The idea of someone converting to the Jehovah's Witness religion really throws me. Why do people become JWs?

Answer 1

The Jehovah's Witness religion is simply the most-biblical, least-compromising restoration of first-century Christianity on the planet. Even if one is uninterested in studying doctrine, there are hundreds of truths that individually seem remarkable; taken together they are undeniable.

The more one compares this Christian religion with others, the more remarkable it is shown to be.

1. Jehovah's Witnesses have no paid clergy. Yet they remain tightly organized with more than 6.5 million active Jehovah's Witness preachers (about 16 million associate themselves with the religion). Even fulltime preachers and workers at their branch offices are unpaid volunteers.

2. There is no elite class among Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the few 'anointed' among them enjoy no special privileges in their congregations on earth. An anointed person (one of those relative few with a heavenly hope) is not elevated above his fellow congregants in any way, and he may not even qualify for appointment as a simple 'deacon' or elder. There are no titles; EVERYONE is addressed as 'brother' or 'sister'.

3. No person benefits economically from the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the 8 to 20 men who serve on their Governing Body receive simply room, board, medical care, and reimbursement for certain personal expenses according to the exact same provision as every other branch volunteer.

4. About a hundred men have served on Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body committee during the past 125 years or so. The vast majority of them have spent the vast majority of their adult lives volunteering for their organization's purposes, and the vast majority have died faithfully and near-pennilessly while still under their legal 'vow of poverty'.

5. Amazingly, Jehovah's Witnesses did not splinter as a sect from some other religion. Instead, a truly tiny but sincere group of bible students studied only the Scriptures to determine the will of God. Thus their religion remains absolutely independent of and not carrying the sins of Christendom's history, yet carries the authority of Christ's teachings.

6. Despite the distortions of anti-Witnesses, throughout their modern history Jehovah's Witnesses have refused to claim divine inspiration or infallibility for their teachings. They have pointed to the bible (and not any particular translation) as the only inspired infallible means of knowing God's thoughts. For over 125 years, their teachings have been presented as merely the results of sincere bible research by imperfect but godly humans.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/article_07.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20040601/article_02.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/who.htm
http://jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm

Answer 2

People convert to all sorts of religions. The question equally applies to why people join any cult, such as Mormons and Scientologists.

Generally people convert at a vunerable stage in their life, such as after a death, divorce or during depression. If a JW happens to talk to such a person at the right time they are primed for conversion.

The Watchtower is filled with rhetorical fallacy, and restort to common control methodology used by all cults. As seen by comments by JWs they have the incredibly common view held by mind control groups that only they are moral, happy people with that special key to truth.

Answer 3

First, you don't convert, you revert. Jews and others nearly 2000 years ago were converted to Christianity, but JWs are an earlier version of Christianity, from the beginning, so you get reverted.

You are given several answers, both for and against. One thing to consider when people claim that JWs have changed their beliefs several times. That is true. In the beginning they celebrated Christmas and did all the other things that Christendom did, but over time they learned differently. They did this by the members raising questions. They raised questions because they were encouraged to read the Bible, repeatedly. Many eyes and many brains see more than just a few or one. Other religions depend on the input of individuals, so called authorities, who get paid and have their names publicized for their opinions. In the witnesses, no one gets paid, or has their names immortalized.

The Bible is a long and complicated document. Over the last 100+ years, the JWs have used tens of millions of eyes and brains to read it and present their ideas. Things change, but only for the good.

Answer 4

Because they are the only faith that show love to others by sharing the hope of God's heavenly government with all people on earth. They do not take up arms against anyone for they have a deep love and respect for life, just as Jehovah does. They look to God's Kingdom as the only hope for the earth and the meek ones who inherit it. They obey the laws of governments as long as they do not interfere with God's laws. They are the only faith fulfilling the Biblical prophecy found at Matthew 24:14. This life-saving work is being conducted in more than 235 lands. They have over 6.5 million faithful ministers worldwide. They are not divided by racism or hatred. They are united in their worship and peace-loving towards all people. They are "no part of the world" just as Jesus commanded his followers to be. Therefore they do not become involved in politics or civil riots or protests of any kind. They follow the example of Jesus, his apostles and the faithful 1st century Christians.
These are but a few of the many reasons why thousands become baptized each year, including myself.

