We have a new employee, when we passed around a birthday card for an upcoming employee birthday, she refused to sign the card because she said it was against her religion (Jehovah Witness), but she did say that her religion recognized anniversary's and proceeded to tell us her wedding anniversary date. She also told us she doesn't recognize Christmas. Do any of you know what Jehovah Witnesses believe that may conflict with Christian beliefs. I do not know much about this religion at all and do not want to disrespect the lady. *************************************************** 08-24-06, 12:59 PM juanruiz In brief:
No voting No military service No Christmas No birthdays Jesus was an archangel (specifically, Michael) No Trinity Few take communion
Jehovah's Witnesses are members of an international religious organization who believe they are the restoration of first-century Christianity. Their preaching, evangelistic, and publishing activities are extensive, with The Watchtower and Awake! religious magazines being their most widely known publications. Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, they are directed by a Governing Body. Each local congregation is led by a group of elders who are appointed by representatives of the Governing Body. Their official membership currently stands at over 6.6 million.[1]
From their inception, they have been concerned with the second advent of Jesus. Initially holding many views similar to other 19th century Adventist groups, such as the Millerites; they have since developed a unique eschatology. They trace their origin to the religious movement known as Bible Students, which was founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell. Following a schism in 1917, those who remained supportive of the Watch Tower Society adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931 under the leadership of Joseph Franklin Rutherford.
The entire Bible is regarded by Jehovah's Witnesses to be the inerrant word of God. They regard the use of God's name (rendered Jehovah in English) to be critical to acceptable worship.
08-24-06, 01:30 PM DorianGreyed According to Wikipedia, they abstain from political involvement, but they are only discouraged, not prohibited, from voting.
While they do not celebrate Christmas as most Christians do, the most important annual event is the celebration of the death of Jesus (Memorial, Jesus' sacrifice for all mankind) held after sundown on the date corresponding to Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar.
08-24-06, 03:45 PM VelvetVoice Personally, I don't understand why they now recognize anniversaries. The objection to recognizing holidays was twofold (or so I thought): to diminish pride, worldliness, or selfish thoughts, and to see each day as special or a holiday.
Also, they do not give blood or take transfusions. As far as I know, they probably don't donate organs either. It has to do with not injesting the blood of living organisms, pagans or other religions believed that to eat the blood of enemies or certain animals was to absorb their power or life energy. Jews were also instructed to let the blood drain onto the ground, or saved to sprinkle on the Mercy Seat when the priest went in the tabernacle on the Day of Atonement. OT Scripture says "there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood".
08-24-06, 03:54 PM DorianGreyed Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
It seems that JWs feel it is only through Christ's blood that redemption and forgiveness comes.
Jehovah's Witnesses request non-blood alternatives, which are widely used and accepted by the medical community. They do this because of the Bible's command to "keep abstaining from . . . blood." (Acts 15:29; see also Genesis 9:3, 4; Leviticus 7:26, 27; 17:1, 2, 10-12; Deuteronomy 12:23-25.) While Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood for religious rather than medical reasons, many have acknowledged that this refusal has helped the Witnesses to avoid contracting many costly and fatal diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis.
08-24-06, 04:09 PM clarebear Riddle me this Batman.
While Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate any holidays, they WILL accept the extra holiday pay at work. Hmmm...
08-24-06, 05:47 PM juanruiz
quote: Originally posted by clarebear: Riddle me this Batman.
While Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate any holidays, they WILL accept the extra holiday pay at work. Hmmm...
And they'll eat at, but not bring food to the office Christmas party. Frown
08-24-06, 06:00 PM DorianGreyed Does anyone in this thread get MLK Day off? How do you celebrate it?
What little I know about JWs indicates that they adhere to the tenets of their religion more faithfully than most Christians that I know, including this one.
08-29-06, 10:58 AM Tulula Thank you all! Your answers were very helpful.
As far as MLK day -- no, I do not get the day off and no, I do not celebrate it -- on that same note, I do not celebrate President's Day or Groundhogs Day and our company does not give us a holiday on Easter. Frown
08-29-06, 10:48 PM Professor Dg's quotation from the JW official site:
quote: Jehovah's Witnesses request nonblood alternatives, which are widely used and accepted by the medical community. ...While Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood for religious rather than medical reasons, many have acknowledged that this refusal has helped the Witnesses to avoid contracting many costly and fatal diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis.
