Jehovah's Witnesses

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Jehovah's Witnesses

Watchtower Buildings in Brooklyn, New York
Classification Restorationist
Polity Hierarchical
Founder Charles Taze Russell (founded Bible Student movement)
Origin 1876 - Bible Students founded
1931 - Adopted name
Pennsylvania and New York, USA
Branched from Millerite and Adventist movements
Separations See Jehovah's Witnesses
splinter groups
Geographical Area Worldwide
Statistics
Congregations 101,376
Members 7 million
Statistics from 2008 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses
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Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a restorationist[1][2] religious denomination of the same name. The religion emerged from the Bible Student Movement, founded in the late 19th century by Charles Taze Russell. The "Jehovah's Witnesses" name was inspired by Isaiah 43:10 and was adopted at a 1931 convention of Bible students while under the leadership of Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Identification of the religion as Christian, among other controversies, is debated largely due to their disputing the Trinity, which most Christian religions regard as a fundamental doctrine. They believe God (Jehovah) is the creator, and Jesus is His son, separate and not equal.

Contents

[edit] Beliefs

Main article: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses meet in buildings called Kingdom Halls, like this one in Germany.
Jehovah's Witnesses meet in buildings called Kingdom Halls, like this one in Germany.

[edit] Jehovah

Jehovah's Witnesses use the traditional rendering Jehovah, as the accepted English vocalization of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton. While accepting the pronunciation 'Yahweh' they prefer to use 'Jehovah' because it is the more familiar pronunciation.[3][4] They view the use of the name as a requirement for true worship. Jehovah's Witnesses view Jehovah as the supreme being and creator of everything, the sovereign of the universe.

[edit] Jesus

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God, and is thus considered to be an independent entity from Jehovah who used him as a helper to create everything else.[5] He is the only means by which to approach God in prayer, and is also the means of salvation for all worthy mankind.[6] They believe that Jesus Christ is head of the Christian Congregation, and all must obey him. His role as mediator of the New Covenant is limited to those going to heaven to rule along with Christ,[7] whose number totals 144,000. They believe that Jesus was executed by being nailed to a 'torture stake,' as opposed to a cross. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is also known in the Bible as the archangel Michael, and Abaddon (Appolyon).

See also: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses#The nature of Christ

[edit] Salvation

See also: Soteriology

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus' death was necessary to atone for the sin brought into the world by the first man, Adam, opening the way for the hope of everlasting life for mankind, and that 144,000 anointed people will receive immortal life in heaven as co-rulers with Christ, ruling over the rest of mankind during the Millennial Reign. Witnesses believe that during the imminent war of Armageddon, the wicked will be destroyed, and survivors, along with millions of others who will be resurrected, will form a new earthly society ruled by a heavenly government and have the possibility of living forever in an earthly paradise. The vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses expect to live on a renewed paradise on Earth.[8] The holy spirit is not a person but is God's active force.[9] The soul is the person itself, not an immortal immaterial entity that dwells inside the body.[10] Thus, souls of deceased persons are considered dead, and death itself is a state of non-existence with no consciousness.[11] Hades or Sheol is the designated common grave of all mankind. They do not believe in any Hell of fiery torment.[12][13] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that October of 1914 marks the return, or "presence", of Christ as king of God's kingdom, which is understood to have occurred invisibly in heaven. They believe that his first act as king was to throw Satan out of heaven, which they teach was a cause of World War I. In 1918, those of the 144,000 who had died are believed to have been resurrected as spirit creatures to heavenly life. Since then, any remaining members of the 144,000 who die are believed to be immediately resurrected to heavenly life, based on their understanding of 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52. Armageddon is considered to be imminent.[14] After false religion is destroyed, governments also face destruction.[15] Publications of Jehovah's Witnesses have stated that only Jehovah's Witnesses will survive God's judgment of the world.[16] They also teach that it is up to Jesus, and not people, to judge individuals.[17] Regarding the fate of some, such as small children or the mentally ill, the Witnesses say "we may not know how Jehovah will resolve these issues. He will do so, however, in a righteous and merciful way." [18][19] After Armageddon, an unknown number of people, both righteous and unrighteous, who had died (prior to Armageddon) will be resurrected, with the prospect of living forever in paradise.[20]

[edit] Authority of the Bible

Jehovah's Witnesses consider the entire Biblical canon, excluding the Apocrypha, to be the inspired word of God. They prefer their own translation of the Bible, the New World translation, first published in 1950 by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society but occasionally cite other translations.[21] They interpret most scriptures literally,[22] but they believe that biblical writers and characters often employed symbolism, parable, figures of speech, and poeticism.[23] Thus, they insist that they are not 'fundamentalists' who they feel are in error in taking a strictly literal view of the Bible.[24][25][26] They hold that the Bible alone should be used for determining issues of doctrine. Interpretation of scripture and codification of doctrines is considered the responsibility of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.[27]

[edit] Ethics and Morality

The name "Jehovah" is one English version of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton.
The name "Jehovah" is one English version of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton.

Their view of morality reflects the usual conservative Christian views, with some differences. Homosexuality and premarital sex are considered sins.[28] Abortion, with the exception of an impending mother choosing her own life and the end of the unborn child over that of a fatal birthing, is considered murder.[29] Modesty is strongly encouraged in dress and grooming. Gambling is strictly forbidden.[30] The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous.[31] Blood is not to be eaten, sucked, stored or transfused. Medical procedures involving certain blood fractions are left to conscience.

[edit] Avoidance of nationalism and other religions

Practices associated with nationalism or other religions[32] are avoided. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe only their religion represents true Christianity. They believe that no other religion meets all the requirements set by God. They believe that all other religions and their practices will eventually be done away with.[33] Weddings, anniversaries, and funerals are typically observed; however, common celebrations or national holidays such as birthdays, Halloween, Easter, and Christmas are regarded as pagan holidays due to their origins and are not celebrated.[34]

[edit] Relationship with governments

Jehovah's Witnesses believe their allegiance belongs to God's Kingdom, which is viewed as an actual government. Thus they refrain from saluting the flag of any country or singing nationalistic songs.[35] They believe that such an act would be tantamount to worshipping an idol. Members are expected to obey all laws, so long as these do not violate what they view as God's law. They are instructed to pay all taxes of the country in which they reside, considering the government to be solely responsible for how they are used.[36][37] The political neutrality of Jehovah's Witnesses is also expressed by their refusal to participate in military service - even when it is compulsory - and by their detachment from secular politics. Voting in political elections would be considered as compromising their Christian neutrality.

