Answers for a term paper

by drivr 22 Replies latest jw friends

Know_You

At the prompting of one known as Pope of something or other, I have decided to pull over by the side of the road and answer your questions. Mrs Know_You I have sent to the store to buy fixings for dinner and when she returns I really must press on - we don't want to lose our spot in Big Basin.
: What is with the date 1975?
This is the date that the rank and file invented as the date for Armageddon. Despite the Governing Body's (our leaders) constant admonition that "no man knows the hour" a sort of fever swept through the congregations - no doubt sent by Satan - and as a result there was a great Exodus. Subsequently, apostates blamed the leaders as is usually the case in such outbreaks of mass hysteria.
: Who is Frederick W. Franz?
Brother Franz has passed on to his heavenly inheritance.
: Does the WatchTower contradict itself?
The Watchtower magazine (if that's what you mean) cannot contradict itself since it is merely the instrument of God, dispensing new light at the proper time.
: Are you really shunned if you are thrown out?
Only out of love - what are we supposed to do, accept the venom laden apostate, the frenetic violator of Divine Law to rest in our midst?
: Are you allowed to study any version of the bible or do you have to use study guides?
For many years we used the Authorized and other versions of the Bible. Only relatively recently did dear Brother Franz - a Greek and Hebrew Rhodes Scholar - translate the Bible to bring it into conformity with present revealed truth.
: Do you have doubts about this religion?
None. Why would anyone belong to a religion about which they had doubts?
I suggest that yours will be a long hard passage through College based on your questions. Far better to embrace that which you would study and request a free home study of the Bible. There are eager brothers world-wide who are dying to share the Truth with those with thirsting hearts such as your own...but dear me, he comes Mrs Know_You fresh from the liquor store - so I doubt that I'll be posting much more, for, after a fifth of the good stuff those wrinkles of hers start to look pretty good. Hope that helps. LOL.
Know_You.
Edited by - Know_You on 15 October 2002 22:38:30
Edited by - Know_You on 15 October 2002 22:49:0
Dia

Now, let's see if I could answer these the way a Witness might.
Please keep in mind that all propoganda is intact. So is all self-delusion of which I have no awareness, whatsoever. And now:
What is a JW? A person who is following the scripture which tells us that we ought to be witnesses to God (Jehovah is God's true name and we are the only people who really know it and use it.)
What made you decide to join? Someone showed me how most religions in the world were just FILLED with falsehoods, pagan traditions and lies. I started to see how Jehovah's Witnesses were the ONLY really TRUE followers of the Bible.
Are you happy being a Jehovah's Witness? Oh, YES. JWs are the 'happiest people on earth', just like it says in the Bible.
Why do you go door-to-door? The Bible says that we should preach in these last days and try to lead people to the truth.
How often do you meet? 5 meetings per week on 3 days, not counting field service
144,000 - That is the number of people who will be going to heaven - not all good people as so many religions teach. Most will live here on earth. But the 144,000 will rule everybody else from heaven.
Why no blood? Because the bible CLEARLY says it's wrong.
Organ transplants? We used to think that but now we have better understanding.
Military? No, we only have allegience to Jehovah's kingdom, so why would we fight for any other nation?
What is the Watchtower? It is the magazine that we study and share with people in our door-to-door work. It is a 'study aide' which helps us to gain a better understanding of scripture. (It's sister magazine is 'Awake!')
No holidays - Because they are just a lot of pagan traditions and take away from the REAL holiday, Christ's death. Because that was the really important thing, not his birth.
1975? some people got to thinking the world was going to end in 1975 but the WTS NEVER said that.
Contradictions? They're only human, but if you think you see a contradiction, it's possible that you just don't really understand it. Show me if you find one and I'll ask the elders about it so they could clear it up. Some people claim they find contradictions but they're mostly apostates and you should be very careful about talking with them. They could just be sent by Satan to tempt your faith in the one true God.
Shunned/Thrown out - Nobody is thrown out. Disfellowshipping is something we are instructed to do by the Bible....(etc. etc. - I just can't go on about this one)
Any version? Wouldn't you want to study the truest version? Wouldn't anyone?
Doubts? Oh no. It is Satan who teases our minds with doubt. We believe in the one true religion, Jehovah's Witnesses!
*** How'd I do? ***
Double Edge

Drivr:
Check this out: http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/jws.htm
Also, look at the bottom of this page and you will find several other links that will have most of the information that you're looking for.
Good Luck!
Edited by - Double Edge on 15 October 2002 22:41:25
Alleymom

Driver --
As several other people have mentioned, most people on this board are ex-JW's; however, I do happen to know of another forum with two active Witnesses. If you are a member of Compuserve, you can try going to the Religon forum and posting your questions in the Jehovah's Witness section. You may just get a brush-off, but I have known Ten Canoes and Mick to answer questions about their reasons for being JW's. It may be worth a try, anyway.
Marjorie
larc

I am afraid that you are getting a mish mash of anxwers. Dia's reply is the closes to what the Witnesses believe. On clarification on 1975. From the late 1960's until 1975, the Watchower literature strongly suggested that the end of the world would end in 1975. If you ask a Witness today, they would deny it. Some other answers: Why did I become a Witness? I was raised in it. I did not have a choice. Who was Fred Franz? He was the fourth president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. It is believed that he drafted many of the books written by the second president, Joseph Rutherford. He was also the major contributor to their translation of the Bible. If you have other questions, please e-mail me.
AlanF

