Jesus Christ told his True Followers who also preached God's kingdom from door to door. Acts5:42,Acts 20:20,Matthew 28:19,20,Matt 24:14 the following:

"Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and

LYINGLY SAY EVERY SORT OF WICKED THING AGAINST YOU FOR MY SAKE.

Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great....

IN THAT WAY THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS PRIOR TO YOU".
Matthew 5:11&12
Jehovah's witnesses do not tolerate those proven to be,fornicators,adulterers,pedophiles,or other sexual deviants and expell them from the Christian Congregation in imitation of what True Christians practiced in the 1st Century.(read 1st Corinthians 5:9-13, chapter 6:9,10,Romans 1:26-31)
THEY ALSO EXPELL AND SHUN THOSE THAT ARE PROVEN LIARS AND SLANDERERS.

all i have to say is that all those people who "slam doors" on JWs and dont want to understand the message that is being shared with them will eventually have to say we where right when armaggedon comes...our district assembly said it'll be soon. so we are all eager to see Jehovahs day come...

To Daughter of Jah, "These very men have deviated from the truth....and they are subverting the faith of some. For all that the solid foundation of the truth keeps standing, having this seal:Jehovah knows those that belong to him, and let everyone naming the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness".

2timothy 2:18&19

Please read 2 Timothy 2:16-17:

"But shun empty speeches...
for they will advance...
and their word will spread..."

So again I say, please, please stop.

What's an 'apostate'?


Can you Jehovah's Witnesses posters comprehend that when you slam and smear a dissident as an "apostate" that it automatically makes you a high control cult?

Mostly the JW Watchtower, hard core Fundy like the Islamic Taliban and Scientology use the inflammatory apostate slur on former members.

WOW how revealing indeed

To all those proud to be Witnesses of Jehovah: as Psalms 71:1 states "In you O Jehovah, I have taken refuge. O may I never be ashamed".
How happy and privileged we are to be a servant of the Almighty God Jehovah with everlasting life in view.
Rather than a miserably angry and hateful Sock-puppet of Satan with everlasting death in view.
Proverbs 11:18 states "The wicked one is making false wages, but the one sowing righteousness, true earnings".
Proverbs 28:4 states "those who are leaving the law are praising the wicked one".
Proverbs 21:16 states "He that wanders away from Jehovah is seeking his own death".
Proverbs 11:9 states "By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin,but by knowledge(of God's Word) are the righteous rescued".

Jehovah's Witnesses the religion of shill and sock-puppet

Dear everyone,

It doesn't matter whether we are a JW or not, the fact is we are all imperfect humans.
And to prove it we have all entered comments of debate, argument, fact and fiction what ever you want to call it and to what end.
To give the article writer exactly what they wanted in the first place. Debate, argument, fact and fiction. And yes, I'm guilty of it too. Don't you think it's time we "put away the cue", " packed up the cards" or "took our bat & ball and went home". There's more important business to deal with in the real world than wasting our time in here.
RIP MJ and in trust that the one making the decision isn't a human.

Dear XSILV3RX
I most certainly agree with your comments since they are correct words of wisdom and they should be taken seriously when it comes to our handling apostates and what our job actually is. I also agree we should be thinking before we type so as not to stumble those not witnesses. However we also have to be careful also in a public forum not to criticize our Brothers accusing them of being self righteous or holier than thou. There's been enough criticism from the apostates in these blogs. James 3:2 applies to all of us.

Bit of history on this group-

American war of 1812 army captain William Miller is ground zero for Jehovah's Witnesses.

Yes,the "great disappointment"of Oct 22 1844 has never died out... it lives on in the Seventh day Adventist (who admit it) and the Jehovah's Witnesses who deny it.

The CORE creed doctrine of the Watchtower,yes the reason the Watchtower came into existence was to declare Jesus second coming in 1914.
When the prophecy (derived from William Miller of 1842) failed they said that he came "invisibly".Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection and sealing of the 'anointed' so the entire Watchtower Bible and Tract Society doctrinal superstructure comes crashing down like a house of cards.

--
Danny Haszard Jehovah's Witness X 33 years

http://www.dannyhaszard.com
click for my updated Michael Jackson page also Prince pop star both JW connected

Seriously, enough is enough! This is an interesting article and people have the freedom to speak as they choose, but come on...you Witnesses really should try to be more tactful and think how your words come across to those who are not Witnesses like yourself. I personally am a Witness and I get ashamed when their are self righteous individuals who get this holier then thou attitude. It is not very refreshing. In any case, as with any public site with commenting available their will be opposing viewpoints that may come across as negative to our beliefs. It is not our job to combat those viewpoints in such a manner. Perhaps you should think more about that before you do it. This was an interesting article, if nothing else, with a negative footnote from the commentary at the end from its readers.

For those of us who know the truth from God's Word, the Bible, we should not debate with apostates nor try to prove ourselves right by continuing to blog on-line to defend ourselves. Those who are right-hearted ones who want to learn about Jehovah God and his purposes for mankind may be stumbled by all this back and forth confusing information. If we don't comment, the apostates can't "argue" with us. They've made their decision. Let them continue with their bitter rhetoric. But let us continue to preach the good news as Jehovah God wants us to, and he'll draw those ones he knows are rightly disposed to gain everlasting life in Paradise! (Psalm 1:1-6; Revelation 21:4)

Jehovah's Witnesses troll Posted by: williamlafferty | July 16, 2009 10:40 AM
Sais:
""Unrepentant Apostates are Just like Satan""

You realize that this is HATE speech plain and simple,against the rules here at this forum and would be considered a HATE crime if that phrase was accompanied by an act of violence.

Listen up all you militant JW fanatics the reason that society doesn't go after you for this kind of outrage is because you are mostly ignored as a cult that you are.

To Faithful2thend,
Unrepentant Apostates are Just like Satan,they never stop falsely accusing and imputing bad motives to servants of Jehovah.Reminds me of how Satan kept on accusing Job even after he kept faithful to Jehovah. They judge others according to what they themselves are like. They are liars and have rotten motives and judge others to be the same. One thing I can assure you of, and all those out there that are NOT UNREPENTANT APOSTATES is that I am a real person, I am William Lafferty and what I wrote is the absolute truth and as Jehovah is my God he is also my witness I am not lying!!
I REST MY CASE!

Alright, THIS is the last one. I'll have you all know that I did not count one minute while commenting. And who are you to judge if anyone did?

Jehovah's Witnesses sockpuppet 'witnessing' counting time too I bet

""A sockpuppet is an online identity used for purposes of deception within an online community. In its earliest usage, a sockpuppet was a false identity through which a member of an Internet community speaks with or about himself or herself, pretending to be a different person""

To Faithful2thend: It was truly enjoyable defending Jehovah and his people with you.To set the record straight in no way has it been my intention in writing these blogs to argue with apostates since that would be pointless and also wrong.
However for the benefit of those NOT APOSTATES, I felt Jehovah and his people needed to be defended from all the slanderous lies being told on this blog site by the apostates.
Reminds me of the account in Acts 13:6-12 where a false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus or Elymas tried to oppose Apostle Paul and turn Proconsul Sergius Paulus away from the faith. Paul filled with holy spirit said to this false prophet " O man full of every sort of fraud and every sort of villiany, you son of the Devil, you enemy of everything righteous, will you not quit distorting the right ways of Jehovah?"........"the Proconsul Sergius Paulus became a believer, as he was astounded at the teaching of Jehovah."
This also leaves the question,can apostates change course and turn around and come back to Jehovah? Or are they like the demons doomed to everlasting destruction?(Jude6,7)
The example of Manasseh who was a wicked apostate to the extreme degree was accepted back by Jehovah after Manasseh humbled himself greatly and kept praying to Jehovah, then Jehovah forgave and restored him.(2 Chronicles 33:10-20)
A few years ago I was disfellowshipped myself, I know what it feels like. Right then I realized I had a choice to make. Blame Jehovah and the elders and turn my back and keep going over the cliff. Or accept responsibility,be sorry to Jehovah for my actions, repent and turn around and do whats right.A scripture that brought me great comfort was Joel 2:12-14. And also the scripture "How can a young man cleanse his path by keeping on guard according to your word". In time,I was reinstated and have always appreciated how being disfellowshipped was needed discipline from Jehovah that straightened out my life. Theres 2 kinds of people out there, above the line people and below the line people. Above the line people accept responsiblity for their actions and do something about it. Below the line people blame others, make excuses, and are in denial. King David though a sinner was definitely one of the above the line people(He had a heart that was agreeable to Jehovah's heart)
Whereas King Saul was one of the below the line people, he blamed others, made excuses, was proud hateful and jealous and ended up a real loser.
We all have a choice to make on what sort of person we want to be and also whether we want to choose the blessing or the malediction, life or death.

Blood transfusion to Jehovah Witness is like psychiatry to Scientologist

TO: Daughter_of_Jah,

Thank you for the beautiful scriptures! I was about done with this anyway, but you gave me added reason to quit now and use my time more wisely. (I do have a talk to give on Thursday. Kind of appropriate for this situation...Can those who do bad things change?) Just as Paul, formerly Saul, persecuted Christ's followers and then saw that they really had the truth and then changed his attitude, so may it go with some of these people. Hopefully it will not be too late for them if they ever have the blinders removed from their eyes. Thanks again for quoting those words! Hope to meet you in God's promised new world. Til then, may Jehovah, God Almighty, continue to bless you with wisdom and discernment. And to you, too, WilliamLafferty, these words go out. It's been fun.

Jehovah's Witnesses apostate disfellowshiped person (DF) is exactly the same as Scientology suppressed person (SP)

Scientologists declare their outcasts "suppressive persons."
Another Scientology policy - called "disconnection" - forbids Scientologists from interacting with a suppressive person. No calls, no letters, no contact.

An SP is a pariah. Anyone who communicates with an SP risks being branded an SP himself.

http://www.cultwatch.com/jw.html


SHUNNING
http://www.xjw.com/shunning.html

Someone's child has died.
How did it turn into this fight?
Please stop.

I'd like to call a truce based on the following scripture:

2 Timothy 2: 14-19 and 23-26

"Keep reminding them of these things, charging them before God as witness, not to fight about words, a thing of no usefulness at all because it overturns those listening. Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright. But shun empty speeches that violate what is holy; for they will advance to more and more ungodliness, and their word will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of that number. These very [men] have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already occurred; and they are subverting the faith of some. For all that, the solid foundation of God stays standing, having this seal: “Jehovah knows those who belong to him,” and: “Let everyone naming the name of Jehovah renounce unrighteousness.”

Further, turn down foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing they produce fights. But a slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle toward all, qualified to teach, keeping himself restrained under evil, instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed; as perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth, and they may come back to their proper senses out from the snare of the Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him for the will of that one.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

"But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth."

THE IDENTIFYING MARK OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS LOVE. THOSE THAT HATE AND SLANDER JEHOVAH, HIS WORD, HIS SON, HIS PEOPLE ARE NOT CHRISTIAN(JOHN 13:34,35)
IT'S VERY OBVIOUS FOR ANYONE NOT AN APOSTATE READING THESE BLOGS WHICH GROUP FOLLOWS JEHOVAH AND WANTS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN HIS EYES(PSALMS 97:10) AND WHICH GROUP IS FULL OF HATE AND ANGER AND IMITATES SATAN WHO IS A HATEFUL SLANDEROUS LIAR.

You JW trolls are unreasonable freaking fanatics ,this is why we just have to slam the door in your face.

What's scary...really scary is that you turn people off to God & religion,this is the 'stumbling' that Jesus gave dire warnings about (Matthew 18:10)

As the Police song chorus goes 'don't stand so close to me...

I feel sorry for the people who continue to not believe the truth, not a person's truth, but the Bible's truth. For those who twist verses and put their thoughts as truths into them, as in Rev.22:18-22 it will tell you the consequences. I was baptized some 15 years ago and remember a talk given to those who were to be baptized, that we need to be alert because the devil will be after us especially now because he wanted us back in the world. Then only after one year I fell away, at that time the devil blinded me for almost 12 years, of heart break and sorrow,(I am not exaggerating), then Jehovah gave me another chance, he started drawing me back. I came back to the family who loving opened their arms to me and I felt the Love that was always there for me. Yes, there is imperfection in us all. And yes, sometimes words and deeds are said and done that may hurt us. But we must remember and keep in our heart's that as in Eph.4:2,3 says'"with complete lowliness of mind and mildness, with long-suffering, putting up with one another in love, earnestly endeavoring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace". Not to let the devil continue to whisper in our ears and lead us down the path of destruction. Yes, if we don't make it into our earthly paradise or be one of the anointed, then we will no longer exist, but Jehovah God will not let us suffer, we will just no longer exist in any way, shape or form. So have a Bible study, with an opened mind and with someone who knows the truth and backs it up with Bible Truths. You may find in these verses helpful truths and assurances of God's Love for us, "his Creations". Luke 15:7; 1Tim. 1:15; James 5:20. These can help you and others.

To Brownsugar,
These apostates are fighters and haters of Jehovah, his son Christ Jesus, and all those that are his servants.They also hate Jehovah God's word the Bible. They lie, distort facts and slander every chance they get, to the point it becomes ridiculous. This is what they live for,this is their main purpose in life. At Matthew 5:11&12 Jesus said to those anointed to rule over the earth with him in Heaven. "Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake.Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens;for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you".I can honestly say more so than ever before that I really appreciate the fact that the Christian Congregation today follow what the 1st Century Christians did according to 1Corinthians 5:9-13,1Corinthians 6;9&10 in expelling such deliberate and unrepentant and haters and fighters of God.

