Why do so many people on here devote their time to debunking certain sects (namely Mormon & Jehovah's Witness)

Question

I've been reading back through quite a few of the religious posts, and it seems there are a lot of questions aimed at criticising or debunking certain sects, particularrly the Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons.

I am neither, I was brought up Anglican (Church of Ireland) but converted to RC (not the easiest thing to do in Belfast when your father is an Orangeman) because the more I studied the C of I, the more I got the feeling the C of I was recreating God in the Image of man.

I know this is a bit long winded, but I know what it is like to be persecuted for believing different to friends and family, and I am feeling real sorry for them. Why can't you just agree to disagree, or ask constrructive questions, rather than pose a debunk as a question?

Answer 1

It's fascinating to meditate on the fact that few persons at the time knew the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures better than the Sadducees and Pharisees, especially related to the Messiah. Yet, they apparently were unable to help themselves from working to fulfill many of those prophecies and thus prove that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Messiah.

Were Christ's enemies motivated by self-importance? Yes.
...(John 11:47-48) Consequently the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Sanhedrin together and began to say: “What are we to do, because this man performs many signs? If we let him alone this way, they will all put faith in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

Were Christ's enemies motivated by some unseen force of evil? Yes.
...(John 8:42-44) Jesus said to them: “...Why is it you do not know what I am speaking? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father.

Yet, the bible makes it clear that at least some of those Jewish persecutors of Christ and Christianity actually had pure motives, misguided because they needed to learn the truth (see 1 Timothy 1:12-14). Jehovah's Witnesses hope that the enemies of God and Christ are merely misguided, and hope that these enemies recognize that true Christianity is about "good news" rather than arguments and attacks, or bitterness and venom.

It is true that Jehovah's Witnesses are not loved by everyone.
http://jw-media.org/newsroom/human_rights.htm
Some people hate Jehovah's Witnesses out of ignorance, or over some misunderstanding. A few may have had a bad personal experience with an individual who claimed to be a Jehovah's Witness, and prejudicially extended their animus to this entire Christian religion.

However, it seems that the majority of anti-Witness hatred is motivated by religious intolerance and bigotry. A few may even be motivated against their Christian worship by the unseen 'god of this system of things', Satan the Devil.

(2 Corinthians 4:4) the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers

Interestingly, such "hatred" should be expected by true Christians in this time of the end, and it actually helps identify Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true disciples:

(John 15:19) If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.

(Luke 6:22) Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.

(1 Peter 4:4) Because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20030301/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20020401/article_01.htm

Answer 2

Honestly, I have no problem with someone not liking my faith, however, when they slander it, I think it shows they don't feel they have a leg to stand on.

I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

I remember answering on person's question, mentioning how, if they really want to help others they might try answering/asking questions in ways that draw people towards their beliefs, or at least say what they are. The person seemed to do it, for a short time, then they were back to spreading half truths, and rediculous lies about me and what I believe.

It screams, I don't like them, but can't think of a real reason for why.

Answer 3

I am a Jehovah's Witness and i agree with you fully, people like myself, mormans and more are persecuted all the time. I recieve it daily and it's very upsetting to have it on a site i usually find very helpful (yahoo answers).

There are countless lies about JW's and it's impossible to clear them up as it's happening so much. people say JW's don't leave you alone. it's true to a certian extent. We believe that if people aren't warned about whats going to happen then they may die at armageddon, so we tell people! but when a person is just not interested, we respect their decision and leave. we return, usually months, later for severals reasons, one being there could be someone new in the household who may be interested, and sometimes those not interested before have experienced something which changes their mind.

Thats just one example, and people get angry when they don't understand or feel they are being told they are wrong so they do all they can to attack. It's horrible, and i agree with you. People should respect each others beliefs. JW's are instructed in the Bible to preach to all areas of the earth, and we do. But we do respect others. It's a shame it's usually not returned. Thanks for pointing it out. :)

Answer 4

Personally, I'm an equal-opportunity debunker. But you're right - the JW's, LDS, and Catholics take a lot of heat here. Considering they all believe in the same God, just different dogma, it's kind of silly to me.

