Jehovah's Witnesses - who are they and why were they banned?

The Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments, was the beginning of many doctrines. This collection of texts is sacred to Jews and Christians. However, in Judaism the main part is considered to be the first part, and in Christianity - the Gospel or the New Testament. Witnesses of Jehovah, who are they - Christians or sectarians, distorting the meaning of the Bible ?

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious faith based on the Bible, but fundamentally different from all Christian religions. In some aspects, the teachings have close parallels with Protestantism (Baptists, Adventists, Pentecostals), but they only touch on minor details.

Jehovah's Witnesses - the history of the emergence

The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses arose at the end of the 19th century in the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania USA. Its founder, Charles Taz Russell, was interested in religion from a young age and at the same time "secret teachings." Since childhood, he visited the evangelical church, by the age of 17 began to doubt the correctness of the interpretation of the Bible and the truth of the concept of the immortality of the soul. Later, he became interested in the ideas of Adventism, which at that time was very popular in the United States. Historical landmark dates of the sect's founding:

• 1870 - the creation of a society for the study of Holy Scripture, entitled "The Bible Circle";
• 1884 - official registration of the religious organization "Society of the Watchtower of Zion";
• 1931 - split the organization into two separate societies, "Jehovah's Witnesses" and "Bible Researchers".

Leader of Jehovah's Witnesses

The sect is organized according to the principle of hierarchy or theocracy, as the Jehovah's Witnesses call it. At the head of the whole community is a collective body - the Governing Council, which has the highest powers. The leader of the council is the elected president. In the submission of the governing body are six committees, each of which performs a strictly defined function.

The main center of the organization since 2016 is located in the small American town of Warwick in the state of New York. The leader of Jehovah's Witnesses, Don Alden Adams, is continuing the sale of real estate acquired by the community in Brooklyn. For 85 years, the community headquarters were in this city. In each country and region, where there is no ban on the activities of the organization, there is a separate branch of Jehovah's Witnesses.

How is Jehovah's Witnesses different from Orthodox?

Without detailed study, it is difficult to understand what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. This is due to the fact that throughout the organization's existence, its doctrines have been changed and revised on a one-time basis. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses have loudly announced to the world about the impending end of the world several times. Jehovah's Witnesses, who they are and what their faith differs from Orthodox:

1. The followers of the study study and interpret the Holy Scripture in their own way, considering only their interpretation to be truly true. They recognize only the Bible, ignoring all other scriptures (including the apostolic ones), because they do not come from God, but from people. Moreover, they themselves constantly publish literature based on biblical texts and supplemented with their own fabrications.
2. For followers of Jehovah's Witnesses, the terms "Creator" and "Lord" are not worthy to appeal to God. They consider them only as titles and turn to the Almighty only by the name of Jehovah.
3. Adepts of the sect perceive Christ as the incarnation of the Archangel Michael.
4. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the execution and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a salvation from the sins of mankind. In their opinion, Christ did not resurrect bodily, but spiritually and redeemed only the original sin of Adam and Eve.
5. The Jehovists have absolutely no concept of an immortal soul.
6. Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize the concepts of paradise and hell. According to their belief, paradise will come on the Earth after the end of the world and only those who have been pardoned or those who served God will enter it.
7. Adherents of the community claim that the second coming of Christ has already happened, as well as the phenomenon of Satan. Therefore, in the near future, they expect the end of the world and the trial of people, which was predicted more than once.
8. The sect has no icons, they do not recognize the sign of the cross.

What do Jehovah's Witnesses preach?

The Jehovah's Witnesses assert that after the Day of Judgment on Earth there will be a heavenly life. In their opinion, Christ as the messenger and representative of God will execute the trial of people and will eliminate the sinners who will die forever. The main difference is faith in the one Old Testament God Jehovah (Yahweh). For the uninitiated, it is difficult to understand who Jehovah is. In the interpretation of adepts of the sect, he is the only God with whom one can and should build personal relationships. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4: 8).

In all Christian faiths, the triune essence - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - is an absolute postulate of faith. The Jehovists, however, deny the divine origin of Christ, while acknowledging his important role. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the atonement for sins that Jesus presented with his sacrificial death on the cross. The Jehovists do not at all recognize the existence and significance of the Holy Spirit.

