Jehovah's Witnesses are confusing me

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Not true, and here is why I say that: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." --Proverbs 14:12 (KJV)

A very general and simple summary: Mankind was never intended to govern itself, but our Maker does not interfere is we insist upon trying. Overall, JWs and many others "are not of the world" (John 17:6) even though we are all in it, and they simply try to live as our Maker has designed for us and while waiting for and preparing for the day when all will be restored -- a new Heaven and Earth -- as originally created.

^ I heard the same explanation from them. That the governments of the world are corrupt compared to their god's, and to involve themselves in those affairs is involving themselves in a human system that puts itself above their god.

That's what's unfortunate about a lot of them - they sincerely believe that converting to their religion is the only way to literally save you. That you will literally die and not be reborn into their paradise if you don't convert to their specific brand of Christianity. Even being another sort of Christian won't help you - you must be one of them. And they mostly genuinely want you to survive and be happy. Thus the urgency.
And yes I've also been told that they believe the end to be coming any time now. But they've been saying this for quite some time now.
I don't like to argue with them. I have studied their beliefs as much as I need to to know that it cannot be reconciled, and isn't what I believe. I tend to avoid talking to them if possible. There seems no point in getting into a religious argument when they won't convert me, nor me them.

You might like to look up JWs in Nazi Europe. The Nazis put them in concentration camps, and they behaved as model prisoners.

That probably has been a massive problem in the past. I remember reading about this French count of Anjou whom would arbitrarily massacre hundreds of peasants on multiple occasions. On each occasion he paid penance for his sins to the pope and continued. A reason why he continued was likely because of the fact he knew he could be easily be redeemed for his actions by simply confessing and owning up.

I don't know but then again the fact many Catholics see themselves as being judged for their sins likely stops people from doing bad behavior. So it might not be a massive issue.

They want total control of your life and who you can see. Former friends, close relatives, whomever. Even if they are interested in a new nephew or deceased parent/aunt/uncle, if they aren't also JW you aren't part of the same world. If you see the light and become a former JW, forget about anyone you met while you were one.

Probably the most famous JW ever:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB9R7jB-JgU

my dad was lonely i guess and invited a jehovah's witness man on his conversion route into his house, ate lunch with him, talked for an hour, and the man came back every day for the next week in attempt to convert my dad, who i really think just wanted someone to talk to. lol! or maybe the jehovah's witness just wanted free lunch.

Hi there. I'm one of of Jehovah's Witnesses, so I can personally tell you it's not a cult. Cults are notoriously easy to get into and hard to leave. With JWs it's the exact opposite. Hard to get into and easy to leave.

As for the political aspect, we don't get involved in politics because Jesus said he was no part of this world and his followers would be no part of this world either (John 15:19; 17:14,16; 18:36) Jesus didn't get involved in politics while he was on the earth. The only government he supported was his Father's, in heaven, of which he would become king (Daniel 2:44; 7:13,14; Matthew 6:9,10). Jehovah's Witnesses don't get involved in politics even if it adversely affects them. They are politically neutral because they know that only God's Kingdom can make any real changes in this world. In WWII, Jehovah's Witnesses were the only group in the concentration camps that had an option to leave if they renounced their faith. Right now, there are over 500 JWs in prison in South Korea because of their neutrality. And as you mentioned in Russia, they have recently been banned for so called "extremist" activity. But there is nothing extremist about Jehovah's Witnesses.

There is a lot of misconceptions and outright lies about us out there (Matthew 5:11), but if you really want to know what Jehovah's Wintesses believe, visit our website, jw.org and look at the Frequently Asked Questions. You don't have to sign up for anything or give any personal informantion. Just read and leave.
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/

JWs don't vote.

However I would disagree with the above that Jesus didn't get involved in politics. In fact I would go as far to say that whole early Christian movement was more political than it was religious.

To understand politics in the first century, you have to understand there were no political parities. Judea was under Roman control, and the Jewish client kings "Judges" were acting as puppet administrators and there was rigid class/cac system, with little oppertunity

The Temple was the center of local political power, some much so that Romans would control access to the scrolls.

If you take the New Testament as political writings, it cleverly and subtly subverted the values of Roman rule and the Old Testament.

Why do I think so? Well this tactic wasn't new and there weren't many avenues of political change besides this, and it is undeniable the Christianity had a political effect on the Roman Empire.

See we tend to of Jesus as the only Messiah or resurrection story of this time, however this was not the case, those claiming to be the Messiah was fairly common and Jesus's form of Judiasim wasn't even the most popular movement with this resurrection story, it is just the movement that happened to survive as a concept.

However this was essentially a Paulist revival. The Jewish Christians were likely wiped out, but we lack contemporary evidence of Christianity as it is.

