Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...I just wish JWs were through destroying people's lives, families, and happiness!
It is not JW's who destroy people's lives, families or even their happiness, jojajn. If you believe that then the same can be true of any organization at all.
People (individuals) do things in their own lives that cause change- either for good or for bad.
And anybody can put a video on Utube about anything they want- it doesn't even have to be true but people will believe it, just because it's on the internet...
It is not JW's who destroy people's lives, families or even their happiness, jojajn. If you believe that then the same can be true of any organization at all.
But it isn't true. There is no organisation that treats those who wish to leave it, or who offend leaders, like those known as cults. That is a common reason for describing them as cults!
Quote:
And anybody can put a video on Utube about anything they want- it doesn't even have to be true but people will believe it, just because it's on the internet...
There are ordinary people, ex-JWs, walking around who have heart-rending stories to tell. They can't all be making them up. That was true when Bill Gates was a twinkle in his father's eye.
People who join the JWs are not told that they'll be required to completely shun someone they might love simply because a group of local elders applies the "disfellowshipped" or "disassociated" label to them. The practice is glossed over in the "Bible studies" leading up to formal baptism into the JW organization. Nor is a convert told that one of the baptismal vows is a legally binding one of absolute loyalty to the JW organization.
Children who are baptized as JWs -- even as young as 7 or 8 years -- are treated exactly the same as adults in terms of shunning. There are many stories of young teenagers doing the normal teenage stupid things, and ending up being shunned for life by their entire families.
Interesting reading about the history of a Watchtower family... New Page 1 (http://www.exjws.net/pioneers/alanf.htm - broken link)
DiJay, would you please address the topic of "shunning" as described by the people who have posted here. As you probably know by now, if your explanation is different from what they have accused the Jehovah's Witnesses of doing, I will assume you are being honest and that your accusers are not. If what they have said is accurate, I would appreciate an explanation from you as to why this is done. Thanks.
Location: An overgrown 350K person suburb of Saint Paul
383 posts, read 900,725 times
Reputation: 248
Quote:
DiJay, would you please address the topic of "shunning" as described by the people who have posted here. As you probably know by now, if your explanation is different from what they have accused the Jehovah's Witnesses of doing, I will assume you are being honest and that your accusers are not. If what they have said is accurate, I would appreciate an explanation from you as to why this is done. Thanks.
Here's how it works. You disobey their rules and they kick you out of their church and nobody who's a member of the church can talk to you anymore. Sometimes, they kick you out for some benign sins(Premarital sex, smoking, swearing publicly), other times they kick you out for some really dubious behavior (having a particularly devastating extramarital affair, assault, rampant drug abuse, repeated public disorderly drunkeness, animal cruelty) and still other times, they use the threat of shunning to keep people in line if they decide to publicly disagree with the religion.
The first one is silly and stupid, the middle one is justifiable and the last one is what makes them a cult. Simple enough
A family member has been a JW for probably 35-40 years. I have experienced the 'shunning'. When I mentioned this, the family member denied it, but actions speak louder than words, in my opinion. I have my own religous/spiritual beliefs and don't try to force them on anyone. Again, actions speak louder than words. Once, I attended a Sunday service hoping to put my judgements behind me, but after being at the service, I knew that JW was not for me.
I rode with the family member's daughter once going out to dinner. She put a sales pitch on me, and it was like riding with a high powered, confident IBM sales person. Some of you probably are too young to remember that IBM had some very talented, successful sales people back in the 60-70's. They were the cream of the crop. But, I know my beliefs, and they work for me, so becoming a JW just isn't something I want to invest all my time and energy in. I'm a free spirit and probably always will be. Too bad that this religion has caused a separation in our family...mostly with my family member and me. Our family history is quite chaotic. I'm sure that is what drove this person to become a JW.
Something I've noticed is that The Watch Tower - one of their publications that is available to the public-at-large - makes being a JW sound like it is a loving, sensible organization. But, if you look at their behavior, the shunning, disallowing, dissociation that is promoted by their upper eschelons, then The Watch Tower appears to be propaganda to lure new members into their fold. JW's are loving only toward other JW's.
I believe in 'attraction rather than promotion'. And, I believe, also, that it doesn't serve humanity to push third world countries into a 'religion' per se. Other cultures have their own spirituality, customs, rituals that serve them very well within the conditions of the culture they live in. If other countries are drawn to Buddha, or Mohammed, or the Hindu philosophy...so be it. And, I suppose this could also be applied to JW. However, these other religions don't go door to door to convert others to their religion. I think Chrisitanity and JW are the few who do. Correct me if this isn't accurate, please. But, please, no trolls .
Here's how it works. You disobey their rules and they kick you out of their church and nobody who's a member of the church can talk to you anymore. Sometimes, they kick you out for some benign sins(Premarital sex, smoking, swearing publicly), other times they kick you out for some really dubious behavior (having a particularly devastating extramarital affair, assault, rampant drug abuse, repeated public disorderly drunkeness, animal cruelty) and still other times, they use the threat of shunning to keep people in line if they decide to publicly disagree with the religion.
The first one is silly and stupid, the middle one is justifiable and the last one is what makes them a cult. Simple enough
Simple enough? I guess we all define "simple" differently. I asked DiJay a question and yet it appears that you misunderstood and thought I wanted your opinion instead. I didn't think I'd made it all that complicated that I wanted an explanation from a Jehovah's Witness.
Location: An overgrown 350K person suburb of Saint Paul
383 posts, read 900,725 times
Reputation: 248
You want an explaination from a witness? I'll ask a few from the Jehovah's Witness messageboard I post on for their explainations, including some current elders.They will even crosspost their experiences over here if needed.
Isaiah 44:24 "I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens (ALONE that spreadeth abroad the earth (BY MYSELF").
John 1:1,2,3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. (ALL THINGS) were made by him; and without him (WAS NOT ANY THING MADE THAT WAS MADE).
The Word of course, is JESUS CHRIST. The LORD in Isaiah is the Father from the Old Testament.
Both the Old Testament and New Testament show us that the Father and Jesus are two seperate persons, yet they are both shown to of made eveything by themselves. Now, (UNLESS) they both = One God together, such statements suggesting that they each made everything alone and by themselves individually, would be a direct contradiction.
And does this effort to present an agreeable translation extend to 1 Jn 5:7?
Most verses that link Jesus Christ to the Father in the NWT had to be changed. Which would include 1 John 5:7. The JWs believe that Jesus was a created God, and not God Himself. Their Bible, reads very much as any other Bible. However, when you get to a verse that would not normally agree with their doctrine, well, this is where we find such changes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I mentioned this, the family member denied it, but actions speak louder than words, in my opinion. I have my own religous/spiritual beliefs and don't try to force them on anyone. Again, actions speak louder than words. Once, I attended a Sunday service hoping to put my judgements behind me, but after being at the service, I knew that JW was not for me. 
Some of you probably are too young to remember that IBM had some very talented, successful sales people back in the 60-70's. They were the cream of the crop. 
But, I know my beliefs, and they work for me, 
so becoming a JW just isn't something I want 
to invest all my time and energy in. I'm a free spirit 
and probably always will be. Too bad that this religion has caused a separation in our family...mostly with my family member and me. Our family history is quite chaotic. 
the shunning, disallowing, dissociation that is promoted by their upper eschelons, 
then The Watch Tower appears to be propaganda to lure new members into their fold. JW's are loving only toward other JW's.
.
that spreadeth abroad the earth (BY MYSELF").
