Jehovah's Witnesses

Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses give and receive gifts all the time. The only time we refrain from certain gift giving customs is when it is associated with customs or holidays that are tied up in pagan and non-Christian religion. An example of when we refrain from gift giving or receiving in birthday celebrations which origionated in pagan religion. The birthday celebration was actually a celebration to appease the god of the astrological sign the celebrant was born under. Also we don't participate in the popular holidays because of their roots in pagan religion as well. But on other occasions we do exchange gifts. For example: wedding anniversaries, bridal and baby showers, house warming, and other occasions that are not related to pagan religion, and sometimes we give gifts for no reason at all.

Jehovah's Witnesses listen to ALL types of music.

Jehovah's Witnesses listen to reggae, rock, urban, calypso, classical you name it, what they do not do is spend insurmountable time listening to music -- isolating themselves in the process -- or blindly try to emulate the singers and composers, or jump on the 'gotta buy that CD or I'm a nobody' bandwagon.

If you have a Jehovah's Witness as a friend or associate maybe you can ask them what kind of music they like to listen to.

Lady Gaga :) ROFL

I'm a JW and I listen to ambient.

In 2013, Jehovah's Witnesses' Memorial of Christ will be commemorated after sunset on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. ("Our Kingdom Ministry", December 2011, ©Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 4)

Jehovah's Witnesses also schedule a "Special Talk" during "the Memorial season", on the regular day of each congregation's regular weekend meeting. The Special Talk is almost (though not always) scheduled for a date AFTER that year's Memorial, so it seems unlikely the Special Talk will be Sun, Mar. 24, 2013 (two days before that year's Memorial).

This is a highly subjective question since for many individuals the expressed "to be saved" relates to an individuals being approved by the God they believe in. Below are various opinons on this matter

Opinion

The Jehovah's Witness belief is that they have been saved from a life in this present system of things in opposition to God and therefore a path to death without hope and are in an approved condition. They believe millions will have the opportunity to also be saved from literal destruction (death) if they aherere to the words of Matthew 24: 13 which reads

"But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

-- New Living Translation (©2007)

Other opinions....

JW's believe that only 144,00 have the "heavenly hope" to go to heaven and serve and rule with Michael the Archangel. The rest of them are just working and trying to endure to the end in hopes that they may be saved. They don't seem to know what's going to happen to them during the Tribulation or the Battle of Armageddon. So the question may need be clarified as to "Saved from what or who?" Additionally, they believe that Jesus actually came back in 1918/1919 to inspect their organization as the one and only true organization that he could use to teach his people after he started reigning in heaven in 1914.

I personally believe that I am saved because:

1. I actually believe that Jesus, the son of God, came to earth, lived as a man, healed the sick, raised the dead and died for my sins.

2. That after he died, he rose in bodily form and returned to heaven to prepare a place for those who believe #1 enough to do whatever it is that he directs me to do in my daily relationship with Him and His Father God through communication with the Holy Spirit who He sent to be with us until he gets back. All according to what I actually read in the scriptures for myself and not through someone else's interpretation of what I should believe.

• Since I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I can say first hand that the above statement is incorrect. The fact is, we do accept Jesus as our ONLY means of salvation. We recognoize that only by exercising faith in the value of his ransom sacrifice that he provided, can we gain everlasting life, and thus, salvation. In fact, it is because of this stand, that in many lands JW's are percecuted. In Nazi Germany, JW's refused to even say the "heil Hitler" salute, because that phrase means "salvation comes from Hitler." But because we recognize that salvation comes from Jesus, many were actually put to death in the concentration camps, because they viewed even saying that salutation as compromizing their faith in Jesus. It is also because of our faith in Jesus, and our obedience to his command to preach (Matt 28:19,20;Matt 24:14), that we witness, going door-to-door, preaching about the kingdom that he is now enthroned as ruler of.

Matthew 7:21 Not every on that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jeremiah 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

Ezekiel 8:18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

Micah 3:4 Then sall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time.

Matthew 7:21 quoted above says that "Not everyone saying to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens." The very next sentence goes on to say, But the one doing the will of my father, who is in the heavens, will." The clarification is made here that Jesus was not expressing a futile view of serving God. Jesus was talking about those who would render to God simply lip service would not enter the kingdom, but only those DOING God's will WOULD enter into the kingdom.

Jeremiah 14:12, Ezekiel 8:18, and Micah 3:4 were condemnations apon the rebellious nation of Israel. God would not listen to them because while performing perfuctory service to God, they were not OBEYING him, therefore they were worthy of the punishment that was coming apon them.

These scriptures give us valuable lessons today, illustrating the importance of obedience to God, and doing his will.

The original question was "Are JW's saved?"

