Question about the Jehovah Witness?

DKO

Active Member
I have always heard that people who are Jehovah Witness do not celebrate holidays or their birthday. I'm curious to find out why? Also, what do they do when there is a national holiday? Treat it just like a day off...? Finally, I have also heard that Jehovah Witnesses do not socialize with people who are not Jehovah Witnesses. Is this true? Would you attend an event, house party, wedding, etc...that non Witnesses are hosting?
 

dlewis

Well-Known Member
I have several friends who are JW. So they do socialize with non jw.

I think with any religion you are encourage to hang with people who believe as you do. So maybe that's why?
 

DKO

Active Member
Interesting. One of my best friends have some cousins who became Witnesses and no longer come to family functions or even weddings of some family members. They stay amongst themselves. That's why I was wondering about that. I guess it is just their preference to stay away from the family then.
 

Nasdaq_Diva

Well-Known Member
Interesting. One of my best friends have some cousins who became Witnesses and no longer come to family functions or even weddings of some family members. They stay amongst themselves. That's why I was wondering about that. I guess it is just their preference to stay away from the family then.

My family is full of JW. It really all Depends as to why her cousins no longer come around. Is that side of the family full of drugs, drinking and drama? JW try to live a good Christian life like all others of Christ. They for the most part avoid parties where alcohol and things like that will be served in abundance. At least, that is how it has been in my family.

My family doesn't really celebrate birthday either. I'm a Muslim (I don't celebrate B-day) while majority of my family is Christian. Anywho, I'll ask my Grandma again tomorrow (she's told me I dunno how many times along w/ bible verses why she doesn't celebrate b-days) if you'd like. :yep:

eta: sorry for posting in the Christian forum...:look:
 

Prudent1

Well-Known Member
^^^ Don't be sorry for posting. We may have to respectfully agree to disagree on certain topics but your opinion is welcome here:look:.
OP- I am not JW so my interaction with them is based on relationships I have had with many JW over the years. I have had many BTW. The ones I know did not attend events where non JW were there. The ones I knew also did not celebrate the events, holidays you mentioned earlier. Perhaps it is a choice left up to each group? I never asked. I just accepted their choices. In addition to NDDiva,I believe it was NYSister who shared in another thread her faith as a JW. She can answer a lot of your whys I'm sure. What I learned from my real life JW acquaintances was that we have major differences concerning who Jesus was/is and differences in ideas concerning hell and eternity.
 

msdeevee

Well-Known Member
JW's are people just like everyone else. They have strong points and faults like everyone else.

Why not ask one personally instead of coming on a forum and asking what their beliefs are the next time you have a chance.

You will get a lot of different answers here based on others own prejudices and experiences and what they heard.

JW's do not celebrate Christmas and all the other holidays and Bd's because of the traditions associated with these holidays. Look up whatever holiday you're interested in in any encyclopedia and you will see what the origins of some of these are.

JW's are Christians and try to live their lives as such. They go from door to door preaching just as Jesus set the example of doing so. Their coming to your door is to share the good news of God's kingdom and the promises and hope he holds out for us not to convert people. A person can only be converted in their heart when they come to believe .

Yes, a national holiday is just a day off.

JW's are in the mainstream of society like everyone else. They work go to school and have other activities like everyone else..so of course they have to associate with people that do not believe in what they believe.

I have attended and will always attend a social event that my non-witness associates or family hosts as long as it's not a religious or holiday event and like most people that don't want to be caught up in no mess if the affair gets out of hand or becomes a drunken brawl or anything else unsavory I would leave. That is a matter of ones own conscience as to how much they will associate with their own non-witness family or friends.

I go visit my relatives who are not JW's and I have been to their weddings, graduations , baby showers, bridal showers and such.

If a person is a JW and chooses not to do that then that is their personal choice.

JW's also don't have "groups" every JW all over the world in this country or others believe and are taught the same things.

I hope that answers some of your questions.
 

TRINITY05

New Member
This question is for Ms. Deevee

You mentioned that you go to your non JW weddings. If they were having their wedding in a church, would you attend? I say this because I know some JW who prefer not to go into a church.
 
