Jehovah's Witnesses VS. Mahikari Kumite
In order to provide as much information about Sukyo Mahikari as possible, I have begun reading any and all information I can find on the internet and in the book store. Where I am staying doesn’t have a library anywhere near, so Barnes and Nobles has become my library. After I read through everything I could find I began wondering if Mahikari had anything in common with some of the other cults in the world. It’s still hard for me to call Mahikari a cult, I keep telling myself I wouldn’t be dumb enough to join a cult, but alas that was exactly what I did. After reading about some of these other groups it became crystal clear to me that Mahikari was, in fact, a cult.
I want to take this time to talk about some of those other groups so that everyone reading this can see some of the similarities I observed. Someone I have spoken with recently said that they didn’t wander out of the Mahikari fog until they read some of the experience stories written by former members, as well as some of the stories in Steve Hassan’s book concerning other cults. A lot of people don’t make the connection that what they are following is a cult until after they read about other cults. Then the connection starts to happen.
I am going to begin with a fairly common group called the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I will compare the Witnesses to Mahikari and point out the similarities between them. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be Christians, but most true Christians will tell you they are anything but. Their name comes from their spiritual activities, which are witnessing (as in going door to door to speak with non-believers), about Jehovah (different name for God).
Like Mahikari they use the Bible to get their message across, which seems to be a common practice amongst cults. However, where Mahikari has simply extracted a few verses from the Bible that best promotes and supports their beliefs, witnesses use the entire Bible, but take verses our of context. When trying to recruit members, the Witnesses will read different verses from the Bible and tell the potential member, the Watchtower (JW church) interpretation of what the text means.
However, if the potential member were to read a little ahead of the text indicated, they would find that the Bible clearly doesn’t mean what the Witnesses are trying to promote. Witnesses always use the King James Version of the Bible. Reason: it is written like a Shakespearian sonnet and is incredibly hard to understand and decipher if you have never read that style before; due to this the KJV is the easiest to misinterpret. This gives the Witnesses an angle because instead of the person taking the time to understand what the text is actually saying, they are more prone to just accept what the Witnesses interpretation and assume that they must clearly know what they are talking about.
Sound familiar?
The Goseigen is very hard to understand as well. This is an advantage to cults because if the recruit doesn’t understand what they are reading, they have to rely on the cult higher-ups for answers. Mahikari members are encouraged to come to Kanbu if they don’t understand text in the Goseigen and it is reiterated throughout the Goseigen that it is acceptable for Kumite to not understand. Reason: the Goseigen is not of this world and is God’s word so it is impossible to use human knowledge to comprehend and interpret the teachings within. It is better to be sonao, ask members of Kanbu for help with the translation, accept their interpretation, and move on; hence not thinking for yourself and just accepting the cult’s version of events.
In order to become a member of the Watchtower church, you must first attend a weekly class, 5 days a week, for six months. After this you will stand before a committee of elders to decide if you’re ready to become a full-fledge member. Once that is done you are given their “new and improved” version of the Bible as well as an instruction book on how to answer the tricky questions asked by non-believers. Much like Mahikari, the Witnesses have an answer (or should I say excuse) for everything. As you are all aware, in order to join Mahikari you must also take a class and receive omitama. Witnesses are told that they are God’s chosen people and that all people outside of their religion are going to hell; God only has room in heaven for 144,000 Witnesses. This is why it is so critical that they go door to door and try to sell their theology. The fate of mankind rests in their hands.
Wow, that also sounds so familiar. When I was a kumite I remember constantly being told that I was God’s chosen seed child and that only Mahikari members would survive the Baptism of Fire and go onto the next civilization; thus why it was so critical that we attract new members and offer okiyome constantly.
Wow, I wonder how many other groups are the chosen people as well. Seems like God can’t make up His mind about who is going to survive Armageddon. Another thing that I found quite interesting about the Witnesses is that they, like Mahikari, can’t seem to get their story straight. As we know, Mahikari is not above changing their story in order to convince new members to join. Case in point: Dr. Tebecis’ book “Thank God for the Answers at Last”…when first published there was a very controversial topic concerning the crucificition of Jesus Christ. Dr. T stated that Jesus was never crucified; in fact, he lived to be well over 100 years of age and died in Japan peacefully. Supposedly his twin brother died on the cross in his place. The book has recently been republished, with that excerpt removed.