You could say that early Christianity was political in the sense that it promoted God's Heavenly Government. Jesus' entire life and ministry was to promote God's Kingdom. Everything he did was in advancement of Kingdom interests. But he did not get involved in the political affairs of local government. When they came and tried to make him King, likely thinking he could solve some of their problems, he hid from them. He knew that after his death and resurrection, he would sit on the throne as king of God's Kingdom. Where he could make changes world wide, not just locally. In fact the miracles he performed while on the earth were a sampling of some of the things he would accomplish as King once that Kingdom is established on the earth.
Examples:
Feeding thousands with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish- end to world hunger
Healing sick, lame, deaf, blind- end to illness and disabilities
Calming the windstorm- control of elements, no more natural disasters
Resurrecting the dead- end to, even a reversal of, death

All of those miracles were things that God promised to do away with once his kingdom is established on the earth:
“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Revelation 21:4
“The lame will leap like the deer.”—Isaiah 35:6
“The eyes of the blind will be opened.”—Isaiah 35:5
“All those in the memorial tombs will . . . come out.”—John 5:28, 29
“No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24
“There will be an abundance of grain on the earth.”—Psalm 72:16

All of that is in the context of having no contemporary evidence of the movement, all the accounts come later an those adherents were themselves acting politically with the Roman Empire. Then you get random tit bits like the book of revelation, which quite reasonably can be interpreted politically (and besides it is just some random dudes revelation).

However there is archeological evidence of other movements using the Messiah angle and resurrection stories. It made sense politically.

Archeology tells us lot about Abrahamic faith. The Hebrew bible not being immutable word but having at least five different versions, which were merged. Judaism evolving out of Canaanite religion, which was polytheistic and became monotheistic as a result of Babylonian invasion. These were very much local gods, and it was more about not wanting the enemies god's worshiped. Practices like Kapparot and Sukkot are good examples of remnants the culture that the Abrahamic faiths evolved out of.

Etc, etc.

You mind citing some sources? My research has led me to a different conclusion, namely, that Babylon was also polytheistic and that that Abraham did not worship the gods of his homeland, Ur. Also, he was chosen because of his faith and following after the God that Noah worshiped, Yahweh, or Jehovah in English. Abraham moved to the land of Canaan after establishing a relationship with God, so the notion of Abrahamic faith evolving from Canaanite polytheism is erroneous.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_Judaism

The supreme god in Canaanism was called "EL" ; doesn't it ring a bell?


Check also: https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Unearthed- ... 0684869136

Ok two things:
1. El is a title translated as God. It is a common term that simply means mighty one. It is used with reference to the Almighty, as well as to other gods, and to men. It is also used extensively in the makeup of proper names, such as Elisha (meaning “God Is Salvation”) and Michael (“Who Is Like God?”). In some places ʼEl appears with the definite article (ha·ʼElʹ, literally, “the God”) with reference to Jehovah, thereby distinguishing him from other gods.—Ge 46:3; 2Sa 22:31

2. The article you describe is about Judaism as we know it today, which stems from an amalgamation of Canaanite and Babylonian Polytheism with "the worship of Yahweh reflected in the early prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible." Jesus did not come to the earth to promote Judaism. He established a new covenant that took the place of the Abrahamic covenant. True Christianity is the natural progression from Abraham's covenant to Jesus' involving the same Unitarian God. There is no room for any outside elements from other pagan religions. In fact, all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, Yahweh commanded his people not to get involved with other forms of worship. The fact that they did it anyway further solidifies the point that the new covenant of Jesus is for people of all nations, a Spiritual Israel, and no longer the Jews themselves.

Matthew 21:43- "43 This is why I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits."

Galatians 3:26-29- "26 You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. 29 Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise."

Acts 10:34,35- "34 At this Peter began to speak, and he said: “Now I truly understand that God is not partial, 35 but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him."

The bible evolved in phases, it has been a monolatrist faith before becoming fully monotheist; and that's most likely was a transitional phase from polytheism to monotheism; this guy explained it well:

http://religiousstudiesblog.blogspot.co ... heism.html

and here:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/crossexami ... the-bible/

Note those in particular:

The Bible mentions many gods. But only one is recognized as the true God in connection with the Abrahamic covenant. The Bible highlights the futility of other so called gods:

Jeremiah 10:2-6- "Jehovah says:“Do not learn the way of the nations, And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens because the nations are terrified by them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are a delusion. It is just a tree of the forest that is cut down, worked by the hands of the craftsman with his tool. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not fall over. 5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.” 6 No one is like you, O Jehovah.You are great, and your name is great and mighty."