Jehovah's Witnesses

Discussion in 'Christian Issues' started by Jackie, Oct 26, 2006.

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  1. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    I guess what I am trying to get across Ava is, for example, that there are even people in other denominations who consider works as a ticket into heaven. Do you know how many Catholic people I have met who think that (no offense, ust using my experiences)? Quite a few, but they still believe as I do about God and Jesus. There are also many Christian churches that use other references besides the Bible and uphold it to high standards. Many traditional Christian churches. My husband's Lutheran minister uncle is one of those as well, but he's still "A Christian". There are people in ALL denominations that may have things wrong. I mean, we could go on and on about Baptism and other things as well because everyone has their OWN interpretation. I am not offended when people, like you just did, point out differences in doctrine. It's when it becomes a judgement that I do not believe is right when we are talking about others who believe in the same God and Son. No matter what THEY believe, it's not fair for us to make a mockery of them. I think that is where some are crossing the line.
     
  2. Marylyn_TX

    Marylyn_TX New Member

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    As Valerie, pointed out, this is not about judging them, as individual people. To call something a “cult” is not calling the followers “bad people.” What it means is that although they call themselves Christians, they believe something that is different than these major tenets of the Christian faith. (If they didn't call themselves “Christians” then they would be classified as having a different religion. Jews and Muslims also believe in the God of the Bible.) Usually the difference involves their definition of who God is, who Jesus is, and/or the means of salvation.

    Although there is a lot of disagreement about some doctrinal issues, most Christian denominations agree on the major issues:

    http://faithfacts.gospelcom.net/cults.html

    * There is one God. While there is only one God, he exists in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus, these three manifestations of God exist in one divine being or essence.
    * God, the Father, made everything that exists, visible and invisible, and continues to sustain it.
    * God the Son, Jesus Christ, is true God as well as true man. That Jesus was born of a virgin is supporting evidence of his dual nature of both man and God. He lived a perfect life while on earth, having come to suffer and die for mankind as a ransom for our sins. After he died on the cross and was buried, he came back to life on the third day after his death (was resurrected), an event which had been predicted in the Bible. He then returned to heaven until the time he will come again in final judgment of every person to heaven or to hell.
    * God, the Holy Spirit, is also true God and is to be worshipped and glorified as such. The Holy Spirit invites each person to partake of Christ�s blessings which are offered to us, and to experience a personal relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us the saving knowledge of Jesus, our Savior, so that we can trust and believe and rejoice in Him. The Holy Spirit also comforts, guides, and sustains us in the faith.
    * Mankind, from Adam on, has separated himself from God by sin and thus deserves death and eternity in hell. Nobody is good enough to meet God's standard of holiness. But God has a plan of salvation for every person. Salvation is the condition of being saved from sin, death, and God's wrath. Because Jesus overcame death with his bodily resurrection, believers can confidently look forward to eternal life in heaven. Salvation is given by grace; that is, it is a gift from God to all who are willing to receive that gift and trust in Christ as Lord and Savior.
    * Baptism is an important act of obedience to God's grace or as a symbol of the substance of God's saving grace.
    * The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God.
    * All believers in Christ are members of one spiritual body, the Church.


    http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=archives.index&#Top

    The Mormons, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was started by Joseph Smith. Smith claimed that the Father and Son appeared to him and called him to restore the true Church. LDS Church teaches that God the Father was once a man and was exalted to Godhood. God (and his heavenly Wife) begat billions of spirit children, the firstborn of whom was Jesus. Lucifer was the leader of God's rebellious spirit children. Those spirits who did not rebel become human beings in order to begin process potentially leading to exaltation to Godhood. Jesus, however, became a God while only a spirit. He organized our world and is Jehovah, the God of Israel. He is a separate and subordinate God to Elohim, the Father. A distinction is made between the Holy Ghost, who is a personage of Spirit, and the Holy Spirit. The latter is a divine energy, force, or spiritual essence that fills the universe and is used by all three members of the Godhead in the exercise and accomplishment of their will. The Church rejects the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. It also redefines salvation by grace to refer simply to resurrection. Almost all humans will be resurrected into one of three kingdoms of glory, the least of which is far superior to anything known in this life. Entry into the higher kingdoms, and one's rank there, depends not only upon the atonement of Christ, but also upon one's good works. Achievement of the highest potential within the highest kingdom--Godhood--requires complete "obedience to all the laws and ordinances of the gospel." The Bible, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants are all considered scripture. Publishes Church News and Ensign magazine.

    To summarize, they believe that Jesus is:
    A created being: the elder brother of Lucifer
    Common (one of many gods) and, in some ways, of minor important in the largerMormon cosmology
    Conceived by a physical sex act between God the Father (Adam or Elohim) and Mary, thus not through a true virgin birth
    Once sinful and imperfect
    Earned his own salvation (exaltation, godhood)

    The Jehovah's Witnesses are part of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, formed by Charles Taze Russell. They believe that Satan is the originator of the idea of the Trinity. The Father is the supreme God whose real name is Jehovah. Jesus is a created being known originally as Michael the Archangel; he is "a god," not Jehovah. Jesus only rose spiritually, not bodily, from the dead. The Holy Spirit is the impersonal active force of God. Only the anointed class (or little flock) numbering 144,000 will go to heaven, while faithful "other sheep" will live eternally on a paradise earth; the lost will cease to exist (annihilationism). Publishes the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (their own version of the Bible), as well as numerous books. Originally called International Bible Students, followers today are called Jehovah's Witnesses.
     
