The Bible says in James 1:27, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
I personally have never seen ANY organization that follows what the Bible deems "pure religion".
How does the JW religion follow this biblical guideline?
Are you ministering to the needs of the widows and fatherless?
I've heard many JWs refer to people who adopt christianity through helping organizations as "rice christians". That they are only following the teachings because they were given food or some other form of help.
Visiting the fatherless and widow in their afflictions doesn't mean stopping by to indoctrinate--it means providing for the PHYSICAL NEEDS of the person. Their "affliction" is that they are now improverished. They need food and clothing. They need people invested in their lives in a real physical way--not just committed to study a magazine with them.
2007-09-27 03:05:24 · 11 answers · asked by steinbeck11 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
My first encounter with a religion other than the witnesses was in this very way......I had broken down on the side of the road...I was 10 months pregnant and I was so poor that I had virtually nothing to take care of the Baby that I was overdue with.....
A Baptist woman picked me up, put Gas in my can and that night I had my son, when I came home, her Church had filled my house with food and clothing and supplies for me and my child...no strings attached...Just Christian Love...In all of my years as a Jehovah's witness, I had never seen this happen to anyone without strings attached.
When I came home from the Hospital, my first impression was to be angry, because I felt that I owed these Christins, and that now I had to study with them,,,Not so, they quietly went away, and gave me the free gift of Christian Charity...I hope and Wish today, that these loving women could know how they eventually brought me to the Lord and to salvation...
2007-09-27 03:34:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 4⤋
Taking of care of widows and orphans is part of being a christian, but it is not all there is to being a christian.
Jehovah's Witnesses follow the scripture at Gal 6:10 "As long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith." So we make sure to take care of our brothers first and then help others. One way is during natural disasters, we go in and first rebuild home of our brothers, make sure they have a place to stay and everything they need. Once our brothers are taken care of, then will assist those who are their neighbors. This does not mean that we would not help someone in dire straits in the mean time.
Something that happen to my Dad once is a good example. He was basically retired at the time, working on a convention site, helping built an Assembly Hall in Texas. He was down to $400.00 which he had in an envelope in a drawer. My step-mom was cleaning and threw the envelope in the trash. When he found out, they were going through the trash trying to find it. Another brother asked them what they were doing and my Dad told him. That night at the meeting, the brother came up and gave my Dad an envelope with $400.00. He had talked with some of the other brothers and they all pitched in to give him the money. That was a very loving thing to do.
We also feel that it is very important to follow Jesus command at Matt. 24: 14 "This good news of the kingdom will be preached to all the inhabited earth, for a witness and then the end will come."
Sharing the hope for the future by means of God's kingdom does help ones to make the needed changes in their lives. To become better people. To put on the "new personality".
Many Jehovah's Witness once lived lives not in harmony with the bible, they were drug addicts, drunkards, violent, no morals, but by studying the bible and making the changes, they have become a better person. Like the saying goes, "Give a person a fish and you feed for the day, teach them to fish and you feed them for life."
Jehovah's Witnesses have a true brotherhood worldwide without prejudice due to race or nationalizm. As Jesus said "You will know my disciples because the love they have among themselves." John 13:35
Jesus also said his followers were not to "teach the commands of men as doctrines" Matt 15:6-9 Jehovah's Witnesses base their beliefs on the bible not on doctrines of men. If it's not in the bible we don't teach it.
2007-09-27 04:13:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
I understand the need to look after the needy, and some JWs above have given you a reply on that. Bit what makes us the truth? All the things we reject about the teachings of most Christian religions. we reject the false religious practices that come from pagan religions such as the trinity, hellfire, immortal soul, Christmas and Easter traditions. We also preach the message Jesus preached the good news of Gods Kingdom as the only hope for mankind. The re-establishment of Gods rule over the earth, the return to the original condition of the earth as God meant it in the time of Adam and Eve, not mixing in the political affairs of this world, not being involved a\in any of the wars, and doing the public preaching work Jesus taught both his apostles (the 12) and disciples (the rest of his followers) to do and that was to go and make disciples of people of all nations.
Looking after widows and orphans is just a small part of following the Christ. The first century Christians looked after other Christians in times of need. They did not have charitable groups to look after non Christians, but if it was in their power to do so on an individual bases then they should. There are many reports in news papers over the years of JWs doing so especially in times of disaster. We are normally the first on the scene of disasters but do not advertise the fact. Because of the principle to do gifs of mercy in secrete not because people are looking on
2007-09-27 17:26:05 · answer #3 · answered by gordo_burns 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
actual? Bible fact in comparison WITH what the WBTS teaches. fact be cautioned, i grow to be raised with the aid of a mom who grow to be one in each and every of Jehovah's Witnesses. i grow to be baptized while i grow to be 14. while i grow to be 30, nevertheless i might in no way somewhat left the Witnesses, i grow to be particularly ambivalent and suggested i ought to % to do what i desire now. A humorous element got here approximately nevertheless. I studied the bible, then studied it some extra. Listened extra intently at bible discourses etc. The extra I did that the extra confident i grow to be that what I had discovered and grow to be nevertheless gaining knowledge of grow to be the reality. And this not in basic terms from a spiritual attitude, yet one in each and every of excellent judgment besides. I somewhat have now been baptized 40 two years. i might upload, Jehovah's Witnesses incredibly are the only ones that provide you with solutions to the main mandatory questions. i'm going to provide you a real occasion. After 9/11 the evident question grow to be why might God enable one in each and every of those awful element to take place. The pat answer from the clergy grow to be "do not question" or "it is a secret". One very elementary member of the clergy, while interviewed a while later, admitted that the clergy had did not answer that burning question. we are in a position to respond to it, with the aid of capacity of the scriptures.
2016-10-20 03:16:50 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is only one way, one truth, and one life.
Everyone interprets the gospel (which means good news) they way they choose. If one feels they are saved by works, they can work all they want and will find out in the end, just what they were working for without really understanding what it means to live, and will have wasted their entire life working for an organization that really didn't care about their salvation.
2007-09-27 03:22:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
But there are many instances where Jehovah's Witnesses provide for PHYSICAL NEEDS of others. Most people just do not know about it because they don't go around making a big deal out of something that we are supposed to do.
The following links will take you to many not-so-well-known reports of Jehovah's Witnesses' assistance here and in other lands:
http://www.jw-media.org/people/contribute.htm
http://www.jw-media.org/region/americas/usa/english/releases/humanitarian/usa_e050104.htm
2007-09-27 06:17:20 · answer #6 · answered by tik_of_totg 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I have studied with JW's and attended Kingdom Hall. But I cannot jive the watch tower with the Bible. Sorry, no offense, but Jesus is what does it for me.
I Cr 13;8a
2007-09-27 20:04:53 · answer #7 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
"for I was hungry and you gave ME food, I was thristy
and you gave ME something to drink, I was a stranger
and you made ME your guest. I needed clothes and
you provided them, I was sick and you took care of ME,
I was in prison and you visited ME." Matthew 25: 35-36.
if we are to be like YESHUA meeting someones basic
needs is our goal. and yes i have done these things.
if we only take care of those whom love us, where is our
reward in that?
2007-09-27 05:32:22 · answer #8 · answered by Judy E. T 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The same as what makes yours the truth to you. A belief that it is so. You have a book and interpret it to fit your beliefs the same as they do.
2007-09-27 03:09:41 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
that is the responsibility of the real church (not an option to overlook).
2007-09-27 03:55:56 · answer #10 · answered by robert p 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