The Jehovah's Witnesses Cult are taught to fight and avoid independent thinking. See The Watchtower – January 15, 1983 p. 22, 27
The emotional control as the Watchtower has makes the Witnesses to grow harden hearts and minds of those who have dedicated themselves to the cult. Their minds are geared to reject outside influence by their commitment to Watchtower authority. In time, the Witnesses view of life and their world is through the lenses of Watchtower interpretation and not their own.
Control Of Emotion: There are two forms of control the Watchtower will use to keep their Witnesses in line: guilt and fear. If the Watchtower is successful in creating guilt and fear in the hearts of their Witnesses, they will be able to better manage emotional control.
For example: by using fear as a tool, the Witness will...
1. Avoid relationships with non-Witnesses
2. Avoid thinking apart from Watchtower teaching
3. Avoid behavior the Watchtower has defined for him
4. Avoid reading non-Witness publications warning him of “demonic influence';
5. Be reminded of the penalties for violating the Watchtower's policies
6. Be reminded of how dangerous it is outside of the organization
7. Be reminded of the penalties for keeping in contact with ex-Witnesses defined as apostates
8. Be reminded of the coming of Armageddon. It's safer in the Watchtower organization.
9. Control of Information: Information is the key to understanding the world unless the individual is shielded from the world around him. The control of information, (or lack thereof) is the final tool which serves to isolate and shield the Witnesses from the outside world. This is the tool used to drive the Witness to conformity.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to read literature critical of their movement. Exposure to well-documented research may cause the mass exodus out of the Watchtower organization. See Survival Into A New Earth, 1984 pp. 142-143; The Watchtower – March 15, 1986 p. 12
God Bless!JWs: Is it true that we cannot read any other Christian literature other than the Watchtower publications?
The Bible is the ultimate authority.
Of course you can read other works of literature! How else will you make an informed decision as to what is or is not the truth?!
If you are like me however, eventually you come to realise that reading innaccurate or incorrect writings is simply a waste of time spent reading good uplifting, accurate writings.
I have chosen to reduce my reading of other writings simply because I see it often - but not always - as a waste of my time.
You can read anything you want to, but, from what 'other' source would that 'Christian literature' come from? Would you want to read apostate christian material? Would you want to read gross untruths about hellfire, the immortality of the soul, etc?
It's like saying: ';All paths lead to God.'; Meaning it doesn't matter which religion you follow. Is that true? Remember Christs words at Matthew 7:13 “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.
Keep in mind that even the purest glass of water is no longer drinkable after only a single drop of poison falls into it.
No
(to the first question in bold).
A Jehovah's Witness may choose any reading material he chooses. It seems rather obvious that the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses (that is, ';Watchtower publications';) quote from so-called ';Christian literature';. It would be quite reasonable for a Jehovah's Witnesses to investigate those quotes in their entirety, and presumably the investigation would involve ';reading'; the literature.
Jehovah has only one organisation on earth and he sends spiritual food only through one channel. Reading ';any other Christian literature'; would be mind poisoning but it isn't something Jehovah's Witnesses are forced not to do. It is an advise which keeps us clean and strong spirituality.
';You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of “the table of Jehovah” and the table of demons.'; -- 1 Corinthians10:21
Our primary source of information is the Bible. That bible does not have to be the New World Translation. Any good translation should do (the KJ is not really adequate any longer, the language that it was written in was common and usual several hundred years ago and is now hard to understand in places, but if you want use it, go for it),
The other Watchtower publications help us understand what is written in the scripture, much like 'Cliff Notes' help us understand Calculus.
There are many publications that strive to answer the questions about our existence. Not all are very useful.
With limited time and lots to do, how much should we spend on 'other' publications? Your choice. But do so wisely. not out of guilt or fear. We are told to exam all things carefully. Our lives depend on it.
It's good to have some knowledge of our neighbor's beliefs, but how much is some, your choice.
It all comes down to where you want to be. What you want to do with your precious life. It is not up to the Society to live your life for you. Their job is to provide you with information that you, me and they need to make wise choices, wise in God's eyes, not other humans,
Would you want to?? The Bible is our source of learning. It disclaims what Christiandom teaches and is the word of God. What other source can claim and prove that?? 2 Timothy 3:16,17. Our publications are bible aids, not independent of the bible. Cited scripture prove what is being said. CD Rom Library is great for research.
