just had a couple of jws stop by my house.
they had been before several times and know that i'm a pretty devout catholic, so i'm sure they were just swinging by to get more time for the card.. well, this time the opening line was about the tragedy in ct. i mean, really?
you're going to try to get converts by capitalizing on this tragedy?
Just had a couple of JWs stop by my house. They had been before several times and know that I'm a pretty devout Catholic, so I'm sure they were just swinging by to get more time for the card.
Well, this time the opening line was about the tragedy in CT. I mean, really? You're going to try to get converts by capitalizing on this tragedy? That's pretty tasteless.
hey folks i recently celebrated my very first birthday party!
there was a big "one" candle on the cake and we had a blast.
it felt great to be "normal" and just do what other people do.
Happy Birthday!
it's been a while since i've posted.
i try to go at it over in yahoo answers but if mental gymnastics were an olympic sport, the jws would sweep the medals.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=anknb7pibt19sghfiyb9q4zsy6ix;_ylv=3?qid=20121215213712aaavb8f .
Hello,
It's been a while since I've posted. I try to go at it over in Yahoo Answers but if mental gymnastics were an Olympic sport, the JWs would sweep the medals.
i have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because i wanted to get further information.. i am not a jw, ex jw, or even considering becoming a jw.
i am a fairly devout, practicing catholic.
two weeks ago, a couple of jw publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick.
Sigh....my JW friends were a no show. They were supposed to come over at 10:30. It is now almost 11:15 and nada. It's almost like they didn't want to discuss my topics....
i mean, they seem to avoid it like the plague.
i know people will say that they only need the bible to guide them in life...etc...but i contend that you cannot simply read the bible by yourself; at least without knowing where the philosophical principles contained within the bible come from.
is this aversion of confusing philosophy with faith way over the head of most jws?
I mean, they seem to avoid it like the plague. I know people will say that they only need the Bible to guide them in life...etc...but I contend that you cannot simply read the Bible by yourself; at least without knowing where the philosophical principles contained within the Bible come from.
Is this aversion of confusing philosophy with faith way over the head of most JWs? Am I just wasting my breath trying to pursue this argument with them?
i have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because i wanted to get further information.. i am not a jw, ex jw, or even considering becoming a jw.
i am a fairly devout, practicing catholic.
two weeks ago, a couple of jw publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick.
I find it odd that for a group to claim that they know that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914, they don't have the theological answers or even postulations about what will compel mankind going from sinful to perfect while still alive. Again, it just seems like they're making it up.
i have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because i wanted to get further information.. i am not a jw, ex jw, or even considering becoming a jw.
i am a fairly devout, practicing catholic.
two weeks ago, a couple of jw publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick.
@Chalam Thank you. And I shall.
@James Woods Yes, I do know that they avoid anything associated with non-JW celebrations/birthdays/holidays. It just sticks out to me when they reference the Catholic Church. And yes, I do notice the particular animosity towards Catholicism. I have no bones particularly with people disliking the Church, but at least they should get it right about what the Church actually teaches.
But getting back to the Kingdom...I am trying to understand if they believe that there is some "event" or grace from God (or whatever you want to refer to it as) which will compel and/or change mankind's nature into behaving for eternity on paradise Earth? Ok, all the bad people/non-JWs are destroyed by God at Armageddon, leaving the faithful masses to rebuild the Earth. Will man be of a different, non-sinful nature then? What is going to make that happen? I am hung up on this issue and I would like to know where to go in the discussion next week. :)
i have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because i wanted to get further information.. i am not a jw, ex jw, or even considering becoming a jw.
i am a fairly devout, practicing catholic.
two weeks ago, a couple of jw publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick.
LOL no, there is no way that I would even consider the JWs.
And I don't have any illusions that I'm going to find a convert. Of course, I would like them to wake up and leave the organization; heck, even join some other protestant Church that teaches the basics of Christianity correctly would be fine with me. The JW conducting the study is a sister who stopped by my house a couple of years ago. We had discussions then and I was not as prepared as I am now. In fact, there were some questions she asked ( about Catholicism) which I could not answer; but I realized that just because I didn't have the answer doesn't mean that the answer didn't exist. Once I found those answers, they never came back for two years.