  3. Ava Rose

    Ava Rose New Member

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    Agreed! I think sharp tongues that weild cutting words do more damage to the cause of Christ than anything else.
     
  4. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    Marylyn, those are facts and lessons I love to learn about. Thank you for your post!:D

    In all, I just think it's important to remember how we word things. ;)
     
  5. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    Thank you Ava. I sometimes think when we don't remember this, we ward people off from our faith when we are suppose to be enlightening them about it. :love:
     
  6. Marylyn_TX

    Marylyn_TX New Member

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    You're welcome and AMEN! :D
     
  7. bunnytracks

    bunnytracks New Member

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    That is so true with any post. It is hard to know the intent of the writer based on reading their post. We need to give each other a little leway here and believe that the people here really are not trying to hurt others. I know I am not.
     
  8. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    Sarah, I think I have yet to read something of yours that sounded offensive. I think when I see the screen name "bunnytracks" I automatically think of this little bubbly, happy, and smilie girl talking in your posts. :D
     
  9. TeacherMom

    TeacherMom New Member

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    I always feel sorry for the jws, cause my step mom is one, she has to sign up for certain hours of "service". IT keeps her in good with the elders.
    I think it is sort of like when catholics say hail mary's Or something like that, but its required work.
    She tries to be kind and encoruaging, and she really wants to serve the Lord, but she is just messed up with the fact that JESUS is Lord!
    When they come to our door, Ijust say, Hey My step mom is a JW, so I know what you have to say, have a nice day.
    One time a lady tried to give me her "awake" magazine, I had seen her coming and picked up a track about teh four spiritual laws... I handed it toward her as she did me, and said" I'll take yours if you take mine?" she litterally backed away and quickly got away from my door.
    I was in shock.
    We just have to remember that these people are just slightly misguided and we should pray for them as they walk away from our closed doors.
    I wonder what would happen if we asked if we couldpray with them? My step mom lets me pray for her and put her on prayer lists!
     
  10. vantage

    vantage Active Member

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    LOL, LOL picturing the lady scramming from the door.

    THanks I needed that.
     
  11. Ava Rose

    Ava Rose New Member

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    I get the same impression. Geesh with a name like that you could say anything! lol. I had a friend once that said you can say anything as long as you say it was a smile. Yea right.
     
  12. bunnytracks

    bunnytracks New Member

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    Jen & Ava, you guys are too sweet. I am named after my favorite icecream.
     
  13. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    Ooooo, I've had that before...it IS really good!
     
  14. TeacherMom

    TeacherMom New Member

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    there is bunny tracks ice cream? I have heard of Moose tracks, that is one of my favs, whats bunny tracks like? Dare I ask?
     
  15. MonkeyMamma

    MonkeyMamma New Member

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    Where do you guys live that they come to your door so frequently? I have seen some riding their bikes in their "Sunday best" but not one has ever come to my home.

    My neighbor wishes one would come to her door so she could witness to them!
     
  16. TeacherMom

    TeacherMom New Member

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    uh... oh ya, Here they come once a month, in california... My step mom kept my dads bible I gave him a few years back, its a kjv big print bible. So I pray she will read it and I share with her of the good of the Lord as often as I can , so hopefully she will get things all right, she said they just think Jesus was a prophet not the messiah. other than that she is surprised consistanly at the things our Bible says that they believe too... she was brought up JW so has not known anything else. God is good though and He will open her eyes, ....................
    I sure hope someone writes back what is in bunny track ice cream I want to know if its the same as MooseTracks
    ( I love moose!)
     
  17. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    The bunnytracks ice cream I had was from Blue Bunny Ice Cream. I can't exactly recall that was in it but I remember it was very similar to Moose Tracks...caramel, chocolate, chunks of something, marshmallow, and other stuff. Sorry I can't recall to well, but I do remember it being oooooooo soooooooooooo good!

    My favorite is Carmel Cone from Haagan Daas.
     
  18. bunnytracks

    bunnytracks New Member

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    It is made by Blue Bunny. They have little bunnys that are choclate with peanut butter inside. Then the icecream it self has a fudge ring through it. It is very sweet. I actually like the no sugar added the best because it doesn't give me such a sugar rush.
     
  19. Ava Rose

    Ava Rose New Member

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    Oh...little bunnies...I love bunnies. My baby dd's room has bunny toile. Oh and the ice cream sounds divine! Wow!
     
  20. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    Teacher Mom, I was interested in what you said about praying for your stepmom. When the JW family lived next door to my mother she got the impression from their child that a woman could not pray for a man. Or maybe it was a woman couldn't pray in a meeting if a man was there. I know Mama was real confused about what the little boy was telling her. I was wondering if that is true or if she was confused. She and the little boy were great friends and he worried that he wouldn't see her in heaven because she was Baptist. He would go talk to her and tell her what he had learned in his meetings. He told her Jesus was a prophet. Now this child was only 5 or 6 at the time so he may have been wrong in what he was saying about his lessons but he loved to witness to Mama. They moved out of state but he still writes to Mama.
     
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