ANSWERS: 36
  • You need to look carefully at the reason you began your bible study and also the reasons for wanting to stop - is it really because of your husband's beliefs and fears or because of what you discovered via google? I'm not promoting or attacking this religion (I don't know enough about it so it would be ignorant to do so without all the info) but I do have my own reservations about the religion however that is more to do with my personality and my own personal beliefs about western religion altogether. Did you take up association with JW's because of a need to increase your social circle? How would you feel about inviting some of your bible study members to a family gathering with your husband, relatives and friends present? I think it's got to be your decision as to whether you continue or not. The reason I'm asking so many questions in return is that I'd really strongly ask you to consider for yourself the reasons why you've asked for approval or condemnation of this religion and your choice to be involved with it but then at the same time admitted it's simply a convenience thing at this stage but that you don't want to belong to a religion at this stage. Sorry if I'm not helpful but religion tends to be one of those personal decisions and life type things as well so it's something that you really shouldn't be a blind follower about. It's like quitting a bad habit or taking up a good one - you need to do it for you and not for someone else otherwise you're setting yourself up to fail. And don't do it till you're really ready. Am I also right in reading some fear into retaliation or refusal by the JW's to give up contact if you express a preference to end your association with them? That can easily be dealt with via an intervention order should it come to that. So come to a decision, stand up to those who oppose what you think and don't be afraid to be honest.
  • My simple philosophy is that if you are worried about something, you probably have reason to be.
  • The official Website for Jehovah's Witnesses is http://www.watchtower.org/ That is where you go to find out what Jehovah's Witnesses really believe, not what someone says that they believe. The Internet is full of garbage and haters. Several of these haters come here to answerbag and harrass the Witnesses like me. Some of the Websites that you visited may have been "hate sites" that oppossers use to spread lies. If you have a question about the Bible, I would be happy to answer it. The best way to learn about the Bible is to read it yourself. The home Bible Study provision is very nice. That is how I learned. Why not visit the Kingdom Hall in your community with your husband. That should answer his concerns. Welcome to answerbag.
  • The jehovah's Witnesses are not a cult. Your husband may be able to allay some of his fears if he learns more about them. If you're clear that you're not interested in being converted, they don't mind coming to your house anyway for bible study and you feel you get a positive experience from it, then there's no reason you shouldn't continue. If you find that JW isn't your speed, there are also other Christian bible study groups. I'm sure you can find one that's comfortable for you.
  • You have to do the work yourself. Compare what they are teaching you with what others have to say. Look at all sides of the questions. Don't just look at the Pro sites and don't just look at the Con sites. Get several translations of the bible. Find out how and by whom they were translated. Never, and I mean never, make a decision based on what someone has told you. Do the work. It will be worth the effort.
  • I think you should be open to looking at information critically.
  • Perhaps you should study the history of Christianity in General and the history of JWs. I don't think you should join anyfaith without learning as much as you can about it, especially this one.
  • If you want harmony in the home, respect your husband, but only after having time to talk about your beliefs and his. Not every couple agrees 100% of the time. Remember this... no house divided can stand.
  • You have asked a very difficult question. First, just know that if you do go against your husband there will be trouble in your marriage, the Bible foretells this truth and I can attest to it's truth. The Jehovah Witness's teach some wonderful things, and there is no question that there are some "religions" that don't follow true biblical teachings (any church that would openly allow a gay priest/pastor/minister just as an example is just plain wrong and going against biblical teachings) but there are a lot of "religions/organizations" that claim to have the "truth" so as others have said, look into all, look at the pro sites and the con sites, they will both be flavored with what they want you to see. Draw your own conclusion from there. I for one have found no one has the complete truth and if you truly want to follow God read the Bible, it alone holds the truth and it can be found in what ever version you use even if it is bias towards the writers beliefs, and it seems that they all do that.
  • Since you have not signed onto AB since February 22nd, I would venture to say that you got the answers to your question.
