Jehovah's Witnesses call all members family -article

under74

I don't know if anyone has posted this already but I just got the e-mail. Here's the message sent out by Brenda and the article

under74

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Here's a very disturbing story about Jehovah's Witnesses called, "Jehovah's Witnesses Call All Members Family." It paints a very rosy picture of the organization. I would encourage you, if you are so inclined, to email the editor (there's a link in the story to contact the editor) and let her know that she needs to print a counterview called "Jehovah's Witnesses Divide Families." People read things like this and see the JWs as totally unthreatening, never realizing how damaging this organization is. The link to the story is:

http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/localnews/story/18162

Brenda
"Out of the Cocoon"

ARTICLE:

Jehovah's Witnesses call all members family

By Carol La Valley , Roundup staff reporter Friday, February 11, 2005

Jehovah's Witnesses embrace everyone. In their church, all members are family, all members are equal, and all members, after being baptized, are ordained ministers. Elders are considered teachers of the congregation. There is no paid clergy.

"Our main focus is, as Jesus Christ commanded, to preach the good news of the kingdom," said Elder Jim Rowe, referring to Matthew 28:19 and 20 and Matthew 24:14.

Jehovah's Witnesses, like many other religions, send members out into their communities to knock on doors and share their beliefs with their neighbors. Perhaps the most familiar Jehovah's Witness publication, found tucked into gateposts, left in dentist offices and handed to the homeowner is, "The Watchtower." Rowe said that Jehovah's Witness publications refer to, and accept, many different Bible translations. "Worldwide, in 235 countries, we all believe the same thing," Rowe said.

Through home Bible studies they teach people what the Bible says. The good news Witnesses want people to hear, is that Christ is invisibly present now and that the heavenly kingdom is at hand.

The practical value of this revelation is illustrated in "Who Are They?," a pamphlet that recounts a conversation between Mahatma K. Ghandi and Lord Irwin, the former British viceroy of India, in which Ghandi picked up a Bible and said, "When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in their Sermon on the Mount, we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries, but those of the whole world."

Sunday services are a mixture of lectures and question-and-answer sessions. Jehovah's Witnesses use their own hymnal when they raise their voices in song. Monetary and time donations are voluntary, and support the local and worldwide church.

Jehovah's Witnesses have been meeting in Payson since the early 1950s. In 1995 they outgrew their Kingdom Hall on South McLane Road where only one congregation met. Their newer facility, on North McLane Road, holds three services: two in English and one in Spanish.

When the new Kingdom Hall was being built, the concrete contractor could barely keep up with the fast-working members of the church and several hundred volunteers who came from all over the state of Arizona. The builders worked in shifts so no person spent too much time away from their families.

According to the Bible that Jehovah's Witnesses honor, family is an important obligation.

Once the concrete was set and the plumbing was complete, the church went up in two consecutive weekends in May of 1996.On a single day, volunteers had the walls up and the roof on the building. "It was an amazing thing to see everybody working together, brothers and sisters, with no fighting," said Rowe.

Jehovah's Witnesses, Kingdom Hall 1616 N. McLane Road, Payson, (928) 474-8063. Sunday public discourse times are: north congregation 1 p.m.; south congregation 4 p.m. and in Spanish, 10 a.m.

This story is a another part of the Roundup's continuing series on churches in Payson and the Rim country and how they add beauty and grace to our community.

Jez

I sent a reply

Jez

rwagoner

This is what I sent to the editor.......

I was shocked by your story about Jehovah's witnesses call everyone family. I was a JW for 20 years and left when I noticed their teachings contradicting scriptures, among other things. Since I left the JW's the entire church and even my own family have been told to shun me. My parents were told that since I no longer believed they must not speak to me, eat with me or have any contact other than a life and death emergency. JW's DIVIDE families and paint a rosey picture for the public. I encourage you to print an alternate view of the JW's as a matter of balanced and fair reporting. I would be happy to discuss the matter with you further if you would like.

under74

Awsome you guys. I was surprised at how one sided it is, seeing as how there's enough information available countering the "rosey" portrait.

I just sent Brenda a link for JWD and told her I posted her message. Maybe she'll pay us a visit.

seeitallclearlynow

all members are equal

Oh my, what a joke!

Poztate

Here Is the E- mail address

[email protected]

Jez

In addition to a letter I sent her, I also just sent her the following link to FreedomFrog's disfellowshipping thread about her sister. Yah, that really sounds like it is bringing families together.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/85621/1.ashx (FreedomFrog's thread about her sister that I sent)

upside/down

ordained ministers

I am? What does this mean? Does it have any merit to anyone but a Dub?

Elders are considered teachers of the congregation

The SS were the keepers (teachers) of the faith for the Nazi's too.

There is no paid clergy.

Nice try... CO, CO, Bethelites, Special Pio's, GB all are "paid clergy". Comparing apples to apples.

"Our main focus is, as Jesus Christ commanded, to preach the good news of the kingdom,"

Wrong again... Main focus is controling the R&Fand maitaining the bottom line $. Since when did Jesus say to preach the good news that we don't celebrate any holidays, take blood transfusions or get involved in any way with our community and neighbors? Oh that's right, he said the "good news of the kingdom"

"When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in their Sermon on the Mount, we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries, but those of the whole world."

If only the Dubs actually applied this counsel, instead of only loving "their own", what merit is there in that?

According to the Bible that Jehovah's Witnesses honor, family is an important obligation

Is this a sick joke- there is no more "anti-family" entity in existence!!!

Sunday public discourse

A true public and community service provided to all insomniacs- guaranteed to work!

how they add beauty and grace to our community.

The Dubs don't believe in "grace", it's a bastardization of the original text in the Bible... ask the elders.

Jehovah's Witnesses embrace everyone. In their church, all members are family, all members are equal

If you say something often enough the people will believe it-- Goebbels

This kinda of shameless lime-lite propaganda makes me sick. But I guess no one give a hoot anyway. The WTS is not growing or exerting it's influence- rather it is in decline MENE MENE TARKEL PARSINS!

u/d (of the I let them make me bitter class)

Panda

WOW, I'll write later today... that article is what stuies are told about the borg...once you're in it's a different story...the cult life begins.

under74

That's a good thread Jez. Good idea!

Thanks for posting that Poztate.....don't know why I didn't do that in the first place.

Good critique u/d.

Thanks panda...I think they need some letters to know how wrong/one sided it all is.

Jehovah's Witnesses call all members family -article

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