In fact, most Mahikari members don’t even like discussing this issue anymore and it isn’t even taught until a member reaches the Secondary Kenshu level. I have taken Primary Kenshu and I had never heard anything about Jesus’ crucificition until I started digging around for information in books and on the internet. What else has Mahikari changed? How about their story about Kotama’s past? Mahikari adamantly denied that Kotama was a member of the SKK for years. Just recently Keishu’s representative came clean and told the truth; that Kotama had been a member of several religions throughout his life and he was, in fact, a priest in the SKK.
I guess cults feel that they can change their doctrine whenever they want and that no one is going to notice. The Witnesses did something similar. They pick and chose which versus to use to support their teachings, but in order to pull in more members and avoid controversy the Witnesses have changed their tune about several things in the Bible. At one point, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society taught that God ruled the universe from somewhere in the Pleiades star system. They have since modified this to say that the "Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God's throne as being at a particular spot in the universe. Such changes and even contradictions in teaching are frequent in the Watchtower organization and when a doctrine changes, they tell their followers that the light of truth is getting brighter.
There are several other discrepancies; they used to not believe in the trinity, now they do, they used to say Jesus was just a teacher, now they say he was the savior. Cult’s teachings reflect what is going to benefit them at the time. Another thing that the Witnesses support that correlates with Mahikari is spirit possession. Exactly like Mahikari, the Witnesses tell their followers that anyone who refuses to join them is possessed by demons as well as anyone who leaves the organization. People who leave the Witnesses are disowned by their families, kicked out of the fellowship, shunned by friends.
The Witnesses teach their followers that non-believers will pull them down before they will pull them up, so it is best to avoid them. Mahikari tells its members something similar. When you leave Mahikari members avoid you, the only ones that stick around are your best friends within the organization, and most times it is only because they want to try to pull you back in or because a member of Kanbu has told them that they should keep an eye on you. You are spiritually disturbed and therefore should be approached with extreme caution. Witnesses also teach their members to avoid pastors or priests who practice the Christian faith.
They are taught that pastors and priests are heretics, the lowest of the Devil’s creations who are leading their followers astray. They are told to never allow a pastor or priest to pray for them because it opens them up to be attacked or taken over by demons. Christendom is filled with pastors who are antichrists, in churches run by Satan, and who support the earthly governments which are all of the devil. In other words, all of Christianity is false and only the Jehovah's Witness "theocratic" organization lead by several men in Brooklyn, New York, is true.
The only protection they have is their membership as a Witness and their supposedly true version of the Bible.
Sound familiar?
Well that’s funny. All this time I thought that my omitama was going to protect me from spirits and demons and that former members were spirit possessed.
Donations are another issue. Mahikari forwards all of its money back to Keishu tax free. Similarly the witnesses send all their money to a higher up as well. A schedule of door-to-door canvassing is required where you distribute the Watchtower literature, acquire donations, and forward all monies to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Looks like we’ve found another money making religion with a slew of poor idealistic people willing to follow them. Here are some other similarities, but I am going to allow you to make your own assumptions.
To support its erring doctrines, the Watchtower organization (which is the author and teacher of all official Jehovah's Witness theology), has even altered the Bible to make it agree with its changing and non-Christian teachings. Typical with cults that use the Bible to support its position is a host of interpretive errors: Taking verses out of their immediate context. Refusing to read verses in the entire biblical context. Inserting their theological presuppositions into the text. Altering the Biblical text to suit their needs. Latching onto one verse to interpret a host of others. Changing the meanings of words. Proclaiming some passages to be figurative when they contradict their doctrines. Adding to the Word of God.
