Christians & Jehovah's Witnesses, what is an apostate? Dictionary says a person who abondons their religion so?

The Watch Tower and it's defenders use secular definitions. These are inaccurate when pursuing truth. The Watch Tower labels anyone that gives information and facts contrary to themeselves as apostates, slanderers, and workers of evil.

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The bible gives definition to those that stand against God. The definition given in the bible is definite and clear.

Biblical definition: A person that was once a follower and worshiper of God and turns away and no longer follows God. (Active or inactive opposition does not matter.)

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The apostate is the one that stands in opposition to God.

An apostate is a person that stands in opposition to God.

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2 Timothy 3:1-9 gives explanation of apostate when studied carefully and with insight and when coupled with the sixth chapter of Hebrews is quite easy to understand.

2 Timothy 3:7 παντοτε μανθανοντα και μηδεποτε εις επιγνωσιν αληθειας ελθειν δυναμενα

These people Paul is describing are continually (παντοτε) learning (μανθανοντα). This sounds good doesn’t it? I mean, I love to learn. I love study and digging out the truth and teaching it to those who can see and hear. However, Paul qualifies this in his description of those we are to turn away from. They are never (μηδεποτε) able (δυναμενα) to arrive (ελθειν) at a knowledge (επιγνωσιν) of the truth (αληθειας). Here we have a precise description of the “intellectual” leaders of the emergent movement in all its forms. These are well read men and women who make sure that those who read what they write and hear what they say know how deep they are in the knowledge of men, but according to Paul, these also never are able to come (ελθειν) to a knowledge (επιγνωσιν) of the truth (αληθειας). The word for “knowledge” here, επιγνωσιν, means “full discernment” or “acknowledgment.” Therefore, these intellectual and well-read false leaders are always learning, but their grasp of the truth (αληθειας) is never realized. In this context, Paul is speaking of the knowledge of God’s truth as opposed to the verity that man believes is the truth. (see link 1)

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The catholic definition of apostasy is defection and synonyms such as falling away, depart from relative to the Christian faith

This a departure from a position of actual belief that one formerly and truly held in Christ unto eternal life and all the doctrines of the Christian life therein related to one of unbelief in regard to the Catholic faith.

The Watch Tower uses very similar words and definitions and phrases when training their followers.

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Turning against the Watch Tower is not turning against God. In fact, it is turning against a demonic structure. (see link 2)

So IF you were a JW and IF you have turned against the Watch Tower you have not turned away from God.

The very beginning of your question give you the answer "Christians & Jehovah's Witnesses, what is .... You separated the two, just as it should be. The Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians, they have a created religion. They have a created Jesus, a created resurrection and a created book that they use to represent the bible. I say this as they have created Jesus from Michael, the Archangel and when their Jesus was killed on a stake and buried, he arose on the third day a spirit creature (Michael the Archangel). This same Jesus manifested a body that looked just like Jesus, but was not him as he was dead, dead forever, and he showed this manifested body to Jesus' disciples, thereby deceiving them into believe that he rose in his own physical body. Anyhow, he went to Heaven, invisibly and in 1874 he returned invisibly. But that date was changed to 1914 and so was the whole concept of his returning. His returning was his invisible presence, which meant, later teachings. that he really did not return to earth but only took up his Kingship and turned his attention towards earth. Of Course you will not find any of this stuff in a real bible, so therefore they are not Christians.

They are, however, christians, (note little "c") as they are a created religion with a created "christ" and a created salvation. So why not a created "apostate" name calling to inspire their membership into submission. If you were to go by the true meaning of an apostate, then most Jw's will fit that bill as most have left Christianity and went to this created religion and most venomously preach against all other denominations of Christianity. They have turned their backs on true Christianity and preach contrary to biblical teachings, so in all reality it is the JW's that are the true apostates.

A Christian's answer:

An apostate is someone who leaves God and also those that deny Christ. In this way, many atheists - (but not all since some were raised that way) - are apostates since they lost faith and left instead of staying and learning.

