Sons of Jehovah's Witnesses return from Iraq without welcome
Two brothers, Jason and Johel Woodliff, came back from Iraq with their comrades in a Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members, greeted by a mile-long parade attended by thousands of strangers. But not by their family.
The brothers, their parents and J.R. Brown, director of public information for the Watchtower Bible Tract Society, all speak out about Jehovah’s Witnesses and military service.Two brothers, Jason and Johel Woodliff, came back from Iraq with their comrades in a Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members, greeted by a mile-long parade attended by thousands of strangers.
But not by their family.
Thomas and Mia Woodliff, who are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, were so upset by their sons’ decisions to join the Marine Reserves that they did not meet them at the airport upon their return last month.
“I begged my mother to come, but I knew she wouldn’t,” Johel said. “Several families know our situation and have taken us under their wing. My mom knows I’ll always have love for her. I believe love is unconditional.”
His brother is less forgiving.
“What’s the most important thing in the Bible? Love and family,” Jason asked. “It’s not like I blasphemed God or worshipped the devil. It’s just ridiculous to me.”
In a written statement, Thomas and Mia Woodliff respond:
“We love our sons and are saddened that they have expressed public disappointment regarding what should be a private, family matter, that is, our choice not to attend the recent homecoming party for the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. As you know, we are Jehovah’s Witnesses and are neutral as to the political and military affairs of the world. We base our beliefs on Scriptures such as John 17:14, 16, Matthew 5:43, 44 and Matthew 26:52 among others. This means we are neither for nor against the political involvements of the 200-plus nations that we can be found in. This does not mean that we do not love the land in which we live, or that we disrespect the government or those in authority. We recognize that each nations ruling authority has the right to enact and enforce laws, make foreign policy and to purse its own sovereign interests. We simply choose not to participate.
However, we are generally known as exemplary taxpayers and citizens and we try to follow the laws of the land to the extent that our Bible-trained conscience will individually permit. Which leads us to the main point of our statement. Our two sons were taught to be peace-loving followers of Jesus Christ. Instead, they have chosen a different path. We respect their right to chose whatever lifestyle they wish. And we hope one day for reconciliation so that we can be a united family again. We have many fond memories of the abundant good times we shared together. In the meantime, please be assured that the current difference in point of view, and the separation in ties that has occurred as a result, does not mean that we love our children less.”
Graduates of Washington High School in Massillon, the Woodliffs said they had a strict upbringing based on their parents’ faith, and that the real trouble began when they announced their intentions to become Marines.
“When they found out I wanted to join, they were very upset about it,” said Johel, 20, who turned down a college scholarship to join the Marines in 2003. “I let them know that as I grew older, I had done some research on the religion, and that it didn’t abide with my beliefs.”
Jason, 23, claims that when he informed his parents in 2004 that he too intended to join the Marines, he was asked to leave the house.
“I was 18 years old, living by myself in a trailer,” he said. “I haven’t had a conversation with my dad in five years. For him, it’s 100 percent about the religion.”
Though the Bible is filled with accounts of battles and war imagery, J.R. Brown, director of public information for the Watchtower Bible Tract Society, confirmed that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t participate in military service based on their interpretation of Scripture, and that the actions of the Woodliffs’ parents are consistent with the faith.
“As Christians, we’re neutral with respect to the conflicts that nations have,” he said. “Our neutrality is just in regards to conflicts of men. This doesn’t mean we’re adversaries. We try to (convey) that to the person as best we can, but because they’re usually partisan, they think we’re against them. That’s not the case. We’re truly neutral.”
Brown noted that numerous U.S. court decisions have recognized members’ right to neutrality.
“We’re not be feared,” Brown said, adding that the church is merely adhering to Jesus’ admonition to, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God, the things that are God’s.”
Brown acknowledged that family members who enter the military voluntarily, risk “disassociation.”
