What are the religious beliefs/dogma/practices of Jehovah's Witnesses?
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IF YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JW'S... AFTER YOU READ THIS, YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO SAY THAT.\n\n\n\nWho Are They?\n \nThey are\ninterested in you \nIT IS the desire of Jehovah's Witnesses that you become better acquainted with them. You may have met them as neighbors and fellow employees or in other daily affairs of life. You may have seen them on the street, offering their magazines to passersby. Or you may have spoken briefly with them at your door.\n\nActually, Jehovah's Witnesses are interested in you and your welfare. They want to be your friends and to tell you more about themselves, their beliefs, their organization, and how they feel about people and the world in which all of us live. To accomplish this, they have prepared this brochure for you.\n\nIn most ways Jehovah's Witnesses are like everyone else. They have normal problems—economic, physical, emotional. They make mistakes at times, for they are not perfect, inspired, or infallible. But they try to learn from their experiences and diligently study the Bible to make needed corrections. They have made a dedication to God to do his will, and they apply themselves to fulfill this dedication. In all their activities they seek guidance from God's Word and his holy spirit.\n\nThey are dedicated to\nGod to do his willIt is of vital importance to them that their beliefs be based on the Bible and not on mere human speculations or religious creeds. They feel as did the apostle Paul when he expressed himself under inspiration: "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar." (Romans 3:4, New World Translation*) When it comes to teachings offered as Biblical truth, the Witnesses strongly endorse the course followed by the Beroeans when they heard the apostle Paul preach: "They received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11) Jehovah's Witnesses believe that all religious teachings should be subjected to this test of agreement with the inspired Scriptures, whether the teaching is offered by them or by someone else. They invite you—urge you—to do this in your discussions with them.\n\nThey believe the\nBible is God's WordFrom this it is apparent that Jehovah's Witnesses believe in the Bible as the Word of God. They consider its 66 books to be inspired and historically accurate. What is commonly called the New Testament they refer to as the Christian Greek Scriptures, and the Old Testament they call the Hebrew Scriptures. They rely on both of these, the Greek and the Hebrew Scriptures, and take them literally except where the expressions or settings obviously indicate that they are figurative or symbolic. They understand that many of the prophecies of the Bible have been fulfilled, others are in the course of fulfillment, and still others await fulfillment.\n\nTHEIR NAME\nJehovah's Witnesses? Yes, that is the way they refer to themselves. It is a descriptive name, indicating that they bear witness concerning Jehovah, his Godship, and his purposes. "God," "Lord," and "Creator"—like "President," "King," and "General"—are titles and may be applied to several different personages. But "Jehovah" is a personal name and refers to the almighty God and Creator of the universe. This is shown at Psalm 83:18, according to the King James version of the Bible: "That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."\n\nGod's personal name in ancient Hebrew \n \nThe name Jehovah (or Yahweh, as the Roman Catholic Jerusalem Bible and some scholars prefer) appears almost 7,000 times in the original Hebrew Scriptures. Most Bibles do not show it as such but substitute "God" or "Lord" for it. However, even in these Bibles, a person can usually tell where the original Hebrew text uses
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Jehovah's Witnesses are not "bad".\n\nA common misconception is that Jehovah's Witnesses go from door-to-door because they feel it is their duty to get a householder to "question his beliefs". In fact, Jehovah's Witnesses would go from door-to-door even if there were no hope that anyone would change their religion, or even if no one would listen to them!\n\nThat is because Jesus Christ specifically assigned the house-to-house ministry to the Christian congregation, with no regard for specific results.\n\n(Luke 10:1,2) After these things the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are trained to direct attention to the bible, and move on when their message is unwanted. Since each congregation in the United States tries to call at every home in its territory at least twice each year, there is strong motivation for them to move on where little interest is shown. Also, the Scriptures help the Witnesses to expect little interest from most:\n\n(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching ...and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/jt/
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe in getting the best medical care available for themselves and their families. Many individuals among Jehovah's Witnesses are themselves physicians and other health care professionals.\n\nIt is sad when those who have theological differences with the Witnesses actively work to spread misinformation about their beliefs. The fact is that Jehovah's Witnesses have hundreds of hospital liaison committees around the globe to help advance nonblood medical management technologies and awareness in the medical community.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses believe that the scriptures demonstrate a clear pattern indicating the sacredness with which Jehovah God (and thus god-fearing humankind) views all creature blood.\n\n\nPredates Mosaic Law.