I was asked to be a Jehovah’s Witness once, but I didn’t see the accident.
Thank you, I’ll be here all week, try the macaroni salad!
A tiny bit off topic but…
When a JW comes to your house is it illegal to answer the door naked, and if thats ok what about naked with an erection?
I’m pretty sure that the raindog is a JW. I dropped him an email letting him know this thread is here in case he’d like to comment.
Not trying to sound snarky…
This is the exact attitude they seek in converts… “not good enough for heaven, don’t want to believe in hell”… it totally misses the biblical concept of Grace and Redemption, I won’t debate the existance/non-existance of Hell, but seems that if you are a “Christian”, hell is a non-issue.
Funny you should say that, I get pestered by them quite frequently.
If they are thick I get rid of them ( ‘Sorry I’m Catholic’ works a treat ), but if I’m a bit bored I keep them standing on my steep and windy steps and give them the full treatment.
Last time it was a couple of lasses, one vociferous and I must say rather attractive, and the other did not say a word.
After getting the standard treatment (10 mins of diversion) they realized that they were onto a time waster and gave me a leaflet. I pointed out that it was interestingly ‘retro’ either 1930s or 1950s - I was not sure - at which point I’m darn sure that the vociferous one started flirting with me.
Stuff like ‘Do we look like the people pictured here ?’, while preening herself, which were basically 1950s style illustrations of young housewives.
Now I’m not sure, but they might be changing their tactics, do those 144,000 motel rooms have waterbeds ?
Incidentally I was wearing a dressing gown over a track suit.
You see, that’s the beauty of the Bible as scripture. What it says depends on one’s interpretation of what it says.
Another poster above mentioned that the Jehovah’s Witnesses use the term elect in describing the limited number of those who’ll enter Heaven. It seems to me that they’re not the first ones using that term to limit those who’re gaining Glory. I refer to a few immigrant groups way back before the founding of the US.
I once knew a couple who were former Jehovah’s Witnesses – she had been raised in it, he converted when he married her. When they lost the faith and left the church . . . she was completely cut off from her family. Her parents would no longer speak to her. Apparently that’s one of their rules. Kinda creepy and cultish.
They sound like the Amish.
Marc
Except the Amish don’t bother nobody.
At one of my jobs, when I was 18-21 or so, I worked in a store where everyone was a JW except me. (And the Jewish guy, but he came to our store later.) I was/am very interested in non-mainstream religions, so I asked a lot of questions (not when customers where there, but there was a lot of down-time) and got a lot of answers and actually got a bit of a grok as to what it was all about. I really, in the end, didn’t think it much odder than any other religion, and decided it could safely go into my brain category of “Okay, but not for me.” Live and let live, and all that.
Then my friend Stacey, a woman who converted for her husband, and mother of his two children, started getting beaten at home. Badly beaten - bruises, blood, required stitches on a weekly basis level of beaten. Their Kingdom Hall (church) recommended marital counseling with one of their people, and they went. They told him, literally, that “he shouldn’t hit her so much, and when he hits her, try not to leave so many marks,” (I shit you not, I thought that was just a punchline to a bad joke), and they told her she should stop provoking him by calling her sister and having non JW friends.
He never stopped hitting her (so much), and then he started sexually and physically abusing their daughter. We called DCFS, they found no evidence of abuse. After a few months we persuaded her to leave him, and the JW Hall shunned HER. That’s right. She shouldn’t have left the guy who was sending her to the hospital with frightening regularity and abusing her kids. She lost every one of her JW friends, even though she herself wanted to remain active in the church. She didn’t want to leave them, she wanted to leave her asshole of a husband, but they stood by her man and forced her out.
That put the whole lot of 'em solidly into my Axis of Evil category. I’m no longer even polite to them when they ring my bell, which makes me sad.
Some legal questions can be definitively answered with a little research.
Others are indeterminate, and require a test case. This is probably the latter. 
WhyNot, I have a similar story to yours: A co-worker was a JW married to a JW. His JW brother moved in and spent all his time in the Kingdom Hall. He contributed nothing to the household, and demanded that the co-worker do all sorts of things for him, while she was holding down a full time job.
He came in with some JW’s one night at 2 p.m., woke her up and demanded she fix them a meal. When she refused, her husband told her to do it. She said “no,” her husband beat her and broke her arm. When she was in the hospital, she filed charges against him.
The JW’s said it was her fault for being a “bad wife,” and she was kicked out for not “accepting her blame and forgiving her husband.”
They never come to my door; I’m in the Jehovah’s Witness Protection program.
Very true… it helps when they have their own translation of the scriptures to back them up… Secondly, while they claim to be bible students, and they can certainly quote bits all over the place, what they actually study are the JW Publications “about” bible topics.
Ever been stuck driving behind a buggy?
No, actually. They’ve always been very courteous and moved onto the shoulder when I come along. I choose to slow down to avoid scaring the horses, but I’ve never gotten stuck.
It does certainly appear that you have opened this thread with respect. Given Whitney’s intelligence and willingness to share his thoughts, wouldn’t it make sense to ask him—in much the same you’ve asked your questions here?