[edit] Proselytization

Witnesses are perhaps best known for the efforts to spread their beliefs throughout the world. They do this mainly by visiting people house to house,[38][39] but also in a variety of other ways. Free home Bible studies are offered to persons having questions or interest in their beliefs. They use Watchtower publications to explain their beliefs. Literature is published in many languages through a wide variety of books, magazines and other publications, with some publications being available in as many as 410 languages. Witnesses are encouraged to devote as much time as possible in preaching activities.

They believe that their preaching work is a form of humanitarian effort by helping people apply Biblical principles to improve their lives, and that their preaching work gives people hope for the future.[40][41][42] Members are encouraged to participate in the preaching work and if possible to give a voluntary donation to the Watchtower Society's "Worldwide Work" fund.[43]

Kingdom Hall meeting in Portugal.
Kingdom Hall meeting in Portugal.

[edit] Aid work

Aid work after large natural disasters is considered an important part of their work, though secondary to their preaching effort. Large sums of donated money are used in the affected areas to rebuild communities and provide aid. The focus of relief efforts is primarily on helping fellow members and rebuilding Kingdom Halls, but usually, assistance is provided to non-members in need near the area in which they are working.[44][45] Examples of relief work include that provided to Hutu and Tutsi victims rebuilding (Kingdom halls) during the Rwandan genocide, as well as to Congo refugees.[46] Witnesses have also had an active share in the relief work and rebuilding Kingdom Halls after Hurricane Katrina in the United States of America.[47]

[edit] The Memorial

See also: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses#Memorial of Christ's death

Their most important annual event is the commemoration of Jesus' death (referred to as "the Memorial") held after sundown, on the date corresponding to the date of the Hebrew Passover, Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar (usually in March or April).[48] Typically, in most congregations, no one partakes during this annual event, because only the members of the 144,000 or "The Anointed" partake of the emblems of the wine and unleavened bread. Citing the words at 1Corthinthians 11:27, they believe that those who partake unworthily in the emblems will be judged by Jehovah. According to witness publications, as of 2008, about 9,000+ persons - an increase from the previous year - did partake of the emblems. These anointed ones anticipate being resurrected to heaven after their death. Almost all Witnesses today believe their future hope is to live after Armageddon, on a paradise earth which will be governed by Jesus and his heavenly government.

[edit] Education

Higher education (equivalent to bachelor's degree or higher) is not a focus for most Witness youth.[49] Jehovah's Witnesses are encouraged to make spiritual matters the top priority in their life since the Witnesses view time as short for their global ministry. Higher education is considered a matter of conscience to be decided individually. If chosen it should be kept secondary to spiritual responsibilities. [50] The Witnesses cite Jesus' training as a carpenter as a practical example of secular training that doesn't overshadow service to God. Thus secondary education should ideally provide specialized skills to care for one's personal needs rather than to pursue status or prestige.[51] It is encouraged that an individual carefully consider what Witnesses perceive as a difficult balance between spiritual requirements and the costs in terms of time and financial resources. Parents are instructed to help their children to pursue the path that's best for them, not what someone else, even another Witness, might think is best. [52][53] [54] Another concern is that college may expose youths to numerous associations and activities viewed as harmful. Members are directed to ask themselves questions, such as, "How might being immersed in an atmosphere of intense competition and selfish materialism affect you?"[55] A similar question cites a study stating that in some universities "Drugs and alcohol are used freely, and promiscuity is the rule" and asks "might living there thwart your efforts to remain morally clean?"[56] But if they must attend a university, they are encouraged to keep themselves "spiritually strong". Young Witnesses are reminded that "some youths who have been obliged to attend university have even managed to be pioneers (full time Witness ministers) by choosing a schedule of courses that made that possible."[57][58][59]

Regarding the importance of education they have stated that Jehovah deserves the highest quality praise. Quality education facilitates this.[60] For that purpose, they say their "Theocratic Ministry School," in conjuncion with secular education, trains Witnesses in advanced communication and research skills, specially needed in their ministry. [61]

[edit] Congregational discipline

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline

Jehovah's Witnesses employ various levels of congregational discipline administered by elders in the congregation. These include:[62][63][64]

Marking is employed when a member persists in conduct that is considered a clear violation of Scriptural principles, yet not of a sufficient seriousness to warrant disfellowshipping (shunning). Marking is based on their understanding of 2 Thessalonians 3:6, and used only if the person repeatedly refuses counsel[65] and the conduct of the individual is considered a "spiritual danger" to the members of the congregation. A talk may be given regarding the conduct (without naming the individual).[66] Though such a person would not be shunned, social interaction outside of formal worship settings would be minimized.[67]

Reproof involves sins for which one could be disfellowshipped. But if “true repentance” is shown, the person is not disfellowshipped, but merely reproved.[68] Reproof may be given before all who have knowledge of the transgression.[69]

Disfellowshipping is the most severe form of discipline. Congregation members avoid all social and/or spiritual association with disfellowshipped individuals.[70] Disfellowshipped members can attend Kingdom Hall meetings, but are not allowed to take an active part in meetings or the ministry.[71] Each year, the elders make an attempt to remind disfellowshipped ones of the steps they can take to qualify for reinstatement.

Regarding child abuse, unless a confession is made, the religion will act only on cases where there have been two witnesses, based on the principle at Deuteronomy 19:15 - "No single witness should rise up against a man ... At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good". "However, the elders are expected to report the allegation to the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses ... if local privacy laws permit. They also comply with laws requiring even uncorroborated or unsubstantiated allegations to be reported to the authorities. Additionally, the victim may wish to report the matter to the authorities, and it is his or her absolute right to do so."[72][73] In 1997 it was also stated that, "for the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation"[74] Announcements to the congregation would follow organization policy regarding 'serious sins'.[75]

[edit] Blood

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and blood
Jehovah's Witnesses most often reject transfusions of whole allogeneic blood
Jehovah's Witnesses most often reject transfusions of whole allogeneic blood

The official teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses regards blood as sacred and rejects allogeneic and stored[76] autologous transfusions of whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets or plasma.[77] This is based on an understanding of the Biblical admonition to " abstain from ... blood," based on Acts 15:28, 29, and also on Leviticus 17:11,12, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood ... No soul of you shall eat blood," and of Genesis 9:3, 4, which they understand to be the first instance of "the Bible’s clear prohibition against taking blood into the body."[78]

Although accepted by a majority of Jehovah's Witnesses, some reject these teachings and accept blood.[79][80][81][82] Baptized Witnesses who violate the prohibition on blood are subject to being "disfellowshipped" (organized communal shunning).[83][84][85][86] [87][88] Their policy is that "collecting, storing, and transfusing of blood directly contradicts what is said in Leviticus and Deuteronomy," (that blood should be "poured out"). So their position is they do not "store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out."[89] Within these constraints, However, it is considered a personal decision on how their "own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy."Of course, in current medical practice, whole blood transfusions are very rare, and individual blood components are used instead.[90] While Witnesses may not accept red cells, white cells, platelets or plasma, they may accept fractions made from these components.[91][92] However, if a fraction, "makes up a significant portion of that component" or "carries out the key function of a primary component" it may be objectionable to them but is permissible.[93]

Witness publications have acknowledged that abiding by this doctrine has led to deaths due to blood loss, but there are no published statistics on total deaths.[94] Witnesses also cite various health risks associated with blood transfusions, including HIV, hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases, sometimes resulting in death.[95] However, they indicate that such medical risks are secondary to their religious reasons for refusing blood.

