Jehovah's Witness

[steve_bank]

I remember JW going door to door and on the street as a kid in the 50s 60s handing out Watchtower pamphlets.,

The Watchtower - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Watch Tower Society reports a circulation of 21.7 million per issue for The Watchtower—Public Edition in 444 languages, with one new issue produced annually.[3] The Watchtower—Study Edition, used at congregation meetings, is published monthly.[4]

Jehovah's Witnesses - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the ninteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist.[8] Russell co-founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1881 to organize and print the movement's publications.[3] A leadership dispute after Russell's death resulted in several groups breaking away, with Joseph Franklin Rutherford retaining control of the Watch Tower Society and its properties.[9] Rutherford made significant organizational and doctrinal changes,[10] including adoption of the name Jehovah's witnesses in 1931 to distinguish the group from other Bible Student groups and symbolize a break with the legacy of Russell's traditions.[11][12] In 2024, Jehovah's Witnesses reported a peak membership of approximately 9 million worldwide.

Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their evangelism, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and for refusing military service and blood transfusions. They consider the use of God's name vital for proper worship. They reject Trinitarianism, inherent immortality of the soul, and hellfire, which they consider unscriptural doctrines. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and the establishment of God's kingdom over earth is the only solution to all of humanity's problems.[13] They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity.[14] They prefer to use their own Bible translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.[15][16] Jehovah's Witnesses consider human society morally corrupt and under the influence of Satan, and most limit their social interaction with non-Witnesses.[17] The denomination is directed by a group known as the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, which establishes all doctrines.[18][19] Congregational disciplinary actions include formal expulsion and shunning, for what they consider serious offenses.[20][21] Members who formally leave are considered to be disassociated and are also shunned.[22] Some members who leave voluntarily successfully "fade" without being shunned. Former members may experience significant mental distress as a result of being shunned,[23] and some seek reinstatement to maintain contact with their friends and family.[24]

The group's position on conscientious objection to military service and refusal to salute state symbols (for example, national anthems and flags) has brought it into conflict with several governments.[25] Jehovah's Witnesses have been persecuted, with their activities banned or restricted in some countries. Persistent legal challenges by Jehovah's Witnesses have influenced legislation related to civil rights in several countries.[26] The organization has been criticized regarding biblical translation, doctrines, and alleged coercion of its members. The Watch Tower Society has made various unfulfilled predictions about major biblical events, such as Jesus' Second Coming, the advent of God's kingdom, and Armageddon. Their policies for handling cases of child sexual abuse have been the subject of various formal inquiries.

The typical Christian infighting for power at its start. Money and funds were probably part of the infighting.

I posted this before. In the 80s I hung out with a guy who was shunned by his JW congregation he grew up in. His o0ffense was dating and sex, he married outside of the community. No one in the congregation could talk to him. He co0u8ld sit next to his sister and mother at a meeting, but they could not talk to him.

 

[steve_bank]

Jesus

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's only direct creation, that everything else was created through him by means of God's power, and that the initial unassisted act of creation uniquely identifies Jesus as God's "only-begotten Son".[159] As part of their nontrinitarian beliefs, they do not believe that Jesus is God the Son.[160] They do believe that he was the first angel,[161] and is the only archangel.[162] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin[163] but do not believe that she was born free from sin or that she remained a virgin after his birth.[164] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus served as a redeemer and a ransom sacrifice to atone for original sin.[165][166] They believe that he died on a single upright post rather than a cross,[167] which they regard as a pagan symbol. Accordingly, they do not use the word "crucifixion" when referring to Jesus' death.[160] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was resurrected with a "spirit body", and that he assumed human form only temporarily after his resurrection.[168] Biblical references to the Michael, Abaddon (Apollyon), and the Word are interpreted as names for Jesus in various roles.[169] Jesus is considered the only intercessor and high priest between God and humanity, appointed by God as the king and judge of his kingdom.[168

