jehovahs witness question

It is just a guess on my part, but I think it might be because they are a crazy, fanatical cult. If you do attend, just don't drink the juice.

Joseph Botwinick

 

We have a converted JW in our membership on this board. When he joined, I requested of him to send me his testimony...and what a testimony it was. I think I saved it. I'll look up his name and post it in a moment, he was very nice to answer my pm quiet quickly.
His name is Ed Dillwoe, here is the testimony he sent me.

Shane, Explanation: When I mention the "Jehovah's Witnesses" I always use the ("") quotation marks because they are NOT Jehovah God's Witnesses, they only claim to be. Israel was His witness and shall be in the Tribulation Period. They call themselves "JW's", so I will. Were they really witness of God Jehovah I would consider this sacrelige. My dad's mother and his sisters were the first to bring the "Jehovah's Wtitnesses" doctrine into Bristol, VA/TN. My dad was baptized into it the "JW" organization in 1943. I had just turned three years old. My mother was not a "JW." She was born again but was not allowed to tell us. She did her talkign where it counted most, in the rpayer closet when we were not around. We heard of these times after we were gown and she was dead. Seven of ehr eight children have been saved and six have died. My older brother died lost last year. He was the only one she got to witness to. She wrote him letters. My "J.W" door-to-door training started when I was six and so did my speaking training. I was faithful and would go five years without missing a single service. We met Wednesday and Friday nights. On Saturdays we went door-=to-door to "place" the literature. Again Sunday morning we went again. Sunday afternoon we had a "Watchtower Study" and then the "Lecture." I was trained well. On Friday nights we were trained how to go to the doors and how to speak in public (give a "talk"). For 13 years I had a coach which told me what I did right or wrong after my "talk" on Friday nights. I was in line to go the the "JW" college in NY. After I finished I would be named a member of the 144,000. I have a friend who kids me about giving up the privilege to be a memeber of teh 144,00 just to pastor a Baptist Church. I was witty as I could be. At age 10 I could put about any Baptist pastor under the table, because Christians did not (and do not yet) know what we believed and could not get anywhere with us. However, this is some better today. I had a photographic memory then, I still have it, I just don't have any more film. I think I caused some Baptist to get intp Church. I would knock on their door and they would very piously tell me, "We are Baptist, we go to such-and-such church." I would very piously pull my sleeve up and look at my watch and ask, "Well, aren't they having services right now?" Then, they slammed the door. You see, Shane, the average Baptist looked to me like a hypocrite. They claimed to love God and His church but didn't attend it. After being a pastor for 36 years, I haven't changed my mind much on this issue. Shane, no one could talk to me, no one. I was witty, and trained. But, one Saturday evening my wife and I were setting on the setps of our apartment with our only son, who had just turned five. Sue had grown up a Methodist. She was and is a very honest, sincere and good person. But, she had not been saved either. She would not attend a "JW" Kingdom Hall and I would not attend a Baptist (or any other) church. Our two oldest daughters (we had one later) were taking a nap. Suddenly, our son said, "Momma, I'm going to church tomorrow!" "Well" said Sue, "what if I won't go with you?" "I'll go by myself." "What if I won't get you any clothes?" "I'll wear my pajamas." "What if I won't take you?" "I'll walk." Sue, being the loving mother she has been all these years, wrapper her arms around him and said, "Son, if you feel that way about it, I'll go with you." Sunday morning, she knew better than to ask me to go. She had tried talking to me and always ended up crying for it seems I was hopeless. No one could talk to me. Preachers had tried and lost. But, Sunday morning, without a word being said about it, I got dressed and went along. I could have hit two churhes with a rock from my house (but didn't), but they didn't care whether I went to hell or not. Five others were within two blocks, but they didn't care either. I lived there five years and none came. That Sunday morning I tried to be unnoticed and act normal, but didn't know what normal was. "JW's" teach that "demons make people shout in churches" and we should never enter a church. They have many teachings to safeguard their membership. As I fumbled through a songbook I saw the song "Jehovah's Leadeth Me" and thought, "hmmm, I have always been taught that only "JW's" know God's name and yet, here's a church with a song about Him. I was lied too." As the singing started, an 83-year old man shouted and I was terrified! I said to myself, "I knew it, I knew one of those demons would get me if I came here!" But, right there, Shane, God spoke to my heart. For a month I tried to find out how to get saved. No one made any sense of it--preachers, deacons, no one. They would say, "Edward, don't you want to got o ehaven?" I would say, "No." You see, Shane, I had been taught that I was going to live here, so ehaven meant nothing to me. The problem was, I did not know what their terms meant. "Saved, born again, under conviction, repent,. . . ." Thank God, today people are learning how to witness to the cults. I have preached a message over a few states for years entitled, "Why I Can No Longer Be a 'Jehovah's Witness.'" Everywhere I have been there has been a record attendance and record offering for that church. I was asked, and went, to Bolivia and preached in two cities there on it. There they do not come by twoes as here, their they come by tens and twenties to a door. That first Sunday was in May, 66. June 8, 1966 my wife and I went to the river to see a work-friend get baptized. There on the bank we both gave our hearts to the Lord! May 5, 1968 God called me to preach. I have pastored all but one year since then. God made me a promise in 1st Samuel 2:30-b and He has kept it. I love missions also. I have been into 27 countries. In Central Africa between 1984 and 1998 one million people professed Christ and were baptized through my ministry, and the work goes on. My four children are saved and faithful and active in the church. Our four grandchildren are saved and faithful also. I hope this helps you. Ed Dillwoe, B.R.Ed.,Th.D.,D.Min,S.T.D.,D.D.,Litt.D.

