What do they believe? I know that holidays aren't celebrated and things like that, does anyone here follow that? Or do you know about it?
2006-10-24 14:21:44 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses practice strict political and nationalistic neutrality, so they do not celebrate nationalistic holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day.
Other holidays derive from false religion, and so are incompatible with pure worship as adulterating interfaith. For example, Easter derives from the pagan god Oestre and celebrates "rebirth" and "fertility" instead of commemorating Christ's Last Supper and death as Jesus commanded:
(Luke 22:1-22) [Jesus] dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.” ...14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”
Seemingly innocuous holidays may have only a tangential connection with false worship, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day (although arguably derived from ancestor worship). Understated observance of these is not generally considered interfaith by Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is too easily misunderstood in some cultures.
Since such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:
(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2005/1/1a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2000/12/15/article_01.htm
2006-10-25 09:52:51 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well, by what you said about Witnesses you have everything right so far. Yes it's true that Witnesses don't celebrate holidays. But do you know WHY? If you do your research nearly all man-made holidays have pagan roots that were later adopted by ones calling themselves Christians. Examples of this would be Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and etc. Even though most people feel they can share in celebrations with unchristian roots just for the fun of it, Witnesses are admonished to follow this scriptural counsel.
"Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belongs to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them."_Eph 5:10,11(also consider 2 Cor. 6:14-18 where it tells us to stop touching the unclean thing and separate ourselves from it so we could be take in as sons and daughters of Jehovah God.) In addition we can compare the account at Exodus 32:4-10 with some of the God-dishonoring holidays that people have come to adopt. Note how the Israelites adopted an Egyptian religious practice but then gave it a new name, "festival to Jehovah." Obviously God was displeased at this seemingly "harmless" practice. Such things are not trivial in God's eyes as he severly punished them.
Personally I am a Witness and I never felt "deprived." Instead of getting gifts at Christmas I can get them almost any other time of the year which is better. The only "holiday" mentioned in the Bible that Chirst's true followers would want to commemorate annually is the Lord's Evening Meal as it is called. This is the only celebration that Jesus told his disciples to keep on doing found in the account of Matthew 19:19-20.
Basically holidays today are either tainted with nationalistic overtones which we would again have no part of (John 15:19) or have pagan orgins. To learn about Jehovah's Witnesses God's view of holidays and their orgins follow these links.
www.watchtower.org -official site of Jehovah's Witnesses
link.http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/12/15/article_01.htm
2006-10-24 22:25:03 · answer #2 · answered by Joseph U 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
In some areas, Jehovah's Witnesses believe much the same as orthodox Christians - for example, their rejection, as sin, of sex outside marriage, their acceptance of the Bible's creation account, as opposed to the evolution theory; and their belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God. But, in many other areas, their doctrines set them apart and mark them as a pseudo-Christian cult - especially the sect's teachings on matters like not celebrating birthdays, not accepting a blood transfusion, only 144,00 Jehovah's Witnesses can go to heaven and that number has been fulfilled since 1914, holidays cannot be celebrated eg. Memorial Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother's and Father's Day as a matter of fact all the well known holidays and many, many more to numerous to write.
2006-10-24 21:45:30 · answer #3 · answered by charmaine f 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Well, a short version that gives you an idea is this.
They believe they have the one and only truth and everyone else will be lost.
They believe that modern Christian churches except themselves are the great harlot who commits adultery with the governments of the world.
They do not believe in voting or having anything to do with politics.
They understand the Christian holidays including Christmas and Easter are pagan Holidays and that Satan deceives people into believing they are Christian.
They predict the End of The world every few years.
They do not get blood transfusions because to them it is like eating blood which is forbidden to do in the bible.
They believe that only the 144,000 will be in heaven and the saved will have immortal bodies and live right here on earth without sin. They believe the sinners who are cast in hell will burn up and no longer exist.
2006-10-24 21:47:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sorry about the length.
There's a lot of quotations from the scriptures about what JWs believe, and anyone can find this out by talking to one, or just looking at their materials, but let's look at what they are that is not so commonly spoke about, but that every church should also follow.
They believe in sex only in marriage, so you don't see the levels of STDs or AIDS in the religion.
