by smiddy 6 Replies latest watchtower bible
The witnesses have never been backwards in denigrating the Catholics for scaring their members with the threat of eternal damnation with the hellfire doctrine(,which they dont do anymore),however the WTB&TS are continually scaremongering their followers with the eternal destructionn of their members with Armaggeddon if they dont adhere to the WT`s interpretation of current policy. and have been doing so since the late 1800`s
smiddy
Fearmongering tactics are much worse among the JW's.
No shunning with the Catholics. No pressure. No imminent threat of death at Armageddon if you don't do things Jehovah's way, and that can mean down to the last detail of the clean car locally.
Catholics do have the burden of sin laid on their shoulders at birth, but they also believe in a much more all-embracing divine forgiveness than anything on offered to the Witnesses, who have to work hard every day to "keep themselves in God's love" as the second compulsory book has it.
Both are control groups, but one is much more gentle and all-welcoming.
Catholics don't have elders coming round to "shepherd" you "out of love" in the form of a mighty kick in the teeth. And catholics do, on the whole, let you think for yourself. Think for yourself as a JW and you're out on your ear.
I come for a Catholic family and have grown up in this religion.
I spent lots of time at church as a child and always liked going to church. My mother took me to church, later asked me to go and I happily went.
To me god has always been an understanding and forgiving god and none I had to fear. I always felt comfortable. I cannot remember that anyone tried to frighten me.
My attitude towards the Catholic church changed when I was 14 and it was time for my confirmation and I was forced to confess my sins to our priest in the confessional.
I had always dreaded this moment as my sins (what kind of big sins can you have committed by the age of 14?) have so far been a topic of me and god within my prayers and I simply did not see a reason why suddenly there should be a priest be the one to forgive my sins.
The priest and my family put pressure on me and so I had to do this but did not really know what to tell him because for me all had been "sorted" between me and god.
Anyway, I was told by the priest I simply had to do it or there would be no confirmation. And suddenly the confirmation was no longer my choice but obligatory - my mother insisted.
I still remember how awful I felt in that confessional. It seemed so wrong.
From that point I more or less stopped going to church.
Meanwhile I officially left the Catholic church as a member as I disagreed with many of their ideas, also on women in ministry, the pope's views etc.
I now consider myself as a Christian - as simple as that :)
JW's much, much worse.
What RCC was, WTS continues on in their dark age belief system. RCC had to adopt to the fact that more people in the west became educated and no longer believed in hell and superstition that RCC church taught, but WTS continues on preaching BS and condemns higher education and any critical thinking is a bad thing within wts realm. Fear mongering is what holds wts together while RCC was able to move past that which also resulted in a loss of regular church goers. Once JWs lose the fear, they will also leave wts in droves. Moving from cult to main stream religion is unthinkable for wts.
JW's much, much worse.
I disagree. The Watchtower has an appalling record but compared to the Roman Catholic church's ongoing history of authoritarian control, abuse and corruption they are absolute beginners.
The Catholics have Hell
JWs have Armageddon
Different name, same purpose: Control through fear and intimidation.
That being said, I'd have to agree with Cofty, compared to the Catholic church the WTBTS are rank novices. But then again the Catholic church has had about 2,000 years to practice its craft, the WTBTS only a little over 100.
But that's ok, because The End is coming SOON! .... hahahahahaha!
