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Jehovah's Witnesses get set for annual convention
Toledo Blade ^ | June 13, 2009 | David Yonke

Posted on 06/14/2009 9:36:23 AM PDT by Colofornian

Dennis McConner climbs the front steps of a well-kept home on Holgate Avenue in Maumee and knocks on the door.

SNIP

Mr. McConner, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., smiles warmly and says, "Good morning sir, how are you?"

"Just fine. Can I help you?" the homeowner asks, polite but hurried.

"Yes, my name is Dennis McConner. I'm stopping by this morning leaving invitations to you and your neighbors to attend a convention we're having at the SeaGate Centre and to answer this question: 'How can I survive the end of the world?'•"

SNIP

Leading up to the first weekend of meetings, the Witnesses are working diligently to get the word out to nonmembers. The headlines on the flyers ask the catchy question, "How can you survive the end of the world?"

SNIP

The Jehovah's Witnesses were founded in the 1870s in Allegheny, Pa., by Bible student Charles Taze Russell. There are about 6.5 million members in 235 countries, including 1 million in the United States and 35,000 in Ohio. The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches lists it as one of the four fastest-growing religious groups in the country.

Group members are used to hearing criticism of some of their non-mainstream beliefs and practices, including not observing Christmas, Easter, or birthdays; barring blood transfusions, and refusing to bear arms in a war.

Mr. Smith, an elder in the West English Congregation, which meets at a Kingdom Hall on Richards Road, says some people have angrily accused him of being in a cult. But he says that among the key characteristics of a cult is that its members follow one individual, which does not apply to Jehovah's Witnesses...

(Excerpt) Read more at toledoblade.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Other Christian
KEYWORDS: cult; jehovahswitnesses
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From the article: Mr. Smith, an elder in the West English Congregation, which meets at a Kingdom Hall on Richards Road, says some people have angrily accused him of being in a cult. But he says that among the key characteristics of a cult is that its members follow one individual, which does not apply to Jehovah's Witnesses.

Well, as the article already mentions, that's how JWs did start -- following one individual -- Charles Taze Russell. (With Judge Rutherford replacing him as the one individual to follow). From there, they decided to branch out into a governing society - The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.

1 posted on 06/14/2009 9:36:23 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

Ahhh..., JW’s ... one of two of the biggest cult groups in the U.S. (the other being Mormonism). Both are “home-grown” too, right here in the U.S.... :-)


2 posted on 06/14/2009 9:39:20 AM PDT by Star Traveler (The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a Zionist and Jerusalem is the apple of His eye.)
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To: Colofornian
Just in case, I have a "welcome" mat that reads:

We love our vacuum cleaner

We've found God

We gave at the office

You can leave now

3 posted on 06/14/2009 9:40:51 AM PDT by basil ( It's time to eliminate all "Gun Free Zones")
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To: Colofornian

They have them all over the country. They are actually pretty cool things. I attended one. They were actually giving away sack lunches during the intermission, I was very hungry by then too.


4 posted on 06/14/2009 9:42:34 AM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: basil
Just in case, I have a "welcome" mat that reads:
We love our vacuum cleaner
We've found God
We gave at the office
You can leave now

(I like the sign: We'd love to help you out
(Which way did you come in?)

5 posted on 06/14/2009 9:43:22 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: GeronL
They were actually giving away sack lunches during the intermission, I was very hungry by then too.

(Did you get a bit suspicious when the koolaid accompanied the sack lunches?)

6 posted on 06/14/2009 9:44:34 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

When these people visited my mom’s house, she would hide in the basement.


7 posted on 06/14/2009 9:44:49 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Colofornian

They learned their lesson way back then about following an individual. Now you can’t really figure out who is in charge anymore. Its pretty interesting.

I used to study with them back in my teens.


8 posted on 06/14/2009 9:45:08 AM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: Colofornian

They are actually the meekest and kindest people I have ever met


9 posted on 06/14/2009 9:46:39 AM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
When these people visited my mom’s house, she would hide in the basement.

Actually, if you know you're Bible...and just understand a few concepts of what the JWs believe, it can make for an interesting convo.

Ask them: "Is Jesus a true god?"
"Do you believe in Jesus as a true god?"
"Since you say Jesus isn't Jehovah God, how many gods, then, do you have?"

10 posted on 06/14/2009 9:48:13 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

As in ALL CULT CHECKING, there is one question and one question only that divides any and all religions. Remember this is’t a good one “WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?” Peter answered correctly. Cults answer incorrectly. The correct answer is Jesus is God, fully God and fully man.

