Jehovah's Witnesses People and Links
Q&A with Seth Thomas – Knocking
What have you been doing since filming wrapped up on KNOCKING? off-site
Life has been going great since wrapping up the filming. I got married on September 30, 2006. It was a great day. Halina [my wife] and I really enjoyed the wedding and especially enjoyed getting to meet up with the Kempler family who attended our marriage. It was wonderful to meet them and the others who were involved in the filming of the documentary. Everyone had a really good time that day, I believe. Since then Halina and I have both been working at T-Mobile. We both started there on October 9, 2006. I guess you can say we are inseparable. Wherever one of us works the other is almost sure to be there. We have been just keeping busy though with the normal things of life, managing day-to-day activities and making sure to keep things as stress-free as possible.
What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Many people say we do not believe in Jesus Christ, that we are a cult, and all around boring people. No concept of having fun, such as dancing or just being social.
In what ways do you feel KNOCKING will help clear these misunderstandings?
The film more than demonstrates the love Jehovah’s Witnesses have for their family members, whether or not they are Witnesses. There is no shunning of other family members due to religious preference. Also we know how to have a good time, as shown by the activities in the video [hockey, playing the guitar and dating].
What was your favorite part of being in the film?
The opportunity to demonstrate to the world the different sides of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We face the same daily struggles regarding health, money and family. But when Bible principles are applied and followed things work out for the best.
From JWBrothers.net
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Jehovah's Witnesses in Haiti - Edgard Metelus, a Jehovah's Witness, took part in a prayer service in Ptionville with some 200 faithful, most of whom managed somehow to find presentable clothes amid the chaos. "We continue to pray for Haiti and to thank the heavens, because without prayers, there would have been more victims," he said, as the group raised it's voice in praise to God." Peter Goodspeed, (January 17, 2009). Giving Thanks to God. National Post, Port-au-Prince.
We join the brothers in Haiti in prayer for Jehovah's Witnesses there, as well as other innocent victims in Haiti.
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Martin Poetzinger, former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, spent years in Nazi concentration camps as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Read abut his thrilling story.
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December 18, 2009 - United Kingdom
by Matthew Legg - Cumberland News
One of Carlisle’s best-known businessmen has wound up his 35-year career in printing to spread the word of God.
Derek House, a key figure in the city’s once thriving printing industry, has sold his QIC Print company, at Durranhill, to concentrate on his work as a Jehovah’s Witness. He becomes a full-time minister in January and will be involved in house-to-house preaching.
The 63-year-old arrived in Carlisle from Cornwall as a teenager in the 1960s.He went on to train hundreds of young printers, including many who went on to work for Cumbrian Newspapers at its Dalston Road print works. Mr House said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the trade.
“It is about people finding the real meaning of life. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t have a creed, we have no special beliefs, we just believe purely in The Bible. “I love talking about creation and trying to counteract evolutionary beliefs. “There are a lot of things presented as fact by people like Richard Dawkins which, I think, are far from fact. I can’t wait to get started.”
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American tennis great Serena Williams has said her being actively involved with the Jehovah's Witnesses movement, helped her to overcome her despair over elder sister Yetunde's murder on September 14, 2003. Describing it as the watershed moment, Serena said it happened when she was in Toronto for a television show.
That incident plunged her into deep depression. Waking in despair each day, she plummeted down the tennis rankings, reaching a low of 140.....
In another article, Serena stated that her involvement with Jehovah's Witnesses helped her to keep her balance.
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Nelson Mandela's first wife, Evelyn Mandela and sister were Jehovah's Witnesses. Although she had been divorced by Mr. Mandela before his imprisonment, she has remained a highly respected lady by all in this country, including Mr. Mandela himself, who had written to her on several occasions expressing his deep appreciation for her integrity and gracious qualities as a godly woman. The youngest sister of Nelson Mandela, Lieby Piliso, was also a Jehovah's Witness and died in 1997.