I truly believe that most of the comments that have been posted are from apostates.. peopls who at one time were lovers of Jehovah and for some reason,became weak minded problay from not keeping themselves up spiritually(studying, attending meetings,engaging in the preaching work)have left Jehovah and they know there is no real hope for them left, so they have turned against Jehovah and his people. There is going to be a time when people that have bad mouthed Jehovah's Witnesses, and not listened to our message will be coming screaming to us to help them but it will be too late.. Jehovah's day of wrath will have begun. There are over 7million Witnesses today..and we are constantly growing. As for the lady whose husband was disfellowshipped, he may come to his senses and take the steps to come back to Jehovah. you don't know what is in his heart. Take off the blinders, and listen to us the next time we knock on your doors.. listen with an open mind.As for us being child molesters you know as well as I do that is not true, and if it has happened that person would be dealt with by the elders..it will not be tolerated, just as those who commit fornication, adultery, people that smoke, or practice ANY unclean thing will not be tolerated.. Jehovah did not create gays, he created man and woman, if they decide for whatever reason to become gay that is something they did on their own.. We don't have collection plates in our Kingdom Halls,walk in one and sit in on a meeting.. you will not see one plate passed! You people had better wake up,even if a person is disfellowshipped they know it is NOT too late for them to return to Jehovah, as for the apostates again there is no hope for them and they know it..

Most of my family is still in this doomsday sect,have you observed that this 2009 JW watchtower convention is stressing two things

1) that the JW conventions (financed by poor JW families) contribute tourist money to cities that host them

2) Scare talk on the end of the world,which is not Watchtower proprietary as nearly every other evangelical group and atheist scientist (global warming etc) are also saying.

The message of the Watchtower is boring,tired,plagiarized...

I can tell you this,back in the early 1990's 95% of all Jehovah's Witnesses followers would have scorned me for even suggesting that they still be attending another boring convention in 2009.

--
Danny Haszard born 1957 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness http://www.dannyhaszard.com

To faithful2thend, They are getting really desperate now since we called them on having no facts to back up their ridiculous and slanderous lies. All they can do now is rant that we are crazy.Jesus was also accused of being crazy too!(Mark 3:21)But he was far from it!
With having so much hatred and anger and a bad attitude inside of them, not knowing the difference between truth and falsehood because they've lied so much, they should get their own sanity checked! Can you really blame their relatives for not wanting anything to do with such toxic people?

'shill'--n: one who acts as a decoy. This word has been used to describe posts from the JW's(which doesn't quite make sense to me.) What word could be used to describe the posts of apostates? Hint: just change the last letter. We are defending our beliefs WITH SCRIPTURE. What is it that they now believe in and can they back up what they say with scriptures? Why are they just bad-mouthing the JW's and not advocating their new faith? Some of them sure sound like broken records, though. THAT sure gets annyoing...

One thing that the Jehovah's Witnesses apologist/defenders have in common with Scientology posters is SHILLING.

If you are proud and comfortable with your faith why do you have to promote by the practice of shill post?

*A heads up on the Jehovah's Witnesses*

Jehovah's Witnesses are a classic high demand destructive cult,Jonestown without the kool-aid.

The WatchTower Corporation is a media publishing, real estate development, and convention sponsoring company and their literature all promotes the corporation and those goals.

I have Jehovah's Witnesses family in Naples Florida who practice the Watchtower JW enforced ritual shunning that i have not seen or heard from in 19 years.
Yes,you can 'check out anytime you want but you can never leave' they can and will hold your family hostage.

I am not the only one,the 'fraud in the name of God' Jehovah's Witnesses have defrauded MILLIONS of followers.
When the Watchtower corporate racket is held accountable for their misdeeds they scream religious 'persecution'.

To even vocally question the teachings of the Jehovah's Witness organization will result in complete cutting off, with family and friends usually being forbidden to talk to them.

The Watchtower is a truly ORWELLIAN world, in a time when Orwellian societies are nearly obsolete.

In his "Adams Versus God," Melbourne broadcaster Phillip Adams said in 1985 that, according to US studies, "Jehovah's Witnesses are more likely to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals than the general population".

"According to an article in the British Journal of Psychiatry," he said, "they are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia and four times more likely to be paranoid schizophrenics.

"As a writer in the American journal Free Inquiry puts it: 'Either the Jehovah's Witness sect tends to attract an excess of pre-psychotic individuals who may then break down, or else being a Jehovah's Witness is itself a stress that may precipitate psychosis. "'Possibly both of these factors operate together ...'"

Are they knocking at your door?

Danny Haszard http://www.dannyhaszard.com *expert witness on the Jehovah's Witness*

You beat me to it, William! We were typing it at the same time!

And all of those faithful witnesses will be resurrected! DUH! Acts 24:15; John 5:28,29; Matt. 10:22; 1John 2:17. God told us to '...abstain from blood...' Acts 15:20,29. That is a command! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED (OR WISH THEY WERE DEAD) BECAUSE THEY TOOK BLOOD? I'm sure that number is quit a bit higher. I'll wait for you to come up with the stats for that...Do you know some of the types of people that dontate blood? My brother-in-law and my sister do, and by NO MEANS would I take their blood. He's been around the block, smokes pot, cigarettes, drinks like a fish, has multiple tattoos and has some mental problem. I will not even drink off the same straw, let alone take a chance at having his blood in me! What was this guy trying to prove in that comment "250,000 [JW's] have died from Watchtower no blood transfusions."? UH, THERE ARE NON-WITNESSES THAT CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE BLOOD TOO! Think before you type.

TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT APOSTATES READING THESE BLOGS: Please take note,that there is absolutely no proof of facts to back up the last blog (about 250,000 witnesses died because of not taking blood transfusions)since this is an out and out lie! However there is all kinds of evidence of deaths and HIV,aids,hepititis infections and complications caused from Blood Transfusions. On the internet check out tainted Blood scandals in the world and see how unsafe and complicated taking blood really is. What you also might find quite disturbing is where a lot of the blood comes from. My own cousin who is not a Jehovah's Witness has HIV today because of a blood transfusion.Jehovah's witnesses believe the Creator of man knows better than any man in their very limited wisdom and experience.(Romans 11:33)The Israelites were commanded by God not to eat Blood of any sort of flesh because of it's sacredness in God's eyes Leviticus 17:14 And Ist Century Christians were commanded to abstain from Blood at Acts 15:20,29. Abstain means abstain!Jehovah's witnesses strive to be obedient to God in everything he commands in the scriptures and that his commands are always for our benefit since he is a loving heavenly father that always has our best interests at heart. Today there are many medical alternatives to Blood transfusions that many Doctors strongly endorse on account of the dangerous risks associated with blood transfusions.It doen't take a rocket scientist to realize that the transmission of body fluids is one sure way of contracting disease. Jehovah's witnesses are definitely not against Doctors and medical treatment but just blood transfusions.In fact there are many people out there including many Doctors that are not Jehovah's witnesses that would refuse to take a risky blood transfusion. Testing the Blood supply for diseases is not foolproof!

Since the blood ban was enacted 250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have died from Watchtower no blood transfusions.

That's about 4,160 a year this cannot be denied

The Pharisees and religious leaders and haters of truth back in Jesus' day and in the time of the apostle's found them to be obnoxious quoting from the scriptures too!
PERSONS THAT HATE ALMIGHTY GOD JEHOVAH ALSO HATE HIS WORD.

Another reason was because they couldn't make a proper reply to Jesus or his apostles when they quoted from the scriptures. All they could do was use hateful slander and speak against them.(Acts 28:22)

Unlike those Jewish,Jehovah's witnesses in Hitler's concentration camps could have been released at any time by signing a form denouncing their faith. The majority stood firm in the faith refusing to support Hitler and risked their own lives by refusing to go to war and kill anyone. Many were executed for their faithful stand.Such self sacrifice proves their Christianity is real in imitation of Jesus and his apostles and true followers.DON'T BELIEVE ME? CHECKOUT THE FACTS AT THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM.The caps are for emphasis, I'm not yelling.

What forensic psychologist say about cult leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.

They are control freaks who will never abdicate control.They will choose death by suicide or a fiery fight to the very end.We can indeed see a comparison with the arrogant watchtower cult.

it always amazes me how one mention of JW religion in the news breeds so much contempt from people. this was an article written be someone that doesn't profess to be a JW and yet all the comments thereafter are about what a destructive religion it is. I thought we had religious freedom in this country and yet so many harbor resentment because people freely chose to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. i challenge all of you with negative comments to dig deep and figure out where the hatred within you comes from because happy are those conscious of their spiritual needs

Jehovah's Witnesses are obnoxious religious fanatics they just shoot the messengers and rant on with Bible quotations.

They say Hitler hated us so we must be the *truth*.

To faithful2thend: I liked your response to the attitude posting, Good one and How true!!!
I can't get over the absolutely ridiculous lies and slander coming from these apostates.They are such liars and slanderers they'll say anything.Like God's name Jehovah which everyone knows has been around for Centuries, is the invention of the pope? What blasphemy!!! And all the other lies and false accusations which have no basis of truth!!! They truly live up to being just like their lying Father the Devil who falsely accuses and taunts Jehovah and our brothers day and night.(Revelation 12:10)
Any Truth-seeking discerning person I'm sure can see the difference of our messages.

We strive to live and preach God's word the Bible and announce his kingdom soon to rule over this earth. We obey Christ's commission to his followers to do this preaching work until the end of Satan's system (Matthew 28:19,20. Matthew 24:14)

All these apostates preach is slander, ridiculous lies and hatred towards Jehovah and his servants just like their father Satan.(John 15: 18-20)(Matthew 5:11,12)

The reason Jehovah's witnesses are not popular in this world is the same reason 1st Century True Christians and Jesus were not and that is that this world lies in the power of the wicked one. Also, Jesus said his followers would be objects of hatred in this world of Satan's, which True Christians are no part of.(1John 5:19)

I'm sure any one that is Truth-seeking and honest hearted will be able to make the comparison. What Truths Jesus taught 1st Century Christians are the same truths Jehovah's witnesses Believe and live their life by. Have there been Judas like individuals amongst Jehovah's people? Absolutely!! And thats why we expell them from the Christian Congregation. The fact Judas became a traitor didn't make what Jesus taught false or give any reason for his followers to stop following him.
Likewise those that have made themselves apostate traitors like Judas give us no reason to stop following and obeying the Christ.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have settled lawsuits alleging church policies protected pedophile men who sexually abused children for many years. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/
The victims were required to sign gag orders to prevent them from saying anything about the money or more importantly about their abusers. Yet more importantly the court documents that were part of the five year legal battle shows exactly what despicable sinks of debauchery that supposed leaders and elders of Jehovah's Witnesses will go to in order to protect pedophiles.

The written record is incriminating and shows the cover up, protection and enabling of Jehovah's Witness child molesters around the world.

Jehovah's Witnesses pedophile cover up problem at a glance:
It's the Watchtower's protocol for (non) handling of Criminal Pedophilia that is the root of this evil.
Recent Watchtower 'damage control' in house memos on 'correcting' past cover ups and years of past stone walling/foot dragging does not undo decades of child abuse damage.

Too little too late!

http://www.silentlambs.org

HOMOSEXUALITY AT WATCHTOWER BETHEL GAY PLAY AT THE FARM
http://www.cultbuster.info/Grimlees/homosexuality_bethel.htm

Jehovah's Witnesses are Unpopular for Many Reasons

Jehovah's Witnesses are unpopular for many reasons, none of which matched the early church except for non-political involvement, which is not exclusive to them at all. They are like carnival hucksters preaching the need to become a Jehovah's Witness or die at Armageddon.

They say they promote good family life? Only until you disagree with the leadership in Brooklyn on the slightest of points, and then they completely divide and destroy the family. Then they write hypocritical articles like the new July 2009 Awake! "The Bible's Viewpoint - Is It Wrong to Change Your Religion?" and make themselves look open-minded and progressive, but practice the most destructive forms of shunning of all religions if you disobey the leadership's ever-changing doctrines, dates and rules.

Anyone can be persecuted, which proves nothing if you are a religion invented in the late 1800s by a man who was into pyramidology, numerology, and who stood on the top of a building with a white sheet waiting to be raptured. 130 years later, they are still awaiting a false hope. -

Randall Watters, http://www.freeminds.org

JW HIGH CONTROL GROUP

To even vocally question the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah's Witnesses will result in complete cutting off, with family and friends usually being forbidden to talk to them.

The Watchtower is a truly Orwellian world.

Danny Haszard Bangor Maine http://www.dannyhaszard.com

To Bassclef:

(I know it was awhile ago but,)

I love your sense of humor!
You are hilarious.

To WilliamLafferty:

Thank you for the comment. I have enojoyed reading your posts. We probably have wasted a lot of keystrokes, as a lot of these commentors are already lost causes, but hopefully all of the JW's in good standing that commented have reached at least one sincere person intersted in learning more. It sure will be a shame when the day comes that nobody else is allowed in, just as the door to the ark was shut. If only people would look around and see the similarites between Noah's day and ours!! I am so glad that Jehovah has been so patient. There are still so many out there that want to find the truth. And so many out there that want to come back to it. That was me some years ago! I finally 'got off the fence' and got baptized in '04. Never have I regretted it. I've only regretted not sticking to it thru my teen years!

