Interesting Jehovah's Witness visit

[dropkickpa]

Well, I was just visited by a witness. I was very polite, and we didn't speak long, but she did give me a tract that I found interesting, especially right now. Below is the section I found especially interesting

What is false religion? Are you distressed about crimes committed in the name of religion? Do the warfare, terrorism, and corruption perpetrated by those who claim to serve God offend your sense of justice? Why does religion seem to be at the root of so many problems?

The fault lies, not with all religion, but with false religion. A widely respected religious figure, Jesus Christ, indicated that false religion produces bad works, just as a "rotten tree produces worthless fruit" (Matthew 7:15-17) What fruit does false religion yield?

False Religion...
Meddles in war and politics: "Across Asia and beyond," says the journal Asiaweek, "power-hungry leders are cynically manipulating people's religious sentiments for their own needs." As a result, the journal warns: "The world threatens to sink into madness." A prominent religious leader in the United States declared: "You've got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops." His solution? "Blow them all away in the name of the Lord." By contrast, the Bible says: "If anyone makes the statement: 'I love God' and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar." (1 John 4:20)

Is this another sign that people are beginning to recognize the hypocrisy embedded to the deepest level in the gubments "We're Christian, God wants us to do this!" declarations?

What do you think?

[Rosemary2205]

1. Everybody's false but us.

Fundi Islamic sects say it. Fundi Christian sects say it. Fundi Jewish sects say it. They all think the crap humanity creates is someone else's doing and if everyone would convert to their brand of "truth" all the crap would go away and we'd live in Utopia.

[dropkickpa]

4. I'm not a fan of fundies,

but I find it interesting that, this close to the election, this happens to be what they bring out. It's a condemnation of the current government, veiled in religion, calling them liars. I wonder what effect this will have on the election choices of JW's on Tuesday. Maybe they'll think a little deeper than the usual "They hate gays, we hate gays, let's vote for them" crap.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. Jehovah's Witnesses Don't Serve In The Military...

Don't vote...

and don't salute the flag...

They believe those are forms of idolatry...

[kstewart33]

2. I studied with the Witnesses for 3 years.

They've been saying this for many years. That Jesus was distrustful of organized religion, and felt that many so-called believers practiced a false religion.

I did not become a Witness, but this is one of many reasons why I respect them a great deal.

[Schema Thing]

3. No no, they have always had this central theme

In fact, they used to be much louder about it. I think this new tract is a way to "energize their base", as it's hard to feel persecuted if no one is even criticising you. Also, with all the turmoil in the world lately, they see an opportunity to scare in some new converts.

What you may not realize is that by "False Religion" they mean EVERY religion except Jehovah's Witnesses.

[stevedeshazer]

5. I don't think the JW's were on board with GWB and war in the first place

It's been my understanding that JW's oppose war, period.

Okay, I looked it up on the Watchtower website:

<snip>

The Bible explains at Psalm 46: 9 that real peace requires an end of war, not in just one region of the globe, but in all the earth. Furthermore, this same psalm specifically mentions the destruction of the weapons of Bible times—the bow and the spear. The weapons that proliferate nowadays must likewise be destroyed if mankind is ever to live in peace.

Ultimately, though, it is hatred and greed rather than bullets and rifles that fuel the flames of war. Covetousness, or greediness, is a fundamental cause of war, and hatred frequently leads to violence. To uproot these destructive feelings, people need to change the way they think. They need to be educated in the ways of peace. Thus, the ancient prophet Isaiah realistically states that war will cease only when people 'do not learn war anymore.'—Isaiah 2:4.

However, at present we live in a world that teaches adults and children, not the value of peace, but the glory of war. Sadly, even children are being trained to kill.

</snip>

source: http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040101/article_02.htm

So here I am, on the penultimate eve of perhaps the most important election in the history of our Republic, agreeing with the Jehovah's Witnesses.

:crazy:

What a weird world. What strange times.

[dropkickpa]

6. Exactly!

So here I am, on the penultimate eve of perhaps the most important election in the history of our Republic, agreeing with the Jehovah's Witnesses.

This is what struck me, and the timing just adds to the weirdness!:yoiks:

[Schema Thing]

16. lol, don't worry guys. If you read their full position on war and peace

you would most assuredly not agree with them.

[dropkickpa]

8. oops, dupe

dupe post

[tsuki]

7. JW's have always been evangelical, not fundamentalists. n/t

[seabeyond]

9. i get those visits often and we do take a long time. they want to run away

yes our family is christian, very.... an all day long 7 days a week every moment of our time christian and NO we do not go to church nor would i ever let kids spirituality get contaminated by the religious in this area, they are too pure and loving. i refuse to allow them to be taught the hate...

and we end up agreeing every step of the way.

[itsmesgd]

11. I got the same visit

I read the leaflet and researched the verses that they mentioned. To echo another poster, I find it quirky that I am agreeing with them on this matter, at least as far as the *admin. is concerned.

You have to admit that they had good timing

[DireStrike]

12. No, this is just targetted advertising

If we had a particularly nasty series of earthquakes, they would use that to show that the world was ending. If it was a depression, they would use that.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. My Best Friend Growing Up Was A Jehovah's Witness..

I'm not going to slam them but it's funny how some people here romanticize them...

[peanutbrittle]

14. They just rang my doorbell and handed my wife the pamphlet

In OKC

"The end of false religion is near!"

They are out in force!

[JVS]

15. JWs are really zealous, and it can lead to strange things

When I went to Dachau, the guide pointed out on the chart of different colored patches that there was one for JWs. It turns out that their fundamental opposition to governments in general and military service was incompatible with the Nazi government and large numbers were imprisoned there. But the JWs were also so dedicated to not violating their biblical principles that they were often assigned to duties in camp such as shaving the commander (an opportunity to commit murder) or serving food (an opportunity to steal) because they would not violate their code of ethics.

[neebob]

17. I'd ask my JW neighbor

but she had to move away to a place where she'd be better able her to support herself and her daughter after divorcing her husband who went on the lam and she found out from some men in black that he'd used funds from investors in one failing business to finance another.

Ya wanna see some people close in around someone who's at risk of leaving the fold? You should have seen the Witnesses dogpile on this woman who'd been married for 26 years, never worked as anything but a lunch lady, home schooled both of her kids, and suddenly had to put her 8-year-old daughter in public school.

So, no, I don't think they're beginning to recognize anything but the advantages of political power.