What is the current Watchtower position on the mansion built on Coronado Island in CA named 'Beth Sharim' ?
It says in the Proclaimers Book that the house was sold in the 1940s. It also says that the house was built with funds that were donated specifically for the purpose of obtaining the house for Brother Rutherford, after he was advised to spend winters in a warmer climate for health reasons. Why could not some wealthy WT supporters have donated towards this, or more likely, many less-wealthy ones donate small amounts? If you look a the Salvation book on page 311 (made me get up...) it explains more about it, but does not say that the resurrected ancient ones would definitely live there or that it was built just for them and taken over by Rutherford, as some possibly imply. Why build and maintain an empty house? So, the current position of the WTS on Beth Sarim was published in the 1947 WT magazine, which stated that the Society had decided to sell the house as it had served its purpose and was too expensive to keep. It said that our faith in the return of men of old time whom the king Christ Jesus will make princes in all the earth is based, not upon a house, but on God's promise. So the house has long since been sold. ETA: Just to add a thought about the comments on mob violence against JWs... It was asserted that there is not a shred of evidence to support this. I read a well-researched book from the library "Judging Jehovah's Witnesses" written by a Catholic college professor whose name is Shawn Peters. This book documents a LOT of mob violence against JWs in the U.S. during the 20th century. I am not just talking about men going to jail for being conscientious objectors, I am talking about stuff I never even read in any of the WTS literature- including men being castrated for refusing to salute the flag. The book is absolutely NOT all glowingly in support of JWs, so the original questioner might actually enjoy it, but since you were disputing another answerer's claims, I thought I would offer the suggestion.
Why is the Watchtower against serving on a Jury?
The same reason they don't vote, or salute the flag, or a whole host of other things. JW's are very much a part of the problem and NOT the solution!
Did you Jehovah's Witnesses know about the Gag orders that the Watchtower Boys put on victims?
Your story or claims have empty spaces. First I don't believe that children have to sign "gag orders" because of them being "under-age", that don't qualify to stick. Under-age are not held accountable to hold such agreements. Now you will want to say that the parents must sign along with the child. That will sound incredulous to me because IF the parents have to sign a "gag order" along with the child; that is a "red flag" (danger) waving high that there is solid facts that its "true". Another solid fact that there's a cover-up that IS unlawful. No. No parent would betray their child like that, and cause hurtful damage on their child's life. I made this post in another answer similar to this question: "Why does the parents need to go to the Elder's for permission to report such abuse?" Can you answer this? The other asker chose not to answer me. Why? To Creg, ".......disappeared, never to be seen again. Just think about all their silent voices." That is horrific and we should not go down that route. Leave that discriptions in the news, not here. Unsilenced Lamb, what I am asking is "Why must the parents (adult) go to the Elder's to "get" permission to report child sexual abuse to authorities? Also on another answer I stated that the first thing that the parents should do is to bring their child to the doctor or hospital immediately. This is the second question I came across on pedophile in this church and both question and answer's from members of this church have NOT mentioned "Medical Attention" for the child. A medical exam will disclose the true nature of what happened to the child who was abused. Do you agree? PFSHJ, with that kind of report, I am thinking I should stay the way I am. Not baptized, not to be called a Christian and that way I will be safe and free of the sin of "hypocrisy" and "defiled blasphermer of the faith". A believer that holds faith in the one and only true God YHWH, and His begotten son Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. JR, I have a question for you. The law you are talking about concerning child sexual abuse; did it change recently or was this law always enforced? The asker is saying when she was a child that law was not enforced. Clarify this mix-up that we can understand this situation.
If the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses closes down next week, and all JWs leave the faith, how do you stop someone from opening a history book and finding the holidays are pagan, reading about the last days in the Bible, starting it all over?
Religions with millions of followers don’t just disappear overnight. Even if the Governing Body itself had declared that they have concluded that their interpretation of the Bible is bogus, and that they are therefore dissolving the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, there would be numerous hardcore Witnesses who could never let go. They would just conclude that even the Governing Body had gone apostate, and get together to somehow establish a new leadership and carry on the work.Sure, anyone can in principle come up with a Bible interpretation that would imply the End is near; it has happened over and over again in Christian history. But the exact doctrines of the Watchtower society would not reappear entirely “independently” of the existing movement. For no matter what Watchtower literature claims (ad nauseam), it is not self-evident that “the Bible clearly teaches” exactly what the Witnesses teach, so that any “sincere Bible student” would automatically rediscover Watchtowerism simply by studying the Biblical scriptures.Certain details in Watchtower doctrine are conditioned by, and dependent upon, the specific historical situation where these ideas emerged. Those conditions won’t be repeated.A central and lasting notion in this religion is the concept that the year 1914 is somehow of great prophetic importance. The founder of the religion believed he could derive it from the Bible, and did so decades before the year actually arrived, but I don’t believe a fresh religious movement emerging today would be obsessing with a year that is well over a century in the past.
