Jehovah's Witnesses, could someone become a member if they refused to use Jehovah and instead used Yahweh?

You are right in saying that we are not sure how Yahweh (Jehovah) pronounces his name. But the name Jehovah is known worldwide as the Almighty God. There are many gods people worship, (even Satan is called a god in the bible, the god of this world) but they should only be worshiping the true God Jehovah. His name separates him from false worship. We are his witnesses and known as Jehovah's Witnesses not Yahweh's Witnesses even tho they are the same one. Once someone learns about our wonderful God they will want to use his name every chance they get.

There are several questions JWs may ask themselves concerning the divine name:

1) Is the original pronunciation of God's name known? No. The exact pronunciation is not persevered in ancient manuscripts. The earliest pronunciations are a) multiple, b) conflicting, and c) in Greek, which cannot accurately represent Hebrew pronunciations. This is currently no scholarly consensus on how the divine name was pronounced.

2) Does the Bible indicate that any name (including God's) must be pronounced a certain way, regardless of the language? No. The Bible doesn't say any name must be pronounced a particular way. In fact, the opposite is implied, since in the NT, many OT names are pronounced differently.

3) If one pronunciation of the divine name is found to be "more accurate" than one currently used, should JWs change to that pronunciation? No, because "more accurate" is meaningless when going from one language to another, like from Hebrew into English. As I have pointed out before, the English form "Jesus" is more different from the original "Yehoshua' " than "Jehovah" is from "Yahweh." Yet, English speaking JWs are not criticized for using "Jesus." Also, if JWs changed from "Jehovah" to "Yahweh," we would be inadvertently implying that exact vocal intonations are important - and that would be going beyond what the Bible says because the Bible is silent on the matter.

4) If JWs switched from "Jehovah" to "Yahweh," would that stop criticisms directed at JWs involving God's name? No. There are plenty of people who criticize even those who use "Yahweh."

There is really no reason whatsoever for JWs to switch to "Yahweh."

OKay well I am not a JW and my mother is christian (and I mean a sunday school teacher for 20 years) my grandparents are pentecostal and my husbands family is part jewish. I am non-denominational, I believe in heaven and hell. My children go to a free-will baptist church. I know right from wrong and I believe in Jesus and God, No matter what religion I was always told that you shouldnt question someones faith even if they are atheist, but instead you should follow the one that you believe, God or Jesus, or Jehovah and be a teacher to others. I dont think that you are directly judging the JWs in the question but I think that you are questioning their faith much the same. You also shouldnt claim to know more than another zealousy is not very good either. Some people may even think that because you are so worried about with the JWs think that you may question your own religion. If you are concerned about other beliefs then perhaps you should take your Bible and a few church flyers and head out to the bar so at least you know that you will be doing the right now by your FATHER< GOD< JESUS> JEHOVAH, whatever you call him, CREATOR, any of the above, it doesnt matter if you are confident in your religion and you believe that you know the right way then pray for others and your self, teach where you need to be heard and live your life by your books standards and you will be saved. If someones beliefs are not like yours it doesnt mean they dont believe, doesnt he also say that he is the one and only? As long as people believe that he exist that there is a god should move on to someone else.

Jehovah's Witnesses accept what ever spelling and pronunciation of God's name is already accepted, in what ever language we speak. Reforming linguistic fallacies is not our purpose.

Therefore, for English, we accept the spelling that already existed in the few instances it was preserved in the KJV and DRB, along with the fallacious spelling and pronunciation of every Hebrew or Aramaic name found in English translations.

Jehovah, as we pronounce it, is the English pronunciation of a Germanic transliteration of the three-syllable Hebrew name of God.

Yahweh is the English transliteration of the two-syllable Aramaic translation of the Hebrew name of God.

Therefore, they're both imperfect second-hand efforts. However, parts of the Bible were written in Aramaic as well as Hebrew and Greek, and if having God's name written in Aramaic rather than in Hebrew in the original text of parts of the Bible is good enough for the Bible, who are we to criticize in which language God's name is spelled or spoken?

By comparison, the dictionary entries you've quoted smack of linguistic intolerance, so I'm double-checking. Here is the correct quotation from Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:

"A scripture name of the Supreme Being, which was not pronounced by the Jews."

Here is the correct quotation from New Catholic Encyclopedia:

"The proper name of God in the Old Testament; hence the Jews called it the name by excellence, the great name, the only name, the glorious and terrible name, the hidden and mysterious name, the name of the substance, the proper name, and most frequently shem hammephorash, i.e. the explicit or the separated name, though the precise meaning of this last expression is a matter of discussion (cf. Buxtorf, "Lexicon", Basle, 1639, col. 2432 sqq.)."

I can't seem to access the other dictionaries. However, here is the correct quotation from the Divine Name brochure:

"In time, God’s name came back into use. In 1278 it appeared in Latin in the work Pugio fidei (Dagger of Faith), by Raymundus Martini, a Spanish monk. Raymundus Martini used the spelling Yohoua."

It seems to me that you relied too much on second-hand information in this instance, and it let you down! Don't tell me; let me guess: You visited some bigoted hate speech site, right?

