Jehovahs Witness, cult or religion?

Originally posted by Jovi1
They aren't really a cult, so much but a kind of christianity based on a very bad interpretation of the Bible. They get to carry the cult stigma with them because thier ideas are very much at times out of the Christian norms. As to your brother this is a typical behavior because the rest of your family isn't JW. So he is going to feel less and less comfortable around you as time goes on. Probably the only way you will ever talk him out of it is to learn what he believes and use it to argue him out of it. I have seen many reference materials that will teach you how to do just that. Other than that you will just have to hope he can reason it out himself.

It's IMPOSSIBLE for them to be "Christians", they more relate to Judaism. In order for the to be Christians they would need to worship/accept Jesus Christ is God made flesh.

They deny Jesus Christ was God made flesh. They think he was just a man like you and I.

Here is a great site about JWs:

100 Questions all Jehovah's witnesses must answer.

BTW, "Jehovah" isn't God's name, that is how humans pronounce it. God's name is "YHWH".

When it comes to Jehova and Christians its all about interpetation of the words and the meaning of the Bibel.

Who are we to judge who is right and who is wrong when it comes to religion.


Its like when the priests wanted to test Jesus about stoning a man to death. And they told Jesus:

This man has commited a terribel sine unto God he deserves the punishment of death. Then Jesus told them. Let the one who has not sined throw the first stone. They all ran away.

In the end we are all going to stand before God at the alter and confess ouer sins. It dont mather if you are a Jehova , Christian or a Muslim.

Before we Christians start to judge other religions and belifes, We should start with ouer own.

Originally posted by spy66
When it comes to Jehova and Christians its all about interpetation of the words and the meaning of the Bibel.

The original texts are Hebrew and Greek, now there are X number of modern translations that differ GREATLY. But becasue they do to a large degree doesn't change the originals. I use a Hebrew/Greek Keyword Study Bible.

Who are we to judge who is right and who is wrong when it comes to religion.

The Bible itself is the judge. If a man claims something that isn't based upon scripture he is in error.

Its like when the priests wanted to test Jesus about stoning a man to death. And they told Jesus:

This man has commited a terribel sine unto God he deserves the punishment of death. Then Jesus told them. Let the one who has not sined throw the first stone. They all ran away.

You are twisting scriptures, it was a "woman" whom they claimed had committed adultery. Jesus couldn't have sentenced her to death so to speak, the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus. Under Mosaic law it took the testimony of 2 eyewitnesses to the act itself to condemn a person. None of the people in attendance witnessed her sin.

In the end we are all going to stand before God at the alter and confess ouer sins. It dont mather if you are a Jehova , Christian or a Muslim.

Only the unbeliever will do that, those who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do not go to the Great White Throne Judgment. God forgets their sins. Believers go to a judgment that examines their works/fruits for rewards.

Before we Christians start to judge other religions and belifes, We should start with ouer own.

"Rightly divide the Truth" I agree, we should carefully examine all churches and doctrines and brothers to see if their teachings are true to the Word of God or not.

reply to post by NOTurTypical



Oh sorry for mistaking but it dose not mather if it was a man or a womman . The point has the same value or meaning.

Ehm a edit here

You say that not all of us is going to stand before God. You tell me: what man has not sined. The only one who has not sined in Jesus the butcherd lamb.




[edit on 27.06.08 by spy66]

Here is a partial list of the blatant perversions in the New World Translation of the original Greek and Hebrew Bible.

www.bible.ca...

Originally posted by spy66
reply to post by NOTurTypical

 

Oh sorry for mistaking but it dose not mather if it was a man or a womman . The point has the same value or meaning.

No, you missed the point, Jesus was aware that the Pharisees were trying to trick Him into condemning a woman to death in violation of the Mosaic Law. It states that there needs to be 2 eyewitnesses to the sinful act to condemn a person to death.

The pharisees and those in attendance didn't witness her act of adultery, Jesus knew she did it, that is why he told he to not sin anymore, but there was NO man or woman that witnessed her adultry.

The Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus into violating His own Mosaic Law.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical

Originally posted by spy66
reply to post by NOTurTypical

 

Oh sorry for mistaking but it dose not mather if it was a man or a womman . The point has the same value or meaning.

No, you missed the point, Jesus was aware that the Pharisees were trying to trick Him into condemning a woman to death in violation of the Mosaic Law. It states that there needs to be 2 eyewitnesses to the sinful act to condemn a person to death.

The pharisees and those in attendance didn't witness her act of adultery, Jesus knew she did it, that is why he told he to not sin anymore, but there was NO man or woman that witnessed her adultry.

The Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus into violating His own Mosaic Law.

Well i know that. But what is jesus also saying besideds that. The Bibel is also trying to teach humanity ethics and moral sense. I was not trying to coment the event but the meaning that he also wants us to understand.

Its also about what right we have to judging others for their sins. Its not just the testing of Jesus i was refering to.



Well we are saying the same things but not in the same context. We miss understand each other in other words.

[edit on 27.06.08 by spy66]

reply to post by spy66
Jesus is plainly stating that a person shouldn't judge another person to the point of killing them.

However, a consistent theme throughout the Bible is for others to judge a persons actions/behavior in accordance with the Word of God.

"Iron sharpens Iron".

Case in point:

Lets say you saw me at a strip club, you by all means should tell me my actions are NOT in accordance with scripture. And I should welcome your criticism if it's based in scripture and seek forgiveness.

All relion is a cult. Brainwashing through fear to control vulnerable people is the modus opportunism its' advocates through bigotry seek to subverse the individual human spirit.

Logic, well balanced normal people can appreciate that it is the greatest threat to true democratic enlightenment of our present political endeavours.

It should be the derrision and scorn of rational minded people all over the world.

It can only breed animosity and should be banned from the media of all modern democratic institutions and people in government who hold such views should be should banned from public office.

They make decisions based on their unreasonable beliefs and try to force the rational to adhere to their, myopic, misguided and racist point of view.

Ignore anyone who believes in such a dangerous and unreasonable alliance with supernatural omnipotent beings that their appostles refuse to accept any rational explanation for, and their refusal to aknowledge scientific proof.

These people are dangerous subversives who belong in phsychiatric institutions.

Along with the tooth fairy brigade, there is no real difference in their missguided belief of things that just don't exist.

Not one soul has ever been reconciled to God by way of religion. Moon is right for condemning it.

We are justified by faith alone.

Most likely any and all religions that are organized have some type of cult statis. I have since decided not to participate in these and feel more at peace by not having them as my conscience. Less is more...to me anyway.I feel more spiritual in an empty church than one that's filled with hippocrates.

The fact that the OP is concerned about a close relative makes this topic very poignant. I think it is good to tread carefully in discussing this issue.

I'll be brief. I, along with the majority of Bible-believing Christians, do not accept the JW movement to be part of the Church. Others have already outlined the reasons for this. I do, however, acknowledge that there are some exceedingly sincere and devoted people who are involved in this group.

I find myself feeling the need to sound a note of caution, however. The word cult is often used to signify a group that insists on unquestioning obedience to a particular leader, that deliberately seeks to separate people from their families and gain control over their finances, etc. Personally I prefer to reserve the word either for this or for groups that focus on something totally bizarre or outlandish (such as Elvis).

The danger is that each of us just calls a group a cult because we don't agree with their interpretation. That sets a very dangerous precedent: in the end it opens the door for the word to be used against anyone who doesn't conform.

Maybe it's just my preference, but I'd have to list 'Moonies', 'The Children of God/Family International, 'Supreme Truth' and 'Branch Dravidian' as cults, but refer to JWs, Mormons and Christadelphians differently, perhaps as pseudo-Christian organizations (or, in a wider discussion of religions, 'heretical Christian groups').

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
Yes, they are a cult.

Here is a good link that tells you the aspects of scripture they go against:

www.biblebelievers.com...

i found this one hysterical, its a load of rubbish

Wow, some people really don't understand the JW's belief structure, if you were to ask a JW Elder(there version of a pastor) who is the head of the modern christian congregation? Guess what they would say.
"Jesus Christ" So if following Jesus Christ make ones religion a cult than by that standard yes they are a cult, but then so are many other christian religions too.

And since when does differences of opinions on how the bible should be interperted make people into a cult?

Here is a story for you, a 12 year old JW boy got into a lengthy discussion with a priest that was in his fifties after a hour that JW boy had used the bible so effectively to destroy catholic doctrine that the priest in complete frustration slapped the boy in the face, which ended the discussion.

And as for those that say the NWT is bad bible perhaps you don't know about the book "Truth in Translation" in which an independent author of religious study Jason David Behuhn gives the NWT top marks out 9 common bibles. I have numerous bibles and my collection includes the NWT. It uses a more modern language set, I don't want to read Shakespear old english when I read the bible.

Originally posted by miriam0566

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
Yes, they are a cult.

Here is a good link that tells you the aspects of scripture they go against:

www.biblebelievers.com...

i found this one hysterical, its a load of rubbish

You don't say why though. Break it down.

reply to post by Blue_Jay33


What leading Greek scholars say about the NWT:

Dr. Bruce M. Metzger, professor of New Testament at Princeton University says:

"a frightful mistranslation," "Erroneous" and "pernicious" "reprehensible" "If the Jehovah's Witnesses take this translation seriously, they are polytheists." (Professor of New Testament Language and Literature)

Dr. William Barclay, a leading Greek scholar, said:

"it is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest."

British scholar H.H. Rowley stated:

"From beginning to end this volume is a shining example of how the Bible should not be translated." "Well, as a backdrop, I was disturbed because they (Watchtower) had misquoted me in support of their translation."

Dr. Julius Mantey , author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, calls the NWT:

"a shocking mistranslation." "Obsolete and incorrect." "It is neither scholarly nor reasonable to translate John 1:1 'The Word was a god.'"

"I have never read any New Testament so badly translated as The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of The Greek Scriptures.... it is a distortion of the New Testament. The translators used what J.B. Rotherham had translated in 1893, in modern speech, and changed the readings in scores of passages to state what Jehovah's Witnesses believe and teach. That is a distortion not a translation."

"the translators of the NWT are "diabolical deceivers."

The NWT translators were: Nathan Knorr, Albert Schroeder, George Gangas, Fred Franz, M. Henschel

* "Fred Franz however, was the only one with sufficient knowledge of the Bible languages to attempt translation of this kind. He had studied Greek for two years in the University of Cincinnati but was only self-taught in Hebrew." ["Crisis of Conscience"; by Raymond Franz; Commentary Press, Atlanta; 1983 edition; footnote 15; page 50.]
* Four out of the five men on the committee had no Hebrew or Greek training at all. They had only a high school education. Franz studied Greek for two years at the University of Cincinnati, but dropped out after his sophomore year. When asked in a Scotland courtroom if he could translate Genesis 2:4 into Hebrew, Franz replied that he could not. The truth is that Franz was unable to translate Hebrew or Greek.
* What we are left with is a very inexperienced translating committee that twisted Scripture to make it fit the Society's doctrine.


www.bible.ca...

reply to post by NOTurTypical


Hmmm, strange then that there is ANY Greek JW's and yet there is in Greece.
That kinda blows that whole arguement away.

Did you know a popular game show asked which is the most accurate translation of the bible, nobody got it right because it was the NWT.

Those people(producers) had to WITH NO RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE research this topic first, to come up with the correct answer especially with large sums of money on the line.

So you are being mislead.

Originally posted by Blue_Jay33
reply to post by NOTurTypical

 

Hmmm, strange then that there is ANY Greek JW's and yet there is in Greece.
That kinda blows that whole arguement away.

Did you know a popular game show asked which is the most accurate translation of the bible, nobody got it right because it was the NWT.

Those people(producers) had to WITH NO RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE research this topic first, to come up with the correct answer especially with large sums of money on the line.

So you are being mislead.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now "game show" producers are THE undisputed authority of translating Greek. Even more than someone who has authored numerous books, and a professor at Princeton???

Gotcha.