Elders & Ministerial Servants advise Jehovah Witnesses not to particpate on forums like this, so why do they?

Question

My mother has been a Jehovah's Witnesses for over 40 years, and is very active at the Kingdom Hall. When I casually mentioned that a lot of witnesses post on Yahoo answers, message boards, and groups correcting people or explaining about their beliefs, she told me those people are probably disfellowshipped, not baptized, or pretending to be witnesses, because Elders and Ministereial Servants advise members regularly not to participate in these worldly activities.

In fact, the watcher website, does not eturn emails they receive from people here on the internet. They request phone numbers or other offline contact information if someone wishes to ask questions. So why are there so many Jehovah Witnesses here on yahoo answers, when their organzation states that regular participation on forums like this is being part of the world?

I meant to say the watchtower bible and tract society website does not return any emails they receive on the internet. They just request that people send their phone number or address if they have questions and a witness will later contact them.

Know it don't be silly. I explained to you that that my mom and members of her hall was told not to regularly participate on these forums by elders and ministereial servants. It isn't something she made up, and I see some witnesses who post on here everyday every hour which is regular.

Answer 1

I find it interesting to as I have heard at many MANY meetings that the only website that is supposed to be used for spiritual reasons is the WT website. I remember constantly getting warnings not to browse other sites that mention spiritual things, in case they corrupt you.

Even more interesting is that the ones on here are so vicious they do not display Christian chacteristics at all. Instead of trying to provide useful information they are rude to anyone who questions their religion.

My guess is that they are letting off some angst. People tell them off to their face but they can't answer back so they come on here and act viciously to people who they see as against them.

Answer 2

While we are warned about the dangers of chat rooms, I have never heard anything about Yahoo Answers or anything like that. AND the warning is not that we will be disfellowshipped if we use chatrooms but rather that we might be harmed in some way by those who have nothing better to do than hang around and look for victims (as with pedifiles). Either your Mom has the wrong impression or I do. I have only been a Witness for 14 years.

Answer 3

When appointed men in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses work to caution their brothers and sisters about the need to be selective in choosing association and entertainment, these godly men are certainly doing the Lord's work...

...But such cautions apply similarly to theater and television, and no one would ever suggest that a Jehovah's Witness could never enjoy those distractions in moderation, or that he would be "punished" for them.


Now then... when anti-Witness activists make outrageous claims (such as that Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden from using the internet and/or Yahoo Answers), these anti-Witnesses hurt their own cause (unless their cause is discrediting themselves via blatant falsehoods). Every actual Jehovah's Witness knows the claim to be preposterous, and the few who may have mistakenly inferred some lesser version of "prohibition" (perhaps due to well-meaning innuendo from overzealous locals) now research the matter for themselves (since Jehovah's Witnesses publish all their research tools in dozens of languages).



Incidentally, the reason Watchtower follows through on questions personally rather than virtually is so that they can be certain that an answer gets through. What a shame it would be if an interested person's email or reply were blocked by some ISP or spam-block! Telephone and postal correspondence have more accountability.

Answer 4

Everyone makes their own mature decision about matters like this. Just to clarify, I personally, would never "count my time" on Y/A but some have admitted that they do and that is their own choice to make. I do not carry on long conversations with the people that contact me via this forum. I may exchange an e-mail or two back and forth but after that, I'm going to tell that person to talk to the their local witnesses about their concern.

You are right, it's good to be cautious in this world full of people that love to do harm - but we're not a cult and we don't cut ourselves off from the community. Many JWs use the Internet for all kinds of things.

Answer 5

The first word which comes to mind is hypocrisy. It strikes me as odd, that the Jehovah Witnesses on yahoo answers who participate more than non witnesses, are the main individuals quick to say, Witnesses do not draw atttention to themselves and witneses are not of the world.

I'm sorry, but if you are at the highest level on Yahoo Answers, and post hundreds of responses each month, you have made yourself the center of attention. I suspect there is also deception involved. As PS stated, some of these witnesses are probably using their time on yahoo answers as "witnessing" time which they report to the organization.

Jesus was not of the world, but he preached in the world among real people who were looking for truth, not hiding behind a computer screen cut and pasting responses to people who are not interested. I have seen many witnesses paste the same exact comment to tons of questions. That isn't heartfelt preaching, but interest in being seen and collecting time to report back to the Kindgom Hall. Hypocrisy.

There is also the possibility that these people speaking in defense of Jehovah Witnesses are not witnesses, and post frantically to cause others to dislike the organization. I don't agree with many of the JW beliefs, but a habitual, daily, poster on yahoo answers does not fit the behavior of most witnesses I've met, and I seriously doubt these people are witnesses.

Answer 6

As a former ministerial servant, I can assure you that witnesses are discouraged from participating from online discussions of religion. They are even discouraged from having witness-only webrings and the like. The fear is that apostates may infiltrate these discussions and subvert their faith.

