptures of their religion. That's more than most people get around to doing in this lifetime.
On a personal level, the JWs I have known were clean, reverant and didn't do alcohol or drugs. You'd like them as a neighbor if it's peace and quite and safety you like.
2006-10-17 06:34:10 · answer #8 · answered by martino 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
There are good and bad people in ALL groups. I think Jehovah Witnesses get a bad rap a lot because they are the most prevalent door-to-door religious preachers. Next to the Mormons.
2006-10-17 06:27:15 · answer #9 · answered by Scotsman 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
People hate when they are wrong. They can't accept that what they've been taught their whole. Lives is wrong and have a hard time accepting they have been lied to. There is one scripture I always remember that goes something like this "there are two roads one short and wide which many will chose, one long and narrow that will lead to ever lasting life" I think this means is finding god is a long tough road but once you find him you gain everlasting life. Short and narrow is the easy way which most take and leads to distruction.
2015-04-05 09:39:29 · answer #10 · answered by Jason L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