Dear faithful2thend,
Don't forget that the vast majority of these apostates were disfellowshipped as unrepentant liars,slanderers adulterers,fornicators,homosexuals and also pedophiles.Rather than repent and clean up their act and be reinstated they would rather hatemonger those that are sincerely trying to do whats right in Jehovah's eyes. Good thing our religion imitates the 1st Century Christians in removing the wicked from our midst.(1Corinthians 5:9-13)

Dear readers of the comments: that danny haszard guy's last name says it all. He's a hazard to anyone that reads his posts. get real info from the source: www.watchtower.org. You test out the teachings with your Bible. And, just because a few people succumb to the desires of the flesh even while in the truth, it doesn't make it any less the truth. We are ALL imperfect!

Joel: I read your opinion regarding Michael J. and the Jehovah's Witnesses (J.W.). I know, I know, writers write about what they know and experiences they have had. So, Joel, what else do you know? Is this the type of information we'll continue to get from you? Frankly, your sturm und drang is loud and clear and becoming the "b" word - - - boring.

Joel, if we are the slightest bit introspective, from our past experiences, both good and bad and including the way we were raised, we should look for and find what we can get from them and make what we like our own. It can be quite empowering, I promise you. Such things can include a certain way of thinking or mental processing, traits, attitudes, feelings, strategies in terms of what works for us and what doesn't, etc. We ponder and meditate on these. We make changes if we discover that what we are presenting doing and the strategies we use in life no longer work for us and/or do not allow us to function in our daily lives as well as we would like; some may choose to go into therapy to explore the issues while others explore religion, etc. This can facilitate a discovery of new paths to journey as well as self-discovery and self-awareness and, positive behavioral changes can occur. The good stuff we select we can make our own and we do that by integrating it into our character and personality then, we move on and take the good stuff with us because now, we made it a part of us. It's all part of the developmental and maturing process.

If people find all that through religion, and advocate it by whatever means they wish to express it, what’s it to you? You get to believe whatever you want, why can’t J.W’s? Now that I think of it, what a pleasant thought to live forever on a paradise earth rather than to have some other end result occur; this is one of their main expressions of scriptural thought.

Joel, you sound rather stuck. I challenge you to do some research and study and develop other subject matter to write about as that is how you will continue to develop your writing skills and become a far more interesting person. Become immersed in other things and in other ideas about the world you live in. You know how to do this because while you were with J.W.'s I'm certain you observed what others have observed of them; they research and study.

Don’t stay so stuck. It isn't healthy. Find something else to write about and,I look forward to seeing your future work products.

American war of 1812 army captain William Miller is ground zero for Jehovah's Witnesses.
Yes,the "great disappointment"of Oct 22 1844 has never died out... it lives on in the Seventh day Adventist (who admit it) and the Jehovah's Witnesses who deny it. The central CORE doctrine of the Watchtower,yes the reason the Watchtower came into existence was to declare Jesus second coming in 1914.When the prophecy (derived from William Miller of 1842) failed they said that he came "invisibly".
Ergo,no 1914 then there can be no 1918 inspection and sealing of the 'anointed' so the entire Watchtower Bible and Tract Society doctrinal superstructure comes crashing down like a house of cards.

Jesus second coming aka 'return to power' aka 'establishment of his heavenly kingdom' aka 'invisible return to power' all mean the same thing.

--
Danny Haszard Jehovah's Witness X 33 years http://www.dannyhaszard.com

The Watchtower Bible and tract society headquarters for Jehovah's Witnesses cult will do anything for a buck

Their shills will lie at a drop of a hat for them they deny any and all wrongdoing and try to smear and erode credibility of families they have victimized.

Jehovah's Witnesses are the smiling and nicely dressed folks knocking on YOUR doors telling you that you need to come into their "pure and spotless religion" because whatever your faith is....they will tell you it is false.

Be very careful of who you let into your home no matter how "nice" they appear to be. "DATELINE" has already done an expose on this cult and the heavy pedophile activity within it's walls

Dear Rhansen,
Our leader Jesus Christ told Anointed ones that would rule with him from the heavens when he was on earth the following: "Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you.(Matthew 5: 11&12)
The Bible warns us not to be heated up over evildoers or apostates that are just like their Father the Devil who is a slanderous liar. Apostates don't base anything they say on facts and make up everything as they go along. It's impossible to compete with a liar and unwise to answer one. Proverbs 26:4 states "Do not answer anyone stupid according to his foolishness, that you yourself also may not become equal to him". As Proverbs 11:9 states "By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin, but by knowledge(God's word the Bible) are the righteous rescued". As footstep followers of Christ(who was also slandered and betrayed) we can expect to be treated no differently.John 15:18-20

Joel Engardio is independent of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and the Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. They did not put him up to making the Knocking video or writing any of the articles he writes. They already publish their own informational videos and literature. Just because this journalist does not badmouth the religion like other media do, does not mean that he was endorsed or paid to do it. Joel Engardio obviously does not agree with the religion or want to live by it. He admits it himself. He is just a journalist who writes about topics he finds interesting. And why wouldn't the representatives of the organization answer questions that a journalist might ask about the religion? It's better to get your information from the source!

I take offense at a comment that Jehovah's Witnesses harbor child molesters. This comment is a clear misrepresentation of the facts.

Jehovah's Witnesses have publically and in writing stated that any one committing incest will be removed from the congregation and turned over to the authorities. If you read the scriptures about the repentent part you will see how a Christian is supposed to treat a person who has "TRULY" repented and I preface repent! These repented ones, if reinstated, can never hold another position of responsibility in the congregation.

The disgusting practice of incest is clear disrespect of Jehovah God and the victims and the scriptures are clear on this.

The ancient Isrealites put to death those who committed incest among other degraded sexual conduct. Today true Christians practice agape love and the purity of the Christian congregation.

Jehovah isn't God's true name, so it can't be 'restored' to the Bible text.

Strongs Concordance tells us this name (Jehovah) is made up. The Catholic Encyclopedia and Judiaism 101 (on line) both agree that a German copiest was putting YHWH in his mms and then Adonai underneath the letters.

He asked the Pope if he could place the vowels within the consonants to make a name. The Pope said fine! Thus the invention of His new name. His self given name is found at Exodus 3:14, and is not Jehovah!(see the Hebrew translation).
*Jehovah's* Witnesses the name of an adventist Millerite spin off sect.

It's the Catholic Pope who 'invented' the Jehovah name and the Watchtower should give him credit for it.

Read the Bible and see for yourself what an apostate the Watchtower is, a spin-off of the Millerite Adventist 'great disappointment' evangelical movement of 1842.

John 10:16 after reading the entire 10th chapter without Watchtower influence and you will see that the 'other sheep' are the converted gentiles and not an *earthly class*.The Heavenly calling is not limited to a literal 144,000,nobody knows the actualnumber.

That's just one Watchtower false doctrine among many others.
Michael the archangel is not Jesus either,think about that.

[Proof that Michael Jackson was a practicing Jehovah's Witness and although disfellowshipped got a JW funeral.The Watchtower cult bent their rules
for a VIP.]

Details of Michael Jackson's Family Funeral Revealed
http://www.actressarchives.com/news.php?id=17384

Actress Archives - (Yesterday July 10 2009)
Tuesday morning the Jackson family gathered for a private ceremony at Forest Lawn, where a Jehovah's Witness service was conducted by Jackson's cousin,

Tuesday morning the Jackson family gathered for a private ceremony at Forest Lawn, where a Jehovah's Witness service was conducted by Jackson's cousin, Wendell Hawkins. Fossett, who isn't a Jehovah's Witness said that the service was "spoken in a way that their belief is that he [God] is going to be back on this earth." Hawkins "addressed guests and said he was glad that his [Michael's] life was connected with Jehovah."

Michael Jackson has been vocal about how difficult it was to be raised by Jehovah's Witnesses, and expressed his sorrow at never getting to celebrate birthdays or holidays as child. Once he was in his twenties, he began to celebrate his birthday""

---

LOOK >>> This establishes that he was a practicing JW and it that was traumatic for him to be one.

We are not yelling when we type all caps. It's for EMPHASIS. I have no option to click bold or italicize, so caps is all we have. And you did it in that very post!

petertaylor: Jesus was laughed and scorned at because the pharasees and co. thought he was speaking blasphemy when he said he was the Son of God. Those people thought it was untruthful and disrespectful what he was saying. Only when they killed him did some of them realize that what he spoke was the truth. So compared to today, you "think" (in other words it's your opinion based on no evidence or facts, just like those who killed Jesus) that people reject us because we have false teachings. What will it take for you to see that we speak the truth? I can assure you one thing, there won't be another Jesus for you to kill to realize that the truth is being spoken. This is not to say that you are a pharisee, but rather that you probably have a sincere heart but let your emotions and ego get in the way so as to blind you to the truth. (John 7:18) If you were to ask any JW who came to your door a sincere question, they would open up to the bible to give you the answer. They will even use your bible to give you the answer. If you then say it's not true then you would be saying the bible (Jehovah's word)is false. You don't want to become a "fighter actually against God" do you? We use the bible, be careful of what you say and do because of the fear of God. (Acts 5:33-39, 41) Also, if you are in a religion and dedicated to it, shouldn't you feel that its the truth? You would actually be wasting your time if you didn't. All religions are not acceptable to God, so there has to be one true one. JW are the only true religion and are back by Jehovah God. This is not to say that every individual in that religion is, because there are those who fall away or do not follow sincerely because of imperfection or anxieties of life. But as fellow imperfect humans, we are not to judge them or anybody else on whether they have lost God's favor. In all of your comments, I have not seen you state one scripture as to back up that we are not the true religion and that what we teach is false. It seems that what you are speaking is in fact very opinionated and very biased. So, like you said if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck...this is my last post on here because of risk of talking to apostates. but to all those who do have sincere questions and are not on here to bash JW, please don't hesitate to ask them when they come to your door or go to one of their Kingdom Halls and ask them your questions there. (also, not donations are forced or expected, all who give are giving voluntarily). Thank you.

As a former JW I can say I do not see a Christ like attitude from the supposed current JWs. There are very few of you showing a "Christ like attitude." Typing in all caps is considered yelling, which I am very sure Jesus was not big on yelling.

I can understand why MJ separated him self from the religion as I did. Because if he would have stayed he would never have been able to become the person that he was regarding his music career. At some point he had to choose a JW lifestyle or being the most famous person on earth.

I also had to choose, do I want to become the best person and be all I can be, or am I comfortable with living the very submissive life as a JW.

Also some food for though, I am not sure if this is true all over but at the kingdom hall the most attention and training is given regarding to the new testament and the end of the system. However not much attention if any at all is put on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes which in my opinion contain the truth of mans position on earth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesiastes

I for one do not think that the JW religion is the true. Why? Because the truth can stand up to any challenge and be proved. JWs are taught never to read any "apostate" material challenging the religion. However if its really the truth it should be able to defeat any challenger.

Just as 1 + 1 is to. It can be proved, ANY religion for that fact can not be proved yet.

I'd like to end by saying I honestly do wish that JWs are correct as the scriptures do have a lovely view of life with out end at least.

Only time can tell.....

Jehovah's Witnesses (Rutherford's followers) are "Cult-Like".

A cult does not require any set number of leaders, only the inerrant belief that they are the ONLY TRUE RELIGION. Nothing else matters once that ego kicks in and messes with their heads. Once that engages, it usually takes a life-changing event or change of circumstances to get them to reconsider their beliefs

The definition of a destructive religious cult is like alcoholism-if booze controls you instead of the other way around you are an alcoholic.

Religion can be benign then there are hard core Fundy groups that want to rule & control you like hard core alcoholism.
The Watchtower society as an example is not benevolent and won't let you leave their organization in peace.

If they try to ruin your reputation and break up your family for trying to get out then they are a cult!
Whenever you surrender your logic and reason to anyone who asks you to believe something on "faith" and to trust them because they know better and to please donate generously, it's a cult. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck....

http://www.cultwatch.com/jw.html

According to WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY, CULT is defined as "a quasi-religious group, often living in a colony,with a charismatic leader who indoctrinates members with unorthodox or extremist views,practices or beliefs.2a) devoted attachment admiration for a person,principle, or lifestyle."
Jehovah's witnesses are NOT A CULT since they do not follow ANY MAN. They follow Almighty God Jehovah (Exodus 6:3,Ps 83:18) and also their leader and God's son Christ Jesus by strictly adhering to God's word the Bible just like the 1st Century Christians did. Their faith is not just a religion but A BUT A WAY OF LIFE, LIKE 1ST CENTURY CHRISTIANS. ALSO LIKE 1ST CENTURY CHRISTIANS they obey Christ's command to be preachers and teachers of God's word the Bible and also God's kingdom. The same Kingdom Christ taught us to pray for in the Lord's prayer in order for God's will to be done not only in Heaven but also on the EARTH.(MATTHEW 28:19,20,MATTHEW 6:9,10 MATT 24:14, ACTS 5:42,ACTS 20:20)LIKE 1ST CENTURY CHRISTIANS they are unpopular in this world that is ruled by Satan who blinds people's minds from believing the truth.(2 Corinthians 4:4, IJohn 5:19,John 12:30,John 14:30)Also like 1st Century Christians they do not participate in the politics of this world in which Jesus said his Kingdom was no part of ,to Pontius Pilate(John 18:36) JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BELIEVE THAT GOD'S KINGDOM IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO MANKIND'S PROBLEMS INCLUDING SICKNESS AND DEATH.They also will not go to war and kill anyone and are prepared to die for their stand, as many German Jehovah's witnesses did in Hitler's Nazi concentration camps. Like Christ himself and 1st Century Christians they are slandered, misunderstood, hated and spoken against everywhere in this world under Satan's control.(read John 15:18-20). As Acts 28:22 states ...."Truly as regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against".TRUE IN THE 1ST CENTURY, TRUE TODAY!!!

