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Post by tetelestai on Nov 10, 2005 23:12:10 GMT -5
They believe the 144,000 of Revelation 7 are 144,000 annointed JW's who will live in Heaven for all of eternity. They believe the rest of the faithful Watchtower orginization will live in a renewed paradise earth, where everything is wonderful. It's not heaven, but it's not so bad either. They believe everyone else will be destroyed and cease to exist.
If anyone needs an explination why this is unbiblical I'll explain, but I kinda hope noone does.
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Post by Solid on Nov 10, 2005 23:14:33 GMT -5
I don't need one...sounds kinda silly.
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tappistrt
Full Member
Tapping into infinity
Posts: 129
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Post by tappistrt on Nov 11, 2005 0:50:10 GMT -5
From the One True Church web page, regarding JW's: "I met you a long time ago when you came to my house with your smiling faces, your neat clothes, and your soft voices, and a Bible tucked under your arm. You told me many beautiful stories of a "paradise earth" and a "righteous new system" which would be established shortly. You beguiled me; I listened and I let you teach me...I loved you, I devoted most of my life to you, I was loyal and obedient, never realizing that one day I would come to disagree with everything you had to say. When I first met you and learned of the "paradise," little did I know that in order to get to that paradise, I would have to walk over the dead bodies of beloved family, cherished friends, and casual acquaintances, because they didn't want to be Jehovah's Witnesses. With your soft, sweet voices, and gentle manner, you convinced me....I loved you so much that I raised my precious children as Jehovah's Witnesses. I taught them that you were trustworthy, and true followers of God and Jesus. I trained them to believe your every word. How could I have known that in the future you would steal my own flesh and blood from my arms and prevent them from seeing me because I would come to disagree with you? I never noticed the fangs of oppression and tyranny that lurked behind those gentle smiles. I never knew that I would be expected to hand over my mind, soul, and spirit to you, and if I were to ever want them back, you would hold my children as hostages and no amount of begging and tears would release them from you firm grip because they had been raised to look at you as being God, rather than mere men....Through years of domination and manipulation, I began to accept the meager food that was being offered to me, and became willing to accept it as the true "spiritual food from the Master," while all the time feeling the gnawing at my body. Finally, I discovered that I had been robbed of my joy, my love, my compassion, and my mercy, and it was replaced with legalistic, doctrinal formula which provided me with fear, guilt, and anxiety to fill my hungry heart. When I said, 'I want more than this," you slapped me with your soft little hand, which had now turned into an iron fist of oppression. Yes, you fooled me all along, your deception was because you had been fooled, too, a long time ago, by others who had taken you captive to their dictatorial reign of terror. You convinced me that the words of men were the words of God because you really thought it was true. I believed you because you were gentle, soft spoken, and carried the Bible under you arm. You told me you had 'freedom' and it was only later, when I tried to escape your brand of 'freedom' that I discovered that the iron bars of the gate had been shut and I was at your mercy because, by this time, you had already gained control of my mind and my emotions....you stripped me of my dignity, my self-respect, my honor, and my FAMILY. You told all my friends and family that I was demonic, evil, an apostate, a spiritual fornicator....Through my tears I cry out for my beautiful daughter and grandchildren, but you grip them tighter and tighter and tell them that YOU will be their mother...You lied about me, but no one will believe you lied because they trust you--that's because you are soft spoken, gentle, and carry a Bible tucked neatly under your arm." Gaila Nobel Arizona
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Post by eyeofsauron on Nov 12, 2005 19:11:09 GMT -5
One word of advice:
If you want to even have a conversation with a JW, they will only listen to you if you read and evangelize from the King James Version. If you try any other, they will politely listen, but totally block you out.
Also, as a friend has suggested, when they want to read scripture, make sure to read the verses before and after to establish a context. Many times, their "point" will be disproven right before their eyes - in other words, the meaning they try to give a select passage will be broken down because in the context, it does not mean what they want it to.
As a personal anecdote, I used to live a few blocks from a Kingdom Hall and once spent 3 hours with the JWs when they came to my parents door. I was studying Hebrew at the time in college and really got them spinning in circles on the YHWH and how the Jews NEVER pronounced this so holy name - therefore "Jehovah" may not even be correct (note that this is truly one possible pronunciation). Yeah - it was cruel, but it so threw them off their game and when they left, it was 3+ years before they came back. ;D
Most of all - pray up and be gentle! Make sure you witness out of love. Your conversation with them may be the only witness they see of a true Christian.
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Post by intheflesh on Nov 26, 2005 16:55:15 GMT -5
I was actually a jehovas witness. I went to all the meeting and didd all that good stuff. I know that so far ive only seen one person doing it on here, but i just thought id go ahead and remind you all that it isnt very christian to to make fun of others beliefs or tell them they smell bad lol.
Secondly as a junior in high school, i decided to brush up on beliefs on different religions and in one of the books i read it explain how, in his time, Jesus Christ himself was, in fact, a cult leader. Cults, are often how many religions are started.
Also, it seemed to me that some of you may frown upon someone from another religion sharing their beliefs with a christian or "trying to convert them". First of all i must say that i have NEVER met anyone, christian, satanist, athiest etc etc.., that hast shared their religious beliefs with me a tried to help me "see the light" or whatever. In my opinion this is perfectly healthy. As a christian isnt it your duty to spread the gospel of jesus christ to the world?
I cant say that i am a full pledged christian but i am trying to make the tranistion and i just thought i should share my thoughts with you all on the subject. I also want you all to know that i did not mean to in any way offend any of you guys. -In The Flesh
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Post by Solid on Nov 26, 2005 19:18:36 GMT -5
It is a lot easier to witness to them if you listen to them, in that way, they'll respect you and listen to you.
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Post by amoyensis on Nov 27, 2005 11:50:45 GMT -5
I recently posted an entry in my livejournal about how I came across this Jehovah's Witness guy who completely contradicted the stereotypes I previously had in my mind about members of that faith. www.livejournal.com/users/yougavemehopeIt was eye-opening.
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Post by rebeltf on Dec 10, 2005 21:40:12 GMT -5
What onelasttime said , how true.
I try to avoid discussions about my Faith beliefs vs someone else's if at all possible. I have found that most people think their beliefs are right and yours is wrong and will try like no tommorrow to get you to think thier way. Some people such as myself are complacent, in that one is responsible enough to make up thier own mind. I have a good friend who dislikes Mormons , I see no problem with Mormons personally , it is thier life and destiny , not ours , same goes with JW's or whatever else. Funny , this good friend is Catholic , as if the Catholic church isnt scandal ridden. To each thier own. The advent of the internet has made "faiths" that much more bizarre seeming , it seems as if every week there is another group/cult/whatever popping up.
I can think of (off the top of my head) 6 different friends/relatives that have different views regarding God , low and behold every one of them has tried to convince me that thier way is "the way" in the past.. Whatever. hehe Are you comfortable in your conscious that your "way" is the "right way" then I think you'll do fine. Man has been imposing it's will upon other men since God gave us the brains to make weapons and war and , that imposing will continue until our Great Day has come.
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