  • i hope that by now you continued your study with the witnesses. you might have learned already that being a witness is not an easy decision. nevertheless it has to be your decision. it is a very private and personal decision what religion you choose. not our parents, nor husband have a right to make that decision for anyone. continue with your search for the truth with a sincere heart and you will be guided to the truth. i garantee you you will never regret it. (john 17:17)may Jehovah God bles your efforts and help you to find him. i also highly recommend that you visit our website, as has already been recommended.
  • Your husband is correct, they are a cult and a very dangerous one. Stay away from them. Read what Bob Larson has to say about them, he's an expert on cults.
  • Well they are there doing bible study to convert you to their religion. You say you google them and worried about their beliefs. Why in the world are you having Bible study if this is the case? You say your husband is worried also....with all of this you still continue to let them in your house... I don't understand your reasoning.
  • Well with his question you have to go inside your heart.Your husband is your husband but when the great tribulation comes your husband can not answer for your sins and you can not answer for his sins.Really I would like to know what's wrong with their beliefs? For example god didn't make up the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus,and all the other characters that you tell your kinds so who didn't man. When you tell your kids about them right then you are telling a lie in that is a what----sin!!!! So with this question you really have to read your bible you will get your true answer from there. I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUED YOUR STUDIES WITH THEM
  • If you are uncomfortable, maybe the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you something.
  • Dear Madam, Jehovah's witnesses are not a cult. They are Bible students who seriously study the scripture, that's all. Jesus never compelled anyone to be his discple, rather he welcomed them and invited them. In the same way J.Witness do so like Christ. It is upto you. Start styding and if you are not interested, you can tell them straight away. They will leave you. But remember studying God's word can help you lead a life of contentment and hope. God's word can shape you well and give you every peace of mind and avoid anxieties of life. If you need more information, please contact me at: kalai900@yahoo.com.au
  • you have no need to worry i used to be one but fell away they look after each other are kind etc.but as long as you listen to what the lord jesyus says you be ok learn about all churches
  • have you never thought yor husband might be like that no matter which church you go to he might not like what being a chrisitan means some people get jealous of god
  • They are very nice people. They use the New World Translation of the Bible which has some sly differences that easy to be tied up into. I was in your position a couple of years ago. They believe Jesus is a created 'god' as opposed to part of God Himself; they are very convincing and use Scripture to 'back it up'. They will tell you that the Trinity is not in Scripture; and they are right. The word isn't, but there is proof of it in Scripture. You need to talk to someone who has been there. Keep doing your research love. Your husband is correct, it does get scary. Find out all you can about their indoctrination tactics. If you want more help, please let me know.
  • JWs have been lied to by their organization. The New World Translation is totally different from the Bible. They have added and subtracted the words from its original which they weren't supposed to according to revelation. They add words like [other] in the Bible. Other times they add the other word but exclude the bracket. They add a letter or a word to change the meaning of the sentence to make the Bible conform to their doctrine. And There had been so many prophecies that never came true. There were prophecies in 1889?, 1914, 1925, 1940? and 1975 etc. And these have never happened. They need to be saved as well. They also have taken out words that suggest the deity to Christ. Please do research your self and you will find the answer. Ask God to help you and He will definitely help you. Sanj
  • Should you continue? NO! Do not let them to come to your home. Read 2 John 6-11. They come with doctrines of demons. Stay away from them! My 2 cents.
  • Be afraid, be very afraid!!! They are a Cult & have changed their religious dogma several times over the years, just like the catholic Cult has because they don't believe the Bible & try to change it to fit their needs so that they can rule over U not God. John
  • Cults don't want to let you go. You can walk away from being a JW if you want to and if you tell them to leave you alone they will. It's not a cult. If you google any religon you will find something you don't like. Nothing is perfect.
  • Consider this Jehovah sees into a persons heart (not the literal heart but, who you truly are...Something no one else can see) so He sees something in you that he draws you to him...others may not have this. Also we teach what is from the bible, so if you want to know what the bible says then continue on with your study. We are not a cult we simply believe in what the bible teaches. When you decide to continue with your study people are going to say negative things...but this is Jehovah God whats more important doing what He says or worrying about what others say. Go to Watchtower.org Don't just listen to what others say or even what I say lol...but decide for yourself and pray thats the key...is Prayer and when you do Use Jehovah's Name...very powerful...he will show you which way to go.
