What are some of the main beliefs of the Jehovah's Witness'?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians who understand the Scriptures to teach that God's Kingdom by Christ Jesus is a real government which 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

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm

Answer 2

You could start by checking out some of the segments on You Tube taken from the PBS feature “Knocking” which gets shown in May. Here’s the web link:
http://www.knocking.org/

Check the link for previews. Some survivors from the German Holocaust will be speaking at them.

Aside from being the most Christ like people, if you set aside any Bible issues, my guess is that some of the irritating issues people have with them could be:

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 Nasin 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 3

Jehovah's Witnesses are Chrustians. They base their beliefs only on the Bible (not on traditions like other religions) which is the inspired Word of God.

"All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." -- 2 Thimothy 3:16, 17


*They worship Jehovah as the only true God. They address their prayers only to Him through Jesus Christ (not through an icon).

“I am Jehovah. That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory, neither my praise to graven images." -- Isaiah 42:8

"Jesus said to him: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -- John 14:6


*They freely speak to others about God's purpose concerning the mankind. They are famous for going from door to door following Jesus' and his disciples' example spreading "the good news".

"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." -- Matthew 28:19

"And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." -- Acts 5:42


*They believe that there is only one true God, Jehovah, that Jesus is His Son, the firstborn of all creation, that the holy spirit is God's active force.

"....If YOU loved me, YOU would rejoice that I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am." -- John 14:28

"When the helper arrives that I will send YOU from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me." -- John 15:26


*They believe that God will soon destroy the human governments; they will be replaced by God's Kingdom in a new system in which people will live on an earthly paradise.

"Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." -- Matthew 6:10

"And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away." -- Revelation 21:4


*They believe that the only ones who have a heavenly hope are the 144,000 (the anointed) who will rule as kings with Jesus.

"And I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads... And they are singing as if a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth." -- Revelation 14:1, 3


*They believe that men don't have an immortal soul, but that they are a soul. The dead are conscious of absolutely nothing. They exist only in God's memory who at the right time will resurrect them.

"For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten." -- Ecclesiastes 9:5

"I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." -- Acts 24:15


*They don't get involved in politics or war following Jesus' example.

"They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world." -- John 17:16


*They offer free Bible studies to those who are interested.

"Philip ran alongside and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet, and he said: “Do you actually know what you are reading?” He said: “Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?” And he entreated Philip to get on and sit down with him." -- Acts 8:30, 31


For more information go to:
http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/article_03.htm

Answer 4

We believe in striving to follow the Bible. We believe in trying to show love to others, and to be good people. We believe that Jehovah, is 1 person, not a triune being. That Jesus is his son.

PS Despite what the first person said, while it is not a rule one way or the other, many of us do in fact watch/have TVs

Answer 5

They don't get involved in politics because they believe Satan is the ruler of the world until Chirst takes over, at which time all human government will be destroyed and only those who agree to live by Christ's laws will be allowed to live. They believe that most people who live forever will do so on a paradise earth, not in heaven.

They believe that Christ is the son of God in the same sense that you are a child of your parents, in other words he is not the same person as God the Father as implied in the Trinity doctrine which they don't believe in. They do not believe that Christ is equal with God the Father (Jahovah).

They believe that all religions, other than theirs, are false religion.

They don't believe in hell. They believe that all who don't agree to God's rule and obey his laws after His government on earth is established will simply cease to exist, but not be tortured for eternity.

You can find their point of view at http://www.watchtower.org/

And opposing viewpoints from former Witnesses and others at http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Christianity/Denominations_and_Sects/Jehovah_s_Witnesses/Opposing_Views/Former_Jehovah_s_Witnesses/?skw=former+Jehovah%27s+witnesses+

Answer 6

I dont like them...They came hear, i love every one, but when they told me-No blood was aloud to give to a child or any of us to save ower life. ,i dont want be apart of them.No t.v--No christmas-they have many things we no a loud to have.Fine no t.v...fine no christmas or holidays""""but NO-BLOOD LET US HAVE IF NEEDED TO SAVE OWER LIFE. CRAZY. But good way cut population down let us die.

Answer 7

What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?

“We think it proper to hear from you what your thoughts are, for truly as regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” (Acts 28:22) These community leaders in first-century Rome set a fine example. They wanted to hear from the source, rather than from outside critics alone.

Similarly, Jehovah’s Witnesses today are often spoken against, and it would be a mistake to expect to learn the truth about them from prejudiced sources. So we are pleased to explain to you some of our principal beliefs.

The Bible, Jesus Christ, and God

We believe that “all Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial.” (2 Timothy 3:16) And although some have claimed that we are not really Christians, this is simply not true. We endorse completely the apostle Peter’s testimony regarding Jesus Christ: “There is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.”—Acts 4:12.