Additionally, the Jehovah's Witness organization requires of its members regular weekly attendance at their "Bible Study" meetings where they are repeatedly indoctrinated with anti-Christian teachings. This is done by reading the Watchtower magazine, following along with what it says, reading the questions it asks, and reciting the answers it gives. In other words, the Watchtower Organization carefully trains its members to let the Organization do their thinking for them; much like Mahikari. Mahikari constantly has seminars and refresher courses available for its members to take. The Witnesses are told they will be persecuted when they go door to door teaching their doctrines. They are further told that this is simply the enemy fighting against God's organization because they are in "the truth."
So, when someone disagrees with them, they are conditioned to reflect on what the Watchtower has told them. They then feel confirmed in being in God's true organization on earth (like all cults claim). They are strongly encouraged to have friends and acquaintances that are only JW’s, thereby keeping outside examination to a minimum. That also sounds familiar…my mom always wanted me to hang out with Mahikari members exclusively and never liked my non-kumite friends even if she had never met them. Witnesses are also told to shun those who leave their group, that way; there is no way to see why someone has left and no way to find out that they are in error from those who have found the truth.
They are conditioned to shy away from any real biblically knowledgeable person. An example of this is frequently found on the Internet. A pastor I knew was once banned from a Jehovah's Witness chat room after he not only answered their objections to the Trinity and deity of Christ, but challenged them in return. Subsequently, his name was passed around to all other Jehovah's Witness rooms where he was banned from them as well. This is a frequent occurrence on the Internet where the Jehovah's Witnesses are alive and well. It is obvious that critical examination of their doctrines is not encouraged by the Watchtower Organization.
The Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves to be Christians because they believe they are serving the true and living God. Like many cults, they think they are the only true church on earth. Yet, they deny the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the personhood of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' physical resurrection, and salvation by grace through faith; all of which are mandatory beliefs in order to be considered a true Christian. The Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged from looking into Jehovah's Witness history or old Watchtower literature which is replete with contradictions, altered doctrines, and false prophecies. Mahikari members are alos discouraged from reading anything that is current Mahikari publications found in the dojo.
Internet sites concerning Mahikari (other than official sites) are shunned. Witnesses are indoctrinated repeatedly against basic Christian doctrines (Trinity, deity of Christ, etc) and into the notion that they alone are the true servants of God and that all others are either in "Christendom" or simply unbelievers. Primarily, the Jehovah's Witness organization is a mind control organization that uses its people to pass out literature and send in "donations" to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
The Watchtower organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses is a non-Christian organization that uses its people to promulgate false doctrines, sell a multitudinous amount of literature, and expand its grip into the lives of its members and their families. It is a non-Christian cult just like Mahikari. I hope that some of these similarities registered in some of you current kumites minds.
In order to provide as much information about Sukyo Mahikari as possible, I have begun reading any and all information I can find on the internet and in the book store. Where I am staying doesn’t have a library anywhere near, so Barnes and Nobles has become my library. After I read through everything I could find I began wondering if Mahikari had anything in common with some of the other cults in the world. It’s still hard for me to call Mahikari a cult, I keep telling myself I wouldn’t be dumb enough to join a cult, but alas that was exactly what I did. After reading about some of these other groups it became crystal clear to me that Mahikari was, in fact, a cult.
I want to take this time to talk about some of those other groups so that everyone reading this can see some of the similarities I observed. Someone I have spoken with recently said that they didn’t wander out of the Mahikari fog until they read some of the experience stories written by former members, as well as some of the stories in Steve Hassan’s book concerning other cults. A lot of people don’t make the connection that what they are following is a cult until after they read about other cults. Then the connection starts to happen.
I am going to begin with a fairly common group called the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I will compare the Witnesses to Mahikari and point out the similarities between them. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be Christians, but most true Christians will tell you they are anything but. Their name comes from their spiritual activities, which are witnessing (as in going door to door to speak with non-believers), about Jehovah (different name for God).
Like Mahikari they use the Bible to get their message across, which seems to be a common practice amongst cults. However, where Mahikari has simply extracted a few verses from the Bible that best promotes and supports their beliefs, witnesses use the entire Bible, but take verses our of context. When trying to recruit members, the Witnesses will read different verses from the Bible and tell the potential member, the Watchtower (JW church) interpretation of what the text means.
