Daughter (15) recently told my wife and I that she has a huge crush on this boy (17) from school who’s hanging out with her friend group a lot these days. She said he can’t date because he’s a Jehovah’s Witness. All wife & I knew before is that they’re some Christian group. From what we read online they seem to be pretty radical & abstract stuff like 144000 (?), Armageddon. They even get called a cult.
I’m an atheist so, grain if salt because all religions are pretty dumb to me but… JWs are really quite crazy, even by modern evangelical standards. They believe there are a finite number of individuals that will be allowed into heaven. Believers are in a competition to get to the top of the list. They also believe in absolute mental control over the congregation and members are encouraged to never date outside of the church.
Most of what you list isn’t crazy if you know the texts. For example The 144000 men chosen to fight the Beast’s armies in Armageddon are the basis of the chosen/elect/elite which appears in other denominational theologies.
edit: Christianity is an apocalyptic faith if you already accept that your God died to forgive original sin is a end times battle that crazy?
…lists out crazy shit …
Shits crazy. Sorry.
If you accept an apocalyptic faith like Christianity are the details of the end times battle that crazy?
….to fight… the beasts armies in armageddon… explain to me how that isn’t fucking crazy, lad?
It’s the end game for that faith? Im not Christian but if you already accept the apocalyptic faith that Christianity is this isn’t crazy within that context
Idk, even when I was a Christian I thought the Joho’s were cray cray.
so… if I believe in crazy stuff the crazy stuff doesn’t seem crazy to me?
Exactly, if you already engage in magical thinking more magical thinking isn’t that crazy.
Online Atheist try to answer a question without first mentioning their atheist and casually insulting all religions first challenge: Impossible
Those who know a lot about religion are usually atheists in my experience.
In this specific context it is quite relevant that they’re an atheist, and therefore presumably relatively sceptical of religion in general. That’s a bias colouring their response that they’re disclaiming that they have.
Sure, I didn’t say anything about atheists. I’m saying that there’s no need to announce your own belief and insult other people’s belief to answer a question. I swear these atheists are like the online version of vegans who have to announce it to everyone and judge other ppls decision to talk about something else
Nothing was said that isn’t a universal experience with JWs
Well maybe if organized religion wasn’t such a cancer on humanity that an unimaginable amount of needless spilled blood across history can be laid at its feet it would be seen in a better light.