Why do Jehovah Witnesses say they're persecuted more, when Evangelicals and other religions go through worse?

Question

I am browsing through the Religion section and constantly here JWs say they are persecuted more because they are the true religion. That is just not true. Many Christians like Evangelicals,Presbyterians, and even Mormons go through much much worse. There are also, non christian religions like Muslims who are hated. Are Jehovah Witnesses persecuted more or do they just talk more about it the most? Is there any way to prove this?

Also, I don't think having people disagree with you, or deny you're the right denomination is persecution. A religion may not like to hear it, but it's not persecution. The Bible says people are going to be jailed, killed, tortured, and worse, so how is disagreement persecutiion. What am I missing?

LexPress that's not a clear picture. Hitler disliked all Christians. Jehovah Witnesses were persecuted more than other Christians because of the Watchtower Society's outspoken manner and because JWs often marched in the streets holding cards speaking publically against Hitler and other non-witnesses stating they would be destroyed. It was the attention JWs caused that made them stand out, not because Hitler thought they were any more righteous than other Chrstians. Had a Baptist, Catholic, or other did this it would have been the same. Hitler especially hated Catholics. If you read any history on JW and Hitler's persecution this is confirmed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses_and_the_Holocaust

Answer 1

Because their leaders insist The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (to give them their full, long-winded title as one JW kindly pointed out to me) is the only true religion in the world. Therefore, every other religion must be false - Satanic, even. So any persecution they attract cannot be for being Christians! It will be for lots of other reasons, but never because they are Christians - only JWs are Christians, they insist.

Well, Christians are persecuted for upholding the name of Christ in word and deed: "All who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim 3:12). Paul warned against people who corrupted doctrine "lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." (Gal 6:12). Interesting that the cross is an abhorrent word to JWs and they refuse to use it. Also that their preaching about what Christ accomplished by his death and resurrection is never what they first present to householders. Their gospel is what God is going to do in the future, not what he accomplished in the past.

However, it would be unfair to suggest they don't receive persecution for trying to be Christians. They do try, very hard, to live godly lives and I suggest that any person, of any denomination (or none) who strives to live a morally upright, law-abiding life, will be ridiculed and even persecuted. Unfortunately, some JWs bring persecution upon themselves due to the persecution complex instilled into them by their leaders. They are looking for persecution, they expect it, and (some) generate it. Consider the way their leaders have periodically issued brochures that are hostile to all other religions, and get their members to distribute them world-wide. Is that not a case of JWs persecuting other religions? They would insist not; they're only telling God's truth. Well, if the shoe fits - wear it. Let JWs realise that masses of people who believe in telling God's truth publicly declare that the JW religion is pseudo-Christian. They are not persecuting JWs by so doing (but they'll never see it that way).

To grasp something of the extent of genuine persecution of Christians world-wide today, go to www.csw.org.uk . No denominations are mentioned because that is irrelevant. To grasp a tiny picture of persecution of Christians before Charles Taze Russell formed his 'Bible Students', read "Tales of the Covenanters" by Walter Scott (published 1885). And let JWs ask themselves if they pray for those persecuting them (real or imagined), never mind those being persecuted who are not called JWs!

Answer 2

It's not true that all denominations think that they alone are the right one (although that is certainly true of the JWs). In Protestantism, hardly any denomination have an exclusive view of their own group; I've been to many different groups and they all agree that Christian brethren are to be found in a huge range of other denominations, including the Catholics. They do fear that some groups are burdening their flock with man-made rules and obstacles to grasping God's pure truth, but that is not the same as the JWs who are much more severe in their censure of all others. For example, I have two Watchtower magazines here (about 8 years between them) which quote Jeremiah to say the clergy of Christendom are like the burst-open figs that cannot be eaten for badness. I have no end of books and magazines where the Watchtower Society calls all religions other than their own as part of Babylon the Great, the prostitute in Revelation who is going to be destroyed just before Armageddon. It is unreasonable to expect fulsome answers to all six of your questions, so pardon me for just sticking to the main one, and adding that the biblical gospel is preached by myriad denominations to myriad people in myriad ways. But their gospel message is not the same as the JW one, and that is what should seriously worry the JWs. They need to check out, from the Bible, what the gospel is that Paul and the other disciples preached in the first century, and stick to that.

