by DannyHaszard 57 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I know one person who thinks that because the WTS was in bed with the UN/might have Templar/Masonic connections, the WTS now has "insider" knowledge and may be aware of certain devastating events in the future.
.....or...they are just pulling it out of their butt-pucker the way they always have!
Tacoma Washington USA
Jehovah's Witnesses inviting many to Tacoma convention
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 1 hour ago
Jehovah's Witnesses Peter Michas and Chris Mahla invite residents of a North Seattle neighborhood to the faith's upcoming convention at the Tacoma Dome. ...
Monday, June 19, 2006
Jehovah's Witnesses busy inviting everyone in region to convention in Tacoma
By John Iwasaki [email protected]
P-I REPORTER
An elder from a local congregation, dressed in a coat and tie and bearing religious literature, was headed up the walkway of a Ballard home when a woman sketching on the porch spotted him.
"That's far enough," she called out.
Learning that the visitor was a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the woman said that a previous visit by group members annoyed her: "I'm a nice person, but they pushed me to the limit."
These face-to-face encounters last week -- some hits, some misses -- marked the beginning of a massive campaign by Jehovah's Witnesses to personally invite Western Washington residents to their upcoming district convention in Tacoma next month.
The group printed enough invitations to hand out at 900,000 homes from Bellingham to Vancouver, bold and ambitious even for a religion known for its persistent door-to-door visits and divergence from certain bedrock Christian beliefs.
Though Jehovah's Witnesses annually hold district conventions around the world that are open to the general public, they usually don't seek attention. This year, that changed.
"Why now? Because we recognize how close it is to the culmination of the entire world system," said Peter Michas, the elder who encountered the Ballard woman last week.
Wars, natural disasters and other tumultuous events around the globe indicate that "the kingdom (of God) is like a freight train. It's on its way," he said.
Such discourse draws mixed reaction from the general public, said Chris Mahla, an elder with Michas at the North Park congregation in Greenwood.
"If I had to summarize the perception, I'd say that people who do not know anything about the Bible probably think we're quacks going door-to-door," he said. "People who know about the Bible probably respect our knowledge."
About 20,000 Jehovah's Witnesses live in Western Washington, said Henry Schwerdtfeger, a local spokesman and minister in the Issaquah congregation.
Jehovah's Witnesses -- Jehovah is a name for God in the Old Testament -- usually meet at buildings called Kingdom Halls and do not call themselves a church.
Mahla led 10 members in a brief prayer one morning last week at the North Park Kingdom Hall before they broke into small groups and fanned out into the neighborhood.
As a light rain fell, Mahla and Michas walked around the block, gently rapping on front doors. They handed invitations to a man sitting in his car, a woman scurrying after her child on the sidewalk, a construction worker repairing a house.
Because most residents weren't home, the two elders left folded invitations at the door.
At one empty house, nine silver, artistic crucifixes were on display near the porch -- "a tell-tale sign" about the spiritual interests of the owner, Michas said.
Though Northwesterners are known for their low church attendance, "it does not mean they are unspiritual," Mahla said. "They do not like what they've seen in religion."
Neither do Jehovah's Witnesses, who do not have paid ministers. They generally disagree with churches that seem overly concerned with money and fancy facilities, or those that take pulpit positions on the Iraq war or otherwise engage in political activism, Michas said.
But those are relatively minor differences.
"There is one central theological disagreement between Jehovah's Witnesses and nearly every orthodox form of Christianity, and that is the person of Jesus ," said Michael Hamilton, who studies American religions and is chairman of the history department at Seattle Pacific University.
"Orthodox Christianity says Jesus is fully man and fully God, that he's part of the Trinity -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit," he said, while Jehovah's Witnesses say "that Jesus has a divine nature but is not part of the godhead."
Or, as Schwerdtfeger puts it: "We believe Jesus Christ is God's son and not God Himself, which some religions believe."
Other distinctive beliefs -- that Jesus was created, died on a pole and was raised from the dead in spirit and not in body -- are based on the Witnesses' version of the Bible, called the "New World Translation."
