JW Home study

by wiser 44 Replies latest jw friends

  • sherah
    sherah

    As Debator has lovingly pointed out, the preaching activity is done more out of obligation. The goal to is convert people to the JW lifestyle hook line and sinker. If you don't convert, JW will drop you cold. In their minds, rejecting JWs is rejecting God.

  • Juan Viejo2
    Juan Viejo2

    Blondie quoted:

    *** w60 1/15 p. 55 This Is a Time of Judgment ***Parents who reject the good news of the Kingdom and who ignore the good principles and wonderful purposes of Jehovah God cannot expect their minor children to survive the execution of divine judgment. Until a child reaches the age where it can be held responsible for its actions, it is under family responsibility. Divine punishment or blessing that comes to its parents automatically falls upon it. This principle is seen at Ezekiel 9:6, where God’s command was to “slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark.”—

    This was precisely the approach that the Hollywood, CA congregation took with my wife (who was still active in 1968-70) to try to force me to come back into the Borg. They told her that if I did not repent (I was DFd at the time) and start coming back to the KH, that no matter what she did (because she was still supposed to be submissive to me as her husband) my three little girls would all be destroyed at Armageddon when it came in 1975.

    That terrified her so much that our marriage began to crumble quickly. She told me exactly what the elders at the KH had said - and begged me to reconsider my refusal to ever return to being a JW again. "You don't want our girls to be destroyed at Armageddon, do you?" she'd plead.

    For an ever so brief moment I considered going back just to bring peace to our family and to return our marriage to normalcy. But then I thought about my three girls being raised as JWs and not having normal lives - and my senses returned to me.

    I put my foot down. While I agreed that she could take the girls to the KH and book study, I insisted that she not try to force the religion on them - not take them in service, or to conventions. I made it clear that I would not let them become baptized until they were clearly old enough to make that decision for themselves - like at 18 or older.

    Although I lost the battle and our marriage continued to crumble and ended in divorce in 1970, I won the war. My ex-wife eventually left the JWs during that decade and after a brief period of being a Peace & Freedom hippie, she took up smoking and returned to the Catholic Church. My daughters were all raised outside of religion and barely remember any of the events of that time. None became JWs and all are uncomfortable even bringing the subject up. Only one of my daughters and her children have been baptized - as Catholics. The other two don't have any real interest or the time for religion.

    We all won that battle eventually, even my ex-wife - but the above paragraph is exactly what fired the first shot.

  • wiser
    wiser

    As a non JW, I knew nothing about the JW faith or organization and niether did my friends and family. So when they came around and asked if Iwould like to discuss the bible I said yes but I explained that I belong to another faith. They said no problem. They use the NWT and I used the King James. So I was very curious and I assumed that all christian faiths were the same...Boy was I wrong. The study is not interactive, its the Jw way or no way. I would write out bibical reponses to topics in the What does the Bible really teach, and they would not read it!! I was informed by friends that JW's are not allowed to read aposate material!!I was shocked. We are allowed freedom in Christ to read any religions material. If you are strong in God the material is not going to corrupt you. Their doctrines do not align up to the bible.They say there version is the truth. I recommend all people to forget about the watchtower and study a non NWT version bible. Ask God for wisdom and the Holy spirit to guide you.

    Then I found out about shunning. How does this follow Gods teaching. One day you can speak and love the person and the next your told to not speak or associate with a person. In my faith we follow the scripture that tells us to visit to encourage the fallen. One of the ladies will not speak or have any associating with her own blood brother! of course she did not tell me she was shunning him. But I found out. in all honesty this is the worst christian religion I know of. If your fallen mother or father leaves the organization and dies can you attend the funeral? What about Gods command to honor thy mother and father that thy days will long apon the earth. This has been at times very frustating but all knowledge is useful and I can pass on all that I have learned from you good people and the other web sites to the innocent and unknowing to be aware and avoid the Jw unless you want to waste your time.

  • Chalam
    Chalam

    Welcome wiser!

    Great post :)

    Blessings,

    Stephen

  • debator
    debator

    Hi Wiser

    2 Thessalonians 3:14
    If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.

    This is from the NIV what is Paul saying here?

    Hi sharah

    Jesus told his apostles to wipe their feet from the dust of those that didn't believe. The apostles told us the following about unbelievers.

    2 Corinthians 6:14
    Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

    To both Jesus and the apostles those that didn't believe had rejected God. Having confidence on the Bible message is not a crime.

    The love comes in going out and giving the kingdom message literally preaching to the entire inhabited earth so all those that hear and listen can have the chance to be saved. It is not loving to chase after unbelievers if they have made their choice. You have to accept they have a right to that choice as we as witnesses do.

  • Mad Dawg
    Mad Dawg

    Ok, it says not to associate with them. No problem. Where does it say that we can not say "Hi" or otherwise acknowledge their existence?

  • sherah
    sherah

    Debator, let's be clear.

    It is not loving to chase after unbelievers if they have made their choice.

    Unbelievers of the WTBS or Unbelievers in God and Christ?

    The love comes in going out and giving the kingdom message literally preaching to the entire inhabited earth so all those that hear and listen can have the chance to be saved.

    Does one becoming saved means accepting the WTBS message or the Message of Christ?

    Please direct me to scripture that say that the WTBS are the only purveyors of this message?

  • debator
    debator

    Hi sharah

    Am I supposed to answer these deliberately loaded questions?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question

    Loaded question is an informal fallacy. [ 1 ] It is committed when someone asks a question that:

    1. presupposes something that has not been proven or accepted by all the people involved (a complex question) and
    2. contains controversial assertions and/or loaded language.

    I recognise the Jehovah witnesses as the only Christians in this time that Fully follow Jehovah as Almighty God and father through his son Jesus. it isn't an either/or situation.

    Again to be saved means .....

    John 17:1-3 (New International Version)

    1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, ..... 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

    IMO only the witnesses do this!

    and a scripture that shows this?

    Zechariah 13:9
    This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'Jehovah is our God.' "

    John 4:23
    Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

    All other Christian religions worship the son or a triune god over the father who they keep nameless. Demonstrably the witnesses are Jehovah's people by name and deed.

    We are all recognised by which God we worship this is a Pure truth shown from the bible.

  • tec
    tec

    Sherah makes two good and valid points.

    Debator - you do realize that Paul later said that the brothers should embrace the one they had rebuked. There's no mention of his repentance, or amends, or anything. No working to get back into favor. Just a reaffirming of love for his (the sinner's) sake.

    "The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven - if there was anything to forgive - I have forgiven in the sight of Christ tfor your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us."

    Tammy

  • debator
    debator

    Hi tec

    scriptures do not cancel each other out. Paul talked on a subject were the grounds for forgiveness where already known and set by Jesus.

    Luke 17:3
    So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

    since the person has already been punished as paul points out, the assumption is that he has repented. to think otherwise is to call Jesus a liar.

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