Are Jehovah's Witnesses and members of the LDS church allowed to question church doctrine? Do the churches allow for private doubts, independent views, other opinions, and healthy debate?
The religions of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have a similar structure of study and worship.Both groups meet for lengthy meeting periods where there is little ritual observed, a brief testimony or discourse is offered, and the emphasis is placed on a question-and-answer study session.Both religions encourage members to have a family night at home once a week, have replaced most of their hard copy literature with electronic books that can be read on tablets and smartphones, have several general assemblies or conferences that they attend to hear special information from their leadership, and receive extra study information from Christian magazines like Ensign or The Watchtower as well as broadcasts from their own channel. And both are known for their public ministry or proselytizing work.Both groups pride themselves on making claims of room for individuality—and within the boundaries of each respective religion, there is. However, both religions see uniformity as proof of unity. To establish this uniformity does call for the sacrifice of some freedoms on behalf of a willing membership.Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter-Day Saints are not egalitarian religions. They both claim to be theocratic. This means that they both rely on a hierarchy governing structure. Doubt, questioning and debating those above you in a hierarchy are rarely welcome, especially in a theocracy when leadership is believed to have been given the power of authority over you by God.
Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses shun others?
It’s really just blind obedience to a command which comes from what they think the Bible says. According to the Governing Body and the Teaching Committee, the Bible says that God’s followers ought to shun those who no longer are members of his earthly organization. Hence, the Witnesses follow suit.Now, it’s true that Jehovah’s Witnesses will try to spin it a bit and say something to the effect of, “We shun the disfellowshipped ones [and sometimes the inactive ones] because this is in the best interest of the congregation. Those who were disfellowshipped are immoral apostates who may put our congregation’s spiritual health in danger, so in order to ensure God’s organization remains clean, we have to shun them.” However, the fact is that most Jehovah’s Witnesses have no idea why the former members were disfellowshipped.When the elders announce at the meeting that brother/sister so-and-so is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, they never give a reason for it. As such, those who shun such an individual don’t actually know whether they are keeping the congregation clean. They’re just doing what they were commanded to do, and then they just have faith that the elders had a good reason to disfellowship someone. They don’t know what happened. They don’t know if the disfellowshipped one stole something, cheated on somebody, or just… stopped believing while still remaining the same person with good moral values.So why do Jehovah’s Witnesses shun people who they think are not good Jehovah’s Witnesses? There is one reason that always applies: they were simply told to do so. Now, it’s worth noting they will sometimes actually know something about the person receiving the shunning treatment, such as that s/he is habitually getting drunk, but more often than not, in particular if we’re talking about the disfellowshipped or disassociated ones, the reason they shun is that they were told to do so.Note: If you’re looking for a specific answer about shunning those who are still members of the congregation, look into Chris Gigliotti’s answer.
Jehovah's witness & christians?
My fiance family is mostly Jehovah's witness and a smaller portion are baptist, christians and other religions? What's the difference between the Jehovah's witnesses and christians?
Opposers of Jehovah's witnesses, why do you misrepresent what Jehovah's witnesses believe?
Hi all I just saw an interesting observation by a JW. An opposers of JW's posted a list of "flip flops" on the resurrection of the people of Sodom & Gomorrah. Here is it: Yes Watchtower 7/18/79 p. 8 No Watchtower 6/1/52 p. 338 Yes Watchtower78/1/65 p. 47g No Watchtower7 6/1/88 p. 31 Yes Live Forever (old ed. ) p. 179 No Live Forever (new ed. ) p. 179 Yes Insight, vol. 2, p. 985 No Revelation. book, p. 273 The JW asked the opposer to list them chronologically. No Watchtower 6/1/52 p. 338 Yes Watchtower78/1/65 p. 47g Yes Watchtower 7/18/79 p. 8 Yes Live Forever (old ed. ) p. 179 Yes Insight, vol. 2, p. 985 No Watchtower 6/1/88 p. 31 No Live Forever (new ed. ) p. 179 No Revelation. book, p. 273 - This is the second time I have seen a list of "flips flops" that was presented very dishonestly. Why are opposers of Jehovah's Witnesses dishonest? Now, please do not try to deflect the issue by pointing out errors of the "horrid Watchtower". or that they are a cult.