"We always go back to what the Bible says," said Mary Crowley of Shoreline, who planned to go door-to-door last weekend in Magnolia with the Queen Anne congregation. "That's the last word on everything. We try to live life the best we can."
When she talks to a stranger about her faith, "people sometimes tell me they have their own religion," Crowley said. "I can appreciate that. I think it's marvelous. I say, 'How does your church think about conditions on Earth today?' Some are just not interested. Some are very polite."
Many of the world's 6 million Jehovah's Witnesses have undergone persecution.
"All around the world, they've won freedom of religion cases," Hamilton said. "In the U.S., Canada, India and the Philippines, they've been hauled into courts and been vindicated."
The beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses have "led to significant differences in lifestyle and ethics: pacifism, downgrading public education and refusal to accept blood transfusions and to salute the flag," said Roger Finke, a sociologist at Pennsylvania State University who studies religion and society. Though not known for seeking attention, "knocking on 900,000 doors is exactly what we would expect from the Witnesses," Finke said. "They tend to encourage public engagements whenever they think it will offer them a chance to share their 'truth.' "
Mahla said that Jehovah's Witnesses are simply offering answers about life.
"We all have similar questions, whether we're religious or not," he said during a break from going door-to-door. "People have some expectations that things can be different."
The Jehovah's Witnesses in Western Washington will hold their district convention in the Tacoma Dome June 30-July 2 and July 7-9. Both weekends will have the same programs. Sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. each day and are free and open to the public. P-I reporter John Iwasaki can be reached at 206-448-8096 or [email protected] How to reach us by e-mail Primary e-mail addresses:
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| The Watchtower said 1914 was "an outstanding time marker, a turning point for mankind." The end is near, so we were supposed to work for Jehovah until Armageddon. --October 8, 1968 Awake! magazine |
----------------------------- (...generally disagree with churches that seem overly concerned with money and fancy facilities,....) http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/115188/2018535/post.ashx#2018535 click me
They are the masters of mealy-mouth
I saw an old-time J-Dub (since the 50's) in the elevator over the weekend. I said my usual 'Hi' and instead of her replying the same, she said enthusiastically "I'll just say this - This convention is the best ever! Now they are talking about Armageddon but, the next convention they will start talking about how to live after Armageddon." She continued "You and your family have to attend the next convention, there is one being held at the Stanley Theater (New Jersey).
I couldn't help but to smile, and told her I'm glad she enjoyed the convention. I was smiling b/c I couldn't believe someone was telling me with a straight face all this Armageddon mumbo-jumbo. I also founded it amazing that J-Dubs still believed in that Armageddon stuff, and continue to believe it with all their heart. This J-Dub is a testimony to her faith.
Of course we all know if the BORG can't commit to an Armageddon date (anymore), they will not commit to talking about living life after Armageddon.
Just some random thoughts - Larry
"If I had to summarize the perception, I'd say that people think we're quacks going door-to-door,"
WOW so true
Where can a man lay his head who says he is the Savior of the World? Would anyone listen to someone strange and unusual enough to walk the talk and claim to be the blessed hope.
In spite of mans best efforts to stop me I am here to tell you that I am the world leader you so desperatly need and I have the simple and perfect plan for a perfect world peace that will last until the end of time.
Please report my claim of being the Messiah to who ever seriously investigates such people.
I have all the credentials needed and my works are well documented and witnessed. I live SW of Boston Massachusetts and I was challenged and tried twice as the Christ by the government and 2 juries in the months on each side of Y2K. I have spoken at the alter and pulpit proclaiming to be the one and no one as yet has taken me seriously. The war between good and evil that was foretold is in progress and that was made quite clear in court by both sides. I claim to be the Christ and I have been proving it my whole life. Look at my works compared to all others and that is all you need to judge me by. I have my foot on Satans head just waiting to be recognized so I can kick him into the pool while everyone watches.
NUT JOB ROLL CALL ANNOUNCEMENT
Oh never mind, Jake99, you're here already.
Though Jehovah's Witnesses annually hold district conventions around the world that are open to the general public, they usually don't seek attention. This year, that changed. "Why now? Because we recognize how close it is to the culmination of the entire world system," said Peter Michas, the elder who encountered the Ballard woman last week.
