Daily life of a Jehovahs Witness

[Yamyam]

I'm writing a composition on the Jehovah's Witnesses and their Watchtower-organisation. Therefore I'd like to know more about their daily lives. How does a week of a Jehovah's Witness looks like?

[Iluvatar]

I'm writing a composition on the Jehovah's Witnesses and their Watchtower-organisation. Therefore I'd like to know more about their daily lives. How does a week of a Jehovah's Witness looks like?

Witnesses go to meetings many times a week, and are supposed to go out "in service" on the weekend at least once a month to recruit others at their door. They are taught they must do this to "earn" salvation, and that they can never do enough. They typically take low paying or menial jobs since a career is a waste of time due to the imminent destruction of the world. They have also been discouraged from attending higher education and having children for the same reason. Basically, their life is consumed with learning Watchtower teachings and how to present their story to others. They only associate with other Watchtower members as friends, and are forbidden to read anything critical of their outrageous teachings and predictions of the end of the world.

You would benefit from reading "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz - former member of the governing body of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

[barryrob]

They are taught they must do this to "earn" salvation, and that they can never do enough.

How can you earn a "FREE GIFT" llyuvatar

NWT Romans 3:23-24
23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and it is as a free gift [/U]that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom [paid] by Christ Jesus.

Barryrob

[David_A_Reed]

Many JWs are nominal members only -- like those who grow up in a Catholic community and call themselves Catholics, but don't really believe. Others (I used to be one!) are zealous for the organization, believing it to be Christ's true church and God's representative on earth.

Zealous JWs spend a lot of time reading Watchtower magazines and books, studying their lessons and underlining the answers in the paragraphs -- but not reading the Bible itself. Or, if they do read the Bible a little, they look at it through Watchtower glasses, letting the organization tell them what it means, even if their interpretation is contrary to the plain reading of the text itself.

A typical Witness study program, outlined for them by the organization, consists of reading nearly 2000 pages of WT books, magazines and study materials, but less than 200 pages of the Bible itself.

David

[sklemetti]

I'm writing a composition on the Jehovah's Witnesses and their Watchtower-organisation. Therefore I'd like to know more about their daily lives. How does a week of a Jehovah's Witness looks like?


Their Watchtower organization? What does that have to do with Jehovah's Witnesses? That is a printing company.

A week of JWs for me is.

Monday.
I wake up.
I go to work.
I go home.
I watch Heroes & Your own worst enemy.
I go to bed

Tuesday.
I wake up
I go to work.
I go home. Watch Mentalist
I go to bed

Wednesday
I wake up.
I go to work.
I go home.
I go to meeting.
I watch Knight Rider.
I go to bed.

Thursday
I wake up.
I go to work
I go home.
I watch Survivor, Smallville, CSI, Life on Mars, ER
I go to bed.

Friday.
Same as above, but no TV

Saturday.
Bookstudy until January,
Field service.
Then work

Sunday.
Meeting,
Then work or whatever.

[sklemetti]

Witnesses go to meetings many times a week, and are supposed to go out "in service" on the weekend at least once a month to recruit others at their door. They are taught they must do this to "earn" salvation, and that they can never do enough. They typically take low paying or menial jobs since a career is a waste of time due to the imminent destruction of the world. They have also been discouraged from attending higher education and having children for the same reason. Basically, their life is consumed with learning Watchtower teachings and how to present their story to others. They only associate with other Watchtower members as friends, and are forbidden to read anything critical of their outrageous teachings and predictions of the end of the world.



You are incorrect and promoting a lie.

We do not teach that field service is to earn salvation.

And we do not teach that we can never do enough.

We do not typically take low paying or menial jobs.

We do not associate with only Watchtower members. We associate with Jehovah's Witnesses most of whom are not Watchtower members.

We are not forbidden to read anything critical to our religion.

But since critical material like what you wrote is all lies, what is the point?
Why read lies?

