The Jehovah's Witnesses

Works Cited

• Exploring World Religions : The Canadian Perspective. Worldwide: Oxford University, 2001. Print
• “History of the Jehovah's Witnesses.” History of the Jehovah's Witnesses | Catholic Answers, www.catholic.com/tract/history-of-the-jehovahs-witnesses.
• Holidays and Celebrations - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY, wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101983035#h=28.
• “Jehovah's Witnesses Holidays.” ReligionFacts, 23 Mar. 2017, www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs-witnesses/holidays.
• “Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs.” ReligionFacts.com. 23 Mar. 2017. Web. Accessed 2 Nov. 2018. <www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs-witnesses/beliefs>
• “Jehovah's Witnesses Practices.” ReligionFacts, 23 Mar. 2017, www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs-witnesses/practices.
• Melton, J. Gordon. “Jehovah's Witness.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Jehovahs-Witnesses.
• Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/jehovahs-witnesses-holidays-rules-worship.html.
• “Symbols.” JEHOVAH WITNESS, samjw.weebly.com/symbols.html.

Beliefs:

Important leader:

• God
• Jesus
• Meaning of life
• Hell
• Afterlife

• In reality the religious group was started by Joseph Franklin Rutherford
• Born November 8, 1869 and passed away on January 8 1942
• Second president of the incorporated Watchtower Society
• Rutherford molded the witnesses into a cadre of dedicated evangelist

Famous movies/

books/people

What did we learn?

Overall, we learned a lot about an interesting faith.

• We saw how so many aspects of Christianity were changed to make this unique denomination (the bible, holidays, their beliefs)
• We were not aware about some of the rules and we found them alarming
• Some of us feel that some beliefs are skewed from their original purpose/meaning (holidays)

We believe that the faith should be respected, however, we definitely do not agree with many of its beliefs

Jehovah's Witness Baptism:

Practices and Rituals

Charles Taze Russell

Origin

• Baptism
• Evangelism
• Kingdom Hall
• Services

• United States (1872)
• started by Charles Taze Russell, who was born in 1852
• Adventist movement emerged in the 1830s around the predictions of William Miller, who proclaimed that Jesus Christ would return in 1843 or 1844. When Christ did not return as Miller prophesied, Adventists divided into a number of factions.
• The factions were: The Seventh Day Adventists and WTS
• WTS itself split into several factions which includes the Jehovah's Witnesses
• Leaders in History: Charles Taze Russell (1884-1916), Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1916-1942), Nathan Homer Knorr (1942-1977), Frederick W. Franz (1978-1992), Milton G. Henschel (1992-2000), Don A. Adams (2000-present)
• Witness converts are either former Catholics or Protestants
• Currently has about 4 million members in 240 countries

World Perspective

The Catholic Church's Perspective

'“You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah, “Yes, my servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and have faith in me*. And understand that I am the same One. Before me no God was formed, And after me there has been none."'

(Isaiah 43:10) (New World Translation)

The Jehovah's Witnesses

• According to Catholic Answers.com, "the beliefs of JWs are unscriptural, and both Russell and the WTS are completely unreliable as spiritual guides"
• ‘I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge’ (Rom. 10:2, NIV).”

The Similarities and Differences

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Catholics vs. Jehovah's Witnesses

Bishop Alejandro Goic of Rancagua

“For the Catholic Church, the position of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is what we call one of an erroneous conscience. That is, they believe something that is mistaken. This is part of their profound convictions, and therefore it merits respect in their decision making. Religious freedom invites us to respect the conscience of each person.”

RULES!

• Clean and healthy life
• They are not allowed to have sex outside of marriage
• Homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, and suicide are great sins and unforgivable.
• Gambling, drinking, drugs, tobacco and wearing revealing clothing are forbidden.
• Male dominance.
• Do not pledge allegiance to the flag or participate in the singing of the national anthem.
• Refuse to to get blood transfusions
• Cannot eat food that contains blood like any raw or rare food, like a medium rare steak.
• Not defined or limited by a specific nation/culture, but it unites everybody no matter their boundary.

Holidays and Festivals:

Memorial of Christ’s Death

• “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial [a false god]? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? . . . ‘Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah.”​—2 Corinthians 6:14-17.
• “You must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.
• I have made your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.”

Jehovah’s Witness do not celebrate holidays which they do not believe is truly Christian like Easter, Christmas and birthdays. They do not believe that Christ commanded His birth or any birth to be celebrated, He only wanted his death to be celebrated.

Bible: New World Translation

Video and Skit break!

They only commemorate his death because Jesus asked his disciples to remember his death.

• The Jehovah's witness do not believe in the bible

• The Jehovah's witness have a translation of their own

• The Jehovah's witness do not believe that Jesus is God

• The Jehovah's witness do not believe in the trinity

Important Symbols:

Lack of focus for symbols. They are more known for rejecting the symbols that are adopted by almost every religion. The two most discussed symbols are the watchtower and the uncommon church building structure and configuration.

By: Daniel, Favor, Nathan, Jefferson and Melita