Without parroting Wikipedia, what is it that the Jehovahs Witness believe?

Question

I recently read that Prince converted to Jehovahs Witness, and I'm curious to hear what the difference is between Jehovah's Witnesses and the practice of traditional Christian denominations.

Yeah, I already read what Wikipedia had to say, but you know, sometimes it more interesting, and informative, to ask around for different points of view.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Dear Doctor Plum,

A good website to check is http://www.soulright.com
Spend time looking at One Truth Exposes a Thousand Lies, Traits Shared Between Jehovah and Jesus.

Primoa1970 told you the main difference between jws and Christianity.

Last week (Feb. 3) I celebrated 45 years since Armageddon was falsely prophesied by my mother who is a jw. I know that particular date wasn't mentioned in the Watchtower publications but over the decades they have falsely prophsied exact dates for Armageddon only to have to change their story after the fact.

Read Deuteronomy 18:20-22 to see what the awesome uncreated Creator of the universe has to say about listening to false prophecies.

Answer 2

Hello,

I was raised as a Witness, I can tell you everything that you would like to know. I am no longer a Witness because of various unjust that happen with in the congregations. Basically Witnesses believe that only Jehovahs Witneses will survive the end of this world, that ALL others will be destroyed. They believe that the end of the world and the destruction of ALL others will be after the preaching work has been done WORLD wide. I live here in America,this is probably the easiest country to get that work done, and I have many people that I have met that have NEVER had a Witness knock on their door.Never mind the idea that EVERY person will be preached to all around the world..They believe that only 144,000 will be asked to go to heaven. They believe in no blood transfusions...I agree with them on that. Blood is sacrid. No Christmas, no Birthdays, no Turkey day (thanksgiving...too political) no Mothers Day, Fathers day....just because they dont want to be like the rest of the world..no biblical reason for that one. And oh yeah....Elders are allowed to basically tear apart family's by disfellowshipping family memebers.Members that havent even been baptized....My parents are still Witnesses, thankfully they still will talk to me even though I have not followed the faith that they have. And yes, they are still in the congregation and the Elders actually know that I still go over their house atleast 2 times a week, they have just decided to turn their heads. I love my family very much, but this religion has left me with many scars from the years of having seen the wrongs that have been put on many family's.

Answer 3

Disfellowshipped JW
1982 Corning, CA Congregation
For cause, but not the ones some ex-JWs who want to put themselves on a pedestal, want you to believe, and know you will without question.

You could wait until next May when this program about Jehovah’s Witnesses is shown on PBS, or you can order a copy now. It was done by an independent film company.

http://www.knocking.org/
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=54714EBF23EFA251

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 most 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, along with neighbors, living in New Orleans could be found in Texas, with every witness 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.

They encourage all their members to read the Bible and submit their thoughts. This was before the NWT and when they were using the KJV, or Authorized Version. It should be noted that this version of the KJV was not the first, but the fifth. It took four revisions over a 150 year period, before it was approved by the Church of England.

JW may have their own Bible, but it came about as a result of reading the KJV by thousands of people and noting the contradictions as a result of errors in translation. A good example is the scripture that says “The Word” is a Mighty God. A Mighty God gets its power and existence from an Almighty God. As for revisions, to my knowledge, it had not been revised since it came out in the 50s. My mother still has her first JW Bible, though it is worn like all the others she has used since them. Witnesses generally wear out a Bible every few years, whereas those in Christendom may have the same Bible for generations.

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

Please remember this is only what I know, as I am not a J.W.
They have tried to convert me, so I'll tell you what I know.

Birthdays & holidays are not celebrated because there's no biblical reference to them.

They don't serve in the military & I can't remember why.
No blood transfusions are allowed.
Jesus was not crusified on a cross, but a stake (tree?)

Only a 144,000 people get to go to heaven. The rest stay on earth which is turned into a paradise.

Other than that, beats me.