They don't believe in the participation in human forms of government, so you don't have one congregation promoting their particularly favorite politician, while another of the same religion promoting another.
They believe that human life has value, so you don't see one congregation promoting Stem Cell research, while another opposes it, because it may or may not involve cloning.
They believe in not killing another human being so they don't participation in the military, thus you didn't see JWs from Germany killing JWs from America during WWII. They even refused to work in the war munitions or support plants, thus they were jailed, in both countries.
They believe that children should be taught the Bible right along with the adults, thus when a JW child reaches the age of understanding, they already have a basic knowledge of the whole Bible, and not just Bible stories.
They believe women have the ability to teach and preach the Bible so all baptized men and women are legal ministers.
They believe in people shouldn't be paid to preach and teach the Bible, so there is no passing of the plate for offerings to support paid employees, such as pastors.
They believe that religious items shouldn't be sold, so they don't run a retail business in the sale of such items as Bibles, books, and religious figurines. They give away their Bibles and books, thus they don't have to worry about the government one day wanting sales tax.
They believe their Kingdom Halls are places of learning, and not social centers to be rented out for dances, gatherings, etc. So the city has no claim on them for property taxes because of making money for non-religious events.
They believe in paying taxes, so they don't cheat or try to find loopholes to avoid taxes.
They don't believe in gambling, so there are no lotteries, bingo, or other money raising events in the Kingdom Halls.
They believe every individual is important, so their congregations never get larger than 200 active members, so the individual does not get lost in the crowd.
Finally, they don't believe in participating in man made observances, holidays, or rituals, so you don't see people shopping for the most fun church or the one with the most social activities, or child care services.
2006-10-26 03:34:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah Witnesses do NOT believe that Christ is God in the flesh and one with the father. In essence they don't believe in the trinity which sets them apart from othodox (mainstream) Christianity. They believe in the bible but DON'T know Jesus as Lord. Not to diverge but Christianity is about Christ. "That everyone shall bow before the name of Jesus." Phillipians 2:10. It's not far off to mention that JW's can be considered a heretical offshoot know as arianism. They were started in the 1880's by a man called Rusell whose credentials were suspect. They also don't beleive in heaven and hell and the cross. Be carefull with these guys Maria.
2006-10-24 21:56:41 · answer #6 · answered by Andres 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
i know about what they believe .i would like to be one. so that i can let others see what they bible says for themselves.
early bible students ( as the witnesses were then called) used to celebrate birthdays, and christmas and that ,but they stopped when they looked at the bible, and all the secular evidence and decided these were false and had their roots in pagan festivals. e.g saturnalia etc.
Jehovah's witnesses believe that the resurrected christ jesus has begun his rule as king of god's kingdom in 1914.
the witnesses today are preaching about god, his word jesus, and his word the bible.
they are seeking to get people to study the bible for themselves.
They believe that god's kingdom will restore the earth as a paradise. with 144,000 ruling with Christ in heaven as judges and kings and that satan will be removed so obedient mankind can enjoy perfect life as god intended.
they adhere to the bible for counsel and it's principles help them to know god's recquirements and his standards. the preach jesus as god's firstborn son jesus the first creation as also being the ransom, the lamb of god whose shed blood buys back what adam lost
2006-10-24 21:27:41 · answer #7 · answered by djfjedi1976 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If your curious why we don't celebrate holidays, feel free to ask me which ones, but in general we don't want to follow any traditions or pracitices that have links to ancient god's and worship. for example, any holidays with pagan traditions and for pagan gods, for we feel partaking in them, no matter what reasones christianity comes up with for takign them, still links to worshipping the practices applied to the worship of false gods, which is agianst the bible.
Jehovah's wittnesses beleive that worshiping the one and true god, and following the bible is the most important thing, above customs of religion and traditions.
so yah if your curious about the link of specific holidays and false god's and worship feel free to I.M me
2006-10-24 21:34:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
they believe in Jehovah,very much into the Bible,when they recite the scriptures from the bible it's because they know the Bible they do study this.they have very strict rules
2006-10-24 21:28:23 · answer #9 · answered by matthehat 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
watchtower society..they dictate what the church believes in for the moment
2006-10-24 21:25:00 · answer #10 · answered by Hurray for the ANGELS! 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