“We as an organization or local congregation do not initiate this action,” he explained. “Rather than ‘disfellowship,’ we use ‘disassociation’ as a term. That means the individual made a conscientious decision that he or she would no longer ascribe to the principles that we do. He or she has decided to take a side; the individual has left the position of ‘neutral.’ We look at disassociation as accepting the person’s decision to take a side.”
Given that the faith places a great deal of emphasis on the family, Brown concedes that others might see the policy as contradictory.
“It depends on how you look at your Christian responsibility,” he said. “We look at our responsibility before God as our first and foremost responsibility. As our creator, he comes first. We feel our position of neutrality is based on our love for him. If a family member does not accept the same decision, we feel they have to bear the consequences. It pains us. We’re human too.”
Brown said members must prioritize their allegiances.
“You have to decide who’s first in your life, is it God more than any human?” he said. “The fact is, we do not even put ourselves and our own interests ahead of God. He’s our creator. Our allegiance is first to him. In making that decision, it does at times create problems within the family. Husbands, wives, parents can be torn; there’s love there. But the apostle said we must obey God as ruler rather than man.”
The Woodliff brothers say they consider themselves nondenominational but still fervently believe in God. Johel Woodliff carries a camouflage Bible and wears a medallion of St. Michael, the warrior angel, on a chain with his dog tags.
“There are Scriptures written all over Iraq,” Johel said. “My favorite is John 15:13.”
“War shouldn’t be necessary, but war has existed since the beginning of man,” he said. “The Bible speaks of war constantly. King David was one of the greatest warriors. It shouldn’t be a necessity, but it’s a reality.”
Based on Associated Press and cantonrep.com articles
HOW COULD I BE ASHAMED OF WANTING TO KNOW THE TRUE GOD I’M CURRENTLY CHANGING MY LIFE STYLE AND STUDING. THE ONLY FEAR I HAVE IS THE FEAR OF GOD . NO OFFENSE
It is very nice that you are not using wee, cocaine, porn…etc……but man, are you ever full of crap! Do you really believe that by calling God using his name “Jehovah” you stopped using all the bad stuff????
Here is a good recipe for all human kind to stop using cigarettes, drugs, porno etc…… Just call the name of Jehovah and that will be it. Who knows this might just be a cure for all mankind’s ailments!?
Yep, you will fit in as a witness. You certainly are very gullible.
the jehovah witness are. even if they want to behead me. for what i seen jehovah god did for me. i would be treacheous to not believe in the FATHER of jesus JEHOVAH GOD…….. ALSO STUDYING AND LEAVING MY BAD HABITS (PORN,WEED, COCAINE, ECT…). BEEN CLEAN SO FAR FOR A MONTH AND I WAS THE TYPE OF PERSON DOING ALL TYPE OF BAD STUFF AND STOPED JUST LIKE THAT , I HAD PRAY TO HIM USING HIS NAME ASKING HIM TO GIVE ME A NEW HEART AND A NEW SOUL AND TO TAKE THAT TASTE OFF MY MOUTH. WITHOUT HELP OF NO HUMAN ON EARTH I T’ILL THIS DAY DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. ONE DAY IF JEHOVAH GOD WANTS I’LL BE HIS WITNESS
To: coyate, the one who is embarrassed to be a witness, ——-You say you are not, but you must be a JW. Usually Jw’s cannot spell or write more than sentence. You certainly fit in the category!
u r so wrong sarcasm intented
To: coyate non jw——–
Which of the many thousands of Christian groups is authentically Christian?
This question is based on the misconception that there must be one group of true Christians separated from all other false groups. Is this what the Bible says?
The answer is given by Jesus himself in his parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43). As this parable shows, Jesus Christ sowed the “fine seed”–the sons of the kingdom (verse 38). He knew, however, that “the enemy” (the devil) would oversow “weeds”–the sons of the wicked one–in among the “wheat” in the “field”, (= the world, verse 38). But He would not allow his servants to collect the weeds, because “while collecting the weeds, you uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” (Verses 29, 30)
So what does this parable tell us about which group is the “one authentically Christian group”? It shows that there would be no such thing as one group of true Christians separated from all other groups of false Christians. There would only be true and false individual Christians. True and false Christians would all exist together in the same world of Christians, mixed like wheat and weeds in the same field.
