Jehovah's Witness: What happens if you miss church somewhat often?

That's a decent question, I'm not sure about other religions but as one of JWs, I know that the meetings are public, open for anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible. Coming & going is not a steadfast rule, but everyone, baptized JW or not is encouraged to come & use their own copy of the Bible to follow along with the studies, its relaxed but serious, we are encouraged to participate but be respectful (it IS a Bible discussion). So missing the meetings isn't going to help people, but there is no roll call, no one keeping track of who's there or not.

Hebrews 10:23, 24 says Do not forsake the gathering of ourselves together, & goes on to say how we encourage each other by association. The meetings are one of the more important ways JW's follow this scripture. So missing meetings regularly is not something that baptized JW's want to do. We all mist some meetings, things come up, sicknesses etc. Missing them for work DOES happen, but I remember when I was single & working nights as a waitress, when I was scheduled to work on my regular meeting nights, I'd make it up by going to another congregations meeting the next night. If I didn't, no one would say anything, no one would tell me I'm breaking any rules, but I did it because I knew that I was getting the most important education by going to those meetings, making them up was not even a question for me. So yes, we as individual JWs work on attending the meetings regularly, even trying to arrange our schedule (like with work) around making those meetings because they are so important to us, but there is no rule about it.

BTW, its not necessarily the JW's who are "Strict" in the organization, JW's follow the Bible as closely as possible, often, especially in this day & age, it may seem "strict" to non-Bible believers, but after getting to know JW's & see how the organization really is, people see that we're just a loving worldwide family that wants to learn about God & Jesus & the hope for the future!

Come to a meeting & see for yourself. =]

Punishments? We hardly have any of those. It is not like nuns standing behind you with a stick ready to bang your head up against a wall. Get a grip.

From time to time, unforeseen events happen to all of us. We miss some meetings. It is not like we want to do so. Actually we enjoy getting together. They nourish us both mentally and spiritually with getting together and building one another up spiritually. Our friends might want to give us a call to find if something is wrong that they can help with. Things like car trouble, sickness or some other things that we can help with, we will do all we can to help.

There are no set numbers for what we must do or the boogieman will get us. That type of thing are just lies told by people with no clue as to what we are about, but just want to scare people from talking to us. Usually urged on by some clergy.

In this economy, there might also be those who need to work on occasion and miss a meeting. We try to limit this by meeting with our employers before it comes up so that the employer will not be blindsided by our need to attend meetings and take part in the ministry. For instance, when our conventions come up, we know about them months in advance and so schedule vacation or days off for then as soon as possible. This avoids bad situations by doing so.

I think the main difference is between meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and non-Witnesses is that we learn or relearn Bible truths at every meeting rather than just put in an appearance for some show. It would be best described as the difference between an all-you-can-eat buffet at a fine restaurant and a watered down milk cup for a Ethiopian child. The difference is literally that great regarding spiritual food or information. That is why none of us desire to miss them.

Jehovah's witnesses is a voluntary organization. God does not force anyone to do anything. Our meetings are banquets of spiritual food. If we miss a meeting, we go unfed. If we miss too many, the same thing would happen to us as if we missed our physical meals. We would starve and die.

We do not "punish" anyone for anything.

Many of us have jobs when we become witnesses that require us to miss meetings. We soon learn that our first priority is serving Jehovah and we seek employment that will allow us to have plenty of time for meetings and service. Most witnesses are employed part time or self employed. Of course we help each other.

Hungry?

"Jehovah's Witness: What happens if you miss church somewhat often?"

What type of "punishments" do you mean? The only "punishments" we have are those that are mentioned under the law of Christ in the Christian Greek Scriptures (aka the New Testament) that God through His Word lovingly commands to be done for very specific situations.

Being that we are united family bonded together in our love for God through Christ, if a member misses our Christian meetings for worship often we would keep that person in prayer, contact the person to let them know that they are missed, thought of and perhaps find out if there is something we can do to help. Some of our Kingdom Halls have telephone tie in lines that make it possible for those who are ill and or have no way to get to the meeting to be able to call in and listen to the meeting so that they can get their spiritual food.

The only trouble that a person runs the risk of getting into by becoming habitually absent from our Christian meetings is becoming spiritual drift wood in the "sea" of Satan's world / ungodly global system of things that he is the god and ruler of (Isaiah 57:20; 2 Corinthians 4:4).

Since the Bible shows, teaches and reveals that we are deep in the final part of the last days of Satan's system of things, that the devil is extremely angry due to him knowing that he has such a short period of time remaining (that gets shorter with each passing day) and that he doesn't EVER STOP and or take a break from trying to break the integrity of we who are God's people, we are CONSTANT in keeping our spirituality sharp, refueled and ongoing. The Bible shows that the worship of Almighty God has ALWAYS been strict and we STRICTLY obey the Word of Jehovah to the best of out imperfect ability as He commands in His Word:

"And now if YOU will STRICTLY OBEY my voice and will indeed keep my covenant, then YOU will certainly become my special property out of all [other] peoples, because the whole earth belongs to me."