'the apostate with an attitue'--are there apostates that don't have one? it's your attitude that made you one. That attitude will bring God's wrath to you.

The scriptural response I just gave is not directed to the unrepentant apostate ex-JWS who are.... pearls before swine.(read Matthew 7:6)
Posted by: williamlafferty

Thank you for the disclaimer as I am not just an unrepentant apostate to the Watchtower society cult.

I am Danny Haszard Bangor Maine the *apostate with an attitude*

The scriptural response I just gave is not directed to the unrepentant apostate ex-JWS who are beyond reason. Since they have absolutely no respect for Jehovah or his word the Bible or his righteous standards. My response from God's word the Bible is to set the record straight for those that sincerely seek Bible truth.(read 1peter 3:15)
Christ himself never cast his pearls before swine.(read Matthew 7:6)

Jehovah God is not only Almighty but ALL WISE.He himself states at Isaiah 55:8-9 "For the thoughts of you people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways YOUR ways, is the utterance of Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than YOUR ways, and my thoughts than YOUR thoughts".
Psalms 19:7 states "The Law of Jehovah is perfect".
Jehovah commanded at Deuteronomy 19:15-19 "NO SINGLE WITNESS should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin, in the case of any sin that he may commit. AT THE MOUTH OF TWO WITNESSES or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good". .....And the Judges must search thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and has brought a false charge against his brother".....And you must clear the bad out of the midst of you".
Jehovah's Witnesses firmly believe that Almighty God's ways and safeguards in judging a matter are always best and that he knows far more than any human could ever know!
Romans 11:33 states " O the depth of God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable his Judgements are...For who has come to know Jehovah's mind, or has become his counselor?"
Despite the fact that the World we live in is past all moral sense and anything is acceptable even things God strongly hates and condemns.(read Romans 1:26-32). Jehovah's Witnesses follow strictly God's word the Bible in every facet of their life and not just in areas that suit them or agree with their personal philosphies and lifestyle. Jehovah's Witnesses are the only religious organization in the world that follow and adhere closely to what the 1st Century True Christians did in every detail. The 1st Century Christians removed the wicked man from their Congregations by expelling unrepentant wrongdoers.(read 1stCorinthians 5:9-13,1st Corinthians 6:9,10) Jehovah's witnesses do the same today!
There is positively no reason for coverup, no transfers to other areas as other religions have done and keep doing. Since this would be highly displeasing to Jehovah the God that sets the standards of true Love and true justice!
Just as the 1st Century Christians were hated and slandered and maligned as their master Christ was. Nothing has changed for True Christians today!!

To:All spammers for the Watchtower society nobody here "HATES" Jehovah nobody here "HATES" Jehovah's Witnesses.

You JW trolls have a compulsive need to hurl the "H" (hate) bomb you love to lob the hate word when you lose an argument.
Amazing similarity that the Jehovah's Witnesses troll apologist have to Scientology over at the Scifi boards they lob the "B" (bigot) word to all opposers the JW use the "H" word
Amazing association between these two cults.

BTW-you are not opposed and/or 'persecuted for righteousness like Jesus was' but rather your teachings are rejected because they are false.

“The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.”—John 5:28, 29.

“There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”—Acts 24:15.

“At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”—Isaiah 35:5, 6.

“God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.

“The earth itself will certainly give its produce; God, our God, will bless us.”—Psalm 67:6.

“There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.”—Psalm 72:16.

“As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth.”—Proverbs 2:22.

“They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”—Isaiah 2:4.

People it's not about what you think it's
about what GOD thinks He is the creator
not us !Just a few verse to read and think about, our best thinking got us the way we are today. How about trying things JEHOVAHS WAY. And to my Spiritual sister Katherine so sorry for your lost!

So is the Jehovah Witness really anti-gay,or is it all a fundamentalist hypocritical front?

Do a web search of theses keywords
Watchtower Brooklyn bethel homosexuality

Shocking the going-on's at the monk like nearly all boys Watchtower world 'head'-quarters

Jehovah's Witness religion is known as the "pedophiles paradise" FOR A REASON.


The Jehovah's Witnesses religion requires TWO WITNESSES to a crime before they will consider it to have happened. How often are there two witnesses of an act of pedophilia? Not only this, but Jehovah's Witnesses generally speaking trust other members COMPLETELY despite knowing nothing about one anothers past - it is enough that you are "one of Jehovah's Witnesses".

Finally, the leaders of this religion care about only one thing in instances of child molestation, and that is maintaining the white-washed appearance of the religion. For this reason, every settlement with victims of child abuse have required the victim to sign a gag order as documented by NBC.

Jehovah's Witness parents, please protect your children.

Anyone that is sincere and has a Bible question they have always wondered about. Feel free to ask me and I would be pleased to answer it from the Bible for you.

The Bible does not teach a fiery burning Hell. Rather Hell is the common grave of mankind. Hell in the Hebrew scriptures is Sheol and in the Greek scriptures it is Hades. All persons that die go to Hell, rather than burning they are asleep in death in an unconscious state (read Ecclesiastes 9:5,10)In fact Jesus according to scriptures was asleep in Hell for 3days before He was ressurected by his father Jehovah. Jesus always referred to death as being a deep sleep. Read the account of Jesus' friend Lazarus in John 11. All those in the common grave of mankind which is hell will be resurected by Christ as he stated in John 5:28,29. Paul also stated at Acts 24:15 that both the righteous and the unrighteous will be ressurected. The unrighteous will mercifully be given another chance to conform to God's righteous ways and be reformed. Since there can be no peace with the wicked if such ones are irreformable they will simply cease to exist in Jehovah's peaceful new world. Ezekiel 18:23 states that Almighty God Jehovah does not take delight in the death of someone wicked but that he should turn back from his bad ways and keep living. This merciful and loving heavenly Father has been slandered by the hellfire doctrine making him out to be a heartless fiend. The fiery hellfire doctrine is not found in the scriptures but was an invention of the Catholic Church in order to keep the people in fear and extort money from them. Check your encyclopedia and you will find all kinds of false doctrines that were the invention of the Catholic Church long after the Bible was written.

When people ask me what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, I like to say it's similar to the song "Imagine" by John Lennon: "No hell below us...no countries...nothing to kill or die for and no religion too...a brotherhood of man...and the world will live as one.

I've even heard the rumor that a conversation with a JW fellow airline passenger inspired Lennon to write the song.

We must not be saps. It's probably apocryphal. But it makes a good story.

To all the haters of JW's: First and foremost, NOBODY is perfect. There was only one perfect man (one who did not sin) and that was Jesus Christ. So whether its lying in the the work place or looking up porn sites, we all have individual weaknesses that we must contend with everyday. Rudy8: you cannot be disfellowshipped unless you are baptized. Lisalove1: we actually blame ourselves...for instance, if we have made a mistake in not completely understanding a prophesy or w.e. we print in our WT's that we have come to a new understanding and admit we made a mistake. imperfect humans do that. so do you. Jesus' apostles did that when they thought the kingdom he was talking about in the gospels was going to come down from heaven right then and there...they were wrong, yet they are considered saints in some religions. We do not go to war bc Jesus himself didnt fight. Yes we dont fight for this country or any other...but we also dont fight against this country. we are the only religion who doesnt get involved in war or politics, just as Jesus didnt get involved in war and politics. People need to start reading their bibles and not be taking apostate words to heart. ask a JW next time he comes to your door...u know we'll be there.. and they will be able to show you from your copy of the bible things you never knew were in the bible...unless you are apostate of course. Thanks, and have a nice day.

Jehovah's Witnesses leadership has a 100% failure rate at their cult inspired prophecies.

ehovah’s Witnesses,blame everyone and everything else for the failings of the organization. Never, never, could it be the fault of “the only channel Jehovah is using”....

just do 50 “we are Jehovah’s happy people”,....

30 “we are Jehovah’s joyful people”,

and 100 “we are Jehovah’s honest people” and everything will be OK.

Response to;Joel P. Engardio author of this article.

You wrote that your mom was a Jehovah's Witness,that you embraced the beliefs enough to be 'considered the weird one' among other kids.

You are a homosexual activist now and NOT disfellowshipped?
You are also a leading spokesperson for the antigay Watchtower society and did the Knocking documentary for PBS.You know full well gays are to be exterminated at the Watchtower armageddon.

You are indeed a shill.

We all have a Bible. We should read it ourselves. Some of the misrepresentations of the Bible in the comments are incredible. Some of the people "quoting" the Bible have actually added and changed words to suit their purposes.
To depend on Mark Twain's feelings about the Bible wouldn't be a good idea. He lost his young daughter (much like Darwin) and was very bitter toward God.
Taking it from Mr. Engardo that he knows much about Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs wouldn't be a good idea either. He has several things screwed up.
Why not just ask the next Witness who knocks at your door what he believes. He or she would be delighted if you would get your own Bible and read some verses together.
As a Witness, I would like to explain a couple of our beliefs:
Even though Jesus said "all in the memorial tombs will arise"...he also spoke of another "place" where some people would metaphorically end up. It was the garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem called "Gehenna" which was always kept burning. He used it to refer to the very wicked people who were about to kill him even though it was so obvious that he was the Son of God. They will not be resurrected. This reference which he was using as a illustration has been appropriated by mainstream Christianity to bolster their belief in the Babylonian and Greek ideas about "Hell". The Bible doesn't teach that God torments people in fire.
As to whether it matters if we do good or bad because their will be a resurrection, the problem is that we are living in a time of judgement.
Anyone who is judged and loses their life at the "end of the world", which is the "greatest tribulation" ever to hit the earth, will go to "Gehenna" - that is they will not be resurrected, just as you can't reclaim something out of a fire.
What we are doing now is vital to how we will fare when Jesus returns to bring an end to Satan's reign of terror. That's why it matters very much how we are living now - in case we are the ones who are alive when this monumental series of events unfold.
God wants people to be kept safe, survive, and start rebuilding the earth, to then welcome back those who are resurrected.
Jehovah's Witnesses have always taught this. Some will be taken from the earth to be kings and priests in heaven. Most humans will be humans still on a beautiful planet saved from pollution and man-made destruction.
Anyone who was somehow perverted in his thinking or instincts will be helped to recover and become perfectly healthy in mind and body. So, no, there won;t be any homosexuality there. There will be plationic friendship - the most underexplored of all relationships.

The question arises was Michael Jackson abused? The answer is absolutely yes, he manifested every symptom in his life.The belief system of Jehovah’s Witnesses routinely covers up abuse and of this Michael was a victim.

The weirdness of his life and actions are easily explained by understanding the “us against them” belief system of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

He was never at peace and always felt like a failure to his mom for not emulating and living her beliefs.The result was a sad person trying to find peace but deep down feeling he was never good enough where it really counted.

John the baptist when on earth, beause he did not drink was accused of having a Demon. Jesus Christ who did drink moderately was accused of being a wino. Jehovah's witnesses strive to live their life by God's word and standards. Wrongdoers who are unrepentant and refuse to live by the Bible's high moral standards are expelled from the Christian Congregation.The 1st Century Christians did the exact same thing.(read 1 Corinthians 5:9-13,1Corinthians 6:9,10)
Regardless of What Jesus or John the Baptist did, or what his true followers did. They were always slandered and accused falsely and persecuted. Acts 28:22 said of True Christians back then."Truly as regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against."
God's word the Bible is the measuring stick in finding the True religion! Popular opinion in this depraved world which lies in the power of the wicked one is not!(read 1John 5:19)

As with all faiths, there are some good and some bad, however, with JW's, the bad outweighs the good. Perhaps if they would act as examples instead of displaying detrimental character, they would be more readily accepted. Having worked with a JW, she has demonstrated fraud and deception in the workplace and uses her religion as an excuse to never do any work and defraud the Government. Management is afraid to reprimand her due to her religious belief. I also know of another JW who is is an elder, who uses his laptop at work to connect to porno sites, yet, hides this from his wife and peers at Kingdom Hall. We will all be judged for our sins, however, if you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk.

TO: "williamlafferty" below,you just reposted more defiant Jehovah's Witnesses propaganda spam.

You willfully rejected all the evidence and facts of history that prove your watchtower a fraud and said as expected:

1)we are the truth

2)people who speak against us are Judas

3)we are spoken against because we are the one truth and so are persecuted like Jesus was

Somewho you JW trolls think that whoever has the top post wins as if nobody is going to read the lower ones that follow.

You all do the same thing when you try to corner me on my door step you are like telemarkters you just will not take NO for an answer.