Accusations of lying must be substantiated at the time of the accusation. According to our rules:

We consider a lie to be a poster knowingly and willfully making a statement they know to be untrue. In order to substantiate a lie, it must be shown that the poster in question is stating something they know to be untrue. Facts that are in dispute should never be referred to as lies.
http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/faq.php?faq=campus_decorum#faq_campus_decorum_flaming

[sklemetti]

Many JWs are nominal members only -- like those who grow up in a Catholic community and call themselves Catholics, but don't really believe. Others (I used to be one!) are zealous for the organization, believing it to be Christ's true church and God's representative on earth.

Zealous JWs spend a lot of time reading Watchtower magazines and books, studying their lessons and underlining the answers in the paragraphs -- but not reading the Bible itself. Or, if they do read the Bible a little, they look at it through Watchtower glasses, letting the organization tell them what it means, even if their interpretation is contrary to the plain reading of the text itself.

A typical Witness study program, outlined for them by the organization, consists of reading nearly 2000 pages of WT books, magazines and study materials, but less than 200 pages of the Bible itself.
David

That is not true also.

You were the one who was a nominal JW, as one such focuses on the Watchtower and not the religion as they think the Watchtower is the religion.

The publications are a means of applying the Bible for today. But it is not all literature.

On the website www.jwproclaimers.org I have audio from meetings and assemblies and that is not Watchtower material. That is teachings from the Bible. Application for today.

You seem to take a WT literature vs Bible approach as if one is in opposition to the other. But the fact is that they work together and complement each other. Your lack of understanding of that is why you have this negative thinking on that.

[BillTBC]

That is not true also.

You were the one who was a nominal JW, as one such focuses on the Watchtower and not the religion as they think the Watchtower is the religion.

The publications are a means of applying the Bible for today. But it is not all literature.

On the website www.jwproclaimers.org I have audio from meetings and assemblies and that is not Watchtower material. That is teachings from the Bible. Application for today.

You seem to take a WT literature vs Bible approach as if one is in opposition to the other. But the fact is that they work together and complement each other. Your lack of understanding of that is why you have this negative thinking on that.

You're both probably right.

I know that people often say, "Catholics don't read the Bible." And most don't. I don't read it as much as I would like.

Further, if someone said, "Zealous Catholics spend more time reading what the Pope says than what the Bible says." I would also agree. I know many Catholics who are like that.

But I could respond, "Well, the best Catholics read both."

My point is two fold. First, reading the Bible doesn't guarantee a correct interpretation, especially if your translation is faulty. Second, I'm not aware of anywhere in the Bible where we are commanded to read ONLY the Bible. I don't know of any place that forbids the reading church publications. The WT Lit vs. the Bible is really just an irrelevant ad hominem.

[sklemetti]

You're both probably right.

I know that people often say, "Catholics don't read the Bible." And most don't. I don't read it as much as I would like.

Further, if someone said, "Zealous Catholics spend more time reading what the Pope says than what the Bible says." I would also agree. I know many Catholics who are like that.

But I could respond, "Well, the best Catholics read both."

My point is two fold. First, reading the Bible doesn't guarantee a correct interpretation, especially if your translation is faulty. Second, I'm not aware of anywhere in the Bible where we are commanded to read ONLY the Bible. I don't know of any place that forbids the reading church publications. The WT Lit vs. the Bible is really just an irrelevant ad hominem.


Yes, I don't think it it is a VS issue.

In the first century the opposers to Christianity would be arguing the apostle's letters vs the Law. People always want to hurt other's faith rather than build it up.

Why not the JW meetings and the WT literature and the Bible?

[MooseOnTheLoose]

Yamyam, have you checked out the JW's website, have you read any of their literature, have you spoken to any directly.

Okay, the JW's have their own interpretation of Scripture. So do catholics and protestants. British monarchs used to burn protestants at the stake, then it was the catholics turn to go up in flames. Everyone calls everyone else a heretic.

Yes, JWs publish magazines, tracts and books, and use them as study tools. In my local Christian bookshop there are Christian study books, Christian novels, Christian newspapers, Christian women's magazines, Christian colouring books, Christian music, Christian gifts, Christian calendars, Christian Christians!

