Jehovahs Witness vs Word of Wisdom

[ElectofGod]

Can't have beer but I sure can have my vanilla extract at 35-45% alcohol content.

Why do we always talk about the cant's?

About the most common that almost every member breaks.

Meat to be USED SPARINGLY only in times of famine, and winter or cold.

Grains are for the use of Man

Including barley and all other herbs.

I say if the spirit tells you its ok don't worry about it. I drink my occasional drink of soda with caffeine but not a lot. My vanilla extract I use as well. Beer is off limits but there are many things so similar that are not called beer that also have 1-3% alcohol. Do we drink those? Drugs? Narcotics? Why are we allowed to take these strong medications that are FAR worse than any alcohol drink or beer.

Its because THEY are for the use of man WHEN NEEDED. Not to be taken into drunkenness or without need like meat in the summer. I wouldn't even feel guilty drinking a beer to save my life unless the spirit directly told me no if someone drank that poison someone mentioned. ( I wouldn't do it unless the spirit told me too).

[bytebear]

I actually believe very few live the letter of the law (eating meat only in winter and famine, etc.). On the other hand, I'm not sure most live the spirit of the law, either. There must be some other in-between.

Perhaps letter of the (cultural) law. I would rather people eat meat sparingly than look down on those that drink Coke or Pepsi.

[Lakumi]

speaking of Jehovah's Witnesses... what do you think would happen if a pair of them, ran into a pair of missionaries, both about to go up to the same house?

[prisonchaplain]

I know that Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a WoW-like health code, and that they are allowed to drink alcohol. As mentioned, they do not emphasize child-bearing either. Some might even argue that the time commitment they have towards door-to-door witnessing might detract from that. A cultural factor, they have far fewer "fellowship" type events. My information is somewhat 2nd hand--but I did grow up around friends who were Witnesses, and have been to a few of their Kingdom Hall and stadium events.

[Just_A_Guy]

speaking of Jehovah's Witnesses... what do you think would happen if a pair of them, ran into a pair of missionaries, both about to go up to the same house?

When I was a missionary, we found that (from our perspective) the average JW member could be pretty . . . difficult to deal with.

On the other hand, I still remember the day we tracted (went door-to-door) into the home of a twenty-something JW married couple who were full-time missionaries for their church. We got into comparing our functions in our respective churches and commiserating about some our common challenges, and it was a singularly delightful conversation.

In many, many ways--we're on the same team.

[mordorbund]

The Jehovah's Witnesses I tracted into as a missionary would typically offer us something to drink and tell us we could come in if we needed a break. I'd sip some ice water and they'd tell us that they respect what we're doing because they do the same and know what it's like to witness in that area.

One afternoon, the four of us in the same apartment were cleaning up after playing some sports and putting on our "uniforms" when someone knocked on our door. It was the Jehovah's witnesses! They stared at us, and we stared at them. Finally someone said, "well this doesn't happen every day!" We reciprocated the kindness often shown us by offering something to drink.

[Dravin]

When I was a missionary, we found that (from our perspective) the average JW member could be pretty . . . difficult to deal with.

In one area it appeared that the JW would use our missionary apartment for training. We'd semi-regularly have a pair drop by. We'd politely listen to their introduction and teaser, explain that we we actually agreed with some of the stuff they were saying but not in the way they probably meant it and at the end tried to do a pamphlet exchange (which they never agreed too). We figured they were stopping by for mainly two reasons:

1) If they came by at noon or before 10 am they'd run into real live people pretty consistently.

2) They knew that we'd be polite, we weren't going to berate or attack them so we probably made for a good practice door.

I suppose it is possible that they simply weren't aware that missionaries were living there, but 'we'd' been in the apartment for several years, you'd think word would have gotten around. There is the fact that we occasionally recognized someone from a previous visit. However, I don't honestly know how they are organized and how communication of such things might work.

Edited August 26, 2013 by Dravin

[NightSG]

In one area it appeared that the JW would use our missionary apartment for training.

Maybe they get bonus points for converting missionaries.