Ethical concerns of medical and legal persons involved in managing blood crisis situations in pediatric cases has sometimes led to transfusions being administered to children against family wishes.[96] Some medical ethicists contend that "serious ethical violations are currently used to enforce the blood policy" among Jehovah's Witnesses, including the suppression of dissident views within the religion.[97] Witness leaders have defended these policies as obedience to scripture and religious conscience.[98]

A growing number of hospitals are offering bloodless techniques in medicine and surgery.[99] A number of medical professionals have credited Jehovah's Witnesses and their related organizations for their contribution to the dissemination of information regarding bloodless surgery techniques.[100][101] Experts in the medical surgical profession have collaborated with Jehovah's Witnesses to produce information regarding the benefits of bloodless techniques and therapies.[102]

[edit] History

Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses
Watchtower buildings, Brooklyn, New York
About Jehovah's Witnesses
Demographics
Organizational structure
Governing Body · Legal instruments
Faithful and Discreet Slave
History
Bible Student movement
Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups
Government interactions
Supreme Court cases
Persecution
United States · Canada
Nazi Germany
Controversies
Beliefs
Beliefs and practices
God's name · Eschatology
Blood · Disfellowshipping
Literature
The Watchtower · Awake!
New World Translation
Related people
Formative influences
C.T. Russell · William Miller
N.H. Barbour · Jonas Wendell
Watchtower Presidents
J.F. Rutherford · N.H. Knorr
F.W. Franz · M.G. Henschel
D.A. Adams
Notable Watch Tower Officials
Hayden C. Covington · A. H. Macmillan
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Main articles: History of Jehovah's Witnesses, Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses, Jehovah's Witnesses and governments, and Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses originated with the religious movement known as Bible Students, which was founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell. Various splinter groups arose after Russell's death, particularly with the beginning of the presidency of Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Those who remained supportive of the Watchtower Society, in 1931 came to adopt the name Jehovah's Witnesses, under Rutherford's leadership. Some of the splinter groups survive to this day, though few of these have upwards of 1000 adherents (see splinter groups article). Those who did not support Rutherford formed various Bible Student groups which have retained Russell's teachings. Jehovah's Witnesses no longer use "Bible Students" as a formal name for their religion.

Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916)
Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916)

[edit] Russell and Barbour

In the early 1870s, Russell organized a Bible study group composed mostly of Second Adventists (a group that arose after the Millerite Great Disappointment) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[103]

An interest in Bible prophecy was sparked, in part, by Jonas Wendell. In 1876, Russell met Nelson H. Barbour and subsequently adopted Barbour's eschatology. Barbour had predicted the visible return of Christ at 1873, and when that failed to occur, he revised the prediction to 1874.[104][105] Soon after Barbour's second disappointment, his group decided Christ had returned invisibly to Earth in 1874.[106] They differed from most Second Adventists, teaching that all mankind descending from Adam would be given a chance to live in a paradise on Earth. In 1877, Barbour and Russell jointly published the book The Three Worlds detailing their views.[107] A gathering of the saints to heaven was expected for 1878 and the year 1914 was to mark the end of Gentile control of the city of Jerusalem and the final end of the rule of human governments, marking a forty-year period from 1874.[108] By 1877, a separation between the Barbour-Russell group and the Advent Christian denomination was apparent.[109]

[edit] Russell's break with Barbour

In July 1879, Russell broke with Barbour after Barbour discounted the worth of what is known as the substitutionary atonement[110] and he soon began publishing his own magazine, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower).[111] After the break, Russell retained the bulk of Barbour's eschatological views.[112] He also maintained the Adventist rejection of the traditional view of Hell and by 1882 had rejected the doctrine of the Trinity.[113] In 1881 he formed the legal entity which developed into the non-profit organization: The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (currently headquartered in New York City).[114] In 1884, it was incorporated, with Russell as president. He authored the six-volume series, Studies in the Scriptures.[115] Early editions declared that 1799 marked the beginning of the "time of the end"; Jesus’ second coming occurred invisibly in 1874 as marked by the lengths of the internal passages of the great pyramid of Egypt; the great pyramid at Gizeh is God's Stone Witness and Prophet; Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God; and that Armageddon would culminate in the year 1914.[116] Various statements assuring the accuracy and authority of their predictions were issued, such as "We see no reason for changing the figures — nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God’s dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble."[117] In contrast, Russell also wrote regarding his expectations: "We are not prophesying; we are merely giving our surmises ... We do not even aver that there is no mistake in our interpretation of prophecy and our calculations of chronology. We have merely laid these before you, leaving it for each to exercise his own faith or doubt in respect to them."[118] In 1914, Russell founded the International Bible Students Association in the United Kingdom.

[edit] Presidency of Joseph Franklin Rutherford

Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942)
Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942)

Following Russell's death on October 31, 1916, an editorial committee of five was set up to supervise the writing of the Watch Tower magazine, as set forth in Russell's Last Will and Testament.[119] On January 6, 1917, Joseph Franklin Rutherford (also known as "Judge" Rutherford) was elected second President of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. A power struggle soon developed between Rutherford and four of the seven-member Board of Directors of the Society.[120] Matters reached a climax on July 17, 1917 as the book The Finished Mystery was released to the headquarters staff in Brooklyn.[121] Rutherford announced to the staff that he was also dismissing the four directors and replacing them with new members, claiming they had not been legally elected.[122] The four dismissed directors set up the Pastoral Bible Institute and began publishing their own religious journal. Dissension and schisms ensued in congregations worldwide as a result of these events, and of the consequences of new predictions made for the years 1918,[123] 1920[124] and 1925.[125][126]

