They are looking for " progressive bible studies" which is code for a person who swallow the Bullshit and licks their lips and asks for more without questions.
Am I Expected to Become One of Jehovah’s Witnesses if I Study the Bible With Them?
by Ron.W. 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
FedUpJW
No, you are not obligated in any way. What you decide to do with that knowledge is up to you.
Do you see signs that the student is trying to obey Jesus’ commandments? Most important, does he want to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?
From the same WT is the rest of the quote: ". . .continuing to study with him would be like trying to give swimming lessons to someone who does not want to get wet! If the student . . . is not willing to make changes (Get baptized as a JW), why continue studying with him?
So YES, if someone "studies" with the JW's it is most definitely expected, if not demanded that they become a JW themselves.
-
Smiles
As others here have replied...
Despite the easy going appearance Watch Tower portrays about its re recruitment strategy, the truth is:
Yes, there is certainly an expectation for interested persons and JW students to advance toward a permanent commitment to the JW religion.
If a student is slow to adapt, or fails to "progress", that student will be dumped, but will likely receive periodic "encouragement" to resume the serious path to full conversion.
So, BEWARE
-
LongHairGal
RON W:
Of course you would be expected to become a JW if you have a ‘bible’ study with them…This is the only reason they would ever bother with anybody.
They will be very friendly at first and kill you with kindness. However, if you make No real progress, ask too many intelligent or intellectual/type questions OR bring up any bad publicity you have heard, they will be on their guard. They hate thinking people.
Once you say you are not really interested..you will be dropped like a bad habit.
-
Ron.W.
I remember a geriatric circuit overseer conducting a servants and elders meeting with us back in 1999.
He said "If you have any cosy return visits that take the mags, invite you in but don't accept a bible study you must ditch them as the end is so close. We're only looking for those that want to be saved."
I thought, "You can get lost with that idea - Old Mrs Jones who gives us a glass of sherry and a slice of cake every couple of weeks on a Saturday is the only thing that makes weekend ministry remotely tolerable!"
He then added " With the extremely advanced age of all the current governing body (1999) how long can Armageddon be - it must be just around the corner!"
I wrote his comments down in the back of my maroon bible...it is now 2022....
-
Disillusioned JW
Most of the books and many (if not most) of the other publications of the WT have the paragraphs numbered and they have numbered questions for each of the paragraphs. During a study using publications with numbered paragraphs you will be asked each question in the publication (over the course of weeks of course). The JW conducting the study will expect you answer each question in agreement with what the associated paragraph says. Consider the following.
Ask yourself what will you say when the book's answer to the question is something you disagree with. If you get into the habit of looking for the answer in the book and repeating it back (even if in your own words) without considering whether you disagree with it (and even if you know you disagree with it), you will likely end up believing in the religion and joining it. If you give an answer which disagrees with what the book says you will likely be told that your answer is incorrect, and will likely be guided by the JW to what the book's answer is. Ask yourself what would you do then.
If you later attend meetings of the JWs at the Kingdom Hall (or virtually through Zoom) you eventually will be expected to answer some of the questions in the Watchtower Study Edition's study articles, and in other WT publications. Participating in such will increase the likelihood that you will become a JW. Furthermore, if you participate in such you will be encouraged to engage in field service, meaning to witness/preach to non-JWs in public places, at the doors of homes of non-JWs, and/or through letter writing. In doing such you will be expected to promote the WT's teachings to others (and to use methods, including specific arguments, promoted by the WT) and to try to get others to study with YOU (with YOU conducting the study).
If you do each of those things you will then be encouraged to become baptized as a JW. Shortly before baptism you would publicly take a vow (or state an affirmation) acknowledging that thus you will be identified "as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization". [See the WT book called Organized To Do Jehovah's Will; it can be on the JW.org website. In the original edition of the book it is mentioned on page 215 in the section of the Appendix called "Concluding Discussion With Baptism Candidates".]
If you get baptized and later disagree with something the WT teaches [thus something which the WT claims came as a result of the direction of God through his organization] (perhaps a new teaching of the WT which disagrees with what the WT taught when you got baptized), you will be expected to not voice that disagreement with any JW. Voicing that disagreement could label you as an apostate and subject to being disfellowshipped and thus shunned. Think of what that will be like if prior to your shunning, you had convinced a member of your family to become a JW.
The WT/JW religion has changed its teachings a great many of times.
If you are married think of the possibility that your spouse might join in your studies with a JW and that your spouse might later become a JW even if you never become a JW. Think of the pressure that would put upon you to become a JW.
-
tenyearsafter
You will be dropped like a hot potato if you don't "progress" in your study of the Watchtower literature (oops..I mean Bible!). This is the policy, since your becoming a JW is the real reason that they offer "free Bible studies". Buyer beware!
-
Jeffro
Ron.W.:
Am I Expected to Become One of Jehovah’s Witnesses if I Study the Bible With Them?
Yes.
This is a bait-and-switch, irrelevantly stating that a person is not obligated to join (which is obvious because they have no legal authority to force conversion), but it is quite separate to their expectation.you are not obligated in any way
-
punkofnice
"Minds must be cleansed" (Watchtower, June 1, 1953, p. 350 par. 24). 24 In these closing days of wickedness Jehovah’s people must demonstrate holiness. They must not foul their minds with the filthy mental food on the propaganda tables of this old world, but must feed on the feast of fat things Jehovah provides. (Isa. 25:6; 28:8.) Minds must be cleansed and made over, mental circuits formed by old-world thinking and acting faded out and new ones put in according to new-world specifications. By privately studying regularly, by attending all meetings regularly, and by engaging in all features of the preaching work regularly mental circuits are deepened and such good activities become habitual, not at all the struggle they are when the mental circuits are weak and faint because used only occasionally. For ourselves and for others, make them strong!—1 Tim. 4:16.
Minds = Brains
Cleansed = Washed
NB: Terms and conditions apply and are subject to favouritism, nepotism or who can give the most cash to the watchtower® popes.
-
Disillusioned JW
The Watchtower, June 1, 1953 has an article called "Sharing in the Prosperity of God's People". It says in part the following.
"That Jehovah is indeed the source of prosperity is proved by the prosperity existing among his people today, as a result of which they are the happiest people in all the earth.
... Today, Christendom has no evidence of divine favor; it is perplexed and in extreme fear; it has no timely message for the people, and prays and crusades vainly for peace. But Jehovah's people are enjoying prosperity; God's sacred secrets are being unraveled to them; they have no uncertainty as to their purpose on earth; they have evidence of Jehovah's spirit and approval; they have courage; their number of ministers is constantly increasing and their table is filled with rich spiritual food.
... So let others see and hear us as Jehovah's witnesses; let them see our spiritual prosperity; let them feel an overwhelming desire to share it. There is plenty of prosperity for all-we can afford to be generous! Doing so our own happiness will increase as we see God's visible organization prosper more and more."
Are JWs really the happiest people on Earth? No! A number of them are being sexually abused by one of their JW parents. Many of them are under extreme stress by the religion and want to leave but can't do so without their JW family shunning them.
Are JWs now now enjoying prosperity? No. A high percentage of them besides having mental distress are also doing very poorly financially, as result of putting WT interests (in the name of kingdom interests) first. JWs are being fed some rotten filthy food by the governing body of the JWs, by way of the WT. Their critical thinking skills have been impaired by studying the literature of the WT, including that which is on JW.ORG.