While it is up to individuals to choose what they read, J(ehovah's) W(itnesses) are not prevented from looking at non Witness literature or examining why other religions teach differently than we do. In fact, we are encouraged to find out exactly what other people believe and why.
I personally have over 2000 books in my personal library most of which are written by scholars of many other religions. Many Jehovah's Witnesses regularly read and use standard reference works, lexicons and dictionaries from all types of authors who disagree with our beliefs.
Like any normal person, we do not bother to read purposeful misrepresentations and slanderous material by opposers any more than we care to read pornography. However, most Jehovah's Witnesses are quite familiar with what those books say and are willing to present facts to refute what they say; again depending on the reasonableness of the other person.
Further, to be a Witnesses you must talk to people of all religions who disagree with and challenge our beliefs and force us to continue to research our own beliefs. After a while, we do begin to see that all claims against what Jehovah's Witnesses believe are consistently dishonest or unscriptural, so many Jehovah's Witnesses will not give these claims or literature more than cursory attention. Once you've proven a dollar bill is genuine do you have to keep proving it to every critic? No. You just quickly point out the obvious differences and ignore the aliterate.
While we are not obligated to continue proving what is obvious, most Jehovah's Witnesses will continue to present evidence to "everyone who demands a reason for our beliefs" (1Pet.3:15), depending on how obnoxious the individual is.
Every Witness has personally examined objections to our beliefs and accusations about our organization. Having a complete knowledge of these subjects and the Scriptures is why we can fully discuss any topic with confidence. On the other hand, other religions do not trust their members to fully discuss their religion with Jehovah's Witnesses because, as a rule, their members do not have adequate knowledge of their own belief and definitely cannot use the Bible to support what they believe. And even when some are able to defend their beliefs using scriptures their arguments always demand an ignorance of Greek and Hebrew grammar, ignorance of the context, or a reliance on poor translations and eisogesis.
Through extensive study individual Jehovah's Witnesses have come to trust the accuracy of the information the Watchtower presents.
The truth of the matter is that any individual who does not continue to seriously examine their beliefs in light of the Scriptures will not become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and if they are baptized they will not remain a Witnesses. They will go back to the war-mongering, sectarian, immoral, tickle your ears religions of Christendom (2Pet.2:22; 2Tim. 4:3,4).
Jehovah's Witnesses give evidence that they are True Christians by their strictly following Scriptural truth and by their fruitage (Mt.7:16-19; Jn.13:34,35).
All Jehovah's Witnesses do is to invite others to do the same, critically examine your beliefs in light of the plain and explicit teaching of Scripture and the evidence in the actions of your religion and its members, then choose to follow Christ closely (Rom.10:1-3; Eph.1:17).
I personally have over 2000 books in my personal library most of which are written by scholars of many other religions. Many Jehovah's Witnesses regularly read and use standard reference works, lexicons and dictionaries from all types of authors who disagree with our beliefs.
Like any normal person, we do not bother to read purposeful misrepresentations and slanderous material by opposers any more than we care to read pornography. However, most Jehovah's Witnesses are quite familiar with what those books say and are willing to present facts to refute what they say; again depending on the reasonableness of the other person.
Further, to be a Witnesses you must talk to people of all religions who disagree with and challenge our beliefs and force us to continue to research our own beliefs. After a while, we do begin to see that all claims against what Jehovah's Witnesses believe are consistently dishonest or unscriptural, so many Jehovah's Witnesses will not give these claims or literature more than cursory attention. Once you've proven a dollar bill is genuine do you have to keep proving it to every critic? No. You just quickly point out the obvious differences and ignore the aliterate.
While we are not obligated to continue proving what is obvious, most Jehovah's Witnesses will continue to present evidence to "everyone who demands a reason for our beliefs" (1Pet.3:15), depending on how obnoxious the individual is.
Every Witness has personally examined objections to our beliefs and accusations about our organization. Having a complete knowledge of these subjects and the Scriptures is why we can fully discuss any topic with confidence. On the other hand, other religions do not trust their members to fully discuss their religion with Jehovah's Witnesses because, as a rule, their members do not have adequate knowledge of their own belief and definitely cannot use the Bible to support what they believe. And even when some are able to defend their beliefs using scriptures their arguments always demand an ignorance of Greek and Hebrew grammar, ignorance of the context, or a reliance on poor translations and eisogesis.
Through extensive study individual Jehovah's Witnesses have come to trust the accuracy of the information the Watchtower presents.
The truth of the matter is that any individual who does not continue to seriously examine their beliefs in light of the Scriptures will not become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and if they are baptized they will not remain a Witnesses. They will go back to the war-mongering, sectarian, immoral, tickle your ears religions of Christendom (2Pet.2:22; 2Tim. 4:3,4).
Jehovah's Witnesses give evidence that they are True Christians by their strictly following Scriptural truth and by their fruitage (Mt.7:16-19; Jn.13:34,35).
All Jehovah's Witnesses do is to invite others to do the same, critically examine your beliefs in light of the plain and explicit teaching of Scripture and the evidence in the actions of your religion and its members, then choose to follow Christ closely (Rom.10:1-3; Eph.1:17).
SOURCE: This is an answer provided by BAR_ANERGES to a question at Yahoo Answers.
Also see:
Do Jehovah's Witnesses Ban Certain Movies, Books, or Songs? (JW.org)
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Also see:
Do Jehovah's Witnesses Ban Certain Movies, Books, or Songs? (JW.org)
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BACK TO HOME PAGE INDEX