\nFor example, over a thousand years before the birth of Moses, the pre-Israel, pre-Jewish, pre-Hebrew man Noah received what the scriptures record as only the second restrictive command on humans (after Garden of Eden's tree):\n\n"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it [that is, lifeblood] and of man" (Genesis 9:3-5)\n\n\nJewish Law.\nLater, God's feeling regarding blood was codified into the Mosaic Law. This part of the Law dealing with blood was unique in that it applied, not just to Israel, but also to non-Jewish foreigners among them. It's also interesting that besides forbidding the consumption of blood, the Law also mandated that it be 'poured out on the ground', not used for any purpose.\n\n"No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. Any man also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust." (Lev 17:12,13)\n\nBy comparison, it's significant that the Law also forbid the consumption of ceremonial animal fat, but that didn't apply to non-Jewish foreigners and it DID allow the fat to be used for other purposes.\n\n"The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, You shall eat no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. The fat of an animal that dies of itself, and the fat of one that is torn by beasts, may be put to any other use" (Lev 7:22-24)\n\n\nEarly Christian era.\nThe Christian era ended the validity of the Mosaic Law, but remember that the restriction on eating blood preceded the Mosaic Law by over a thousand years. Still, does the New Testament indicate that Jehovah God changed his view of blood's sacredness?\n\n"[God] freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (Eph 1:6,7)\n\n"[God's] beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins... and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood" (Colossians 1:13-20)\n\n"we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood." (Acts 15:19,20)\n\n"For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity." Acts 15:28,29\n\n\nModern times\nSome will claim that the bible's command to "abstain" from blood only applies to eating it, and does not apply to the use of blood for other purpose. If that form of respect for blood were common among Christendom, one might wonder then why so many (who ostensibly follow the book of Acts) so happily eat their blood
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The Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) Claim to be the one true Christian organization on the earth. However, much of their doctrine is contradictory to what the Bible teaches about Christ, and if you don't believe the right things about Christ you can't claim to be a Christian organization.  So what is the major issue?\n\nObviously, the most major and glairing contradiction between true Christianity and what the JWs teach is that Christians believe that Jesus is who he said he is, God in human flesh, and the JWs believe he is merely the archangel Michael.  Since our eternal destiny hangs on who we say that Christ is, it's imperative that we come to a correct conclusion from scripture about who Christ is.  Bear in mind that when interpreting scripture it is important to use the whole counsel of scripture, in other words, you can't take one verse out of context and build a doctrine on it, you must understand the times, situations, and context in which the passage was written and from that perspective determine what it's saying.  You can make the Bible say anything you want if you disregard context and the integrity of the Bible as a whole.  \n\nThat said, we see in the pages of the Bible a reoccurring theme from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.  The theme is that of the redemption of man from sin.  The Old Testament speaks about the promise of redemption and the New Testament speaks about its fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.  So if the entire Bible speaks of this person perhaps we ought to have an accurate picture of who this man is.  If the Bible is one unified message from God and it speaks about God and his redeemer we should be able to paint a fairly accurate portrait of who God and this redeemer are by reading his message to us.\n\nIn Job Chapter 9 Job is speaking about the attributes of God and in verse 8 we read, “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.”  In Mathew’s account of the ministry of Jesus we see that Jesus also walks on water, verse 25 of Mathew chapter 14 states, “During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them walking on the lake.”  According to Job God alone can walk on the water.\n\nIn Isaiah chapter 43 God says that He alone is the savior verse 11 specifically states’ “I, even I, am the Lord apart from me there is no savior.  In his letter to Titus, Paul opens the letter with an interesting greeting.  Verses 3 and 4 state, “. . . he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our savior, To Titus, my true son in our common Faith:  Grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus our savior.”  Paul refers to God and Jesus as savior yet Isaiah clearly states that Only God is savior.\n\nJohn Chapter 1 speaks of the ministry of John the Baptist in verse 23 we read, “John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the dessert, make straight the way of the Lord.”  When we look at Isaiah 40:3 for clarification we read; “A voice of one calling: In the dessert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”  As we read more in John chapter 1 we see that John was preparing the way for Jesus, yet according to what we have read in Isaiah the voice calling in the dessert was to be preparing the way for God.\n\nGod says in Isaiah 45:23, “By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity, a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”  However, Philippians 2:10 and 11 state, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.\n\nIn John 2 verses 19-21 we read Jesus’ statement about his coming resurrection, “Jesus answered them destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied it has taken 40 years
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jehovah's witnesses....
