Prince and Religion

[dancerjodi]

As it turns out, we were all right to some degree or another. Prince was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist and converted to be a JW in the early 00's (some sources here):
http://www.adherents.com/people/pp/Prince.html

So he's been Christian all along, he's just a different flavor of it now. Interesting!

Comments

[dali-muse.livejournal.com]

Ah-ha!

That's what I get for not following his Purpleness after year 2000.

LOL as I am typing this, but I really did used to like Prince back in the day.

[knome.livejournal.com]

Adventists are right on par with JWs, except that JWs seem to have the cult thing down pat.

Adventists:
The Branch Davidians were an offshoot of them, for example (remember Waco?). Adventists believe that "Eternal life is a gift which God gives only to righteous Christians; the rest will be ultimately annihilated. Thus, they do not believe that a person goes to heaven or hell immediately upon death." woot. So if you ain't one of us, you're not going anywhere, you're just going to cease to exist. They have had a bunch of failed prophecies. They are yet another group that is eagerly awaiting the "Second Coming Of Christ" because they are too stupid and lazy to do anything about the world as it is. Etc. http://www.religioustolerance.org/sda.htm

JW:
JWs share some key beliefs with ADV, like the belief of the annihilation of the soul (no belief in any sort of Hell). JWs believe that everyone NOT a JW who is around when the big Second Coming happens will be destroyed utterly, and the world will be cleansed to make way for the true believers. But they go a lot farther that that in daily practice. When you read it all in one go, you begin to see that this faith was crafted particularly with the idea of psychosocial reinforcment in mind: http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness3.htm. I especially like this bit: "The husband is expected to play the leadership role in the family; wives are expected to be submissive to their husband. Women are excluded from leadership in the WTS at all levels. They regard these policies as biblical, and non-sexist." Yeah, gotta love oppression.

Amazing how far people will go in order to avoid responsibility and garner power. No, I'm not making this stuff up.

Misinformation

[(Anonymous)]

Couldn't help responding to your comments on Jehovah's Witnesses as it appears that you have been misinformed,a common thing which can happen to anyone in this age of mass dissemination of,shall I say,"information".
Please note what is taught in a book called "Making your Family Life Happy" published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 1978 pg 55:
"A wife who knows that she is very dear to her husband feels warm and safe inside.God's word counsels men to have love for their wives."Husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies.He who loves his wife loves himself,for no man ever hated his own flesh;but he feeds and cherishes it....the two will become one flesh." (Ephesians 5:28,29,31)As we have discussed,the wife is to have deep respect for her husband,but the husband ought to conduct himself in such a way as to earn that respect.The same holds true in the case where your husband is counseled to love and cherish you:Conduct yourselves in ways that impels him to do so from the heart."
Also note this advice from the same source on page 50:
" While appreciating the areas in which your needs are alike,you also need to understand the psychological differences between the two of you if you are going to 'assign honor'to your wife. Basically,women like to work under a ceiling of authority,provided that it is exercised properly.This is the way Jehovah God created them.Woman was made to be 'a helper for the man,as a complement of him'.(Gen 2:18)but if the supervision is too close,if there is no room to take initative and use her own abilities,a woman can begin to feel that the enjoyment is being squeezed out of her life,and resentment may develop".
That's how my husband,a Witness treats me and has done for 32 years.Just today I've made so many personal decisions on my own which effect both my hubands' and my future wellbeing ( we're moving yuck!)that I'd like a little less autonomy right now.Insert self deprecating smile,rolling eyes,ironic head wagging-NOT!
You have a right to be cynical there are sincere people out there who ARE victims of self-serving religious zealots,but Jehovah's Witnesses are real people like you who have minds of their own and do not feel oppressed by following loving Bible based principles.
Brainwashed,my license plate says HUZZAH!
All the best,
Elspeth (anonymous post,no nefarious reason just don't have an account)

Re: Misinformation

[dancer.livejournal.com]

I'll agree that Knome's source is a biased one (reading the URL told me that much).

Though, I also think that this is what Knome (and incidentally, myself too) have an issue with (quoted from your text):
"Basically,women like to work under a ceiling of authority,provided that it is exercised properly.This is the way Jehovah God created them.Woman was made to be 'a helper for the man,as a complement of him'.(Gen 2:18)"

I do want to say, that I don't think this is a purely JW thing, since it *is* biblically based. Most Christian religious groups have a base with men in authority and women not (raised as a Catholic, I know that this is the case for that group - I know only a tiny bit about JWs from a friend's comments here and there). As a Sociologist, and a past student of the Bible as Literature (rather than a religions text), I know that for a long time there were socio-cultural and health reasons supporting this idea - it just worked (and propogated).

Times change though, and though I agree that this still works for some and I'd never criticize someone's personal choice, I don't think its the answer for all. I can see religiously how someone would live under this rule but personally, it just doesn't work for me. My husband and I enjoy a relationship where there is a lot of give and take on both ends, and I enjoy the same kind of relationship with friends, professionally, and with family. This lifestyle (for various reasons) just isn't compatible with a strict bible following Christian one (which is why I'm not an active Catholic any more, among other reasons). :)

Thank you for your thoughts! Religions do interest me quite a bit, and I do believe in God (in a sense, that's too complicated to really get into here).

Re: Misinformation

[(Anonymous)]

Just a note I don't want to make you feel like I'm stalking your posts.
I've noticed you have a remarkable ability to stand firm in your convictions but to do so without depriving another of their dignity and self respect.That's an amazing talent,whether it is an inborn trait(I'm a genealogist and I am amazed by how much we acquire from our ancestry) or if you had to do the grunt work to get it;it nevertheless carries a sense of inner grace all to rare these days.Your family and friends must be blessed by your being in their lives.
All the best and have a happy life!
Elspeth