by tribalgirl 24 Replies latest jw friends
It's a shell game between the two terms:
Jehovahs Witnesses (Upper case W)
Jehovahs witnesses (Lower case w)
With an upper case W, it's the formal name of an organized religion. With a lower case w, it's a doctrinal term describing the faithful clear back to Able.
Jehovahs Witnesses used the lower case w from the 30's clear up to the 70's when they found out that it weakened their legal footing, especially with regard to property rights.
Maybe Satan was the first witness. He was possibly the first to witness Jehovah's bizarre personality and parctices.
Clam
All very interesting responses. Thanks everyone, for helping me out here.
I am trying to decide whether or not to even bring it up again to my sister and mom. They are still in that "blocked" stage, you know the one... where nobody can say anything remotely opposed to the WTBTS"s teachings without alarm bells going off in their brains and a wall going up immediately to block logical thought from gaining entrance. *sigh*
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w959/1p.25"LoveNeverFails"***But until 1947 when the missionaries came, polygamy was common in the congregations. Polygamous brothers were told that they had married more than one wife in ignorance. So if they had two or three or four or five wives, they could keep them, but they should not take any more. That was the policy we had.
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w952/1p.16par.7AGreatCrowdRenderingSacredService***In 1947 it was emphasized that Jehovah’s Christian marriage standards apply in all lands; regardless of what local custom might approve, those who continued to practice polygamy could not be Witnesses of Jehovah.—Matthew 19:4-6; Titus 1:5, 6.
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jvchap.13p.176RecognizedbyOurConduct***As their work got under way in Africa in this 20th century, the Witnesses taught there, as they do everywhere, that Christian marriage allows for just one marriage mate. (Matt. 19:4, 5; 1 Cor. 7:2; 1 Tim. 3:2) Yet, there were hundreds who accepted the Bible’s exposure of idolatry and gladly embraced what Jehovah’s Witnesses taught concerning the Kingdom of God but who got baptized without abandoning polygamy. To correct this situation, TheWatchtower of January 15, 1947, emphasized that Christianity makes no allowance for polygamy, regardless of local custom. A letter sent to the congregations notified any who professed to be Jehovah’s Witnesses but who were polygamists that six months was being allowed for them to bring their marital affairs into harmony with the Bible standard. This was reinforced by a discourse given by Brother Knorr during a visit to Africa that same year.
Blondie, sorry I am so slow this morning, but why the 1947 quotes?.......oompa
