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Post by tygerarmy on Nov 27, 2009 23:26:08 GMT -5
I had a friend/co-worker in '04 who was a JW. I was Theist/Deist on the way to Atheist at the time. I didn't notice too many differences from other denominations at their church service. I did find the limited seating in heaven weird, and that they believed all the seats to have been taken, and that if you were to have a seat/golden ticket, it was assigned to you before you were born.
JW's don't go door to door in NYC. The crazies in NYC preach on a corner in the city(Manhattan) or on the subway.
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Post by tygerarmy on Nov 28, 2009 11:15:19 GMT -5
Aww, and ARGH!
JW's came to the door at my Aunt's house in Florida, which I'm at for Turkey day and she wouldn't let me answer the door.
I was/am wearing a PT shirt and Spider-Man boxers, that exclaim "Whoa.. My Spider Sense Is Tingling!"
While I probably couldn't have de-converted the two chicks I probably could have gotten rid of my Aunts monthly JW problem.
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Post by lonelocust on Nov 28, 2009 13:52:41 GMT -5
I actually really wanted to be visited by JWs and/or Mormons and really talk to them, because I'm terribly interested in finding out why people believe the things that they do. All of my friends told me I would be sorely disappointed, and that they would refuse to talk about it. They were basically right.
About 3 years ago, I was finally accosted by JWs, at the bus stop. The gist of the conversation was:
"Why do you believe that." "It's in the Bible." "Why do you believe the Bible?" "It's the Word of God." "How do you know that?" "So you don't believe in the Bible?" "No, I don't, but I'd like to know why you do." "Thank you for your time." *leaves*
So I was indeed disappointed. I always want to think that people have what they believe to be solid reasons behind their faith, but I'm generally handing out too much credit.
Beyond that, my only interaction was that when I was a kid, the JWs would come by, and my mother would have them in for tea and try to save them (she was Southern Baptist and thought they were a cult and not-saved) and they would try to save her.
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Post by lonelocust on Nov 28, 2009 13:55:34 GMT -5
I did find the limited seating in heaven weird, and that they believed all the seats to have been taken, and that if you were to have a seat/golden ticket, it was assigned to you before you were born. Weird. I keep hearing all sorts of competing things about what current JW philosophy is. I've been told previously that at the point that their all-time membership had gone over 144,000 that official dogma changed to only JWs go to heaven, and the 144,000 will just be extra-super-helpers to Jesus when he returns to rule.
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Post by wmdkitty on Nov 28, 2009 14:57:55 GMT -5
Beyond that, my only interaction was that when I was a kid, the JWs would come by, and my mother would have them in for tea and try to save them (she was Southern Baptist and thought they were a cult and not-saved) and they would try to save her. Dueling dogmas?
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Post by Pasta on Nov 28, 2009 17:48:35 GMT -5
Heh, I used to own chickens, and on the day they called I was in the middle of plucking/gutting a freshly killed chicken AND wearing a t-shirt with a pentagram on it. I went and opened the door, one arm still covered in blood, they didn't call back...
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Post by Rat Of Steel on Nov 28, 2009 18:11:53 GMT -5
Heh, I used to own chickens, and on the day they called I was in the middle of plucking/gutting a freshly killed chicken AND wearing a t-shirt with a pentagram on it. I went and opened the door, one arm still covered in blood, they didn't call back... ;D ;D ;D </thread>
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Post by dantesvirgil on Nov 28, 2009 20:46:49 GMT -5
I did find the limited seating in heaven weird, and that they believed all the seats to have been taken, and that if you were to have a seat/golden ticket, it was assigned to you before you were born. Weird. I keep hearing all sorts of competing things about what current JW philosophy is. I've been told previously that at the point that their all-time membership had gone over 144,000 that official dogma changed to only JWs go to heaven, and the 144,000 will just be extra-super-helpers to Jesus when he returns to rule. There aren't dueling dogmas, you're just getting bits and pieces instead of the whole thing at once. There are, in a manner of speaking, two afterlife tracks, if you will. The 144,000 are the ones they believe go to heaven; the rest of the people they believe will live on Earth and Earth will be converted/transformed into a paradise, basically back to the garden of Eden scenario. They believe God "chose" those who would go to heaven, and while that might not include official JWs, they believe basically that those people would have been JWs in other circumstances. For the curious, they do a running count each year of the number of 144,000 left on Earth. The last year I was a JW, it was around 3000 something. Also a fun factoid -- they don't believe the "count" started until after Jesus' death. There are JWs actively hoping to get a chance to see Moses in what they call the "New System" (the paradise scenario mentioned earlier). The other people left on Earth are a combo of JWs, righteous people and even unrighteous people -- the only ones they believe won't make it are those God classifies as "wicked". Everybody gets a second chance to choose God, JW style, and then at a certain time (yet to be declassified), Satan is let loose again for a final test. After that test, anybody who dissents gets destroyed for good. In a nutshell. Any other questions?
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Post by canadian mojo on Nov 29, 2009 9:13:52 GMT -5
How much does it cost to buy a first class seat, or is that only an option in Catholicism and Scientology?
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Post by dantesvirgil on Nov 29, 2009 11:05:40 GMT -5
Not an option as far as I know. Although, they do maintain that people "chosen" to go to heaven can fall away, and then their seat is open. But it's not presented as a musical chairs kind of option. It's presented in much the same terminology as a nun, for instance, being "called" to serve as a nun.
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