What is the difference between a Christian and a Jehovah Witness?

Question

I just want to know because they seem to believe in alot what Christians believe but why are they named Jehovah Witness.

Answer 1

Difference?

Jehovah's Witnesses *ARE* Christians.

Trinitarians repeatedly pretend that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian. Trinitarians use an artificial, trinity-specific definition of the term "Christian" which excludes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century pretended that Christ's followers were Atheists(!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Both secular dictionaries and disinterested theologians acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion.

The Trinitarian arguments are intended to insult and demean Jehovah's Witnesses, rather than to give a Scripturally accurate understanding of the term "Christian".

In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all three times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"

(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.

(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”

(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name


So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded


Learn more!
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/article_04.htm

Answer 2

We do believe that in Jesus, the son of God. We believe that he is our savior. He is the one that gave up his life so that we may live forever on a paradise earth. So, any religion that believes in Jesus ARE Christians. Also, if you have anymore questions about the Witnesses, I would ask one next time they come to your door, or go to this website to see our beliefs.
www.jw.org

Answer 3

PBS is doing an unbias program on them next Spring, herre's the web site for the program.
http://www.knocking.org/

They get their name from the Scripture, "You are my witnesses is the utterance of Jehovah" which even people like Pat Robertson acknowledges.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/11/robertson_says.html

Both the Catholics and Muslims have tired unsucessfully to get its members to preach in the same manner.

Setting aside any Bible issues, they believe in obeying the law, even the inconvenient ones, such as speed limits when late for work.

They believe in paying taxes, even though there are many ways they could avoid them, as many religions do.

They believe in keeping their word, such as to the IRS that they will not promote politics in the church, and they actually mean it.

They teach their youth that waiting until marriage is preferable to using protection, and for the most part, the youths actually believe it. As a result, they have the lowest rates of out-of-wedlock births and STDs. Yes, there is the occasional ones who would rather have their fun now than wait, but there are far more who choose to wait.

They treat their youth with respect, not just "do what you're told!"

Youths are taught side by side with the adults, the Bible as a whole, and not just Bible stories. The very young may not understand what they are being taught, but by the time you reach the age of understanding, they have a good basic knowledge of the scriptures.

The congregations never get so large that the individual gets lost in the crowd. Since everyone is taught the same, it is easy to start a new congregation, with a set of elders.

Everyone knows everyone, whether in their congregation, or in their circuit. When Katrina happened, every Jehovah’s Witnesses living in New Orleans could be found in Texas, with every individual accounted for. How many other religions could say for certain they knew that none of those left behind belong to one of their churches?

They believe their Kingdom Halls should compliment a neighborhood, and not overwhelm it, so they are small and don’t include a lot of expensive decorative features. Each KH can hold up to four congregations.

The greatest difference between JWs and the rest of Christendom can be answered with just one question.

WHAT DAY DO YOU OBSERVE THE MEMORIAL ON?

Everyone else will falter around and perhaps come up with a day in May, but all JWs will say at sunset on Niacin 14, which falls on the first full moon after the vernal equinox, the Memorial of the Last Supper. This is the only day, aside from wedding anniversaries, that Christ said to continue keeping, yet Jehovah's Witnesses are the only Christian organization that does.

Whatever you may say about whether it is right or wrong to observe the man-made holidays created since the first congregations, the fact remains that Christendom does not observe the one day Christ said to keep. What does that say for the leaders of Christendom, that they ignore that one important day of the year, and don't even know what day it falls on?

The question of holidays gets asked a lot, yet the facts of why are clearly evident. Even the Churches of Christendom recognize that the holidays and observances are not in keeping with Bible teachings, yet they fear that doing anything about it will jeopardize their positions and power. Check any religious encyclopedia about the holidays and their history.

So the question is not why don't witnesses celebrate the holidays, but why does Christendom celebrate something not taught in the Bible? Further, why don't they know what day Christ said to observe and why don't you observe it on that day?

Whatever you may think of any of the other beliefs of JWs, you have to ask yourself is the need to observe these holidays more important than observing the day Christ said to keep?

