What's a "Non Believer"?

JH

As far as I'm concerned, a "non believer" is one that doesn't believe in God.

As for the JW's, a non believer is someone that doesn't believe 100% of what the Watchtower says, no matter if there were flip flops on many subjects.

I find it insulting when a JW will consider a member of another religion that prays ,and who may devote lots of time helping people, like Jesus said to do, and still be branded a "non believer", no better nor worse than the worst scum of society that may be in jail for murder.

mouthy

You put it right on the nose JH

BluesBrother

To be exact , you have to be baptized to come out of the designation "unbeliever"

Watchtower :Nov 1st '89

At 1 Corinthians 14:22, Paul used the term "unbelievers" in contrast with "believers," or baptized persons. The Corinthians, then, would understand the word "unbelievers" to refer to unbaptized persons.—See Acts 8:13; 16:31-34; 18:8.

Guest with Questions

As far as I'm concerned, a "non believer" is one that doesn't believe in God.

I think a non believer is one who doesn’t or can’t think. I think most people equate belief with God. One doesn’t have to believe in God but everybody believes in something or someone.

As for the JW's, a non believer is someone that doesn't believe 100% of what the Watchtower says, no matter if there were flip flops on many subjects.

Go to any cult and they will say the same thing. Wouldn’t it be great to gather all these cults who believe they are the only way and have them in a debate together.

I find it insulting when a JW will consider a member of another religion that prays ,and who may devote lots of time helping people, like Jesus said to do, and still be branded a "non believer", no better nor worse than the worst scum of society that may be in jail for murder.

I don’t find it insulting anymore. Last November my mother was really upset over something and I asked if we could pray together. She was aghast and said "but we pray to Jehovah". It was such a slap in the face and I asked her who she thought I was praying to. I am now just saddened that she doesn’t have the truth. I am confident that I am praying to the right God.

As for the last comment I understand and believe it in a worldly way too, but to God all sin is something that separates us from God. Even the murderer, if he is truly remorseful, can be forgiven. We are saved by grace. (no not by the previous poster-sorry Mouthy-couldn’t resist)

Frequent_Fader_Miles

In JW wonderland, a "non believer" is simply someone without the JW tag ... any unbaptized person. It matters not if that person is kind, loving, believes in God, or demonstrates any other Christianlike qualities. Once you fall out of the JW category they'll call you an unbeliever ... quite insulting indeed. What about all those "unbelieving JWs" within their ranks? Those who just go through the motions without truly believing all that Watchtower crap! In my humble opinion, it's just outside appearances the Society is concerned with.

IsaacJS2

Guest with Questions, I should probably point out that quite a few of us are atheists here. You may not realize it, but some of we nonbelievers may take your comments as an insult. You know?

Just a heads up.

IsaacJ

IsaacJS2

I don't remember them using the "nonbeliever" word much in my time with the Society, but I have seen it in a few articles since. I think it's a way of using the language to separate them a little more from other Christians. They don't want them seeing all Christians as...well...Christians. Calling them nonbelievers is pretty antagonistic to other believers.

I do seem to remember heavy use of the word "Christendom" back in the 90s when I was a WT slave.

IsaacJ

avidbiblereader

Well said JH and again trying to equate the WT as God, a non believer is one who does not profess belief in God or His sent One Christ.

abr

FairMind

I should probably point out that quite a few of us are atheists here. You may not realize it, but some of we nonbelievers may take your comments as an insult. You know?

On the other hand many of us here are not athiests and find it insulting that athiests want to eliminate all mention of our faith that there is a god, IMHO

Pistoff

The use of words in the WT's publications is intentional, and not a coincidence.

To call non witnesses unbelievers is a device to divide the entire world into a black and white division that is completely arbitrary and inaccurate.

It is effective for witnesses; it is convenient. It allows them to consider the rest of us as unfortunate dross, left overs, dead men walking, surrogates for demons.

It is also completely misleading. Every witness has a different level of belief, trust in God, etc; but with this one classification they gloss over the reality of the individual nature of belief and faith.

The men who write the WT, maybe even more so the lawyers and wordsmiths who tweak the usage, know exactly what they are doing, at least with the loaded and colored language they use.

What's a "Non Believer"?

Share this