After some recent visits from Jehovas witnesses on sunday mornings, we read a bit of their leaflet so we could tell them why we weren’t interested next time they came. I’m not against other people getting into this stuff – it doesn’t seem to do anything terrible to anyone. It’s just the arrogance of telling people you are the one and only true way and all the others will be destroyed at Armageddon, because it says so in the Bible which is the word of God (even the bits in the old testament – see below). Anyway – a quick investigation turned up some interesting stuff:
How about this (from their leaflet):
“True Christians are safety conscious – they make sure that their cars and their homes are safe”
There doesn’t seem anything too crazy about this. What seemed strange was that a bible reference was given to back it up (Deuteronomy 22). Does the Bible mention car safety? So we checked the quote. It’s based on the following:
Deuteronomy 22:8
“When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.” [King James Bible]
But on the very same page, it turns out that although the Word of God is not very keen on mechanical faults in your car, Bigamy is totally fine, as is raping, making war and having your son put to death for getting drunk.
These are all from Deuteronomy, 21 – check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me…
(Raping and war)
“When you wage war against your enemy and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take some of them captive, then if you see a comely woman among the captives and take a liking to her, you may marry her. You shall bring her into your house where she shall shave her head, pare her nails, and discard the clothes which she had when captured [doesn’t mention anything about any new clothes]. Then she shall stay in your house and mourn for her father and mother for a full month [did you kill them?]. After that you may have intercourse with her. You shall be her husband and she shall be your wife. But if you no longer find her pleasing, let her go free. You must not sell her, nor treat her harshly since you have had your way with her [Ed – But if you hadn’t then that would be OK? This also seems to imply that you can have your way with her before you get married – the King James says “humbled” instead of had your way with… don’t know which one is right]”
[New English Bible]
(Bigamy)
” If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.”
[King James Bible]
(Having your son put to death)
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”