Ok...

Hey my beautiful readers... welcome back. I am so happy that you are letting me share my thoughts with you in the below information.

I enjoyed reading this article, and I loved the 8 True/False questions. I enjoyed it because it is allowing me to reflect on my childhood growing up and how I felt about Jehovah's Witnesses. After all, my father was Pentecostal, and he never had anything nice to say about the Witnesses. And some of upcoming true/false questions coming up were subjects that my dad mentioned... so, without further adieu... (my comments are in red)

AWAKE! NO. 1 2016

What Do You Know About Jehovah’s Witnesses?

You see us in our public ministry. You may have read about us in news reports or heard things about us from others. But how much do you really know about Jehovah’s Witnesses?

photo from: jw.org

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Check each statement true or false.

TRUE FALSE

Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are creationists.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in doctors.
Jehovah’s Witnesses accept the entire Bible.
Jehovah’s Witnesses use only their own Bible translation.
Jehovah’s Witnesses changed their Bible to fit their beliefs.
Jehovah’s Witnesses shun community involvement.
Jehovah’s Witnesses look down on people of other religions.

For the answers, see the following pages.

1 TRUE. We try to follow closely the teachings and behavior of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:21) However, in a number of ways, we differ from other religious groups that are called Christian. For example, we have found that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God; he is not part of a Trinity. (Mark 12:29) We do not believe that the soul is immortal or that there is any basis in Scripture for saying that God tortures people in an everlasting hell. Nor do we believe that those who take the lead in religious activities should have titles that elevate them above others.—Ecclesiastes 9:5; Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 23:8-10.

(I must admit, being raised Pentecostal, I was taught the above things such as: an immortal soul, torture everlasting in hell, (but not that of the Trinity) ... but, it that really what the Bible Teaches?)

2 FALSE. We believe that God created everything. But we do not agree with many who believe in creationism. Why not? Because a number of creationists’ ideas conflict with the Bible. For example, some assert that the six days of creation were literal 24-hour days. But the word “day” in the Bible can refer to a considerable length of time. (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 90:4) Then, too, some creationists teach that the earth is just a few thousand years old. However, the Bible indicates that the earth and the universe existed long before the six days of creation.1—Genesis 1:1.

(I was also taught that the earth was created in 6 literal days. And after examination of the scriptures, the Bible truly does indicate that the earth is older than it is. Yet another new thing I learned, from the Bible.)

3 FALSE. We do accept medical treatment. In fact, some of us are physicians, as was the first-century Christian named Luke. (Colossians 4:14) However, we reject any treatment that conflicts with Bible principles. For example, we do not accept blood transfusions, because the Bible forbids taking in blood.—Acts 15:20, 28, 29.Even then, we seek the best possible medical care for ourselves and our families. In fact, blood conservation treatments that were developed to help Witness patients are now being used to benefit all in the community. In many countries, any patient can now choose to avoid blood-transfusion risks, such as blood-borne diseases, immune-system reactions, and human errors.

(Ah yes, medical treatment... I remember seeing on the news, as story making a big stink, because Jehovah's Witnesses wouldn't do blood transfusions. I didn't know why, and at the time, didn't care. And OMGoodness, the story and the stink was even bigger if a child was involved. However, the pages of the Bible show us just how precious life is, and how sacred Blood is. And yes, we except medical treatment. We want to be a healthy as possible.)

4 TRUE. We believe that the entire Bible is “inspired of God and beneficial.” (2 Timothy 3:16) That includes both the Old Testament and the New Testament, as they are commonly called. Generally, we refer to these sections of the Bible as the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Greek Scriptures. In this way, we avoid giving the impression that some parts of the Bible are outdated or irrelevant.

(Even as a child, I excepted that the Bible is God's word. Of course, it was the Old Testament and New Testament, but I can see that referring to these sections as Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Greek Scriptures avoids giving the impressions that some parts of the Bible are outdated or irrelevant. After all, Jesus and his apostles refereed to them many times in their teachings.)

5 FALSE. We use many translations in our study of the Bible. In languages in which it is available, though, we especially appreciate the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures for its use of God’s name, for its accuracy, and for its clarity. Consider the use of God’s name, Jehovah. In the introduction of one Bible translation, there is a list of the names of 79 people who in some way contributed to the production of the translation. Yet, this same Bible omits the name of the very Author—Jehovah God! In contrast, the New World Translation restores the divine name in the thousands of places where it existed in the original text.2

(Hey, I started out using the King James Version during my Bible Study. My husband used the New World Translation. I shortly found out, they have the same scriptures. And yes, God's name had been omitted from my JK Version except for 4 appearances... If 'they've' taken that out, what else did they take out, or put in? Yep, the New World Translation is the most 'accurate' bible out there.)

6 FALSE. When we have discovered that our beliefs were not completely in line with the Bible, we have adjusted our understanding. Long before we started producing the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in 1950, we used available translations and formed our beliefs accordingly.

(This next issue is a bit hard for some to except. It troubles them that a 'teaching gets changed'. Just the other day, I had a reader comment: "JW,org should UNDERSTAND before trying to preach. Misleading even a little one is bad - Jesus #millstone." And that is correct, misleading is bad. My follow up question to the reader was: "I would know more on your statement plz. Agreed, misleading is bad. Explain UNDERSTOOD plz. Your thoughts plz. Tnks." Here is the response to my question: "when JW,org teaches one thing, then changes it after new understanding, JWs meanwhile have been mislead by "God's spokesman."" And truly, the question needs to be asked. I pondered over those comments for a while, and what kept going through my mind was, 'If it needs correcting, correct it, if it needs fixing, fit it. We should not be running around with incorrect and broken stuff.' Here's an example: your Doctor performed a surgery on you, and later you realize that something is not right. After further examination from the doctor and you listing symptoms, it is concluded that there was a mistake made. A followup surgery needs to be preformed to save your life. You allow the surgery. You survived. Hence, you benefited from your doctor knowing there was an error and corrected it.

As the times we live in change and we get closer to the end, new 'light' is revealed, we have a deeper understanding of how things in the world relate to prophecies and teaching in the bible. Things just need to be adjusted. I, for one, am thankful. After all, we are all imperfect, and until the very end, those taking the lead will do their best, with guidance from Jehovah and the scriptures, to do their best."

7 FALSE. Our ministry benefits many in the community. We have helped many people to overcome harmful addictions, such as the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Our literacy classes help thousands around the world to learn to read and write. We also help when disaster strikes by providing practical relief assistance to both Witnesses and non-Witnesses. We try to give the emotional and spiritual support that victims sorely need at such times. 3

(See the below links.)

8 FALSE. We follow the Bible’s advice to “respect everyone”—regardless of their religious beliefs. (1 Peter 2:17, Today’s English Version) For example, though in some countries there are hundreds of thousands of us, we do not try to pressure politicians or lawmakers into restricting or banning the work of other religious groups. Nor do we campaign to have laws passed that would impose our moral and religious convictions on the community. Instead, we extend to others the same tolerance that we appreciate receiving from them.—Matthew 7:12.

(Yeah, and yep... It's how I want to be treated. I don't want religion forced on me, I ain't gunna force it on you. IJS... )

This article contains information selected from our official website, jw.org. To learn more, go to ABOUT US > FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.