I've been thinking about why people become Jehovah's Witnesses and why they remain in the religion.
It seems like almost everything they believe in is flawed.
The chronology, which this religion is founded on is a problem. Pivotal dates such as 1914 and 607 B.C.E. are provably innacurate.
Their understanding of Bible prophecy is pathetically funny. They teach everything in prophetic Bible books ultimately apply to them.
Their belief that the "Faithful & Discreet Slave Class" exists is ridiculous.
In all fairness, they cannot 'prove" anything they say about their Organization as being "truth". Their "truth" changes often.
It must take a certain type of personality to want to become a Witness. If you were raised in the religion, it could very well be that you've never looked beyond what the Governing Body teaches. But if you have a "critical" mind (and that's a good thing!) you have to question a lot of things about Jehovah's Witnesses.
I agree that they teach moral cleanness as do many other groups. Other than that, what do they have that keep people enslaved to their brand of thinking??
3 comments:
The hook: Showing you from your own Bible basic Bible truths that contradict what other religions teach.
The carrot:
Everlasting life in a beautiful paradise earth. No more sickness, death, crime, poverty, etc.
The clincher:
By using Jehovah's name, they convince you that the only way to get your ticket to paradise is by being a dedicated, baptized member of Jehovah's Witnesses.
In other words, they negate the whole idea that everlasting life is a free gift that every human on earth can obtain by exercising faith in Jesus Christ.
You have to jump through all their hoops to qualify for baptism, which may take people years to accomplish. In contrast, in the first century the disciples preached the good news, and people responded by getting baptized. Then they learned how to live the Christian way of life.
We should see something similar in the near future, when the 'two witnesses' mentioned in Revelation do a final preaching work. The great crowd mentioned at Revelation 7:9-14 has the potential to be very great. The invitation for people to wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb is open to all people, not just Jehovah's Witnesses.
I just wanted to thank you for the information you provide and the support you give to those that have dealt with JWs through your personal stories. I was in a relationship with a JW for 5 years which just recently ended because he could not be with me unless I converted. Your blog has helped me cope. Please, keep doing what you're doing! It really helps!
Hello!
I loved your post! I was born and raised as a Witness, and remained devout for 35 years. I walked away 17 years ago. Now at 52, I can finally say I'm a Christian!
The rank and file witnesses cannot say that! What they don't realize is this:
You must be "in Christ", and a part of the New Covenant which is in his blood; only the 144,000 are truly allowed to use the title, "Christian".
If you go to the JW website, and type; "Jehovah's Christian Witnesses" into their search bar, nothing will pull up! You will just get an "error" message.
Regarding your comment: "Their belief that the "Faithful & Discreet Slave Class" exists is ridiculous."
I so agree with you. They have taken a "parable" used by Jesus Christ to "teach" his disciples the need to be ever alert, watchful and vigilent; and they arrogantly decided to apply this 'parable', to themselves....
Where in the Bible does it show that this parable was to have a literal "counterpart" in the form of a man-made religion"?
I left because I was tired of being subserviant to an organization that continued to re-hash the same tired, worn-out doctrines.
None of it felt true to me anymore, I was beginning to feel like I was being taught to "worship" THEM, not God!
Yet--questioning their teachings, even when they go against what the Bible teaches--was simply NOT allowed.
They just would say: "Don't run ahead, wait on Jehovahs' Organization to provide the clarification." Well--clarification never came!
But changes...err...'new light', would be handed down, along with some explaination that they needed to "tack with the wind", just like in a sailboat, you need to continuously make corrections in order to "tack with the wind".
When they would say that, it reminded me of this Scripture: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every "wind of teaching" and by the 'cunning' and 'craftiness of men' in their deceitful scheming"
Eph 4:14
Yup--they actually chose a good analogy for their changes! "Tack with the wind"......indeed!
Keep up the good work!
-Laurie
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