Notice that it was at the “harvest” (= at the “conclusion of a system of things”, verse 39) that the angels–not Christ’s servants or followers–would remove the “weeds” from “the kingdom” (= the world of Christians) and gather “the wheat” into Christ’s “storehouse.” (Verses 40-43, 30)
For over seventy years the Watch Tower Society has taught that since 1919 the Jehovah’s Witnesses, under the supervision of angels, by their witnessing work have been separating the “wheat” from the “weeds”, or the “sheep” from the “goats”, to use the language of another, related parable. (Matt. 25:31-46) But in 1995, in the Watchtower of October 15, 1995, pages 22 and 23, the Society finally admitted that this application was wrong, explaining that the separating of the “sheep” from the “goats” will not take place until the judgement at Christ’s future coming! Actually, this is how most Christians have understood these parables throughout the centuries. (Cf. Jonsson/Herbst, The Sign of the Last Days – When?, Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1987, p. 228, note 35.)
This doctrinal change is yet another illustration of how transient the so-called “truth” of the Watch Tower Society often is! Few Jehovah’s Witnesses seem to have grasped the far-reaching consequences of this reinterpretation. If Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been “separating the sheep from the goats” during the past seventy years, their witnessing
activity has not been as crucial for mankind as they have taught to believe. Like other Christian groups, they have been attracting “all kinds” of people to their organization, both righteous and wicked. (Cf. the parable of the dragnet, Matt. 13:47-51.)
Not only has the Watchtower organization been collecting all kinds of people into its organization, both righteous and wiched. It has also been ousting out all kinds of people, both righteous and wicked, contrary to the warning of the Master in the parable (verse 29). It has done this, not just by disfellowshiping people for reasons that often have been very arbitrary, but also by rejecting all the other Christians outside of their organization and claiming to be the only true Christian group on earth. In this way they have ignored the command of the Master: “Let both grow together until the harvest.” For this reason alone the Watchtower organization cannot claim to be the one true and authentically Christian
group on earth today. THERE IS NO SUCH GROUP.
To “prove” that the Watchtower organization is the only true Christian organization on earth today, it claims that, “Of all those who claim to be Christian, only Jehovah’s Witnesses take the preaching of the good news seriously.” (The Watchtower, January 1, 1988, page 20) This statement primarily refers to their door-to-door activity. But does the use of this specific preaching method prove that this is the only true Christian organization, while other groups who use other methods to reach people with their message are not Christians?
The fact is that quite a number of Christian groups are growing in number, many of them even much faster than Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Watchtower publications have given its readers the impression that other Christian denominations and sects are declining in numbers, that the “waters” of “Babylon the Great” is “drying up.” (Rev. 16:12 and 17:15) But this
impression is false. Although it is true that the majority of the Christian denominations have been declining in the Western countries (and this also holds true of Jehovah’s Witnesses today in many Western countries), there has been a tremendous increase of Christians in the world as a whole in this century.
This increase has mainly occured in the third world. As explained by David D. Barrett, editor of the World Christian Encyclopedia (1982), Christianity has become the most extensive and universal religion on earth in this century. About 25,000 Christian missionaries are being sent out to various countries every year. (Only 0.4 percent of these are Jehovah’s Witnesses!) The above-mentioned encyclopedia shows that at the beginning of our century there were only 50,000 Protestants in Latin America. In 1980 there were 20 million, and that number was estimated to grow to 100 million by the year 2000. In Africa there were about 10 million Christians in 1900. In 1980’s the number had increased to over 200 million–40 percent of the population of the continent! There have been similar increases in many parts of Asia. In South Korea, for example, there were hardly any Christians at all hundred years ago. Today about 35 percent of its population are Christians.
