Research: Jehovah’s Witnesses

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Also known as the Watchtower Society

The Jehovah’s Witnesses go door to door, distribute the Watchtower and Awake magazines, deny the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and deny His physical resurrection.  Are they Christian or something else?  (Source)

Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) claim to be Christians yet they deny fundamental Christian doctrine and manipulate the Scriptures to fit in with their own beliefs. From the Church’s perspective, which is what really matters, JW’s have deviated from the historic, orthodox teachings of the Church that are derived from the Holy Scriptures and confirmed through the ancient ecumenical creeds. Thus, they are not true Christians. JW’s have had to defend their spurious beliefs for decades.

Charles Taze Russell started the organization in 1881

Their headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York.  They have their own Bible translation called the New World Translation.

Fast Facts

  • Jesus was previously Michael the archangel, making Jesus a created being.
  • Only Jehovah is considered God.
  • Salvation comes through faith plus a list of works determined by the Watchtower Society.
  • The Bible is considered corrupt, except for the New World Translation
  • The Bible has been changed to reflect the theological beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses
  • There are three realms in the afterlife. (1) The highest realm where the 144,000 will be; (2) Faithful JW’s who do not make the 144,000 will be in the next level. They are supposedly the “little flock” of Luke 12:32; (3) Everyone else will be annihilated, or cease to exist.
  • Celebrating most holidays such as Christmas, Easter, birthdays or other holidays and customs they consider to be pagan is forbidden.
  • Will not hold political office and participate in patriotic activities.
  • Will not salute the flag.
  • Will not accept blood transfusions. In 1945 members were banned from accepting any form of blood, whether it is whole blood or fractional. Over the years the Watchtower Society has issued a number of contradictory teachings on the blood transfusion issue.

Major Tenets (Source): 

These are the teachings of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society documented from their own writings.

  1. There is one God in one person, Make Sure of All Things, p. 188. (See False God).
  2. There is no Trinity, Let God be True, 2nd Ed., pp. 100-101; Should You Believe in the Trinity? p. 7; Watchtower, 2/1/1960, p. 94, Why Do You Believe in the Trinity? (See False Trinity).
  3. The Holy Spirit is a force, not alive, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 406-407. (See False Holy Spirit).
  4. The Holy Spirit is God’s impersonal active force, The Watchtower, June 1, 1952, 24.
  5. Jehovah’s first creation was his ‘only-begotten Son’ . . . was used by Jehovah in creating all other things,” Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391.
  6. Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New World, 284.
  7. Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 306.
  8. Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body, Awake! July 22, 1973, p. 4.
  9. Jesus was raised “not a human creature, but a spirit.” Let God be True, p. 276.
  10. Jesus was born again, The Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1954, p. 682.
  11. Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, 89-90.
  12. Jesus began his invisible rule over the earth in 1914, The Truth Shall Make You Free, 300.
  13. Jesus’ ransom sacrifice did not include Adam.
  14. “The man Adam is not included in those ransomed.  Why not?   Because he was a willful sinner, was justly sentenced to death, and died deservedly and God would not reverse his judgment and give Adam life.” Let God be True, p. 119, copyright 1946.
  15. “There was no hope for Adam or Eve because they willfully chose to disobey God. But what about their offspring, including us?” http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/article_05.htm
  16. Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God, The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197.
  17. They claim to be the only channel of God’s truth, The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19.
  18. Only their church members will be saved, The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1979, p. 30.
  19. Good works are necessary for salvation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, 150, 152.
  20. The soul ceases to exist after death, Let God be True, pp. 59, 60, 67.
  21. There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished, Let God be True, pp. 79, 80.
  22. Only 144,000 Jehovah’s Witness go to heaven, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121.
  23. Only the 144,000 Jehovah’s Witness are born again. Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681.
  24. Only the 144,000 may take communion.
  25. Blood transfusions are a sin, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 72-73.
  26. The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 90-92.
  27. Salvation is by faith and what you do, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152.
  28. It is possible to lose your salvation, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 358-359.
  29. The universe is billions of years old, Your will Be Done on Earth, p. 43.
  30. Each of the 6 creative days of God in Genesis 1, was 7000 years long. Therefore, Man was created toward the end of 42,000 years of earth’s preparation, Let God be True, p. 168.
  31. They also refuse to vote, salute the flag, sing the “Star Spangled Banner,” or celebrate Christmas or birthdays. They are not allowed to serve in the armed
  32. Satan was entrusted with the obligation and charged with the duty of overseeing the creation of the earth, Children, p. 55. 

Leaders:

Helpful articles:

Websites:

Books:

Dr. Rhodes penned the following on Amazon.com:

I feel compelled — in the interest of truth — to make a brief comment about strategies Jehovah’s Witnesses are using to discredit this book. There are three brief points I want to make:

  1. It is understandable that Jehovah’s Witnesses would seek to dissuade others from reading this book by assigning it 1-star reviews. They are not happy with the fact that countless Jehovah’s Witnesses have become biblical Christians as a result of the book. Personally, I am delighted that so many Jehovah’s Witnesses have come to know the truth of Scripture through this book. Praise the Lord!
  2. In a few cases, Jehovah’s Witnesses have composed a generalized, non-specific horrible review, and then they have posted this horrible review verbatim on ALL of my books listed at Amazon, even though they have not actually read any of them. Such actions ultimately serve to discredit the Watchtower Society, for no true follower of God finds it comfortable to bear such false witness.
  3. Unfortunately, I must also report that many Jehovah’s Witnesses have been spreading the idea that I myself am a former Jehovah’s Witness, which is absolutely not true. I understand why they do this. The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that reading a book by a former Jehovah’s Witness is worse than reading pornography. So, one way of preventing other Jehovah’s Witnesses from reading this book is by claiming I’m a former Jehovah’s Witness. Again, such actions ultimately serve to discredit the Watchtower Society, for no true follower of God finds it comfortable to bear such false witness.

Video

To ALL Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses from Christians—Todd Friel