Unlike the churches of Christendom, they don't pass the plate, expecting a donation, and they have no rituals that you need to know about or participate in.
You can even bring and use your own Bible.
You don't have to miss your own church service as each Kingdom Hall has 3-4 congregations, and though you may not want to attend one in a language you don't speak, there are meetings throughout Sunday.
The Bible talk (not a sermon) last less than an hour.
So what is it that you fear most about going and seeing for yourself what it is like in a JW Kingdom Hall, or do you just fear the unknown?
2006-12-11 10:12:30 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I can see I need to take a stand for the J.W.'s. again. I had a friend who was one, we would talk a bit about the bible; I grew up in a rather religious household, so I know quite a bit about the bible.
This is why I can't believe people have the nerve to slam them. And then make these ridiculous accusations about them not going by the bible. They know the bible and they live it. If a person makes a slanderous remark like that, then they should be specific, and let a J.W. defend themselves.
Remember they may expose false teachings in the bible--Jesus did this also, but they are always kind.
The people that slam them, are just plain nasty, and resort to lies.
I think it is very clear that J.W's do practice love. Even their responses to hatred is impressive.
2006-12-16 11:20:22 · answer #1 · answered by madkat 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
About 10 years ago a JW gentleman came to my home. He was very friendly and respected the fact that I follow another religion. He didn't insult me or try to pressure me in any way. I agreed to visit one of his services because I felt he understood and respected the fact that I wouldn't convert.
I though that the service was very interesting and the people were all friendly. I liked the way that it was more like teaching rather than preaching. I liked the fact that they didn't pass a collection plate or talk about money. I liked the interaction of the group. I could agree with a few minor points. The entire experience was a very good one. I am a polytheist and would never denounce my deities, but I learned a lot about the LDS and I respect them very much.
2006-12-13 08:38:43 · answer #2 · answered by Witchy 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Dear Papa Bear,
I don't have any "fear" but I do have a lot of distaste for visiting a Kingdom Hall. The reason for the distaste is the material that has been provided to me by jws. A month ago I was given the book What the Bible Really Says and I have found it to be FULL of untrue statements. Since the material is full of untruths, why waste my time?
I do however, have a 10 am appointment with 2 jws tomorrow morning. I will be very interested to see if they read the material I gave them last week. I had printed copies of a wonderful chart I found at http://soulright.com
One Truth Exposes a Thousand Lies - Traits Shared Between Jehovah and Jesus.
My church doesn't pass the plate either but whether a plate is passed does not make an organization acceptable in the awesome uncreated Creator's sight.
I have read way too much jw literature and realize that it tells of a man-made religion. I am interested in being in a right Relationship with the Living God. I am interested in the Truth not shifting falsehoods.
When you work are you willing to accept your payment in counterfeit money? Play money might satisfy children when they are playing a game but you can't take counterfeit money to the store to buy your groceries. So why waste time listening to the counterfeit teachings when I can listen to the Truth?
Edit: With benandgavinsmomma I enjoyed many of the points brianbelotti made, although there are several non-points as well. I would like to add 1 to his list.
My mom and several of her siblings became jws long ago but 2 did not. I asked my living non-jw aunt why she did not. She told me that she was very close to becomming a teacher which had been her childhood dream. But she would NOT have been able to be a teacher if she became a jw because of the need to take an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution.
2006-12-14 19:59:36 · answer #3 · answered by JOYfilled - Romans 8:28 7 · 2⤊ 8⤋
People are indeed misinformed, as well as being part of the broad and spacious road leading to destruction. I have been and intend on going back; I like the fact that they encourage you to do you own research.
And EVERYTHING that is presented is bible based.
And the love that they demonstrate for each other identifies them as true Christians.
Hope to see you there mate. Peace out.
2006-12-11 19:29:28 · answer #4 · answered by coolcat 2 · 11⤊ 5⤋
These facts about Jehovah's Witnesses are perhaps relevant to this question. 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
2006-12-12 07:58:11 · answer #5 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 10⤊ 7⤋
My priest would not like me attending a fellowship that does not believe that Jesus is God. I would have to confess that I attended such a service, and end up doing a penance because my church believes that you must not sit under heretical teachings because that would make you partakers of a heresy.
No rituals, you call them. So, I am thinking you have no sacramental life, and no understanding what a sacramental life is. Would not want to live that life again. I am very happy being part of the most Ancient of Christianity....Antiochian Eastern Orthodox.
Bible talk? About what? What you all have invented what the bible means amongst yourselves? The bible comes form the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, and that churches teachings on what the scriptures mean, is what I hold to be true. Not some heresy that picks words and phrases here and there.
I don't fear the unknown. I know what you all are about, and I want nothing to do with it.
2006-12-11 18:35:26 · answer #6 · answered by Felicitas 3 · 3⤊ 12⤋
Its not out of fear its lack of interest. Sorry to dissapoint you, I have nothing against Jehovah's Witness (except the door to door part) I just have no interest in being one.
2006-12-11 18:16:27 · answer #7 · answered by Gamla Joe 7 · 7⤊ 5⤋
Because I don't want to be reeled into their mind control. Again. P.S. Brianbelotti I loved your answer. Perfect.
2006-12-14 18:29:50 · answer #8 · answered by Mom of Three 6 · 2⤊ 6⤋
why don't you come back to Jehovah before it is to late. we all said the same thing about going door to door but because we love Jehovah and Jesus Christ we do it. it is also in the king james bible at Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20. we sit all together. we are a big family all around the world in 235 lands. we are taught the same things. not like churches. you can have three churches on one street and all teaching different. please learn what the word cult means. a cult worships a man we worship Jehovah and Jesus Christ. we live in our own homes in 235 lands and a cult is in one state and does what the man wants. we pay bills and shop and we can be your next door neighbor. since you think we are wrong about the 144,000 going to heaven then you did not read your bible either because it is in the king james bible. also says about the meek shall live forever on earth. Jesus never said he was God. he was with Jehovah God from the very beginning and he knows Jehovah very well so he can say you seen me you seen the Father. my daughter looks like me and knows me but she is not me. as far as gays, we hate what Jehovah hates and love what Jehovah loves. we hate what you are doing but we do not hate you. we love our neighbor as our self.
2006-12-11 18:17:47 · answer #9 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 12⤊ 9⤋
missing a really good sermon
and wasting my time
if I had a JW friend and they asked me to go... I would... and would discuss the sermon with them... I just anticipate a really confused person giving a half baked Bible talk.. who probably never heard a good sermon
for starters the name Jehovah is not BIblical... it was from the consonants of YHVH and the vowels of Adonai and translated from german to english.. YHWH + aoa. YaHoWah -> Jahovah... not even a real word.. wrong from the name
Almost no one but Jehovah witnesses think this is a valid name
I also have trouble taking seriously an anonymously translated BIble like the New World Translation . Seriously, if we don't even know the translators or their style and they were not demonstrably qualified... then its not worth the time.. there are reports of who did the translation and they sure don't sound qualified to me
2006-12-11 18:16:43 · answer #10 · answered by whirlingmerc 6 · 4⤊ 13⤋