"Non-blood alternatives" (e.g., saline or other synthetic fluids) are used routinely in anybody undergoing surgery, while doctors are increasingly stingy about transfusing. JWs make it sound like it's no big deal to refuse transfusions. Ultimately there is no substitute for the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells (RBCs), however, so JWs can -- and do -- die of severe anemia during or after surgery when a transfusion would easily have saved them. Research continues to develop synthetic alternatives to RBCs (e.g., perfluorinated hydrocarbons) but none has yet been found suitable.
The risk of hepatitis from a unit of banked blood is less than 1:100,000, HIV less than 1:1,000,000. That's a poor excuse to refuse a desperately needed life-saving treatment.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Professor, 08-30-06 12:10 AM
08-30-06, 01:17 PM aminator2002 Why don't they donate blood for themselves?
08-30-06, 01:33 PM clarebear There are 10 government holidays per year not counting Easter. I get MLK day off. I may not "celebrate" but its fine with me for people to honor him. And no, I don't have a problem with getting a paid day off work. I don't have any personal convictions against MLK. I think he was a great man and I support his views. I don't hold a strong belief that honoring him is wrong. I don't knock on people's doors telling them how wrong it is to honor others. Witnesses believe its against God and the bible to honor anyone yet they will reap the rewards of these holidays. They don't even celebrate birthdays since it "honors" someone other than God.
If there was a National Al Qaeda day, I wouldn't celebrate it. Even if I could get the free paid day off- I wouldn't take it. If I was forced to take the paid day then I would donate the money to a charity. I wouldn't spend my life thumping about how wrong it is to honor Al Queda and then reap the benefits by getting a free day off and a plate of mostacholi. Something just isn't right there.
08-30-06, 02:35 PM VelvetVoice Ami-Because that would be the same as injesting blood. They would even let their children die for lack of a blood transfusion, and I know people who have. I respect their rights to refuse blood, even if I think it's a misguided idea as to how to keep idolatry out of their lives.
CB-This is called being "good stewards" of their lives. I see nothing wrong with working a holiday and accepting pay for it. They also refuse to work on Sunday, as do I (reformed Baptist), unless it is absolutely necessary, such as a doctor or fireman. I also refrain from shopping on the Lord's Day, some even refrain from watching TV or listening to the radio.
Tulula-Another thing, don't bother saying "God bless you" to her or expecting her to say it. In medieval times, people believed that the spirit left the body during a sneeze and the custom of blessing someone was to help the spirit return to the body. Saying "bless you" is a superstition.
08-30-06, 05:47 PM clarebear
quote: CB-This is called being "good stewards" of their lives. I see nothing wrong with working a holiday and accepting pay for it. They also refuse to work on Sunday, as do I (reformed Baptist), unless it is absolutely necessary, such as a doctor or fireman. I also refrain from shopping on the Lord's Day, some even refrain from watching TV or listening to the radio.
Attitudes often change when it comes to Sunday shift premium, bonus pay, extra annual leave and pot lucks. I do think that society has changed and Witnesses may need the extra money to make ends meet. Many Jewish people now work on Saturday because they have to- not because they want to. Its still biblically wrong. (as are most things these days)
Witnesses preach openly to save people and warn others of the evil holidays. Scarfing down Christmas cookies in the watchtower kitchen is just wrong. Its no different than working Christmas day for double time and a half. Its nothing personal against Witnesses. I see the same thing in all religions.