Answer 5

Easy path?! Wow, it is hard to believe that anyone could be so ignorant. This is definitely the narrow road. However to answer your question, for me it was doing in in depth study of the bible. Knowledge was key. Learning the lies that people say about us are just that lies and heresy any religion you need to do your own homework and draw your own conclusions. And many people are becoming Jehovah's Witnesses. So I would encourage you to look into for yourself; we offer free home bible studies, we invite questions--and remember we don't convert people, we present the information what a person chooses to do with it is up to them. Peace.

Answer 6

they prey on the lonely by offering them a circle of "family" So the ones who crave companionship and family they don't have fall for their false teachings. But if you don't become a member, your family will shun you until you do. Loving family? NOT

they offer a reward of everlasting life in paradise which appeals to a lot of people. but how many of the cults offer paradise as a reward? JW's are a cult and they get the weak and promise to make them strong. Lies, and more lies they feed you constantly. they keep their claws in you by having 5 meetings each week, if you miss one, they are at your door checking up on you,

they offer you solutions to your problems but these are only illusions and delusions of a false religion.

Answer 7

I became a witness because everything they said came from the bible.

I became a witness because I saw they practiced or did the things the bible said true christians would be doing.

I became a witness because I saw the blessings that Jehovah showered on them.

I became a witness because of the love Jesus said his true followers would have.

I remain a witness because everytime I knock on someone's door I see how sad and hopeless they are.

I remain a witness because I see the fulfillment of bible prophecies being fulfilled today.

I remain a witness because I continue to experience the love Jesus said.

I remain a witness because the more I study and learn, the more I see the truth of the bible.

I remain a witness because of my relationship with Jehovah and his Son Jesus.

I hope this helps.

Answer 8

For many different reasons.

Some, because they are convinced that JW's teach the truth of the Bible. Most people are not well acquainted with the Scriptures and are easy prey for someone who has been meticulously schooled in memorizing scriptures and using them to support a certain pattern of thinking,

For others, being a Witness offers the all-encompassing answer to all of life's problems. For more than a century, JW's have promised prospective converts that God will "soon" - in their lifetime - step in, solve all the world's problems, and they can live forever in paradise. Watchtower leaders have promised this imminent panacea for about five generations, most of whom were not even born in 1879, the year the WT was first published. Nevertheless, the delusion lives on.

Some are attracted by the good morals of JW's . ( Hundreds of thousands of JW's have been guilty of fornication, adultery, etc., but like the Amish, JW's shun them until they 'repent'. )

Others are convinced that no other religion is the "true" one, and since JW's are so different, they must be the only one left. They cling to what they see as "truth" and blindly ignore the untruths that have been part of Watchtower history since its beginning. (The first primary doctrine of the Watchtower was that Jesus returned to the earth invisibly in 1874 and acceptance of that "fact" is what made the difference between a 'faithful and wise servant' and and an 'evil' one, according to early WT teaching).

Most potential converts are not aware of the false prophecies of the Watchtower, or are willing to minimize their importance by dismissing them as no more than 'mistakes'.

Answer 9

every one is looking for "inner peace""fulfillment""The meaning of life"etc etc etc... that is what good con men play on best... if someone is good at closing the deal they can sucker any one in to any thing... Those of The True Christian Faith know The Truth And try to share it with others... But we know that to be of The Faith is not an easy path... one really needs to know they need God before they are willing to attempt the True Path to God... The cults like the JWs offer an "easy way"

Answer 10

False phophets.