Thanks outnfree - you've been very helpful to me. I didn't want the JW visits to just end with no reason for it... I wanted them to understand that I had indeed looked at their organization and that what it taught. I did not find additional truths there, nor an organization that upholds my personal spiritual experiences (nor study.) In the end, I think they are an off-shoot of the Adventist movement with some truth, some error, and a people looking to serve God. Thanks again.
SharonUT
JoinedPosts by SharonUT
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Baptism in whose name?
by SharonUT inif this has been answered before, just point me in the right direction.
matthew 28:19 says to be baptized in the "name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost.
" what is the justification used in jehovah's witnesses changing this.
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Advice requested on response to mom's letter
by paulvarjak ini received this recently from my mother.
the only contact i've had with any of my family since october has been an occasional email.
you are 28 years old and you made the choice to put yourself, and us, in this position.
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SharonUT
If they read the official WT site - it says under "Frequently Asked Questions" "Disfellowshipping does not sever family ties." So, if they6 are shunning you - that doesn't seem to fit.
Check out:
http://lonestar.texas.net/~pixels/jwfaq.htm
http://lonestar.texas.net/~pixels/momletter.htm
http://www.disfellowshipped.org/shunning.htm
http://www.reachouttrust.org/regulars/articles/jw/collins.htm -
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Advice requested on response to mom's letter
by paulvarjak ini received this recently from my mother.
the only contact i've had with any of my family since october has been an occasional email.
you are 28 years old and you made the choice to put yourself, and us, in this position.
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SharonUT
What a mess. So..... if you just slowly became "in-active" and didn't speak of your unbelief, they would still love you huh?
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Disfellowshipping
by mdfreels ini'm really feeling like i need some advice (please none from ex-witnesses).
i have a friend {he was my study} who recently was disfellowshipped.
it hurt me deeply.
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SharonUT
Isn't it now that he really needs you? I mean... it isn't like he is asking you to be his drinking buddy.
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Baptism in whose name?
by SharonUT inif this has been answered before, just point me in the right direction.
matthew 28:19 says to be baptized in the "name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost.
" what is the justification used in jehovah's witnesses changing this.
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SharonUT
They came again today - gee, we must have spoken over 2 hours. I asked them about the practice of "shunning" and found out that indeed the one JW man "shuns" one of his sisters who has left the church. He has another sister who is an inactive JW and he doesn't shun her since she has not out right rejected the message.
In the end, they were unable to explain to me several things. They asked me if I thought the Pope
was a humble servant of Jehovah and I told them I didn't know the Pope's heart and didn't know very
much about him. He talked about how the pope wears those fancy robes and has people call him
Father and stuff like that and how he says his word overrules the Bible.I asked them if their organization does not do the same though - using the example of baptism
according to Matthew 28:19. Since about 1985, they are no longer baptized in the name of the
Father/Son/Holy Ghost. Their governing body has changed that.All in all... I tried to bear my testimony to them about my having direction from God in my life. (I feel I failed though.) They explained to me that they don't believe that God deals with them directly - no personal answers to prayer... and I told them that indeed, I have heard God's will for me... his word directly to me (through the Holy Ghost.) I'm sure they understand that as me being influenced by an evil spirit... but I did testify to them all the same. Once that started... they were quick on their feet and out of there. I told them that I had to be honest with them, and that I did not wish to become a JW, but hat they were welcome to come visit me anytime to get their hours in. I wished them good luck in their continued work.
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The Adventist Movement
by SharonUT inafter study... i have concluded that the jw's are nothing more than another off-shoot of the adventist movement.
see below.. the adventist movement (millerites) was started by william miller (a lay baptist minister) in 1843 and that created 3 off-shots.
the advent christian church, the life & advent union, and the seventh-day adventists (which sprang the branch davidians).
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SharonUT
After study... I have concluded that the JW's are nothing more than another off-shoot of the Adventist Movement. See below.
The Adventist Movement (Millerites) was started by William Miller (a lay Baptist minister) in 1843 and that created 3 off-shots. The Advent Christian Church, The Life & Advent Union, and the Seventh-Day Adventists (which sprang the Branch Davidians). From The Advent Christan Church came the Adventist Magazine (Nelson H. Barbour) and from that Magazine came Zions WatchTower Magazine (Charles Taze Russell or Russellites which include Modern-day Russellites). From the Russellites came the Chicago Bible Students, the Dawn Bible Students, the Laymens Home Missionary Movement, and Rutherford's Jehovah's Witnesses.
Why doesn't the JW book, "Mankind's Search for God" explain this? They outline all the other reform movements except themselves! They mention nothing of the Adventists AT ALL!
I'm trying to make a list of the MAJOR ADOPTED DOCTRINES that JW's take from the emergence of the Adventist Movement. I've come up with four... perhaps you can add more.
1) Invisible presence of Christ's advent/coming
2) New Light
3) Non-existence of hell
4) Annihilation of unsaved peopleWhatcha think?
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Decision to join JW's
by SharonUT inwhat are the reasons one converts to the jw faith or stays in it?
it seems that if the jws believe that only the 144,000 have access to god... then how do the other sheep know what to do about this decision?
is their decision based upon their understanding of the scriptures and wt litarature only or do they seek some type of manifestation of the spirit or answer to prayer or personal revelation about joining?
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SharonUT
Thanks all of you... each and every reply. That really helped me out. So, it seems they believe in answers to prayer for personal matters, but not to verify truth vs. error, huh?
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Decision to join JW's
by SharonUT inwhat are the reasons one converts to the jw faith or stays in it?
it seems that if the jws believe that only the 144,000 have access to god... then how do the other sheep know what to do about this decision?
is their decision based upon their understanding of the scriptures and wt litarature only or do they seek some type of manifestation of the spirit or answer to prayer or personal revelation about joining?
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SharonUT
So - are you encouraged to pray about the decision - about IF the WT speaks for God?
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Baptism in whose name?
by SharonUT inif this has been answered before, just point me in the right direction.
matthew 28:19 says to be baptized in the "name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost.
" what is the justification used in jehovah's witnesses changing this.
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SharonUT
If anybody knows in whose name(s) JW are baptized in, please clarify. Shouldn't be that hard. :)
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Decision to join JW's
by SharonUT inwhat are the reasons one converts to the jw faith or stays in it?
it seems that if the jws believe that only the 144,000 have access to god... then how do the other sheep know what to do about this decision?
is their decision based upon their understanding of the scriptures and wt litarature only or do they seek some type of manifestation of the spirit or answer to prayer or personal revelation about joining?
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SharonUT
What are the reasons one converts to the JW faith or stays in it? It seems that if the JWs believe that only the 144,000 have access to God... then how do the other sheep know what to do about this decision? Is their decision based upon their understanding of the scriptures and WT litarature only or do they seek some type of manifestation of the spirit or answer to prayer or personal revelation about joining?