AtheistNexus.org article on refuting JW apologetics

Jehovah's Witness Apologetics
Posted by Jay Whitney on April 22, 2013 at 5:12am in Introductions
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Hello fellow atheists,
 I am wondering if anyone out there has any experience with Jehovah's Witnesses and their theological apologetics. I have been involved in four month discussion with an elder and the usual arguments against biblical inerrancy, theodicy of suffering, and failed prophecy don't seem to work against them as there biblical interpretation is radically different then main stream Christianity. Any help would be greatly appreciated.






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 Permalink Reply by AgeOfAtheists14 on April 22, 2013 at 6:07am

apologize.. ha..
ok one more time:
 
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 Permalink Reply by Autumn 3 hours ago

I made a few arguments (Not sure how good they are though)
Why did god allow Satan to exist?
It couldn't have been to test us, god is all-knowing so he wouldn't need to test us, he already knows everything including hypothetical situations where we suffer. Also, he isn't proving it to Satan that we'd follow god, because he loves us infinitely and he could just plant the knowledge into Satan's mind, or just destroy him, if he's all-powerful.

Why does god let bad things happen to good people if he's all powerful and loves humans infinitely? He could just...you know...make them survive by coincidence

that's all for now, I hope it helps
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 Permalink Reply by Michael Penn 1 hour ago

JW's are young earth creationists. There was a time that they seemed to only believe Jesus was a prophet sent by the one true god JHVH. Let's Americanize that god now by putting our language vowel sounds in the name. Suddenly we have Jehovah. It's a name that they wear out. God had many names and that was because there was once many gods but JW's continually say "Jehovah God." They have a personal relationship with him because they know his name. In more recent times Jesus the prophet of god became known as the "son of god." Maybe this was a move to reach more people today. There is no holy spirit as a person, but there is god and his son.
JW's have one thing exactly correct. If you die you are dead. You do not have a spirit or soul. You are the spirit and soul. When you die you are dead and knowing nothing until ressurected again. I believe this is one major reason that mainstream chrsitianity hates them. Mainstream believers need a soul that leaves you body at the very moment of death and continues to exist in the same way that they believe a sperm and an egg meet and instantly "it is a child." Mainstream believers need to know that they continue to exist. They need to be so very important and in a "devine plan" of god. In fact, they dictate the plan as they go along in life.
JW's do not see Paul's remarks in Corinthians where it says "we will be cuaght up to meet him in the air" as Jesus coming back to "rapture" and beam away the last day believers to heaven. This is rightly so because god cannot show favor to people of that time in a way that he never showed favor before. Jesus was coming to earth then to set up his "1000 year kingdom." As for heaven, 144,000 went there and no more will go. Death is done away and an earthly kingdom is restored just like in the garden before. (Lions may need new teeth but they will then eat straw as the "curse" is lifted and no more.) Most believe that the 1000 year earthly kingdom is never ending, but that is how long it will take to set us up in a right form of government. Both earthly men as we know today and resurrected men will all make up this kingdom.
I may not have the basics here just perfect, but it gives you some ideas of JW's. They are not "born again" and they simply make a choice to start following god. In a religious discussion with them you might here the word "Jehovah" so many times you want to throw up.
My grandparents and a few others were JW's. There was a split and some of us ended up being Pentecostal. The two belief systems are not exactly alike.
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 Permalink Reply by Mequa 46 minutes ago

Actually JWs are old earth creationists, given they interpret "day" (in Hebrew, "yom") in Genesis to mean an indeterminate amount of time which could be thousands of years.
They believe Jesus is the Archangel Michael and the first being God the Father (Jehovah) created, and consider the Trinity to be "pagan". They interpret "holy spirit" (not "The Holy Spirit") as an "active force" of God.
Their theodicy of suffering seems to revolve around God allowing suffering to prove a point, much as in the Biblical book of Job.
My dad's been a JW since 1995, and has failed to convert a single family member.

Their interpretation of divine judgment has always struck me as particularly unjust. According to them, the vast majority of people who die before Armageddon (coming any day now!) will be resurrected and given a "second chance" to serve Jehovah in a paradise environment after having been provided with ample evidence of his existence and benevolence - before Satan then gets to test them.
While those unlucky enough to be non-JWs at Armageddon - most likely including small children! - will get no such chance, they will get eternal annihilation with no hope of a resurrection. So a much harsher method of judgment - determining one's eternal fate - for some than others depending on the time and place of one's birth. I guess Jehovah's just like that.
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 Permalink Reply by Michael Penn 5 minutes ago

You brought out some things there that I forgot. How could I possibly forget that Jesus is actually the Archangel Michael? This belief gives them support as Elohim says "let us make man in our image." (Who was "us?" God must be talking to Michael.) This also allows Jesus a pre-existence before his earthly life.
It's like saying the part of Brad Pitt will be played by Charlie Daniels.
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Reply by Loren Miller 3 minutes ago

Since we moved here, we've had JW visits on three separate occasions.  Frankly, I found their posits and arguments simplistic at best.  I suspect that, after the third time, they figured (correctly) that they would not only not make any headway with me, but that whatever arguments they wanted to bring would get countered - not horribly good for the ego.
I don't anticipate any further visits ... though you can never tell.



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