Umm....we can read anything we want- even non-Christian stuff. Not that i'm saying you should get info from The Enquirer or anything :^), but we can read you know, other christian and non- xian stuff like Multnomah (christian) or Moody (christian.) Hope this helps you. I read the Harry Potter books, and I have not been struck down by God yet so i am assuming that they are safe. :^)
There are some good scriptures in the Bible regarding this subject:
';One body there is, and one spirit, even as you were called in the one hope to which you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all persons, who is over all and through all and in all.'; (Ephesians 4:4-6)
';Stare in amazement, O YOU heavens, at this; and bristle up in very great horror,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘because there are two bad things that my people have done: They have left even me, the source of living water, in order to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that cannot contain the water.’'; (Jeremiah 2:12, 13)
We are already able to drink of the the living water which comes from ONE source: Jehovah; and which comes THROUGH his Son, Jesus Christ, through his word the Bible, and through the food provided for us by his faithful and discreet slave whom he has appointed over his belongings (Mat 24:45-46; John 4:7-15; 2Tim 3:16-17)
The faithful and discreet slave today act in the same capacity that the apostles and older men in Jerusalem did in Paul's day, by giving instruction, guidance and encouragement to the congregations (Acts 16:4, 5; Acts 15:2, 30, 31). But in addition to just the letters that the early disciples received, we today also receive other encouraging Bible based publications: the Watchtower and Awake, to name a few.
So as Jeremiah brought out, why would we ever want to want to abandon the living water in order to drink from broken cisterns and ';fountains without water';? (2Pet 2:17) The living water is all that we need. (Luke 10:42)
Those other sources that we avoiding reading from are nothing but ';waterless clouds carried this way and that by winds; trees in late autumn, [but] fruitless, having died twice, having been uprooted; wild waves of the sea that foam up their own causes for shame; stars with no set course, for which the blackness of darkness stands reserved forever.'; (Jude 12, 13)
being a non christian myself...i think the JWs can use the christian bible and still be more right as what new christianity practices is even far from the bible..
1....the sense of a total unseparated community in acts of apostle
2...hear o isreal your god is one
3...believe in me as said by jesus to mean believe what i say and not worship me
a lot of things being thought to christians nowadays, i wonder if they get to read the bible by themselves, just follow pastors and televangelists all the way
Most people who are now Jehovah's Witnesses have already been familiar with religious denominations in the past, and they have no need of going back to consider what they already know, so what they concentrate on now is the Bible, since God's word teaches all that a person needs.
Not true. Many other forms of literature, e.g Bible encyclopaedias, provide extra information. We should just be selective, and avoid wasting time on rubbish.
Look at the links I provided for you on your other question.
How would I have found all that info if I did not read anything except the Watchtower?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…
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Seems Mr. Kip is back with his copy%26amp;pastes from the sites he *allegedly* contributes to.
Vot is still waiting for his email reply stating his sources for the *fact* that the NWT has been ';rewritten'; in 2006.....
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People, give her a break. Many people studying with Jehovah's Witnesses start to identify themselves with JWs long before their baptism. I know I did.
Who do you mean by: ';we'; ???
A few days ago, did you not say that you were wanting to learn about JWs, but were receiving opposition...?
You surely could not have become one that fast!
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No.
However, anyone ought to be very careful about *what* they read, %26amp; what *effect* it might have, even time-wise. Notice the many cautions in God's Word:
';The words of the wise are like oxgoads....
As regards anything besides these, my son, take a warning: To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion [to them] is wearisome....'; --Ec 12:11,12
';You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied... ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping... because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’” --Matthew 15:7-9
Jesus Christ himself gave several stern warnings %26amp; rebukes, an additional one of which is:
“Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, did we not prophesy, and expel demons, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ Yet, then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me.... --Matthew 7:21-23
Compare his words at: Mt 23:27-28; 24:24-25; Lu 6:45-46; and other's warnings, at: 2 Co 11:13-15; 1Ti 4:1-3; 2 Pe 2:1-3; http://watchtower.org/bible/index.htm
Proverbs 26:11 reads: ';Just like a dog returning to its vomit, the stupid one is repeating his foolishness.';
The Apostle Peter elaborates: ';Certainly if, after having escaped from the defilements of the world by an accurate knowledge of the Lord %26amp; Savior Jesus Christ, they get involved again with these very things %26amp; are overcome, the final conditions have become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have accurately known the path of righteousness than after knowing it accurately to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. The saying of the true proverb has happened to them: “The dog has returned to its own vomit, %26amp; the sow that was bathed to rolling in the mire.” --2Pe2:20-22
Each individual is responsible for themselves %26amp; others--all whom their behavior %26amp; choices may have an affect on. If the effect is negative, they will suffer the consequences. This can easily become as serious as loss of life, as the Apostle Peter describes in such 'picturesque' detail... In total agreement, The apostle Paul commands:
';Make Sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine.'; --1 Th 5:21
EDITED IN LATER:
The article cited 1st by 'Rev Kip' is: titled ; based on...
';Armed for the Fight Against *Wicked Spirits*';
“We have a wrestling . . . against the *wicked spirit forces* in the heavenly places.” --Eph6:12.
(Obviously this person takes things out of context, %26amp; is thus lieing.)
We??? You've made it very clear you are by no means a Witness.
The central source for information, on how to live as a Christian, is the Bible.
Its a free country! But people are advised not too. Just the same w/ the LDS.
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