However, if the potential member were to read a little ahead of the text indicated, they would find that the Bible clearly doesn’t mean what the Witnesses are trying to promote. Witnesses always use the King James Version of the Bible. Reason: it is written like a Shakespearian sonnet and is incredibly hard to understand and decipher if you have never read that style before; due to this the KJV is the easiest to misinterpret. This gives the Witnesses an angle because instead of the person taking the time to understand what the text is actually saying, they are more prone to just accept what the Witnesses interpretation and assume that they must clearly know what they are talking about.
Sound familiar?
The Goseigen is very hard to understand as well. This is an advantage to cults because if the recruit doesn’t understand what they are reading, they have to rely on the cult higher-ups for answers. Mahikari members are encouraged to come to Kanbu if they don’t understand text in the Goseigen and it is reiterated throughout the Goseigen that it is acceptable for Kumite to not understand. Reason: the Goseigen is not of this world and is God’s word so it is impossible to use human knowledge to comprehend and interpret the teachings within. It is better to be sonao, ask members of Kanbu for help with the translation, accept their interpretation, and move on; hence not thinking for yourself and just accepting the cult’s version of events.
In order to become a member of the Watchtower church, you must first attend a weekly class, 5 days a week, for six months. After this you will stand before a committee of elders to decide if you’re ready to become a full-fledge member. Once that is done you are given their “new and improved” version of the Bible as well as an instruction book on how to answer the tricky questions asked by non-believers. Much like Mahikari, the Witnesses have an answer (or should I say excuse) for everything. As you are all aware, in order to join Mahikari you must also take a class and receive omitama. Witnesses are told that they are God’s chosen people and that all people outside of their religion are going to hell; God only has room in heaven for 144,000 Witnesses. This is why it is so critical that they go door to door and try to sell their theology. The fate of mankind rests in their hands.
Wow, that also sounds so familiar. When I was a kumite I remember constantly being told that I was God’s chosen seed child and that only Mahikari members would survive the Baptism of Fire and go onto the next civilization; thus why it was so critical that we attract new members and offer okiyome constantly.
Wow, I wonder how many other groups are the chosen people as well. Seems like God can’t make up His mind about who is going to survive Armageddon. Another thing that I found quite interesting about the Witnesses is that they, like Mahikari, can’t seem to get their story straight. As we know, Mahikari is not above changing their story in order to convince new members to join. Case in point: Dr. Tebecis’ book “Thank God for the Answers at Last”…when first published there was a very controversial topic concerning the crucificition of Jesus Christ. Dr. T stated that Jesus was never crucified; in fact, he lived to be well over 100 years of age and died in Japan peacefully. Supposedly his twin brother died on the cross in his place. The book has recently been republished, with that excerpt removed.
In fact, most Mahikari members don’t even like discussing this issue anymore and it isn’t even taught until a member reaches the Secondary Kenshu level. I have taken Primary Kenshu and I had never heard anything about Jesus’ crucificition until I started digging around for information in books and on the internet. What else has Mahikari changed? How about their story about Kotama’s past? Mahikari adamantly denied that Kotama was a member of the SKK for years. Just recently Keishu’s representative came clean and told the truth; that Kotama had been a member of several religions throughout his life and he was, in fact, a priest in the SKK.
I guess cults feel that they can change their doctrine whenever they want and that no one is going to notice. The Witnesses did something similar. They pick and chose which versus to use to support their teachings, but in order to pull in more members and avoid controversy the Witnesses have changed their tune about several things in the Bible. At one point, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society taught that God ruled the universe from somewhere in the Pleiades star system. They have since modified this to say that the "Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God's throne as being at a particular spot in the universe. Such changes and even contradictions in teaching are frequent in the Watchtower organization and when a doctrine changes, they tell their followers that the light of truth is getting brighter.
There are several other discrepancies; they used to not believe in the trinity, now they do, they used to say Jesus was just a teacher, now they say he was the savior. Cult’s teachings reflect what is going to benefit them at the time. Another thing that the Witnesses support that correlates with Mahikari is spirit possession. Exactly like Mahikari, the Witnesses tell their followers that anyone who refuses to join them is possessed by demons as well as anyone who leaves the organization. People who leave the Witnesses are disowned by their families, kicked out of the fellowship, shunned by friends.