Well it's a good thing you like attention, what with Danny Haszard on the job.
Now really, if the goal was to get the message out to as many people as possible because the end is so imminent, wouldn't you think they would take some of the money from those buildings they sold and BUY AD SPACE???? I mean this is world cup soccer month. You know how many people you could reach with a stadium banner?
Lisa
Jehovah's Witnesses fan out across region; say end is near and ...
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA - 6 hours ago
... He's been on the streets of Springdale Borough for about an hour with at least 10 other Jehovah's Witnesses, knocking on the doors of strangers in this quiet ...
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Jehovah's Witnesses fan out across region; say end is near and ...
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, PA - 3 hours ago
... He's been on the streets of Springdale Borough for about an hour with at least 10 other Jehovah's Witnesses, knocking on the doors of strangers in this quiet ...
It's 10:30 a.m. and a mix of sweat and rain bead up on the brow of Dave Hickok.
He's been on the streets of Springdale Borough for about an hour with at least 10 other Jehovah's Witnesses, knocking on the doors of strangers in this quiet, leafy town to tell them the end is near.
Mr. Hickok, 60, a mortgage banker, in his trench coat and smile, is a pleasant figure from West Deer who became a Witness 54 years ago in Seattle. He's joined by four other faithful, including his daughter, Jennifer Myers, as they march door to door. Not far from them is a team of five. And not far from them is another team of five.
It's a scene that's playing out across the county and across the country as Jehovah's Witnesses, in an unprecedented effort, seek to invite as many people as they can to their annual convention.
The yearly gathering of Witnesses, a Christian faith founded in Pittsburgh 136 years ago, is a huge worship celebration. This year, it has special significance because Witnesses are seeking to get out the word to millions of households that Armageddon, or the end of the world, is imminent. Or, as the invitation says: Deliverance at Hand.
The signs are everywhere, Mr. Hickok said.
World wars have ruled the current generations. Fear is dominant, especially with the rise of terrorism. There is a breakdown in family structure. The magnitude and frequency of earthquakes is growing. There is an increase in pestilence, such as AIDS.
For Witnesses, there is no time like the present to share the message. And their conventions, with record numbers of people, are spreading across the country this summer before being launched around the globe.
In Allegheny County, there are between 8,000 and 10,000 Witnesses.
Before the end of next week, many of them will travel to Cleveland for the three-day district convention. In this district, which covers Western Pennsylvania and northern Ohio, there are 120 Witnesses congregations between here and Cleveland and their goal is to personally deliver the invitation to more than 5.2 million households.
The evangelism, or field service, as they call it, which includes more than 5,000 volunteers, began about three weeks ago.
Mr. Hickok is a member in the Cheswick congregation, where there are 100 people out inviting.
There are 6.6 million Jehovah's Witnesses in the world and they believe the time is near when good will trump evil in a final battle that wipes destruction and sickness off the face of Earth and restores it as a Garden of Eden.
They are serious about their field ministry.
Each neighborhood, or territory, is mapped out. Blocks become circuits and each is given a full canvassing and then checked off so no Witness goes there again within a year. It's a calibration that's done to prevent repeat evangelism.
Then there are ministry classes, where field workers are trained to speak, smile and make eye contact. When there is rejection, they are trained to leave graciously.
"We never want to leave a bad impression because another Witness will be coming behind us," Mr. Hickok said.
There is on-the-job training as well.
Such as learning how to approach doorsteps
.
Joanna Parsons, a visiting Witness from Franklinville, N.J., offers a lesson in never approaching a home without checking for dogs.
(Danny Haszard comment,this is called 'casing the joint')
First you look, she said, a careful survey of the area. Then you pucker your lips to whistle, to see if you can call the animal. If there's a fence, you rattle the latch. If there is still no sign of a dog, she said, you send your husband to the door.
Witnesses dress sensibly and conservatively so they do not distract from their message or offend. Mr. Hickok has on a pin-striped shirt and tie. The female service volunteers are in skirts and sandals.