JW's like myself do believe that we are saved depending on our continued obedience to Jesus and his father, Jehovah. The Bible's counsel is to not be overconfident of our standing. 1 Cor. 10:12 says "Consequently let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall." The idea of "once saved, always saved," does not agree with the Bible. Jesus said that "He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."-(Matthew 24:13) So our salvation is dependant apon our endurance in doing God's will "to the end," whether "the end" is the end of our present life, or until God brings about "the end" of this system of things, whichever comes first.

Well, this "religion" does NOT believe in the "born again" experience, the Blood of Jesus Christ to atone for their sins NOR do they believe the testimony of Jesus Christ as being the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF THE FATHER.

Well, I think you can draw your own conclusions. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but BY ME".

Unless a person becomes BORN AGAIN of the SPIRIT of GOD they are NOT SAVED. Unless a man repent of their sins and receive the blood of Christ as the sin sacrifice, THEY ARE NOT SAVED!

Need ANYONE say more?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The above answerer is incorrect in their assertion that we do not beleve in being born again. We know from the scriptures that those who go to heaven MUST be born again. This referrs to the fact that each one who receives a heavenly calling must be born along by holy spirit.

To find answers concerning the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, it is best to get that information directly from us, rather than from those who claim to know what we believe, yet may not actually know.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The truth of the matter is that God is the only one who can truly judge the heart of a man. It is not our job or place to decide who goes to heaven or not. By taking a side on this matter, we are essentially playing God by saying who can go to heaven and who cannot. But here's the facts. In John 17:3 it says this is how we get eternal life, " And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the One true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Many people will look at this verse and say that they know God and think that they are saved and that they are going to heaven. But if this verse meant just that, then almost everyone would be going to heaven. But this is untrue. Essentially there are two different meanings to the word know. One simply means to know (have knowledge or recognition) about, and the other means to know to the extent that you have a relationship. In the Spanish language it is much easier to understand because there are two words for KNOW and they are CONOCER and SABER. SABER is the KNOW that mainly deals with the facts. For example I know that the sun is yellow. But CONOCER means to know on a personal basis or have an INERACTIVE RELATIONSHIP. For example I know my best friend Kristina and i have a relationship with her.

In English, we only have one word for both these different kinds of KNOW, but when looking at this verse, we must replace the word KNOW with the CONOCER meaning because it is translated using that specific word. When we replace it we get, " And this is eternal life, that they may have an INERACTIVE RELATIONSHIP with You, the One true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." To know about God simply is not the way to inherit eternal life. But we must know Him (CONOCER) and have a relationship with Him. Now, does having a relationship with God simply mean doing works because I am told to? I believe not. I am not a good friend to my friends because I have to be, but I CHOOSE to be. And my relationship with my friends requires sacrifice and diligence. I do not expect them to do be doing all the work, because if that happened, I would loose a lot of my friends quickly, but I also am giving effort into this relationship. It is the same with God. We must choose to have that relationship with Him and once we have it, we must pursue it with diligence.

Now, going back to whether Jehovah's witnesses are saved, I believe that of course no one will ever truly know whether someone is saved or not, except for God. For it also says in 1 Samuel 16:7, "...For the LORD does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." We can only see the outside of what man does, and that is not enough. For Scripture also says in Jeremiah 17:9-10, " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know (CONOCER) it? I, the LORD search the heart..." God is the one who looks at the heart. We cannot see a man's true heart. We cannot know whether they are decieving us by displaying with their works what looks like a saved person. We are not God. We cannot know this. But by looking at John 17:3 and understanding it, we can see that ANYONE who has an interactive relationship with God, is saved. This includes all types of people, Christians, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc... Let them decide for themselves whether they are saved or not. God is there, waiting, you choose.

As Isaiah 64:6 puts it, "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." This is saying, it doesn't matter what we do; we can be the most self-obtained righteous person in the world, helping old ladies across the the street and all that; we will still NEVER be good enough for God!

Galatians 2:19-21 says, "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." How blunt can someone be! How wonderful is the grace of our God!!

Philippians 3:8-9 says, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." Witnesses unfortunately tend to interpret faith in Christ or as they put it "exercising* faith in Christ" as living in the same manner that Jesus did, I'm not going to say for a second that this is the wrong thing to do, but it is somewhat impossible. Translate John 1:1 however you want, but the divinity of Christ is unquestionable; it is impossible for Man to even come close to Christ's righteousness. Not only that but it just creates a whole load more rules that we have to follow.

* The words exercise, exercising, exercised, exercises has been added into the NWT 27 times whenever faith in Christ is mentioned. They have no backing from Greek and can alter the meaning.

God wants to be friends with us; it took Jesus dying for our sins for that to be able to happen. And now through Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can have a loving interactive relationship with the Father where we are considered by him blameless on a level without sin.

So in answer to the question. Unless a Jehovah's Witness has a PERSONAL relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit, they shall not be saved.

