2006-12-07 13:20:46 · 28 answers · asked by red_wing2002 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Are you saying that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian? Why do you say that? Is it because they don't believe in the trinity? This may surprise you to learn that there is NOT ONE verse in the Bible that says God is divided up into 3 co-equal, co-eternal "persons." If that doctrine were in the Bible Jehovah's Witnesses would accept it. But it's not there.
Are you saying that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian because they do not celebrate Christmas and Easter? This may surprise you to learn that those holidays had their origins in the pagan past. Jesus give his followers explicit instructions to celebrate his death, not his birth or his resurrection.
Are you saying Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian because they do not venerate the cross? This may surprise you to learn that the cross is a pagan symbol that predates Christianity by thousands of years. Christians do not need a visible symbol of their faith. Instead, they are "walking by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7
Are you saying Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian because they do not join other religions that go to war? This may surprise you to learn that Jesus instructed his followers to "love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you." Matt.5:44
Are you saying Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian because they go from house to house sharing their Bible-based beliefs with their neighbors? This may surprise you to learn that what they are doing is in compliance with Jesus' command to "go and make disciples of people of all the nations, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." Matt. 28:19, 20
Aren't those the things that Christians do?
2006-12-07 13:25:20 · answer #1 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I will answer only for that part of the question.
Christianity is belief in Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses wholeheartedly believe in Christ.
Every single thing I believe comes from the Bible. Whether we are looking at my translation or yours, I can defend every aspect of my faith.
2006-12-15 05:03:08 · answer #2 · answered by girlinks 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses actually *ARE* Christians, despite the slander of anti-Witnesses.
Sadly, trinitarians repeatedly pretend that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian. Trinitarians use an artificial, trinity-specific definition of the term "Christian" which excludes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century pretended that Christ's followers were Atheists(!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Both secular dictionaries and disinterested theologians acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion.
The Trinitarian arguments are intended to insult and demean Jehovah's Witnesses, rather than to give a Scripturally accurate understanding of the term "Christian".
In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all three times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"
(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.
(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”
(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name
So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:
(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
Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/article_04.htm
2006-12-08 10:51:12 · answer #3 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To my understanding Jehovah Witnesses are Christians. They believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son and in the Holy Spirit.
2006-12-07 21:25:35 · answer #4 · answered by GraycieLee 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋
for the same reasons you believe in Christianity.
i am christian too and i believe in Jesus Christ and believe the christian way to be the right way .
others believe the same too for their respective religions
they're probably as puzzled about us as we are about them
(Jehovah's witnesses are Christians)
the best you can do is be respectful of other religions and beliefs,also, try to be open minded as you set out to find out what those beliefs and religions really are.
pray for them.
2006-12-07 22:22:41 · answer #5 · answered by tess 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
One of the biggest things is the notion that I want to pay for my salvation. Christianity which follows the Bible, says that our righteousness is as filthy rags and that we can not attain to the measure of perfection required.
Islam offers the two pan balance and JW's say that you can work to get to heaven.
2006-12-10 09:04:41 · answer #6 · answered by Buzz s 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have often pondered this myself. Culture proably has a lot to do with it. For example, say I was born in Iraq. I would most likely be Muslim because it's the culture there. Sometimes people haven't even heard of Christianity. That's why we have to keep spreading the Word. Keep asking good questions.
2006-12-07 21:27:18 · answer #7 · answered by dizzymisslizzy 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
I believe in Deism because I cannot see how an all-powerful God could not have created the universe in the first place and leave so many problems in it to need to send prophets, messiahs and so forth to try and straighten it out.
2006-12-07 21:42:25 · answer #8 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
because they feel that that way of life is the way God wants them to live. Islam is closer to serving God the way we are supposed to than some Christians are. when Christians use the whole bible as a rule book instead of just the new testament then they will be closer to bieng Like Christ.
2006-12-07 21:30:25 · answer #9 · answered by Thumbs down me now 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
By definition, believing in the life, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ MAKES me a Christian. I am associated with Jehovah's Witnesses.
2006-12-07 21:23:34 · answer #10 · answered by themom 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