What exactly are JWs unique in?

by isaacaustin 105 Replies latest jw friends

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  isaacaustin

  The Wt will make the assertion that the Witnesses have the truth (i.e. are God's org) due to a huge laundry list of items. Of course, this ignores the fact that their teaching is that they were appointed over jesus earthly belongings in 1919. But, lets roll with it...the Witnesses have the truth because they do not:

  beleive in the trinity, immortality of the soul, remain politically neutral, don't go to war, don't celebrate holidays/b-days, use the name Jehovah, preach...the list goes on and on

  As can be easily demonstrated these are not unique to the JWs....other groups subscribe to these positions as well. My question...what truly are unique to the JWs?

  I would say the counting of the their preaching hours, and the blood transfusion doctrine- neither of which can be scripturally backed. What else? What is unique to the JWs?
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  LouBelle

  Disfellowshipping and then not speaking to that person.
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  jookbeard

  difficult to find 1 particular doctrine the blood/organ ban springs to mind but The Plymouth Brethren,Church of Scientology, Amish,other Evangelical Groups ban all modern medicine as well, the main one that possible springs to mind is their strangely tolerant attitude to the Paedophile scandal that has rocked them, that must be a policy of some sort, D/F ing and shunning is practiced by many groups
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  isaacaustin

  Loubelle,

  I had thought the Amish practiced shunning? The Worldwide Church of God also dfed, but not sure what their version entiailed.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Disfellowshipping and then not speaking to that person.

  Respectfully, I think there are plenty of groups that shun former members. Most are not Christian, but there are some of them too.
  
  JW's are unique in teaching that only 144,000 humans go to Heaven. I am pretty sure that no groups that didn't form from C.T. Russell's teachings go along with that. Also, tie in that Jesus is only the mediator for the 144,000 and that the NT was written only for them. Further, they are probably unique in tieing in a parable by Jesus to the faithful and discreet slave to create this class and use it to demonstrate that a group within that small group (the GB) should be totally obeyed.

  JW's are probably further unique in believing that the remainder of faithful humans can be the "other sheep" and that they are the same as the great crowd of Revelation. Virtually all Bible-believers understand the easy doctrine that the little flock and other sheep are Jews and Gentiles.

  Plenty of groups used a complicated numerology to calculate Armageddon or the last days from the Bible, but I think only JW's stick to the eroneous claim that 607 BCE is an integral part of their calculations.
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  isaacaustin

  OTWO,

  DOn't Mormons believe in 144,000 of some sort?

  I agree the JWs are completely solo in 607BCE.
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  OnTheWayOut

  144,000 as a number is not unique to JW's. It is a Bible number that is given prominence in some teachings.
  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/144000_(number)

  I just think the WTS application is unique. But I could be wrong.
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  isaacaustin

  ok, IC
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  LouBelle

  hmmm perhaps I'm not too sure on other faiths - to the same degree as the jdubs would be my next question.
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  OnTheWayOut

  This is a bit out there, and there may be other groups similar but I think not.
  
  C.T.Russell wrote, people listened. His Studies in the Scriptures were on their way to becoming "inspired."
  He was on his way to becoming the Faithful Wise Servant, today's FDS.

  Rutherford boldly stole the WT organization and had his own books to sell.
  
  I think Rutherford objected to the idolization of Russell and wanted Russellites to become Rutherfordites.
  
  Virtually all dangerous mind-control cults allow their leaders' writings to become "inspired" same as the Bible.
  (Example would be the Book of Mormon.)

  I think WTS is unique in trying to say that they are spirit-directed but not inspired. It's semantics, but I think it's important to their uniqueness.
  Some groups may say they are not inspired, but as far as I know, they don't offer this bogus "spirit-directed" nonsense.