What are the differences between Christians and Jehovah Witnesses?

Question

They seem alike, but I am sure there are differences that are unclear to me. What are the differences, and if you know similarities?

Yes Ishvarlan but do you believe that Jesus died for your sins/ He is your saviour, etc?

Answer 1

As far as I can tell, JWs do preach the Bible and Jesus Christ as saviour, but at the same time they believe in what is termed "works" for salvation. The vast majority of religions and denominations do believe in a "works" religion. Christianity can be pretty much divided up into those who believe we will be saved by Jesus if our works meet His approval, and the other side of the Christian spectrum that believes our salvation is only by grace and forgiveness in spite of our works. Of course each side will say the others aren't Christian because of doctrinal differences and even within these two persuasions there will be these accusations. It's pretty silly as far as I'm concerned as I believe all are Christian, just to varying degrees of doctrinal revelation. When a person gets saved and born again for instance, they don't immediately believe all the right doctrine, but yet they have become Christian and are saved. I would say the JWs are Christian but doctinally they are off in some areas and will not be saved by works. They are also correct in other areas of doctrine. I have been saved now for 26 years and I have never seen a 100% doctrinally correct church or group yet because they don't exist. Too many Christians are attacking other Christian groups over doctrine instead of trying obey Christ and win the lost as far as I'm concerned. Immediately when you through out the accusation that such and such a group aren't Christian, you put their back against a wall and they are just going to fight back. It's a confrontational way of trying to win the argument and most often produces bad fruit and a hateful spirit. Persuading others through loving persuasion is a much better way of doing things and trusting God's Spirit to do what we cannot, change people's hearts.

Answer 2

i'm certainly one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I stick to the Christ as my non secular chief. All my ideals are based on the bible, and not on guy-made doctrines nor those that are in line with pagan or mythological religions. Pagan and mythological ideals such because of fact the trinity and hellfire. Matthew sixteen:13-sixteen John 20:30,31 Psalm 80 3:18 Deuteronomy 6:4 Jeremiah 7:31 Revelation 20:14 Romans 6:23

Answer 3

Jehovah's Witnesses follow what the Bible teaches.....

All Christians should do this....... most don't.

Biggest difference is that Jehovah's Witnesses actually follow Jesus command to preach and teach others.

(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, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. . . .

(Matthew 24:14) 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.

Many people that say they are Christian, don't really live up to the title.

A real christian will follow Jesus command given above in Matthew 28:19,20 by teaching what Jesus said in Matthew 24:14.

So if someone comes to your door, but doesn't want to help you learn what God's kingdom is, what it promises to do, how it will fix the trouble around us etc. They really are not teaching what Jesus commanded. They really are not "Christian"

Mike

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. Where in the Bible does it say that you have to believe in the trinity to be Christian? Nowhere! If the trinity doctrine were Christian, where in the Bible does Jesus teach it to his disciples? Nowhere!

Unlike others who profess to be Christian, Jehovah's Witnesses make the teachings of Christ a way of life. For instance, Jehovah's Witnesses:

Do not participate in ANY war.

Engage in the preaching ministry, in compliance with Jesus' last command to "go and make disciples of people of all the nations,..teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." Matt. 28:19, 20.

Stay away from paganistic observances like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.

Obey Jesus' words not to call one by another religious titles, like "father." Matt. 23:9.

Believe that Jehovah is the Most High. Ps. 83:18

Believe that Jesus is God's Son, not God, or part of an unscriptural trinity. John 10:36; Luke 1:35.

Answer 5

Hi. We Witnesses are Christians. All of our religous beliefs are based on Bible teachings.

In answer to the latter queries, Yes Jesus the son of God died for our sins.

Answer 6

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. Many in other religions believe that it doesn’t matter if you sin, as you will be forgiven, an assumption that perhaps Moses held, until he was denied access to the promise land due to just one sin.

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. How many times have you heard on the news abotu religions promoting a candidate?

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. How many religions think it’s a waste of time trying to teach teenagers to wait until marriage?

They treat their youth with respect, not just "do what you're told!" The parents make themselves an example of being a good Christian, such as not smoking, instead of just telling their kids not to while the parents do it.