History of Eschatological Doctrine
Last Days Begin Christ's Return Christ as King Resurrection of 144,000 Judgment of Religion Great Tribulation
1879–1920 1799 1874 1878 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920
1920–1925 1925
1925–1927 1914 1878 1878 within a generation of 1914
1927–1930 1918
1930–1933 1919
1933–1966 1914
1966–1975 1975
1975–1995 within a generation of 1914
1995-2007 imminent
2008 indeterminate

The Finished Mystery, published in 1917, was controversial in its criticism of Catholic and Protestant clergy and Christian involvement in war.[127] Citing this book, the United States federal government indicted Rutherford and the new board of directors for violating the Espionage Act on May 7, 1918. They were found guilty and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. However, in March 1919, the judgment against them was reversed and they were released from prison. The charges were later dropped.[128] Patriotic fervor during World War I fueled persecution of the Bible Students both in America and in Europe.[129]

An emphasis on house-to-house preaching began in 1922.[130] The period from 1925-1933 saw many significant changes in doctrine. Attendance at their yearly Memorial dropped from a high of 90,434 in 1925[131] down to 17,380 in 1928,[132] due to the previous power struggle, the failed predictions for the year 1925,[133] and the evolving doctrinal changes which alienated those who sided with Russell's views.[134] By 1933, 1914 was seen as the beginning of Christ's presence, his enthronement as king, and the start of the "last days" instead of being considered the terminal date in their chronology.[135] The editorial committee was disbanded with Rutherford having the final say regarding what went into Watchtower publications.[136] The offices and election of elders and deacons were also discontinued during this era with all "servants" in local congregations being appointed by headquarters.[137]

Hitler's Nazi Germany persecuted Jehovah's Witnesses and many were imprisoned in concentration camps. Their identifying badge was a purple triangle.[138] In a book on Jehovah's Witnesses under the Nazi regime, Hans Hesse commented, "Some five thousand Jehovah's Witnesses were sent to concentration camps where they alone were 'voluntary prisoners', so termed because the moment they recanted their views, they could be freed. Some lost their lives in the camps, but few renounced their faith"[139] During this time period, Witnesses also experienced mob violence in America and were temporarily banned in Canada and Australia because they were perceived as being against the war effort.[140]

Under Rutherford, membership grew from about 21,000 in 1917 to about 115,000 at the time of his death in 1942.

[edit] Nathan Knorr, reorganization, and subsequent Presidents

Nathan Homer Knorr succeeded Rutherford as president of the Watch Tower Society. Known as an efficient administrator, Knorr founded the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead to train missionaries, as well as the Theocratic Ministry School to train preaching and teaching at the congregational level. Significant Supreme Court victories involving the rights of free speech and religion for Jehovah's Witnesses have had a great impact on legal interpretation of these rights for others.[141] In 1943, the United States Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette that school children of Jehovah's Witnesses could not be compelled to salute the flag.

Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their preaching from house to house
Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their preaching from house to house

Knorr's vice-president Frederick William Franz became the leading theologian, and is believed to have been the principal translator of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.[142] Also produced were a Greek-English New Testament interlinear (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures) and a Bible dictionary (Aid to Bible Understanding).[143] The offices of elder and ministerial servant (deacon) were restored to Witness congregations in 1972, with appointments being made from headquarters.[144] Membership rose from 115,000 to over 2 million under Knorr's presidency.

During the 1960s[145] and early 1970s, various references were made in Witnesses' literature and at assemblies, implying that Christ's thousand-year millennial reign might begin by 1975.[146] The chronology pointing to 1975 was noted in the secular media at the time.[147] From 1975 to 1980, there was a drop in membership following the failure of this prediction.[148] In 1980, the Watchtower Society admitted its responsibility in building up hope regarding the year 1975.[149]

In 1976, the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses was reorganized, and the power of the presidency passed on to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses of the Watch Tower Society after Knorr's death in 1977 have been Frederick William Franz, Milton George Henschel and Don A. Adams. However, since 1976, doctrinal and organizational decisions have been made by the Governing Body and they supervise the writing of Watchtower publications.[150] Witnesses no longer teach that the generation of people alive in 1914 somehow gives us insight into the date of Armageddon, [151][152] but are encouraged not to lose confidence in "the nearness of Jehovah's day of judgment".[153]

[edit] Demographics

Average Publishers, 1945–2005
Average Publishers, 1945–2005
Main article: Demographics of Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses have an active presence in most countries, though they do not form a large part of the population of any country. Brazil, Mexico, and the United States are the only countries where the number of active Witness publishers exceeds half a million. As of February 2008, Jehovah's Witnesses have an average of 6.8 million members actively involved in preaching.[154] Since the mid-1990s, the number of peak publishers has increased from 4.5 million to 7.0 million.[155] However, there has been a decline in growth rates, from over 8% per annum in the mid 1970s, to 5% per annum in the mid 1990s, to about 2% - 3% per annum since 1999.[156] Growth rates and activity reports tend to show significant geographical variation.[157] The official published membership statistics only include those who have reported preaching activity. 'Inactive' and disfellowshipped members, and any who have either not been involved in preaching or have not submitted reports, are not included in the reported figures but may be reflected in the attendance at the Witnesses' annual Memorial, with over 17 million attending in 2007.[158]

[edit] Organizational structure

Main article: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses are led by a Governing Body located at the Watchtower headquarters. The Watchtower Society was incorporated as Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884. Its directors served as the central Governing Body overseeing their preaching work.[159] This initial Governing Body was composed of five men and two women.[160] As of 1971 the Governing Body consisted of the Board of Directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, a body of seven men, and the agenda of the Governing Body was set by the President of the Watch Tower Society, who was also a member. The Governing Body was enlarged by Nathan H. Knorr to include other members of the Society in 1971, and its membership rose to eleven men. In that year, the chairmanship of the group began to rotate annually.[161] The number of men who make up the Governing Body has ranged from 9 to 17 and now stands at 9.

The Governing Body, through the departments of its various legal organizations, directs the operation of the 112 branches throughout the world.[162] Members volunteer to operate these facilities. Each branch assigns circuit overseers who travel among various congregations, spending a week with each. Within each local congregation, elders assigned by the branch organize the congregation's public ministry and schedule various speakers for congregational teaching. They also decide on qualified members of the congregation for the positions of elder or ministerial servant, requiring the approval of higher leadership.

Elders are prominent in congregational matters, particularly in religious instruction and spiritual counseling. Ministerial servants generally assist elders in a limited administrative capacity. Both roles are unpaid, but circuit and district overseers receive a small financial living allowance. All baptized Witnesses consider themselves to be ordained ministers, and are expected to be able to provide religious instruction to others. Males are encouraged to qualify for responsibilities in the congregation and to work towards becoming ministerial servants or elders. Within local congregations the role of women is minimal in terms of responsibility. They cannot serve as elders or ministerial servants, though they carry out a large proportion of the preaching work, including missionary work, pioneering, and helping others in the congregation to become more regular in preaching.

