Ask a Former JW: Home Bible Studies Alone?
Now, I know that the Jehovah’s Witnesses go door to door to spread the Word. And I wanted to know when the Witnesses have found someone open to the beliefs and are working on converting them do they ever come to the person’s home for one on one Bible study sessions?
Is it forbidden for a Jehovah’s Witness to go alone to visit a non-Jehovah’s Witness at home even if it is for the purpose of Bible study? Or are Bible studies only done in larger groups at the Kingdom Hall?
Yes, they do come to your home, but not alone. They come in twos or threes for home bible study, just like the door-to-door service. They frown on any socializing with non-JWs – and if you do have a home bible study, you don’t go to the house by yourself. In my congregation, the schedule was something like this: At the Kingdom Hall, there is the public meeting and Watchtower study on Sunday (total 2 hours), and usually Tuesday and Thursday nights have one-hour meetings for ministry school (public speaking and ministry practice sessions) as well as a book study (only their own books) which is sometimes held at members’ homes. Sometimes there is an additional Friday meeting for the “youth” (teenagers) – unless they have phased that out (which, given my own experiences, wouldn’t surprise me at all).
Note to blog readers: This was a question from a creative writer – not from anyone planning anything nefarious! lol
Jehovah’s Witnesses have never had a separate, special meeting for youth on Friday nights. Individual Witnesses may choose to gather to discuss the Bible or or recration whenever they choose.
Witnesses are not prohibited from coming to a study alone. It is simply a matter of safety and of association.
Witnesses are not forbidden from associating with a non-witness. They simply acknowledge the need to choose their associates wisely and to not associate with people that willfully breaks God’s laws and principles.
Um….yes they have. We had a Friday night youth “gathering.” Although it was not part of the national “schedule,” it was a regular event much like the Tuesday (or Thurs, depending on your congregation’s access to the Hall for the “theocratic ministry school”) night book study, rotated among the houses in much same manner.
JWs rarely have solitary book studies – and if someone wants one, watch out. They are actively discouraged from doing that – for lots of obvious and also less obvious reasons.
All their training prohibits “wordly associations” (anyone who is not a JW). You can tell even from Milton’s comment above that this is the case – but they often pretend this isn’t the case as he is doing. Interesting that most JWs are so well trained that will not experience cognitive dissonance over little contradictions liek this.
In fact, JWs are around non-Jws all the time, not just in “service.” Most of them go to public schools and after that, they have to work somewhere. However, in these circumstances it is understood that they should hold themselves separate, use every occasion possible to witness, etc. Individual Witnesses who actually try to be a little “normal” around non-JWs are made to feel guilty about it. It’s one of those things that tends to make some sensitive JWs feel that they will never be good enough, no matter what they do. Over time, the effects of this dynamic can be quite destructive.
Hi
i am pastor in guntur state ap in india about last 10 years. i got so many answers in the bible.but i having one critical doubt BIBLE.
1) in the bible 40+ writers are writing the bible.they all are inspired by god like dreams, visions,revelation.prophets see god why they not ask god about his orders or why they not suggest god about their opinions.why they not ask more friendly with god like why this is/why that is/what is this/what is that/what is your plan and what is this result/why you do these things/what is need or benifit of these things
/Tell me why you hide some secrts /and clear all of my doubts one by one.
2)Why god not tell much about his origin or his creatin of events before earth,only small picture of angels in heaven and very little bit of satan rebelltion with god and fall was telling in bible.
3)i think god telling above events that is one book is more enough.why god not tell all of our douts while he inspired by authours,Any way he is know we had so many doubts are arouse in our minds ,
Why god not telling bible like a simple story and explaing himself allready prepared what we have felt douts in our minds and he is writing like, he is asking questions like ours and explaing his answers in his books clearly.so all are easily understnd himself and no questions about anything.
4)Why only one way explantation (or) one way conversation in the bible than both sides mutually understands the conversations.
My e-mail : rajasekhar_hi@rediffmail.com
Thank you.
solomon.
Your questions all depend on the idea that God in some way “wrote” the collection of Hebrew and Greek texts we know as the Bible. The idea of divine inspiration was a late one, and these texts were selected from among many more. It was a kind of mini-library of histories, stories of prophets, poetry, and much else – by many different writers at different times. If you believe that the Bible is “God’s Word” to humans, you have also to be able to explain why there are other sacred texts, what parts of this text are meant to be literal and what might have other meaningful aspects. There are wonderful resources in the Bible, but I personally don’t take it as God’s Word to us.
Ultimately, each has their own path, their own sense of ethics and compassion, their own view of God. Some may hold more wisdom than others, some may hold up over time and across different cultures better than others. I think that one religious task is to try to make those sorts of judgments while honoring what traditions and thoughts one can.
I would like to hear more about your work and thoughts. My feeling is that your experience with others there may help you more than your bible reading. Keep some simple basic truths with you, and pay close attention to those around you. Helping others becomes easier. If you pray, pray for guidance – for more wisdom, and more compassion. Finally, that’s what makes a difference.