JWs at least make an effort to incorporate (their interpretation of) Scriptural teachings into their conduct and daily lives. They're a bit too Stepford Wives for my liking but they usually stick to their guns in the face of prejudice and share the core belief that Christ died for our salvation.

[sklemetti]

Witnesses go to meetings many times a week, and are supposed to go out "in service" on the weekend at least once a month to recruit others at their door. They are taught they must do this to "earn" salvation, and that they can never do enough. They typically take low paying or menial jobs since a career is a waste of time due to the imminent destruction of the world. They have also been discouraged from attending higher education and having children for the same reason. Basically, their life is consumed with learning Watchtower teachings and how to present their story to others. They only associate with other Watchtower members as friends, and are forbidden to read anything critical of their outrageous teachings and predictions of the end of the world.

You would benefit from reading "Crisis of Conscience" by Raymond Franz - former member of the governing body of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.


I believe it is highly improper for a person who does not know about Jehovah's Witness to state what JWs do and must do. Your statements are incorrect. Not only are they incorrect but they are completely wrong.
JW do not believe that they earn salvation. Or that they can never do enough. Or take low paying jobs (we try to avoid jobs that rule us and our time) but not because the end of the world is imminent. We discourage university because of the bad association and that it is fruitless and expensive. We do not only associate with Watchtower members but encourage association with Jehovah's Witnesses. We are not forbidden from reading anything critical from the teachings. And Ray Franz was not a member of the governing body of the WTBTS. He was on the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was not on the Board of directors of the WTBTS.

[BJ Boyd]

LOL. Hi. My post is way out Date. :blush:

Might as well post it though.
I'm A new "Recruit" To the JW's org. {not WTBTS}

I do use the WT let during my week BTW as a backbone for my Bible teachings. Without it my Bible study would be a bit dodgy to say the least. I Still need to make up my mind on being baptised. It's up to me and then after that what I do with my life . So just studying so far.

One comment i need to put into light is that looking at only a single scripture or two,three or four in succession is the wrong thing to do since all scriptures should be taken in context with the whole chapter, book or letter it is placed in.

Well. the Q was for a weekly activities thingy. hmm

01 : Sunday.
-Sunday Meeting {1 hour of singing and a message or teaching or thought brought forward by an JW elder for the congregation to strengthen faith or refuel one's for the week. Followed by an hour study of the weekly Watchtower study article {WT} for more information and a more in dept
study of the bible.
-After the morning since I'm still a new I have to finish off a study {I only HAVE to because I want to draw closer to God}. So one and a half hour Personal study of the Bible. Well, more revisal under supervision with my mentor. My mentor is a young Elder ;) but a wealth off information. no one is perfect so he has to do some digging on some subjects...I'll be doing a consedrebely larger bit of digging.
-Food, High gene etc.
-I do some photography on the side for fun and relaxing

02 : Monday.
-Work
-Food, High gene etc.
-Preparation work for Sunday WT article.
-Preparation for Personal Bible study

03 : Tuesday.
-Work
-Food, High gene etc.
-Preparation work for Sunday WT article.
-Preparation for Personal Bible study

04 : Wensday
-Work
-Food, High gene etc.
-Preparation for Personal Bible study

05 : Thursday
-Work
-Food, High gene etc.
-Preparation work for Sunday WT article.

06 : Friday
-Work
-Food, High gene etc.
-Really I need a brake now and then...I did less studying for a A+ in Math Hi grade for peek sakes

07 : Saturday
-Work
-Food, High gene etc.
-Final Preparation work for Sunday WT article.
-Final Preparation for Personal Bible study

More or less my thing.

There are more meetings on The T's {Tuesday and Thursday}
These are more in dept study's i still want to make time for. Well my Kingdom Hall elders have rearranged these two meetings into one meeting to better suit the needs of our Kingdom hall, there moved to a Wensday Next year. :0 so to thous who say we are forced... :ahem: nope.

