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.
- There is one God in one person, Make Sure of All Things, p. 188. (See False God).
- 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).
- The Holy Spirit is a force, not alive, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 406-407. (See False Holy Spirit).
- The Holy Spirit is God’s impersonal active force, The Watchtower, June 1, 1952, 24.
- 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.
- Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New World, 284.
- Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 306.
- Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body, Awake! July 22, 1973, p. 4.
- Jesus was raised “not a human creature, but a spirit.” Let God be True, p. 276.
- Jesus was born again, The Watchtower, Nov. 15, 1954, p. 682.
- Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, 89-90.
- Jesus began his invisible rule over the earth in 1914, The Truth Shall Make You Free, 300.
- Jesus’ ransom sacrifice did not include Adam.
- “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.
- “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
- Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God, The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197.
- They claim to be the only channel of God’s truth, The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19.
- Only their church members will be saved, The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1979, p. 30.
- Good works are necessary for salvation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, 150, 152.
- The soul ceases to exist after death, Let God be True, pp. 59, 60, 67.
- There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished, Let God be True, pp. 79, 80.
- Only 144,000 Jehovah’s Witness go to heaven, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121.
- Only the 144,000 Jehovah’s Witness are born again. Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681.
- Only the 144,000 may take communion.
- Blood transfusions are a sin, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 72-73.
- The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 90-92.
- Salvation is by faith and what you do, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152.
- It is possible to lose your salvation, Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 358-359.
- The universe is billions of years old, Your will Be Done on Earth, p. 43.
- 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.
- 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
- Satan was entrusted with the obligation and charged with the duty of overseeing the creation of the earth, Children, p. 55.
Leaders:
- Charles Taze Russell
- Joseph Franklin Rutherford
- Nathan Homer Knorr
- Frederick William Franz
- G. Henschel
- Don A. Adams
Helpful articles:
- The WBTBS: Your Heavenly Tour Guide? – Midwest Christian Outreach NEW!
- 10 Signs of a cultic church by Brian Chilton
- Cold Hard Facts On Cults by Marsha West
- From False Premise to False Conclusion: JW’s and the Trinity by Don & Joy Veinot
- How do Jehovah’s Witness teaching about Christ Compare with Scripture?
- Refutation of Watchtower Theology in Regard to the Triune Deity by Walter Martin
- Caught Up In A Cult? by Marsha West
- Tips on witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses
Websites:
- Ankerberg Theological Research
- ChristianAnswers.Net
- Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (CARM)
- Compelling Truth
Books:
- Several books offered by John Ankerberg
- Reasoning From the Scriptures With Jehovah’s Witnesses by Ron Rhodes
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:
- 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!
- 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.
- 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
“More than 70 terrorists were arrested during an operation on the grounds of the Kamal Adwan Hospital last week. Several clashes broke out, during which IDF soldiers eliminated more terrorists.”
Wondering why people lie for a living, I remember that, during my studies in college, I came to admire the Christian existentialist philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, who wrote about the corruption in the Danish State Church. He declared that everyone knew privately that the system was rotten and corrupt but they would not say so publicly. “Just as one says that death has marked a man, so we recognize the symptoms which demand to be attacked. It is a battle against lies,” he said.
(The Dissenter) In an era where the Scriptures are regularly co-opted and twisted by progressives as a battering ram against conservatism, particularly concerning LGBTQ issues, it’s crucial to confront the misleading exegesis propagated by certain progressive movements. A “church,” (a false church, of course), recently put on an absurd courtroom performance depicting the deliberation of certain Greek terms in the New Testament passages from 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. These clowns attempt to redefine the clear biblical stance on homosexuality, even embracing rank heresy to do so. 
(Protestia) A longtime friend and supporter of Mike Bickle says he believes the allegations against the IHOPKC founder, and recounts a recent incident where Bickle turned away he and Francis Chan.