I've seen your answers before, so I know you can do better than this. The brain God gave you may be far superior to any man-made computer, but if it's garbage in, it's still garbage out.

I seriously doubt that anyone would progress to the point of baptism yet insist on not using the form "Jehovah." It's not that they wouldn't be "allowed" to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses, it's that they wouldn't make it that far.

This sentence is nonsensical when standing alone: "Jehovah is a false form of the divine name YAHWEH."

It is nonsensical because:

1) Jehovah is not the correct HEBREW pronunciation, and JWs have never claimed that it is.

2) Jehovah is a correct and accepted ENGLISH pronunciation of the divine name of God.

That sentence - and yes, unfortunately it is a very common sentence - seems to confuse the different Hebrew and English pronunciations of the divine name into one confusing mud puddle.

In reality, all attempts to discredit the form "Jehovah" is just a continuation of the original unscriptural ancient Judean superstition of refusing to pronounce the divine name.

"Furthermore, with the restoration of pure Hebrew in the 1930’s it is clearly known that the accurate pronunciation for God’s name is "Yahweh" and could not be "Jehovah."

Modern Hebrew pronunciation is not the same as ancient classical Hebrew pronunciation. The exact pronunciation of classical Hebrew is unknown. For this reason alone it is pointless to quibble over the exact pronunciation of the divine name. There are different ways Hebrew is pronounced today, the most common ways being Sephardic and Ashenazic. The earliest known Hebrew pronunciation is the Masoretic pronunciation, from about the 7th century CE - about 1200 years after the Hebrew Bible was completed.

The fact that the original pronunciation of classical Hebrew is unknown is recognized by Hebrew scholars, but generally unknown to the average layperson. For example:

"Hebrew grammars reflect a great deal of variety in the systems of vowel pronunciation that they recommend. Since it is impossible to reconstruct with confidence the manner in which Hebrew was pronounced in antiquity, this Grammar opts for a pronunciation system based on modern Hebrew." - Learning to Read Biblical Hebrew, page 15, Robert Ray Ellis, 2006.

So whats your real point.

Are you judging???

What does God's Word say about judging others.

James4: 11, 12

11 Quit speaking against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks against law and judges law. Now if you judge law, you are, not a doer of law, but a judge. 12 One there is that is a lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But you, who are you to be judging your neighbor?

We respect your choices and thoughts. What, you are too small to respect others choices. Who are you to judge what others believe in!!!

The personal name of God. (Isa 42:8; 54:5) Though Scripturally designated by such descriptive titles as “God,” “Sovereign Lord,” “Creator,” “Father,” “the Almighty,” and “the Most High,” his personality and attributes—who and what he is—are fully summed up and expressed only in this personal name.—Ps 83:18.

Correct Pronunciation of the Divine Name. “Jehovah” is the best known English pronunciation of the divine name, although “Yahweh” is favored by most Hebrew scholars. The oldest Hebrew manuscripts present the name in the form of four consonants, commonly called the Tetragrammaton (from Greek te‧tra-, meaning “four,” and gram′ma, “letter”). These four letters (written from right to left) are יהוה and may be transliterated into English as YHWH (or, JHVH).

The Hebrew consonants of the name are therefore known. The question is, Which vowels are to be combined with those consonants? Vowel points did not come into use in Hebrew until the second half of the first millennium C.E. (See HEBREW, II [Hebrew Alphabet and Script].) Furthermore, because of a religious superstition that had begun centuries earlier, the vowel pointing found in Hebrew manuscripts does not provide the key for determining which vowels should appear in the divine name.

The religionists of Christendom claim to be the people for his name, yet they do not confess the name or glorify it, but persecute those who do bear the name and who publish it. Jehovah’s name was not meant to die with his rejection of the Jews. It was transferred to the Christians, who became spiritual Israelites and who received his spirit of adoption, because of which they cry to him, “Abba, Father.” (Gal. 4:4-7) His name upon them means his ownership of them; they belong to him. Those who sincerely offer the Lord’s prayer for God’s name to be sanctified will be most careful to bring no reproach upon it nor will they ridicule it just because they do not like the persons who bear it. They cherish it.

Why would someone want to be called a 'Jehovah's Witness' if they cannot accept that Jehovah is an accepted name for God?

This is The Catholic Encyclopedia...

Notice what it says about 'Jehovah'

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/j.htm

'Proper name of God in the Old Testament'

Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary ´s writers also says that is false this planet will be ruled by Jesus Christ.

they say that is false that under the rule of Jesus Christ and his heavenly corulers, peace and happiness will prevail in all the earth. (Psalm 37:9-11) Those in God's memory will be resurrected and will enjoy perfect health. (Acts 24:15) By their faithfulness to God, obedient mankind will be granted what our original parents lost—everlasting life in human perfection on a paradise earth.—Revelation 21:3, 4.

Also Jews believe Jesus is not the messiah .....so that must be true.

Is false that??...are you agree with them

The intersting bit is that the Jehovah witness responders cannot imagine anyone wanting to excercise their own beliefs, even when it comes to a more correct rendition of yhwh.

Lets all line up now . . . .

Wow. Jehovah's Witnesses fail! Lol. But at least they still believe in God.