However, since Jesus said that he is “God’s Son” and that the “Father sent me forth,” Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God is greater than Jesus. (John 10:36; 6:57) Jesus himself acknowledged: “The Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28; 8:28) Thus we do not believe that Jesus is equal with the Father, as the Trinity doctrine says. Rather, we believe that he was created by God and that he is subordinate to Him.—Colossians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 11:3.

In the English language, God’s name is Jehovah. The Bible says: “Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:18, King James Version) In keeping with this declaration, Jesus placed great emphasis on God’s name, teaching his followers to pray: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” And he himself prayed to God: “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me.”—Matthew 6:9; John 17:6.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that they should be like Jesus in making God’s name and purposes manifest to others. Hence we have taken the name Jehovah’s Witnesses because we imitate Jesus, “the Faithful Witness.” (Revelation 1:5; 3:14) Appropriately, Isaiah 43:10 says to God’s representative people: “‘You are my witnesses,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘even my servant whom I have chosen.’”

The Kingdom of God

Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Let your kingdom come,” and he made that Kingdom the dominant theme of his teaching. (Matthew 6:10; Luke 4:43) Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Kingdom is a real government from heaven, that it will rule over the earth, and that Jesus Christ is its appointed invisible King. “The government shall be upon his shoulder,” the Bible says. “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.”—Isaiah 9:6, 7, KJ.

However, Jesus Christ will not be the only king of God’s government. He will have many corulers with him in heaven. “If we go on enduring,” the apostle Paul wrote, “we shall also rule together as kings.” (2 Timothy 2:12) The Bible indicates that those humans who are resurrected to rule with Christ in heaven are limited to “the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth.”—Revelation 14:1, 3.

Of course, any government must have subjects, and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that billions more besides these heavenly rulers will receive everlasting life. Eventually the earth, transformed into a beautiful paradise, will be filled with these worthy subjects of God’s Kingdom, all submitting to the reign of Christ and his corulers. Thus Jehovah’s Witnesses are firmly convinced that the earth will never be destroyed and that the Bible’s promise will be fulfilled: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Psalm 37:29; 104:5.

But how will God’s Kingdom come? By all peoples’ voluntarily submitting to God’s government? On the contrary, the Bible realistically shows that the coming of the Kingdom will require God’s direct intervention in earth’s affairs: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself . . . will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.”—Daniel 2:44.

When will God’s Kingdom come? On the basis of Bible prophecies now being fulfilled, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it will come very soon. We invite you to consider some prophecies foretelling features of “the last days” of this wicked system of things. They are recorded at Matthew 24:3-14; Luke 21:7-13, 25-31; and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Because we ‘love Jehovah our God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourself,’ we are undivided nationally, racially, and socially. (Mark 12:30, 31) We are widely noted for the love that is manifested among our Christian brothers who are found in all nations. (John 13:35; 1 John 3:10-12) Thus we maintain a neutral position toward the political affairs of those nations. We try to be like Jesus’ early disciples, of whom he said: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:16) We believe that keeping separate from the world means avoiding the immoral conduct so common today, including lying, stealing, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, misuse of blood, idolatry, and other such things condemned in the Bible.—1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:3-5; Acts 15:28, 29.

Hope for the Future

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that our present life in this world is not all there is. We believe that Jehovah sent Christ to earth to pour out his lifeblood as a ransom so that humans can have a righteous standing with God and receive everlasting life in a new system of things. As an apostle of Jesus said: “We have been declared righteous now by his blood.” (Romans 5:9; Matthew 20:28) Jehovah’s Witnesses are deeply grateful to God and his Son for this ransom provision that makes a future life possible.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have complete confidence in a future life, based on a resurrection from the dead under God’s Kingdom. We believe, as the Bible teaches, that when a person dies his existence really ceases, that “in that day his thoughts do perish.” (Psalm 146:3, 4; Ezekiel 18:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5) Yes, future life for the dead is based on God’s remembrance of them in a resurrection.—John 5:28, 29.

However, Jehovah’s Witnesses are convinced that many now living will survive when God’s Kingdom brings an end to all present governments and, as Noah and his family survived the Flood, they will live on to enjoy life forever on a cleansed earth. (Matthew 24:36-39; 2 Peter 3:5-7, 13) But we believe that survival is dependent upon meeting Jehovah’s requirements, as the Bible says: “The world is passing away . . . , but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:17; Psalm 37:11; Revelation 7:9, 13-15; 21:1-5.

Obviously, it is not possible here to cover all the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but we invite you to obtain further information.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible quotations are from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

[Blurb on page 4]

We have taken the name Jehovah’s Witnesses because we imitate Jesus