Answer 5

The entire bible and any bible (not just nwt)

Unlike Jews they do not cut out the Greek testament
Unlike Muslims or Mormons they do not replace the Bible.
Unlike Catholics they use the book of revelation.

They do exactly what Jesus and his father told human kind what to do.

Annoying people door to door??? to bad.

Jesus COMMANDED people to preach about God's Kingdom and they refuse to listen.

1 COL 16:23,24 - Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples."

1 Corinthians 1:23 explains that rejection is to be expected when preaching the gospel.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 warns that we have to be ready to preach the truth whether or not it is convenient for as long as we can, because eventually people will only hear what they want to hear.

Answer 6

Beliefs: Jesus is the son of God, 144,000 will go to heaven and the rest whom are judged worthy will get a new paradise on earth. these 144,000 will be kings over the earth for 1000 years as Satan waits until he will be set free again to bring anymore with him for one last shot.Most of the other things they don't believe ie. Christmas, holidays etc. because they are pagan or are considered sin in the bible.

Answer 7

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

Answer 8

jehovas witness think every word in revelations in true written word of god.

but i have a funny story.

i have jehovas witness neighbors that have one son and he is 11. He is home schooled and the parents say they will neve rallow him to go to school because of all the bad influences there in public school. They say that he gets PLENTY of socialization at the bible studies that they have at the church.
They said he reads the bible to get his education.
I picked up a newspaper and said Here read this....

The poor boy can not read or write worth a flip.

Social skills are atrocious. I have had to send him home from my front yard a few times.



SO i ask this kid... what IS a jehova's witness anyway.....

he said:





"I have NO Idea"

Jehovah's Witnesses are an apocalyptic group that interprets the Bible differently than traditional Christian organizations.

so see.. its all about revelations and armageddon... fire and brimstone etc etc

Answer 9

I was under the impression that they did not believe in the "Holy Trinity" and most importantly Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They do recognize Jesus as a "spiritual figure", but they believe that the Messiah has yet to come.

Answer 10

#1. Annoying people door to door because they feel (like every other organized religion.) That they have cornored the market on the one true way to God and that everyone else is dellusional and needs to be taught.

#2. They believe that the only way to gain access to God is through works. They believe that what they do... makes some sort of difference because they do not believe that Christ's death cleansed us of our sins... Nor do they recognize Him as the Son of God.

#3. They believe in early to bed and early to rise because they always come knocking at UN Godly hours.

#4. They believe in dedicating their earthly life to doing for God. Earning their way into heaven by; Creation, publishing, marketing and mass distribution of the Watchtower publication which explains to outsiders in layman's terms what it is to be a Jehovah's witness.

#5. They do not celebrate any Holidays, Celebrate birthdays or glorify anyone but Jehovah in deed or dedication. They do not participate in patriotic celebration of observe government holidays or even speak the pledge of allegiance.

#6. They cannot receive life saving medical treatment if it involves blood or invasive surgical procedures, some medications or mental health treatment.

Basically... It is a cult. A mild one, a semi non invasive one, a gentle loving one, but a cult non the less.

I know this, because if you ever try and explain your belief system to them to rationalize it or compare it to the errors found in theirs, they will always refuse to listen or hear you. That is not freedom to decide. To me at least, that is brainwashing!

Like every other organized religion in existance... The faithful are being used as marketing tools to provide financial backing and worker drones to a common cause they are brainwashed into believing in.

It is religion, hidden behind monetary gain for the higher up's in the organization who use faith and people to recruit, and work for what they believe is salvation. Funny how the creators of this religion removed the one true element of God out of the equation.

These poor slobs are working for nothing... but the Watchtower and the family of the late Charles Taze Russell!

Salvation is already given unto those who accept and love God... No matter what you do. God is no respector of persons and Heaven is not a coorporation with anyone any better than anyone else because of how many people they dragged around and forced into their opinion in life.