One of the fastest growing Christian groups is the Pentecostal movement (Assemblies of God). In about the same period as the Witnesses have increased from 0 to 5 millions, the Pentecostals have grown from 0 to 420 millions! This increase has occurred in all parts of the world, also in many parts of the Western world. Of the nearly six billion people on earth
today, about one third are Christians.
Of course, as is quite obvious to every observer, not all these people can be true Christians. In fulfillment of Jesus’ parable, there is much weeds among the wheat. Jehovah’s Witnesses are no exception to this.
Practically all this increase has been accomplished, not through the door-to-door method used by Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, and some other groups, but through other methods. But is it the preaching method that makes a certain group Christian? The fact is that there is no evidence whatsoever – Biblical or otherwise–to show that the first Christians were involved in some sort of door-to-door activity. That even the members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses are more or less aware of this is demonstrated by Raymond Franz, a former Governing Body member, in his
well-documented work, In Search of Christian Freedom (Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1991), pages 207-236.
Another argument used by the Watchtower organization to “prove” that it is the only true Christian organization is that Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to kill people in war. This is commendable, of course. But their standpoint is in no way unique, and this is particularly true since 1996, when the Watchtower organization decided that alternative service is acceptable.
(The Watchtower, May 1, 1996.) A number of sects and denominations are opposed to war, for example, the SDA Church, the Mennonites, the Quakers, the Christadelphians, and various Church of God groups. But more importantly, there are millions of INDIVIDUAL Christians around the world who are opposed to war and who would refuse to kill other people in war. They have taken this position, not because they have been told so by a religous authority, but because of their own decision.
Another feature often pointed to in the Watchtower publications is that Jehovah’s Witnesses have been persecuted and sometimes even been killed in some countries. This is true, of course. Perhaps the most extensive persecution of the Witnesses in the 20th century was that of the Nazi regime in Germany a generation ago, when 2,000 Witnesses were sent to concentration camps, 203 of which were executed and over 600 others died in prison due to diseases, undernourishment, and other causes. (The 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 212.)
But Jehovah’s Witnesses are not the only group that has been persecuted in this century. Totalitarian countries have often persecuted various groups of Christians. In the former Sovjet Union most and sometimes all Christian groups were forbidden and persecuted, and periodically thousands of Christians were killed in campaigns aimed at rooting out religion. On January 27, 1996, Vladimir Naumov, chief of the Russian commission for the restoration of victims of political oppression, revealed that half a million priests had been persecuted by the Sovjet State, over 200,000 of which were killed during the Stalin epoch! That is thousand times the number of Witnesses that were executed during the Nazi regim!
Not only totalitarian Communist countries, but also totalitarian Muslim countries have persecuted Christians and forbidden their activity. Where the activity of the Witnesses is forbidden or restricted by totalitarian governments, the activity of other Christian groups are usually also forbidden or restricted, although we don’t read much about this in the Watchtower publications. In fact, more Christians have died for their faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined! This fact is documented in the book, In the Lion’s Den (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997), written by Nina Shea, director of the Puebla Program division of Freedom House. The persecution of Jehovah’s
Witnesses in the 20th century, therefore, is far from unique or exceptional. Today, cases of persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses are rare and exceptional, as was actually admitted in The Watchtower of December 1, 1998, page 8.
So who and where, then, are the true Christians today? Obviously the same as in every century from the time of Christ, namely, people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord, Redeemer, and Teacher, and who may be found in any kind of Christian fellowship that proves to be of help in their endevour to lead a Christian life
Now coyate non jw, which one do you think are the true christians??? Apparently not the JW’s
ur right he should get a life cause he wont hve one soon
ur funny i like u
right continue to serve jah and stop coming on those aposte site ok if u have nothing else to do read the word of jehovah god the bible. peace be humble about it not like rado vleugl or whatever his name is
quote:proverbs 5 v 22-23: his own errors will catch the wicked one, and in the ropes of his own sin he will be taken hold of. he will be the one to die because there is no discipline, and because in the abundance of his foolishness he goes astray..
proverbs 2 v 21-22:for the upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. AS REGARDS THE WICKED, THEY WILL CUT OFF THE VERY EARTH, AND AS FOR THE TREACHEROUS(APOSTE/RADO) , THEY WILL BE TORN AWAY FROM IT.
jehovah’s witnesses are the only true christians and this is how you know… matthew 24 v9; “then people will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you {hitler tortured and executed thousands of christian jehovah witness because they did not salute hitler and what he stood for} and you will be objects of hatred by all the nations on account of my name.”