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liberationtheory

Well-Known Member
She just said if others choose not to, it's their personal choice as a matter of what they feel their conscious/spirit says. So I'm assuming you'd have to ask those JWs why they don't go.
 

LoveLongLocks

New Member
I have always heard that people who are Jehovah Witness do not celebrate holidays or their birthday. I'm curious to find out why? Also, what do they do when there is a national holiday? Treat it just like a day off...? Finally, I have also heard that Jehovah Witnesses do not socialize with people who are not Jehovah Witnesses. Is this true? Would you attend an event, house party, wedding, etc...that non Witnesses are hosting?

OP if you are interested in what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, then I would recommend visiting the official web site of the Watchtower Society. It is use by Jehovah's Witnesses, and is an authoritative source about beliefs, teachings, activities. "www.watchtower.org"



 

felic1

Well-Known Member
we have some JW cousins. Some one died and we all went. They do not go into churches. The brother of the dead person was in the over flow area. He did not sit with his family because he is not JW. He did not come in the hall. His JW relatives did not attend his wedding which was in a church. We had a family funeral in the funeral home chapel. The JW cousins came to that. It is different. I went to the JW funeral and sang out of their hymn book, praising the Jehovah "I" knew. I did not let this difference in worship keep me from showing my love for my family.
 

mz.rae

Well-Known Member
A few years ago when my cousin passed away the funeral was at a church and JW relatives attended the funeral. They just got up and left when the preacher got up and started talking and then came back in. http://freeminds2.org/
http://www.jwfacts.com/ These websites were really helpful to me when I first started studying with them. It gave me both sides of the story before I made a decision to continue or stop studying with them.
 

TraciChanel

Well-Known Member
A few years ago when my cousin passed away the funeral was at a church and JW relatives attended the funeral. They just got up and left when the preacher got up and started talking and then came back in. http://freeminds2.org/
http://www.jwfacts.com/ These websites were really helpful to me when I first started studying with them. It gave me both sides of the story before I made a decision to continue or stop studying with them.

mz.rae, you probably know this already but the reason your JW relatives walked out while the preacher was talking is because they believe that their "organization" is the only true religion. Any other religion, denomination, etc. that is not JW, they consider false religion. Additionally, that is the reason some will not step foot into a church to attend weddings or funerals. And yes, contrary to what was said upthread, when they go door to door preaching, it is to convert others into JWs, although they don't refer to it as converting. :yep:

Did you decide to continue studying with them?
 

mz.rae

Well-Known Member
mz.rae, you probably know this already but the reason your JW relatives walked out while the preacher was talking is because they believe that their "organization" is the only true religion. Any other religion, denomination, etc. that is not JW, they consider false religion. Additionally, that is the reason some will not step foot into a church to attend weddings or funerals. And yes, contrary to what was said upthread, when they go door to door preaching, it is to convert others into JWs, although they don't refer to it as converting. :yep:

Did you decide to continue studying with them?

Exactly! And no after reading those two sites I posted, and seeing different things on other forums posted by those who are JWs, or were planning to leave the organization I stopped studying with them.

ETA: http://www.hereliesthetruth.com/
This is a new site they are getting ready to put out a movie about JW. I like how their tracts and magazines look exactly like the ones Jehovah's Witnesses pass out will try to upload a picture.

 
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4HisGlory

Well-Known Member
Please clarify . . . I was told that JW are not Christians as they do not believe Jesus to be the Messiah.
 

TraciChanel

Well-Known Member
Exactly! And no after reading those two sites I posted, and seeing different things on other forums posted by those who are JWs, or were planning to leave the organization I stopped studying with them.

ETA: http://www.hereliesthetruth.com/
This is a new site they are getting ready to put out a movie about JW. I like how their tracts and magazines look exactly like the ones Jehovah's Witnesses pass out will try to upload a picture.

Good for you! I was raised a JW, although I never spoke of it here in the CF. I praise God that I saw the light and that He saved me from that organization. I mean that with ALL my heart. I also thank God that my mom and my sweet sister saw the light as well (although this happened years after I left). Praise God my father was never involved in it. One day, I'll share my experience here. Just too much to type right now and I don't have the time. But I'll be back and share, probably in a new thread. :yep:

I watched the trailer, and it brought back many memories. I am going to try to watch this movie.
 

mz.rae

Well-Known Member
Please clarify . . . I was told that JW are not Christians as they do not believe Jesus to be the Messiah.

