This is an interview I did on my ex-boyfriend, which was a Jehovah Witness when we were dating but does not consider himself apart of the religion anymore.
What is it like being a Jehovah’s Witness?
The people are very friendly an caring just like a family, and every one seems to be happy for the most part. There were defiantly some things to get used to since I wasn’t born into it. I had to get used to not celebrating holidays mainly.
Where you forced by your parents to partake in the religion or did you choose to on your own behalf?
They were very meticulous about the things you watched the music you listened to and the people you hung out with because of bad association. I wasn’t really forced but I kind of knew I had to do it because I was living in a house with my family and I didn’t want to let them down. As far as believing in the religion I did because I was always surrounded by it growing up, so I believed in it at the time.
So why did you choose to leave it, and where you shunned by the people you know, maybe even by your parents?
I pretty much grew up I feel like I noticed that religion kind of keeps people "stupid" and things didn’t make sense any more.
Can you talk to me a little about the whole blood/ hospital issue and if you knew anyone that was ever put into that situation and what their decision was?
Well the whole blood thing is looked at as unclean an dirty. Taking blood from another person you don’t know nor are related to is unclean. JW's would say no to blood all the time because of the God fearing faith.
Even if it was a life or death situation?
Yea they were strong when it came to saying no to blood. Due to this doctors found healthier ways around blood transfusions, so they would allow those. None of these methods used any actual blood.
That sounds cool.
Yea there were videos we had to watch and stuff.
I remember you telling me you weren't allowed to date. I’m not sure if you were only allowed to date other JW's but I specifically remember you telling me that. What is the issue with dating, and if you can't date how do they go about finding a partner?
Well they only want you to date when your ready to get married and they encourage us to marry other JW’s but that is not always the case, my mother and father serve as a perfect example.
So how are you supposed to go by doing that when you are ready if you haven’t found the person your ready to marry?
It is called courting in the Bible. When your interested in someone and you know they feel the same way and your at that age to date you can definitely go for it.
How about if you have more than dating experience, is that ok? Like searching 4 the one as people would say.
Yea I guess as long as you don’t take it as far as sex than its cool.
Ok and what do they think of homosexuals?
They are looked down on
But they can still believe?
Yea as long as they’re trying to do what is right in Gods eyes and fight that urge of imperfection is ok but fornication is bad.
That is kind of contradicting though.
No type of fornication can happen and they are not allowed marry, so having sex when your not married is fornication.
Fornication consists of a man and a woman so they basically cant have sex ever due to not being able to get married
Yea
Well thank you for putting up with my questions. I have one final question.
Go for it.
What do you think of JW’s now that you aren't apart of the religion?
Since I am looking from the out side in with a different pair of eyes I see them as the same as other religions, just a bit different and a little more organized.
Thank you again
Your welcome
Friday, October 24, 2008
What do JW's believe in?
Jehovah's Witness believers are people just like everyone else, but their beliefs form a huge part of their life style. The reasons they go around neighborhoods knocking on peoples doors is manly due to then wanting to spread their word about their beliefs, their organization, and their opinion about people and the world in which all of us live. www.watchtower.org
The 66 books of the Bible surround Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs, and to them signifies the word of God. In the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses I found what their name was derived from, it states, “It is a descriptive name, indicating that they bear witness concerning Jehovah, his Godship, and his purposes. "God," "Lord," and "Creator"—like "President," "King," and "General"—are titles and may be applied to several different personages. But "Jehovah" is a personal name and refers to the almighty God and Creator of the universe”. www.watchtower.org
I also found a list of what their beliefs are on the website and the ones that I found most interesting are listed below:
Christ set example that must be followed in serving God.
Taking blood into body through mouth or veins violates God's laws.
Obey human laws that do not conflict with God's laws.
Satan is invisible ruler of world.
Images should not be used in worship.
Bible is God's Word and is truth.
Christ died on a stake, not a cross.
Christ's presence is in spirit.
Only a little flock of 144,000 go to heaven and rule with Christ.