I still listen to music on a day to day basis. My week isn't to the letter. If so Jehovah might as well have made me a drone that function to instinct like a cockrouch would :wink:. I'm a free moral agent so I fancy the odd Film now and then, just way more selective now. I limmet my friends to JW's couse it makes my moral Foreground easy'er to manage. I lose myself other wise and fall back to the old me. But that doesn't mean I don't c the good in other people.

On the social scale mine is small but at least once every two months i get together with my mentor his wife and a other bible study. lunch and chatting more then fine with me.

the poor girl wanted something like this. not some Person ranting bout how wrong another believe is. So to a point...Try and stick with what has bin asked of you. Really easy ?_?{oh ya} WT is just a printing company that Does theocratical work in accordense with the real parcments you would find the origenal hebrew and greek scriptures on...so I don't think they would lie or twist bout the stuff they print..really. lol. <<<If i'm wrong feel free to let me know...I am New to this in most Part. only at chapter 12,13 of What does the bible really teach ;). I really handy and helpfull study aid :D

:teeth: P.S. I don't watch much TV in the first place. English is only my second lang so please pardon my grammar and spelling at it's best. I'm a ex gamer and have lost all taste for most if not all games seeing I was a CSS Hi ranking tournament Player. WOW, EVE..name it I played it or most likely trialed it...It doesn't feel right any more. so my Preparation work falls in place of the senseless 3-5 hours of gaming a night after 9 to 12 hours of work...For thous that wonder. :wink:


Hey. I just realized this thread was started like in 2k7...Maybe it would be a good idea to keep it alive since this thread might just Keep people from getting the wrong idea about JW's. We never have to or must do. We only do what we want to for God{what he exspects of us} because we love him, not because we must. If kids weren't forced to go to school the class rooms would be filled to the brim. In effect your soil would be the ground in witch your works/deeds/ are placed by yourself, and not God. And there for you reep what you sow, not what God wants from you but what you in the end can offer as a platter to God for feasting on your judgment. Just mind that :D

[Gatsby]

I was of the understanding that the J.W's brought out their own version of the Bible back in the 1980's. If so, then it will no doubt be slanted in their direction whereby it makes them 'look' like that have salvation or will have it.

The world will end comment, do you mean Planet Earth will end or the worlds within worlds and myriad of uncountable and unknowable universes and why do the J.W's believe, as I understand they do, that out of their cult members worldwide 144000 of them with reign over everyone with God. I presume they mean they will rule in Heaven with God. if Iam wrong in this understanding them please say so.

Regards
Gatsby

[evantisin]

Hi Gatsby,

I was of the understanding that the J.W's brought out their own version of the Bible back in the 1980's. If so, then it will no doubt be slanted in their direction whereby it makes them 'look' like that have salvation or will have it.
They've made minor updates to the text.

In the 1800's, the Bible Student movement went about researching some of the oldest Greek manuscripts of the scriptures available.

One compilation of translation differences noted between texts is this one, done by the modern-day Bible Students:
http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/Contents/reference/AVcorr.pdf

This one goes into more of the recent finds available, like Papyrus 45, Papyrus 75, etc.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are not the Bible Students. They broke off from the Bible Student movement and inherited such understanding of the scriptures.

Thus, having knowledge of the Bible Students' research, they usually focus on theology rather than translation. The Bible Student movement had already done enough on that.

Also, the translation differences are very minor. Hardly anything is changed in revised versions. No significant meaning hasn't been changed over specific words between the 1950 publication and the one in the 1980s. They focus on the bigger idea conveyed and taught in the scriptures. Scripture corrects scripture regardless of what translation you have, so minors variants in translation between Bibles is not so big of a problem.


The world will end comment, do you mean Planet Earth will end or the worlds within worlds and myriad of uncountable and unknowable universes
The Bible's prophecy is on when the Jewish messiah (Jesus) will return and take his place on the throne. That's the scriptural prophecy that was interpreted.

The Biblical prophecies in Daniel and Revelation do not specifically state that the Earth will be destroyed, but Daniel and Revelation do talk about great destruction and a significant end to a way of life.

In a sense, we are living in the end times because, ever since the beginning of this past century, wars and natural disasters have become far more common and is thus an end of more peaceful times; a significant change at the turn of the century.