“It’s time to tell the Industrial-Medical Complex and their friends in the corrupt media who take the majority of their advertising from Big Pharma to leave us alone. We’re more than capable of trying therapies and taking risks after informed consent if we want to. No one, especially the government, should be allowed to tell us what we can and cannot do with our own bodies. Just ask those abortion nuts! Our bodies, our choice, right? Or are we going to only demand the right to murder our offspring but give up the right to try alternative therapies that might heal us?” 
“Killers target so-called “gun free zones” to commit violence because they know they will be met with the least amount of resistance.” 
(Randy Clark – Breitbart) Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill making Texas the first state in the union to give law enforcement officers the authority to arrest migrants who illegally enter the state. The measure, SB 4, was signed into law on Monday during a ceremony at the base of the border wall in Brownsville, Texas.
“CRT poisons all that it touches. Because at its core CRT is ahistorical, it gets history almost exactly wrong. This is clearly seen in how they categorize Jews as oppressors, and thus not subject to the protection of campus mobs calling for their annihilation.”
Today, America has a growing problem because too many of us “believe” what we want to believe. Persuading folks about anything is becoming very difficult. Facts are becoming secondary to “feelings.”
“Obviously, this problem will take a lot of effort to push back even a little on. At least it’s getting a lot of attention, and thanks to the fact that radical lefties like to act out, the story isn’t going away. We’ve already got an exhausting year ahead of us, but the outrage over the rabidly un-American sentiments in Academia has to stay strong.” 
“Christ is still in Christmas, and for one brief season the secular world broadcasts the message of Christ over every radio station and television channel in the land. Never does the church get as much free air time as during the Christmas season.”
(Debra Heine – American Greatness) A White House Christmas video showcasing a bizarro tap dance performance of the Nutcracker Suite is being roasted online and compared to the Hunger Games. The video features a woke, “antiracist” New York City tap company tapping their way down a White House hallway adorned in Nutcracker-themed décor. Jill Biden posted the performance on X, Wednesday.
“The students who are most passionate about hating Israel know the least about the conflict because they are suffering from a social contagion, not acting upon a reasoned conclusion. Those who actually study the issue, if they do so thoroughly and honestly, will come out supporting Israel. Our nation’s colleges and universities are doing their level best to prevent that outcome.
(Ray Fava – Evangelical Dark Web) Since 2021, lawsuits have been plaguing McLean Bible Church. Salvador Cordova is a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits and he joined Evangelical Dark Web to talk about their recent victory in court against David Platt’s McLean Bible Church.
Michael Cassidy, a Christian and former military officer, pushed over and decapitated the statue before he discarded the head in a trash can.
“Trying to soft-pedal the rash of robberies by portraying them as normal is ludicrous.”
Nihilism: the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless.
(The Dissenter) Weird stuff. It just keeps getting weirder. Yesterday, 
“In his inaugural 30-second TCN ad, Tucker unleashed a tsunami of liberal tears. In that brief half-minute, he fearlessly exposed the major lies told by our disgraced elites—from the phony vaccine to the “peaceful” Summer of Love to the absurd Russia narratives….”
“He borrowed a play from Johnny Hunt, saying that his sexual sins and adultery were private and none of the business of his church and ministry, and that because he dealt with them privately, there was no reason to confess them publicly until he was exposed, which perhaps explains why even now they are so vague and hazy.”
“Jesus did not come to promote a revolt against societal norms but to offer a radical transformation of the heart, one that transcends social and political structures and exposes the deadening rot within our very being.”
“Americans have repeatedly been told that the 2020 election was the most secure in history. But if this poll’s findings are reflective of reality, the exact opposite is true.”
“Yet, during what some call Obama’s “third term,” the situation has only worsened. The nation is on the brink of collapse due to rising crime rates, political polarization, a horrific racial divide that has led to attacks and demonization of white Americans, a struggling economy, and the constant threat of international war. All in all, Obama’s “third term” is proving to be the most dangerous yet, and he’s about to conclude it with another contentious move…”
“On the surface, it may appear as a progressive stride towards inclusivity. However, the devil, as always, is in the details. Not only does this undermine the rights of individual minors seeking counseling, it also undermines the rights of parents to seek the best treatment for their children’s sin—the gospel.”