LOL
Oops, no comment, sorry.
No
would u shut up .im not a j w but agree with them
Thank you Tony. I have learned so much from many of the contributions here. The unhappiness and misery that so many of the people who come to this website have just overwhelms me. It is my desire to help anyone I can to see beyond what they are being exposed to in the Watchtower teachings.
Jones,
we not agree with everything (God/Bible), but I enjoy reading your postings, the biblical input and like your respectful manner. Thanks for that, Tony
Maybe I should clarify my comments. I am referring to anyone who uses this forum to spew verbal garbage that is meant to offend or hurt another person. This website was not intended for that purpose. It is well constructed, full of information and free to anyone wishing to use it. To abuse it is of no benefit to anyone. I am not a JW but have found it important to learn as much about this religion as I can. This need or desire was prompted by an employee who informed me that she was studying with the JW. We turned my workroom into a bible study for an hour each morning after her study the night before. She gave me the bible, Knowledge That Leads to Evelasting Life, and Reasoning From The Scriptures. From that I started to scan the internet. I found this website. Being a student of the bible, I dug in. It has helped me greatly to have an untainted knowledge of God’s word before I started my study. I love this website. I beg all of you not to abuse it. If you enjoy using it, make a contribution to this work. I thank you for your time in reading my post. May your day be a blessed one and I hope that you will help someone around you feel good.
Thank you for that Rado, I found those postings sad and disturbing.
I thought I remember that there was an insulting post to Jones and that is what I was referring to in my reply. Thanx for the clarification. The Anti-spam-word is working great. Great website! Tony
Hi Tony,
I removed some post of an anonymous poster who was spamming this board with filty language.
Rado
Sorry James, I don’t get it. Jones is not referring to the “Anonymous” poster, OK I got that. But who is they? And I hope I am not the one without brains!? I guess you are referring to Anonymous, are you? Greetings Tony
This moron sure is getting boring. Don’t forget your helmet when you get back on the short bus tomorrow retard!
I think you’ll find Tony that Jones is not referring to your religion, they are making a comment on the article. Apparently the “Anonymous Asshole” is still posting intelligent comments. Why don’t you go ask your mother what to type, obviously you don’t have a brain of your own.
Anonymous,
Why don’t you apply to appear on the Jerry Springer show, you make the trailor trash on that show appear like they are reasonable people.
Do me a favour, go and have a game of Russian roulette, but before you start load all six.
Hi Jones, thanks for your comment, you’re right. Maybe it’s just best to ignore these posts, because they come from individuals longing for attention not help as it seems. We can’t help them. Tony
Elegance, grace, or dignity in behavior is one of the definitions of CLASS. Some people have it and some don’t. When we see the lack of it maybe the best way to deal with it is to ignore it. For some reason those who don’t have it are fueled by those of us who make an effort to ammend that behavior. Some people are hopeless and never rise to the level of civility or dignity because they make the choice not to do so.
Hey anonymous,
I think that people are entitled to their own truth. Grow up and get on some really good anti depressants. seems like you need some help. That is my suggestion to you.
I hope for your own sake you find something to be happy about. I however refuse to get into any kind of further argument with someone of such little intellegence or years to back up there crazy ass remarks.
Colette
Rado,
Is there anyway we can block this particular anonymous. He obviously just doesn’t understand a thing about life or how to be a decent human being.