None of that seems ghospel bas

Life after death​

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and salvation

Jehovah's Witnesses believe death is a state of nonexistence with no consciousness. There is no Hell of fiery torment; Hades and Sheol are understood to refer to the condition of death, termed the common grave.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-170"><span>[</span>170<span>]</span></a> They consider the soul a life or a living body that can die.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-hoeksin-171"><span>[</span>171<span>]</span></a> They believe that humanity is in a sinful state,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-hoeksin-171"><span>[</span>171<span>]</span></a> from which release is possible only by means of Jesus' shed blood as a ransom, or atonement, for humankind's sins.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPenton1997186-172"><span>[</span>172<span>]</span></a> Jehovah's Witnesses believe that a "little flock" of 144,000 selected humans go to heaven, but that God will resurrect the majority (the "other sheep") to a cleansed earth after Armageddon. They interpret Revelation 14:1–5 to mean that the number of Christians going to heaven is limited to exactly 144,000, who will rule with Jesus as kings and priests over earth.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-FOOTNOTEPenton1997193–194-173"><span>[</span>173<span>]</span></a> They believe that baptism as a Jehovah's Witness is vital for salvation,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChryssides202211-174"><span>[</span>174<span>]</span></a> and do not recognize baptism from other denominations as valid.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChryssides202299-175"><span>[</span>175<span>]</span></a> Jehovah's Witnesses believe that some people who died before Armageddon will be resurrected, taught the proper way to worship God, and then face a final test at the end of the millennial reign.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-176"><span>[</span>176<span>]</span></a> This judgment will be based on their actions after resurrection rather than past deeds. At the end of the thousand years, Jesus will hand all authority back to God. Then a final test will take place when Satan is released to mislead humankind. Those who fail will die, along with Satan and his demons.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-auto-177"><span>[</span>177<span>]</span></a> They also believe that those who rejected their beliefs while still alive will not be resurrected.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChryssides2022162-178"><span>[</span>178<span>]</span></a>

Does not seem 'bible based', more creative fabrication and invention of mythology.

 

[southernhybrid]

Religion is all based on mythology, but it's true that JWs will cut you out of their lives if you leave the religion or do things that go against the religion. The Mormons do that as well.

On the other hand, I had a very weird patient who was a JW. I was the only person who got along well with her , and respected her for being who she was, as that is what nurses are supposed to do. I used to say that if it weren't for the JWs, O wouldn't have a friend in the world. One day I asked her how she had become a JW. She got all excited and told me how she and her sister were drawn in by some JWs who visited them. Sadly, her sister had died and O had to enter the ALF where I worked.

I once convinced her to attend the yearly Xmas party as JWs don't celebrate holidays. I told her to pretend it was just a nice dinner and she agreed to attend. As you might suspect, my former patient had some cognitive issues. She had also been abused as a child, so perhaps cults like the JWs do serve a purpose for people like O.

I also discovered that my favorite worker at our senior center was raised as a JW and is now a non believer. She told me that the JWs cut her out of their lives completely. I don't know if she is atheist or agnostic as we didn't go in to any details, but she did tell me that she keeps her lack of beliefs in the closet as to prevent criticism from our local Bible thumpers.

I'm not sure that JWs still do the door knocking thing these days. Do they?

 

[ideologyhunter]

As recently as last year, I had JWs at the door. A persistent woman who asked me twice if I didn't know that Satan ruled this world. This, after I told her I was an atheist. (She must've thought that I didn't believe in God, but surely I believed in Satan. Who knows.)

 

[Elixir]

I know some JWs around here, including the contractor who built my house. He’s an elder, she (his wife) wears Jehovah on her sleeve. They have three sons, and all of them dumped the JW thing. The parents didn’t totally shun them though. One got in trouble with drugs and they bailed him out , gave him a job.
Thinking about it, I don’t know anyone who was raised or joined JW and has kids that didn’t leave the cult. How does it stay afloat, other than by knocking on doors with their carrot/stick pitch?

 

[ideologyhunter]

How does it stay afloat, other than by knocking on doors with their carrot/stick pitch?

