Hello. I'm still trying 2 figure out if this is a pro or anti JW forum but here goes.. I started studying JW 6 months ago & I do feel I'm growing. I think at the rate things are going I'll b babtised in another 6 months. What's this UN connection? The person I'm studing with says Jesus isn't loved by God anymore than all the angels. I thought God loved his son most of all. I am confused. Thanks
I've been studying JW for 6 months. Please help..
by fb130 59 Replies latest jw friends
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amama2six
Welcome to the board! I have only been here a few days, myself, but from what I can tell there is a mix of ex-JWs, inactive JWs, JWs that want to leave but are feeling the pressure to stay for fear of losing their families, active JWs with some minor doubts, and fully active JWs (very few of these).
I will let someone else answer you on the UN issue as I am still learning all of this myself, I left the organization 12 years ago (raised JW...left at 18) but am just now educating myself on the true nature of the organization.
I am glad you are here asking questions! Too many go in blindly without knowing all the facts. Whether or not you choose to go through with your baptism, at least you will be well-informed of what that decision will mean for you.
*Hugs* ~April -
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Big Tex
I'm still trying 2 figure out if this is a pro or anti JW forum but here goes
Think of it as sort of a halfway house. From there it's what you make of it.
And by the way welcome. Please feel free to ask anything, as such an invitation will not be offered to you at your bible study.
Chris
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Gopher
The WT Society has long preached that the United Nations is part of Satan's wicked world, with which none of their members should mix. They quote the verse where Jesus said his followers are no part of the world.
Yet the WT Society (without announcing such to its members) affiliated with the U.N. as a "non-governmental organization", or NGO, for most of the 1990's until 2001, when this affiliation was exposed on this website and then in the U.K. newspaper "The Guardian". Here's the link to that 2001 article in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/oct/08/religion.world
After this affiliation was publicized, the Watchtower Society quickly and quietly withdrew, offering the excuse that they wanted to use the UN Library as the reason for having their membership card with the U.N.! (It was kind of like when a kid is caught with his hand in the cookie jar.)
Here's the text of the article by Stephen Bates.
Jehovah's Witnesses link to UN queried
Sect accused of hypocrisy over association with organisation it has demonised.
- Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
- The Guardian,
- Monday October 8 2001
The United Nations is being asked to investigate why it has granted associate status to the Jehovah's Witnesses, the fundamentalist US-based Christian sect, which regards it as the scarlet beast predicted in the Book of Revelation.
Disaffected members of the 6m-strong group, which has 130,000 followers in the UK, have accused the Witnesses' elderly governing body of hypocrisy in secretly accepting links with an organisation that they continue to denounce in apocalyptic terms.
The UN itself admitted yesterday that it was surprised that the sect, whose formal name is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, had been accepted on its list of non-governmental organisations for the last 10 years.
A former member said: "There is a glaring inconsistency which has emerged between the WTBTS's frequent portrayal of the UN as an evil organisation and its behind-the-scenes attempts to curry favour with that organisation. Were individual members to be aware of any formal link they would be devastated.
"By no stretch of the imagination could the WTBTS be considered to share the ideals of the UN charter unless you suppose that destruction of the UN by God is consistent with that charter."
The Witnesses, most frequently encountered by non-members when they attempt to make doorstep conversions, have faced accusations of bad faith before.
These have been most notably over the hierarchy's insistence that members should not accept blood transfusions and over accusations that sexual abuse of children by Witnesses' ministers in the US have been covered up.
Followers who criticise the Witnesses' leaders or question their decisions are routinely "disfellowshipped" which means fellow members including their families must shun them.
An obscure and ill-publicised decision by the hierarchy in New York last year modifying the prohibition on transfusions by deeming that God had revealed to them that transfusions of some blood components might be acceptable, providing there was later repentance, has come too late for many hundreds of followers known to have died because they refused blood.
In child abuse cases, the hierarchy insists there must be two independent witnesses - an almost impossible stipulation - before accusations are investigated.
The Watchtower Society has been denouncing the UN and its predecessor the League of Nations for 80 years, believing them to be a world empire of false religion, predicted in the Book of Revelation.
A recent publication since the organisation obtained its recognition describes the UN as "a disgusting thing in the sight of God and his people".
In an internal document, the WTBTS describes its policy as a "theocratic war strategy". It claims: "In time of spiritual warfare it is proper to misdirect the enemy by hiding the truth. It is done unselfishly; it does not harm anyone; on the contrary it does much good."
Being a recognised NGO with the United Nations - as more than 1,500 organisations are - gives status though not grants.
To qualify, organisations must show that they share the ideals of the charter, operate on a non-profit basis, "demonstrate interest in UN issues and proven ability to reach large or specialised audiences" and have the commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes about UN activities.
Disaffected Witnesses believe that the association, which has not been publicised to followers, is intended to increase the cult's respectability to sceptical governments, such as France's, which have refused to recognise it.
Paul Gillies, the Witnesses' spokesman in Britain, said: "We do not have hostile attitudes to governing bodies and if we are making representations on issues to the UN we will do so."
"There are good and bad bodies just as there are good and bad politicians. We believe what the Book of Revelation tells us but we do not actively try to change the political system." A spokeswoman for the UN said: "I think we may not be aware of their attitude, which seems to be really strange."
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RubaDub
Just a word of advice ..........
If you go to an assembly prior to being designated an "upbaptized publisher", take it for all it's worth.
If and when they announce that you are an unbaptized publisher, the one-towel-rule will apply and there is no looking back.
Rub a Dub
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yknot
You have a PM....check your inbox!
Ask and you shall receive......
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fern
fb130-
All I can say is RUN! Run and never look back. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Read the comments on the thread entitlted "What's the worst thing the JW religion has done to you?"
Very enlightening. Oh Geez....I'm officially and apostate now!
Fern
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nameless_one
Hi and welcome, fb130. You will find quite a mix of people here, the common thread being that all have been impacted by the WTS in some way.
Regarding the UN-NGO issue, there's a lot of good info offered on this thread already. You might also want to check out the JWFacts site at http://www.jwfacts.com -- there is a ton of straightforward and well presented information there, covering many JW topics. The specific page on the UN issue is at http://www.jwfacts.com/index_files/un.htm.
Another site that might be of help to you is http://www.freeminds.org. And of course this forum; there's much to be learned here, and many people who are happy to share their experiences and their knowledge. Poke around, read what's here, ask any questions you have, and you will learn much, guaranteed.
Please don't get baptized before you have researched things thoroughly; not just the UN issue, but the WTS and JWs in general. It is critical that you investigate what you've been told (and not been told) by consulting a wide variety of sources, not just the Watchtower Society's own literature. If you take only one thing from your thread here, make it be that: Don't consider baptism until you have conducted your own thorough, independent research.
Again, welcome to the forum -
IreallydidwalkoutofaKH
I wish I knew more about your circumstances. If you have children, if you were struggling from a past issue, or something where you really needed just companionship. However, my experience was this. 99% of all people you meet at the Kingdom Hall are going to put you and your family second the their governingbody. Every time you have an issue, it will be about the Watch Tower's reputation and you or your families well being second. For me, that at the end of the day was their real weak spot.