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. In other religions, the children are put into Sunday School, away from the parents, and often with parents who do not themselves attend church.

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. You see churched getting large, with one person leading the whole congregation and swaying how they believe. He/she often gets paid very well for doing this.

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? In your own church, how many members do you know by name, let alone where they live? How many people do you know from the same religion from another church, in your city, county, or state?

When they have religious conventions, everyone attends and not just the elite. The conventions are for learning and not as a type of vacation, as I’ve seen as a cab driver when other religions have their conventions. They have venders to sell many type of goods, including $1000 suits. They go out to the bars, restaurants, and shopping, all of which are tax deductible because they are attending a conference.

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 7

Hi
They do not affirm the reality of the Holy Spirit as Part og God but instead some "All present Force"

They reject that Christ's claim is relevant to us "there is no greater love, than to lay down his life for a friend" By not giving blood, even to their own children in a life threatening situation!!

They WORK for their "Salvation"

Paul the appostle said..
"fo it is by grace that you were saved, not by works, that none of you shall boast"

there are a lot of similarities, but their view on Christ is warped, and therefore false.
F A L S E.

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons".
1 Timothy 4:1-3 (in Context) 1 Timothy 4 (Whole Chapter)


"And then she understood the cunning deception in the plot,, in that, when the enemy added truth to his lie,, he was making his lie far stronger" C.S Lewis

Answer 8

What beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses set them apart as different from other religions?

(1) Bible: Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God, and instead of adhering to a creed based on human tradition, they hold to the Bible as the standard for all their beliefs.

(2) God: They worship Jehovah as the only true God and freely speak to others about him and his loving purposes toward mankind. Anyone who publicly witnesses about Jehovah is usually identified as belonging to the one group—“Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

(3) Jesus Christ: They believe, not that Jesus Christ is part of a Trinity, but that, as the Bible says, he is the Son of God, the first of God’s creations; that he had a prehuman existence and that his life was transferred from heaven to the womb of a virgin, Mary; that his perfect human life laid down in sacrifice makes possible salvation to eternal life for those who exercise faith; that Christ is actively ruling as King, with God-given authority over all the earth since 1914.

(4) God’s Kingdom: They believe that God’s Kingdom is the only hope for mankind; that it is a real government; that it will soon destroy the present wicked system of things, including all human governments, and that it will produce a new system in which righteousness will prevail.

(5) Heavenly life: They believe that 144,000 spirit-anointed Christians will share with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom, ruling as kings with him. They do not believe that heaven is the reward for everyone who is “good.”

(6) The earth: They believe that God’s original purpose for the earth will be fulfilled; that the earth will be completely populated by worshipers of Jehovah and that these will be able to enjoy eternal life in human perfection; that even the dead will be raised to an opportunity to share in these blessings.

(7) Death: They believe that the dead are conscious of absolutely nothing; that they are experiencing neither pain nor pleasure in some spirit realm; that they do not exist except in God’s memory, so hope for their future life lies in a resurrection from the dead.

(8) Last days: They believe that we are living now, since 1914, in the last days of this wicked system of things; that some who saw the events of 1914 will also see the complete destruction of the present wicked world; that lovers of righteousness will survive into a cleansed earth.

(9) Separate from the world: They earnestly endeavor to be no part of the world, as Jesus said would be true of his followers. They show genuine Christian love for their neighbors, but they do not share in the politics or the wars of any nation. They provide for the material needs of their families but shun the world’s avid pursuit of material things and personal fame and its excessive indulgence in pleasure.

(10) Apply Bible counsel: They believe that it is important to apply the counsel of God’s Word in everyday life now—at home, in school, in business, in their congregation. Regardless of a person’s past way of life, he may become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses if he abandons practices condemned by God’s Word and applies its godly counsel. But if anyone thereafter makes a practice of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, drug abuse, drunkenness, lying, or stealing, he will be disfellowshipped from the organization.

Answer 9

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians; they believe that Jesus died for mankind's sins and is mankind's savior (and the personal savior of each Witness).

Sadly, 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/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_04.htm

Answer 10

The Deity of Jesus Christ for one.
Adherence to the Old Testament Law for another.
and dozens of other differences.
JW's and Catholics really hold little doctrinal similarities.