Posted on 09/18/2006 1:23:37 PM PDT by agooga
My sister is 43 years old, lives in a very small town about 1,000 miles away in our home town. We have relatives in the town as well. She has a 4 year old son (no father) and has fallen for a man there who is a JW.
They are seriously talking of marriage and she seems to be well on the road to adopting his religion.
We were raised Catholic, but she hasn't set foot in a church in years, as far as I know.
I know little to nothing of JW, other than the usual bad rap it gets as a "cult," etc.
I WILL BE DOING MY OWN RESEARCH (for all the FReepers out there who complain that people actually ask other people's advice/opinion rather than Doing Their Own Research). But I often find that I get some interesting POV's by soliciting here.
And, don't let my tagline scare you off-- I am not anti-religion in the least. I think religion in general has been a huge positive net gain for mankind.
My pat answer when they come to the door (few do now) is to say sorry can't talk right now my coven is meeting here in ten minutes and I got to finish preparing the blood sacrifice. I usually say such in a sort of detached manner while I stare intently at a space just above their heads.
(No, I am not kidding)
Yes you should be worried, especially if she marries and raises children in this religion. I book I recommend for your research is Answers To My Jehvah's Witnesses Friends by Thomas F Heinze. Not only will it give you more information on the JW's it will also give pointers on how to broach the topic with her in a compassionate manner.
I would like a ping to that thread.
I've done something similar. I told them that I thought they were here to deliver the live chickens. It even involved hissing at the kid that was with them. It was pretty funny to watch them scurry.
Yes.
Ping!
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
There is not one, single recorded example of conversion in Acts where a follower of Jesus was told he/she must acknowledge Jesus is God in order to be saved. NOT ONE!
There is not one, single recorded example of conversion in Acts where one being baptized into the TRUE Kingdom faith stated during their conversion that Jesus is God. NOT ONE!
Yet, Traditional Christianity teaches and often REQUIRES one accept Jesus is God.
Also, the false Messianic Judaism movement, which follows the primary doctrines of its Traditional Christian mother, teaches and often REQUIRES one accept Jesus is God. Why is this? Why does Traditional Christianity and its Judaically dressed false Messianic daughter make belief in Jesus as God a fundamental requirement, even though it is nowhere stated as a requirement in ANY conversion examples of Acts?
There are numerous examples where the believer stated their belief in Jesus as the Son of God and/or as Messiah, but NEVER - I repeat NEVER - were they asked to state, nor did they state, that they believed Jesus to be God! Read the book of Acts if you doubt this. Why would anyone that claims to follow Holy Scripture belong to an organization that blatantly adds to what those Scriptures require for salvation? Worse still, why would any individual dare to falsely represent The Eternal God by promoting requirements that ALL examples prove HE does not require?
PLEASE LET COMMON SENSE AND REASONING OF WHAT THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY SAY DICTATE YOUR BELIEFS. Do not allow yourself to be victimized by unexplainable, "blind-faith mysteries."
I usually just ask them for their address. When they ask why, I tell them, because I don't have time to talk with them at the moment but, I'd like to drop by their home unannounced when I do have the time.
My ex sister in law joined the JW cult. She is out now but a total basket case. She is on some heavy duty physco drugs. She is unrecognizable as the person she used to be. I'd say the people who are telling you the JW are ok have no personal dealings with them. No offence to anyone.
That makes two votes for it will make her go psychotic.
"After seeing your tagline—"Thank God I'm an atheist"—I see little need for you to be worried about your sister. She's no better or worse off than you are."
I'm not so sure. Atheism (actually I consider myself to be agnostic) does not cause you ANY problems in this world-- except by the hand of non-atheists.
JW's on the other hand-- I am gathering that a number of "this-world" complications are quite possible.
I am concerned about this world, right now.
Repost that on thurs! ;o)
I will do so if I get the gumption to start it. If not, the ball is in your court to create such a scandalous thread. ;o)
Not in this world, no, but if you are willing to risk the next world, that is up to you.
Ping me to the thread and I will. :)
I let them see the dogs and usually they back down the steps. I once made the mistake of giving them money to go away. DO NOT GIVE THEM A DIME. If you do they wont leave you alone from my experience. Now I let my nasty looking biker husband deal with them. According to him they are un-American and don't salute the flag which really sets him off. I don't know if they do or they don't. Now they avoid my house and bother my neighbors.
I'll be on the porch, drinking lemonade...
Lynchburg Lemonaide, I assume.
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