by andrewlya 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Regular JWs aren't allowed to freely express themselves, they are in a cult. You can't question or oppose official doctrine.
If you want a real JW, you can try JWtalk.com, or Topix seems to have more active JWs. Or you can call the local Kingdom hall in your area and invite one over. I'd hesitate before doing that, they will pester you until you say not to come around anymore.
The homepage explains what this site is all about.
Most of the users of the forum are ex-Jws
Don't be too impressed that the JWs are non-trinitarian. Check out JWFacts.com for information about their cultish organization.
The point of this forum for exJWs is that it is such a cult that even if you manage to leave the religion with your family still talking to you, you need to talk to like minded peers about getting all of the fear, obligation and guilt out of your head so you can move on with your life. Most are however NOT able to leave with their families intact, and need to come here to talk about it.
Does this religion still sound appealing to you?
I left, and now, after much study, agree mostly with the Trinity. There are more scriptures to support it than those that call it into question, in my opinion. I don't want to argue about the Trinity, but study the subject deeper, and certainly do not use only witness materials. There are many resources online.
Andrew, this is ex-JW forum, but you will run into JW who are still a member of the organization on this site. In general JWs do not have strong doctrine on divinity of Jesus. I grew up in WT as JW and we were never groomed to believe that Jesus was important for relationship with God.
As LG had said, JWs believe in one God, creator and originator, name Jehovah. They do not believe in Trinity or anything else divine except the father. Jesus is a first creation, but salvation is achieved by association with WT. Only small group of people will benefit from a personal association with Jesus, which is the 144,000 who are the spiritual bride who will live in heaven.
JW are not traditional Christians, so unlike mainstream Christianity that believes that "Jesus saves" it is the Watch Tower that saves, because it is like of Noah's Ark carrying faithful through Armageddon to salvation.
Also, if I may:
Some of the mainstream Christian denominations do not make belief in Trinity a 'test of faith.' In other words, the only requirement is that you accept Jesus as your personal savior. The JWs make a big fuss about 'accurate knowledge.' I'm not saying you should not STRIVE for knowledge, but it should not determine who gains salvation, or not.
For a Biblical example, the thief who was cruxified alongside Jesus probably wasn't certain as to JC's nature--truine or otherwise. I'm sure there are better examples, but it certainly comes to mind.
Not to plug a particular denomination, but I know the Disciples of Christ, and probably the United Church of Christ (UCC) believe this way. Moreover, they try to help you have a personal relationship with God through JC...they don't try to act as 'God's mouthpiece,' as JWs appear to do. Not saying they're perfect, but they're definitely not considered cults. I'm thinking that mainstream Methodists and a few others are along these lines as well.
My 2 pesos, FWIW
Current, active Jehovah's witnesses are not permitted to discuss any concerns they may have with their religion or with their religious leaders.
When this discussion board started, it was ONLY for active Jehovah's witnesses. But a funny thing happened when those active Jehovah's witnesses started talking - anonomously - about their questions and concerns... The *real* truth started to come out.
Now, this board is the largest and longest running discussion forum for all things related to JW's. And while there are some active witnesses, the majority, by FAR, are inactive, EX-Jehovah's Witnesses.
Welcome.
-AudeSapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding; Dare to Think for Yourself)
Christianity is plagued with trying to balance the Trinity with the monotheism of the Jews. There's little in the New Testament to clear things up, either. The JWs are not believers in the Trinity; rather, they believe that Jesus was, in premortality, Michael the Archangel, which is purely conjecture. But in Acts and other Christian writings, there seems to be a definite line drawn between Jesus and God. Check out the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
...
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Any observer could deduce from just this one passage that Jesus and God were two different beings, which is how the JWs read it. So they say, well, if Jesus and God are two different beings, who's the next greatest being in Heaven? Michael the Archangel!
BTW, the above is only one example of differentiations between God and Jesus. Only in the writings of John is the relationship between the Father, Son and Man. JWs also don't believe that the Holy Spirit is an actual personage but, rather, the "active force" of God. In other words, when God commands, the active force is what carries out His will. JWs argue that they are the only Christians who believe in one God. They reason that if the Father is God, then Jesus can't be God, because God told Isaiah He is the only God, and there are no others. If there were others, He said, He would know about it. If I understand the Trinity correctly, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three manifestations of the same being, or entity.
JWs reject that out of hand.