President Dwight Eisenhower's mother was a Jehovah's Witness, his father, an inactive Jehovah's Witness. They had become Jehovah's Witnesses, or Bible Students, prior to 1914. Ike's father died in the 1940s and was given a funeral by Jehovah's Witnesses. President Eisenhower continued to have a close relationship with his mother, who was an active Witness until her death. It is stated that he used a Watchtower printed Bible for his second Presidential inauguration. The Eisenhower's had been Mennonites prior to their converting to Jehovah's Witnesses. Eisenhower himself became a member of the Presbyterian Church in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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While some have criticized or made jokes aboutJehovah's Witnesses for their preaching and Bible teaching work, Jehovah's Witnesses find it a joy rather than a burden (as does this writer). It is the cream of life and not the drudgery. Jesus gave this prophecy at Matthew 24:14,
"And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations
and then the end will come."
Commenting on the Church in Europe, one minister noted,
"Jesus told the parable of the two sons. Their father asked that they do a task, the first son said “NO” but later did what his Father had asked. The other son said, “Sure, Father, I’ll do that for you.” but didn’t. Which one did Jesus commend? It wasn’t the one that was all talk. WE ARE ALL TALK, while Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and Muslims are out doing what Jesus said to do. I have heard it said that door to door ministry is not effective. HOWEVER, those who are doing are increasing in numbers at an astronomical rate. One of the largest attended religious meetings going on in our small town are the Jehovah’s Witnesses, while other smaller churches are struggling. What is the difference? One puts the pride on the table and does what the Bible says to do, the other says it is not effective (hurts feelings when people curse them or slam doors in their face). Even though the one is effectively increasing in numbers (and are a cult), the ones who supposedly know the truth are not acting on it, are not laying down their lives for those who are headed to destruction, are NOT OBEYING God in doing things the way His Son told them to do them. We should be ashamed of ourselves but we say “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.”
Jehovah's Witnesses in the preaching work, Brazil. Matthew 28:19,20
Photo: Steelman
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9-24-09 Sobery Recovery.com
The ministry of Jehovah's Witnesses does change lives (for the better), as this unpolished blog observes,
"He was there about two years I think and was worse than EVER. He was shooting up anything and everything, getting arrested, getting beat up by the low-lifes he was hanging with, in the hospital, etc. I think it did help that he got away from everyone here though because even though he found the same type of people down there, there really were less people in his life who were emotionally invested in supporting him. But then he met some Jehovahs Witnesses at his door one day when he was all coked out, and somehow they helped him for months to get clean. Am I allowed to mention a church on this site?
Anyway, I don't know how they did it (but I really don't care HOW; I'm just glad they did). Anyway, I think it worked for him because they didn't have the emotional attachments and personal motivations that our family had 
in trying to help him. I don't know if that makes any sense. Anyway, he found his Higher Power who apparently spells all the rules out for him so he's much better with boundaries and no longer turns to other people to help him. What a relief! Because he was the youngest child and I think he was ALWAYS like that (looking for other people to help him or do things for him). And you know, now that I am telling this story, I realize that for the FIRST time in my ENTIRE life of him being "my little brother," HE has actually helped ME work my Program (Steps 2 and 3)."
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"Here is a fact (personal exp.) one of my neighbors is one of them, when my dad passed away they started coming over (others from there church too) bringing food, helping in the yard, money (yes cash) without ever being asked to (i know cuz my mother would never ask any1 for help). You saying you 'hate um' is the kind of thinking that divides us and disunifies us in society, the exact opposite of what i have seen 'um' show, has it ever occured that while your 'hating um' they are caring enough about you to come to you to talk to you about what they believe will help you? us? if the way they worship God pushes them to be this way to strangers maybe more of us could benefit from listing to what they have to say about the bible."
Commentary on article: Thousands Of Jehovah Witnesses Converge In Hawaii, Worshippers Attend International Convention In Waikiki. November 18, 2009. KITV.com
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Page last updated: January 18, 2009