Prayers are to be directed only to Jehovah through Christ. www.watchtower.org
Being a Catholic the belief about not using images while worshiping would be completely irrelevant to my religion because we have the cross right in the middle of the alter. As well as statue’s of different followers of Jesus. It bothers me that they believe Christ was burnt to death on a stake. You would have thought it was enough for him to die for the people that would then invade the earth, but they also believe that ontop of everything else.
Works Cited
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 2000 Who Are They? What Do They Believe? Electronic document, http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_01.htm, accessed October 24, 2008.
The 66 books of the Bible surround Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs, and to them signifies the word of God. In the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses I found what their name was derived from, it states, “It is a descriptive name, indicating that they bear witness concerning Jehovah, his Godship, and his purposes. "God," "Lord," and "Creator"—like "President," "King," and "General"—are titles and may be applied to several different personages. But "Jehovah" is a personal name and refers to the almighty God and Creator of the universe”. www.watchtower.org
I also found a list of what their beliefs are on the website and the ones that I found most interesting are listed below:
Christ set example that must be followed in serving God.
Taking blood into body through mouth or veins violates God's laws.
Obey human laws that do not conflict with God's laws.
Satan is invisible ruler of world.
Images should not be used in worship.
Bible is God's Word and is truth.
Christ died on a stake, not a cross.
Christ's presence is in spirit.
Only a little flock of 144,000 go to heaven and rule with Christ.
Prayers are to be directed only to Jehovah through Christ. www.watchtower.org
Being a Catholic the belief about not using images while worshiping would be completely irrelevant to my religion because we have the cross right in the middle of the alter. As well as statue’s of different followers of Jesus. It bothers me that they believe Christ was burnt to death on a stake. You would have thought it was enough for him to die for the people that would then invade the earth, but they also believe that ontop of everything else.
Works Cited
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. 2000 Who Are They? What Do They Believe? Electronic document, http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm?article=article_01.htm, accessed October 24, 2008.
Knocking on invisible doors
Due to stating my opinion in my last blog about how Jehovah’s Witnesses go door to door speaking about their faith, I decided to post this you tube video about how they do speak to people about their faith, but they do so without knocking on doors.
After watching this video it just reinforced to me that I am not the only person in this world that is bothered by them not only coming to your home but also having the guts to approach people on the street. I commend them for that but sometimes people just want to get from point A to point B without a fork in the road, just like the people in this video on their hunny moon. They went to that destination to enjoy their time not to have someone talk their ears off about a religion.
After watching this video it just reinforced to me that I am not the only person in this world that is bothered by them not only coming to your home but also having the guts to approach people on the street. I commend them for that but sometimes people just want to get from point A to point B without a fork in the road, just like the people in this video on their hunny moon. They went to that destination to enjoy their time not to have someone talk their ears off about a religion.
My opinion
My opinion of Jehovah’s Witnesses has never been a good one, they seemed as a burden to me. This is due to the fact that they would come by my house and bother us by ringing the doorbell until they got the hint that "we weren't there". If they found a way to get into my apartment building it was even worse because they could knock on your door and hear if anyone was inside. This always made me feel really bad because it’s rude not to open the door because we know they are Jehovah’s Witnesses, when they clearly know someone is there because either someone is talking on the phone, or the television is on. I remember one specific time in my household where the door of our house was opened and they came in to speak about their beliefs. I of course was very small so I did not understand much of what they were talking about all I truly remember was that they stayed and talked with my parents for a really long time, until my mother stated that she needed to go along and finish cleaning and doing her daily duties so they finally left.
Proposal
I chose the topic of Jehovah Witness because I do not understand why people of this religion go around to people’s houses if they know that people are hiding from them and making sure they do not run into a situation where they have to speak to them. As a child I was always told not to look out the window on Sunday mornings because they would see me and know that there were parents home to speak to. This was a prominent thing that happened within my childhood and I just learned as time went by that well the doorbell rang on a Sunday you just ignored it, because if they really knew us they would have our phone number and would call us and let us no they were outside. I also chose this topic because I dated a person that was of this religion and I was very confused by the reasons that they did and did not do certain things. I will be having a cultural encounter due to my religion being Catholic and attending a Catholic school from k1-8th grade. I hope to learn to understand their beliefs because while I may know some of the things they practice it seems unusual as to why they chose to do so.
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