The Witnesses teach their followers that non-believers will pull them down before they will pull them up, so it is best to avoid them. Mahikari tells its members something similar. When you leave Mahikari members avoid you, the only ones that stick around are your best friends within the organization, and most times it is only because they want to try to pull you back in or because a member of Kanbu has told them that they should keep an eye on you. You are spiritually disturbed and therefore should be approached with extreme caution. Witnesses also teach their members to avoid pastors or priests who practice the Christian faith.
They are taught that pastors and priests are heretics, the lowest of the Devil’s creations who are leading their followers astray. They are told to never allow a pastor or priest to pray for them because it opens them up to be attacked or taken over by demons. Christendom is filled with pastors who are antichrists, in churches run by Satan, and who support the earthly governments which are all of the devil. In other words, all of Christianity is false and only the Jehovah's Witness "theocratic" organization lead by several men in Brooklyn, New York, is true.
The only protection they have is their membership as a Witness and their supposedly true version of the Bible.
Sound familiar?
Well that’s funny. All this time I thought that my omitama was going to protect me from spirits and demons and that former members were spirit possessed.
Donations are another issue. Mahikari forwards all of its money back to Keishu tax free. Similarly the witnesses send all their money to a higher up as well. A schedule of door-to-door canvassing is required where you distribute the Watchtower literature, acquire donations, and forward all monies to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Looks like we’ve found another money making religion with a slew of poor idealistic people willing to follow them. Here are some other similarities, but I am going to allow you to make your own assumptions.
To support its erring doctrines, the Watchtower organization (which is the author and teacher of all official Jehovah's Witness theology), has even altered the Bible to make it agree with its changing and non-Christian teachings. Typical with cults that use the Bible to support its position is a host of interpretive errors: Taking verses out of their immediate context. Refusing to read verses in the entire biblical context. Inserting their theological presuppositions into the text. Altering the Biblical text to suit their needs. Latching onto one verse to interpret a host of others. Changing the meanings of words. Proclaiming some passages to be figurative when they contradict their doctrines. Adding to the Word of God.
Additionally, the Jehovah's Witness organization requires of its members regular weekly attendance at their "Bible Study" meetings where they are repeatedly indoctrinated with anti-Christian teachings. This is done by reading the Watchtower magazine, following along with what it says, reading the questions it asks, and reciting the answers it gives. In other words, the Watchtower Organization carefully trains its members to let the Organization do their thinking for them; much like Mahikari. Mahikari constantly has seminars and refresher courses available for its members to take. The Witnesses are told they will be persecuted when they go door to door teaching their doctrines. They are further told that this is simply the enemy fighting against God's organization because they are in "the truth."
So, when someone disagrees with them, they are conditioned to reflect on what the Watchtower has told them. They then feel confirmed in being in God's true organization on earth (like all cults claim). They are strongly encouraged to have friends and acquaintances that are only JW’s, thereby keeping outside examination to a minimum. That also sounds familiar…my mom always wanted me to hang out with Mahikari members exclusively and never liked my non-kumite friends even if she had never met them. Witnesses are also told to shun those who leave their group, that way; there is no way to see why someone has left and no way to find out that they are in error from those who have found the truth.
They are conditioned to shy away from any real biblically knowledgeable person. An example of this is frequently found on the Internet. A pastor I knew was once banned from a Jehovah's Witness chat room after he not only answered their objections to the Trinity and deity of Christ, but challenged them in return. Subsequently, his name was passed around to all other Jehovah's Witness rooms where he was banned from them as well. This is a frequent occurrence on the Internet where the Jehovah's Witnesses are alive and well. It is obvious that critical examination of their doctrines is not encouraged by the Watchtower Organization.
The Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves to be Christians because they believe they are serving the true and living God. Like many cults, they think they are the only true church on earth. Yet, they deny the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the personhood of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' physical resurrection, and salvation by grace through faith; all of which are mandatory beliefs in order to be considered a true Christian. The Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged from looking into Jehovah's Witness history or old Watchtower literature which is replete with contradictions, altered doctrines, and false prophecies. Mahikari members are alos discouraged from reading anything that is current Mahikari publications found in the dojo.
Internet sites concerning Mahikari (other than official sites) are shunned. Witnesses are indoctrinated repeatedly against basic Christian doctrines (Trinity, deity of Christ, etc) and into the notion that they alone are the true servants of God and that all others are either in "Christendom" or simply unbelievers. Primarily, the Jehovah's Witness organization is a mind control organization that uses its people to pass out literature and send in "donations" to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
The Watchtower organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses is a non-Christian organization that uses its people to promulgate false doctrines, sell a multitudinous amount of literature, and expand its grip into the lives of its members and their families. It is a non-Christian cult just like Mahikari. I hope that some of these similarities registered in some of you current kumites minds.
posted by Asher Kennedy at 9:02 AM
9 Comments:
In order to become a member of the Watchtower church, you must first attend a weekly class, 5 days a week, for six months. After this you will stand before a committee of elders to decide if you’re ready to become a full-fledge member. Once that is done you are given their “new and improved” version of the Bible as well as an instruction book on how to answer the tricky questions asked by non-believers.
You obviously don't know what you're talking about. Jehovah's Witnesses do not meet 5 days a week. They usually meet 3 days a week for 5 meetings. 1) Public Talk and Watchtower Bible Study, 2) Ministry School and Service Meeting, and 3) Book Study Meeting.
Nor do they hold any sort of meeting after six months. There have been people studying the Bible for as long as 3 years before requesting the meeting with the elders. This meeting is only set up at the request of the person studying. They are asked questions about what they understand about the Bible and lastly if they truly WANT to be Jehovah's Witness.
"that all people outside of their religion are going to hell; God only has room in heaven for 144,000 Witnesses. This is why it is so critical that they go door to door and try to sell their theology. The fate of mankind rests in their hands."
Again, false and misleading. We do not teach that everyone who is not a Witness will go to hell. We teach that EVERYONE will go to hell. Including ourselves! Now, how can this be? Hell is not what the world has made it in to. Hell is not a fiery place of torment where the Devil lives, hell is the common grave for mankind. And everyone that dies will go to "hell." It's true that JWs teach that only 144,000 people get resurrected into Heaven to serve as kings and priests. But everyone else will be resurrected to live on earth. The earth will be changed into a paradise as it was intended by God since the beginning. Everyone will live eternally.
I don't know what other religion you're talking about, but you surely don't have any understanding of what Jehovah's Witnesses teach.
As I always say, you shouldn't talk about what you don't know.
Anonymous,
I did quite extensive research before writing this post. I do not make frivilous accusations, pointing fingers at unsuspecting victims of these cults, I write fact. Including speaking with a friend of mine named Jacque who was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.
She provided me with most of my information and as she has been a member for 20+ years I believe she is a very credible source to provide information.
She has no grievances with the organization and therefore has no reason to lie. I trust her honesty more than I trust the opinion of a member of the Watchtower church who is still under the influence of their indocrination and probably wants to promote the organization and make it a credible religion.
Perhaps your church only had three classes a week, but normally the classes are 5 days a week. As for hell...I personally don't believe there is a hell other than the one we are in now on Earth. What kind of God would put man on Earth to struggle, suffer, and toil their whole life only to end up in hell? Not any God worth serving.
I doubt anyone is going to consider a cult member's testimony supporting their doctrine a credible source of information. When you are still involved in the cult you are blind to the inconsistencies that others see. I hope some day you will be free of their mind control, but for now it seems like you are pretty much locked in the group.
The JWs maybe interested in my audio show for tomorrow night. I will be interviewing Dr. Gary Habermas on the bodily resurrection. As you konw, this is doctrine the WT denies.
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Just came across this! Those were interesting contrasts you mentioned, but there are a few inaccuracies stated. I was not there when your friend dished you the JW info, but maybe they've been out of touch with it, was not clear, told you some wrong stuff on purpose (peeved), or you misinterpreted what they stated...