Colette
yeah they also changed the rule about smoking tabacco. and look now they are saying that tabacco use produses lung cancer.
you go girl serve jehovah. there is no other way of life. like you said jw’s are not part of this world and they will never be.
Trinity,
you smoke alotta “manna”, right?
Being neutral about govt action is one thing. Praising God and being grateful and happy that your children are safe and home is another thing altogether. That ’statement’ released by the parents is clearly a WT written letter. That they are willing to reject their sons for serving their country is not showing their neutrality. It is showing hostility to the govt, the military and their country. Neutrality and hostility are NOT the same thing. And I have never met a JW yet that doesn’t eagerly scan the news for information about how horrid this system of things is, and who does not have an opinion about what is happening in the war or govt in general.
The parents do not deserve to have such wonderful sons-but when they are old and the locals in the KH no longer have use for them, I am sure they will have no problems asking their sons for assistance as they will be ill prepared to face old age since they are expecting armageddon at any moment.
To Sylvia comment 11429———Sylvia it is claimed that all scripture is inspired and beneficial for teaching for reproving for setting things straight for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of god may be completely equipped for every good work. The key word is COMPLETELY EQUIPPED. That being the case why the need for all the crappy propaganda printed by the Watchtower. By the way the scripture in question is 2Timothy 3:16,17 not 1Timothy.
Please take my advice, stay in school and learn how to spell first, than when you are old enough to understand religion make the decision.
if you were to study the Bible any Bible that you get it saiys the same thing God is love and if you have ever actually read the whole thing you wikll understand that Satin is the ruler of this world when he was brought down in 1914 the world was given to him beleave what you whant but the Bible is inspired by God as it says in 1Timothy 3:16,17 and it lets us know how to act. Im only 14 about to be 15 and im going to get babtised and honestly i stand out from other drug adicte kids im true!
i am so sorry i was involved with jw for only 2 years and the quilt was terrible my dad got deathly ikk and i had to quit my job to take care of him i lost my phome and my bible teacher had the nerve to tell me i turned it off because of her its a long story and i was deeply hurt i cant imagine how yall must feel
Now in Caes·a·re´a there was a certain man named Cornelius, an army officer of the Italian band, as it was called, a devout man and one fearing God together with all his household, and he made many gifts of mercy to the people and made supplication to God continually (Acts 10:1 and 2, New World Translation). Hey, Jehovah’s Witnesses, did you forget that this is in your own translation of the Bible?? This is after the new covenant of Christ was formed. No where does it say that Cornelius stepped down from his position to become a Christian, to the contrary it exemplifies his position. Also remember Ecclesiastes 3:8 which states ” a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace”. These scriptures still apply today because Malachi 3:6 states ” “For I am Jehovah; I have not changed”. I wish these two brave soldiers all of the best. As a former JW myself, I know what it is liked to be shunned by people you care about. God bless our soldiers everywhere.
God is not backing any war today, except a spiritual war.
The Iraq war is not back by God.
Only ungodly men support war.
You claim there is no excuse for warfare, why not consult what the bible has to say about it?
Under God’s direction, Moses’ army defeats the Midianites. They kill all the adult males, but take the women and children captive. When Moses learns that they left some live, he angrily says: “Have you saved all the women alive? Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.” So they went back and did as Moses (and presumably God) instructed, killing everyone except for the virgins. In this way they got 32,000 virgins — Wow! [Even God gets some of the booty -- including the virgins. (31:28-29)] 31:1-54 28-29
God is angry. He decides to destroy all humans, beasts, creeping things, fowls, and “all flesh wherein there is breath of life.” He plans to drown them all.
God drowns everything that breathes air. From newborn babies to koala bears — all creatures great and small, the Lord God drowned them all.
God tells Abram to kill some animals for him. The needless slaughter makes God feel better.
