About Michael O`Flaherty (Expert=8663) Expertise Did you know that the Bible does talk about the concept of the trinity? Did you know that Jesus did claim to be God, and that unless He washes you, you will not get into heaven? If you want a spirited debate about your beliefs in relation to the Bible, please ask. I will warn you; you might be challenged. Friendly debate only!
Expert: Michael O`Flaherty (Expert=8663) - 8/22/2006
Question I have been having a bible study for the past four years. A break for about a year when my first marriage broke up. I am now happily married to a lovely catholic who is very opened minded and happy for me to continue with my studies. I was on the internet earlier to access the official jw website when I came across a website called "Jehovas Witness Killings". I read this website and now very confused about what I have been studying. I myself was raised a catholic. The girl who gives me my study is also the same age as me and with the same age children and I am quite worried that she might be living a lie, which never occured to me till I read this websit, Very confused now! I wouldnt tell her as she was raised a JW and so is her husband and we have built up a very good freindship, Only in bible study hours. Would love to have your input on this if you could find the time
Answer Hi Terri!
Sure! Sorry for the delay.
I am not clear what the web site is referring to specifically, but the Watchtower (JWs) is considered a killer cult because of their stance on blood. They consider, for example, a life-saving procedure like blood transfusion as drinking blood (which is forbidden in the OT.)
LEV 17:10 " `Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood--I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood."
AC 15:28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Of course, blood transfusions did not exist until much, much later. Jesus also considered people who denied saving life for the Sabbath as evil:
LK 6:9 Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
As far as other issues, the JWs have gone to great lengths to discredit Jesus in their Bible by changing God’s Word to fit their viewpoints.
If you want a simple conversation started, ask your JW friends who raised Jesus from the dead?
If they say that God raised Jesus from the dead, they would be right (Acts 2:32 for example.)
If they say that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, they would be right (Romans 8:11 for example.)
If they say that Jesus raised his own body from the dead, they would be right (John 2:18-22 for example.) – (They will vehemently disagree with this one since they feel that Jesus could not raise himself and they also believe that his body was dissolved into “gaseous form to serve as a memorial to God.”)
The above example is one of many proofs of the Trinity which they oppose.
