As a Buddhist, I neither believe in a creator nor the notion of an unchanging soul.

HOWEVER, I find it very admirable when someone has a strong foundation of belief in SOMETHING.

What I do not care for is when that person EXPECTS others to understand the message or to agree to it, so much to the point that instead of being witness 2 their religion, they act like car salesmen.

I mean, I would never expect the common person to agree with my notion of Dependent Origination of the four noble truths--that shit is personal.

I wish I could Embrace the Religion. It's just I don't feel that all of the Teachings make sense. Certain things I Cannot see as Wrong... O.K. being Immoral is not a Good thing. As Prince says the conduct should be Clean. What does a Jehovah Follower do when they are totally Heartbroken? I Do not Know how One can Get over such Devestation like Prince and John losing a Child. That's just the End...

I wish I could Embrace the Religion. It's just I don't feel that all of the Teachings make sense. Certain things I Cannot see as Wrong... O.K. being Immoral is not a Good thing. As Prince says the conduct should be Clean. What does a Jehovah Follower do when they are totally Heartbroken? I Do not Know how One can Get over such Devestation like Prince and John losing a Child. That's just the End...

I Am Nice when Need be but when Someone is Crap to me..I will Not Look like a Fool and Forgive like a PANSY... Zel's no PUSHOVER... I am a Good person, But A Nice Girl? Probably NOT!!!LOL.

melinda said:

They don't prohibit singing,but they do prohibit using musical instruments in worship of Jehovah,all their hymns and kindom songs are acapella. They think our voice is the
greatest instrument and they think that because there is no direct Scripture in the New Testament about musical instruments in worship that God is against them, even though Psalms and the Old testament is full of Scriptures about praising God with instruments. Again, another Phariseeical law that they made up to think they are better then everyone. No where in the Bible are instruments condemned by God in use of praising Him, even common sense tells one there is no reason for them to be. Doesn't mean you have to use them all the time but its no sin if you do,God knows the heart .
As far as what Prince sings about, they would never approve of his old albums or singing,he could never be baptized as a JW and use the words he used to use. Nothing wrong if someone doesnt want to curse anymore or wants to sing about other things. The question is ,is it God changing him or is it him trying to change for God and the JW's acceptance?

People Hate the Jehovah Whitnesses on this Website and I'd like to Know What religion these People are. They are So Against and Making up stuff. I would like to know where this information is coming from..

jujubeans said:

Where do you people get this stuff from?

Sounds very made up to me. Or second hand info.

If you remember correctly King David used stringed instruments to prasie God.

Yep. 99.9% of it is. Just hateful nonsense.
This is absolutely true. Our songbook that we use actually has an artists' rendition of David playing a harp and singing. There are most certainly instruments being played in JW songs. The amount of misinformation out there is astounding.

Yep. 99.9% of it is. Just hateful nonsense.
This is absolutely true. Our songbook that we use actually has an artists' rendition of David playing a harp and singing. There are most certainly instruments being played in JW songs. The amount of misinformation out there is astounding.

I mean no disrespect to Jehovah's Witnesses they can do as they please and believe what they want to believe. They have every right to do so. This is America and we are supposed to have freedom of religion here.

The impression I get from Jehovah's Witnesses is that they think the whole world is wicked except for them. If they don't think so, then why do they go door to door? Who else goes door to door except for Jehovah's Witnesses and salespeople?

If we can respect their religion, then why can't they respect ours? When they go door to door, that is a way of trying to convert us or persuade us over to their religion. We don't do that to them, why do they have to do to us?

Like I said, this is America here and we are supposed to be free to choose our own religion. We shouldn't have some manipulator knocking on our door in the privacy of our own home trying to convert us. And as far as someone trying to respond by saying "well everyone in this thread would like to persuade out of the Jehovah's Witnesses faith", I think he was persuaded into it, so why shouldn't someone try to persuade him back. They have been doing it to us for years.

OdysseyMiles said:

This just goes to show you, If prince became catholic or Baptist no one would care. I think a lot of these people are basing their view from these little renegade hate sites. Plus Just think THere are millions of Catholics for example; isn't one of them bound to be nuts? THere are under 10 million jws and all you people can compared them to is Michael Jackson(who hasn't been a jw since 1987). Please believe me He is an exception. I never try to generalize an entire religion by one persons action and neither should any of you good or bad. The Catholics (In Germany) were down with the Nazi in WWII but I doubt all Cathoilcs are Nazi, right? Well there you go.

OdysseyMiles said:

This just goes to show you, If prince became catholic or Baptist no one would care. I think a lot of these people are basing their view from these little renegade hate sites. Plus Just think THere are millions of Catholics for example; isn't one of them bound to be nuts? THere are under 10 million jws and all you people can compared them to is Michael Jackson(who hasn't been a jw since 1987). Please believe me He is an exception. I never try to generalize an entire religion by one persons action and neither should any of you good or bad. The Catholics (In Germany) were down with the Nazi in WWII but I doubt all Cathoilcs are Nazi, right? Well there you go.

