Members are taught that only 144,000 “tested and tried” Christians will actually go to heaven (based on Revelation 14:1-5), to reign and rule with Christ as kings and priests. They do believe in a heaven and the hope of going there. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in a place called Hell or a realm of eternal torment. Therefore death is not to be feared as the absolute end, because the dead who are “in God’s memory” will be resurrected. The dead know, feel, and experience absolutely nothing.” Death is compared to sleep, because there is no consciousness, activity, or awareness of one’s surroundings, and there is an expectation of awakening (resurrection). Members believe that, “…at death, humans cease to exist. One day “death will be no more,” and humans will have the opportunity to enjoy perfect lives. Death is a physical consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin, the violation of a “divine law.” Members believe that Jesus Christ paid the ransom of a perfect human life, releasing mankind from sin and death. Man was created by God with the capacity to live forever. The Watchtower Society teaches that, in the beginning, death was not inevitable. The Watchtower Society advises Witnesses to minimize socializing with those who aren’t members, in order to maintain their spiritual integrity and morality. Those who commit a serious sin or who decide to leave the Watchtower Society, whether formally or informally, are “disfellowshipped.” Contact with members who are disfellowshipped is limited to certain people, such as those who have contractual obligations or family members living in the same home. Each congregation is led by a body of ministerial servants and appointed, unpaid male elders. Members practice baptism and dedication, but there is no tithing or collection funds are raised through voluntary contributions. Authority for doctrinal and organizational decisions rests with the Governing Body, a small group of men based in the Watchtower Society’s Brooklyn headquarters. They study Watch Tower Society literature and the Bible at their meetings, which typically include two gatherings each week. Witnesses attend meetings at Kingdom Halls, which normally contain no religious symbols but are rather more functional. The belief that they should “abstain from…blood” comes from a biblical passage in the book of Acts. They hold that blood is sacred and represents life. They also refuse blood transfusions, even those that could be life saving.Ī Jehovah’s Witness is prohibited from ingesting or being transfused with natural human blood or its products, although there are exceptions for some artificial blood products or “non-blood alternatives.” The Witnesses’ stand against blood transfusions reflects the significance of blood in their faith. They do not salute the national flag or sing the national anthem, and they refuse military service. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not observe holidays they believe to have pagan origins, such as Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. They study both the Bible and Watchtower publications, using the latter to help them interpret scripture. Witnesses believe in baptism and follow Christian standards on morality and love. Members believe that, 3 ½ years after 1914, Jesus came to “inspect and cleanse” the Watchtower Society, choosing it as the only organization through which he would work and “the only means of salvation.”īecause they believe theirs is the only true religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses place a strong emphasis on outreach and sharing their beliefs. This date is said to also mark when the Last Days began. The Holy Spirit is believed to be a force rather than a person.Ī significant underpinning belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that Jesus’ heavenly rule (or “heavenly Kingdom power”) began in 1914. Witnesses use the name “Jehovah” rather than “God,” and they focus their worship on Jehovah rather than on Jesus, whom they believe was Jehovah’s only direct creation. Members believe that only Jehovah’s Witnesses will be saved when most of the world’s population is killed at Armageddon. “They believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and that the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth is the only solution for all problems faced by humankind.”. The leadership predicted and believe that the end of the world is soon to come. They believe that Christ died for the sins of man, but that he was resurrected spiritually rather than physically. For example, they believe that God is one person, not a trinity. Since the inception in 1879 of what is now known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, its adherents, called Jehovah’s Witnesses, have had distinctive beliefs that separate them from mainstream Christianity. The Beliefs and Practices of Jehovah’s Witness
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