Hello A4,
Appearances can give you incorrect impressions. JW seem to be happy people believing the message in the bible. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Their prime message: "you can live forever in paradise on earth", is not christian. You can give any JW a very hard time by asking this: please prove from the christian Greek Scripture alone, the earthly hope. They cannot, because it is not there. the word paradise earth is not in the bible. the word paradise in the greek scriptures either refers to heaven, which you can verify by its context, or in one occasion it is not specified, and this is where Jesus assure to the criminal next to him: you will be with me in paradise. Jesus went were? you got the picture. The only biblical support for this they have are in Psalms and Isaiah, and they ALL, refer to the restoration in the promised land. the hebrew word used in Psalm 37 means 'country' and not 'earth'. For any other explanations they HAVE to rely on their 144.000 anointed versus Great Crowd teaching, which is also utterly not christian.
To go on a little bit on this: John 10:16 was speaking about uniting the jewish and gentile christians. Jesus never used an earthly organisation, and never will. He does not need them, he has the biggest army, the angels, and the Supreme Power, Holy Spirit. No need to use religions. The biggest group he gives his support to is a local congregation or church, and of course individually. Of course an organization can be ocupied with providing bibles and other bible explanatory publications, but they can NEVER claim they act as a communication channel between you and GOD. Only Jesus can do that. Please download the Study edition in PDF of the WATCHTOWER of 15SEP2010 on www.jw.org (their own website), and find out for yourself how arrogant they treat their flock.
In the 1st 2 chapters of 'what does the bible really teach', their basic study book, you are encouraged already to take the 1st steps to let go of all your friends you might have. Any questioning from your friends' side to study with JW is a personal attack from the Devil using your friends. JW are encouraged to make no friends in the 'world', as this world and all the people will be destroyed in Armaggedon very soon. This very thing, by the way is repeated very often: the solution to man's problems is THE MURDER OF 7 BILLION PEOPLE by the God of LOVE. That is a nice prospect to go and preach to mankind every weekend, isn't it? You are looking forward to it? Because that is what you will end up doing.
The teaching that Armaggedon is right behind the corner is also ruining lives! My father turned down his university education when he became a Witness and is earning just the minimum to survive already for over 30 years. My parents never could afford to buy a house, they could not put money aside for supplementary pension. I myself never made real plans for the future as it would never come.
If you believe this is it, there is many more, like: secret manuals for elders, an entire hierarchy designed to push everybody continuously to the limits of their mental and physical abilities to preach the 'good news'. (By the way, check in your bible what was the good news that Paul preached and compare it what Jehovah's Witnesses preach today). The real heavy price though, you will pay on the exit. There exist no nice ans smooth way to leave the witnesses. If you disagree with their teachings, or commit another sin, you are dragged before an elders tribunal and risk to be kicked out on the spot. Now excommunication in itself can be ok, but the way it is practiced by the witnesses is not. Being disfellowshipped means: all witnesses will refuse to talk to you, not even say hello, even if they are CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS. the same is true if you would decide for yourself to leave, upon receiving your letter of DISASSOCIATION you are treated the same as being disfellowshipped. I think your pentecoastal pals are nicer to you. If you think now: I don't have to announce officially that I leave, I just quit. Elders will keep on hunting you, giving you calls, stopping by unannounced, ask your whereabouts of family and friends, etc.
Their policies make it happen that people dy because of their no blood policy, and this happens sadly quite frequently, it just does not hit the news any more. And child molesters are provided a safe haven. To verify this, please check www.silentlambs.org. in 2002, the headquarters had mre then 20.000 cases of child abuse on file, but upon this day NO action has been undertaken to warn the congregation of their existence.
You absolutely want to go for that? Have fun