Answer 5

They first reason why I choose to open my mouth about alot of the Hush hush secrets of the Mormon church is that it needs to be exposed for what it is!!
This church ruins lives and tears apart families!
So many mormons are in a Safe little bubble and refuse to open their eyes.
Cant really blame them..they are raised that way and brainwashed...
OH and I feel sorry for them and refuse to raise my kids around all that hogwash!
And the first amendment!
We are saved by grace alone and not by Works!

Answer 6

1.JWs and Mormons have a much higher missionary presence in the US, which opens them up to more criticism from the atheists that they wake up on Saturday mornings.

2. JWs and Mormons both believe that there are small translation errors in passages of the Bible, do not believe in a 3-faced Trinitarian God with 2 personlities, and believe in continuing revelation. This makes them unpopular with Evangelical Chistians.

The reason why you see the question that you do are because:
-Some do it just to get an emotional response (Mormon magic underwear) because they are just stirring the pot.
-Some do it because they have been doctrinally misled by people in positions of authority ("Why do JWs believe that 144k go to heaven and te rest go to Hell?" or "Why do Mormons believe that Jesus was just a prophet?"). They just don't know better.
-Some do it because they believe that their particular denomination, out of the 39,000+ Christian denominations worldwide, possesses all truth and everyone else is going to Hell if they don't see things their way ie. Westboro Baptist Church.

I know how you feel, as I became so disilluioned as a Baptist that I became an atheist for over a decade. I am now a Latter-day saint (Mormon), and I only come to Yahoo Answers to debunk the debunkers so that we aren't demonized, massacred, raped, disincorporated, and forced to another country again as we were in the 19th century.

Answer 7

I feel Jehovah's Witnesses are criticized and persecuted for the same reason that early Christians were:

“The conscientious refusal of the Christians to pay divine honors to the emperor and his statue, and to take part in any idolatrous ceremonies at public festivities, their aversion to the imperial military service, their disregard for politics and depreciation of all civil and temporal affairs as compared with the spiritual and eternal interests of man, their close brotherly union and frequent meetings, drew upon them the suspicion of hostility to the Caesars and the Roman people.” (History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff)

So, the Romans were "hostile" because the early Christians did not take part in public festivities, did not get involved in military service or politics, and they had a "close brotherly union."

Sadly, many today cannot understand the love and unity among Jehovah's Witnesses. They can only "explain" it by saying that we are brainwashed and feel they must free us from this "cult." Of course, we are not a cult. Instead we are a worldwide brotherhood that transcends all racial, ethnic, and national boundaries. We worship the true God, Jehovah, the same way in every country on earth. Isn't that what you would expect of true Christians?

Jehovah's Witnesses do not enjoy being bashed by others; however, we are neither surprised by it nor is our faith shaken by it.

Our hope is that some of those who ridicule us will in time come to view us differently as did the man Saul (who became the apostle Paul) and who went from persecuting Christians to working alongside them as a zealous preacher of the good news. Acts 9:1-17.

It's refreshing to see an unbiased observer like yourself ask this question.

Answer 8

Be cause i believe that getting both sides of the story is the REAl thing to do, and mormon tell their people not to read, go near, or go to the websites that have anti-mormon or non-mormon material, just as I feel, that we should know both sides of creationism and evolution.

Answer 9

Probably because they annoy everybody by knocking on their doors when it's inconenient.
You seem to know a lot for a girl who is supposed to be 14 (and the rest !)

Answer 10

You know...honestly if I Iet the opinions of other people bother me I would be in terrible shape, but I know at the end of the night that I am content with where I am in life. I would never stay in an organization that is as bad as people (apostates) portray it to be. We are not a cult. We do not have altars that we use for slaughter. We do not brainwash. Instead of people bashing us, why don't you try to understand us. My school is primarily Catholic. I don't hate these people, and it has been in my best interest to understand them, because I would hate to intentionally step on someones toes. I LOVE JEHOVAH AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM. However I do know that we have love amongst ourselves too. I love everybody regardless of race or religion. Respect is important when it comes to a subject as touchy as religion. You can be against us and still word it in a manner that is respectful of us and everyone else.