JW's don't know their own faith

by wobble 8 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  wobble

  I think this may well have been done to death before,but it still surprised me to find it so close to home.

  I t has been pointed out that many JW's can't explain their doctrines,but I never thought that would apply to my sister.she is a super-culty Dub,in for over sixty years,and during a somewhat heated conversation at the weekend she kept throwing things at me as "trooves" and I had to keep saying "You need to research that"

  For example I told her that according to the WT Jesus was only the Mediator for the 144,000. She did not agree that was WT teaching,so I just said the above.

  It amazes me that I will have to educate her,ex-pioneer and great door-knocker,as to what she is supposed to believe,before I show her the errors,if we ever get down to a proper discussion. I don't really want to though,I think she and her Husband need and DESERVE the Borg.

  Are you surprised at the ignorance of thir own religion by Witnessses,despite all those meetings and hours of study?

  Love

  Wobble
• 

  AgentSmith

  They will be, they are trained to be. It seems strange to me that I used to just 'swallow' the spiritual food that was placed before me. Just accepted what was printed in the publications as from Jehovah himself. How could it be wrong?

  When I get frustrated by how the JW's fight tooth and nail defending paper thin arguments, I just remind myself that I was just the same...

  Agent Smith
• 

  Amha·’aret

  Like AS said, we were all like that at one time, maybe even up till quite recently.

  I'm sure many will agree that we've learned more about dub beliefs and their origins on here than we ever did at meetins, assemblies and conventions.
• 

  passwordprotected

  Many JWs are not aware, and probably don't really care, about the absolute core, 'Christian' doctrines of the WTS. The example you cite above is classic. I confess that it wasn't until memorial season 2008 that I learned that the 144,000 alone have Christ as mediator. I was raised as a witness, pioneered for many years and was serving as an elder.

  The reality to most JWs is that these doctrines don't even register on their radar because to them they don't directly impact on their carrot-and-stick hopes. I mean, if the WTS has promised you a paradise earth, are you really going to concern yourself with how you're going to get their, i.e. what it is that makes it possible to have eternal life (namely Christ mediating for you). How many JWs know that Jesus has to be given the same honour as the Father, who to them is Jehovah? How many JWs know that the Bible teaches Christ has to be worshipped? Do they know that you can be disfellowshipped for confessing that Jesus has to be worshipped?

  Another 'truth' that JWs probably don't know about is that the WTS teaches that the Bible was written only for the 144,000, that Christ's death was for them alone and that association with the remnant of 144,000 is essential for salvation.

  The harsh reality of these doctrines is that they are completely contrary to Christian teaching in the Bible.
• 

  Trevor Scott

  Wobble,

  I've come to the same realization over the years. At first I was surprised, but knowing the religion as I do now, it makes perfect sense. For all intents and purposes, a JW's salvation boils down to accepting the Governing Body as God's channel and then 'meekly following along'.

  Specifically with regard to the mediatorship of Christ, in my experience, *most* JWs do not realize that as part of the "great crowd" they do not have Christ as a mediator. This is downright scary for anyone who professes to be Christian, for being Christian *means* having Christ as your mediator.

  A mediator is a go-between, a negotiator, a link between two parties:

  me·di·a·tor
  n.

  1. One that mediates, especially one that reconciles differences between disputants.

  mediator

  a negotiator who acts as a link between parties

  According to scripture, there is only one valid mediator: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

  Jesus is recorded as saying the same thing: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

  No one.

  According to WT doctrine, JWs are saved, not by having Christ as their mediator, but by associating with the Watchtower Society; by how they "treat" those special "anointed" Christians, "Christ's brothers", who run the religion:

  *** w69 8/15 p. 486 Christ’s Return—What Does It Mean for You? ***

  It is particularly in regard to Christ’s present judging work that his return is full of meaning for you and all others living at this time. As Jesus went on to show, all mankind today is being judged by their attitude and course of action toward Christ’s brothers, the anointed footstep followers of Jesus Christ, of whom a “remnant” are still upon earth. These and their dedicated companions are sharing in the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”—Matt. 24:14.

  Jesus’ anointed followers are serving in his stead. (2 Cor. 5:20) He therefore counts what is done to them as done to him. (Acts 9:5) So, those who treat with kindness Christ’s followers, who take their stand with them, are counted as doing these things to Jesus himself, even as he said in his parable: “Truly I say to you, To the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”—Matt. 25:40.

  Since this work of dividing the “sheep” and “goats” is going on under the direction of Jesus Christ, his return by directing his attention to the affairs of earth is of the greatest importance and meaning to all upon earth. Your destiny, as well as that of all persons now living, is fixed by the course of action taken toward Christ’s followers. There is no middle ground.

  The Bible says in regard to Jesus that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Yet for Jehovah's Witnesses, it is a fact that there is another name by which they must get saved.

  Trevor.
• 

  fokyc

  HOW TRUE!

  And that includes elders as well as the rank and file.

  A CO (Donald Holley) recently gave a talk about 'what makes a JW', he said you could still be a JW; IF you were baptised and had not da'd yourself, NO other requirements, he said that was a bit like a ladder with only 2 rungs.

  BUT - Two elders, shortly after, said that was not correct, you MUST also attend ALL meetings and regularly take part in field service.

  Who is correct?

  fokyc
• 

  leavingwt

  Wobble,

  You are correct. The average JW cannot explain core doctrines.

  Here is the crazy part: It is completely unnecessary for cult members to understand doctrine. All they have to do is maintain their status with the organization. That is all that matters in Watchtower land. (Attend meetings, go in service, give comments, keep your nose clean in public.)

  - How many JWs can explain with blood "fractions" are "acceptable", non-disfellowshipping ones?

  - How many JWs can use the Bible to explain when and how the Slave was selected by Jesus, above all other religions?

  - How many JWs can explain who the Mediator is for the Great Crowd of Other Sheep?

  The list goes on an on...

  -LWT
• 

  WTWizard

  They do that on purpose. The Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger keeps on putting out articles about "deeper things" that they themselves do not know what it means, and insinuate that you are going to die unless you understand and properly apply them. And then, just as people think they know them, they put out another Washtowel that alters the same doctrines. You have to learn the new version, only to have yet another Washtowel put out another interpretation.

  This is best illustrated by what they did to "a generation". Just since 1995, they altered it twice. It was "the group of people that were alive in 1914 when the end times began". In 1995, they changed it to "a group of people with similar traits", effectively allowing it to last forever (those traits are passed down generations). Recently, they changed "a generation" again, this time to "the remnant of those who are anointed". Confusing--you cannot possibly learn it because they will change it again.
• 

  I quit!

  "For example I told her that according to the WT Jesus was only the Mediator for the 144,000. She did not agree that was WT teaching"

  I didn't find that out till after I left. I was shocked when found this out. It isn't the kind of teaching they want to draw attention to because it isn't the kind of doctrine that would encourage people to sign up. It is a good example of how you can reach a dead end when you start twisting doctines to make it seem like you have something different and special to offer. Let's face that is a major point. It should be included in any vision or mission statement they have and should be explained to you before you are baptised into their organization but instead it is brushed in the corner. Witnesses really don't know much about their history and don't understand many of their current teaching because they are kept loaded down with what the Watchtower wants them to see. It isn't unusual to find a JW who has been one for decades who has never understood this teaching or who doesn't have a clue as to when the Watchtower change the date for Christ's return from 1874 to 1914 or any other number of their strange beliefs.