  • when studying, you must find out if it is true or not.
  • Jehovah's Witnesses are not a cult.
  • Look up online the history of their religion. It will always contradict itself. If you find that works for your life then go right ahead. They will obviously encourage you not to look at any other outside sources but their own to avoid you coming into contact with such obvious contradictions. I also suggest you research Johannes Greber and his involvement with the New World Testimant. You will find that he was a defrocked catholic that found his new faith in spiritism. He wrote a book based on his faith as a spiritualist which he shared with the Watchtower society. It was called Communication with the Spirit World of God. The funny thing is, Jehovah's Witnesses are supposed to be against spiritsim. I have given you a link http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/who_is_greber.htm
  • I think there's gonna be a lot of discussion here about whether or not JW's are a cult or not. I'll skip all of that garbage and just say, you don't need outside sources/assistance to do bible study. If you or your hubby feel uncomfortable about them or their affiliations or reputation whether it be true or not, just have bible study between you and him. The internet is a great resource for study topics, do your own research and come to your own conclusions about the bible and how it is interpreted...you don't need a middle man to have a good understanding of the bible or a good relationship with your god.
  • You could try www.watchtower.org
  • I heard they were a cult and why? Because they separate Father , Son and Holy Ghost and do not believe they are three in one. Cant mess with the trinity.
  • Jehovah's Witnesses are not a cult but a Religion.
  • Try www.towerwatch.com
  • My experience "studying" with the JW's was certainly a waste of time. If you want to read about my experience, you can, here--- http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/5300721 As a result of doing my own research after my "study" with the JW's ended, I found alot of evidence that the JW publications are often less than honest. As an example, consider the ever popular JW booklet called "Should you believe in the Trinity"... In it, they "quote" a number of the "early church Father's" and state that the "trinity" was essentially unknown to the early church. Before you believe that, you might want to take a look at some of the following, which I posted earlier in response to another question, but I suppose I can paste in here... Apparently, the Watchtower mysteriously managed to quote these guys without seeing any of these passages--- From Clement--- "I understand nothing else than the Holy Trinity to be meant; for the third is the Holy Spirit, and the Son is the second, by whom all things were made according to the will of the Father.” From--- (The Stromata, Book 5, Chapter 14) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf02/Page_468.html (it's the last 5 lines on the page) From Tertullian--- Before looking at Tertullian's statements, it's worth noting that the Watchtower (i.e. JW's) state in their "Should you believe in the Trinity" booklet--- "The Catholic Encyclopedia also comments: "In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together. The word [tri'as] (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A. D. 180. . . . Shortly afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian."" The Watchtower then goes on to say--- "However, this is no proof in itself that Tertullian taught the Trinity." REALLY? Given the following quotes of Tertullian, it's somewhat difficult to doubt that he believed in and taught the Trinity... From Tertullian--- "this is the rule of faith which I profess; by it I testify that the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit are inseparable from each other, and so will you know in what sense this is said. Now, observe, my assertion is that the Father is one, and the Son one, and the Spirit one, and that They are distinct from Each Other. This statement is taken in a wrong sense by every uneducated as well as every perversely disposed person, as if it predicated a diversity, in such a sense as to imply a separation among the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit." From--- (Against Praxeus, Chapters 8-9) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/Page_603.html (at beginning of the last paragraph) Also--- “…All are of One, by unity (that is) of substance; while the mystery of the dispensation is still guarded, which distributes the Unity into a Trinity, placing in their order the three Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: three, however, not in condition, but in degree; not in substance, but in form; not in power, but in aspect; yet of one substance, and of one condition, and of one power, inasmuch as He is one God, from whom these degrees and forms and aspects are reckoned, under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” From--- (Against Praxeus, Chapter 2) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/Page_598.html (towards the end of the page) Also--- “…the Father and the Son are demonstrated to be distinct; I say distinct, but not separate….” From--- (Against Praxeus, Chapter 11) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/Page_605.html (upper middle of second column) Also--- “…all