The legal instruments of Jehovah's Witnesses include corporations that represent the religion in legal matters. Most well known is the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. In 2000, three new non-profit corporations were organized:

Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc. coordinates all service (i.e., preaching) activities, including door-to-door preaching, circuit and district conventions, etc.

Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, Inc. coordinates the activities of those involved in full-time service, including pioneers, missionaries, and circuit and district overseers.

Kingdom Support Services, Inc. controls construction of new Kingdom Halls and other facilities and holds the titles to Society-owned vehicles.

[edit] Publications

Main article: List of Watchtower publications

The publishing arm of Jehovah's Witnesses, known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania engages in extensive publication work. In addition to their two magazines— 'The Watchtower' and 'Awake!', each having tens of millions of monthly copies printed — they also publish many brochures, tracts, books, Bible maps, and encyclopedias including the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

  • The Watchtower has been published continuously since 1879.[163] This magazine is published in two forms every month. There is a "Public" edition, and a "Study" edition. The purpose of this was to provide 1 monthly watchtower to go along with 1 monthly Awake (see below) for public distribution. The Study edition is used internally with more in depth articles that the common public may not fully understand.
  • Awake!, a general interest magazine, has a wider scope than the Watchtower, publishing articles on science, nature, and geography, usually with a religious slant. Earlier titles for this magazine were The Golden Age (1919–1937) and Consolation (1937–1946). It is now published monthly and is available in 78 languages.
  • New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is a translation of the Bible by the New World Bible Translation Committee, last revised in 1984 in English. It extensively uses the name Jehovah, an English version of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, also replacing the Greek word for "Lord" some 237 times in the New Testament. It is available in 69 Languages. The translators have opted to remain anonymous but others have identified them as being prominent leaders of the movement.[164]

Jehovah's Witnesses developed the capability to print Bible literature in multiple languages, and in extremely large volumes, in their own facilities. They currently print all publications at 8 branch offices located around the world.[165] Since 1 January 2000 all publications are offered free of charge world-wide.

[edit] Website

Screenshot of the watchtower.org from January 2008
Screenshot of the watchtower.org from January 2008

Jehovah's Witnesses maintain an official website, Watchtower.org, as the official Watchtower Society website. Full-length articles of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines, the entire New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, and varying portions of other Witness literature are provided on the site, in addition to content such as interactive Bible puzzles and streaming videos. The site is available in several languages, with a small amount of information presented in 314 languages (in most cases, an online form of the brochure What Does God Require of Us? and other concise material), including videos in five different sign languages for the hearing impaired. Literature in Grade 0 - 2 Braille is available for delivery upon request in twelve languages. The majority of the site's traffic comes from United States, Chile, Brazil, Poland and Peru, in that order.[166]

Jehovah's Witnesses also maintain other websites that deal with more specific areas of the organization. JW.org is a multimedia site that makes audio versions of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines available for download in English and Spanish. JW-media.org is the "authorized site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah’s Witnesses" and is the primary media portal for video releases, press releases, statistics, legal updates and the like. JehovasZeugen.de is a German-language website that concentrates on the activities of Witnesses in Germany. TemoinsDeJehovah.org is a comparable site in French.

[edit] Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses

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Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (March 2008)

Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines, and practices have met controversy. Political and religious animosity against them has at times led to the point of mob action and government oppression, including being among the groups targeted in the Holocaust.

They have also received widespread criticism from leaders of other faiths. Opposition from fundamentalist and evangelical Christians is particularly notable, and members of some denominations, such as Hank Hanegraaff often characterize Jehovah's Witnesses as a cult.

In the United States, over 60 Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses have shaped First Amendment law. Significant cases affirmed rights such as these:

By 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court had reviewed 71 cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses, two thirds of which were decided in their favor.

In 2002, the Watch Tower Society disputed an ordinance in Stratton, Ohio that required a permit in order to preach from door to door. The Supreme Court decided in favor of the Witnesses.

[edit] Controversy

Main article: Controversies regarding Jehovah's Witnesses

Witnesses teach that after the death of the last apostle, the Church gradually diverged, in a Great Apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12), from the original teachings of Jesus on several major points. Thus most of the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses differ from those of mainstream Christianity, and are considered heresy by most mainstream Christian scholars. Possibly the most controversial doctrinal differences relate to the nature of God and of Jesus, particularly the Jehovah's Witnesses' rejection of the Trinity. In contrast with trinitarian doctrine, they believe that Jesus was not God in a human body, but rather that he was God's firstborn (created) Son who existed with God before all other creation. The beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses about hell, the immortality of the soul, the return of Jesus to the earth, and salvation are also controversial.

Some scholars have criticized the New World Translation, the translation of the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses, stating that the group has changed the Bible to suit their doctrine and that the translation contains a number of errors and inaccuracies.[167] The Society publishes an interlinear edition of the New World Translation, the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, which provides the actual Greek text used in translation (Westcott & Hort), a word-for-word literal English translation underneath, and the New World Translation alongside, enabling the reader to consider such charges directly regarding the New Testament.

A number of books have been published that are critical of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.[168] Critics state that the Watchtower Society has made a number of unfulfilled predictions and doctrinal changes over the years, while claiming that it is the "one and only channel"[169] used by God to continually dispense truth.

Raymond Franz, a former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, has challenged the Witnesses' policies on blood transfusions, stating that their requirements are inconsistent and contradictory.[170] However, to Witnesses blood as the fluid per se is not the real issue, it is what it represents. They say that "the important thing is that respect has been shown for the sanctity of blood, regard has been shown for the principle of the sacredness of life" represented by the blood.[171][172] When the blood has been drained from an animal, the respect has been shown to God and then a person may eat the meat even though it may contain minute traces of blood.

Critics have also argued that various Witness policies and practices — including the treatment of members who dissociate themselves or who have been disfellowshipped by the congregation — limit the ability of members to exercise personal freedom.[173][174] Witnesses teach that "freedom to make decisions [is] to be exercised within the boundaries of God’s laws and principles."[175] And that “only Jehovah [is] free to set the standard of what is good and bad.”[176] However, the leadership promotes itself as the channel God uses to interpret the scriptures, and to instruct members about "what is good and bad."[177]

Some countries such as Uzbekistan, Belarus, and the city of Moscow have opposed the building of facilities (such as Kingdom Halls) and the holding of large conventions in their territory. Though such opposition is at times specifically directed at the religious group, at other times more mundane concerns are involved, such as traffic congestion and noise. In some legal cases, such as Congrégation des témoins de Jéhovah de St-Jérôme-Lafontaine v. Lafontaine (Village), disputes that have apparently been about appropriate land use have come out of religious bias, according to Jehovah's Witnesses' claims.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stark et al, Why Jehovah’s Witnesses Grow So Rapidly: A Theoretical Application, Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 12, Num. 2, 1997: 133–157
  2. ^ The Watchtower, October 1, 1977 p. 598: “Jehovah’s Witnesses today have made efforts to learn the mode of operation of the early Christian congregation and to follow that Scriptural pattern.”; Cote, P., Richardson, J.T., Disciplined Litigation, Vigilant Litigation, and Deformation: Dramatic Organisation Change in Jehovah’s Witnesses: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, March 2001 Vol. 40 No 1 p 23, “Not taking part in political activities, the ‘neutrality principle’ as it is known, is for the Witnesses, along with the blood taboo, the surest sign that theirs is the original community of true Christians.”
  3. ^ Watchtower 12/1/50 p. 474 "Why, then, does the New World Translation use the name Jehovah 237 times in its main text? ... the Translation Committee says: “While inclining to view the pronunciation ‘Yah·weh´’ as the more correct way, we have retained the form ‘Jehovah’ because of people’s familiarity with it since the 14th century."
  4. ^ The rendering of the Tetragrammaton is different for different languages: "Geova" in Italian, for example.
  5. ^ "What Do the Scriptures Say About "the Divinity of Christ"?" (January 15 1992): 20–23. Watchtower. 
  6. ^ ""His Vital Place in God's Purpose" and "Chief Agent of life"", Insight on the Scriptures Vol. e2. Watchtower, 60–61. 
  7. ^ "Consequently, 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 is not using 'mediator' in the broad sense common in many languages. It is not saying that Jesus is a mediator between God and all mankind. Rather, it refers to Christ as legal Mediator (or, "attorney") of the new covenant, this being the restricted way in which the Bible uses the term." (August 15 1989) "Watchtower": 30.
  8. ^ (2005) What Does the Bible Really Teach?. Watchtower, 33–36. .
  9. ^ (1988) Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 2, 1019. 
  10. ^ "The...Scriptures show 'soul' to be a person, an animal, or the life that a person or an animal enjoys." (1988) Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 2, 1004. 
  11. ^ "Is There LIFE After Death?" (July 15 2001). Watchtower. Retrieved on January 26, 2006. 
  12. ^ "Hell—Eternal Torture or Common Grave?" (April 15 1993). The Watchtower: 6. 
  13. ^ (1988) Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 2, 189. 
  14. ^ ""In the Last Days" Since When?" (October 1 1980). Watchtower: 19. 
  15. ^ "Flight to Safety Before the "Great Tribulation"" (June 1 1996). Watchtower: 14–19. 
  16. ^ "Remaining Organized for Survival Into the Millennium" (September 1 1989). Watchtower: 19. “Only Jehovah's Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the "great crowd," as a united organization under the protection of the Supreme Organizer, have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system dominated by Satan the Devil.” 
  17. ^ "Do they believe that they are the only ones who will be saved?," Jehovah's Witnesses—Who Are They? What Do They Believe?
  18. ^ "??" (8/15/98). Watchtower: p. 20 par. 18. “18 ... ‘How will babies and small children be judged? Might it be that a large number of people will not yet have been reached with the good news when Armageddon arrives? What about the mentally ill? ... at present we may not know how Jehovah will resolve these issues. He will do so, however, in a righteous and merciful way.” 
  19. ^ "Strengthening Our Confidence in God's Righteousness" (August 15 1998). Watchtower: 20. 
  20. ^ ""Death Is to Be Brought to Nothing"" (July 1 1998). Watchtower: 19–24. 
  21. ^ An official listing of what Jehovah's Witnesses believe can be read at: [1]
  22. ^ “Awake!” - March 8, 1982, p. 10. | “How Protestantism Undermines Respect for the Bible” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  23. ^ (2005) A Book for All People. Watchtower. 
  24. ^ Watchtower 10/151974 p. 629 “How Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Different?” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  25. ^ Watchtower 10/15 1977 . 618 par. 8 | “Obedience to the Good News a Way of Life” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  26. ^ Watchtower 9/1 1994 . 6 | “Science, Religion, and the Search for Truth” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  27. ^ "Christ Leads His Congregation" (March 15 2002). Watchtower: 13–16. 
  28. ^ "Young People Ask... What's Wrong With Premarital Sex?" (July 22 2004). Awake!: 12. 
  29. ^ (1995) "Why Living a Godly Life Brings Happiness", Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life. Watchtower, 118. 
  30. ^ (1995) Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. Watchtower, 120. 
  31. ^ "The Bible's Viewpoint What Does It Mean to Be the Head of the House?" (July 8 2004). Awake!: 26. 
  32. ^ Awake! 11/22/89 p. 22 Part 22—1900 onward—False Religion—Overtaken by Its Past! | “Since the mid-1930’s, this willingness to compromise has become more pronounced because of a growing acceptance of the idea that all “Christian” religions have an inherent God-given unity. As “proof” of inherent unity, the World Council of Churches emphasizes that all its members accept the Trinity doctrine, viewing “Jesus Christ as God and Savior.” ... Christendom has also pursued dialogue with non-Christian religions.”
  33. ^ What Does The Bible Really Teach? chap. 15 p. 145 par. 3 Worship That God Approves | “3 ... Many people believe that all religions are pleasing to God, but the Bible does not teach that. It is not even enough just to claim to be a Christian. Jesus said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.” “
  34. ^ "Questions From Readers" (October 15 1998). Watchtower: 30. 
  35. ^ ""Salvation Belongs to Jehovah"" (September 15 2002). Watchtower: 21. 
  36. ^ Watchtower 11/1/90 p. 24 par. 5 " … what if part of the tax money is used to finance something we disagree with, such as free abortions, blood banks, or programs that conflict with our neutral views? We still pay all our taxes. It is the authority that must take responsibility for how it uses the tax money."
  37. ^ "God and Caesar" (May 1 1996). Watchtower: 9. 