They believe Jesus is the son of God and that he paid the ransom by dying on a stake (they don't believe he died on the cross). I just remember when I attended meetings it was more emphasis on Jehovah and saying and leaning on Jehovah with Jesus mentioned here and there.
 

TraciChanel

Well-Known Member
Please clarify . . . I was told that JW are not Christians as they do not believe Jesus to be the Messiah.

They do consider themselves Christians [ETA: the only True Christians] and they do consider Jesus to be the Messiah. :yep:

ETA: sorry, mz.rae, I posted this before I saw your answer!
 
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mz.rae

Well-Known Member
Good for you! I was raised a JW, although I never spoke of it here in the CF. I praise God that I saw the light and that He saved me from that organization. I mean that with ALL my heart. I also thank God that my mom and my sweet sister saw the light as well (although this happened years after I left). Praise God my father was never involved in it. One day, I'll share my experience here. Just too much to type right now and I don't have the time. But I'll be back and share, probably in a new thread. :yep:

I watched the trailer, and it brought back many memories. I am going to try to watch this movie.

Thank you so much for sharing!! I am looking forward to hearing your story and what you have to share. :bighug:
 

blazingthru

Well-Known Member
Wow, I never knew this stuff, my mothers best friend was JW and I would be over her house a lot and go to services with her but I was really young 7-8 didn't understand it. Just knew they were very sad people thats all I knew about it. I knew it was not a religion I wanted for myself. When I was older my son's uncles had not seen their sister in 20 years, she had become a JW and would not have anything to do with them because they did not want to be JW. I was shocked, she never saw her own father again either. I think that is pretty sad.
 

TraciChanel

Well-Known Member
mz.rae and @TraciChanel - Do they believe in the Trinity?

nappygirl, as HWAY said, no they don't believe in the trinity at all.

They do teach that:
- Jehovah is the only true God
- Jesus is His "only-begotten" son that was sent to earth as a sacrifice for atonement of mankind's innate sins.

But, most importantly, they insidiously teach that the Watchtower Society is God's mouthpiece on earth to give his servants ( JW's) their spiritual "food at the proper time". **Herein lies the problem**

Basically, this means that the Watchtower Society receives direct instruction from God by means of His holy spirit how the bible should be interpreted. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is the version they use that is translated/interpreted by the Watchtower Society. They will quote from other bibles, but don't dare bring a KJV or other translation to the Kingdom Hall, you will get disapproving looks and you may get "counseled" that it is too worldly. My great aunt who was a JW passed away a few years ago (2007). Another relative (not a JW) wrote her obit and on the outside there was a beautiful scripture that happened to be quoted from the KJV. We were promptly told to either remove it because it was too worldly OR to change the quote to the New World Translation version if we wanted a JW elder to preside over her funeral. :rolleyes:

It goes much deeper than that....Lord, I could write a book. But, I'll stop here. Typically, I hold a lot back because I don't want to potentially offend anyone. But I had to speak up on this topic because I don't want anyone to fall prey to what I know is a cult.

I will say this: it is important to focus on and build a strong relationship with God first and foremost. Although I don't negate the fact that we need fellow believers for encouragement, and fellowship and edification, our personal relationship with God should never be forsaken. If you have a strong relationship with God, you know that you don't need an "organization" to be a mediator between you and the Father, or to interpret the bible for you, or dictate to you how God wants you to live your life. God's Holy Spirit is readily available to all of us as believers. Jesus says:

John 14:15-21, 26:
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. 26 ”But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

God bless. Now I have to get back to studying. I have finals next week! LOL
 

HWAY

Well-Known Member
There are definitely many good, God-fearing people among Jehovah's Witnesses.
If anyone wants to learn more about the bible, ask the holy spirit to teach you and open the bible and start reading.
There is no need for a bible study aid to help anyone learn the the bible.
 
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