The Bible, which they believe is God's infallible, inspired word, is the foundation of their faith. God, whom they call Jehovah, is supreme; Christ is his son and is inferior to him. They shun worldly concerns such as Christmas, birthdays and voting. Members come from all social, economic and racial backgrounds and they worship and study in Kingdom Halls. Only men can be elders in the church.
Though this is her first year as a field service volunteer, Mrs. Myers, who is eight months' pregnant, sometimes does 70 hours a month on the streets. She's out Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and, sometimes, Sunday.
She's usually paired with Jennifer Armstrong, a stay-at-home mom who has done the field service for seven years.
They've been to about 20 homes halfway through their service and hand-delivered two invitations, a typical percentage of the people they visit who allow them to come in, Mr. Hickok said.
When no one is home, they leave the invitation under the mat or in the mailbox. The volunteers will note the address and sometimes follow up with a letter.
As the group makes its way through the rain, a Springdale officer cruises past, twice.
"There's the police," whispers Mrs. Armstrong, who adopted her mother's faith when she was 10. "People often call the cops on us because they don't know us from the neighborhood."
Mrs. Armstrong's father, Robert Bernhard, a former Lutheran, eventually switched, too, and learned to read through Bible study with Jehovah's Witnesses. He's 75 and was with one of the other teams passing out invitations nearby.
For years, the Witnesses have walked streets and stood on corners, quietly evangelizing by chatting about the Bible with their neighbors or passing out their journal, The Watchtower, which is published in Spanish, French, Korean and other languages.
They've reached millions, but many still view them with doubt. Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves Christian but are not regarded as such by Catholics, Protestants or Orthodox, who say that a co-equal Trinity is a key component of Christian belief.
"The conventions give the public a chance to come out and see what it's all about," Mr. Hickok said.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/78947/2025557/post.ashx#2025557 related post on legality of cold-calling door to door
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[email protected] contact reporter
http://www.post-gazette.com/contact/comments_form.asp?ID=40 letter to editor online form
Jehovah's Witnesses prepare for end
Peoria Journal Star, IL - 1 hour ago
BLOOMINGTON - Even with more than 6,000 people expected to flow into Bloomington for an annual Jehovah's Witnesses convention that starts Friday, organizers ...
Jehovah's Witnesses prepare for end
30,000 people invited to annual convention
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
BY ANDREA FRAMPTON
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
BLOOMINGTON - Even with more than 6,000 people expected to flow into Bloomington for an annual Jehovah's Witnesses convention that starts Friday, organizers are still inviting more guests.
As part of a new canvassing effort, more than 30,000 central Illinois residents received invitations over the last three weeks to the Friday through Sunday convention, and more invitations are still being handed out by volunteers, convention spokesman Aaron Purvis said.
"We're trying to invite every person to the convention," said Purvis, adding this is the first time the convention has actually gone out and given personal invitations. "The convention is free of charge . . . people can come hear some good news." The "Deliverance at Hand!" District Convention at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum is just one of 266 Jehovah's Witnesses conventions that will be held across the country welcoming an estimated 1.5 million people until September. The coliseum can hold up to 8,000 people. Jehovah's Witnesses from central Illinois as well as parts of Iowa and Indiana are scheduled to attend the convention. "We all follow the Bible and are united in this brotherhood. Jehovah's Witnesses cross all boundaries," Purvis said. "Every race of mankind is represented, and it's a good mixture." Purvis said the "good news" being announced door to door is that the "day of reckoning" is "fast approaching." The day of reckoning for a Jehovah's Witness is the belief that God or Jehovah will bring an end to all evil and will leave all living Jehovah's Witnesses to exist forever on a "cleansed earth." "It will be as if Adam and Eve never had sinned," Purvis said. "Just because they sinned doesn't mean God changed his purpose." Sessions at the convention will address current events, dealing with death, resurrection and aging, Purvis said. The event marks the first large-scale conference for the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, and city officials and coliseum employees have been focusing on being a good host, Mayor Steve Stockton said. Since Jehovah's Witnesses frequently schedule conventions, coliseum