Their marketing strengths overlap with the LDS: an affable, clean-cut image, stress on family involvement, and a veneer of devout, unquestioning belief. None of those appeal to me, but they appeal to others. I remember a fellow staffer in the teachers lounge telling us how impressed he was with a JW open house event he'd attended -- how positive and welcoming he found the church members.
I don't look at Watchtower anymore, but when I did, it seemed like it had no human hands in its writing and editing. I never finished a single article, because the style was so wooden and dead -- like something my smoothie maker had written. The artwork that accompanied the articles was as antiseptic as line drawings in 1950s magazine ads for Pepsi or PanAm.
Of course, to look favorably on the church is to ignore the yearly death toll from their blood transfusion prohibition, estimated at being about 1,000 deaths a year, although the church obviously doesn't cooperate on the reporting. I wish they would. The January Watchtower should list Total Missionary Trips Last Year, New Kingdom Halls, and Dead as a Doornail from Leviticus 17:10 Total.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

I remember having this conversation (I paraphrase) with a JW:

Me: So why don't you celebrate birthdays?
JW: Birthdays and holidays are pagan. The only holiday mentioned in the bible is passover.
Me: Actually, birthdays are in the Book of Job.
JW: Well, it was a pagan practice.

 

[Elixir]

an affable, clean-cut image, stress on family involvement, and a veneer of devout, unquestioning belief.

Aka geekery. How is that sellable at all?
It reeks of shallow pride.

 

[steve_bank]

JW makes conservative evangelicals look like progressives.

 

[Elixir]

JW makes conservative evangelicals look like progressives.

I dunno about that. They’re similar to “prosperity gospel” fundies. The won’t celebrate Christmas but they’ll gorge on Christmas sales. Buy candy the day after Halloween etc. It’s all rationale for greed.

 

[Politesse]

How does it stay afloat, other than by knocking on doors with their carrot/stick pitch?

Their missionaries do get a lot of converts. The ones on my campus benefit a lot from the obviously-insane Church o' Hate groups that wave signs and loudspeakers on the other side of the Quad, as they look positively wholesome by comparison. With their little dull but well-designed little tract booth and polite, quiet reps they seem like a much safer place for faith-curious students to go and ask whatever questions they have about Xianity. It works for them, I've known quite a few students who they talked into the faith, most of whom had been raised agnostic or unchurched before the Witnesses got hold of them.

 

[southernhybrid]

The few JWs I've known personalty were desperate, and looking for community. Perhaps that is the appeal. People need friends and community and religions like the JWs and Mormons provide it. Just don't dare leave the cult or you will lose your community.

 

[Tharmas]

A little story ...

Many years ago I lived in Canada and studied English literature as a graduate student at a university. To advance my studies I felt I needed to at least have some knowledge of the New Testament in the original Greek, since so many writers pre 1900 were theologians of one sort or another (e.g. John Milton).

I knew the JWs put out an interlinear Greek New Testament, so I waited until a couple knocked on my door one Saturday morning so I could ask them about it. They said they could order me one but it would take two or three weeks. OK. I asked them in and offered them some coffee or something. They returned every week and chatted with me, which was something of an ordeal since Saturday mornings I was usually very hung over and didn’t want to be saved from anything except a headache.

I remember mentioning that I had been raised a Quaker and, like the JWs, we were pacifists, but they just smiled and made no attempt at a connection. I might as well have said I was from Albania and liked to eat squid.

After three or four weeks they presented me with my volume. It cost me 25 cents if I recall correctly, a perfect price for a poverty-stricken grad student.

I never saw the JWs again.

The volume turned out to be very useful. It had a verse in Greek, followed by a literal word-for-word translation, followed by a more flowing translation. I don’t recall which version they used for the more flowing part. Perhaps it was their own. I had a knowledge of the Greek alphabet and knew how to pronounce the words, and I had a paperback Greek-English dictionary, so I was all set. I still have the book around somewhere, so I guess I owe the JWs a debt of gratitude.

 

[Politesse]

You had more curiosity about the text than most Christians do. Learning Koine makes you an oddity at best, in Christian circles. That particular look you get when you've done something technically admirable, but socially bizarre.