There is'nt another religious group out there that understands what the Bible really teachs like Jehovah's Witnesses. Don't believe me? Ask a Jehovah's witness any Bible question and their answer will always be from God's Word the Bible.They also practice what they preach, they are not hypocrites. They also adhere to strict morals according to God's requirements in the scriptures. Immoral persons and liars & etc have no place in their Congregations.(read 1st corinthians 5:9-13) If you want to really know about them don't ask a disgruntled exJW who refuses to live up to the Bible's high standards.If you wanted to know about Jesus,would you ask Judas and expect an honest answer, or the Pharisees? People in Jesus' day hated him enough to kill him. Is it any wonder his true followers today would be hated also?(read John 15:18-20)In fact all the 1st century Christians were considered a sect and spoken against everywhere.(read Acts 28:22)1st Peter4:4 states, "Because you do not continue running with them to the same low sink of debauchery they are puzzeled and go on speaking abusively of you" That applied to 1st Century Christians and also applies to True Christians today!

colinnicholas wrote: "Mark Twain wrote;
"The bible is full of interest.
It has noble poetry in it, and
some clever fables, and some
blood drenched history, and some
good morals; and a wealth of obscenity;
and upwards of a thousand lies."

Thanks. Beautiful post. Indeed, I find a lot to appreciate in the Bible. Some very beautiful passages. The "crazy" stuff, in my opinion, is often taken out of context, probably mis-stranslated, etc.

The Bible, however, remains a political document, and as such, reflects the philosophy of those who ruled at the time. That is why it says stuff like slaves should be dedicated to their masters, and that is why it has passages instructing armies to invade places and kill everyone in sight. Imagine, if you can, that George Bush got to influence what is in the Bible, and gives his opinion a few days before the opening of the Iraq catastrophe.

The Bible is mad cool, though. There are awesome passages everywhere.

The Qur'an, by the way, is also very beautiful. And it also has violent passages and passages that many of us would object to. Note that our biases play a part in how we accept or reject it.

The "crazy" stuff is a lot of fun to quote, though, and helps interest people in reading the Bible/Qur'an, thus also running into some deep wisdom.

Jehovah's Witnesses don't have the 'truth' their only argument can be is that some religions out there that are 'worst'.

Their dumb retort is often 'well who has the truth then'?

Who knows?

Two wrongs don't make a right just because religion A and religion B are bogus doesn't make the JW *da troof* by default.

Moreover if Iam gonna be enslaved in a phony cult it better be one that has some fun not boring JW that expects me to sell the Watchtower pitch door to door on my saturday.

More on the bible;

Steven Pinker, the renowned Harvard Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, writes;

"The Bible contains instructions for genocide, rape, and the destruction of families, and even the Ten Commandments, read in context, prohibit murder, lying, and theft only within the tribe, not against outsiders. Religions have given us stonings, witch burnings, crusades, inquisitions, jihads, fatwas, suicide bombers, abortion-clinic gunmen, and mothers who drown their sons so that they can be happily reunited in Heaven."

Steven Pinker "How The Mind Works" p555.

And about theology, Here's what Thomas Paine wrote;

"The study of theology, as it stands in Christian churches, is the study of nothing. It is founded on nothing; it rests on nothing; it proceeds by no authorities; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing."

Thomas Paine. 1737-1809; American Revolutionary hero, from "The Age of Reason."

US-conscience

you write;

"It doesnt matter what you believe, it only matters what is true. if I sincerely believe with all my heart that if I say "Orville" 3 times while I'm dying that I'll get to spend eternity with Orville Redenbacher eating his extra buttery popcorn and watching Charlies Angels, it doesnt mean that it will happen because I sincerely believe it, it only matters what is true."

Brilliant comment. But then you spoil it by nonsensically claiming that the bible is true! There are those who believe that the bible is an ancient book of superstitious claptrap that defies common-sense.

For instance the wonderfully wise Mark Twain wrote;

"The bible is full of interest.
It has noble poetry in it, and
some clever fables, and some
blood drenched history, and some
good morals; and a wealth of obscenity;
and upwards of a thousand lies."

Mark Twain. In Letters from the Earth.
Quoted in "Atheist Universe". by David Mills
Ulysses Press LA.Calif.2006

Your excellent comment that it only matters what is true, is why nonbelievers are nonbelievers. Because it cannot be established that the Bible is true; it cannot be established with any certainty that Jesus existed, it cannot be established that there is a Sky God.

These are not truths in the way 2+2=4 is a truth, or in the way that Canada lies north of the USA is a truth. They are beliefs passed down to us by our illiterate ancestors who were superstitious to a fault, and explained reality by making up gods for everything.

Wondering5 said:
"When was the last time you went to church and they did not pass around the offering plate?"
Response: for my Church (the one true and Holy Catholic Church) I give not only an offering every Sunday and during other feasts, but commit all my belongings, hopes, prayers, and life. Capice?

"Kids aren't automatic members; eventually one has to commit or not."

Kids aren't automatic members of any religion--we are ALL born atheists. They have to be brainwashed immediately in order to perhaps spend a lifetime believing in spooks, ghosts, fairy tales . . . gods.

"They [Jehovah's Witnesses] look forward to a time when the earth will become the utopia in John Lennon's song."

Huh? Perhaps you haven't listened to that song. Among the many anti-religious lines is this: "Imagine no religion. I wonder if you can. No hell below us. A brotherhood of man"

The JW's who show up at my door on a Saturday morning would look at Lennon's song with contempt and I can't imagine any of them hoping for the"utopia in John Lennon's song."

Nothing means anything to him now. He's dead.

The world would be a much better place if people realized that THIS is heaven. The earth is our Paradise and it can provide all we need - all we have to do is care for it.

I think what John Lennon had in mind was NO RELIGION- not jehovah's witness. No war between God and Satan--but NO GOD, NO SATAN. Imagine all the people, living life in peace. Indeed.

dncthm1 wrote: " The scripture teaches that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire."

Here are some more things the scripture teaches:

1)Moses to his army: “Kill all the males and every woman. But keep the virgin little girls for your pleasure." -- Judges 21:10-24
2)Sell your daughter as sex slave against her will: “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again.” --Exodus 21:7
3)Do you love Madonna? Just rape her, and she’s yours:"If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must marry the young woman, and he will never be allowed to divorce her." Deuteronomy 22:28-29.
4)Rape everybody: “Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon --Isaiah 13:15
5)Castrate yourself for Jesus: “And there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake”. --Matthew 19:12

FOR GOD'S SAKE: Read this whole page, and THEN you can come out and speak. I am SERIOUS!!! Why is it so difficult to get Christians to read about their religion?

www.evilbible.com

IF EVERYBODY READ THE BIBLE, THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTIANS.

What a heartwrenching public memorial service for any human beings to both witness and experience not only the loss of the man, Michael Joseph Jackson, with fame, wealth and talent but the loss of the dearest one in the earthly family! My question through the Holy Bible perspective, What is so good for a man with wealth, fame and worldwide attention to "gain the whole world" but to "lose his own soul" as seen in the scripture book of Matthew Chapter 16:26? This same message should go to the rest of the Jackson Family in California. DFTAlexandria

And what does your small and shallow god do with the millions of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others who don't "know" Christ (or those who grow to see Him as the best teacher among the world's other spiritual gurus) ?

posted by coloradodog

there will be millions of jews,muslims,...in heaven!! all are welcome but alot of people will turn it down! you have a problem with GOD... sounds like you wan't to be your own god?? JESUS IS THE WAY

As already mentioned a few times, MJ became Muslim in late 2008. Google it.

Who. Cares. So much space devoted to various and sundry superstitions. So much space and time devoted to a guy with four or five dance moves and a voice fostered by testosterone inhibitors and ruined by hideous plastic surgery.

For "BamaTide": the name of the book in the Bible is Revelation, not Revelations (no "s"). If you refer to it in order to pass judgement on others, one would presume you have read it.

Michael Jackson was disfellowshipped/disassociated/excommunicated from the Jehovah's Witnesses and the wordage all mean the same thing.

It means that the JW consider MJ CONDEMENED eternally dammed which was easy for them to do back when he was getting all the bad press,NOW they don't want the general public to know about it.

JW cult lie and lie and lie....they call it 'theocratic warfare'.

Most of the posters who here promote JW as the good religion but then say that they are not JW themselves are LIARS they are shills for the watchtower snake oil.
Live & let live but what is wrong with this JW cult is they don't let others have their side.

So...I see all you Jehovah Witness fanatics rushing to defend your religion when according to their own doctrine MJ died in a disfellowshipped state and is eternally condemned.

That's the facts!

This is indeed fascinating. In the last few weeks several high profile stars have died: Farah Fawcett, David Carradine, Karl Malden and Ed Mahon,just to name a few. I don't recall that anyone was concerned about what religion they believed in. As stated, Micheal Jackson is not JW, he left the religion as it his right to do. And anyone viewing his memorial service can see that is was basically an interfaith service. Even his own brother (raised as JW's) referred to Buddha and Allah. Brooke Shields pointed to heaven and said he was looking down on us. The ministers who officiated were not JW. The family spiritual advisors were introduced as Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton. As far as i know, both are baptist preachers.

As far his money is concerned, it was stated that he contributed to many charities (Kobe Bryant said he held the world's record). Not one of those charities was associated with JW. As JW controlling his money, that is ridiculous, since he has stated in the will clearly his wishes.

Is it strange that no one questions a muslim who get 72 wives in heaven, or the Buddhist who comes back as a cow. Or the Catholic who thinks he is drinking blood/flesh of Christ. Or the baptist who feels God's punishment for a few years of being bad is being roasted forever on a eternal rotiesserie oven is fine.

JW is the only religion that seems to illicit a storm of criticism and hatred. I thought America was about the freedom to worship. I did not know that there was a caveat that the worship meets the approval of outsiders.

It was Micheal Jackson stange behavior as a not a JW that should be called into question. That is why he eventually removed himself as a JW.

it doesnt matter what you believe, it only matters what is true. if I sincerely believe with all my heart that if I say "Orville" 3 times while I'm dying that I'll get to spend eternity with Orville Redenbacher eating his extra buttery popcorn and watching Charlies Angels, it doesnt mean that it will happen because I sincerely believe it, it only matters what is true. The Bible proves its true through hundreds of specific, detailed prophecies that all came true 100% ( not one unfulfilled prophecy and no other religious book has prophecies ) and Jesus proved the verasity of His claims by performing miracle after miracle culminating with rising from the dead.

We all deserve to go to hell because we all have comitted cosmic treason by breaking Gods moral commandments. (lied, stolen, lusted, used Gods name as a four lettered word to describe disgust, not kept God first, Jesus said to even look with lust is adultery in the heart) ( and by the way, we arent sinners because we sin, on the contrary, we sin because we are sinners. Its our nature. )

Jesus said unless you repent you will perish and you must be born again to even see my Kingdom.

I dont think the evidence suggests that M.J.'s life showed the fruits of repentance or spiritual rebirth.

I hope he did, but my hopes are irrelevant. God is not a respector of persons.

None of us can know what MJ truly believed. What is certain is that his death is causing us to consider our own beliefs more closely (as these comments show). I think most of us here have doubts and questions about the meaning of life and what happens after we die. If you want to keep the conversation going in a place where these types of questions are openly discussed, find an Alpha course near you.

http://www.alphausa.org/

joel, can you stop trying to sell you biased, jehovah's witness pre-approved film every time jws are mentioned in the press?

the jws believer you're going to die at armageddon....god is going to kill you and homosexuals are all dead the second it comes. they can't wait.

please take a look at the real issues regarding the cult, and not the few shiny ones that jws use to get people sucked in.

Fascinating stuff that really displays the Washington Post's journalistic standards. I smell a Pulitzer. Or it could something much worse...

Hallo -- Michael Jackson had converted to Islam and changed the spelling of his name to Mikaeel Jackson. His brother Jermaine had already converted to Islam and made the pilgrimage to Mecca.

These comments are more proof Abraham was the original Satan.

Do you have any doubt about where is Michael after his death? So read the Psalm 37:9-29. Daniel 2:44. Or go to www.watchtower.org. JW Do believe in the book of Revelations.

This is the most amazing comment thread I've ever read!!

The absolute certainty of so many of the posters: that heaven is only for those who believe in Christ, that good Mormons get their own planets, that heaven is here on earth but later, that there is no heaven.

The absolutely certainty about the unknowable is almost staggering!

How about let's just live good lives of compassion, generosity and integrity and let the afterlife (or lack of one) take care of itself?

After all, no matter what we believe or profess, none of us know. Not one of us.

So, please, let's concentrate on life.

Wake up people this IS a cult!! Not only do they not belive in a hell. The don't celebrate birthdays, mothers & fathers day. Not suposed to join the military, salute the flag or the Pledge of Allegence. They are antiChristan and anti American.How can ANYONE call themselves a Christian when they don't even believe in the book of Revelations? This is the problem with things today, people don't fear God. They won't oppose cults afraid to offend someone. People need to stand up for the Bible and all of it, not just parts of it. If you offend, so be it. The antibelivers dont care offend the belivers.

Yonkers, New York
08 July 2009

For "heaven's" sake, How can Jehovah's witnesses like Michael Jackson and his mother be true Christians if they do not believe in "heaven" and "hell?"

Let's just call them "Jehovah's Witnesses," shall we? Without calling them "Christians" in the same breath, shall we?

If it is me you ask where Michael Jackson is going, my answer is: He's going nowhere. He is dead. Period. His dead body--call them "remains"--will naturally, of course, soon be reduced to cosmic dust. Just like the billions of people who died before he did.

There is no heaven or hell or purgatory or paradise or whatever for "cosmic dust." Period. Just stop deluding yourselves.