Many Jehovah's Witnesses prepared for the worst and thought that there would mass destruction and annihilation in the world. None of that was part of what was determined from what the messianic prophecy of Jesus' kingship was talking about. It's indeterminable when that will happen or how, but the scriptures do indeed say it is soon and would happen in related events.

Daniel and Revelation simply speak on prophesied times and numbers of years which were calculated as 2520 years of spiritual exile, which ends up on the year 1914. The Bible's prophecy says that Jesus will return to rule as king in the kingdom of heaven.


and why do the J.W's believe, as I understand they do, that out of their cult members worldwide 144000 of them with reign over everyone with God. I presume they mean they will rule in Heaven with God. if Iam wrong in this understanding them please say so.

Regards
Gatsby
The Bible does not say that everyone will go to heaven.

Jesus frequently says that people can enter the kingdom of heaven, but does not say heaven itself. Heaven is where the Earth is governed from. Jesus said some would to rule in heaven, but not absolutely everyone who is good, let alone everyone who believes in him. Consider all the instances in the Bible where Jesus talks about heaven.

The Old Testament does not talk about taking all good people or all people who believe in God into heaven either. It is no wonder why Judaism is divided over whether or not people will go to heaven; the Old Testament barely talks about it!

The only places in the Bible where it specifically states that people will be taken up into heaven is in Revelation 14:3, where it states that 144,000 anointed "had been redeemed from the earth."

Revelation 14:1-5 is where it talks about 144,000 anointed people who have been faithful and without grave sin against them.

The Old Testament doesn't teach resurrection. Judaism is divided over whether hell exists, whether good people will be taken into heaven, and even if good people will be given eternal life. This difference in beliefs of Judaism between the Sadducees and the Pharisees is reflected in the narrative of Acts 23:4-10.

The New Testament does teach that there will be a resurrection and teaches on hellfire and entering the kingdom of heaven.

However, it does not specifically teach that everyone will enter heaven. What's most certain is that people will have eternal life on Earth (Matthew 19:16-19) and the Earth will last forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4; Psalms 37:9; Psalms 37:11; Psalm 37:29; Matthew 5:5).

I hope that answered your questions. Let me know if you'd like more details.

Sincerely,
evantisin

[Alucard]

They've made minor updates to the text.

Adding an unjustified indefinite article to John 1:1 that dramatically alters the meaning of the text is a minor update?

[evantisin]

Adding an unjustified indefinite article to John 1:1 that dramatically alters the meaning of the text is a minor update?
The Coptic translations (2nd century) of John renders it as "the Word was a God":

http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/coptic/coptjohn.shtml

1:1 ϨΝ ΤЄϨΟΥЄΙΤЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ΝϬΙΠϢΑϪЄ, ΑΥѠ ΠϢΑϪЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ΝΝΑϨΡΜ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ. ΑΥѠ ΝЄΥΝΟΥΤЄ ΠЄ ΠϢΑϪЄ

In the beginning existed the Word, and the Word existed with God, and the Word was a God.

http://cfmin.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/coptic-scholars-and-john-11/

When I asked Dr. Ariel Shisha-Halevy, renowned Coptic scholar at Hebrew University in Israel, what a literal, non-theological rendering of Coptic John 1:1c would be, the candid reply was that theolological issues in this verse could not be avoided. “The Word was a god” was confirmed as the literal Coptic reading, with the other possibility being “The Word was godly/divine,” according to Shisha-Halevy.

Translation of a single verse isn't going to change dogma.

There are numerous differences between the King James Version and Zondervan's New International Version concerning the theology implied by rendering certain verses, but that doesn't make any one of the two more real or legit than the other.

Asking theological questions and understand the logic behind scriptural testimony. That can't be ignored. It's the larger context of the scriptures.

The Vulgate in the 4th century contains a number of differences from the Sinaiticus in the 3rd century, but there isn't so much of a corruption over the Catholic church over that, is there?

Also, I was referring to the difference between the NWT in the 1950s and when it had revisions later on, not with the Greek manuscript translations.