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Essay by 24 • November 5, 2010 • 1,288 Words (6 Pages) • 1,208 Views
Being a Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that name? Preachers? Church-dwellers? "The kingdom"? That's what many around the world first think of, however you may also have thought of: the bible. This may be because you know that every belief that Jehovah's Witnesses have stems from the bible. The bible is the foundation of the religion. Living the life of a Jehovah's Witness is one of the most fulfilling ways one can lead their life.
Many argue that the bible is out of date and unhelpful for humans today. This is not the case though. The bible is essentially the guidebook to leading a perfect and happy life, and just like you would need to read some sort of manual before constructing a product, so to should you read the bible for guidance on your own life. This is what Jehovah's Witnesses try their best to do, though it is not easy because all humans are imperfect.
Some bible principles deal with family life, work habits, and relationships with others. They apply to all people and its counsel is always beneficial. Many who say that the bible is unhelpful and is a waste of time haven't read it or tried to live by its standards, so they do not fully know this. It is impossible to fully understand what it feels like to live by bible standards unless you've tried it yourself. It is impossible to fully understand what it feels like to be a Jehovah's Witness unless you've embarked on the lifestyle.
There are quite a number of people who believe that Jehovah's Witnesses are prudish for their differences in their morals and standards. For example, many find it difficult to believe that they do not celebrate Christmas or birthdays, or any other festive holiday. Many don't understand what's so wrong about standing for O Canada or singing anthems for any other country. The fact of the matter is, there are quite a number of festive holidays that people around the world celebrate that they may or may not know have pagan backgrounds, or are quite obviously based on its influences. To Jehovah's witnesses, it is very important to stay away from such kinds of celebrations because they feel that it's a necessity to worship God with their whole soul and in the way he wants them to. This would not be possible while participating in celebrations that have paganism as its origin.
Still though, O Canada? You may be thinking to yourself: Aren't they thankful that they have a country to live in in the first place? Aren't they thankful that they don't have to fight for the freedom and peace that other countries only dream of? The answer to both of those questions is yes, they are. However, again, what is the background of this act? More specifically, what exactly are you doing when you sing O Canada or any other anthem? Let's go through the motions. When the cue signals for the anthem to begin, everyone is required to stop everything that they're doing, give their full attention to the song, stand tall with respect and dignity, and sing a song that pays homage to the flag. To the country. You are required to do this every morning. A ritual. Like worship. Jehovah's Witnesses only worship one God; they only give that particular kind of attention to Jehovah. Idolatry, which is essentially what the national anthem and its various exercises, reflects is against what the bible teaches. Paying respects to the flag in that way, is a form of worship.
A lot of people in the world find the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door annoying, redundant, and unnecessary. Why though do the do what they do? Why is it so important to them to go door to door and preach the things that they preach? If one were to look into
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