Jehova's Witnesses

What's the indicator, then, that allows someone to partake in the ritual? In other words, does the temple just take a person at his word, or is there some sort of test?

 

No, there's no test. Having never partaken, I personally can't tell you what the person feels or how they "know" they are one of the chosen. I guess the closest thing I can equate it to is a person's relationship with God. No one knows how strong or weak that is except the individual.

 

So, it's just a matter of a person's word? Is there a penalty if the person is mistaken? Lying?

 

I don't think it's something someone would lie about. There's no penalty that I'm aware of.

Jehovah's Witnesses are real big on excommunication. If you don't follow the teachings, you're excommunicated. Other Witnesses aren't supposed to discuss Bible matters with you if you're excommunicated or "disfellowshipped". You can discuss anything but the Bible. I always thought that was backwards. Church/religion is where sinners should be welcomed and taught, not thrown out. When someone is disfellowshipped, it's a public announcement. That person is allowed to attend meetings, but can not partake in the discussions until they have repented and the elders of the congregation decide to allow them back "in the fold". This is thought of as keeping the congregation clean and only associating with like minded people. People with the same goal to worship Jehovah.

 

People are easily capable of lying about anything if it will get them status or acceptance.

Very interesting. I did not know that about the JW. This almost makes them sound like Catholics. Wow.

Makes sense when you think about what the main goals of the doctrine seem to be, though (being one of the 144,000). Sounds a lot like the philosophy that ruled the tribes of Israel, too, which also focused on purity and exclusivity. Hmm...

 

my brother is a witness. he used to be a drug addict and they ran the NA meetings he attended. he's clean now for many years, but he's slowly become a witness. he was a in a very serious car accident 6 or 7 years ago and was nearly killed. since then, he's been more active and i think he's finally "made the cut" and is a full blown witness.

the thing that makes them seem very culty is that:

1. they're very strict. it is how it is, no questions asked. and the way it is is pretty weird (like no birthdays - jesus included).

2. they aren't supposed to mix with non-witnesses. (all a non-believer can do is bring you down). which is strange considering that they go door to door...

i don't see my brother too much. my mom's a southern baptist and not too happy with his religious choice.

i also understand they've recently upped the 144k number. not sure how that worked... maybe the first 144k get a door prize?

 

That's weird nut, most of the witnesses I know though they didn't activly socialize with non belivers didn't shun them either. I work with a few and we always did things to gether, the family that lived behind us were witnesses and they were always over the house and stuff, we helped one another clean up after andrew and split the cost of services and stuff. The woman and my mother were always hanging out together. I think your brother has kind of gone off the deep end a bit. The guy who passed for a lead man if you can have a leadman in a bunch of r&d types was a witness as was another one of the tool makers we always used to go fishing and stuff which was neat because they didn't drink. Couldln't cuss around them though, they appreciated the local talent as much as any of us did. I dunno. Oh yeah the guy that lived in back of me was also an elder at the local kindom hall. To me they just seemed to be normal folk who believed that they were gonna own all my stuff when the world ended.

 

maybe they're different out here. my wife's good friend was a witness when they were growing up together. she was told not to hang out with my wife cuz "water and dirt would only make mud". tho, i did have a friend of a friend in high school who was a witness and didn't seem to have that issue (or at least, if they did have that issue, he certainly didn't obey his folks).

oh yeah, and my brother is a machinist/tool maker. weird. i suppose he might be scarce these days cuz he's always been a bit of a loner and they seem pretty big on lots and lots of meetings and bible studies...

 

Do they have another book that they hold as sacred to go along with the bible or is that just the mormons?

 

That's very true, but partaking of the unleavened bread and wine during the Memorial of Jesus' death does not give one status or acceptance. It's a personal thing between that person and God. It doesn't make that person above anyone else in the congregation.

SN, like in all religions, there are some that are fanatics and take things to the extreme. So is the case with some Witnesses. I really think they get a bad rap because of ignorance by people that have never attended one of their meetings or actually talked/knew one. All they know is they go door to door and don't celebrate birthdays and somehow or other that makes them a cult or weird. They are just people following their interpretation of the Bible.