Answer 3

Any religion who believes in Jesus is confronted with disagreement and judgment by others. Most(not all) of the Jws on here claiming they're persecuted are from the U.S. so I'll speak on them. They're overly sensitive and in for a rude awakening if they consider comments on Answers and others against their teachings as persecution. It sounds spiritually weak and almost as if they're feeling sorry for themselves. How many times did Jesus say he was persecuted when he really was persecuted by torture physical abuse and worse? Muslims are stereotyped and treated unfairly without Christian beliefs. Jws really need to learn the meaning of persecution and develop a spiritual backbone. Newsflash JWs: Sitting on your home computers, relaxed in your climate controlled and safe residence, able to post uncensored is not exactly persecution. If you disagree with a JW they're going to cry "slander" "propaganda" "paranoia" or "persecution". Coincidetally these four words go along with specific watchtower magaines published with the same words(as topics) reiterated over and over, and it's drilled into their psyche. I wonder what the new word will be? Only their publishers in New York know, but the Jws will surely let us know once they tell them about it. lol It sounds like a persecution complex to me and that has nothing to do with other people.

Answer 4

Personally I am happy being a witness. The persecution for me has not started yet. Oh of course there are those that say stay away from Witnesses they have their own Bible and weird way of thinking, they don't believe in Jesus...and all you people think Jesus is God. LOL

We are not here to argue. We are here to inform. If you don't want to be informed just tell us politely. You will not hurt our feelings. We are to shake the dust off of our feet and move on to the next person. We are looking for deserving ones for Jehovah's angels to mark for salvation. The rest will be destroyed. You didn't know that did you?

Yep, when you don't come to the door, or wave us off, or are rude you are telling the angels you want to die.

And what a horrible death it will be.

The bible says the blood will be as high as a bridle of a horse...the birds will pluck your eyes out of their sockets...you will beg the mountains to fall on you and hide you but there will be no escape.

Like a heat seeking missile the angels will be on you like white on rice.

One angel killed almost 200,000 men in one night...that's just one angel.

These things were written to all of us but most people never look in the bible to see what it says.

Persecuted? Not me. Not so far...I feel sorry for the ones without hope. My hope is in Jehovah and I will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace soon on the earth in a global paradise.

It's good news we spread...you ought to listen sometimes.

Answer 5

Personally I have never said I am MORE persecuted than other groups. Honestly, I rarely see it said on here either, could be I am missing the ones you see or vice versa. I do know that Whenever someone is willing to publicly admit to being different, and to trying to better themselves, there are Always those who want to throw stones. Honestly, I don't think any one group can claim to be the MOST persecuted based on faith alone.

In regards to the "answerer" who posted a rather long statement about "Witnesses" on Y!A. First, he is correct to assume that many on here who claim to be one thing are in fact another. As for the anonnimity, I, and from what I have seen others, are quite willing to admit who we are and where we are. Do I think that, currently, what is said in a smattering of answers and questions on Y!A affects how those in the real world view us, in general???? NO, not by a long shot. Who knows, someday, Y!A might become so popular that what is said here will impact the real world, but I doubt if it will happen before Y!A is even 5 years old. So no, any/most persercution or feelings about us cannot be blamed/praised/based on what happens on Y!A. Can I find 5 Q's of a happy nature asked by Witnesses, or at least people who appear to be Witnesses?? Sure. Easy. You are not the first to mention being sent PMs. I am sorry if you were offended. Sadly many who use the PM feature, seem to forget their manners. Someone recently wrote that they feel most questions about Witnesses are asked by Witnesses. I doubt this could be true as I would think we would know how to spell our own names, and if the point was to have other Witnesses answer then we want to make the Qs easy to find, however I find that allot of the Qs use such faulty spelling as jehova, jws, etc. I do mostly answer Qs about my beliefs. As it is I miss a fair amount of the Qs due to misspelling alone.
Just my $1.50 (wow inflation:D)

Answer 6

SDA: persecuted, locked up + murdered by Nazis. Ergo: THEY must be God's true church-right! Oh: socialists/ unionists/ protestants too! Jw deal with that historical fact!

Answer 7

Maybe if JW didn't go door to door, getting turned away almost all the time, they would not feel persecuted.

