Ask about Jehovah's Witnesses (beliefs, choice, Satan, Adam and Eve)

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by WitnessofJah

Correct me if I am wrong, but one of the basic beliefs of modern Judaism is that man has an immortal soul that survives the death of his body. I am also aware that the Jews still follow the Mosaic law. Am I correct?

Yes we do believe in an immortal soul though the information on the "after-life" is a little fuzzy in Judaism. And what would a Jew be if he didn't follow the Mosaic Laws and the 613 mitzvot

[WitnessofJah]

Originally Posted by _salam_

What are your views about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). I realize that you don't recognize Him as a prophet, but what are the reasons why and what are your views about the revelation He recieved from God.

As Jehovahs Witnesses, the Bible is our primary source of knowledge and is the book we base ourselves on. The Quran, also, has some similar passages and principles that can be found in the Bible. However, as for Muhammad himself, I am afraid to say that the Bible has no mention of him.

We don't believe that Muhammed performed miracles and was inspired. The Quran says itself (Sura 17:59): "We refrain from sending Signs, only because men of former years treated them as false."This explicitly does not allow for any signs. If Muhammad had performed signs, why rebuke his hearers for asking for them; why should they complain because of their being none?

[Green Gaia]

Witness, what is the one thing we should know about Jehovah's Witnesses? In other words, what is your core fundamental belief?

[WitnessofJah]

Originally Posted by Rozs

What is the real name of God? I heard that there is no letter "J" in the hebrew characters. Can you pls. explain it for me.
Thanx!
God Bless!!!

You're right, there is no "J" in the hebrew alphabet. "Jehovah" is the best known English pronunciation of the divine name, although "Yahweh" is favored by most Hebrew scholars. The oldest Hebrew manuscripts present the name in the form of four consonants, commonly called the Tetragrammaton (from Greek te·tra-, meaning "four," and gram´ma, "letter"). These four letters (written from right to left) are יהוה and may be transliterated into English as YHWH (or, JHVH).

[WitnessofJah]

Originally Posted by Rozs

When God created the heavens and the earth and all the creatures in the planet, was He alone? If not who is with him?

Thanx!!!

Good question.

When God created the heavens and the earth, there was somebody with him first - his name was Jesus. In fact, Jesus was God's first ever creation. Colossians 1:15 states: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation". Thus the Scriptures identify the Word (Jesus in his prehuman existence) as God’s first creation, his firstborn Son.

So Jesus would have been present when God created the heavens and the earth.

[WitnessofJah]

Originally Posted by jewscout

Yes we do believe in an immortal soul though the information on the "after-life" is a little fuzzy in Judaism. And what would a Jew be if he didn't follow the Mosaic Laws and the 613 mitzvot

As Jehovah's Witnesses, we feel that the Mosaic laws are no longer applicable, even though we can still learn much from them. See my in-depth answer to "Druidus" a page or two ago for our biblical viewpoint.

[WitnessofJah]

Originally Posted by Maize

Witness, what is the one thing we should know about Jehovah's Witnesses? In other words, what is your core fundamental belief?

As Jehovah's Witness, we believe that Jesus is God's son (not part of the Trinity). We also believe that the righteous will inherit the Earth and will have everlasting life - we don't believe in hell, and only a few chosen ones (the anointed) will go to heaven. An everlasting hope is only possible because Jesus came here on Earth to die for us in exchange for many, and because he achieved that, we have that hope. We also believe in the whole book of the Bible - both the OT and NT - and apply and learn from it as much as we can.

The reason why there is suffering on this world right now goes back to when Adam commited a sin against God - which Satan was behind (the serpent). Right now, God is in the process of vindicating himself against Satan by proving that there is a group of followere on this Earth who will follow him by their own free will. When god has proved this - then the end will come.

[cardero]

In the New World Translation in the New Testament, Mathew 17:21 and 18:11 there is just a line no scripture. What is the reason for this?

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by WitnessofJah

As Jehovah's Witnesses, we feel that the Mosaic laws are no longer applicable, even though we can still learn much from them. See my in-depth answer to "Druidus" a page or two ago for our biblical viewpoint.

Ah yes but what about the Jewish people themselves. If the Mosaic laws are no long applicable by JW beliefs what do most JWs think about the Jewish people and our continued following of the Laws.

[Druidus]

All those particular laws you have just mentioned were part of the Mosaic law of Israelite times. These laws reflect the tradititions, cultures and protocols of ancient Israelite times - not the times of now (a 21st century society). Those laws no longer became applicable when Jesus came to Earth, because a better set of laws replaced them - the laws of Christ. God promised: "Look! There are days coming, . . . and I will conclude with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant; not one like the covenant that I concluded with their forefathers." The Ten Commandments—the nucleus of the Mosaic Law—were written on stone tablets. But of the new covenant, Jehovah said: "I will put my law within them, and in their heart I shall write it."—Jeremiah 31:31-34.

But did you not say that you believe in the bible 100%? Therefore, since these were the words and commandments of God, you would be disobeying him, no? How can you say that these rules are not to be followed and others are? Why don't we not follow other rules, and say we can "still learn from them"?

This is a very wide topic, and I may start a thread on it to go through every avenue and misconception. For now, I'll keep it short but sweet: As Jehovahs Witnesses, we believe that you should accept the Bible in full or not at all. In the Bible, Blood is a very sacred thing to God, and he say Genesis 9:4 says: "Only flesh with its soul—its blood—YOU must not eat., Leviticus 17:14 says : "For the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood by the soul in it. Consequently I said to the sons of Israel: "YOU must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off." And finally, a NT prohibition (Acts 15:29): "To keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication.. This is the main skeletal structure of why we don't accept blood - because the Bible says we should'nt. I will elaborate more on this at a later time.

Ahh, but to say that you accept the bible in full, and then not to follow it literally would be hypocritical. You are not to eat the blood, it doesn't say you can't recieve transfusions. Every peice of meat you eat will have some blood in it. That's where the taste comes from (hemoglobin from the blood). Are you all vegetarians? There is also blood in eggs (chicken menstruation), and milk (Cows regularily have bleeding sores, because they have been engineered to have udders far too large for their bodies. Some of this blood and pus get in the milk.). Before you say that these are animals, and thus, do not count, read your quote again. "YOU must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh...". It says "any sort of flesh". I presume meat is flesh.

The reason why that is not true is because the Bible cannot be considered a normal book. The Bible is not inspired because it says so, but because of it's works and fruitage. Druidus, name me another book which was written over a period of 1000's of years, has prophecies which have come true 100's of years before they were told, were written by prophets who lived in different time periods who had never met eachother but the Bible's message still remains harmonious, was scientifically correct in an era where scientific knowledge was poor, and has archaelogical evidence to support it's message?

Zathutra (sp?), a prophet from around the same region as the biblical prophets, was killed for his predictions, because they were against the bible. The predictions came true. Show me these "predictions" that came true. What about the Vedic texts? The myriad other "holy" books? I recall, one of them had drawings of flyable aircraft!

Nostradamus also predicted much. However, biblical predictions are even more vague then his, and thus, open to speculation, not considered fact. The bible's message is harmonius? Why was the God of the old testament more like a sadistic ruler who favoured one child, and the God of the new testament like a loving martyr who favoured none? It's works and fruitage? Why aren't the other holy books considered the word of God to you, then?

P.S. Sorry if I sound hostile, I most certainly am not, just eager to ask questions.