If am very saddened by the fact that the church of the Wt is in this way an apostate church because they teach that the new covenant of Christ by his blood for the forgiveness of many - is not for their other sheep. Thus during their memorial service, they make a point out of rejecting (99% of them) the symbolic blood and bread that symbolizes Christ's ransom for us.

(Because some people apply this term to people who change religion - a great many are so - but it should be stated when used as to what one is an apostate to!)

Those who apostate from God will be killed, written into the earth:

Jeremiah 17:13 . . .Those apostatizing from me will be written down even in the earth, because they have left the source of living water, Jehovah. (NWT)

Those that do not love Christ will be accursed:

1 Cor 16:22, ACV, If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Maranatha.

The Jehovah's witnesses and others such as the Mormons ect... were at one time Christians as we are. The JW's and Mormons started out in the Adventists denominations but departed from that to start their own belief system. In fact, they have become apostates of that belief, even railing against it to match their description of "apostate". The bible clearly describes that this would happen and was happening at the time of the writing of 1st John.

If we have found mercy with God, and He has brought us back to Him, even though we departed from the faith into a false religion, then who is to say that He will not also bring many of the JW's and Mormons back too? We can only pray.

No, you are not an apostate. True biblical christianity is a personal relationship with our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

GBY

1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the [fn] Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but [they went out] that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

Most JWs are apostates themselves if indeed they have abandoned their former religion to become a JW so it's just another part of their hypocrisy to name ALL other religions as false and part of Babylon the Whore!

They claim ALL other religions including Christianity is false and claim they are the only "true Christians" yet they deny and reject Christendom.

I was brought up an RC, and now have no religious belief - yet most JWS either refer to me as "Anti JW Cult" or "Apostate".

I dont care - Who the hell are they to judge? They do exactly what the bible tells them not to...Shun others and turn their backs and judge all around them.

Most have this stepford wives like notion that they are united. They are united.

So are care in the community patients.

They bore the life out of me with their holier than thou attitude and their arrogance.

They do not love you unless you are a JW. They relish Armageddon so they can get rid of all non JWs.

They are sick!!

Some on here, Superman in particular accuses every non or ex JW as being a liar - he will be judged accordingly as will all of them.

None of them can possibly judge, that is Gods job surely??

And belonging to an organisation that does just that must go against Gods word?

I pity the fresher JWs but the older, wiser ones must surely know they are wrong.

I know I am a good person, regardless of the fact that I dont work for a magazine distribution company, and I smoke, drink, swear etc..

I still reckon God (if there is/was one) would favour me over a group of people who spread false teachings and distorted versions of his (apparent) word.

The bible warns of false prophets - Matthew 24:11 for example.

How can the JWs sit and read this and not know it means them?

You know, if you constantly tell someone or yourself something repeatedly and find lots of others who all sign the same song eventually you believe you are right.

That's how the JW org works. That's how and why the members believe they are the only true religion.

Outsiders, ex members and anyone with an ounce of intelligence who is open minded can see they are not.

But Que Sara, Sara - .......Im not gonna lose any sleep over them!

An apostate is someone active against the true religion & of course we think we are the only ones worshipping in truth - don't you?

I suspect that you are not an apostate as I don't think you have ever been a baptised Jehovah's Witness?

Jesus himself identified the fact that not everyone claiming to follow him would actually be acceptable (Matthew 7). He would reject them even though they believed they were doing good in his name. So the idea of exclusive acceptability is not unscriptural

We have a member in our congregation (no I'm not telling you lot on here which one it is) who was a JW and praise the Lord came to her senses and during her testimony warned us not to consider joining as they are NOT Christians we baptised her on the same day I had been aware of that for a while as I had encountered the local lot on my driveway outside my flat last year when I told them that I had been healed by Jesus of blindness and a form of Cerebral Palsy the completely denied that miracles happen in the modern age (my healings happened in 2000 my sight and again in 2007 with the Cerebral Palsy NOTE THE SEVEN YEAR GAP seven represents that Jesus is God and is perfect and without sin!)