~ Exodus 19:5

"Here I am sending an angel ahead of you to keep you on the road and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. 21 Watch yourself because of him and OBEY his voice. DO NOT BEHAVE REBELLIOUSLY against him, for he will not pardon YOUR transgression; because my name is within him. 22 However, if you STRICTLY OBEY his voice and really do all that I shall speak, then I shall certainly be hostile to your enemies and harass those who harass you."

~ Exodus 23:20-22

"For if we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left, 27 but [there is] a certain fearful expectation of judgment and [there is] a fiery jealousy that is going to consume those in opposition. 28 Any man that has disregarded the law of Moses dies without compassion, upon the testimony of two or three. 29 OF HOW MUCH MORE SEVERE a punishment, do YOU think, will the man be counted worthy who has trampled upon the Son of God and who has esteemed as of ordinary value the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has outraged the spirit of undeserved kindness with contempt?"

~ Hebrews 10:26-29

Yeah, so as you can see from the above SCRIPTURES, like I said worship of the true God JEHOVAH has ALWAYS been strict and the strictness doesn't change through Christ, rather, we receive mercy and immense undeserved kindness by God through His Son.

Jehovah is the Source of our life itself so you had better believe we take Him and His worship extremely seriously. Jehovah knows that we are imperfect, He knows that problems beyond our control arise and most importantly, He knows our heart. If we miss meetings due to reasons beyond our control Jehovah understands, however, from what I have seen, He always makes a way for a person who truly WANTS to eat from His table to be able to do so... After-all, when it comes to making the impossible possible, that's what Jehovah SPECIALIZES in.

Now then, if you're for whatever reason still wondering what type of "punishment" is shown in the Christian Greek Scriptures according to Christian Law and what merits such punishment, all you have to do is take out your copy of the Bible (and or ANY copy of the Bible) and simply read what is stated at 1 Corinthians 5:9-13: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Co...

Ciao

Your congregation members might drop by to visit you, or try to encourage you through the phone or something....they can't really punish you. My friend goes like once every blue moon and he isn't ignored, he's welcomed.

Jehovah Witnesses are inseparably linked to Satanic Freemasonry.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/J...

The Jehovah Witnesses are of the antichrist since they teach Jesus did NOT come in the flesh at his resurrection. They deny his physical resurrection. This is of the antichrist. see 2 John 1:7

There are many antichrists that are already here and its the antichrists that take down Christendom / Christianity. Now there are a few questions to ask here. Who is of the antichrist ? One answer we can see in Scripture is one who does NOT confess that Jesus came in the flesh. Big Red Flag here for Jehovah Witnesses since they deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. They do deny him in the flesh right there. Another question is who denies the father and the son ? Big Red Flag here, Islam denies the father and the son. There are many antichrists among us and scripture does warn us of these things.

2 John 1:7 KJV

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

1 John 2:22-23 KJV

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

1 John 2:18-19 KJV

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come , even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Luke 24:39-43 KJV Jesus Resurrected In The Flesh ( Physically )

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see ;

for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have . 40 And when he had thus spoken , he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered , he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb . 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

Deuteronomy 32:39 KJV God said I am

See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill , and I make alive ; I wound , and I heal : neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

John 8:24 KJV Jesus said I am

I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Jesus said: if you do not believe I AM you will die in your sin (of unbelief), which means, you will be rejected at judgment. Its important to believe on who Jesus said who he is. He clearly claimed to be God Almighty himself. If you reject this then you will die in your sins. He made this very clearly.

The truth is the father, son and holy spirit is Almighty God.

If you reject this then you reject Almighty God

1 Father x 1 Son x 1 Holy Spirit = One True Almighty God

1X1X1=1

Jesus NEVER said he is an angel but Jesus DID say he is the "I am" of the old testament.

firstborn can mean firstborn into a family and it can also mean a title of high rank.

David who was the last one born in his family in ( 1 Chronicles 2:13-15 ) was called firstborn by God in ( Psalm 89:20,27) Firstborn in Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 1:16 is a title of high rank. It does NOT say michael is the first creation in scripture. It does NOT say michael in either of these two verses therefore its not valid to say he is the first creation.

In Rev 22:8-9

John fell down to worship an angel and the angel said no don't do that worship God

In Philippians 2:10-11

every knee will bow to Jesus

Jesus cant be an angel because we cant bend our knees and bow down to an angel that would be an act of worship. Only God can be worshiped NOT Angels.

we are called to honor the son just as we honor the father. If you do not honor the son you do not honor the father

John 5:23 KJV

That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

They don't care if you do..They just start to ignore.