I grew up doing both. While I was in the org, I didn't hear too much about fishing, but all of the CO's frowned upon hunting. Their stance was JW's should NOT own a gun. Thoughts?
Watchtower view on hunting and fishing?
by HereIgo 14 Replies latest jw experiences
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Simon
I grew up shooting and occasionally fishing. The fishing wasn't an issue but many people at the KH definitely felt there was something wrong about even just owning guns. But there were no definitive edicts about it - most articles are only concerned with firearms used as weapons and even then, they don't really say a whole lot about it.
I think they'd have a hard time coming out with something that made sense given that most of the bible characters, including the disciples, used swords etc..
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2+2=5
I have known plenty of JWs who owned guns and enjoyed hunting and shooting. Fishing is almost compulsory, in some parts of Australia.
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darkspilver
Does that include Luke Bryan?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l3ukWqRU4s
Of course, there's also .......
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keyser soze
Many of the elders in the area I grew up were avid hunters. Some were so hardcore you knew they weren't going to be at Sunday meeting on the opening weekend of deer season.
One year the CO decided to schedule a special all day service day on opening weekend. It didn't sit well with a couple of brothers who had already been removed as elders by this same CO. They thought he was trying to test the brothers' loyalty. They called his bluff.
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HereIgo
@keyser, ive heard of similar situations. Here In AZ, plenty of elders hunt, but for some reason all of the CO's here have an issue. I guess it depends on their background?
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James Mixon
I believe fishing is ok , no one ever lost their head while fishing. Now if Jesus had stated he was a hunter of men instead of "I will make you fishers of men", things may have been different. But I do remember they came down hard on hunting in the mid 80's......
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Chook
WT hunts apostates and fishes for gullible Christians. Fishing is ok ,most apostles were fisherman. They have demonised the gun, but are happy to live in a country guarded by weapons or eat meat killed by bullet. I've seen pics in mags of new world with people fishing. I have no problem with someone having a weapon for self defence especially the elderly, an 18 year old criminal verses grandma with a 44 magnum ,it's an equaliser.
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Wayward
Attitudes toward hunting vary widely from congregation to congregation. The one I grew up in was split on whether it was ok or not. Their issue was whether hunting showed respect for the gift of life or not. What they decided was: hunting for food=ok; hunting for trophies=disrespectful. Both my JW BILs are avid hunters. Their congregations are all big into hunting. There's no written official policy as far as I know and I doubt avid hunters would obey it anyway.
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James Mixon
Chook: I like that "WT hunts apostates and fishes for gullible Christians". What book of the Bible can I find that, it needs to be in JW's Bible. That's a good one..