I was hoping that by pointing out the misquotes in their Trinity brochure (and I have the original sources) that a seed of doubt would be planted. While we didn't get into that argument this week, she suggested that I write to the WT and ask for clarification. HA! Like that'll happen. And yes, I got the line that "scholars consider our publications to be very worthy".
i have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because i wanted to get further information.. i am not a jw, ex jw, or even considering becoming a jw.
i am a fairly devout, practicing catholic.
two weeks ago, a couple of jw publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick.
@Butterflyleia85
Catholics do not worship Mary. This is a common mistake among non-Catholics and even some nominal Catholics that prayer = worship. Catholics ask Mary and the Saints, whom we believe to be alive in Heaven to pray for us. I know a lot of people will hear the prayer such as the 'Hail Mary' and think that it is worshiping her, but veneration, as defined by the Church is not the same as worship due to God and God alone. It is no different that when person asks a friend or relative to pray for them. Many non-Catholics also assume that because they think we "pray to" Mary, that we do not pray to God. That is also not true. The entire Mass is a prayer and offering to God The Father.
No, it is not rude to ask questions :) The major difference between Catholicism and protestant groups is that Catholicism is historically backed, whereas the Governing Body is not. Each Catholic Bishop can trace his spiritual roots/ancestors all the way to the Apostles themselves. This is called Apostolic Succession and it gives validation to the doctrines and practices which have been carried forth from the 1st century; a quick read of The Divine Liturgy of St. James or The Didache gives the Church extremely powerful evidence that it is the Church of the 1st century. With this historical tie to the 1st century comes authority, since Catholics believe that Jesus made Peter the first Pope (well, the word Pope didn't come about until later, but just for the sake of the discussion here...). Following Peter was Linus, Cletus, Clement, etc How far back can the Governing Body go? Where is their authority?
Since the Bible was compiled by Catholics, for Catholics, the Church has credibility in how it is to be interpreted. With the Church, there is at least a sense of 'the historical'; with the JWs, I get the distinct inpression that they are making it up as they go along. So yes, I do trust the Pope and the Magesterium when it comes to the faith.
As far as the paganism is concerned, I think that the JWs get tripped up on this. If they want to claim certain things such as veneration of Mary is akin to pagan goddess worship, Christmas is Saturnalia, and the Trinity, then they must compare the rest of Christianity as well, such as Virgin Birth, Resurrection, the Son of God, etc. They do not understand the distinct natures of biblical literature vs. mythical/pagan literature.
i have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because i wanted to get further information.. i am not a jw, ex jw, or even considering becoming a jw.
i am a fairly devout, practicing catholic.
two weeks ago, a couple of jw publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick.
Hello all,
I have been lurking for a couple of months and decided to join because I wanted to get further information.
I am not a JW, ex JW, or even considering becoming a JW. I am a fairly devout, practicing Catholic. Two weeks ago, a couple of JW publishers stopped by to discuss their schtick. Since I enjoy dialoging with others of different faiths, I indulged them and set up a "bible study", which we conducted this past week. They are coming back again next week and wanted to discuss "the kingdom". Now, I know that from my frequent participation in Yahoo Answers R&S, as well as reading these boards, that the JWs believe that millions of them will not go to Heaven, but rather live on 'paradise Earth', etc. But what do they consider to be 'the kingdom'? I just want to be informed before we meet again so that I can try to get them off of their script.
I also suggested that we discuss a couple of other issues which I was concerned about; namely, the blatant misquotations and misrepresentations of Catholic sources throughout the JW literature. I cannot stand this blatant intellectual dishonesty. And the JW obsesssion with all things pagan. If they don't want to celebrate Christmas or other holidays, that's their business. But I wonder if in their attempt to avoid paganism (I am not conceding that mainstream Christianity is pagan or derives from paganism--that is another discussion), they they have inadvertantly become anti-Christ in their nature?
