I am a Bible student so not entirely qualified to answer, however these are my thoughts and feelings so far based on my learning and experience of WT.
Positives of being a Witness
- A close knit support group who appeal to be genuine in their intentions and kindness.
- Lots of friends and busy
- If you have children, it goes someway to protecting them from the evils of the world (at least whilst they're busy ice skating and bowling with fellow witnesses they aren't smoking in an alley somewhere.....hopefully!)
- The children of Witnesses seem to be disciplined, well behaveed and respectful
- It teaches you racial tolerance
- Regardless of what anyone says, it must make you a better, slightly more righteous person than one with no faith.
- It teaches you to respect yourself and not merely accept conventions of 'the world' like having sex etc and doing things the world deem perfectly acceptable.It raises standards that you're prepared to accept for yourself.
- You're probably less likely to come home and find hyour husband fornicating with your best friend.
- A marriage probably has a better chance of being peaceful and respectful, and unlikely to be violent and volatile.
- It instils traditional values in our children
- Our children are brought up knowing chapter and verse of the Bible, if all else fails at least they'll pass a GCSE in RE!
- If there is a New System/h'armageddon we'll be laughing.
- I don't think many will deny the existence of 'God' and whether you're Catholic/Protestant/JW.... I think there are two things that matter to Him. Your belief in him, and your moral conduct. Even if the Witnesses are slightly misguided, they have belief and zeal for morality to please Jehovah. That can't be a bad thing, and God will know that they are slightly misguided. He knows everything.
Negatives
- The Watchtower would appeal to exert control over every aspect of a Witnesses life, to a point of dictating whether ot not a man and wife can have oral sex! (Bit too much interference if you ask me!)
- Obviously there are many worldly sacrifices, particularly for an adult convert. They would have to quit getting drunk, smoking, having pre-marital sex, inappropriate dress. It would be a sin to even look at someone and feel lust - this to some, will seem very extreme.
- The time and effort required in door-to-door preaching is exhausting. Some putting in around 100 hours a month to Bible studies etc.
- Children are often bullied for not participating in traditional Christian holidays.
- There is a lot of prejudice against Jehovah's Witnesses, often the recipient of ridicule (Jesus does warn that those who follow him will be persecuted on account of his name though)
- Rightly or Wrongly, it teaches homophobic attitides and that being gay is perverse.
- You cannot participate in elections/voting. This removes any democratic control over your local and national governments who influence your lives.
- If you need blood, you will die. Or your children will die.
- You're children could grow up slightly psychologically unhinged.
- If you are a woman, you may feel like youve gone back in time to the days when women didn;t have the vote and were pregant and barefoot and tied to the kitchen sink. Men are deemed head of the househld, and the female a submissive wife.
There are many more fors and againsts but these are just off the top of my head! Anyone got anything else? x