by Wordly Andre 10 Replies latest jw friends
My wife (Lifetime nonJW) has never been around any Jdubs her whole life, until she met me and my crazy family. Today I was reading some of the posts from this website, and she asked me why do JW call God Jehovah and not just God or lord, isn't that like calling your own father by his real name?
I remember when I was a kid I said lord once and my dad corrected me and said Jehovah, why is that?
I thought they sometimes use Lord, or maybe only in front of non jw's? I suppose only to be different like everything else. My jw would never think of calling his dad by his first name, yet, they feel the need to apply a made up name to God. It boggles the mind.
The Hebrew scriptures make several references to the patriarchs using God's personal name. They also make reference to "calling on the name of Jehovah" for protection and salvation.
Psalms 83:18 is probably the most popular scripture when it comes to explaining why Gods name should be used and sanctified.
You do make a good point though; and it's something that I have thought about. Why would a father get offended when his son or daughter called him "Daddy" instead of calling him "Todd"?
Arthur,
I have to disagree with the use of 'jehovah', there cannot possibly be any true scripts that say call apon 'jehovah' as that wasn't even a word until about 1270 invented by a Catholic monk by the name of Martini. Many, many sites, books, commentaries, etc... about the tetragrammaton.
When we speak to those of authority, don't we usually use words to show respect? Can you imagine being in front of a judge and addressing him by his first name? In school, didn't we call the teachers Mr or Mrs? We don't even call our own parents by their given name.
So wouldn't it be disrespectful to call God by his name?
Psalms 83 1-19 Prayer against a hostile Alliance only names God and Lord not Jehovah
Psalms 83-18
Let them be dismayed and shamed forever, let them perish in disgrace.
this is from my Catholic bible
So wouldn't it be disrespectful to call God by his name?
as if we were equals with him
have to disagree with the use of 'jehovah', there cannot possibly be any true scripts that say call apon 'jehovah' as that wasn't even a word until about 1270 invented by a Catholic monk by the name of Martini. Many, many sites, books, commentaries, etc... about the tetragrammaton.
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I should have said "Yahweh" instead of Jehovah. You actually bring up another good point as to how the spelling "Jehovah" was derived.
Andre - if i recall correctly... in the congregations I attended they theory went that if you used his personal name then you could have a personal relationship with him.
Its another superstition. The more they say it the more they are convinced only they KNOW Jehovah. Little do they realize that many other religions also call him by name.
Its Jehovah this and Jehovah that, very disrespectful. There is a difference in making Gods name known, and using it willy nilly like the dubs do
