No more spots! I have to admit that the cautious mommy syndrome has definitely been awakened in me. I'm trying not to be afraid to let him try any new foods.

I've been asked to share some of my experiences with Jehovah's Witnesses with a friend's mom. It's been so long that it's tough recalling all I learned. So funny, though, they just came to my house on Saturday. It has been almost 6 months since I met with someone.

Here's what I wrote her so far if you're interested in reading:

I thought I would send out this information in short emails instead of one long one. There's a lot to learn about them and unfortunately I still don't know the half of it! But I'll share what I do know and have learned from meeting with my friend for 6 months.

I always had a harsh attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) until one day Steve and I were searching through the bookshelves at Mardel. I found a book on speaking to JW verse by verse. I think I loaned the book out but I'll get the info for you later. I read most of it the first night. The most important thing I learned which changed my heart towards anyone in a cult is that the people who come to your door truly love God and are trying their best to help you.

They really do love God and search after Him intensely. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the organization they are involved with keeps them so busy reading the publications they have to give out that they don't have time to truly study the Word of God for themselves. When they do study, it is on the passages of scripture that the whole community of JWs are studying at the time. They are discouraged from seeking other forms of commentary on spiritual and biblical matters. Thus the cycle of keeping them literally brainwashed. They are pressured to "witness" and, although they will never admit to this, they are a works-based faith. If they don't do a certain amount for the community, they won't get to paradise. I would often ask my friend if she really knew if she was going there and she confidently said yes but that she knew lots who didn't work like she did and she was worried for them. And the saddest thing she told me was that she was not going to heaven to be with Jehovah but only a select few were chosen.

The next important thing I learned was the basis of how we are different. They say they believe in God (they have to call him Jehovah), they say they believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior, they say they believe in Jehovah's holy spirit. Sounds right. Here's a few crucial differences.

To the JWs, God cannot be called God because it is a title and he must be called by his name, Jehovah. This statement (paraphrased) was from a "revelation" of one of Jehovah's chosen people and is taken as fact. The fact that God's name is holy and we must treat it so is very true, but they take it a step too far. A few members of the Watchtower organization took on the task of rewording parts of the bible so that they could have their own version. It fits their belief system very well. Many times they will come out with more changes and say that the old way it was written or stated was prior to a revelation. That is their justification. So they actually exchanged the greek word for God Theos for the hebrew terminology Jehovah. This is changing a fundamental of scripture. They discount many other names for God, Elohim, El Elyon, El Shaddai, etc.

I'll write more later, gotta start school with the kids.