Some sources to go to are their official website www.watchtower.org, their mini reference Reasoning Book, or their 2 volume biggie reference Proclaimers book. You can go to any Kingdom Hall Library to examine them or purchase them yourself.
JWs use the New World Translation nowadays and used to use the KJV strictly back in the 50's (and before);the so-called 6 month waiting period for a NWT is a hilarious (ask them what copy they have nxt time ya see them - or call the Headquarters). The changes to that translation and why has been fully documented in their own publications and elsewhere, as has been the changes in their organizational structure and some doctrinal teachings. It has never been a secret or undercover - it's even been announced at their various meetings!
First you state JWs don't believe the trinity and then a few paragraphs later you do. Well they don't - ask anybody who's talked with them on the subject! Folks who leave them generally don't want to be bothered - so that makes sense that JW wouldn't want to be bothered with them too! These deserters, MIA's, or even Non-believers are welcome to come to the K Hall as long as they don't cause disruption - they can even be reinsated if they choose. And JWs knock on anybody's door and talk to anyone including clergymen if they are not busy and want to have a bible discussion - not argument!
JWs are not conditioned to stay away from biblically knowledgeable individuals - if anything they are encouraged to stay on their toes and do additional research. Any thinking person would do that by looking into independent sources, ones that even the WTower quotes from! No one is encouraged to be a mindless dummy or be blinded by faith. It's their choice if they limit themselves and don't know how to speak up for themselves down the line! Think of it like Twinkies in a box - indivually wrapped! But while JWs are unified they are not uniform... a big difference
Non Profit Organizations accept donations and JWs/Watchtower publish their figures every January in their magazines under their World Wide Report. You say they can't look into their older archival books? PLEASE - they have libraries full of their 20th century goodies and CD-Roms going back to the 50's!
As far as the "public" Chatroom on the Net those particular JWs should have known that when you are out there you are out there in the public domain - nothing is truly "private". Anyone can get in and have a say so, but they need to be prepared to be told they're not wanted, especially if they were not an initial member of the group(or the sponsoring group) in the first place... That's the facts if the originators claim they want it "exclusive" (and I don't know because again I was not there - but can believe the story!)
What else can I say? This: The proof is in the pudding not only by actions and words but proof with all the historical and archeological evidence available for one to study. But thanx for the interesting read - and rant! I learned a few things about how others think and believe about other believers!
Now let's do some quick Math: 6 million plus Jehovah's Witnesses talking about only 144,000 of them going to heaven... let's see... where's the rest of'm going to go.. er... or stay? Hmm......
Once again...your opinion is not valid or reliable considering the fact that you are still an indoctrinated member of this group. If you can find me a former member of JW who still maintains that the organization is safe and good intentioned then I might be swayed to changemy previous conceptions of JW, but from what I know the JW's are just like Mahikari, in the sense that they shun everyone who does not believe in their doctrine and consider all non-members spirit possesed and or demon possessed. Come on...you guys think everything is evil and self-indulgent, even birthdays and Christmas.
Look up the origins of Bdays and Xmas on the Web - it's out there. Someone who is indoctrinated in your opinion does not have an open mind - which most JWs do on the whole. BTW, if JWs shun folks who are a "LOST CAUSE" then why do they knock on their doors and even call back on folks from time to time who have left to see if they "still want no parts"?
But you get partial truths and false stories at times when you confer with a Deserter, so if that was your aim Congrats! If not still an interesting read with a few twists...
Hi Ash,
There is a lot of similarities between the Goseigen and Divine Signposts from the Oomoto group. Check it out.
I have been a practicing member since 1983. I have had various posts both here and abroad. Have I heard inconsistencies which have later been changed or not mentioned any further? Yes, I have. I have continued to practice because they did not in any way surmount the good and positive being accomplished by individuals and the organization itself.
If you were to read what the founder said in 1959 and read the newspapers today about global warming and the condition of the world today. I would be forced to say that it was a pretty accurate description. I welcome spiritual individuals to experience the Light themselves rather than a malcontent.
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