Tulula's coworker refused to sign the birthday card since honoring another person is against her religion. Politely refusing is being a good steward. Now if she wanted a piece of the birthday cake or wanted to take a balloon home to her child, this would be wrong.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: clarebear, 08-30-06 07:22 PM
08-31-06, 10:37 AM Tulula I didn't know that Velvetvoice, and I do say God Bless you when someone sneezes -- she hasn't said anything about that, but I will try to remember in the future. I have figured out one thing about my co-worker though, JW or not, she does not seem to care very much about how what she does on her job may effect other people -- while she is very nice to customers, she says she will do one thing and then turns around and does nothing which is beginning to become quite irrating to me and another coworker as we are not beginning to spend a portion of our days fixing what she has either not done, or done wrong. We keep trying to explain to her how in the insurance idustry you must, must, must take care of your customers because you are dealing with their personal belongings and thing you do or don't do can effect/affect them forever -- unfortunately from mine and my coworkers perspective -- her only goal is to get that paycheck every two weeks Frown I don't think this is a JW way, I think this is a I don't give a &&%&%& way -- but interesting nevertheless.
08-31-06, 11:34 AM clarebear You're right- that is not the JW way. My point in the previous posts is that sometimes people use religion as an excuse to avoid things they don't want to do. I do respect all religions and I don't try to push my views on others. I don't like to be lectured to by someone whose views change just to fit their situation. I work with some Witnesses that are some of the nicest, hard working people I have ever met. They are just trying to make it to heaven. I understand that. You don't have to walk on eggshells to avoid offending someone. I can tell by your posts that you are very considerate, understanding and have a lot of integrity. Compromise is how we get along in such a diverse society. Let others make concessions for your beliefs too. A true JW is so comfortable in their beliefs that it is near impossible to knock them out of their square. Smile
This message has been edited. Last edited by: clarebear, 08-31-06 10:00 PM
08-31-06, 03:20 PM Tulula Thanks for the kind words Clarebear. I agree with you regarding respecting people's beliefs but not walking on eggshells -- for me, I find most things acceptable to deal with religiouswise -- as long as it is not IN MY FACE or doesn't directly effect me or my loved ones.
However, the person that the JW replaced was an atheist and would sit at her desk everyday and use profanity (most specfically the GD word)on a regular basis -- I on the other hand would sit in my office and say "Praise God and Hallelujah" every now and then, not every day (out loud), not even every week, and only if something good happened.
One day I completed some project I had worked on for a while and I praised God that I was done (I was in my own office at the time but it's a small office space so I guess she could hear me) and she came to me and said that it offended her for me to praise God in the workplace, at which time, I explained to her that if she had a problem with my praising God in the workplace, she needed to take that up with our employer and that when he told me he would not allow me to praise God out loud occasionally in the workplace that I would then (and only then) consider his request and decide from that point if I was working in the right environment.
I did tell her that her continuous profanity offended me; however, I had learned to turn my music up a little higher so as not to hear her and that perhaps she could have that same consideration for me. She did go to the boss, but ironically got fired a few weeks later for poor work performance. hmmmmmmm Prior to this job, I have worked in Corporate, Corporate America and have never -- even once -- had a religious issue come up in over 20 years, so I am now a little sensitive about the issue because I do want to show proper respect, but I am pretty much over people not showing me proper respect for respecting them -- I figured if I educated myself a little, perhaps I would not step on her toes -- at least where religion is concerned. Wink
09-01-06, 07:12 AM Elexina
quote: Originally posted by Tulula: ..an atheist and would sit at her desk everyday and use profanity (most specfically the GD word)on a regular basis...
You'll be relieved to know that most atheists have more decorum and common sense than that and don't tend to go about swearing or profaning out loud in a professional environment. Smile
09-01-06, 08:54 AM Tulula
I know this Elexina -- my first boyfriend was an atheist, and while I didn't agree with his beliefs -- he didn't try to impose them on me, nor was he evil, mean or whatever stereotype one might think someone who doesn't believe in God may be like. He was just the same as anybody and no one would know what his beliefs were unless you asked him (which is why he became my boyfriend -- I am sure I wouldn't have dated him if I had known he was an atheist from the beginning) he was still a good person though and I know my ex-coworker was not a good person -- she was also not a good atheist -- I would think.
09-06-06, 08:01 AM Elexina
quote: Originally posted by Tulula: ...he was still a good person though and I know my ex-coworker was not a good person...
And that is an important distinction to be able to make. It is really a shame when people cannot be good examples of their belief system -and even more so when they are just bad people in general.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,
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