Mariano Patalinjug

If I wanted information on Catholics,Baptist, I would google links by their advocates AND dissidents.
If I wanted info on neo-nazi or KKK I would not go just to their websites I would go to critics also.

I am buying a new car and will go to disgruntled former owner websites for sure.


Ya,know if I was going to work for a new employer and there was an avalanche of bad negative blogs about them defrauding customers and personnel I would examine very carefully.

Like ENRON

I am contemplating buying a new or used Toyota Prius hybrid car and I will go to any disgruntled owner pages and take a peek.

For REAL answers, ask an ex-JW or simply google Jehovah Witness. There is a lot of justifiable anger out there, but also many facts

All JW's raised in this cult grow up freaks! They are isolated from the world, they are so afraid of being disfellowshipped. My husband was disfellowshipped from this cult and I think it was the best thing that could ever happen to him.

The Jehovah's Witnesses,don't 'pass the collection plate' or tithe,but leaders do strongly "encourage" followers to freely donate...donate...donate..there are donation boxes at Kingdom Hall church egresses.

James 1:27 "look after widows and orphans in their tribulation".
This is what true Christians must do,Jehovah's Witnesses canvass Watchtower literature door to door with a false 1914 Gospel and ask for donations for this literature.

$$$ Watchtower money ghouls for God $$$
TRUE STORY

I Danny Haszard gave all my money to the Watchtower building fund during my youth when I was making big bucks in the construction trade union.I did so because they lied to me that i would never need it for my retirement.Well I am 50 years old and I do need all my money back now that it's 2009 and the 'end of the world' is overdue.

The Watchtower religious racket also got all my grandfather's and my father's savings.

The Watchtower one year before the foretold end of the world 1975,was a time that I remember they were ordering the rank and file JW followers to liquidate their assets and go all out for the Kingdom of God.

The late 1960's was also a time period that Brooklyn H.Q. was really crying poor mouth ( JW children were sending in their piggy banks {Jehovah's pennies} i was giving them my paper route and egg money from my 20 hens).

I alone have been extorted tens of thousands of dollars of my life savings by the greedy charlatans as an adult.

Get this! My elderly Grandfather Roger Haszard and MY Grandmother Ruth Haszard are living in Largo Florida usa circa 1987,(now deceased).

We get an emergency conference call from my uncle Wallace on 'what are we going do do with our aging patriarch as they are becoming helpless and are in need of a part-time nurse'.
My grandfather is busted as he gave all his assets to the Watchtower and his estate is all going to the Watchtower when they die.

There is no emergency cash to free up so the family now has pitch in to pay for their care.

The Watchtower has occasional hypocritical articles on caring for our elderly,they don't reveal how countless family's get into this bind on account of their wicked advice.

---

Staying Alive Until 1975 Danny Haszard story of growing up Jehovah's Witnesses with severe ulcerative colitis in the Watchtower cult
http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/Blog/DannyHaszard/12361

Rest in peace Michael, you have been judged by Jehova God and/or Jesus. Free from the judgement of us tainted peers. I'm sure you have been found worthy, I'll bet my soul on it. --- Oh by the way I hated your music. ;) Gramps

The Jehovah's witness organization in no way is a money hungry religion like all the others out there. Their work is supported by voluntary donations that are done in secret so that only God knows, NO TITHING OR COLLECTION PLATES LIKE ALL THE OTHER RELIGIONS OUT THERE!! Walk in any Kingdom hall or convention and you will see contribution boxes whereby if a person wants to contribute they do so under no compulsion whatsoever. Frankly, absolutely no one knows what anyone else is doing when it comes to contributions. Likewise if someone decides to leave something in their will to Jehovah's witness Organization that is a private and personal matter no one else knows about. No financial pressure in this religion!!! You could go to this religion for a lifetime and never give a dollar and no one would know except God!!No other religion knows their Bible and truly lives their entire life by it like this faith. No matter where you go in the world they all believe the same way. When it comes to war you'll never see or hear of one Jehovah's witness ever kill another Jehovah's witness or anyone else for that matter. That's not true in any other religion they all kill members of the same faith on the opposing side when at war. Truly if the world was full of Jehovah's witnesses there would be no war since there wouldn't be anyone to fight them. Think about Christ isn't that what he would do and taught his true followers to do when he was on the earth? Wouldn't that be what he would expect of his true followers today? Before you knock Jehovah's witnesses or listen to slanderous reports find out what they beleive by asking one. If you lived at the time of Jesus would you go on what the pharisees and religious leaders of his day said about him or perhaps listen to a former follower such as Judas Iscariot? Not if you wanted to hear the truth!!

Christians we believe that a place in paradise belongs to those who accept Jesus as their payment for ANY and EVERY sin they have ever commited here on earth… This doesn´t make us intolerant but just faithful adherents to what the Bible actually says:

Jesus said “ I told you that you will die in your sins, if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins. (John 8:24)

He also said “ I tell you the truth that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever . So if the Son sets you free , you will be free indeed.“
(John 8:35)

Jesus told us that because of these beliefs his followers will be persecuted just as he was because the world doesn´t want to hear that there are conditions to entering heaven..and those conditions are to be Sinless. !!... the problem is that we all have sinned and fall short of this standard which is why Jesus gave his sinless life for us all… Our choice is to accept or reject this truth…

As Jesus said also in John 11 “ I am the resurrection and the life . He who believes in me will live, even though he dies . “

Only God truly knows if Michael accepted this truth in his heart or not and it is not for us to judge where Michael is right now. Whatever his behaviour whether good or bad here on earth only God knows if his sins were paid in full when he finally stood in front of his heavenly father to give an account of his life….

For those that deny that Jesus is who he claimed to be please read the book of John in the Bible . And for those who claim the Bible has been corrupted , you are believing a lie. There is no historical foundations for such a claim. Read it for yourself and the father will reveal his truth to you.

The Bible has a clear warning for those that try to twist the truth of what he has said :

“ Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ . Such a man is the antichrist , he denies the Father and the Son. None who denies the Son has the Father but whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. “ 1 John 2:22

I pray you will be blessed with peace , truth and the Love of God,,,

Thank you Joel, for your article. As always, informative, eloquent and fair-minded. You certainly have a gift. I'm sorry so many other comments insult your abilities and compassionate point of view by their extreme and unjustified comments. May you continue to dignify yourself and those around you by your kind, thoughtful and well-expressed insights.

Michael Jacksons Death – Windfall for Jehovah’s Witnesses

In the days following the death of Michael Jackson several interesting facts have come to light concerning the outcome of his estate. While the public wished for a funeral at “Neverland” his palatial estate, where he could be mourned and seen for the last time, it was not to be. Also the thought carries that if Michael Jackson were buried there it could eclipse ‘Graceland’ as the final resting place for the “King of Pop”. Yet other facts have came to light that will direct a completely different outcome in this regard.

In Jacksons will it was stated that his mother, a staunch Jehovah’s Witness would be the executor of the $500 million plus estate. There are several areas that the public is not aware of that dictate how matters will be handled in the matter controlled by a Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Their belief dictates that when a person dies they simply turn to dust and await a resurrection to live on a perfect earth. For those reasons the funeral is believed to be nothing more than getting rid of a body and not in any case a moment to eulogize the deceased. In the JW funeral talks they give specific instructions are given to do this.

Jehovah’s Witnesses view the funeral discourse as a prime opportunity to sell their beliefs and look for new prospects. So the discourse will basically tell the audience what a great thing it is to not be in heaven, be dead and turning to dust awaiting a resurrection to a paradise earth when God has killed over six billion people with the exception of exceptional Jehovah’s Witnesses. The service will be less than thirty minutes with a graveside of less than ten minutes per instructed by home office.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught all their money belongs to Jehovah and should be used for the furtherance of the preaching work. The preaching work is defined as distributing over billion pieces of literature produced annually by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society aka the corporate arm of one of the wealthiest religions on earth. With this doctrine the inheritances of hundreds of thousands of children have been given to the JW Corporation instead.

The church is one of the last great robber barons when it comes to estates. They sweep in with trained personal and siphon off cash, jewelry or anything else of value, sell the estate for cash as quickly as possible and haul family memories off to the dump for disposal.

This scenario has played out thousands of times as non believing family members are stunned to discover that family pictures and memories have been destroyed as being of no value. Each year Jehovah’s Witnesses declare close to one billion dollars in income from just the New York Corporation in large part due to stealing the estates from Jehovahs’ Witnesses members who believe the church would be a better inheritor than a non believing family member.

@colinnicholas part2: Interestingly, you note that 'common sense tells us that all living things die'.. Does it make sense to you though that a sequoia tree, that exercises no thought, no reasoning, no ability to love or create, gets to live for 3,000 + years, while you, who have the ability USE that tree to build cities and love and enlighten people's lives only get to live for 80? Max 100 maybe?.. Does that make common sense to you? Doesn't it stand to reason that most dominant being on the planet, the one capable of the most good get to have the longest life span at least? I agree with you that religion for many is a form of escapism from the reality of death. And I agree that most religion is a sham, and anyone who blindly believes in the philosophies of others, without rational thought, research, investigation of evidence is subject to making a fool of themselves, if not worse, as in the case of the 9/11 attackers. But the fault is our own, and astronomers, physicists, doctors and chemists are no different in their following of the 'religion of science' as religious folks who blindly follow the unending wind of theologies that surface with time. Need I mention the scientific theories of Aristotle, Dalton, Freud, and even Darwin himself? Theories that have since been discredited, some, 3 times over with the passing of new evidence despite the fact that these mens' ideas swayed the opinion of the world around them of their time? Hello? Anyone ever heard of a medication that is science's gift to mankind today, but is pulled from the shelves for killing a 1000 people tomorrow ? And what say of politicians? Interesting how every 4 years people are duped into voting some new 'savior' into office, but our problems never go away, they simply change...So who is it to be pitied? Religious folks, or arrogant mankind in general? Interesting how science can take us to the moon, but we can't figure out how to feed a billion people when there's more food on the planet to feed the world 3 times over. Crops are literally destroyed by farmers in this very country if they won't bring a good price at the market. Who really are the fools? With the abundant lack of evidence in the fossil record for evolution, I find it interesting the statement of the psalm that says: "The senseless one has said in his heart: "There is no God" - Psalm 14:1

@colinnicholas - You certain are entitled to think freely and believe what ever you like. But consider..what did it take you to write that post? Well, to summarize it briefly, as you read the prior posts, billions of electrical impulses where firing away in your brain..primarily of flow electrons, through an advanced network of billions of neurons, that not even you understand. The neurons could not complete processing of material for its interpretation without a constant flow of blood, oxygen and thousands of other complex chemical processes, as well as nutrients and minerals feeding the brain factory. There was a tinge of emotion in your message, sounded a little like disgust or contempt to me, so hormones were involved as well. So a whole host of about a trillion chemical reactions and processing in both your somatic and autonomic nervous system were taking place (too lengthy to describe here), in about the span of a few seconds that allowed you to formulate your thoughts, compose a new set of ideass, translate it into language..English - to be more specific - (your brain may know more than one) and conveyed it with a tinge of emotion so that we, your audience, could all understand it. Now, just one question...going back specifically to the 'thought' part of that equation, you know, where you actually generated your ideas...which kind of physical process was that would you say? Since the basic building blocks of all matter are protons, neutrons and electrons, which one, or combination of those elements generated the actual thought? Can you explain? Can anyone explain which combination of physical elements generate thoughts?

Note: Dear "Brethren(s") & Si{Star(s)" fear not For "WEE [i] Never DiE"! Justly Try To be/Do GooD Whileth Ye [US] Can!

@wmaclean and others - note these definitions of the word 'cult' from off the web from standard dictionaries and wiki p.: 1. "definitions coined from 1920 onward[1] refer to a cohesive social group and their devotional beliefs or practices, which the surrounding population considers to be outside of mainstream cultures. "2. "great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work; a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious"3. "a religion or sect ... with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader." Notice in those definitions the thought 'devotion to a person.. or charismatic leader'.. JW's have neither, their only claimed leader is Jesus Christ himself as stated at Col 1:18 "He is head..of the congregation". Interestingly, the Wiki definition and others mention that the so-called 'cult' is often one that is considered to be 'outside of mainstream cultures...' You have to wonder whether Jesus Christ himself and his group of 500 or so followers in the first century were considered a 'cult' by the mainstream Jewish culture of his day..there was nothing 'mainstream' about Christianity then. In fact, wait a minute...no need to wonder - note what the scripture says about the early Christian 'radicals': "...for as concerning this SECT, we know that every where it is spoken against." - Acts 28:22. (KJV) "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (NIV) In fact, did Jesus himself advocate fitting into mainstream religion or culture? I'm sure if he did, he wouldn't have been killed..Neither would have MLK, Ghandi, Galileo, or any of the great visionaries of our time. Note his own words: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matt 7:13,14. (NIV) So if I were a proponent of religion, I would be more weary of the 'popular', 'mainstream' or 'orthodox' religions according to that warning than I would be of so-called cults. Relax people, if you're an educated, intelligent 'fair and balanced' consumer, simply do your research, evaluate the facts vs. the rumors, pray if that's your thing, and stay away from 'disgruntled employees'.

