Can someone tell me the basic idea behind Jehovahs Witnesses?

Answer 1

I studied with them for over a year, so I know it all. Here are some basics....

They believe Jesus is the son of Jehovah God. They do not celebrate any holidays or participate in any form of government because to do so would be partaking in "wordly things" They believe that only 144,000 people will go to Heaven, these being the saints of the old testament and the rest Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe that Christ will return and set up an earthly paradise where he will rule for 1,000 years. Only devoted JW's and people who never got the opportunity to learn about Jesus will be on this earthly paradise. The rest of us will simply be dead in our graves. They do not believe in a burning hell. They believe this will occur before the generation born by 1914 passes away. (Confusing, I know) They follow their organization called The Watchtower Society in Brooklyn, New York. The Watchtower Society has ultimate control over every JW's life. They dictate doctrine as well as behaviors for each member.

Hope that helped.

Answer 2

The Jehovah’s Witnesses got their start in 1884, when Charles Russell formed Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society, though their true roots sprang up fourteen years earlier from a Bible Study Russell organized in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. From these meager beginnings, much like the Mormon Church, evolved a large empire. In 1999, Jehovah’s Witnesses Worldwide reported that a total of nearly 6 million JW’s spent about 1.1 billion hours evangelizing in 234 countries.

The JW’s publish two semi-monthly magazines as their primary publications. Awake! targets mostly non-JW’s and focuses on non-Biblical topics such as current events and news stories. The Watchtower magazine is toted as the “chief means of instructing members in doctrine and practice” (Jehovah’s Witness Literature, p.155). The Watchtower circulation per issue was 16,100,000 in 116 languages as of 1994.

In a manner similar to Mormonism, JW’s believe that their organization is the only true Christian organization. They believe that the truths of scripture were lost through a great apostasy centuries ago until God used Charles Russell to restore the gospel. JW shares some doctrinal beliefs with Christianity, but most of their beliefs either completely contradict, or at least pervert Biblical truths.

That is just a thumbnail description

Answer 3

Just to clear up a few negative answers:

JW's are in 235 lands & islands, we respect the flag of each country unlike most christian religions, Why do you think, the prisons are full of so-called Christians, why is it that so-called Christians are the ones that "burn, spit, step on the "flag" and show disrespect not only to the flag but to the country they live in?

I can think of a President of the U.S.A. that saluted or said the pledge of allegiance every day, yet He had to leave office because of wrong doing, and the deliberate act of deviating from the truth. So the saluting and pledge is not what makes you a good person, it's obeying God's Word, that does.

Has your minister, priest or religious leader mentioned this wonderful hope to you? Of course they have not, most clergymen say nothing about it. In fact, many do not even believe the Bible. This is an important reason why Jehovah’s witnesses call at the homes of people of other religions.

The efforts of Jehovah’s witnesses to approach people in public and at their homes are rooted in the Word of God. Jesus himself went directly to the people, and he instructed his apostles and disciples to do likewise.

The Witnesses’ beliefs, based entirely on God’s Word, the Bible, prevent them from falling into the trap of becoming a sect or a cult. They take a kindly interest in all other people, of whatever religious persuasion. No, they do not try to force these people to change their viewpoint. They endeavor to imitate their Leader, Christ Jesus, by presenting Scriptural evidence of the trouble-free Paradise that will soon be established on earth.—Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Peter 2:21.

Answer 4

Jehovah witnesses believe that only 144,000 people will go to heaven. The rest , those who are not destroyed, will live on a perfect world!
They do not believe in hell. They also do not believe in saluting the flag or serving their country in wartime. They will not celebrate any holiday or birthday except a memorial once a year at Eastertime where communion is served, but only to those who are of the 144,000 going to heaven!
They claim to be God's witnesses in the earth. They go from house to house proclaiming the book of the month, that is whatever publication the Watchtower society from Brooklyn says is the new truth!
Since 1874 they have been predicting the return of Christ!
Each time Jesus did not come back they came up with an excuse and blamed overzealous witnesses for the mistake! Finally after Jesus failed to return in 1975 they gave up trying to predict His return!

Answer 5

In 1914, some believers felt that the Antichrist made his appearance. Since then, they are waiting for Armageddon.

Another sola scriptura religion - they focus on the Bible and try to apply the passages to modern life. They proselytze by going door to door with the Awake leaflets and the Watchtower. They have communion once a year and provide free legal advice to those who are discriminated for not singing "Happy Birthday" in restaurants.

-Ted

Answer 6

Jehovah's Witnesses understand the Scriptures to teach that God's Kingdom will soon replace all earthly governments.
(Daniel 2:44) God of heaven will set up a kingdom... It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite

That Kingdom will rule over the vast majority of mankind, most of whom will have been raised from the dead after Armageddon.
(John 11:23,24) Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”
(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Until that resurrection, there is no suffering in "hell", or the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire

While a limitted number of humans will be resurrected to heaven to share in ruling over mankind, the vast majority (literally more than 99.9%) of Jehovah's Witnesses expect an EARTHLY hope, the same hope given to Adam and Eve.
(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill THE EARTH and subdue it [caps added]
(Genesis 2:17) You must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die [so never eating from that tree means never dying]

Interestingly, the Scriptures are full of references to this earthly hope.
(Psalms 37:11) 'the meek will possess the earth'
(Proverbs 2:21) 'upright will reside in the earth'
(Isaiah 45:18) 'God formed the earth to be inhabited'
(Matthew 5:5) 'the mild will inherit the earth'
(Revelation 21:3) The tent of God is with mankind

Jehovah's Witnesses' official website:
http://watchtower.org
http://watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm

Answer 7

I don't know for sure, but I think they believe that only 800,000 souls will make it into Heaven. Each person has to 'earn' their way into Heaven by witnessing, or spreading God's word. The more they witness, the more likely they will be among the 800,000 chosen ones.

Answer 8

Oh jeeze, some of these answers I swear! LOL
Anyway, the way it was explained to me by my mother in law is that they believe in Jesus but choose to give their honor to "the Big Guy". They think honoring the Son more than the Father is a disgrace

Answer 9

My friend who was one for a while quit because she said everyone was SO uptight about dying at Armageddon that they would get up and leave the services so they wouldn't accidentally fart in the Kingdom Hall. (Because they might die at Armageddon!) Apparently they have no path to salvation, other than deeds, but where is there a place for Jesus in such hearts?

Answer 10

The only basic thing I see is
they don't honor our country
they don't recognize our government
they show no honor for our flag
they won't say the pledge.