I want to have 'outsider' opinions. Non-believers of Abrahamic God; Do you think Mormon and Jehovah's Witness

Question

belief system is Christian faith?

Achtung: You are Jehovah's Witness, of course you say you are Christian

Answer 1

Do you accept dictionaries as "outsider?"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christian

1 a : one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ

http://www.yourdictionary.com/christian

a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ,
or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=13403&dict=CALD

1 of or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ:

Since Jehovah's Witnesses do profess belief in Jesus as the Christ, what conclusion do you come to?

Answer 2

I'm an atheist who was raised Mormon.

It seems that the whole Christian or Not debate is silly. Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God but they say that he is a separate being. They believe in the unity of the Godhead in that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost all share the same Holy will and act as one, even though they are all separate beings.

Since they believe that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world and that he is the literally son of God, I would say they are Christians. Saying that someone has to define Jesus in the same way as other Christians or they aren't Christian is just lunacy.

Answer 3

Definitely not: They are what I call counterfeit Christians.

Counterfeit Christianity is probably the best description I can give for a cult. Counterfeit Christianity is an imitation of real Christianity. Bible terms like "Jesus Christ, Resurrection, Salvation, and Atonement" are used by the Cult, but the various cult groups have assigned entirely different meanings to these terms.
Like counterfeit money which is sometimes difficult to detect, so it is difficult to detect counterfeit Christianity, since it looks like the real thing. Experts examining counterfeit money often hold it up to a strong light and look for identifying marks. Counterfeit Christianity also has identifying marks, which can be seen when, held up to an even stronger light, the light of God's word, the bible.
We are at an advantage if we know what to expect from a cult. Cultists are very well trained to appear "Christian", and indeed believe they are the true churches, and you need the deliverance! Therefore, be bold and ask the question, "do you believe the group you represent is the only true church on the face of the earth?"
If they reply that they are, or if they are evasive, making remarks like "Well, every church has a measure of truth but...", you have made an early detection of a Cultist.
Every true Christian, if asked the same question, regardless of his denomination, would reply that the true church is comprised of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and HE (not some organization) is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, (John 14:6). No legitimate denomination would claim that they alone and their members have salvation exclusively, but the cults (the counterfeits) do.

Answer 4

Yes. I do. I think most Christians today who are quick to label Mormons as not Christian generally overlook the fact that the earliest followers of Jesus would probably not qualify under their definition of "Christian," either. Those early Christians did not accept the Nicean Creed, because that only developed several centuries later (after much debate and by a fairly narrow vote; all the negative votes, of course, having been cast by devout Christians, who were then labeled "heretics"). There was no agreement during the first few centuries on the nature of Christ, the scriptural canon, and many other doctrinal matters, which were only decided much later. They did not even call themselves "Christians" - the term was not generally used for Jesus' Jerusalem followers, but was invented by the heathen population of Antioch to refer to the Gentile Jesus-followers in Antioch.

Answer 5

they're the purely actual christians, purely ask them! NO, they don't look Christian. they have this created individual who they say is Michael the Archangel, whom will change into Jesus on the fleshly start. yet on the resurrection, Jesus lay useless, useless continually and then it changed into this Michael it quite is the resurrected Jesus. so that they have a created Jesus, a symbolic resurrection at wonderful and a thoroughly created and revised Gospel. You factor out the "invisible presence" of Jesus, whom is useless. in 1914. yet they first practice that this happened in 1874 and they were the purely ones gazing for him. What did they see then that changed into not truly there yet became as a lot as not be there in any respect yet instead changed into found to be latest in 1914, yet they did not study about it until eventually the 1920's. there are a large number of unanswered questions in this created fairy tale. The JW's reside in a fantasy international of make trust with a "lighting fixtures getting brighter" as they bypass coverage. it quite is a lot in route of a make it up as you bypass doctrine and flow "product" (Watchtower classes). educate them the money and also you are able to truly have self belief!

Answer 6

Well ok I know you asked for outsiders opinions but here I am anyway LOL.

Yes JW's are Christians. There is a common misconception that we are not, simply because a) we call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses and not Jesus Witnesses and b) because we don't believe in the trinity. We absolutely accept Christ as the only means of salvation but we do what he did... worship the FATHER, Jehovah. B) again, we follow Christ. We simply don't believe is is GOD ALMIGHTY or equal to his father.

With respect, Hemsty is a good example of what I say. And why you needed a couple of insiders to respond to. Hemsty? Are you aware that the top of our summer conventions this year was "Follow the CHRIST". Just thought I'd share.

Answer 7

Yes.

Consider the opinions of Catholics, Communists, and Nazis (none of whom believe in the same unitarian God that Abraham worshipped)...

New Catholic Encyclopedia: “They [Jehovah's Witnesses] regard the Bible as their only source of belief and rule of conduct.”

New Catholic Encyclopedia: "[Jehovah's Witnesses are] one of the best-behaved groups in the world.”

Encyclopedia of Religion: “all that they [Jehovah's Witnesses] believe is based on the Bible. They ‘proof text’ (that is, supply a biblical citation to support) almost every statement of faith, taking for granted the authority of the Bible, which entirely supplants tradition.”

The Modern Encyclopedia of Russian and Soviet History, volume 15 (1987): “Hitler passionately loathed the Jehovists and imprisoned perhaps 10,000 of them ...The psychologically impervious Witnesses withstood German concentration camps better than most ...The Soviet government has never permitted the Jehovah’s Witnesses a legal existence

Enciclopedia del Novecento, edited by the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia: “...since Secretary of State cardinal Pacelli (later pope Pius XII) looked favorably on the anti-Bolshevik aspect of the Third Reich... the churches... avoided absolutely uttering a word against the persecution of Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses”—Volume IV, page 519.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/archives/index.htm#jws
http://jw-media.org/people/index.htm

Answer 8

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. They do not accept the Trinity, but they believe in Jesus.

The gospel of Mark shows Jesus healing the sick all day long, and finally having to run away before dawn the next day, explaining that he came to teach. He healed the sick out of compassion, but that was not his mission. His mission was to teach.

Anyone who believes in Jesus' teachings is a Christian. While I love the mystery of the Trinity -- that it's supposed to be incomprehensible to the human brain because no human brain could ever comprehend the greatness of God -- frankly, none of the 12 disciples ever seemed to have heard of it. This concept of Trinity came later -- much later. So if you have to believe in the Trinity in order to be a Christian, then none of the 12 apostles were Christian either.

Answer 9

Jehovah’s Witnesses remember that Jesus was greatly concerned about truth. He told Pontius Pilate: “For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37)
Therefore being a Witness about his Father- who is Jehovah made Jesus a " Jehovah's Witness"..who was and is the God Of Abraham. You so insightful Nina with your Question.

Answer 10

They don't fit well into mainstream Christianity (and tend to be heavily criticized by the other Christian churches because of it), but both are absolutely Christian and mostly good people.