@everyone - If you wanted to work at a hospital...say Johns Hopkins or some other hospital, but you needed some information about the work conditions there, who would you ask, someone who works there - possibly a doctor, nurse, a cafeteria worker?... or would you ask a disgruntled employee who got fired and has been unemployed since then? What type of opinion do you think you'd get from the 'disgruntled employee'? One that's 'fair and balanced' you think? Just keep that in mind whenever listening to the opinions of those on the web who are 'former' or 'X' JW's'...

The Fella is not G-D! yeta, But;

May Xtra-Photons shine next to OUR Brother Mike Jacksonian "The King Of OUR-POP 1900's/200's, not only His be preserved wThe Holy-i-No=Man!:

Remember" OUR, not only YE "Bio-FiNite-Death" is O.U.R. "TANS{FiNITE-DEATH"!

We art Together Forever W/SOURCE-ONE & WE Never Graduate! How bout YE????

We , YE [i] art Imortal "HU{eMATES"!; not HUMAN(s) anymore!

The scripture teaches that every person will give an account of the things they have done wheather good or bad. Those that have found to have done righteous in Christ into life eternal; those that have found to have rejected righteousness into everlasting punishment. Hell enlarges itself daily. The scripture teaches that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.

tomguy1 wrote "But it strikes me that jewishmother's utter certainty that there is no afterlife requires at least as much faith as any religion.

There's an enormous difference between - on the one hand positing a known natural
progression from life to death based on the reality which we see all around us, where all life eventually dies and turns to dust - and on the other hand positing a fantastical notion of immortality up in the cosmos somewhere in a supernatural dimension, with a Sky God who nobody has EVER seen, and whose existence has been debated since the beginning of time.

You don't need faith to realize that all things must die, including us. It is an expectation.

The hope for immortality however,unsupported as it is by any connection to reality, can only be a pipe dream... a fantasy. It defies common sense, and has no evidence to support it.
That's why you need faith. If it made sense - you'd have an expectation.

ubisux wrote: "The Bible states that Jehovah God is a kind, loving God...the Book of Revelation proves to you that God cannot allow sin to go unpunished."

What is wrong with you, man? You should make a video of yourself saying that stuff, and then sit down and watch it.

This is the BEST ADVICE you've EVER gotteN: TAKE SOME TIME TO READ WHAT PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN HERE... I mean, sit down and read the stuff on this page. You won't believe how much smarter you'll get after reading a single page.

And check out this site: www.evilbible.com

SERIOUSLY. READ THE STUFF.

How absurd the Huckabees quote to us from their cherry-picked scriptures (Leviticus 18:22 counts for gays but 20:10 doesn't count for adulterous politicians and 19:33 doesn't apply to illegal immigrants), assuming that the rest of us regard the Bible as being THE infallible authority as well.

I've read all the Bible and think it is self-contradictory between the Old and New Testaments and that the tacked-on Book of Revelations is nothing more than somebody's bad acid trip designed to manipulate the masses.

The Bible states that Jehovah God is a kind, loving God, and only he knows who is in his memory for resurrection in the future. While Jesus was on earth, he stated he reflected his Father's qualities to perfection, so we can be thankful that our eternal future lies in the hands of such a loving and just Father.

I hope that the Book of Revelation proves to you that God cannot allow sin to go unpunished. The only way to escape the coming wrath is to accept God's plan of Salvation through Jesus sacrifice at the cross.

"What is religion? Like the psychology of the arts, the psychology of religion has been muddied by scholars' attempts to exalt it while understanding it. Religion cannot be equated with our higher, spiritual, humane, ethical yearnings ( though it sometimes overlaps with them).
The Bible contains instructions for genocide, rape, and the destruction of families, and even the Ten Commandments, read in context, prohibit murder, lying, and theft only within the tribe, not against outsiders. Religions have given us stonings, witch burnings, crusades, inquisitions, jihads, fatwas, suicide bombers, abortion-clinic gunmen, and mothers who drown their sons so that they can be happily reunited in Heaven.

As Blaise Pascal wrote;"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

"How The Mind Works" by Steven Pinker. pub.WWNorton & Co. 1997. p554-555.

tomguy1 wrote "But it strikes me that jewishmother's utter certainty that there is no afterlife requires at least as much faith as any religion."

Thank you for a thoughtful analysis. I could have thought a bit before writing. Still, I am not claiming to know what happens after life. I'm merely stating that the heaven and hell thingy is man made.

I really like your analysis, though.

Now what would be really, really good would be for all readers and commentors to read and think deeply about the meaning of this article and all the comments together. What does it say about beliefs and human reason? Fascinating!

jewishmother said: "All that talk about heaven and hell is foolishness, and was created to make rich people feel as though they will never go away."

I don't pretend to know what happens to us after we die, and find it very annoying when others "know" that their religion is the only correct explanation. But it strikes me that jewishmother's utter certainty that there is no afterlife requires at least as much faith as any religion.

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The following website summarizes 900 court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah's Witness Parents, including 400 cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for their dying children, as well as nearly 400 CRIMINAL cases -- most involving MURDERS:

DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

jwdivorces.bravehost.com


The following website summarizes over 500 lawsuits filed by Jehovah's Witnesses against their Employers, incidents involving problem JW Employees, and other secret JW "history" court cases:

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNIQUE TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS EMPLOYEES

jwemployees.bravehost.com

"Lord was the word used by Jews to refer to GOD. Adonai was said instead of Yahweh because the name Yahweh was too Holy to be said."

Actually Christians are the ones who have pushed the YHVH-name of god because it's in some books of the Masoretic bible which underpins most Christian bibles (though YHVH is not found in old books such as Esther and others in the Masoretic text).

God's name changed over time. Read your bible and you'll see passages where the editors explain how one generic term for "lord" or "god" is to henceforth be used for an earlier version.

Adonai (literally "my lord") in the Bible refers to the "lord of the fields" -- Baal. Adonis (Cybele's lover) = Adonai/Baal. Language in the bible to describe other names of god was used earlier to describe Baal.

Then there is El/ El Shaddai/El Elyon/El Hai (Enlil to Sumerians), a lusty, older sky-god with multiple wives (Anat and Asherah) and a lot of R- and X-rated tales about him. He was also absorbed into YHVH.

HAHAHA! What???
No gay marriage, no sex for unmarried couples, no women leaders, no blood transfusions...sad cult indeed! And always concerned with other people's lives...as are all religions.
Sorry Michael, you have been dooped and misinformed! You fell for the biggest scam in human history: belief in an invisible friend in the clouds.

The author writes, "Jehovah's Witnesses say all the inexplicable suffering in the world -- the Holocaust, children dying of cancer..."

There is no holocaust in the world, sir. What we have are 500-pound bombs, drones, invasions, occupation, apartheid walls, theft and genocide for resources. The holocaust is the only genocide in the world for which people have been held accountable, and damages paid. We can move on to the genocide in Palestine, now.

Please protect your children, don't allow your girls to be alone with Jehovah's Witnesses church members. I was a member for many years and let my child go to a brothers house who was known for touching children!

I was not told about this and this man was not turned over to the police, when I ask the elders about this they told me it was not to be talked about and he was forgiven, would not go in to any detail. I will never know what happen to my child, and I left the kingdom hall for good.

In addition, the JW's evidence rules require two witnesses to testify to a wrongdoing before the committees of elders.
This presents a small problem in child molestation cases. By their very nature, there usually isn't a third or fourth individual around when that is perpetrated.
In fact, there have been many cases of the accuser (victim) in a case of child molestation being disciplined by the JW elders for defaming the accused!!

Several courts have properly recognized the impropriety of this and held the JW organization liable for civil damages.
If this has happened to one of your JW relatives or friends, be their support system. AND, find an attorney and go for the assets.

Posted by morphex: "If gays in paradise can't marry and the unmarried can't have sex in paradise, why do they call it paradise?"

Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with another man as one lies with a woman, both of them MUST be put to death." I doubt God wants to hang out with gays. One has to wonder why he made them.

IF EVERYONE READ THE BIBLE, THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTIANS.

evilbible.com

These discussions are so comical. Its all the afterlife nerds fighting over whose mythology-based belief system will win out for the remains of Michael Jackson. All you have to do is waste some time reading through the chain to see how foolish and arbitrary the assorted rules are in the light of day, and how similar yet different they are when laid out against the competing fantasy worlds offered up to the populace. So will no one be going to heaven, or will it be 144,000, or will be everyone who says the right words at the end, and will it include or exclude the radically different believers, and etc. Believe me, Odin will welcome all of you to Valhalla if you are stout of heart and willing to battle the evil ones from (fill in the blank). Of course, you can/cant eat pork; can/cant marry your brother/sister; and can/cant play golf all eternity long. Keep writing and let the productive part of society continue on its merry way.

Seriously?? Did I seriously just read this crap in the Washington Post? I should have just picked up the National Enquirer. I am offended by your idiocy.

glh032003 wrote: "Muslims get their 72 virgins...There's only one way to get to God - through Christ"

1) Bible: Numbers, 31:3:
Moses said to his invading warriors: "Kill all the men and all the boys. Kill all the women who have ever had sex. But keep the young virgins for your pleasure."

2) There were MANY, MANY people before Jesus who were alledgely sons of God, were God, were born of virgins (pretty silly, really), died and were raised after three days, performed miracles, etc, etc. In fact, the Bible is full of sons of God. Many are begotten, many are not. Here are a few:

Adam, which was the son of God. Luke 3:38

When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men... -- Genesis 6:2-4

Even Satan is a son of God: "The sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them." Job 1:6

By the way, the Bible says the world was created 6,000 years ago, while REAL dinosaur bones from millions of years ago are staring you dead in the eyes at the museum. You should go out and see them.

IF EVERYONE READ THE BIBLE, THERE WOULD BE NO CHRISTIANS.

Here's a good place to start: evilbible.com

I must have missed something. If gays in paradise can't marry and the unmarried can't have sex in paradise, why do they call it paradise. Sounds hellish to me.

glh032003 pontificates:
There's only one way to get to God - through Christ. Anyone can accept his gift of salvation.
_______________________________________
And what does your small and shallow god do with the millions of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others who don't "know" Christ (or those who grow to see Him as the best teacher among the world's other spiritual gurus) ?
Does your god fry the rest of his babies in your Huckabee Hell?
=========================================
Actually, they're thrown into a lake of fire where they will exist forever. Revelation 20.
We are not God's children by default. It requires a decision. John 1:12
We are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23)
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. II Peter 3:9
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Christ's death on the cross would have been useless if He was not perfect. Only God is perfect. Jesus is God, and that's the main point where we lose the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Jon Meacham does his best to thwart the gospel by using this column or this corner of the Post to bring ridicule to everyone who identifies with the Bible and Biblical doctrine. People who have convictions and who attempt to live by them, including sharing the gospel with people that don't know the truth, are slandered at every turn.

Elephant in the room (aside from MJ's "alleged" pedophilia, of course): The entire African-American entertainment community,Jehovah's Witnesses and even the political establishment is rallying around Michael Jackson.

And yet, MJ, perhaps more than any other celebrity/public figure you can name, spent his life essentially trying to deny his race - whitening his skin, straightening his hair, having surgery to create a "Caucasian" nose, having more surgery to remove other African-American facial features, reproducing with a white woman so that his children would be mixed race.

Why is nobody talking about this messed up Jehovah's Witness?

wondering wrote: "I hope that whatever is in store for Michael, it is peaceful and happy."

I can tell you what is in store for Michael: His body will decompose. Maggots, scorpions and other grave dwellers will feast on his eyeballs, fingers, tongue, etc. Soon, he will be all bones. Then, the bones will turn to dust. Those are the facts.

All that talk about heaven and hell is foolishness, and was created to make rich people feel as though they will never go away.

I tend to go along with Robert Heinlein until I find something better: Pantheistic Multi-person Solipsism."

Joseph Smith the founder of the Mormons got golden plates.The Muslims have Muhammad and Allah,the Catholic church has Mother Mary... theses are all their doctrinal creeds.

The Watchtower society came into existence in 1879 to proclaim Jesus second coming in 1914 he was a no show,so they spun this whole fabrication about it being invisible.

This is their creed in a nutshell and it makes them as fairy tale as the others.

glh032003 pontificates:
There's only one way to get to God - through Christ. Anyone can accept his gift of salvation.
_______________________________________

And what does your small and shallow god do with the millions of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others who don't "know" Christ (or those who grow to see Him as the best teacher among the world's other spiritual gurus) ?

Does your god fry the rest of his babies in your Huckabee Hell?

At least. for all their many failings the Catholics can claim to be reponsible for the creation of some of the most beautiful art, music, literature and architecture ever produced. The Episcopalians(Anglicans)have also contributed.

Sadly, it doesn't really matter what Jackson believed. All religions believe there is only one God - and there is. It doesn't matter what we believe in - where you end up depends on your relationship with God. So many people seem to think that your destination after death depends on your religion - that Jehovah's Witnesses get their paradise, that Muslims get their 72 virgins, and that Mormon's get to rule over their own planet. It doesn't work that way. There's only one way to get to God - through Christ. Anyone can accept his gift of salvation. If Michael Jackson ever did that, then he is in heaven. Period.

For anyone who would like more info on what exactly Jehovah's Witnesses believe, try it directly from the source, go to:

www.watchtower.org

Google *Jehovah Witness Watchtower * scroll down 30-40 results.

Google don't lie will open your eye

As a freethinker I see no reason to believe any of the highly unlikely superstitions that religious folk have been taught to believe.