general manager Mike Nelson said there hasn't been much to do to prepare for their visit. The event's organizers will be handling all of the janitorial services and some additional setup, Nelson said. "They're great to work with. They have the convention business down to a science," Nelson said. Crystal Howard, director of the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the event is expected to bring more than $500,000 to the area. Almost all of the Twin Cities' 2,900 hotel rooms are booked for the weekend. Andrea Frampton can be reached at 686-3041 or [email protected] [email protected] reporter [email protected] newsroom ------------------- Comment from Danny Haszard-Jehovah's Witnesses fanatics aren't just false prophets they are deadly like Jonestown.I have elderly JW family that died premature deaths for neglecting their long-term health care. Watchtower Apocalyptic Infatuation click
By JOEL DAVIDSON, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman Published: July 12, 2006 Last Modified: July 12, 2006 at 09:42 AM WASILLA, Alaska (AP) - The world is coming to an end sooner than you might think, say local members of Jehovah's Witnesses. On Friday, roughly 3,000 Alaska Jehovah's Witnesses will gather at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage for three days to talk about God's plan to save faithful members from the eminent destruction and final judgment of the world. The gathering is one of 260 conventions across the United States and Europe, which are meant to increase overall membership while inspiring loyal followers to continue spreading their message. Jehovah's Witnesses boasts a 6.6 million worldwide fellowship. In recent years, however, membership in the United States and developed European counties has remained stagnant or dwindled. The "Deliverance at Hand" conventions are meant to reverse that trend. "This is a worldwide effort," said event coordinator Ken Lamoreaux, a Jehovah's Witnesses elder at the Eastview Anchorage Congregation. "We have a special focus this year on inviting the public." The public is always welcome to annual conventions, but most years Jehovah's Witnesses end up comprising most of the attendees, Lamoreaux explained. This year, Alaska Jehovah's Witnesses printed 150,000 invitations for the event. Their goal was to reach every household in the major towns and cities of Alaska. Witnesses distributed about 10,000 invitations in the Mat-Su, according to Ryan Holmes, an elder for the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Wasilla. Holmes walked door-to-door himself, passing out many of the tracts. There are a little more than 400 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Valley. Holmes said he wants that number to increase. "I think the purpose is the same all over the Earth," he said, "to heighten that there is an urgency of the times." Jehovah's Witnesses believe the world is coming to an end soon. They interpret wars, earthquakes, famines and other events as prophetic signs that Jehovah (their name for God) is about to come and save faithful Jehovah's Witnesses from a final end to a sinful world. Jehovah's Witnesses are distinct from most mainline Protestants and Catholics, in that they reject the doctrine of the Trinity and do not believe Jesus was God or equal to God. They also believe a limited number of believers will make it to heaven - only 144,000. The remaining faithful will live in a renewed Eden-like paradise on Earth, they teach. Jehovah's Witnesses also differ from mainline Christian denominations in that they reject the classic doctrine of Hell as a place of fiery torment, and instead teach that Hell is a grave for mankind. As an organized group, they are relatively new to the religious scene. They trace their origins back to a Bible study group in the 1870s, which was lead by eventual founder Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916). Early on, they formed a nonprofit publishing company (now known as The Watchtower), now headquartered in New York City. From there, the group publishes more than 27 million copies of "The Watchtower" magazine each month. The publication is distributed across the world as the primary means of disseminating the interpretation and application of the Bible. A small group of men lead the worldwide fellowship. They are known as the Governing Body. Internationally, Jehovah's Witnesses are active in most countries. In no country, however, are they a large part of the population. Countries other than the United States where membership exceeds half a million are Brazil and Mexico. It wasn't until the 1950s and '60s that permanent Jehovah's Witness churches (Kingdom Halls) were established throughout Alaska. This summer, the group expects nearly 1.5 million people to attend the United States conventions. Other events are scheduled for Germany, Czech Republic and Poland during July and August. The Anchorage convention runs July 14-16. Sessions begin at 9:30 a.m. each day at the Sullivan Arena on 1600 Gambell Street. -------------- [email protected] religion reporter
