"A Jehovah's Witness" (page 3)

Jeffro

Rattigan350:

Everyone says 'One of Jehovah's Witnesses' because it sounds right.

This suggests you live in a JW bubble.

NotFormer:

While writing this the thought came to me about when that self-descriptor first came into being: was it part of the initial name change by Rutherford, or was it a later development?

It was Rutherford’s intention that JWs be seen as ‘witnesses of Jehovah’ (I.e., ‘Jehovah’s witnesses’) rather than simply naming his group in the typical sense. The name change was primarily to distinguish his group of Bible Students from the various Bible Students groups that had separated from the Watch Tower Society’s control after 1917. The ‘w’ was not capitalised in JW literature until the 1970s (except in headings). Hence the term ‘one of Jehovah’s witnesses’ is jargon intended to convey that they ‘really’ are ‘witnesses of Jehovah’ (in an outdated legalistic sense tied to Rutherford’s background as a lawyer).

Outside of that superstitious usage, it is correct and common for the term ‘Jehovah’s Witness’ to function as a singular noun in reference to an individual member or as an adjectival modifier in reference to the denomination.

‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ is the plural form for a group of members, and saying ‘they’re Jehovah’s Witnesses’ is analogous to ‘they’re Catholics’. Somewhat ambiguously (likely intentionally), the singular form of the denomination name is also ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’, and saying ‘they’re members of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ is analogous to saying ‘they’re members of the Catholic Church’.

The ambiguity arising from the same term used for both the denomination and its members occasionally results in tedious disputes about incorrectly assumed ‘correct grammar’ (but ignores correct verb-noun agreement and the function of compound proper nouns).

blondie

The only place "A Jehovah's Witness" comes up in WT publications is from quotes by non-jws. It is an unwritten rule that it is proper per the WTS to use "one of Jehovah's witnesses" rather than "A Jehovah's Witness." They want it reflect it as meaning an individual, not a religious group name. Jws were called Russellites and Rutherfordites in the past not liked by the WTS. Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is one way the WTS has in recent years tried to re-identify themselves. (BTW reporting not supporting) It was not rare that some self-righteous would correct jws that said "A Jehovah's Witness." Straining out the gnat while gulping down the camel.

Jeffro

blondie:

It is an unwritten rule that it is proper per the WTS to use "one of Jehovah's witnesses" rather than "A Jehovah's Witness."

Yep. They do love their jargon. Within the denomination they like to pretend that it’s just individuals with personal conviction about ‘the truth’ that they’ve found through ‘personal Bible study’ and not micromanaged by a corporation. Which is of course a farce. But when legally registering a denomination, it doesn’t work to say they’re just individual ‘witnesses of Jehovah’ (an unverifiable superstition rather than a coherent group). There’d be nothing to register.

Diogenesister

Noone ever says 'a Jehovah's Witness', it just does not sound right.

Ha Ha to you it doesn't .... that's the whole point OP is making! No one else would ask "are you one of jehovah's witnesses" unless they were a jehovahs witness! Normal people say "are you A jehovah's witness?"

TonusOH

I don't remember, since it wasn't something that came up very often. My impression is that I would have used either "I am a Jehovah's Witness" or "I am one of the Jehovah's Witnesses." The latter may be grammatically incorrect, but it would sound pretentious to say "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses" since it implies a more direct and personal role. It sounds to me like saying "I'm one of Jehovah's boys."

Vidiot

Pretentious… that’s how I always found it, too.

Kinda silly, really…

…it’s like saying “I am a higher-ranking slave than you”.

😒

LongHairGal

Yeah, they are ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ alright.

The last of my former JW friends are in a news blackout. They know next to nothing about the CSA scandals or anything else in the news. They barely know what they are supposed to believe in. They think the new changes are great.

They believe the urban legends and false stories circulated in the religion. One of them even believes the religion has social programs with canned food to help the needy. I tried to explain that anything they heard of must have been organized by local JWs who paid for this out of their own pockets. They also think the religion has a ‘free’ rest home for the very elderly. 🤣They imagine they can plant themselves at some point on some bethel doorstep.

The whole thing is pathetic. If and when the religion sells off all the halls and they are left high and dry, they will be gobsmacked.

blondie

Wow, LHG! I remember those rumors from long ago, still alive and being passed along.

LongHairGal

BLONDIE:

Yes, isn’t it something about rumors and urban legends in the Witness religion and how they are spread far and wide!

I always felt these were dangerous false hopes to spread around. That way people don’t make any real preparations for their life - only to find out in the end these stories were like a mirage in the desert.

Although I would like to think that the more sophisticated JWs know enough not to put any stock in them - especially if it’s something they heard ages ago.. The sad thing is that certain rumors persist til this day among the gullible and sheltered JWs.

"A Jehovah's Witness"

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