Jehovah's Witnesses are confusing me

Post Reply New Topic

So fellas, today I was out talking to some Jehovah's witnesses on the street as I often spend painfully boring lunch breaks nowadays. And I was struck by something, they are pacifist to the extreme and I decided to test it. I said roughly:

Me: "What do you think of Trump"

Witness: "I have no opinion on political matters."

Me: "What do you think of Putin?"

Witness: "I have no opinion on Putin."

Me: "Well he labelled Jehovah's witnesses as extremists so don't you consider him a meanie for that?"

Witness: "I don't think he did something good and I sympathize with our Russian brothers."

Witness: "Their is not one way we would willingly participate in politics, I guarantee you."

Me: "What if their was an election coming up in New Zealand over whether Putin should rule New Zealand, and it would pass if you did nothing. Would you intervene to stop it from happening?"

Witness: "No I wouldn't."

Me: "What if their was an election over whether Darth Vader should be Prime Minister would you vote against it?"

Witness: "No."

It just seems really odd. Why wouldn't they want to take action, it is the only way good can come in this world, if not than bad things can easily happen.

Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult. They are sweet, but they have some strange views.

Maybe. I talked to a few of them and they say that we as a people are now living in the last days and that the apocalypse will come about shortly. They keep talking about a big apocalyptic war between the governments of the Earth and God whereby most of mankind will die. It seems strange to believe that. They say the signs are everyplace and that their is increasing famine and war. But their has been a decrease not increase in misery around the world so how could they believe the world is getting worse?

Things are pretty good for most humans these days. Health care, availability of food, etc. I think what they mean is that there is going to be something bad happening soon. Like a super-plague or nuclear war. A lot of people believe that there is a mass extinction coming and only the people God likes will avoid it.

Maybe the world seems to be very pessimistic at this point.

But it just seems odd that they would believe that as Christians since after all the Bible says, the end will come "On the day known to no man."

Their seems to be a very big urgency to what they are doing, I see them in increasing numbers over all of Auckland. I am wondering if they feel that since the end is coming soon, they need to convert people to the truth.

I had a confrontation with a more extreme one of them. He said that the majority of humanity will die and afterwards not exist following the apocalypse and that Jehovah's witnesses will inherit the Earth. When I questioned the ethics of this, he justified it by describing it as almost a mercy since "True happiness" could not exist without god. It got heated after that and eventually he told me to bugger off.

I think JWs get points with God if they convert someone. That is why they are so aggressive. No point arguing with them. They are going on pure faith and a kind of tribalism.

Maybe. They are not all like that though. Like the people I was talking to today, they were open.

Have you had any experiences with this kind of stuff?

Many. I listen politely and get away as soon as possible. They usually give you a card or pamphlet which I just throw away later. I'm not interested in their religion or them.

I generally enjoy a good brawl and sometimes am curious so I go a bit further than that. I do think it is a good strategy though. But I don't really feel as though you should have to put up with someone yelling their "Truth" in your face.

Where do lie religiously just wondering?

I have never been affiliated with any religious organization. I never went to church when I was a kid and was never baptized. If I had to describe my beliefs I would say they are a mixture of Christianity and Zen Buddhism.

Not what I expected, but interesting to say the least. I quite like Christianity and Catholicism mostly, I like the idea of an organization of a billion people that can mobilize itself to fight for what is right should things go badly.

Do you see Catholics rising as a political force?

Yes and to a level I want them to. Pope Francis recognized the reality that is climate change and the church has spoken out on many issues facing the world today such as immigration. With that what we may see is a good progressive force for good mobilizing people and making a positive impact in the world.

I wonder about the concept of confession and if it is a good thing. To my mind it encourages one to behave badly because one can be easily freed from the guilt. What do you think about this?

I don't think it's unique to those who do confession, I've seen other sects display the same type of behaviour too, I suppose it comes under the general umbrella of sanctimony, it's one of the most insidious aspects imo.

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.