<moving this subject out of the main forum for those who are scratching their heads right now.>
Hi Yardirf,
:To: Crag
:Did I say that again? I meant "Chag".
That's ok, I forgive ya. Like I' ve said before, I answer to anything lately. ( within reason)
Anyway, you seem to forget that the expression "Jehovah's Witnesses" is a name that the WTS adopted for identification purposes.
OK...I agree with you then. The WTS HAD to come up with something to call themselves because they needed to separate themselves from any group of people mentioned in the Bible, or in the world. If that were not true, then they would have just stuck to identifying themselves as Christians. ( as the early Christians in the Bible called themselves ) So for those who just choose not to have any association with the WTS, and just make the decision to be a Christain, then we can no longer call ourselves JWs. We only need to identify ourselves as Christians by following the Bible, and not some group of men that had to make up a name to identify themselves, and their followers. Ater thinking all day long at work about this, I found myself agreeing with what you said to neyank more and more. I could never call myself a Jehovah's Witness, and then turn around and say that I'm persecuted on account of Jesus' name anyway. That would be the same as saying this, "I am a Mike's Witness, and I'm persecuted on account of Stephen's name." It DOES make sense for CHRISTians to be persecuted on accout of Jesus' name though. Doesn't it? So in reality, the WTS patented God's name, and according to them, and JW's, nobody else can call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses. But anyone can say that they are God's Witnesses. Therefore having no association with an incorperated business in the corperate worls, called the WBTS.
Before that I know of no one that was calling themselves JWs.
agreed.
:So, today, either a person is one of Jehovah's Witnesses (as in association with the WTS) or is an ex-JW ... one or the other.
Jehovah's Witnesses are really WTS witnesses then. What you are saying is that one can't separate them. And that is why they baptize followers in association with themselves, in place of God's Holy Spirit, as Jesus said to in the Bible. It's all falling into place for me now.
I would really like to explain this to someone who I speak to who is NOT a JW. Please don't ell me to ask any elders or to write to the society. For I've tried that and I've got alotta nothing really. no answers at all spoken in plain words that anyone would understand. So if I'm wrong in understanding what you said, please specify what I am wrong in saying and clear it up. You explained things in plain english, unless I'm misunderstanding AGAIN! <sigh>
I have one more question if you care to answer. I've read that since 1951, the WTS gave the "ok" to be called a "religion". So...are Jehovah's Witnesses an organized religion?
peace,
somebody