If you look at JWFACTS under CHANGES you will see that Russell, Rutherford and Knorr all all made statements saying it was right to worship Jesus. The references are given. It’s also stated in their original charter and the revised one in the 1940s. The reference to it now being considered as idolatrous is also given. The issue is: why would Jesus have chosen them in 1919 when they were worshiping him (an angel) when there were other groups like the Christadelphians who already existed (they have always believed that Jesus was a created being not to be worshipped)? And why did it take another 35 years for them to drop that teaching? It would surely have been one of the first doctrines that Jesus would have changed!
Letter from local Kingdom Hall
by jhine 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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jhine
Thank you NewLight99 , that is very helpful . From being on this site or a while now l have become aware of much of this but l do need to be able to quote " chapter and verse " to back up any facts that l give .
Jan
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stan livedeath
its so easy to get the time in letter writing ( or typing )
take as long as you like composing your letter--lets say it takes one hour.
then print off ten copies.
so thats one hour--plus ten copies--each valued at one hour. Total--11 hours to report this month. Happy days.
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HB
I have also received a hand-written letter from a JW.
Like Jhine, I am in the UK, have never been a JW or studied, never been in a Kingdom Hall and have no family involved.
The letter came by 2nd class post and the handwriting was very slap-dash, the way it would be if someone was mind-numbingly copying out the same boring sentences over and over again. Its on lined paper with a butterfly design and a QR scan code to link to JW.org,
The writer gives his name, personal email and mobile phone number, but gives the postal address of the nearest KH a few miles away in the next town. He says he would love to hear from me, so I will reply, taking advice from what has been said in this thread and from an ex JW friend. I will be polite and respectful but I think the writer might regret asking for my thoughts!
See below for a verbatim copy of the letter (with personal details redacted) and a copy of the words from the tract that was enclosed, in case anyone has any additional suggestions based on that.
About a week before lockdown, two JWs called at my door and although I was out at the time, my son (who knows I enjoy a good debate) told them his mum would like to chat to them and they happily agreed to come back soon.
They left an Awake magazine, (no 1. 2019) with a cover picture of people wearing face masks and the slogan “Will we ever feel safe and secure?” Unfortunately due to the lockdown, that visit never happened. But fortunately I still have the magazine and so I can also bring up topics from it. It is, as usual, full of logical fallacies, assumptions, unevidenced claims and pure baloney.
Here is the letter I received:
Dear Friends,
We are sorry that we have not been able to call of late but obviously, because of the pandemic, it was not safe to do so.
We sincerely hope that you are keeping safe and well and are not suffering too much due to the lockdown?
We did call some time ago and left you a tract to read and were hoping to get your thoughts on it? If you would like to contact us, please feel free to write to the above address. Alternatively, you could email me on ([email protected]) or if you prefer, call or text (xxx). We would love to hear from you!
One thing that we have found that this Global Pandemic has given us, is the time to reflect on the deeper meaning of life. And to re-evaluate just what is important to us. We have realized just how important our relationships with friends and family are.
We have also realized that Covid 19 is affecting us in ways that we perhaps hadn’t expected.!! Our sleeping and eating patterns have changed, we tend to stress a little more and can quickly get irritated.! If you are feeling the same way, it may be that you are experiencing what has been described as “Pandemic Fatigue”.
There is a lovely article on www.jw.org that deals with it and we invite you to take a look. It is free of charge!
I will enclose another tract for you and please stay safe!
Yours sincerely
(Signature) xxx
This is the text of the bi-fold tract that was enclosed:
WHAT IS THE KEY TO HAPPY FAMILY LIFE?
Do you think it is…
· Love?
· Money?
· Something else?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!” – Luke 11.28
New World Translation
WHAT THAT CAN MEAN FOR YOU
· Finding real love. Ephesians 5:28, 29
· Enjoying genuine respect. Ephesians 5:33
· Having true security. – Mark 10:6-9
CAN WE REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS?
Yes, for at least two reasons:
· God is the originator of family life. The bible says that “every family…owes it's name” to Jehovah God. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) In other words, the family unit exists because Jehovah created it. Why is that significant?
Consider: If you were enjoying a tasty meal and wanted to learn it's ingredients, whom would you ask? Logically the person who prepared it.
Likewise, to discover the ingredients for a happy family life, we do well to look to Jehovah, the Originator of the family arrangement. – Genesis 2:18-24
· God cares about you. Families are wise to seek Jehovah’s advice, which he provides through his Word. Why? “Because he cares for you” (1Peter 5:6,7) Jehovah has your best interests at heart - and his counsel always works! – Proverbs 3 5, 6) Isiah 48: 17,18)
TO THINK ABOUT
HOW CAN YOU BE A GOOD HUSBAND, WIFE OR PARENT?
