Jehovahs Witnesses. Is this what you guys believe?

Question

Sklemetti, A JW answered a question by Lysdexic Princess, "When someone uses old Watchtower Publications.."
In his answer he made the following 3 statements. I want to know, "Do you guys agree with him. I've never heard a JW say this. (Especially point #3)

1) "The Watchtower Society can say all they want and it does not affect Jehovahs Witnesses"
2) "Where do you get the idea that Gods mouthpiece would be error free?"
3) "Where do you get the idea that GOD is error free?" (caps mine)

I admit I'm finding it hard to believe that the rest of you JW's are going along with this. Especially statement #3

So tell me, does HE represent JW thinking in these matters?
Because if he does, I'll admit its a shock to me.

Note: I "saved" his original answer in case he "edits" it and accuses me of misquoting him.

To Cartman: Mainstream Chrisianity does not believe they are "christian", since they deny the Diety of Christ, and His bodily Resurrection. But be it noted, that THEY believe they are christian. (an no one else is)

To Achtung: I've read his answer about 20 times, lol, and it sure looks like to me that he is saying the JW's dont have to listen to the Org. & that JEHOVAH makes mistakes. I'll give you point #2. But it sure looks like either you guys are changing your beliefs, or you got one mixed-up JW on your hands. lol

Also to Achtung: You are wrong about Moses. Yes, Moses made mistakes as do all sinful men. But, NOT when he was PROPHESING or speaking, "in the name of Lord".

Answer 1

It's taken getting online to see comments from relatively new witnesses (at least they seem to be new-ish) to realize how many of them are ignorant of some of their own really key teachings.

The CORE DOCTRINE is that their Governing Body is the pipeline of communication from God.

To question the GB, EVEN IN YOUR THOUGHTS, is a sin and your very thoughts are unclean and pornographic. If you doubt them -- not the Bible, mind you, but THEM -- you will be amputated like a gangrenous limb for the sake of the "body."

I was struck by Sklemetti's comments as well. I couldn't imagine such a conversation going on between active witnesses.

I think that's the point. This kind of confrontation doesn't come up in their group setting, where the more experienced ones just assume everyone knows the drill.

It makes me curious whether the Watchtower (i.e., JWs, i.e., the GB) is losing its grip on the drones without being aware of it.

Hmm... Without that "faithful and discreet slave class" teaching, they won't long keep their authority for keeping the rank and file schlepping out the literature.

Their billion-dollar industry needs that tax-free distribution system to continue.

Diamond Sunlight: " I went along with it because I thought God would hate me and forget me at armageddon if I ever questioned it. Anyone who leaves is said to be under Satan's control when they have been under mind control of the organization all the time. People are gullible because they really want to believe that these people wouldn't lie to them."
...Your comment really struck me. You're so right.

And Shellback: "You see what most people do not understand or get is the JW's real issues is not about faith and getting into Bible quoting debates..."
.. Dead-on! Sadly, I've learned so much more about the Bible since I quit them... and I really thought I knew it all. In fact, I read it cover to cover quite a few times. I had their indoctrination in my head when I did it. But there were still things that stuck in my mind that I didn't think they had properly addressed. I just knew not to question the all-powerful governing body. If they kick you out, it's NOT JUST ABOUT THE SHUNNING, as Diamond Sunlight's comments show... They believe disfellowshipping is directed by the Holy Spirit and that if Armageddon were to come while you're disfellowshipped, you wouldn't make it!

Answer 2

Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs and who are they?

The Watchtower is big money,being one of the top 40 New York City Corporations making nearly one billion dollars a year. That's just from one of their many corporations.

Unlike in the case of Christians who are persecuted in other lands for talking about Jesus Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses are largely persecuted for following the teachings begun during the second presidency of the Watchtower, when Joseph F. Rutherford took over in a corporate flap and began changing doctrines quickly in the Watchtower belief system. He claimed that angels directly conveyed truth to some of those in leadership. He coined the name Jehovah's Witnesses to make them stand out from being witnesses of Jesus, a typical evangelical expression (and a Biblical one).

Rutherford dumped holidays, birthdays and the 1874 date for the invisible return on Christ, and invented an earthly class of Witnesses, since only 144,000 can go to heaven in their teaching. The rest, meaning all 99.9% of Witnesses still alive, will live forever on a cleansed earth, under the rule of the Watchtower leaders in heaven, who will keep them in line by local elders known as 'Princes'.

If you have been witnessed to by Jehovah's Witnesses and you reject their message, you will likely die shortly at Armageddon with all the other non-Witnesses, since theirs is the only true religion, and (if they can live up to all the rules) they are the only ones to inhabit this new earth. If you believe Witnesses seem rigid now, any non-conformist during the future cleansed earth will be directly destroyed by Jehovah. Even now a Witness will be disfellowshipped for any one of many gaffs, such as smoking, taking a blood transfusion, or even voting.