God kills everyone (men, women, children, infants, newborns (what crimes have newborns committed against God?????) in Sodom and Gomorrah by raining “fire and brimstone
God orders Abraham to kill Isaac as a burnt offering; God provides a goat to kill instead
After God killed Er, Judah tells Onan to “go in unto they brother’s wife.” But “Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and … when he went in unto his brother’s wife … he spilled it on the ground…. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; wherefore he slew him also.”
God decides to kill Moses because his son had not yet been circumcised
God kills all Egyptian cattle with hail
God explains to Moses that he intends to “smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast
Those who break the Sabbath are to be executed
God delivers the Amorites into Moses’ hands. (You’re in God hands with Moses.) So Moses does the usual thing, killing everyone “until there was none left alive.
Encounters, one after an other just shows the wars, killings done for God. It appears the Jehovah is a God of war, a vicious warlike monster
Is there any difference from the wars of today?? Yes, apparently they do not kill all women, children and animals.
P.S. I deliberately did not put the scriptures down to see you do not make the research yourself.
There is no excuse for getting involved in warfare with the understanding of the scriptures that we have today…………live by the sword, die by the sword……by this you will know my disciples that they have love amongst themselves………major commandments….love god and your neighbour AS YOUSELF.
No excuse whatsoever to get involved in political or warmongering activities if you want the name of True Christian.
hey! try to understand her “massage” and dont go all crazy!
Pardon? Ditch the watchtower and get an English reader
hi faithful
i dont know what to say but i can feel your pain.
well my husband was in the military for manny years and i was a army wife for manny years my self.
and i was a jehovahs witness.
one thing i know jehovahs witness here and there i could not hurt it my husband in a way this 2 soldiers parants hurt it there 2 sons,by not welcoming tham at home.
well this is sometimes all a bit hard to explane faithful.
some jehovahs witnesses are like me have still there head streat and can seperate the religion from there privat life.but we are not lookt on very well by the other fernatic jw,s the only listen to the wts every word they say.so how you see the are good jw and the ones oferdue it with this religion.but like i said before we all know where it comes from.
in general the watchtower dont suport any war or any other org or any other religions and so on and on.
i dont think but im not sure there 2 sons was baptized jehovah,s witnesses so the could of go and see there sons with out getting in trouble with this religion if they are not baptized.
so than it was there parants own choice wehn they was not both baptized jehovahs witnesses not to see both of there sons.i would never do this to my husband jehovahs witness or not.but thanks to christ im out of this religion,and dont have to worry arbout this anymore or the prusser of this religion.
faithful there is so much going on in this religion this is not even funny anymore the best thing is to reaserch tham and see what the all arbout .a good link would be the freemind webside randy water he use to be also a jw.i dont want to paste a link here because i do not know the owner of this webside alowed.
but this whole jw religion is none sence a tuke me a while to find all of this mass out of the wts ,is sad the same time is scary.
but feel free to ask me anything you like faithful wehn i can help i sure will do so.
hugs and kisses to you
yep
You mean forget to leave the CULT.
Please start over in your research of what you know about this war, commencing first with the removal of your head from your rear end!
I am a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and have a son who has been emotionally ravaged by the war in Iraq. When he came home I proudly greeted him and welcomed him back into our family. I think that with all of the emotional distress that returning soldiers face- losing the support of their family is catamount to abuse. I definately do not agree with war of any kind – I do love my children unconditionally yet do not always like their choices. This does not mean that they are not welcome in my home. Please explain to me how this is contradictory with Jehovah’s Witmesses.
Thank You.
ah thank you rel better trying than not trying at all.yes english is easie to speak but the writing is hard.
well im yep i use to be a jw.how arbout you?:)
I know how hard it can be, after all English is my third language.
Keep trying
no english is not my first lang…. you have it right
but im trying to write in english so good i can 
YEP — English is not your first language, is it?
