I think jesus summed up the christian requirement with the 2 commandments he gave which is love YHVH your God with all your heart mind a soul and your neighbor as yourself . From what I read the earlier churches were fraught with all kinds of confusion and disputes over what was going to be church doctrine and many sects were being formed . Many of the letters in the new testament were not about how happy and righteous the followers of christianity were but of reproving entire congregations about conduct and worshipping God out of a clean heart and such. These people were anointed christians to boot and seemed to be in a constant state of hypocrisy . There is no doubt that the jehovah witnesses strive to worship in spirit and truth but I think a better question is , are they hypocrites? , and my answer would be yes .
Do you consider the JWs as Christians?
by logansrun 42 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
ChrisVance
Yes, JW's are Christian. However, I believe christianity is just another form of religion and that all religions is false.
-
Francois
No. Christians are followers of Christ and his famous two laws. JWs follow a man-made, man-led organization and they replace the simple rules of Jesus with a complex set of rules that mean one thing one day and somethine very different the next morning.
Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult, pure and simple, and I wouldn't wast ten minutes on them.
-
Undecided
The way I see it all religion is a mental imaginative way to describe the unknown of death and it's consequences. It has caused as much hurt and death as it has good.
Ken P.
-
logansrun
Francois,
No. Christians are followers of Christ and his famous two laws.
So it's just that simple, huh? Jesus didn't command anything except for these two laws? He didn't say that the road to salvation is "cramped, and few are the ones finding it" -- damning the majority of mankind to eternal destruction or eternal suffering depending on your flavor of Christianity? He didn't condemn "even looking at a woman" in lust, hence dooming countless millions to unneccessary guilt? He didn't say to forsake everything for the Kingdom, causing people to follow some nebulous idea to the detriment of the present? Methinks you are grossly oversimplifying the matter.
JWs follow a man-made, man-led organization and they replace the simple rules of Jesus with a complex set of rules that mean one thing one day and something very different the next morning.
SInce Christ was also a man I would say Christians follow man-made, fallible rules as well. You're also exagerating the "new light" doctrine of the JWs, Francois. It's not that extreme and you know it. Emotionalism.
Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult, pure and simple, and I wouldn't wast ten minutes on them.
You don't think the early Christians were a cult? Wow.
Francois, I hate to say it, but I've lost some respect for you. I've asked you on a couple different occassions to discuss your beliefs (which seem to be incoherant) and you don't even respond. At least the JWs try and back up what they say with something.
Bradley
-
dedalus
He didn't condemn "even looking at a woman" in lust, hence dooming countless millions to unneccessary guilt?
In Updike's A Month of Sundays, his Protestant protagonist gives an interesting, somewhat syllogistic reading of this scripture. 1) God made men with the desires they have; everything God makes is holy; therefore, the desire is not a sin. 2) Jesus said that the desire is the same as the act; desire is not a sin; therefore, fornication and adultery aren't sins (and should be enjoyed, sans guilt).
Dedalus
-
logansrun
Dedalus,
That argument is crushed by Jesus words to open the topic, "You heard it was said you must not commit adultury..." I know you are not advocating such an interpretation, but I'm glad you brought it up because it shows how some people can twist the scriptures into such a pretzel as to fit whatever they want to believe. My take? Just give the whole thing up and stop feigning knowledge of things you know not.
Bradley
-
blacksheep
I think they represent a bastardized version of Christianity. They, unlike most other "Christian" religions put greater emphasis on the Old Testament, including the vengeful, destructive Jehovah, than they do on the teachings of Christ as set forth in the NT. They pull in Jesus when convenient (i.e. to support the foretelling of the "end of the system of things" and to pray to Jehovah THROUGH him, whatever...can't Jehovah HEAR ? But I think they miss the entire point of what "Christianity" Means.
Even their name gives you a clue.
-
blacksheep
“The way I see it all religion is a mental imaginative way to describe the unknown of death and it's consequences. It has caused as much hurt and death as it has good.”
I would agree with you, to a certain extent. I cannot claim to say that ALL religions do this. Although I am not a theologian, I think that SOME eastern religions (confuscism, etc), might have a more positive effect on people’s lives, and actually help integrate their social perception on many levels.
But, as far as Christianity goes (and even Islam), you are bang on. I think you have encapsulated the reason religion came into existence. I also believe it came into existence due to primitive humans' realization that they had very little control over their environment and fate. The concept of God(s) helped make life more logical and predictable (even if it was total bunk).
So much killing has been done in the name of religion. It’s been used ruthlessly as a tool. Look at the Crusades. Look at King Henry the VIII, who basically set up another Christian religion other than Catholocism when the Pope gave him slack, so that he could divorce his wife and marry his mistress. Look what he did to the Catholics in response. Look at Medieval history. Basically life was only a preparation for death…
JWs in my mind are a hold over from medieval life. Eschew this world. Don’t become educated in “worldly” things. Don’t think. Don’t live. Don’t try to get involved in community endeavors or in helping others, since the world is doomed. Just wait on Armageddon.
What a waste of human life. What a sell-out to humanity.
-
little witch
Seems to me Jehovah's Witness's began calling themselves such to distinguish themselves, and their beliefs from ''Christendom""
Too late to turn back now, IMHO
How is it one could speak or write "Christendom"" in an unbecoming way, and it not be ''blasphemous""?
I think they made another wrong turn, they would rather back up and fix....