What can not Jehovah's Witnesses do?

The rules of Jehovah's Witnesses are very strict. A well-constructed system of internal hierarchy leads to total surveillance and control over the observance by members of the organization of the main prohibitions:

1. Political neutrality, up to ignoring all elections and social events.
2. Absolute denial of murder, even for the purposes of defense and self-defense. Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden even to touch weapons. Their faith does not allow them to even serve in the army, conscripts choose alternative service options.
3. Ban on blood transfusion and vaccination. Adherents of the sect exclude the possibility of blood transfusions, even if life depends on it. This is due to the biblical prohibition and fear that Satan's blood will get into the body.
4. Denial of holidays. For the Jehovah's Witnesses, there are practically no holidays, including religious, secular and personal dates. The exception is the Memorial Evening of the death of Christ. The rest of the holidays they consider pagan, because they are not mentioned in the Bible.

How dangerous are Jehovah's Witnesses?

The sect of Jehovah's Witnesses is extremely obtrusive. The Jehovah's Witnesses adhere to passers-by on the street and go home unhindered, preaching under the pretext of studying the Bible. The problem is that their interests are moving much further than the original interpretation of biblical texts. They impose their vision of society without politics and government, subordinated solely to one God (theocracy). In achieving their goals, they do not deny the possibility of family destruction, betrayal of loved ones who do not support their views.

Why are Jehovah's Witnesses considered extremists?

At first glance, it is not clear what the extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses is, they do not advocate violence. However, according to lawyers, the radical attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses is a danger to society. A person who has not joined their ranks is considered an enemy. An important factor of danger is that, because of the ban on blood transfusion, not only the adepts of the sect themselves, but their relatives, perish. This is particularly true of children, when fanatical parents refuse medical help, this is one of the reasons why Jehovah's Witnesses were banned in certain regions of the Russian Federation.

Where are Jehovah's Witnesses prohibited?

Sect Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in 37 countries. The main opponents of the Jehovah's Witnesses are Islamic states - Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. The activities of the organization in China and North Korea, as well as in some countries of Africa, are blocked. European countries where Jehovah's Witnesses are banned - Spain, Greece. In April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia banned the activities of the organization, but the decision had not yet entered into force, as the leaders of the sect filed an appeal.

Witnesses of Jehovah - how to enter?

The answer to the question of how to become a witness of Jehovah is very simple - the organization is open to all comers and showing even the slightest interest in activity and ideology. Practically in every settlement there is a community of Jehovah's Witnesses, which regularly organizes meetings in the Kingdom Halls. Adepts are always happy to welcome new members. The process of entry begins with a joint Bible study, after which the new participant must undergo a procedure of conscious baptism and adhere to the established rules.

Jehovah's Witnesses are celebrities

The size of the organization is great, and the prevalence is universal. Among the adepts are many well-known personalities and public figures. Famous witnesses of Jehovah are among representatives of various professions:

1. Musicians - the late Michael Jackson and his family (Janet, La Toya, Germaine, Marlon Jackson), Lisette Santana, Joshua and Jacob Miller (duet Nemesis), Larry Graham;
2. Athletes - footballer Peter Knowles, sisters-tennis player Serena and Venus Williams, British wrestler Kenneth Richmond;
3. Actors - Oliver Poher, Michelle Rodriguez, Sherry Sheppard.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Myths and Facts

Many media put the organization as a sect with an extremist orientation, in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses, one can cite the following facts:

1. The destructiveness and totalitarianism of Jehovah's Witnesses is an unproven myth. This is a clearly structured organization, but it has strict management and enforcement measures.
2. The myth that Jehovah's Witnesses are calling for the destruction of the family is refuted by many facts. Members of the organization for years have been living in union with representatives of other faiths.
3. A doubtful statement is that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians. The adoption of the New Testament is considered to be Christianity, which does not contradict the principles of organization.

Active opponents are representatives of the Orthodox Church, pastors of Protestant organizations express concern about the closure of society at the legislative level. The future of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is still unclear. Witnesses of Jehovah who are they now and by whom will they become in case of a ban? Some sociologists believe that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses may lead to the opposite result - the popularization of the dogma.