Sonntag, 19. August 2007
JWs
At my job there is a man who is a Jehovah's Witness. I spend two hours with him every day during the changeover from day shift to night shift. He has begun his mission with me and others at work to save us from eternal damnation. Because of his proselytizing I have done a little research into the JW organization. I believe that the word "cult" accurately describes it. They are certainly well meaning people, but they have no tolerance for discussion with sound rebuttals to their belief system. He gave me some literature which I read and I found rebuttals for all the inconsistencies. I made a list of websites that answered the false claims of his literature and asked him if he wanted to look at them. He said ther was no reason for him to get involved with "apostates". So it's OK for me, who he knows is a practicing Catholic, to read his literature which refutes the basic tenets of my faith, but he has no time to read or think about anything that might contradict his faith. That tells me that his faith is based on sand and would be easily washed away by the truth. I plan on telling him that I no longer want to hear his proselytizing. There really is place for it in the workplace.
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10 Kommentare:
NICE BLOG.
hi new person.by definition, LOTS of religions are cults, and all religions STARTED as cults. i like to call christianity "the cult that caught on". so... its only coz i was a religion major that im going to scold you and say "cult" is not synonymous with "evil" or "dumb". and ALL religions have tonnes of stuff thats contradictory! just coz he's being a stupid head doesnt mean his religion doesnt have value though. /religion student's hat off.
Hi pink person, thanks for responding! I didn't mean to leave the impression that I thought his religion was "dumb" or "evil". The cult factor is that if a person tries to leave the witnesses, they are shunned and ostracized by the people who put so much effort into bringing them in and who were so welcoming when they first came in. While they are in the witnesses they are discouraged from questioning the tenets of their faith. They are encouraged to attend meetings 3-5 times a week. They become so immersed in the religion that they become isolated even from their families and from their society. There are many points of agreement with Christianity and doing good for others with love is certainly OK by me, as is believing in eternal life with God in heaven.The problem I have is that he is more than eager for me to question the tenets of my faith using his doctrines while refusing to do the reverse.Though not a student of religion as you are, I do not consider Christianity to have started as a cult. I'm sure you can cite historical facts that back up your position, and I would be glad to hear them, but I base my position on faith which of course is irrational and cannot be argued by fact.Anyway I told him today that I was not going to invest any more energy into trying to find out who has the right answers because I know that neither of us is going to be swayed from our positions and it would be a waste of time.
hey you! I have been loving your journal lately. Any news on the little girl who was missing?I think you are wise to drop it. JWs are particularly set against catholics in particular. There's no good fruit to be found in those discussions.
ah, im using the religion student's definition of cult, which is to say:CULT: a controversial and misunderstood word greatly misused by the media where it means a GROUP nobody likes through association with BRAINWASHING. In THEOLOGY the term "cult" has been used to refer to forms of WORSHIP and the RITUALS associated with them such as those at the JERUSALEM TEMPLE in ANCIENT JUDAISM. Sociologically, it refers to small religious groups which are in tension with established religious TRADITIONS and society generally. like xianity was when it started. so. you absolutley dont have to adhere to my perspective, but i just thought i should clarify it :)
Thanks for clarifying. Given the religion student's definition, I agree totally with the concept of Christianity as a cult. Here's something for you. I heard on the radio a person declaring that Islam was an "inferior" religion. How would you respond? (your answer must fit on the back of an envelope...:)
Hi, no word on the runaway. Either she can't get to a library or other internet portal or she has been found and placed somewhere where they won't allow her access. The thing that concerns me is her self mutilation. It totally stuns me that a person can have that much self hatred that they would resort to such actions. I don't understand it. I have a good friend who is director of a foundation that cares for abused kids and she knows a lot about self mutilation. She says it is mostly a young white female issue. What is going on?
Oh, and can a barrel of idiots be ruined? :)
^_^
i want to say somthing really inappropriate, so i will. nothing a bunch of laced koolaid wouldnt fix :P
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