 

I don't know the answer to the question but here's a page with testimonies from several religions (mine is the last one). Scroll down and you'll see 3 from Jehovah's Witnessess:
Christian Testimonies

 

GodzThunder, I got an answer for you! I posted the question on another forum I'm on and here it is:

He also said that a few Kingdom Halls have windows, but very few.

 

He also said that a few Kingdom Halls have windows, but very few. </font>[/QUOTE]Naw.... I don't know why, but I just can't see that being the reason cause I've built houses if theres a will... God will make a way. To me it's like they don't want people distracted from either the veiw on the outside or possibly they don't want no one to be peeking in to see what they are doing (remember the story where the men were sent to peek on the disciples?). Gosh I must seem like a suspicious person, but even if they had no windows for security reasons theres always the door.

Music4Him

 

They regularly invite anyone that will listen for 5 minutes to church so I don't think it is because they are afraid someone new might see a church service.

The Romans used to accuse the Christians of cannibalism because they were outsiders looking in on a Christian celebration of the last supper - they in that confused state the pagan Romans thought the bread really was human flesh.

I like Walter Martin's approach of getting the information firsthand rather than engaging in wild unchristian speculation.

I appreciate the post above about asking one of the JW members directly. I attended a kingdom hall once but I don't remember if it had windows or not.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Interestingly they dont have crosses either, I think that it probably comes from the idea that other chuches have stained glass windows which could be deemed to be "worship aids" hence they are not found in the JW hall.

 

Whoa Ben, really? That is interesting.

 

I went by a J.W. building in Cooumbus, Ga. on Tuesday and the windows were not boarded.

 

They don't have crosses because they believe that Jesus was impaled on a stake. They also deny the deity of Christ. They believe he is a created being.

 

Here are some resources on the JW's:

JW Files

Did Jesus die on a stake or a cross?

CHRISTIAN RESEARCH AND OUTREACH MINISTRY

 

I can't believe you asked this.

I had a very close friend who's parents were very high up in the watchtower organization, rising to positions at the Watchtower HQ in Brooklyn, NY. Their names were Bill and Joan Cetnar.

They became Christians and founded an outreach to JW's.

I once asked their son, Phil, who I believe now has an apologetics ministry (we have lost contact due to my foolish behavior, which I won't go into here) why this is and he didn't really know.

I've wondered about that ever since. Thanks for asking. I thought I was the only one who ever wondered about that.

 

Mike, I know Bill and Joan Cetnar from conferences I've been to! I think she is in St. Louis. I just saw her in there in April.

 

She's a wonderful lady.

Her love of the Lord and of people trapped in false religious movements is astounding to me.

I know she has an annual conference at the Blue Mountain resort in the Poconos every year. If you're in Va, you might want to consider that. It's much closer to you than St Louis.

 

Interestingly for much the same reasons, the LDS church do not have a cross but a spire pointing towards heaven.

The JW's do believe that Christ was put on a stake rather than a cross, they are not the only denomination to teach that, the Worldwide COG and its breakaways are into that idea as well.

Yet irrespective of the reason, the focus of it is on "Worship aids". They take the verse about not making a graven image and apply it to the mainstream church and its symbols.

 

How to help a Jehovah Witness’ (JW) & win every time.

1) With a smile say; I’m glad to see you for I’ve a question that troubles me about your teaching. Since such is not their usual greeting they will be grateful to be of help, making the Spirit’s work easier. He is the one that does the convicting, you were never instructed to assume His duty (John 16:7-15; Ps ). Constantine did that in 313 AD their bible & you seen the bloody result of such down thru the centuries.

2) Ask them to read the verses from their bible, not yours, they don’t accept yours as Jehovah approved.

3) Have them read the verses in this order: John 1:3; Col 1:16; Isa 44:24; Neh 9:6 asking, after each verse is read, who that verse is speaking about. Watch for the key words “myself” (in Isa 44:24)& “alone” (in Neh 9:6) are self explanatory but remember, they are indoctrinated so have a dictionary ready & deal with them gently.

4) Since the JW is taught that Jesus assisted Jehovah in creation, the words “myself” & “alone” thoroughly destroy that teaching. Before allowing them to escape politely ask they read John 4:23 to you. Once they do ask them; Does Jehovah really seek such folks ? Then cordially invite them back when they can answer your question, & please , teach your neighbors this procedure. Thank you.

 

But will they ever come back?

 

Ben, yes & no.

Their heavy elders show up just a huffing & a puffing, sometimes 5 at a time.

Since they can't handle the obvious contradiction in their dogma & their bible (New World Translation) its sad but amusing to watch their perverted attempt to side steep the obvious.

Once the potentates realize there is no escape they flee & warn their converts to beware of that sinister man.

Have a Christian friend, a telephone installer contractor at the time, installing a phone line for a customer nearly in another county.

(He was young Christian but one who thourghly loved the Lord for saving him, consequently whenever possible would witness to one & all.)

Not recognizing who & what he was dealing with, he later told me, he was rejoicing with the lady of that house over the Lord. He had to go, but remembering a tract I'd given him weeks earlier, he presented it to that woman.

She took one look at that tract, gave him a cold stare & asked: "Is that from KCD?" When he said it was she refused the tract & booted him.

Days later our paths crossed & he told me what had happened, then asked what I'd done to her.

Told him with the exception of the JW's preacher wife who (she didn't look like her or live where he installed that phone) he brought to entice my wife, I never dealt with any JW woman.

Laughing he then said, "Well, they sure know about you!"

Like I said, yes & no. That's why I encourage others to do likewise, the procedure is, as some like to say, "bullet proof!"

 

I have been told that you can get a Parallel Bible which has the original greek and its correct translation with the Jehovahs witness New World Translation alongside. Assuming that the JW could look at it objectivley, this could prove to be quite helpfull.