  38. ^ Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, chap. 25 pg. 570” –1993| “House-to-House Preaching —An Identifying Mark” | . © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  39. ^ The Watchtower - May 15, 1981, p. 17. | “Showing Lifesaving Neighbor Love” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  40. ^ The Watchtower - January 15, 1987, p. 6. | “Social Ministry—How It Affects People” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  41. ^ The Watchtower - July 15, 1971, p. 426. | “How the True Church Helps” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania “The most important thing for you, for every individual—including the poor and afflicted—is to enter into a right relationship with God and Christ. To that end the Christian witnesses of Jehovah are sent into the world, not with material bread, which would be only a temporary help, but with spiritual food, the word of life. These words from God will open the way to peace with Him, and at the same time the way to eternal life in God’s new order, when there will be plenty for all.”
  42. ^ "Watchtower" (November 1, 1966): 647. 
  43. ^ The Watchtower | 5/15/02 p. 11 Phenomenal Increase Necessitates Quick Expansion “In each congregation, there are boxes clearly labeled “Contributions for the Worldwide Work—Matthew 24:14.””
  44. ^ Awake! 6/8/89 p. 30 From Our Readers “By no means do Jehovah’s Witnesses ignore the plight of others when disasters occur. Previous articles have demonstrated how willing Jehovah’s Witnesses are to assist their neighbors during such times. See, for example, the article entitled “The Levee Has Broken!” (October 8, 1986) We thus endeavor to “work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.” (Galatians 6:10)
  45. ^ Awake! 6/06 p. 19 Heeding the Warnings Made a Difference “This group cares for the Louisiana area, which took the brunt of Hurricane Katrina. Of the 2,700 homes of Witnesses needing repair there, work on 1,119 had been completed by the middle of February, so a huge task was still facing that relief committee. Again, neighbors and families with dire need were also helped.”
  46. ^ "Christianity in Action: Amid Turmoil" . Watchtower. Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Retrieved on 2005-12-04. “Since 1994, Jehovah's Witnesses in Europe alone have sent more than 190 tons of food, clothing, medicine, and other relief supplies to the Great Lakes region of Africa to fellow Jehovah's Witnesses” 
  47. ^ "Awake!" (June 2006): 14–19. 
  48. ^ “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” –2005, p. 206 | “The Lord’s Evening Meal—An Observance That Honors God” | . © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  49. ^ The Watchtower, 1 October, 2005, "Parents - What Future Do You Want for Your Children"
  50. ^ Watchtower 10/1/84 p. 17 par. 10
  51. ^ Watchtower 2/1/96 p. 14 pars. 21-24 "Jesus learned carpentry from his adoptive father, Joseph… Remember the lesson we learned from Jesus’ example—education should be used to bring praise to Jehovah. If we choose further education, our motivation should be the desire to support ourselves adequately so that we can serve Jehovah as fully as possible in the Christian ministry"
  52. ^ Watchtower 8/15/97 p. 21 par. 13 "Parents are also concerned about the ability of their children to support themselves financially. So give your children guidance, help them to choose appropriate school subjects, and discuss with them whether it is wise to pursue any supplementary education or not. Such decisions are a family responsibility, and others should not criticize the course taken. (Proverbs 22:6)
  53. ^ Watchtower 10/1/05 p. 27 par. 6 "In the United States, for example, public schools offer 12 years of basic education. Thereafter, students may choose to attend university or college for four or more years, leading to a bachelor’s degree or to postgraduate studies for careers in medicine, law, engineering, and so forth. Such university education is what is meant when the term “higher education” is used in this article … 7 The trend today is for secondary schools or high schools to groom their students for higher education... On the other hand, there are technical and vocational schools, offering short-term courses that result in a certificate or diploma in some trade or service."
  54. ^ "Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work" chap. 22 p. 177
  55. ^ “Questions Young People Ask – Answers That Work” chap. 22 p. 179 What Career Should I Choose? | “... a survey of U.S. university administrators described today’s students as ‘career-oriented, concerned with material success, concerned with self.’ One group of students said: “Money. It seems like all we talk about is money.” How might being immersed in an atmosphere of intense competition and selfish materialism affect you?”
  56. ^ “Questions Young People Ask – Answers That Work” chap. 22 p. 179 What Career Should I Choose? | “Universities may no longer have the riotous scenes of the 1960’s. But a decrease in university bedlam hardly means the campus environment is wholesome. Concluded one study of campus life: “Students still have almost unlimited freedom in personal and social matters.” Drugs and alcohol are used freely, and promiscuity is the rule—not the exception. If this is true of universities in your land, might living there thwart your efforts to remain morally clean?—1 Corinthians 6:18.”
  57. ^ “Questions Young People Ask – Answers That Work” chap. 22 p. 179 What Career Should I Choose? | “Keep yourself spiritually strong by meeting attendance, field service, and personal study. Some youths who have been obliged to attend university have even managed to pioneer by choosing a schedule of courses that made that possible.
  58. ^ “Awake!” - March 8, 1998, p. 21. | “Does the Bible Discourage Education?” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  59. ^ "Parents--What Future Do You Want For Your Children?" in the October 1 2005 Watchtower. Lecture by Governing Body member, Gerrit Losch at Monza, Italy in 2005, which can be viewed at [2].
  60. ^ Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education p. 8 par. 1 "Jehovah God deserves praise of the highest quality. (Rev. 4:11) The education that we receive in the school is a means to accomplish this so that we may think clearly, act wisely, and communicate effectively the marvelous truths from God’s inspired Word."
  61. ^ Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education p. 6 par. 1 Welcome to the Theocratic Ministry School "While public reading and the arts of speaking and teaching are given much attention in the school, the benefits of Theocratic Ministry School education are not limited to that. As you participate, you will be helped to cultivate such valuable skills as personal reading, listening and remembering, studying, doing research, analyzing and organizing, conversing, answering questions, and putting thoughts down in writing"
  62. ^ Court Judicial, Insight on the Scriptures Vol. 1, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc., 1988 p. 519
  63. ^ Jehovah’s Sheep Need Tender Care, The Watchtower, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc., January 15, 1996, pp. 18-19
  64. ^ Repentance Leading Back to God, September 1, 1981, The Watchtower, p. 23
  65. ^ Watchtower 4/15/85 p. 31 Questions From Readers | “First the elders try repeatedly to help the violator by admonishing him. If the problem persists, they may, without naming the person, give a warning talk to the congregation concerning the disorderly conduct involved.
  66. ^ The Watchtower - April 15, 1985, p. 31. | “Questions From Readers” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  67. ^ "Question From Readers" (April 15 1985). Watchtower: 31. 