Answer 4

Here is the truth my fair lady= Jehovah witness's are not christians lets get that strait right off the bat! They are a man made cult started in the late 1800, 1870 to be exact by Charles Taze Russell, They follow a twisted version of the real HOLY BIBLE called the watchtower bible or the new world translation, the main part and the most important part that they have twisted is the divinity of CHRIST! They are sadly brainwashed into a man made cult that was formed in the 1800's by man not GOD> Hence the cult. Just like mormons it is sad so many are living in a lie by these man made cults, My prayer would be that they are touched by the HOLY SPIRIT AND LED TO THE TRUTH THE TRUE CHRIST!!!!!!

Answer 5

The Christians I have met all believe that they are going to heaven, however the Jehovah's Witnesses i have met believe there will be a heavenly government where 144,000 righteous ones will be taken from this earth to rule as kings and priests alongside Jesus. J.W.s don't believe in a Trinity either, they believe that Jesus is Gods first creation, his Son and not an element of God himself. They believe that the Holy Spirit is Gods active force, and not another element of a Tri- GodHead.

Answer 6

What people need to do is research this stuff themselves and find out about the JW's from the JW's themselves and compare what they believe with what you believe or what your religion teaches and then make a decision. Don't go on message boards asking questions of people who for the most part give ignorant and uninformed answers. I can't believe some of the answers I see about JW's on here, they are so not factual and wrong about witnesses doctrine that it's funny.

Thats one thing you won't find is JW's on these sites giving totally wrong answers about what other religions believe. I get a good laugh at alot of the people giving these replies it makes them look ignorant.

Answer 7

1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

This scripture is very clear in letting us know that Jesus is our mediator. This is what true christians believe.

Unfortunately, 99% of JWs are taught that as part of the 'other sheep' Jesus is not their mediator. Not many JWs actually know this and I mention it when they knock on my door.as I think it is so important to give them a proper witness about Jesus.

Here are two quotes from their own publications
Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members." Worldwide Security Under the "Prince of Peace" pp.10-11

"Is Jesus the "mediator" only for anointed Christians? ... So in this strict Biblical sense Jesus is the "mediator" only for anointed Christians." Watchtower 1979 Apr 1 p.31

Jesus also established a new covenant with his people but guess what? That same 99% of JWs are not included or are a part of that covenant.

Why 99% of JWs call themselves 'christian' makes no sense.

Answer 8

Christians were and are the followers of Jesus who were both His witnesses when He walked the earth and presently in His Church both visible and invisible. Jesus founded only one Church and prayed to His Father that we all be in unity within (Joh 7:21-26). Those of His own Church, the Catholic Church, with Christ's authority confronted those who did not believe that Jesus is God at the Council of Nicaea in the early 4th century. Using this teaching authority from Christ and the Authority to bind and to loose given by our Lord and Savior they found the Arians and their teaching to be in anathema and condemned those who would continue to teach and believe that Jesus is not God which is the fundamental belief of Christianity. To deny that Jesus is God and the 2nd person in the Trinity of the one God is to cease to be Christian and in God's will. May we all pray for sufficient grace from God that they may escape this evil heretical sect that leads so many to destruction.

All that Jesus asked is that we believe in Him for eternal life but if the Jehovah Witness continues to deny that He is God to their death they cannot be saved. If they continue in their path of denying His true nature then they condemn themselves to an eternity in hell. God bless!

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 9

They are not Christians. Christians believe that Hesus is God and worship Jesus. Jehovah Witnesses teach that Jesus is an angel. They have their own Bible.

Answer 10

JW's believe that their Governing Body has been appointed by Christ, to dispense all spiritual food to his people in the end times (now). They believe that Christ came in 1914, and left them in charge in 1919.

JW's are not allowed to question the doctrine that their Governing Body is the sole channel for Christ on earth today. They worship the idea that they are members of Jehovah's Organization, and believe that anyone who is not a part of this organization, in good standing, will be executed violently at Armageddon, to be cut off forever.

Jehovah-anity would be a better name, since they believe they are supposed to work ever harder as the time of the end is approaching (for about 100 years now, it has been the end of the world...). They look forward to the day when the name of Jehovah is vindicated.

By the way, Jesus Christ himself was never put on record, calling his Father by his name. He instructed us to pray: "Our father...."
WHEN did Jesus instruct us to call God by his first name? I have known my dad's name since I was a child, but do not call him Joseph.