I'll take a crack at this. The first answer is what a JW likely would say. The second is closer to the truth.
What is a Jehovah Witness?
Someone who worships our God Jehovah as a member of the religion called Jehovah's Witnesses.
Someone who pretends to worship the God Jehovah as a member of the religion called Jehovah's Witnesses, but actually worships the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.
What made you decide to join the Jehovah Witnesses?
The wonderful spiritual truths they teach.
Pressure from parents, a long time being in a sore spot and falling prey to cult tactics.
Are you happy being a witness?
Perfectly.
I'm miserable but won't admit it because we teach that we are perfectly happy.
Why do you go door to door?
To teach people the wonderful hope of God's rapidly approaching Kingdom.
Because the Governing Body says we must.
How often do you meet for services?
Typically: Formal meetings: Sunday public talk and study of our main journal The Watchtower; Tuesday Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting; Thursday Congregation Book Study. Meetings for Field Service: Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon, sometimes Wednesday evening. Informal: Monday night personal/family Watchtower study; other times reserved for personal Bible study, preparation for meetings.
Way too often.
What is the significance of the number 144,000?
It is the exact number of Christ's spiritual brothers who will inherit Jehovah's Kingdom as heavenly creatures.
Absolutely nothing.
Why do Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?
Because the Bible forbids them, based on Acts 15.
Because the Governing Body says to.
Why do Witnesses refuse organ transplants?
That is old light!
Because the Governing Body said to.
Are you allowed to serve in the military?
No, because the Bible says we must not kill.
No, because the Governing Body says not to.
What is the WatchTower?
The Watchtower magazine is the main journal of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is the main legal entity through which our beloved Governing Body instructs us.
As above. Except that "the Watchtower Society" = "the Society" = God.
Why dont you celebrate holidays or birthdays?
Because the Bible forbids it. It amounts to partaking in pagan or God-dishonoring celebrations.
Because the Governing Body says not to.
: Those were the easy questions. I almost hate asking these next few because I dont want to offend anyone and not have them answer the questions. So if I offend anyone with these next questions I sincerely apologize, I have to ask them because I read about these issues on the internet.
What is with the date 1975?
I don't know what you're talking about. But, I've heard that some apostates claim that the Society predicted that 1975 would bring Armageddon, but that's a lie. Besides, it got everyone ready for Armageddon and sifted out those who were only serving for a date anyway, and that's a good thing.
The Watchtower Society began alluding in 1966 to the date 1975 as the date by which Armageddon would likely come. By 1969 the allusions had grown to outright predictions. By about 1974 not all that many JWs put emotional stock in the date any more. By 1979 over half a million JWs had quit because of being disappointed or disgusted in yet another false prediction.
Who is Frederick W. Franz?
The late Brother Franz was the Vice President of the Watchtower Society from 1942 through 1977; from 1977 to his death in 1992 he was President. He was a Rhodes Scholar and the best Bible scholar ever to grace the halls of Bethel.
More or less as above, except that Franz considered himself to be the only one capable of spiritual leadership of the JW organization. He was a brilliant lunatic. He was the only real translator for the WTS's Bible, The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. He was not a Rhodes Scholar but made statements that misled his followers to think he was.
Does the WatchTower contradict itself?
Never.
Always.
Are you really shunned if you are thrown out?
Yes, and our stand on disfellowshipping is biblically based.
Better believe it.
Are you allowed to study any version of the bible or do you have to use study guides?
We use all Bible translations.
They are allowed to use any version, but in practice frown upon any JW who regularly uses anything but the NWT.
Do you have doubts about this religion?
Absolutely not!
Better believe it! That's why JWs are so deathly afraid of talking with critics. They term critics who were once JWs "apostates" -- a typical cultish thought-stopping term -- but in practice they apply the term to all critics. Of course, all members of "appostate Christendom" (non-JW Christians) are also "apostates", but individual JWs are extremely uncomfortable with that and tend to avoid using the term in such a way.
AlanF
Big Tex

AlanF
You forgot two words that would apply to most of your answers: Or Else.
So much (but certainly not all) of what impels a Witness to do all that is required is based on fear of being disfellowshipped and/or shunned and all that, that implies.
Edited to correct spelling.
Edited by - Big Tex on 15 October 2002 23:12:38
Dia

Alan, ROFL. Thanks
Dia

May I add somethings? The number 144,000 is found in the book of Revelation.
JWs believe that they have 'figured out' the book of Revelation and profess to have a deep and special understanding of it, down to every scripture, every word, symbol and detail in it which they have interpreted to describe various real life organizations and/or events in the world we are currently living in.
(I'm breaking these up because I keep getting thrown off)
Dia

Tho JWs are often described as some kind of 'Christians' and they would describe themselves that way as well, they actually spend VERY little, if any, time learning or preaching the events of the Gospel.
They minimize the role of Jesus Christ to such an extent that I don't really think they ought to call themselves 'Christians'. They also don't really take note of any big difference between the old and new testaments ("God doesn't change").
Most of their 'bible study' is devoted to obscure scriptures or books of the Old Testament and the book of Revelation, tho they might acknowledge the writings of Paul for whatever punative words they could find there.
.

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