The modern day Jehovah’s Witnesses are
commonly known for their door-to-door evangelizing to spread their beliefs, and
make converts. [i]There are reportedly 8.3 million Jehovah's Witnesses around
the world, and nearly 120,000 congregations.
The
Jehovah’s Witnesses print all their literature and organize their work by voluntary contributions. The Jehovah Witnesses
do not practice tithing and do not take collections at meetings in their Kingdom
Halls. These finances are then distributed to local headquarters called branch offices that can be found in many countries. These branch offices allocate the money to causes like the construction of Kingdom Halls, aid in areas affected by natural disasters, support for missionaries, and the publication and distribution of their religious literature.
Contrary to most Christian faiths, all members are unpaid volunteers ordained as ministers, and are expected to share in the evangelizing work regardless of age, race, or social status. If you know little about the Jehovah Witnesses, take some time to get familiarized with them.
Jehovah's Witnesses got their start in 1870 when a man named Charles Taze Russell started leading Bible studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Taze began disputing some of the traditional views within Christianity, and the Jehovah's Witnesses were born.
Jehovah's
Witnesses focus on God the Father so their name is written as YHWH or JHVH and articulated either as Yahweh or
Jehovah. The group was originally called the Watch Tower Society because
founder Charles Taze Russell published a magazine called Zion's Watch Tower
and Herald of Christ's Presence.
Jehovah's Witnesses use a Bible translation called the New
World Translation. Before this translation was released specifically by and
for Jehovah's Witnesses, most relied on the King
James Version. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is not equal
with God.
They teach that Jesus was created by God and not coexistent with
Him. This is a major diversion from orthodox Christianity. Jehovah's Witnesses
do not believe the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father. They instead believe
the Holy Spirit is a force applied by God.
The main argument of the Jehovah Witnesses is that the majority of these holidays (as well as birthdays) have pagan roots that are not biblical. They base their organization around the doctrines of the first-century Christian congregation, a group that also rejected many similar customs.
Even though it has been hundreds or thousands of years since these un-Christian practices originated or mixed in with popular holidays and celebrations, Jehovah’s Witnesses feel that these would displease the God of the Bible.
When it comes to war, Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to bear arms or engage in war of any kind (even when refusing means imprisonment or execution). They cite their obedience to God and Jesus Christ’s commands as well as their love of those around them to be additional reasons for their refusal to participate in military action.
Countries such as Armenia, Turkey, and Eritrea in recent times have convicted, fined, imprisoned, and even tortured members for their conscientious objection. As of mid-2013, South Korea held 93 percent of imprisoned Jehovah’s Witnesses
The Jehovah Witnesses view blood transfusions as an act against the Bible’s commands to refrain from taking in blood both in the New and Old Testament. An example of one such command that they cite is in Acts 15: 29 (CEB) which states: “Refuse food offered to idols, blood, the meat from strangled animals, and sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid such things. Farewell.”
Although their stance against blood transfusion is mainly a religious one, they cite medical journals, such as The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, that note that those who do not receive transfusions usually fare as well as those who do accept transfusions. Of course, many other medical experts will share contrary views. They also feel that rejecting such keeps them safe from blood transfusion complications such as blood-borne diseases and immune system reactions.
Jehovah’s Witnesses also claim that Jesus Christ did not die on a cross, but rather on a simple upright torture stake with no crossing beams. Looking into earlier manuscripts, they have argued that some words usually rendered as “cross” in most modern translations, instead originally carried the meaning noted above. Though there are some scholars and Bible translators that agree with this view, it continues to be a hotly debated topic.
Both encyclopedias and scholarly works attest to the cross’s pre-Christian origin as well as its ties with worship of Egyptian, Babylonian, Norse, and other gods, not to mention it being regarded as a historical symbol of the male genitalia and the coupling of the reproductive organs by some authorities.
“I was reared in a Jehovah's Witness household. I was taught that every
man should be judged by his deeds and not his color, and I firmly stand where
my grandmother left me.” (Jill Scott)[ii]
[i] “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve
commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this
present age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 , CEB) This is their scriptural mandate for
door-to-door evangelism.
[ii] Sources used:
·
“10 Things You Never Knew about Jehovah Witnesses by George Rumtic
·
“10 Things You Should Know about Jehovah's
Witnesses” by Veronica
Infringer
·
“Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Go From Door to Door?” by JW.org
This post is dedicated
to all the Jehovah Witnesses I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to over the years.
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