the Scriptures attest the clear existence of, and distinction in (the Persons of) the Trinity, and indeed furnish us with our Rule of faith….” From--- (Against Praxeus, Chapter 11) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/Page_606.html (first paragraph) Also--- "I must everywhere hold one only substance in three coherent and inseparable (Persons)….” From--- (Against Praxeus, Chapter 12) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/Page_607.html (bottom of first column) Also--- "we...indeed definitively declare that Two Beings are God, the Father and the Son, and, with the addition of the Holy Spirit, even Three..” From--- (Against Praxeus, Chapter 13) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03/Page_608.html (bottom third of first column) From Hippolytus--- "As far as regards the power, therefore, God is one. But as far as regards the economy there is a threefold manifestation, as shall be proved afterwards when we give account of the true doctrine. From--- (Against the Heresy of One Noetus, Section 3) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05/Page_226.html (end of second column) Also--- "For us, then, it is sufficient simply to know that there was nothing contemporaneous with God. Beside Him there was nothing; but. He, while existing alone, yet existed in plurality." From--- (Against the Heresy of One Noetus) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05/Page_227.html (bottom of the first column) Also--- "If, then, the Word was with God, and was also God, what follows? Would one say that he speaks of two Gods? I shall not indeed speak of two Gods, but of one; of two Persons however, and of a third economy (disposition), viz., the grace of the Holy Ghost. For the Father indeed is One, but there are two Persons, because there is also the Son; and then there is the third, the Holy Spirit." From--- (Against the Heresy of One Noetus) See it yourself--- http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05/Page_228.html (Top of second column) From Origen--- “…he who is regenerated by God unto salvation has to do both with Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and does not obtain salvation unless with the co-operation of the entire Trinity; and…it is impossible to become partaker of the Father or the Son without the Holy Spirit.” From--- (De Principiis 1:3:5) "….nothing in the Trinity can be called greater or less….there is no difference in the Trinity….” From--- (De Principiis 1:3:7) "“…the Holy Spirit [is] reckoned in the Unity of the Trinity, i.e., along with the unchangeable Father and His Son….” From--- (De Principiis 1:3:4) etc etc etc etc. There are loads of other references showing that although the doctrine of the "Trinity" was still in the process of being understood & thought out by the early church, the "early church Fathers" were both quite aware, and absolutely believed, in the basics from which it evolved. Here's the bottom line as I see it--- Those who truly seek the truth will find it. And those who prefer to be deceived, will be. If you choose to "study" with the JW's, I wish you good luck!
  • Don't google... just ask the sister to give you very simple answers directly from the Bible. This is right from the source http://www.jw-media.org/beliefs/trueworship.htm pray for direction and ask questions.
  • Friend the purpose of a home Bible study is to teach you what Jesus Christ wants you to do and the first thing that Jesus Christ commanded is go there for and Make disciples of people of all the nations and to baptize them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Spirit teaching them to do what I have taught you to do. Let me be bold and Frank. If you do not want to do that forget the home Bible study call it off and go about with whatever you do. Because that is the purpose of becoming one of Jehovah's witnesses to witness about Jehovah and to go preaching from door to door about the coming of Jesus Christ Kingdom. If you're interested in doing that by all means continue your home Bible study and learn how to become a full-time Christian minister. If that is not your cup of tea then now is the time to say no
  • Friend the purpose of Jehovah's witnesses coming to have a Bible study with you is to teach you how to understand and implement your Bible in order to cause you to obey Jesus Christ this involves you going to work like Jesus said go therefore and preach the gospel to all of the Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Spirit and teaching them to do what I have told you to do. If you are not willing to do this be blunt be direct to Jehovah's witnesses and tell them I'm not interested in putting into practice preaching the gospel. The amount of people out there that are interested in actually putting into practice the Bible is very hard for Jehovah's witnesses to cover our numbers are very limited and I'm going to be very blunt and direct with you without being in polite if you're not interested in putting into practice what the Bible teaches please just tell us. We won't hold any hard feelings against you. But we need people that are willing to obey the Bible and the words of Jesus Christ it's just that simple if you're not willing to do it don't waste your time.

Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC

Answerbag | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy