I asked a J.W. on the Internet, she said it would be perfectly acceptable for my JW relatives to attend a funeral in a non-J.W. house of God. I had originally thought about a Kingdom Hall funeral (just in case) because so many of my relatives on Mom's side in Michigan are J.Ws. We last saw the lot of them (and there are a lot of them) at a Bavarian Inn in Frakenmuth either 12/31/2001 or 1/1/02.
They were great, served us Christmas fare because we landed at Detroit Christmas day. I wanted to see Windsor but I was advised due to the new 9/11 security I wouldn't be able to cross the border with a driver's license. No matter, I have a U.S. passport now, I am ready.
Addition to Max.
The 144.000 are seen in more religions. (some others also starting mid 19th century) They will not be the only survivors. But they will be with God, ruling the new earth. On the new earth other saved, but not choosen, people will be. So there will be bad people (destruction) better people (new earth) and the choosen ones (144.000).
The name Jehova was used in older christian books. But the use of the name had dissapeared because of the awarenes that jews did not use the name of god.
I do admit that I'm not fond of the teachings and doctrines of the Jehova Witnesses. But I do like it when this old man comes to talk to me. Because he is not telling of his doctrines anymore. He is telling why he has become a witness, and what it means to him in his daily life.
Finally he is not smiling when we talk about his sick wife and saying they know of the comfort to come. He tells that it's hard to live with so much pain and missery, and yes, he witnesses his comfort after that too, but he does not ignore the now anymore.
And he tells how he searched for answers after WWII. He tried all kinds of non violent philosophies and religions. But only the witnesses were non violent enough for him.
When he tells about him self, how he lived as a boy, how he struggled as a young man, how he grieves for his ailing wife, then I see what his beliefs mean to him. Then I can listen. And disagree, but that is OK.
But when people are that open about their faith I like listening, because it's not about winning my soul, but about how they coped with life and God.
When people only testify about their doctrines I'm of. No matter what religion.
In another religion with 144.000 I saw something awful imo.
My daughter went to play. The kid she went playing with was summoned to share her toys, because in that we she would earn a brickstone for ahome in heaven. The mother and I did discuss that. She told me that everything she did was because she wanted to be part of the 144.000, the bride of Christ in her opinion. She tried to work her way up to god. Nothing was done for the people she did it for. The people were just the means to come close to god. And her children learn to act in the same way.
So when she smiled at me or anyone else, or invited me or anyone else in for a cup of coffee, it was not because she liked doing that, she was just making cement for her room in heaven.
But this is off topic, she was not a Jehova Witness.
I never really proscribed to the whole part where it went into God wanting you to die rather than live after having blood put in you which, after less than 90 days, would be flushed from your body completely. Plus, there's the whole factor of the amount of room in heaven.
Here's a tip: Stop recruiting, because the people you recruit just may take your place in heaven. They may become a better Witness than you, and displace you when the apocalypse hits.
^ To be frank I have no love for JWs. They are cults no matter what their followers say.
And personally my goal is to scare the be-jebus out of them when ever I get a chance
He didn't look very far. Many denominations are far less obsessed with condemning everybody and everything than the JW's, and much less controlling and abusive toward their members.
Quakers, Unitarians, United Church of Christ -- wonderful, loving, embracing denominations.
So he didn't. He stopped looking when he found what he was looking for. For him it was OK. And its his personal history that I like. Not his doctrine.
I don't agree with the doctrine. I can not live in that. But I listen to his story, because its his story. And he does not talk as a zealot. But just as a man. Not happy, but loving. Not jamming his faith in my face, but telling about his life. And I tell what I want to tell. And he listens to me too.
Oh of course, I don't want to talk to him always. There are days I don't care to open the door, or am glad I wasn't at home. I do admit that. But there are other people I'm glad to miss, or won't open the door to too.
Sorry DigiModify,
We're getting completely of topic. You wanted to know if there were more of your denomination on this forum. So I won't jump in again. Sorry
Hyke
Just as religions -- JW's being a prime example -- often have hateful views of people, people often reject those religions' irrational and destructive teachings.
This kind of thinking is only making things worse. DigiModify didn't personally say anything hateful about other people, so there is no reason to say hateful things about his people. He isn't even trying to convert anyone. All he wanted was to find people who have something in common with, which given the fact that we're all on this particular website, is something I'm sure we can all relate to.
And I'm not a Jehovah's Witness, BTW.
No, rejecting those beliefs does not make it worse. Rejecting the beliefs and then attacking people who mention they are part of a group of people that often holds those beliefs does.
No, rejecting those beliefs does not make it worse. Rejecting the beliefs and then attacking people who mention they are part of a group of people that often holds those beliefs does.
If you can show me where in this thread I attacked someone personally, you won't sound paranoid. Otherwise, I am just providing factual information about a particular religion/cult.
Why do so many religions hate the truth?
I wasn't saying you attacked DigiModify, I was saying you shouldn't stay up for people who do.
Perhaps the patriarch ought to remember a few things about being a servant as a Christain.
Those places in Colossians or Phillipians or Ephesians or Corinthians about
1. Love your wives as Jesus loves the church. I have yet to see hitting in church. (No domestic violence)
2. Do not deprive one another, except by mutual consent for a short time, lest you be tempted. (Love her in more ways than one)
3. Foot washing
4. Jesus, the King in Christianity, dies a condemned man's death so we are cleansed of sin?
Daddy-O might want to remember that when he is on his Lazy Boy (pardon the pun) watching grown men knocking each over to catch an odd-shaped ball. Somehow that doesn't seem What Jesus Would Do (I'll do the cross at halftime dear)
But then again I suppose that it would have been a radical, although entirely Christian, concept for white southerners during Jim Crow and before to clean the feet of an African-American person.
I can't believe how rude some of you are being. DigiModify just wanted to find a group of people with whom he could talk about his spiritual beliefs, and so many people are just coming here and criticizing them.
Just because you're not lying doesn't mean you're being considerate. What you're doing could be compared to someone going to a gay person's funeral and after listening to all his friends talk about how great of a person he was, stating in a rude tone, "But he's GAY!". Sure, it's only stating the facts, but it's downright disrespectful.
I am sorry to DigiModify. He is so much like most of my family in a certain state.
I think there are those on this site that feel threatened by religion because it condemns behaviors they cherish. I don't think it is really personal or logical. God (you call him Yahweh or Jehovah, I would say God the Father) lets people choose.
It is also that they feel threatened by Christians. They've run into "Christians" before and suffered for it. Bad Christians are really a vaccine that fights off good ones. Take smallpox as an example. You introduce cowpox into a person, it provokes an immune system response sufficient to kill real smallpox, at least for a while. The bad Christians give them a hard time and fail to show them how to come to Jesus and be saved, so when we come on later and say "we are Christians", they are like white blood cells on red alert.
I had a problem hating Christians once.
I have much more peace today. I know God will gradually purify me and perfect me in this life, and I will be entirely perfect in Heaven. I will find some measure of comfort and peace in this life and I will be comforted and at peace with Jesus for all eternity. Know Jesus, know peace.
Real Christians take no pleasure in people going to Heaven. Real Christians can't say go to Hell. At least not if they are literal Aspergians.
Forgive us (and them, they know not what they do)