My personal definition of a 'religious fanatic' is a person who believes that THEIR religion is the ONLY one that has the Truth. All other religions are considered apostate or the work of Satan. Any attempt to present alternative views is met with either outright dismissal, or else pre-programmed answers supporting their current religion. No room for compromise or original, independent thinking. The Witnesses fit this definition perfectly, with the GB as the prime example. Also Mormons seem to fit the definition. The extreme example is the violent fanaticism in the Islamic Middle Eastern countries. Also Scientology fits the bill. The Witnesses don't consider themselves a 'cult', but they certainly fit the definition of being 'religious fanatics'. Maybe presenting these examples to JWs might give them something to think about. How could they deny that they are fanatical when it comes to being a JW??? Any thoughts?
RELIGIOUS FANATICS
by NAVYTOWN 17 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
cofty
a person who believes that THEIR religion is the ONLY one that has the Truth
The same applies to millions of evangelical christians.
-
Dis-Member
Be grateful you don't live in any of the countries listed below .
The following 21 nations treat apostasy under their criminal laws:
- Afghanistan – illegal (death penalty, although the U.S. and other coalition members have put pressure that has prevented recent executions)
- Comoros
- Egypt – illegal (3 years' imprisonment)
- Iran – illegal (unclear status
- Iraq
- Jordan – possibly illegal (fine, jail, child custody loss, marriage annulment) although officials claim otherwise, convictions are recorded for apostasy
- Kuwait
- Malaysia – illegal in five of 13 states (fine, imprisonment, and flogging)
- Maldives
- Mauritania – illegal (death penalty if still apostate after 3 days.
- Morocco – illegal to proselytise conversion (15 years' imprisonment)Only country not listed by Pew.
- Nigeria
- Oman – legal in criminal code, but according to the family code, a father can lose custody of his child .
- Pakistan – illegal (death penalty since 2007)
- Qatar – illegal (death penalty)
- Saudi Arabia – illegal (death penalty, although there have been no recently reported executions)
- Somalia – illegal (no punishment in anti-AlShahbab areas) (death penalty used by Al-Shabab)
- Sudan – illegal (death penalty)
- Syria
- United Arab Emirates – illegal (3 years' imprisonment, flogging)
- Yemen – illegal (death penalty)
-
sparrowdown
Quite easy really, with JW's the finger of blame always points outward to everyone else.
They simply refuse to measure themselves by the same yardstick they measure everyone else and his dog by.
They are expert at pointing out the cultish or hypocritical behavior of other religions.
Very frustrating when dealing with them.
-
smiddy
You have Nigeria ,on your list . When I was associated with the witnesses over 25 years ago , Nigeria was one of the countries that had phenomenal growths converting to jehovahs witnesses .
Have things changed drastically since then ? I have been out of the loop for so long , but these statistics really interest me.
What is the status of JW`s in Nigeria today ?
You have listed 21 countries here ,
How many of these countries are pre-dominately Muslim ?
Indonnesia is the most populated muslim country in the world , what is their record of tolerance towards others beleifs in their midst.
smiddy
-
prologos
Cain made sure, such comparison of true/false was no longer possible. (for what it's worth as a story.)
WT has it's own way to make sure the issue is not raised among it's members, but
chafes under the restraints that the UN & OSCE charters, local laws impose on its dreams of freedom of religion.
-
Phizzy
From Wiki : In his book Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk, Neil Postman states that "the key to all fanatical beliefs is that they are self-confirming....(some beliefs are) fanatical not because they are 'false', but because they are expressed in such a way that they can never be shown to be false."
Believing they have the truth, JW's see it as a virtue to be fanatical about it, that is what you have to cut through.
-
zeb
"A fanatic is one who cant change his mind and..wont change the subject".. Winston Churchill.
-
Crazyguy
The Jws would say their fanatics and be happy about it, one then has to show them 1 corinthians and how pauls blows up the idea of one sect.
-
SAHS
A typical JW: I’m not a fanatic! I know I’m not. The Faithful and Discreet Slave tell us JWs through the pages of The Watchtower that we are not fanatics. And the Faithful and Discreet Slave also tells us JWs that we are definitely not a cult. So, there you have it. . . . [brief awkward pause] . . . . So, can I leave you with these latest issues of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines? You know, if you look into our literature, you can see for yourself that we are not fanatics and that we certainly are not a cult. You had better take these magazines, because . . . . well, because, if you don’t joint our one-and-only true religion, they you and your children will definitely die at Armageddon!