Soulchild82 said:

I prefer that prince became muslim, as malcom or mohammed ali,

jaypotton said:

Some philosophers, like Michel Foucault, etc, would say that the perception (or misperception) of a particular kind of subjectivity (e.g. individuality) is also a form of indirect social control. i.e. If we are taught to believe that we are individual moral agents, with primary responsibility to ourselves, this will guide the choices that we make and will govern our conduct in exercising our "free" will.

If you had been socialised to believe that you were first and foremost a member of a group (the "tribe", the "people"/society, etc), and that this was central to your being and your identity (as some people are across the face of the globe), and so you had responsibilities to them, then this too would govern your conduct, and determine the choices that you made. The idea of acting as an individual would seem strange and perhaps abhorrent.

My theory is that Western societies (the US in particular) have embraced that sense of individualism to its full extent, such that anything that tries to convince people it's not all "me, me, me" is rejected. Plus, it's pretty hard to follow the virtues of Christianity (especially that camel & eye of a needle stuff!) if you are affluent, and want to indulge yourself.

So..... I think that this relatively new idea of "spirituality" (or at least the way we think of it now) is kind of a faith for the "me" generation. It's all about ME following MY spirit, indulging the desires I want to indulge, fulfilling MY destiny.... Not much in their about responsibility, sacrificing for the good of others, fulfilling social duties, etc. Look at all the people that advocate it: Madonna, Oprah, etc... They're either rich, self-absorbed celebrities, or people who want to be rich, self-absorbed celebrities... "Spirituality" can simplybe a way of legitimising self-indulgence, without any of the duty or constraint that religions also generally involve.

I guess "the masses" have started growing their own "opium" these days.....

[This message was edited Fri Aug 13 15:19:15 2004 by deebee]

Spookymuffin said:

[color=mediumpurple:e1dc7e0c8c]Me too. That pic is too funny.[/color]

prince was more religious when he sang COME, if you ask me.

Jehovah Witness are not followers of Jehovah but of the Watchtower Society. Quoting from and ex-Jehovah Witness, "Jehovah Witness do not follow the teaching of the Bible, they follow what the Watchtower Society tells them about it." Most of their Bible studies are spent studying their own literature with the Bible as an appendix to it. Individual Bible study is discouraged without their accompanying Watchtower magazine or fellow kingdom hall members who will happily interpret it for them.
Jehovah Witnesses have two sides, the flattering,warm,politically correct side they show when at people's doors or in public forums like this, and the cold, heartless side they show towards anyone that criticizes the Watchtower Society or those they feel they can't convert. Those who left the organization or were disfellowshipped are treated as though they were dead . Some mothers and fathers will not even see their own grandchildren because their sons or daughters left the organization or will not join it. Members can be disfellowshipped over something like getting caught with a cigarette while the elders and pioneers can get away with much more and not be disciplined.
Jehovah Witnesses believe that they alone are God's organization and that all other beliefs are false except their own. They are taught to critique and judge all beliefs but their own. They cannot criticize the Watchtower Society in any way or disbelieve a thing they tell them. Some do, but they cannot vocalize it for fear of being disfellowhsipped. They equate leaving the organization as though it were leaving God Himself. This is the control the Watchtower has over its members. They teach its followers that they are the "ark" sent by God in these last days and if they don't seek them as the God-provided refuge there is no other where that they can go. This is another lie that keeps people trapped in their cult. The Watchtower Society subtlely becomes their "God".
Jehovah Witness are sometimes told that its ok to lie and deny accusations if it means keeping new converts from being discouraged from joining them. New converts are "love bombed" and given lots of attention until they become fully indoctrinated and then they move their "love" to the next convert. However this love is very conditional,based on how much you fully agree with them or not .
Dozens of children have died because of their twisted interpretation of a scripture about not eating blood (to idols), as meaning blood transfusions are wrong. They value the symbol of life more than the life itself.
The Watchtower Society will not allow its followers to practice oral sex or to homosexuality. If anyone disagrees, I will gladly quote word for word from the Watchtower magazine where they say this.
I can go on and on, but regardless of this being Prince's choice of religion, I will still love him ,support him, pray for him, and listen to his music,which is more than most Jehovah Witnesses would do for him if he ever decided to leave their organization. How many Jehovah Witnesses will still pray for him,love him, and listen to his music if he no longer believes the Witnesses are "God's Organization"?

melinda said:

They don't prohibit singing,but they do prohibit using musical instruments in worship of Jehovah,all their hymns and kindom songs are acapella. They think our voice is the
greatest instrument and they think that because there is no direct Scripture in the New Testament about musical instruments in worship that God is against them, even though Psalms and the Old testament is full of Scriptures about praising God with instruments. Again, another Phariseeical law that they made up to think they are better then everyone. No where in the Bible are instruments condemned by God in use of praising Him, even common sense tells one there is no reason for them to be. Doesn't mean you have to use them all the time but its no sin if you do,God knows the heart .

apple2 said:

prince was more religious when he sang COME, if you ask me.

All I know is Christ and Him crucified. But do you know the reason why?