Them Jehovahs shun you when you catch on to the fakeness and hypocrisy of their false religion, i.e., when elders kiss you in your mouth as they greet you because you are a beautiful woman. Then when you ask them if they are supposed to be doing that, they stick their tails between their legs and walk away.

Or, when the members are fraudulent by nature and lie, cheat, and steal from you, and you finally have to take them to court; the elders don't do anything to stop it and allow the madness to go on.

Drunkenness and cussing are very big amongst the witlessness tribal klan, and when you mention it to the elders they do little or nothing because many of them are sexual drunken deviants themselves.

Lying is a big part of being in any witless congregation or just being a witless period. They lie so much and then when you tell on them, the person you tell says they don't want to hear the lies.

Lots of racism also and slander; that's very big in their cult.

When you finally realize you have had enough, you stay away and then eventually remove yourself from the cultish demonic organization; then they label you "APOSTATE" but what do the label the demon possessed within their false organization? After all they were members and belonged to a very well-known government agencies, organization for many years until they were found out. Now I believe they might be once again registered within that government organization under a fictitious or foreign name.

They are the worst false Christians ever and I wasted over 20 years of my life doing and thinking I was in the one and only true religion. The biggest farce of godliness ever.

Beware and RUN!!!

An apostasy among professed Christians was foretold by the apostle Paul at 2 Thessalonians 2:3. He specifically mentioned certain apostates, such as Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus. (1Ti 1:19, 20; 2Ti 2:16-19) Among the varied causes of apostasy set forth in apostolic warnings were: lack of faith (Heb 3:12), lack of endurance in the face of persecution (Heb 10:32-39), abandonment of right moral standards (2Pe 2:15-22), the heeding of the “counterfeit words” of false teachers and “misleading inspired utterances” (2Pe 2:1-3; 1Ti 4:1-3; 2Ti 2:16-19; compare Pr 11:9), and trying “to be declared righteous by means of law” (Ga 5:2-4). While still making profession of faith in God’s Word, apostates may forsake his service by treating lightly the preaching and teaching work that he assigned to followers of Jesus Christ. (Lu 6:46; Mt 24:14; 28:19, 20) They may also claim to serve God but reject his representatives, his visible organization, and then turn to ‘beating’ their former associates to hinder their work. (Jude 8, 11; Nu 16:19-21; Mt 24:45-51) Apostates often seek to make others their followers. (Ac 20:30; 2Pe 2:1, 3) Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the “antichrist.” (1Jo 2:18, 19) As with the apostate Israelites, destruction is likewise foretold for apostates from the Christian congregation.—2Pe 2:1; Heb 6:4-8

The curious thing about the JW attitude to apostasy is that millions of them must have apostasised from the denominations they once belonged to, in order to become JWs.

The reason why they think that is a commendable thing to do, is that they call every religion / denomination in the world, apart from themselves, Babylon the Great, the whore of Revelation. So they actively encourage people to apostasize from whatever religion they might belong to because you cannot be a JW until you relinquish all contact with any other religion. Of course, they don't call that 'apostasy'! It's only any baptised member of the JWs who leaves them who is called an apostate!

Hebrews 6:6 spells it out clearly for us: "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." This ties in with Jesus' warning about blaspheming the Holy Spirit - the unforgivable sin (Mark 3:28-30). The JWs have an appalling view of the Holy Spirit, calling Him 'it'. And hardly any of them today have His indwelling, yet they would lecture others on blasphemy and apostasy? Ironically, JW literature states that no human can know if another human has committed the unforgivable sin, yet they glibly call every former JW who leaves and who criticises them an apostate! They judge that to criticise their leaders is the most henous spiritual sin a JW can commit. Strange. I thought the Bible says it is attributing an evil spirit to Jesus. Are JW leaders thought to be on a par with Jesus Christ?

(And to whoever likes to think of themselves as a Friend of God, be careful not to misrepresent. Grey Tower said "If I am....", not "I am". Context, please.)