by QuestioningEverything 20 Replies latest jw friends
A short answer to this is that in doing so would inflect harm to their own righteous devotion to Jehovah.
Having any connection to another religious faith, even in the smallest way can cast a dark light onto a JWS's spiritual strength ( image) and the elders are watching and listening.
My Nazis Jehovah's Witness mother prevented my father from going to his own father's funeral, a man he loved more then anything. The reason was the funeral was in a Catholic church.
I couldn't go to my own non-Jehovah Witness father's funeral (Which was not in any church) because my Nazis Jehovah Witness Sister didn't bother to inform me of his death. She didn't want to see (me) her Dis-associated brother there so I never got the phone call.
So I guess my father and me got the same punishment because of our association with the loving organization know as the Jehovah's Witnesses.
"By their love you will recognize them".......isn't that the truth!
It's not a rule. It's up to each individual person what they want to do.
Correct MI but the way the WTS infuses the notion of other religious organizations Christian or otherwise as being influenced by Satan, many do not.
JWs are constantly being measured and analyzed to their devotion toward Jehovah and his earthly arrangement, the Watchtower Corporation.
don't really remember that being a strict rule anyway until the late 60's, another flip-flop of theirs.
It may well be a flip flop, but I tend to think a lot of these semi made up rules are pure one upmanship on the part of most dubs.
I assumed it was because the WT cult doesn't do well with competition and JWs might feel inspired if they visited any -- some beautiful places of worship around and their halls (hate that term) are pathetic.
Sistine Chapel - yes, it's unbelievable. Takes more than one trip and can't believe those JWs. Some incredible art at the Vatican and other chapels/churches in the Rome area - actually, Italy in general.
They allowed it years ago ..my JW MIL came to my Dad's funeral and giggled all through it with her daughter..I guess the minister was saying something that was funny to them :) I wanted to get up an dslap them.
Officially it is a No No. There was a JW org video recently on a JW married to a "worldly" person dithering as to whether she would go to a church ( I think to a wedding. ) The Society left her final answer blank , but strongly implied that she wouldn't go. Generally , in my experience , JWs normally would go to a church if they don't have much of a choice ( eg for a funeral or close relative's wedding ) to keep the peace but pretty much keep it quiet.
I still remember my grandmother's funeral 30+years ago when my parents refused to attend so we hung around outside the church in freezing weather waiting for the service to finish. It was pretty embarrassing and it didn't go down well with the ( non JW ) family.
What is strange is that the Society don't have any problems selling off Bethels to Christendom ( such as the New Zealand one ) so, as ever , there does seem a lot of hypocrisy here.
It's just another example of how fu*king 'one way' jw's are. They hope and expect non jw's to attend their bullsh*t religious services but< passively at the least, forbid jw's to attend other religious services. I guess I have always sort of been a rebel because even when I was an elder, I attend my older brothers' memorial service at a Mormon church. Not one person in the congo said one word to me about it!
just saying!
Back in 1969 I went on a society summer convention European tour and they had us set up to visit all the Vatican, chapels etc in Rome. I remember being freaked out by the pantheon...convinced demons were floating around. Years later visiting same place I realized it was the cool dank interior that got my imagination riled up. As for churches...it was banned as the very act of entering through the door was interpreted as "support" of Babylon the great. And what if someone you just witnessed to in service happened to see you there...how horrible a testament to your faith and reproach to your God. By the way...how can a mere mortal bring reproach on the universal God, maker of all...great intelligence...who in less than a breath could render you disappeared eternally?