There is not a scrap of evidence to support any of the ideas about a Sky God; and common sense tells us that all living things die. Heaven is clearly an ancient idea created to console and comfort people who were bothered by the reality of death.

Religion makes it respectable to be in denial of death. It's the get-out-of-death card. Give yourself to God and live forever. All you gotta do is believe.

Even the 9/11 terrorists didn't expect to die after exploding themselves into the WTC.
They expected a speedy passage to Paradise, where dozens of hot celestial virgins awaited them.

What gullible fools these college educated young men were, to fall for such a blatant scam. We know they're just dead, and not cavorting anywhere. Just dead, like we all will be one day. Religion made suckers of these guys, and turned them into deranged murderers. They believed everything they were told. No matter how unlikely.

Pity they hadn't been a bit skeptical about the 'religious truth' they'd been fed all their lives. Pity they hadn't wondered whether maybe it was no truth at all. Maybe they'd still be alive if they hadn't passively accepted the supernatural hocus pocus that is part of religious culture. And maybe the WTC would still be standing and those three thousand unfortunates would still be alive.

The bible states that no man has ascended to heaven or is in a 'hell' that most perceive as a ever-burning place where you're stuck with a pitchfork or being turned on a spit...hell is translated from sheol(Hebrew) or hades (Greek) most of the time, these translations refer to a hole in the ground, or grave. (An additional translation is gahenna (Greek), which is a consuming fire, reserved judgement for the lake of fire after the 3rd resurrection. So, heaven and hell are just that, baseless traditions of men for millenia- regarding where people go upon death. The new testament is clear that all are in their graves, sleeping, until the final trumpet at Chirst's return. The heaven and hell issues are all intertwined with the other error that is perceived as 'truth' (christmas, easter, etc). Jesus himself stated that the meek will inherit the earth. But, we thought we go to heaven? Again, found nowhere in scripture. On the contrary, the Kingdom of God will be set up on earth (..meek will inherit the earth, remember)...as we read through the gospels and find it there as well as in the book of Revelation.

As clear as anything can be. And clearly supports why Rev 12:9 was inspired to be written. The adversary has certainly caused alot of deception on earth. One day, soon, that will all be cleared up.

Best regards

Sounds like a strange religion, but no stranger than Catholicism or Mormonism.

I feel sorry for people who are gullible enough to believe this garbage.

I greatly enjoyed reading this article, as I'd never really understood Jehovah's Witnesses before. Thanks for a fascinating take on the religion and a peek into part of Jackson's life I'd never considered.

Joel, thank you for an informative and non-biased explanation of JW's beliefs. A constructive dialogue about what others believe is so much better than spewing hateful words towards other people. It would also not be following Christ's example of loving our neighbor, much less praying for our enemies.

I am a JW and agree with the previous post by cbmuzik. The Bible states that Jehovah God is a kind, loving God, and only he knows who is in his memory for resurrection in the future. While Jesus was on earth, he stated he reflected his Father's qualities to perfection, so we can be thankful that our eternal future lies in the hands of such a loving and just Father.

Jehovah Witnesses may have a different opinion about heaven and hell but their intolerance is very similar to other right-wing Huckabees.

Jackson outgrew their small and shallow god of judgment and condemnation for those different, and was of the true Spirit that is us all.

Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs:

A) They are at your door to recruit you for enslavement to their watchtower corporation,they will say that "we are just here to share a message from the Bible" this is deception right off.

B) Their 'message' is a false Gospel that Jesus had his second coming in 1914.The problem with this is it's not just a cute fairy tale,Jesus warned of the false prophets who would claim "..look he is here in the wilderness,or see here he is at the temple..."

C) Their anti-blood transfusion ban has killed hundreds if not thousands

D) once they recruit you they will "love bomb" you in cult fashion to also recruit your family & friends or cut them off.

There are many more dangers,Jehovah's Witnesses got a bad rap for good and valid reasons.
99% of the world has rejected the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah’s Witnesses, the darker truth is they are a destructive and oppressive organization.

Danny Haszard Jehovah's Witness X 33 years

Again, the WP allows this kind of trash, tabloid "journalism?," "opinion?" to be printed. But then, they do get a lot of people actually taking things like this seriously. HIlarious and so pathetic.
Jon and Sally really do not have any self-respect I guess.

It seems there should be a special place for men who prey on little children.

I was born 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness 1957,and am the same age (51) as Michael Jackson,I remember the Jackson 5 debut in 1969 they were BIG. MJ was baptized a Jehovah's Witness and then disfellowshipped to be shunned (just like me).

A lot of my dysfunctional life is directly related to my apocalyptic Watchtower sect upbringing indoctrination and I wonder about same with Michael Jackson? There are a million EXJW kids out there. Best regards,Danny Haszard

In my view, the Christian religion is a bundle of pagan religious stories clumped together with the Jewish faith. So the commentors arguing over which is the true Christian religion sound foolish to me.

The Buddhist would probably not be happy coming back as a tree, and many would say that is not possible. Most Buddist wish to incarnate into a higher spritual being until they reach enlightment and escape the cycle of rebirths.

Joel there you go again shilling for the JW.You are a Gay activist, (I am married straight my wife and I have many gay & Lesbian friends.)
You also know that MJ is an EXJW disfellowshipped/disassociated/excommunicated.
Jehovah's Witnesses Homosexual Hypocrisy

Jehovah's Witnesses PBS Knocking Promotion
Watchtower has NO tolerance how dare they promote themselves with such hypocrisy.They are using a member who turned Homosexual to endorse their family breakup shunning dogma, when the facts are the Watchtower disfellowships (kicks out) thousands of gays and lesbians.


The Watchtower is fundamentalist and condemns Homosexuality so this is shocking hypocrisy to use Joel a Gay EXJW to promote them approvingly.

Anything for a buck?

I was once asked by a friend who was telling me about how Mormans were cults and this person asked me what religions I though were cults and I said know this person was an evangelican that evangelican's were a cult. They did not like that so I posed this question to the person what makes you say Mormans are cults by the way this person said Jehovah's Witness's were cults too. This person said that is what they were told by someone. So I said well that is what I was told by someone.

The problem with religion is they think they are the only correct ones. Some will kill look at the Inquistions, the Crusades, and even the Muslims they kill for their god. Lower case if you noticed. Meaning not the real God.

Of course I do know this I know that we are born with all the things we need to love and care about each other too bad we don't listen to ourselves and we listen to others. Maybe that truly is what a cult is.

Bye the way I was only using the cult as an example to this person to prove a point maybe they listened maybe not it doesn't matter you can't save anyone but yourself no matter how hard you try.

To be a Christian one must believe that Jesus Christ is GOD. There are many groups that are loosely called Christian: Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Unitarians, and a few others who would not agree that Jesus is GOD, or as phrased in scripture by the first Christians - Jesus is Lord.

Lord was the word used by Jews to refer to GOD. Adonai was said instead of Yahweh because the name Yahweh was too Holy to be said. Many of the early Christians were Jews.

So these denominations are not Christian, even though they are monotheists and believe in the Hebrew GOD of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

It is also clear that GOD has not bound His Sovereignty over mankind to confirm to each person's beliefs.

GOD is GOD. We are creatures made by GOD.

In other words it doesn't matter if you believe in hell or heaven. GOD will decide your final destination regardless of your belief.

A previous post stated that "Christians are those that still adhere to the historic creeds/confessions of the early Church, no if's, and's, or but's." This is a position that I have always found curious. Since most Protestants believe that all truth necessary for salvation is found in the Bible, it roots their faith in creeds established by men several hundred years after Jesus, his apostles, and the Bible. While some would assert that these creeds simply concisely state what the Bible says, many Bible-believing Christians and many scholars seriously question that assertion.

I am not a JW, and I'm no longer a Christian. That said, I find it interesting that the comment by cbmuzik, a JW, is much more full of love, kindness, and understanding, than remarks like those of wmaclean, a (to him/her) "true" Christian, whose message is one centered around sin, lust, "thou shalt nots", "my way or the highway" and know-it-all dominance.

Michael Jackson died? Was it in the news?

It is fascinating, the idea of choice. It seems that JW's believe God gave man the freedom to choose, and the capability of rational thought, that must be a very trusting God. And the belief that they get the choice after the end, paradise, or eternal rest. Adds new meaning to "laying down your burden."

Hey smart guy, Michael converted to Islam a few years ago. He was a Muslim.

"Thanks for your explanation of Jehovah's Witness. I was raised Episcopalian and am now Buddhist. It is fascinating to understand the experience others have with their beliefs. I hope that whatever is in store for Michael, it is peaceful and happy."

Well written and I second your intentions.

"which has helped them to squander widows' wallets for way too long." -dantefigueroa

When was the last time you went to church and they did not pass around the offering plate?

"Jehovah's Witnesses are Christian for sure."

No, they are not Christians.
They follow a heretic amalgam of distorted notions of Christianity, which has helped them to squander widows' wallets for way too long.

As an Evangelical and not a J.W there is a Heaven and Hell, Man's will is dominated by his sin nature, hell is prepared for the devil and his angels, there is no such thing as soul sleep, God did not turn the world over to the devil to prove a point, unless one repents and places his faith solely in Jesus Christ as his or her savior and Lord, that person will perish. Mankind will choose to go to hell than heaven not because of free will but of sinful, lustful, demonic influences that only the Holy Spirit residing inside a person can overcome and the cooperation of that individual in his or her mind,sould and spirit. While the writer claims that Jehovah Witnesses are Christian they are not from purely an Evangelical perspective. They are considered a cult much like Mormanism or Christian Science. A cult is a derivation from the norm of genuine faith in Christ espousing its erroneous distinctives. When people ask me what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, I like to say it's similar to the song "Imagine" by John Lennon: "No hell below us...no countries...nothing to kill or die for and no religion too...a brotherhood of man...and the world will live as one." While this sounds nice, warm and fuzzy it offers nothing substantive and goes against the Biblical teaching of the Lamb of God upon His throne the Lord Jesus Christ. True brotherhood and unity can be found only in repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

JW's (despite their great and admirable piety as a group) are a christian 'cult', since they don't adhere to Christian orthodoxy such as the deity of Christ, just for starters. If you deny Christ's deity, you simply fall outside the pale of orthodoxy...same goes for Mormons...and countless 'liberal/ progressive' Christians inhabiting mainstream Protestant churh pews. "Christians" are those that still adhere to the historic creeds/confessions of the early Church, no if's, and's, or but's. "True Christians" are those who ADORN those confessions with Spirit-wrought fruit befitting a person who names Christ as Lord, God, and King.

As an Evangelical and not a J.W there is a Heaven and Hell, man's will is dominated by his sin nature, hell is prepared for the devil and his angels, there is no such thing as soul sleep, God did not turn the world over to the devil to prove a point, unless one repents and places his faith solely in Jesus Christ as his or her savior and Lord, that person will perish. Mankind will choose to go to hell than heaven not because of free will but of sinful, lustful, demonic influences that only the Holy Spirit residing inside a person can overcome and the cooperation of that individual in his or her mind,sould and spirit. While the writer claims that Jehovah Witnesses are Christian they are not from purely an Evangelical perspective. They are considered a cult much like Mormanism or Christian Science. A cult is a derivation from the norm of genuine faith in Christ espousing its erroneous distinctives. When people ask me what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, I like to say it's similar to the song "Imagine" by John Lennon: "No hell below us...no countries...nothing to kill or die for and no religion too...a brotherhood of man...and the world will live as one." While this sounds nice, warm and fuzzy it offers nothing substantive and goes against the Biblical teaching of the Lamb of God upon His throne the Lord Jesus Christ. True brotherhood and unity can be found only in repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Me being one of Jehovah's Witnesses can speak on what may happen to Michael. Jehovah is not a harsh God by any means whatsoever. The Bible says His love is his most dominant quality.

With that in mind, NO ONE knows exactly what MJ went through in his life that made him turn out the way he did. Something about Mike wasn't right mentally and Jehovah will take that into consideration.

There was a period of time when Mike tried his best to serve Jehovah despite being a megastar. He went to meetings and engaged in the field ministry which is exactly what Jesus and Paul encouraged true Christians to do.

As Mike got older, it's no telling WHAT made him do some of the things he did. But rest assured, only Jehovah can judge man for what he does or does not do.

And in harmony with that thought, Mike may be granted a resurrection and get a spiritual "do-over" so to say.

All of us as Witnesses care about all of our brothers and sisters very much, no matter where they may be in this world. We do believe that many will come back to life as the Bible mentions. Mike may be one of them to have this privilege bestowed upon him, and that's his mother's wish.

And then, he can live the peaceful life he always wanted and sang about. The truth of God's word and promises therein never really left Michael. But only Jehovah knows for sure.

Thanks for your explanation of Jehovah's Witness. I was raised Episcopalian and am now Buddhist. It is fascinating to understand the experience others have with their beliefs. I hope that whatever is in store for Michael, it is peaceful and happy.

Michael was raised a Jehovah's Witness but learned as an adult that God is the one to follow as religions have been tainted. God have Michael as a gift that brought through music all races together. Many as we see have followed Satan and his hate. But check out God's success with the Billions all over the World mourning Michael Jackson. Michael has gone home and is now in peace. Yes many will still use his name and feed off him as they did in his life. Elvis was loved by the US as the King, Michael Jackson was loved by the World as the King and those facts don't change. I saw him at the Apollo in 1968 and again in the late 80's so I have watched this man who did nothing be give to people, live and love us all.