Going To Other Churches

by Cold Steel 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Cold Steel
    Cold Steel

    Okay, what happens when a congregation member, a relatively new convert, approaches an elder and says, "Hey, Jim. Just wanted to let you know that I'm going to have to leave today's meeting as soon as it breaks...."

    "Really," says Jim. "What's up?"

    "I've got a friend who told me he'd visit our Kingdom Hall if I'd visit his Methodist church, so I'm going to drop by one of his meetings later on this afternoon and see what I can learn about them. Then next week, he's agreed to come here with his son."

    How does the rest of the conversation go??

  • Ding
    Ding

    JWs don't attend meetings or read literature from the churches of Christendom because they are a part of Babylon the Great.

  • BackseatDevil
    BackseatDevil

    Yeah, that's a long time belief. An argument against it is found in Reasoning for the Scriptures. No Witness would ever do that. And I'm pretty sure it's included as part of the questions for baptism (someone fact check me)... meaning that in your scenario, a "new convert" wouldn't be such unless they understand the concept in the first place.

    Also, JW's don't "convert" people (in terminology).

  • LoisLane looking for Superman
    LoisLane looking for Superman

    Hello BackSeatDevil and Ding...

    Cold Steel, I am curious what you will tell us, is the next part. LOL Because I cannot comprehend any JDub saying those words in any kind of a sentence.

    Did you:

    1) Over heard this?

    2) Someone told you this story?

    3) Made it up to post something on a lovely, lazy summer afternoon? and and or

    4) Said it yourself? and

    I am hoping for door #4. You said it yourself. LOL

    Just Lois Enjoying a Lazy - Hazy Gorgeous Summer Day

  • blondie
    blondie

    Only a "bible student" or someone new and not baptized would do such a thing. Before baptism, candidates go through a large number of questions, and ones about taking literature or attending other churches are not missed. They are expected to explain the WT "bible" explanation of why you would not visit and agree with it.

    jws are even strongly discouraged from going to churches for weddings and funerals of non-jw family and 99,9% know that.

    *** w02 5/15 p. 28 Questions From Readers ***

    Would it be advisable for a true Christian to attend a funeral or a wedding in a church?

    Our taking part in any form of false religion is displeasing to Jehovah and must be avoided. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Revelation 18:4) A church funeral is a religious service that likely involves a sermon advocating such unscriptural ideas as the immortality of the soul and a heavenly reward for all good people. It may also include such practices as making the sign of the cross and joining in prayer with the priest or minister. Prayers and other religious exercises contrary to Bible teaching may also be a part of a religious wedding ceremony held in a church or elsewhere. Being in a group where everyone else is engaging in a false religious act, a Christian may find it difficult to resist the pressure to join in. How unwise to expose oneself to such pressure!

    What if a Christian feels obligated to attend a funeral or a wedding held in a church? An unbelieving husband, for example, may urge his Christian wife to be with him on such an occasion. Could she join him as a quiet observer? Out of regard for her husband’s wishes, the wife may decide to go with him, being determined not to share in any religious ceremonies. On the other hand, she may decide not to go, reasoning that the emotional pressure of the circumstances could prove to be too much for her, perhaps causing her to compromise godly principles. The decision would be hers to make. She definitely would want to be settled in her heart, having a clean conscience.—1 Timothy 1:19.

    In any case, it would be to her advantage to explain to her husband that she could not conscientiously share in any religious ceremonies or join in the singing of hymns or bow her head when prayer is offered. On the basis of her explanation, he may conclude that his wife’s presence could give rise to a situation that might be unpleasant to him. He may choose to go alone out of love for his wife, respect for her beliefs, or a desire to avoid any embarrassment. But if he insists that she go with him, she might go as a mere observer.

    Not to be overlooked is the effect our attending a service in a religious building might have on fellow believers. Could it injure the conscience of some? Might their resistance to avoid engaging in idolatry be weakened? “Make sure of the more important things,” admonishes the apostle Paul, “so that you may be flawless and not be stumbling others up to the day of Christ.”—Philippians 1:10.

    If the occasion involves a close fleshly relative, there may be additional family pressures. In any case, a Christian must carefully weigh all the factors involved. Under certain circumstances he or she may conclude that no difficulties would arise from attending a church funeral or wedding as an observer. However, the circumstances may be such that by attending, the likely injury to one’s own conscience or to that of others would outweigh the possible benefits of being present. Whatever the situation, the Christian should make sure that the decision will not interfere with his preserving a good conscience before God and men.

  • Laika
    Laika

    Hi Cold Steel,

    I remember some Mormons coming to my Congregation once, they wanted to find out more about the JWs, I guess to improve their preaching with JWs. A JW would never do that, for Mormons or anyone else.

    Not only can a JW get disfellowshipped for attending another Church Service, they can even get disfellowshipped for singing other religion's songs.

  • The Searcher
    The Searcher

    Take the warped, illogical, and unscriptural reasoning to a simple conclusion:

    We should not go out and talk to anyone in Christendom about the Scriptures, because Christendom is apostate, and by extension© anyone claiming to be part of Christendom is apostate also!!!!!!

    These filthy apostates could tell us anything about their corrupt beliefs and cause us to be stumbled, so "quit touching the unclean thing" and avoid apostate Christians at all costs!!

  • Iown Mylife
    Iown Mylife

    How am i supposed to know what would injure another person's conscience - the WT religion is not like one anchor tied to my feet but a thousand anchors all over me while I was just trying to LIVE

  • Mum
    Mum

    JW's advocate liberal views. Their own views are rock hard conservative.

    JW's advocate freedom of religiion. They do not allow their members the option of considering fair play with another religion.

  • BackseatDevil
    BackseatDevil

    @blondie's is a good reference in the circumstances presented. There are SOME occations where one could be "an observer" and still not participate in the process of false religion (as it's something a witness has to do everyday out in the WORLD anyway). Factors involved are family, emotion, appropriateness in both family and social settings. A Witness would go into such a situation with more on the mind than just the religious aspects.

    In @ColdSteel's question, the idea is that an exchange of literature or attendance. THAT is a different issue. 'You attend mine if I attend yours' is never an agreed upon scenario whether it be church attendance or literature. It "cheapens" the messages the JWs have to offer and by accepting THAT SPECIFIC kind of invitation (a "tic-for-tac" exchange), one would not only be opening themselves up to demonic intrusion voluntarity (via literature or by presence in a church) but then also reducing the message of the Witnesses to nothing more than bartering tools... and no Witness would be baptized without understanding that the message, literature, and the "spiritual kingdom within" are too precious to be used like that and are NOT availiable to be bartered with. It cheapens the message of the "truth" of the organization as a whole.

    There were a whole series of talks about it in the 90s (still needing that fact checker). Many witnesses were taking literature in exchange. And even though the literature was immediately thrown away, the DEMONS were voluntarily in their possession for a short time AND the non-witness walks away with the idea of "their religion is no better than ours."

    Later, it came out in publication (somewhere) about respect for the message Witnesses hold, etc. etc. etc.

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