I have just read a book about Jehovah’s witnesses: their organization is not only horrendous, but their view of the world, of God, of Salvation, of the meaning of life is very simplistic, primitive and childish.
For them, the meaning of life is this: God gives us laws in a book. Jeovah’s witnesses are those who understand this book in the right way and can tell you what to do. If you abide by the laws, then God will be pleased and you will enter the earthly heaven. If you do not follow the laws, you will be annihilated. There is no room according to them for any spiritual quest for meaning. The Bible for them is not the experience of an encounter with Someone, but a code of laws.
There is no essential difference between the meaning of life according to Jeovah’s witnesses and the meaning of life according to a dog: do what you are told by your master, and you will be rewarded. Otherwise, you will be punished. Don’t even bother to ask questions…
And this differs from mainstream christianity how?
As a rule, i’ve found JWs to be some of the most intelligent christians out there. They at least, are encouraged to scrutinize their premises before arriving at a conclusion.
The doctrines of Jehova’s Witnesses is grossly misunderstood and exaggerated. While they teach several things that are out of step with mainstream Christianity, they are typically the most well versed in the bible {though to their detriment almost exclusively to their bible or teachings that are in step with their bible}. But first and foremost, Jehova’s Witnesses preach a love for god, a love for your neighbor. Contrary to the belief of many, the cult like imagine is not deserved.
I can’t remember the last time I agreed with you about anything, but you really hit the nail on the head here.
Honestly, I think the reason mainstream christians loath JWs so much is because they don’t believe in heaven, but instead a resurection on earth (after laying in the cold cold ground for a few milenia first)
My mother is one of Jonah’s Witnesses. I am horified the some people in NYC tells my mother how to deal with my Dad and brothers. And they don’t even know any of them. She does it unquestioningly too. my families peace is shattered all to hell now. Mom thinks God is speaking from NYC, and puts all her faith there.
Here is how I see them…
You have a bunch of wannabe mechanics. They are the only ones who claim to know how to fix cars. Pretty soon they are in a junkyard surrounded by evidence of their failures. And people are paying them even more, and more cars are coming in like crazy! The idea of a "savior
" to them is a “crusher” to rid them of all the cars they either cannot or do not want ot fix. What to the broken cars want? What is their idea of a “savior”? What happens when the cars start understanding the manual, and start fixing themselves? Are the wannabes going to be happy?? That will be the weeding process, the evil ones will show themselves when that happens, and the ignorant ones will be happy. “sheep” and “goats”?
By the way…there is a awesome site by people who have been thrown out by the witnesses for asking too many questions…I learned many things there too…Jehovah’sWitnessDiscussion.com (forums) Check it out…
Incorrect dependent upon certain parameters. There is a cavernous divide between childlike and childish. The two should not be so easily confused.
To reduce cynicism and adult crassness and mental terpitude, to gaze at everything in the world as with unending wonder, to quizzically question everything you meet with an open mind, to live life with sincerity, is to be truly childlike.
To be cynical without knowledge, to be crass without cause, to gaze at the world with bitterness and a desire to bring it down to a personal nadir, to question only for attention or to refute based on personal ideologies of purported supremacy, is to be truly childish.
I, for myself, will take childlike, for the rest of my corporeal days.
JW’s are the latter, as well as some other people within Judeo-Christian Orthodoxy.
Many Judeo-Christians are the former, and do quite well with life because of being just so.