Honestly though, a Christian should not complain about being persecuted. If it happens, they should have expected it, and be glad that they took a stand for Christ.

Answer 8

As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I don't feel "more" persecuted than other religions. But you should understand that we were hauled off to concentration camps with our own mark. The purple triangle. Not too many other religions as a whole have been persecuted like that.

Athiests make fun of religions as a whole, religions make fun of Witnesses, Muslims and Mormons. For a while there, everyone bashed the Catholic church...even the Catholics.

All religions have been persecuted and still are.

Answer 9

Jehovah Witnesses your enemies may be right among you, and not others you are accusing of treating you unfairly. JWs take the words persecuted and attacked lightly. People disagree with them, but you can't call that angry persecution.

A JW contacted me not long ago, saying they are persecuted because they are the only true religion. He emailed ME complaining and ranting. Most attacked people don't reach out to communicate with an attacker.

When I first began browsing the R&S category, I wondered why so many people were discussing Jws. I never agreed with their teachings, so I didn't give them that much attention, but honestly thought they were a peaceful, loving, group. So I started reviewing older messages by some of the most active Jehovah Witness participants to check things out.

What I discovered, was that Witnesses, at least some of the kind on here, go out of their way to attract this type of attention and ruffle feathers. A lot of them post controversial questions(really statments) they know will attract a lot of people, then they all rush to the message to respond in their own favor. OR, there are the really intolerent JWs who post no questions at all, but jump from question to question like their on caffeine and throw around accusatory answers, or email people privately saying things that are NOT Christian.

I rarely see QUESTIONS by a Jehovah Witness on this site, that discuss love peace and worship. The majority of their messages are all of a debating and "lets prove them wrong" nature. Show me five questions BEFORE my message today, by an active JW who has posted a question ONLY about love, peace, or something positive, that was not of a defensive let's prove we're right they're wrong nature, or bragging about how they're growing and who they have reported to Yahoo? Just five.

The JWs I've met in real life are not like those on here. I don't know if being anonymous makes them show their true colors, or if the people on here who say they're JWs really arent.

Either way, after awhile people get tired of this behavior. So a lot of the complaints JWs have are the result of what has been created by their active posters. Pick the top Jehovah Witness posters and review their past messages and you'll see what I mean. Most of the Jws on here are very pushy and intolerent of anyone who disagrees with them. Almost mean. The other half brags about reporting people and removing messages.

They are making people who normally thought well of Jws, or had nothing against them, think twice. Some of them are so judgmental and hypocritical in their behavior, I'm starting to wonder if the most active JWs on Answers, are really NOT current Jehovah Witnesses and are former JWs or other people trying to make them look bad, or the type of JWs, JWs don't even associate with any more.

What better way to keep people from a religion than to make them seem offensive right? Because that is exactly what is happening. The main JW website does not even return email messages, so I can't believe real JWs would be on here everyday all day argueing. That's why I don't respond to the JW questions like I used to, they may not even be Jws.

So JWs you might want to be careful who you befriend on here. Just because someone posts questions or answers in favor of your group, doesn't mean they have your best interest in mind. You have to look at the behavior and fruit of that person. Someone can agree with you, and claim to be one of you, and really just be on a mission to ruin the reputation of your religion. Because your group is so private and seperates from former members, the only way they could get close is by pretending to be JWs.

Reputation has ruined entire countries, imagine what it can do on the internet. It will travel faster than any door to door work any of you could do combined. The majority of these JWs, like most people, don't reveal their real names, what congregations they belong to, or anything. And if they did, or even claimed to know other witnesses on here, it doesn't mean it's true. Any one can create an alias name and pretend to be anyone. You don't know who they are. This is coming from someone who is not even a Jehovah Witness.

I wonder if the most active JWs would reveal their true identity if someone from the New York watchtower.org website emailed them? I honestly don't think they would, because they know their behavior is probably worthy of discipline by the organization.

In fact, why don't some of you talk to an elder at your hall, and have them write New York, and do just that, specifically for these Level 5 and above hourly and daily posters with thousands of messages. Anyone who post that frantically is one some type of mission. Make sure it's for you and not against you. The less active JWs, usually just follow along agreeing with these active posters. That's my 2 cents.

Answer 10

http://www.edition-temmen.com/

From a non-JW point of view during the holocaust.