The bible answers that question at EPHESIANS 5:1, 2 and COLOSSIANS 3: 18 – 21
TO LEARN MORE WITHOUT COST
Read lesson 9 of this brochure (Picture of booklet “Good News from God!”)
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I love the way they imply it's a virtue that they are not charging for their brainwashing!
Fortunately, I am coping fine with the lockdown and have a very happy family life so would not have been persuaded by the emotional manipulation of the letter or tract even if I knew nothing about the JWs.
If anyone has any suggestions of what to write based on the above, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
Heather
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NewLight99
The article emphasises the importance of the family and says it is a god-given unit. I think I would reply saying that I agree with that but add that God’s intention is for it to be a unit of ‘unconditional love’. I would then point to the extreme shunning that they practice which is unbiblical and breaks up families. I would give the example of someone who is baptised at a young age (say 10) when they are immature and still developing who then decides when they reach teenage years that they don’t believe in God (or JW beliefs) any more -as many teenagers do at that age. The parents are then forced to shun them. I’ve even heard of teenagers being forced out of the family home! This is not because of some terrible sin but just because they are becoming responsible, thinking adults. This is conditional love and is a failure of their god-given responsibility. Many might choose to leave because they hear of the abuse cases or because of unbiblical doctrines etc. Many are even pressured into getting baptised at an early age by family members. Anyway, I think that’s the line I would take (maybe even pushing it a little by mentioning some of the unbiblical doctrines)!!!!
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HB
Thankyou Newlight99, that is a great suggestion. Not sure if the JW will reply back or not, but perhaps if I include a couple of questions, it might lead him to think about how he could defend the organisation.
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jhine
l have just replied ,via email , to the letter .
l looked on JW Facts and some stuff came up about 1975 . l have had some doorstep discussions with JWs about this and one lady has admitted to me that she and her husband actually cashed in an insurance policy and handed over the money to aid the " last minute " preaching frenzy . Of course they never got that back when nothing happened .
So I decided to go with this . Here is wot l rote .
Thank you for writing to me . If you are contacting everyone in ...... , if not all of Tamworth then that is quite an undertaking .
To be honest l have never considered becoming a Jehovah's Witness for a few reasons . As someone who is not in the first flush of youth l seem to remember some teaching about the end of the world in 1975 . l do know a little bit about the bible and l do know that Jesus said that " No one knows the day or the hour , only the Father " So it bothers me that Jehovah's Witnesses tried to predict the time that the end would come . As it didn't happen surely this was a false prophecy .
l left it at that and we will see if anyone replies . l tried to be fairly vague and not sound as if l knew too much . l have made note of quotes from JW publications to back up my statements if they are needed .
Btw HB as you can see l am in Tamworth in the Midlands , are you in a different area ?
Jan
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HB
Hi Jan,
I'm in the south, in Liphook, Hampshire although the nearest KH is over the border in Haslemere, Surrey. Due to the lockdown, I haven't been able to chat to my neighbours recently, so I don't know if anyone else in our road has received a letter from a JW, but I have spoken by phone to other friends in the village and they haven't had one.
Your discussion with the lady who cashed in an insurance policy to donate the money to the JWs as 1975 approached, reminded me of John, a young JW who worked for my parents in the early 1970s.
John had applied for the job on my parents' nursery in Essex because he believed he would need to know how to pollinate plants and cultivate them in the 'New System', although I think he would have been better off working on a farm, as our nursery specialised in rare and unusual plants, but never mind!)
Anyway at the end of November 1974 he handed in his notice, trying in vain to persuade my parents of the imminent danger of Armageddon, and on the last day of December, he came into the house to say a tearful goodbye to us all. His family were all JWs and he was one of seven offspring. His parents had just sold their large family home and donated all the proceeds to the Watchtower, saving just enough money to buy a caravan for all of them to live in until the New System arrived.
Suffice it to say, that on the 1st January 1976, John came back and sheepishly asked my father for his job back, and he started work the following day as the family were struggling. My father didn't laugh in front of John as he felt sorry for him, however he did have lots of discussions about religion with him but to no avail, as John continued to believe, despite his disappointment. John went on to own his own nursery business in due course, which I believe he still runs.
I hope you get a reply from your correspondence.
I am getting my thoughts together on what to say in my email response, and like you, I don't want to sound as if I know as much as I do about the failings of the JWs, as that tends to send them running.
It is at least worth a try, hoping a comment might cause a small spark of rational thinking, but I'm not expecting too much!
Heather
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jhine
Thank you for your reply Heather . Like you l am not really expecting an answer , but as you say maybe the person reading it ( l would guess an elder ) may have a bit of a think .
Have you been able to talk to your friend about this ? Does the person already belong to a church or has this come right out of the blue ?
Jan
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RolRod
I'm a Letter Carrier and I deliver those letter every week. I've received them also with an enclosed tract