Of course they were. (Acts 10:34) The early Witnesses did not have a segregational or racist policies nor was there a selection of privileges based on race or colour; the Watchtower of July 15th 1902 stated (quoted above) states:

[QUOTE] "From the Scriptural standpoint we must and do recognize all of the human family as one race, of which father Adam was the original head.." [UNQUOTE] and, referred to black Americans who were the descendents of African slaves, as one group "from among whom no doubt the Lord is making choice of some for the prospective "royal priesthood." From it's very beginning the Jehovah's Witnesses believed that people of any races (including blacks) could be in line for heavenly life to rule with Jesus as kings.

Still, very early Jehovah's Witness beliefs did teach a theology referred to as "restistituion" in which they believed that the return to the original Edenic standards would include a "restoration" of humans to Adam and Eves original skin colour. This was believed to be neither extremely white nor very dark. as the Watchtower July 15th 1902 puts it "...the EXTREME WHITENESS of some peoples is not to be considered the original standard, but A DEFLECTION ...". This of course is somewhat distasteful to todays reader but it did not reflect any teaching that the white (or black) race was defective or inferior rather that ALL MANKIND fell short of edenic perfection. Jehovah's Witnesses have never hidden the fact that they have been a progressive organisation, continually refining their beliefs thanks to increasing spiritual light and this is no exception. In time this teaching was abandoned in favor of one that closer reflected biblical truth. (Proverbs 18: 4).

While the Watchtower Society has as good (or bad) attitudes to race and race equality as many other institutions in the USA (especially in the south) even today there are almost no black leaders in the JW movement as opposed to a high percentage in Christian denominations, despite the majority (52%) of JW members being black or ethnic.

Nonetheless, a large number of official statements in their publications clearly reflected racist attitudes that have permeated the JW movement since its conception:

For example, an October 15, 1919, Golden Age article (a JW publication) about prohibition (p. 44) stated, "from a criminal viewpoint the desirability of sobering the southern negro speaks volumes for national prohibition."

Another article refers to those from the Far East of all oriental nationalities as "coolies" who were "cutthroats and murderers" (Golden Age, March 10, 1926, p. 374).

Another article states that the 'British Empire' nations are all ruled by Whites, whom the Watchtower describes as having "superior mental, moral, or physical force" and that this superiority is disappearing because the "powers of the colored races are expanding" (May 5, 1926:483).

A Golden Age article vehemently condemned a book sympathetic to blacks, Uncle Tom's Cabin, which it called "the work of Satan" and they even once stated that the Spaniards were a "backward" race (Bolling, 1927:141).

Racism is also obvious in statements such as "careful observations in a London school showed that children enjoyed the heartiest laughs, not from slapstick comedies, but from [such activities as] ... watching a negro miner enjoying a square meal" (Golden Age, 1928:684).

Although the Watchtower claims to believe that all races are biological brothers, all descendants of Adam and Eve, they have for decades officially taught the doctrine of biological inferiority of the black race as formal segregation of blacks was once rigidly enforced in their organization, both during the rule of their first president, C.T. Russell (1852-1916) and their second, Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942) and even until the late 1950's. This, again, is corroborated in the Watchtower's own publications, included here so that JWs reading this article cannot accuse me, as the writer, of hatred or bias:

Recognizing that it meant either the success or the failure of the...[Photo] Drama as respects the whites, we have been compelled to assign the colored friends to the gallery... Some were offended at this arrangement. We have received numerous letters from the colored friends, some claiming that it is not right to make a difference, others indignantly and bitterly denouncing [us] as enemies of the colored people. Some ... told us that they believe it would be duty to stand up for equal rights and always to help the oppressed.... We again suggested that if a suitable place could be found in which the Drama could be presented for the benefit of the colored people alone, we would be glad to make such arrangements, or to cooperate with any others in doing so (Watchtower, April 1,1914:110).

Being viewed as inferior supposedly made a person a better 'servant' and consequently the official Watchtower publication The Golden Age magazine (now called Awake!) commented that (bold type mine):

...the curse which Noah pronounced upon Canaan was the origin of the black race. Certain it is that when Noah said, "Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren," he pictured the future of the Colored race. They have been and are a race of servants, but now in the dawn of the twentieth century, we are all coming to see this matter of service in its true light and to find that the only real joy in life is in serving others; not bossing them. There is no servant in the world as good as a good Colored servant, and the joy that he gets from rendering faithful service is one of the purest joys there is in the world (The Golden Age, July 24, 1929: 702).

As recent as 1952, the Watchtower extolled the "servant" and "teachable" qualities of blacks in their publications - not just condescending but, more to the point, treating black people as subserviant to white.

The above are just a few examples of many references from the JW's own literature that betrays a systematic catalogue of racist attitudes. This is a real shame as the JW movement has attracted over half of its converts in the USA from black and ethnic peoples - more than any other group of its sort in the USA, despite its white supremacist leadership.