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe strongly in God Jehovah and in his Son Jesus Christ.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses practice strict political and nationalistic neutrality, so they do not celebrate nationalistic holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day.\n\nOther holidays derive from false religion, and so are incompatible with pure worship as adulterating interfaith. For example, Easter derives from the pagan god Oestre and celebrates "rebirth" and "fertility" instead of commemorating Christ's Last Supper and death as Jesus commanded:\n(Luke 22:1-22) [Jesus] dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.” ...14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”\n\nSeemingly innocuous holidays may have only a tangential connection with false worship, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day (although arguably derived from ancestor worship). Understated observance of these is not generally considered interfaith by Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is too easily misunderstood in some cultures.\n\nSince such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:\n\n(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/article_01.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm
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First of all, anyone with intelligence will COMPLETELY DISREGARD dcomputerman's "answer", as it's nothing more than the trashy ranting of someone not looking for answers, but someone looking to make a soundingboard for his ridiculous and prejudiced comments about Jehovah's Witnesses. \n\nThat said....people who claim Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in Jesus are (1) ignorant (2) grossly misinformed and (3) in league with those who purposely slander and spread lies about them.\n\nThe Jesus of God's word, the Bible, is not and never has been God. The Jesus of the Bible, whom Jehovah's Witnesses look to as their leader, has always been in a position below God and the very first of God's creations. That is what the Bible teaches. To claim that Jesus is God is to make an outright LIE.
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Their basis is the Watchtower and how whoever is in charge of that organization interprets the Bible. They also use their own "translation" of the Bible that strips out anything that could be construed as teaching that Jesus was divine.  The fact that they claim to be Christians is laughable.  They deny Jesus was God, they deny the Trinity, They believe that Jesus was actually Michael the archangel, - a created being, not the Alpha and Omega, among other things.  Besides all their non-Christian teachings, they follow an organization that has stated false prophecy's time and time again.  I don't doubt their sincerity or that they believe they are serving God, but when you have to twist scripture to justify your beliefs theres a problem.
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If you want ACCURATE and DEPENDABLE information about them and their beliefs, do not check any sources other than theirs directly. You may wish to look them up in your local phone book under "CHURCHES - JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES", or you could check out their official website, www.watchtower.org. \n\nPlaces like wikipedia and any other online source that isn't connected with them officially is more inclined to offer you distortions on their beliefs and teachings, usually tinted with prejudice and bias. You don't want to get caught up in that.
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YES. The religion is the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.  We worship the Father and only him.  We believe in Jesus, but do not believe they are one.  We believe in the Holy Spirit, but not that it is equal to Jehovah God or Jesus, but that it is God's will to do something.  If you (or anyone else who reads this, for that matter) are looking for more information, please contact me.