JW’s do not believe that they say he is Michael the Archangel.

Mormons believe he is Michael the Archangel

and the Big Finale!!!Seventh Day Adventist believe he is Michael the Archangel

There was also a group know as The Way they did not believe Jesus was God.

oh ps the mother of all these religions was put together at the Nicea Council in 325 AD, compare that religion with Biblical truths and you will be 10 miles off the closest marker. However the Roman Religion does have one thing right and that is Jesus is God. Hence why it has had some efficacy. The Hebrew Faith movement today has a long way to go but at least it is walking in all the scripture.


11 posted on 06/14/2009 10:08:22 AM PDT by ladyL
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To: GeronL
They are actually the meekest and kindest people I have ever met

They are, but I weary of hearing about the Apocalypse being tomorrow every week for the last forty years. They were just by yesterday.

12 posted on 06/14/2009 10:34:19 AM PDT by Gorzaloon (Roark, Architect.)
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To: Gorzaloon

I only studied with them for a few months


13 posted on 06/14/2009 10:36:00 AM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com <----go there now,----> tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Best way to get rid of them is just take their junk and immediately trash it. Preferrably while they are watching.


14 posted on 06/14/2009 10:41:12 AM PDT by beckysueb (Palin/Jindahl in 2012)
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To: Colofornian

Meanwhile, on July 5th, 2009, the Church of the SubGenius will be celebrating X-Day, the End of the World, in Sherman, NY.

http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/fun/devivals/12XDay/12X-Day.html


15 posted on 06/14/2009 10:49:50 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: ladyL

You wrote:

“oh ps the mother of all these religions was put together at the Nicea Council in 325 AD, compare that religion with Biblical truths and you will be 10 miles off the closest marker.”

What you’re saying is utter nonsense. 1) There was no religion “put together” at Nicaea in 325. A religion - Arianism - was suppressed instead. And thank God for it! 2) There is no “10 miles” separation between the Church and the Bible nor could there be since they come from the same source - God Almighty.

“However the Roman Religion does have one thing right and that is Jesus is God.”

The Catholic Church has everything right in terms of doctrine and it begins with the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. Period.

“Hence why it has had some efficacy.”

Some? Single largest and greatest Church ever is “some efficacy” to you? What puny, no name, just erected yesterday sect would you rather people join?

“The Hebrew Faith movement today has a long way to go but at least it is walking in all the scripture.”

It’s a sect, less than 100 years old, founded by men, not God and it doesn’t walk in the scriptures. It doesn’t even have a complete copy of the scriptures to go by.


16 posted on 06/14/2009 12:25:30 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: vladimir998

Kind sir, your zeal for Yahweh is admirable but misses the mark by a great deal. Study church history. Study Lev. 23 and then look up Mithra and Ishtar. Study how the Catholic church took out the 2nd commandment,split the 10th and wiped out the 4th. These are just for starters.


17 posted on 06/14/2009 10:02:25 PM PDT by ladyL
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To: GeronL

The ones I know are nice-—and they really take care of each other.


18 posted on 06/14/2009 10:08:57 PM PDT by lonestar (Obama is turning Bush's "mess" into a catastrophe.)
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To: basil

lol Patent it and sell it, you’ll make a fortune.


19 posted on 06/14/2009 10:12:00 PM PDT by kalee (01/20/13 The end of an error.... Obama even worse than Carter.)
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To: ladyL

LadyL,

You wrote:

“Kind sir, your zeal for Yahweh is admirable but misses the mark by a great deal. Study church history.”

One of the fields for my PhD was Church History. I know it well.

“Study Lev. 23 and then look up Mithra and Ishtar.”

Why? I worship neither Mithra nor Ishtar.

“Study how the Catholic church took out the 2nd commandment,split the 10th and wiped out the 4th. These are just for starters.”

You’re completely wrong. Look at Exodus 20. There is no enumeration of the Ten Commandments there. In other words, no where are we told, “This is the second commandment....this is the third commandment, etc. If you look in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, after paragraph #2051 you’ll see that the Ten Commandments are listed in their entirety according to how they appear in Exodus and Deuteronomy. There is also the traditional Catechetical Formula that is used for memorization. Lutherans use the same Catechetical Formula.

Your misunderstading is a common one on the part of those who have done little or no research on the topic. You might want to read this: http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/NUMBERNG.HTM

And here it’s even easier to read: http://www.cin.org/users/james/files/numberng.htm


20 posted on 06/15/2009 4:31:40 AM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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