Jehovah's Witnesses and Society

As with other cults, the Jehovah's Witnesses are taught not to trust non cult members and to have little to do with outsiders. This is ordered by the Watchtower Society to prevent what they consider contamination by independent thinking.

But we see in Scripture that we are to be in this world but not of it. Jesus prayed in John 17:14 and 15 (BBE), "I have given your word to them; and they are hated by the world, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. My prayer is not that you will take them out of the world, but that you will keep them from the Evil One."

But some might quote the Apostle Paul's admonition in 2 Timothy 2:4 (KJV) which says, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." All Paul was saying was that we mustn't be caught up in worldly pursuits at the expense of our relationship with Christ.

Furthermore, we are called to be good citizens. As 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (KJV) states, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;" This doesn't mean we shouldn't be involved with society but we mustn't be rabble rousers.

Furthermore, we're exhorted in 1 Timothy 2:2 (KJV) to pray, "For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

And as for military service, it's no sin to defend our land. As Psalms 82:3 (KJV) exhorts, "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy." These are the ones who suffer most from war and tyrannical governments.

Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to enjoy pastimes such as music, playing cards, and the like. The Watchtower Society says that those things are sinful. But Paul wrote in Colossians 2:20-23 that,  "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."

Neither is it sinful to observe or not observe holidays. As Paul wrote in Romans 14:5 (KJV), "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

There is so much more I could write here but I'll save it for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People tend to think that doing or avoiding activities is what saves them. Only a personal surrender to Christ and repentance of sin will gain folks access to eternal life. There's no other way of salvation provided to us.