As to why some witnesses do not heed this warning:
1. Witnesses report the time they spend propagating their faith. Thus, the time they spend "witnessing", even if it is on the web, helps their standing in the congregation.
2. Some witnesses are just bored with all the rules and do whatever they wish.
3. Some witnesses, who are very sincere, just do not see anything wrong with it.
4. Lastly, there are some nonwitnesses and exwitnesses who just pretend to be active witnesses online to stir up trouble, spread misinformation, or just have a little fun.

Answer 7

My mom is a witnesses, she hasin't been on YA but she goes on cooking fourms. I guess she is in trouble then.

I think a lot of witnesses are hypocrites in many diffrient ways..they say not to do something because it's wrong..but they end up doing it., I know witnesses that are on fourms. I think some witnesses just go overboard.

I guess witnesses shouldin't go to the store,go to theme parks,go to any public place that isin't all witnesses. Those places are part of the world. Witnesses shouldin't own computers and have internet. Part of the world. Witnesses shouldin't have cars and tv's too. That's part of the world.



@know it some: Witnesses don't believe in hell.

Answer 8

To the best of my knowledge i have never heard that before now and never about this site what has been said was in reference to children and chat rooms that can pose a danger to them like "my Space" where stalkers and predators hang out and try and entice young children to their harm bben one for over 35 years Gorbalizer

Answer 9

first off I want to wish all my love to all my brothers and sisters on here including the one who asked the question how you doing.Anyway i wouldnt count this as time not at all cause if i did i would be a pioneer lol with 150 hours lol.So i wouldnt count this as time only if i got someones phone number and talked to them personally.It would be the same as telephone witnessing but other then that I never count time on here.I love you all be good remember BE CAREFUL i love you all

Answer 10

I am a Jehovah Witness and have been since 1990. my late husband was also, and so is my son. when I am on here answering questions, I do not report any time for it.

Answer 11

Hi. First thank you for your concern and curiosity. Let me start by explaining who and what I am.

I am James Moore. I am 22. I am Human. I am an individual. I am a Business man. Most importantly I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

That said you are right there have been MANY warnnings and not just to/within Witness circles but in general about chat rooms and the like. Let's face it, we live in an oft times dangerous world.

I have seen quite a few on here who claimed either to be Witnesses, (current or former) or to have knowledge of us or our beliefs. Of these ones it seems most wouldn't know a scripture if it bit them. When I first came on Y!A I started sending messages thanking ones who gave ACCURATE info on us. When I saw someone say they were a Witness I would send a simple hi, and also, a please do not claim to be a Witness if you are not. Interestingly enough I got several responses from people explaining, or making evident, that they were in fact NOT Witnesses.

I am sure that some of the ones on here who post and claim to be Witnesses are in fact what they say. As for why they use Y!A I will let them say.

The reason I first started using Y!A had Nothing to do with religous beliefs. I, as I mentioned earlier, am Trying to get a business/hobby off the ground. I have started on eBay and a few other sites. I often have questions about tech and the like, also other subjects. I had/do hope that Y!A could/can help me in finding such answers. To get answers, one must ask questions, to ask questions, one needs points, to get points. one must answer questions/vote on answers, to get points quickly one needs to get Best Answers, to get Best Answers one should answer about what one knows. So I started answering about various subjects. For a larf I decided to type in Jehovah's Witness, I was shocked at how many questions they were, most rather easy for me to answer. I was also shocked at the amount of wrong(and I mean WAYYYY off) answers there were. So I started answering questions. It is as simple as that.

I am rather open to others about the fact that I use Y!A. No one has had a problem with it yet. I do agree that we, and I mean EVERYONE, must be careful what we do and who we do it with. Discernment is ALWAYS needed. Is Y!A THE place to go to preach/promote anything???? No. However as your mother could tell you, being a Witness is/should be, a 24/7 thing. It is more than just knocking on doors. It is also answering questions, living by the Bible, trying to be encouraging, etc.

As for the communication and the warnings. There, sadly, are bad people in this world who LOVE to harm others. It is a very tenuous thing to communicate online. When answering on Y!A I find there is little 2way communication. For the most part it is simply someone asking a question, and then me giving my 50 cents(wow inflation). I will at times scan the other answers to get a feel for any other info I need to add. Rarely the asker or another answerer will want to follow up with me, this genrally consists of 1 IM or email. I agree wholeheartedly with trying to keep communication to the real world. Case in point if someone asks about our beliefs I try to always remember to suggest they go to a local Kingdom Hall with their Bible and ask their question.

Hope this, overlylong, answer helps answer your concerns/questions.

PS I love it when people like Tanya Pants answer saying Witnesses are Vicious. Especially when they also are often rude. I think allot of people feel that when someone decides to correct a misunderstanding that person is being rude. I feel I have just as much right to politely defend myself as someone else does to politely defame me.