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Some so-called "charismatic" churches teach a definition of the term "Christian" which excludes anyone who does not accept that Jesus the Son is equivalent and equal to Jehovah the Father.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses understand the bible to teach that the Son is not equivalent to Father, so some members of some of these groups loudly condemn Jehovah's Witnesses as "cultists" and "not Christian". Interestingly, history tells us that pagans in the first century argued that Christians were Atheists (!) because the Christians did not believe in the exact nature of the Almighty as the pagans did.\n\nTheir official name is actually "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". In addition, the Witnesses agree that Christ's sacrifice is necessary to cover human sins, that faith in Christ is necessary for salvation, and that every prayer should honor Jesus Christ. Yet because Jehovah's Witnesses elevate scriptures such as those listed below over human philosophy and Babylonish polytheism, many in Christendom condemn them.\n\nMatt. 26:39: “Going a little farther he [Jesus Christ] fell on his face and prayed, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’”\n\nJohn 8:17, 18: “[Jesus answered the Jewish Pharisees:] In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.”\n\nCol. 1:15, 16: “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation\n\nRev. 1:1; 3:14, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him... ‘And to the angel of the church in La-odicea write: “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.”’” \n\nMark 13:32, “Of that day or that hour no ones knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” \n\nMatt. 20:20-23, “Jesus answered,... ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’” \n\nMatt. 12:31, 32, “And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven\n\nJohn 14:28: “[Jesus said:] I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.”\n\n1 Cor. 11:3: “I want you to understand that ... the head of Christ is God.” \n\n1 Cor. 8:5, 6: “Although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’—yet for us there is one God, the Father\n\n1 Pet. 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
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They believe that blood transfusions are a sin, WRONG, blood trans. have saved so many lifes they are amiracle of God. That belief is taken out of context.  They would wring there hands if they saw you take a little wine, Jesus preformed the miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding reception, they don,t believe in wedding receptions. We are actually told that a little wine is good for the tummy, but DO NOT drink so much as to become drunk  so that you act like a moron, I could go on & on but I wont, I have some sweet JW neighbors.  However, if you don,t believe in the miracles of Jesus, what is your religion really about?\n\nBlubla
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There are no false doctrines. Every one of our teachings and beliefs is completely in harmony with God's Word, the Bible. God leads his people progressively and has, at times, had to readjust the thinking of his people to fully understand Bible truths. In the early days of God's earthly organization it was believed, like so many still wrongly believe today, that holiday celebrations like Christmas honor God. It was also wrongly believed, by some, that the end would come at a particular time. However, as the scriptures state in the book of Psalms, the truth is like a light that gets brighter and brighter as the end draws closer. So in that way, certain teachings had to be realigned with the scriptures and people had to be readjusted in their thinking. As a whole, however, the very basic truths remain unchanged and Jehovah's Witnesses still acknowledge the Bible's stand that Jehovah God is Almighty God alone, not some part of a false religious trinity, and that Jesus Christ is the now-reigning king of God's heavenly kingdom, soon to bring vengeance upon this system of things controlled by Satan.
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I am one of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses.  We are more familiarly known as Jehovah's witnesses, but we are Christian as we believe in what Jesus said. Jehovah is God's name.  The Tetragrammaton (There is no font to write the actual 4 lettered name) appears in the original bible text more than 7000 times but has been removed from most translations as it is supersticiously thought to be too holy to utter.  Jesus is God's first and only begotten angelic son, created untold ages before man.\n\nWe believe that man's home, the Earth, is where we were meant to be all along.  The free gift we recieve if we want it is everlasting life on Earth, not in heaven - although some do go there to rule with Jesus as kings and priests.  There are many other things we believe - it's from the Bible, ask one of us for more information.
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No, but Pastor Russel who "founded" the Jehovah's Wittiness movement was a student (maybe a member) of the Seventh Day Adventist faith prior to his starting the Watch Tower Bible Society and writing his books. Its always been a curiosity to me in reading the materials developed by the two that in many instances the J.W. version of the truth is a mirror image of the Adventist one. Just one example ... Adventists believe that Jesus was God and that prior to his incarnation he was known as Michael the Arch Angel. J.W.s on the other hand believe that Jesus was NOT God but that he was Michael incarnated.
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Ironically, the bible.\n\nThe entire text of the bible is freely available at the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses, and a personal printed copy can be requested at no charge:\nhttp://watchtower.org/bible/\nhttps://watch002.securesites.net/contact/submit.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/how_to_contact_us.htm\n\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are happy to study the bible with an interested person using any translation the householder may prefer, and in fact Jehovah's Witnesses themselves distribute several translations. Jehovah's Witnesses attach no particular infallibility or inspiration to any one translation.\n\nIt is sad when argumentative persons distract from the bible's clear message of Kingdom "good news".\n\n(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.\n\nIt seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:\n\n(Matthew 28:19,20) 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, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/library/pr/article_04.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/na/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20020915/article_01.htm\nhttp://www.watchtower.org/e/20050715/article_02.htm
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jehovah's witnesses teach wicked just die to grave. no suffering.\nwhile good live on forever in paradise earth in future or heavenly life.