To even vocally question the teachings of the Watchtower will result in complete cutting off, with family and friends usually being forbidden to talk to them. The Watchtower is a truly Orwellian world.

My hope is that there will be a day in each of their lives when the Watchtower magazine is no longer needed, and they can go to college, vote for office, and contribute money and time to other, more vital causes in their community. More than likely they will then cease to be persecuted, except in a few societies more authoritarian than their own.

Sincerely,
Danny Haszard http://www.freeminds.org (Watchtower watchers dissident site)

Jehovah's Witnesses are silent when asked to prove their bogus CORE doctrine:That JESUS HAS ALREADY HAD HIS SECOND COMING IN 1914 and is ONLY working through their organization.

1914 (from adventist William Miller) is to a JW what Mary and/or the Trinity is to Catholics or what Joseph Smith and the golden plates are to Mormons.

1914 is the Watchtower's #1 foundation dogma and it is false,and so is all the rest of it,that only 144,000 go to heaven,the blood transfusion ban and the "commandment" to go door to door

Answer 3

Jehovah's Witnesses respect Watchtower publications, and their writers, but respect the bible to an infinitely higher extent.

Most Jehovah's Witnesses would likely respond this way to the first three questions raised...

1. Absolutely.
2. Correct. Was Moses free of errors?
3. God is error-free, but the original questioner doesn't actually say that he disagrees with that notion himself.

Answer 4

You see what most people do not understand or get is the JW's real issues is not about faith and getting into Bible quoting debates, why we all know that is what they want from us and they love and feed on it. Read around and look past the religious aspect and you will see that it is about power and control over their people and this is why all along I have said they are a dangerous cult. They use its social power as a family group to control. Lets take someone from within the JW religious organization who questions the JW’s teachings but they know if they speak up, then all their family and friends will shun them, maybe for life. For me, I could care less if I were shunned but for many the thought of missing their social family element would be too much and that person will stay even if they know the teachings are hogwash. The Mormons have a similar control. Many of the educated Mormons know the John Smith enlightenment was and is hogwash but stick with the church because of its tight family social structure. Lets face it; the Mormon Church has one of the lowest drug use rates when it comes to their children and families. That is a very inspiring reason to keep many mature caring adults in the origination and it one of the reason I thought of going Mormon many, many years ago.

My point? I am a man of faith yes but my issues I have here at YAHOO answer and bantering back and forth with JW's over who is right religiously is not my problem I have with JW's. The JW’s control and they do not respect others who get in their way (the reason my mother was converted on her death bed) and that my friend is more dangerous then all these religious surface differences and squabbles, or not saluting the flag or giving blood etc. Those things are nothing when you have the control (right down to what they say here at YAHOO answers) over your people like they do. Ever watch Star Trek? They are the Borg and the Borg are very dangerous. Anything that controls people like that is dangerous. I know the Star Trek analogy might discredit my answer to some but it is very accurate example.

Edit update: My point exactly Suzanne, If I really thought I was going to hell would I want to leave or question a doctrine? No, and that in my dictionary is what I call a dangerous form of control, especially for those reliant on religious social structure for their daily lives.

Answer 5

From my experience, the Watchtower Society is like lower heavan. Those men who make the magazines are considered to practically be in direct line with God. Well, they don't think that men who speak for God are perfect but they still expect his words to be perfect because they supposedly come from God. They would never say that God is imperfect. I went along with it because I thought God would hate me and forget me at armageddon if I ever questioned it. Anyone who leaves is said to be under Satan's control when they have been under mind control of the organization all the time. People are gullible because they really want to believe that these people wouldn't lie to them. It would be the same as God lying to them. The brothers look after you whenever you have 'questions' and beat you up in a court setting with the Bible as the rule book and whatever the organization puts out to guide them. This can be humiliating because these men assume that they must be more godly than you or else they couldn't be elders. Forgive them for they know not what they do.

Answer 6

I don't know anything about Jehova witnesses, but those statements do seem "strange" contradictory to other forms of christianity (Is JW christian?)

Answer 7

I doubt you'll get many answers on this question. don't you know the jehovahs witnesses are all getting their sleep right now so they come and knock on your door tomorrow bright and early?

Answer 8

I have been kind of on Sklemetti a bit as of lately.......He is so arrogant , and so wrong.......I believe that he Never reads the proof of statements provided....I think he is a new Jehovah's, or quite young, or both.......I made a comment to him, that if this is the level of theology coming out of the WBTS, they had better double their recruiting tactics, because it looks like finally the WBTS is failing.

Answer 9

they have pretty much the same as Christians except they don't do the pagan holidays,and don't believe Jehovah and Jesus are the same person

Answer 10

No JW I've ever met would admit their god could make an error.