I’d also add that the best place to learn about what JWs believe–and why they believe it–is to talk to a JW. Also, the JWs have a website that explains many things central to their beliefs. (watchtower.org)
I see that you direct the thread directly to JWs. At SDMB, I may be the only JW. There is an occasional guest, although they often seem to be quite young. It’s not lost on me, however, that this thread is in GD, not GQ. I will try to answer a couple items, although I am out of town and have limited time.
I would also caution that this is NOT the place for accurate information on JWs, and this thread alone has errors and misstatements in it already.
From a global perspective, it might be helpful to note that JWs try to model their lives by Christian principles. There is an earnest attempt to practice the form of Christianity that Christ and his followers practiced. That doesn’t mean drawing away from society—you note Whitney has many common interests and is engaging—but it means that Whitney is attempting to adhere to principles outlined in the bible. Whitney has likely done research as to the secular history on birthday celebrations. In short, it is true that there are 2 birthday celebrations noted in the bible—both of which involved murders. More importantly, there are no records that the men of the OT—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob et al—celebrated birthdays. There is certainly no record that Jesus ever celebrated his birthday either----or his followers. (and it’s worth noting Jesus did celebrate all of the festivals that Jewish Law prescribed) Secular history oftened portrayed birthday celebrations where overindulgence occurred, and in most cases it was an occasion to bring honor or special recognition to the person celebrating the birthday. This is inconsistent with the Christian model that seeks to bring honor to God, not to self. (I have little interest in debating this, but am sharing what Whitney’s feelings likely are)
Would you have less respect for Whitney’s convictions if, with a nod and a wink, he attended a party that had previously been a Christmas party and simply had the name changed? I am sure he appreciates the he is thought of enough that you’re willing to make these accomodations; and I’m sure he’s respectful of others. But he wishes to respect both the spirit and the letter of his convictions.
Don’t know what to say here. The discussion of evolution is a complcated one. I have never seen anything but a splintered discussion here, and I don’t think a message board can do justice to it. Perhaps you can ask him to share with you his thoughts about the matter in greater detail.
What were his words? It sounds as if he is smart enough to clearly articulate his thoughts. In your post you’ve touched on several topics already: Birthdays, Christmas, Blood Transfusions, Evengelizing and Evolution.
I’m guessing he’s more than capable of sharing his views in a clear way, but it sounds like you have many questions as to why he believes/acts the way he does. Just one of the issues you’ve listed above could be a GQ (vs a GD) thread several pages long. As I re-read your OP and the thread it is apparent that there is just too much on the plate. This thread, if it continues, will be overwhelmed because of the sheer volume of issues you have. (all by non-JWs) Maybe you should select a single issue—the one that puzzles the most—and direct it to him. (You directed the thread to JWs and there are precious few here. I am out of town and limited time to give you a JW perspective.Further, I think a valid JW answer should use the bible as the authority for the answer. I would be pleased to answer in that way if the issues were more clearly defined or there weren’t so many of them.)
JWs use the bible as their guidebook. Your hunch is incorrect. Whatever the criticisms of JWs they are generally considered to be knowledgeable about the bible, and use if often. The texts supporting their beliefs (and you’ve mentioned several) are not obscure or arcane. The average JW, including Whitney, is quite able to use the bible to support why they believe what they believe.
Of the issues you’ve mentioned, the biblical basis comes from all 4 Gospels and several others. None comes from the book of “Amos” or “Habakkuk.” If you narrow the focus, I’d be pleased to give you the biblical basis for any one of the beliefs you’re questioning. I’m sure Whitney can as well. (you may also find some good information from the JW web site)
JWs take Jesus at his word:The Son of God. While he did use prophetic words, and in that respect could be called a prophet, he is not considered simply a prophet. He is considered to be “the firstborn of all creation”; a spirit being that had a beginning, a creation. They believe that he was a spirit being who came to earth to offer up his life as a sacrifice–as a corresponding ranson—to counter the perfect life of Adam—who condemned mankind to sin through his willful sinful acts. Jesus’s perfect life answers for the perfect life of Adam, and in the process “redeems” mankind and provides a means for mankind to have a relationship with God, free of the curse of death associated with Adam’s sin.
Listen, I have to run now—work calls. I would like to provide more information, and a JW perspective. More importantly, I think a JW perspective must include biblical basis.
I will reiterate: Narrow your focus—or take then one at a time–and ask Whitney. Ask him to show you from the bible why he believes what he believes. Visit the JW web site. And, if I get a little time I will post to this thread with some cites.
I didn’t really have a question until I ran across the above. How do you reconcile that belief with the first few verses of John?
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Sure, but when one of them elects to leave the community they’re generally shunned by everyone. For some reason the Amish get a pass on that kind of behavior though.
Marc
The JW Bible translates this as : And the Word was a god.
JWs believe there’s only one The God, Jehovah. Jesus was a god, but not THE GOD.
Don’t ask me to explain this. It makes my head spin.