HERE AGAIN I CHAKE MY HEAD ONES MORE.
i know how a jw thinks im not even mad like i said at the smal jw,we all know where this teaching and thinking comes from.
first back in the day old history i know that abraham was in wars too a had all his reasions why.
wehn the soldier of today would not do what the do not even the jw,s could preach or pratice there religion because theres would be not freedom of religion at all.i think we learnt all this from the past history of world war one and two does hitler ring a bell?
you just cant get this in a jw head.it takes time to come free and see the truhs wehn christ is willing to do so to open your eyes,with out christ open your eyes you cant see nothing ,nothing at all is really truh what the scriptures said the blind will guide the blind.i know many former jw,s some of tham was in this religions for ofer 30 and more years anitll christ came and opend there eyes ,we all know how they speak but keep in mind is not coming from the jw tham selfs we all know where it comes from this why all you can do feel sorry for tham and pray for the jw,s this is the best we all can do.to arguee and fight with a jw not going to fix the problem foks.we all know what christ is teaching us not to arguee ,to love and the rest will all come together wehn christ alowed it to do so.i also know all the past teachings and the new teachings of this religion i read it all,yes i was schocked my self and could not beliefe it,but keep in mind a lot of jw,s dont know this the also told not to use the internet ,of cousre we all know the real reasion why the tell tham that.
we also all know how mutch gabage the tell arbout a xjw to keep tham from reading the old publicasions what really was teacht and where it comes from.but it takes time or some of tham never see it or dont want to see it.
yes wehn i read all this stuff what some of the jw,s here place on this board at makes me very sad and it is really sad.but this how a jw talks but like i said is not really tham.wehn i read some of the things here on the board is not a jw and trying to tell a jw some facts i alrady know the replie even with out reading it yet from a jw what it going to be.is allways the same as not going to change is like a production line.
well i think i wrote enough love to you all and be nice to eatchother
Happy? I can honestly say that the times when my mom forced me to go to kingdom hall (from the time I was around 12 to 15) were the worst and most agonizing years of my life. My dad had moved out; and my inactive mom had jumped back into her religion as a solace for her pain about my dad leaving. This resulted in her forcing my younger brother and I against our will to go to the meetings three times a week. My brother and I; not even teenagers; were put into suit and tie; and dragged to the most boring; lifeless meetings I have ever encountered even up to this day. I dreaded every single meeting and would always hope that there would be a reason for me to not attend. My mom would make me say answers to the questions at the watchtower study; which consisted of a twelve year old underlining the answer which was in the watchtower; and struggling to put it into my own words. Yes; its really cute to watch a 12 year old spit out a rehearsed answer about something they do not have the slightest clue about! My mom was super happy and the kindest at the meetings; but as soon as we were out of the kingdom hall parking lot; she could relax and take off her mask. She then unleashed the demons inside her on my brother and I. She would yell at us for no reason; hit us hard w/ objects (such as screwdrivers) and just act like a wicked person in general. It was always like walking on eggshells. Words cannot describe the kind of twofaced lives that my mother and other witnesses were living. Witnesses are truly lost souls; and unfortunately the Watchtower organization preys on weak people who are likely to fall into their vicious brainwashing routine.
you went into war, you attempted murder or , you commited murder i see why you are disobaying your parents, love honer them you didnt, you hate, if you kill these so called ” terrorist” you are a cold blooded murderer and you work for what is now known to be antichrist, or the beast….. i hope you know hell is your only option unless you fix this now!!! i feel so sorry for your parents, soilders are nothing but meat for the beast, killers at the very least who kill for the beast/ there in for a special treat they get meet me / im trinity the last thing you see when your runs complete, good luck guys? . ……………… and they put millions behind prison walls for useing the wonderfule plant marijuanna or as we call it …manna… while the goverment kills millions by makeing and selling kids tobbaco with a poison on it and this plant is pure ….. help with the cause brothers this witness is not blind and needs your support
trinity—–
i HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE PARENTS WILL COME AROUND AND SEE HOW FOOLISH AND SELFISH THAT THEY ARE BEING…. THANK GOD THE BOYS ARE STONG ENOUGH AND OPEN MINDED TO GO THROUGH THE REJECTION.