  68. ^ ”Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life” chap. 14 p. 138 par. 22 Whose Authority Should You Recognize? | “If a Christian who has committed a grave sin accepts Scriptural discipline and reproof and gives evidence of genuine repentance, he will be helped. Of course, persistent and unrepentant violators of God’s law are disfellowshipped. —1 Corinthians 5:9-13.
  69. ^ "Giving Reproof "Before All Onlookers"" (December 1 1976). Watchtower. 
  70. ^ "Watchtower" (April 15 1988). 
  71. ^ Practices of Jehovah's Witnesses. ReligionFacts.
  72. ^ Position on child molestation
  73. ^ Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection, undated statement to media copyrighted 2003, accessed December 12, 2007 at http://www.jw-media.org/region/global/english/backgrounders/e_molestation.htm: “In addition to making a report to the branch office, the elders may be required by law to report even uncorroborated or unsubstantiated allegations to the authorities. If so, we expect the elders to comply.”
  74. ^ Watchtower 1/1/97 p. 29 Let Us Abhor What Is Wicked | “For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer or serve in any other special, full-time service.”
  75. ^ Watchtower 11/15/06 p. 30 par. 20 Always Accept Jehovah’s Discipline | “20 If a sin is widely known or will undoubtedly become known, announcement to the congregation would likely be appropriate in order to protect its reputation. An announcement will also be made if the congregation needs to be informed.”
  76. ^ Our Kingdom Ministry 11/06 p. 4 "When making such decisions, ask yourself the following questions: If some of my blood will be diverted outside my body and the flow might even be interrupted for a time, will my conscience allow me to view this blood as still part of me, thus not requiring that it be ‘poured out on the ground’? (Deut. 12:23, 24)"
  77. ^ How Can Blood Save Your Life? How Can Blood Save Your Life?. Accessed 4 December 2005.
  78. ^ Awake! - December 8, 1998, p. 19. | “Doctors Take a New Look at Bloodless Surgery” | © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
  79. ^ The Watchtower May 1, 1950 p. 143
  80. ^ The Watchtower August 1, 1958 p. 478, "One of Jehovah’s witnesses who claims to be of the anointed remnant recently went to the hospital and took a blood transfusion, voluntarily. Should she be allowed to partake of the emblems of bread and wine at Memorial time? — R. J., United States. We, of course, regret with you that this sister who professes to be one of the anointed remnant took a blood transfusion voluntarily during her stay in the hospital...."
  81. ^ Cynthia Gyamfi, MD, and Richard L. Berkowitz, MD, Obstet and Gynecol Vol. 104, No. 3, September 2004, “This review refutes the commonly held belief that all Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to accept blood or any of its products. In this population of pregnant women, the majority were willing to accept some form of blood or blood products.”
  82. ^ Letter to All Bodies of Elders in the United States, Watchtower December 1, 1993, This correspondence reports that up to 50% of Jehovah’s Witnesses had failed to maintain up-to-date Medical Directive cards and were unprotected from routine transfusions.
  83. ^ (1991) Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock. Watchtower, 95.  "Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses" (January 6, 2001). BMJ: 37-39. 
  84. ^ Watchtower letter to All Hospital Liaison Committees dated June 16, 2000, “If a baptized member of the faith willfully and without regret accepts a blood transfusion, he indicates by his own actions that he no longer wishes to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The individual is no longer viewed as a member of the Christian congregation because he no longer accepts and follows the Biblical prohibition to abstain from blood.
  85. ^ Watchtower media release dated June 14, 2000
  86. ^ Our Kingdom Ministry, Display Christian Loyalty When a Relative Is Disfellowshipped, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, August, 2002 p. 3, “Cooperating with the Scriptural arrangement to disfellowship and shun unrepentant wrongdoers is beneficial.”
  87. ^ The Watchtower June 15, 2000 pp. 29-30
  88. ^ Instructions for Filling In the Advance Decision Document, published by Watchtower in Britain, August 2005 p. 1, "addresses autologous transfusion procedures (those that involve the use of your own blood, which may temporarily leave your body...)" A Jehovah's Witness is aware that there is a risk of death yet believes that dying faithfully is better then living and breaking God's command to abstain from blood. Procedures which are permitted include where a "quantity of blood is withdrawn in order to tag it or to mix it with medicine, whereupon it is put back into the patient" and intra-operative cell salvage. The Watchtower October 15, 2000 pp. 30-31
  89. ^ Occasionally, a doctor will urge a patient to deposit his own blood weeks before surgery (preoperative autologous blood donation, or PAD) so that if the need arises, he could transfuse the patient with his own stored blood. However, such collecting, storing, and transfusing of blood directly contradicts what is said in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Blood is not to be stored; it is to be poured out—returned to God, as it were. Granted, the Mosaic Law is not in force now. Nevertheless, Jehovah’s Witnesses respect the principles God included in it, and they are determined to ‘abstain from blood.’ Hence, we do not donate blood, nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out.’ That practice conflicts with God’s law. The Watchtower October 15, 2000 pp. 30-31
  90. ^ Fractions Background.
  91. ^ The Watchtower, June 15, 2000 p. 30. Sniesinski et al (April 2007). "Coagulopathy After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Jehovah's Witness Patients: Management of Two Cases Using Fractionated Components and Factor VIIa". Anesthesia & Analgesia. 
  92. ^ Durable Power of Attorney form, published by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, January 2001 p. 1, "I accept all fractions derived from any primary component of blood." Examples of permitted fractions are: Interferon, Immune Serum Globulins and Factor VIII; preparations made from Hemoglobin such as PolyHeme and Hemopure. Examples of permitted procedures involving the medical use of one's own blood include: Cell Salvage, Hemodilution, Heart-Lung Machine, Dialysis, Epidural Blood Patch, Plasmapheresis, Labeling or Tagging of Blood and Platelet Gel (Autologous). See November 2006 Our Kingdom Ministry, pp. 5–6
  93. ^ Awake! August 2006 box on P. 11
  94. ^ "In former times thousands of youths died for putting God first. They are still doing it, only today the drama is played out in hospitals and courtrooms, with blood transfusions the issue." "Youths Who Put God First" (May 22, 1994). Awake!: 2. 
  95. ^ Awake! October 22, 1990 p.7-11
  96. ^ "Medical Emergencies in Children of Orthodox Jehovah's Witness Families" (December 2006). Pediatrics and Child Health: 655-658.  "The Sextuplets: Whose Babies Are They?" (February 19, 2007). Macleans: 34-38. 
  97. ^ "Medical confidentiality and the protection of Jehovah's Witnesses' autonomous refusal of blood" (October 1, 2000). The Journal of Medical Ethics.  "Refusal of potentially life-saving blood transfusions by Jehovah's Witnesses: should doctors explain that not all JWs think it's religiously required?" (October 1, 2000). The Journal of Medical Ethics. 
  98. ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood: obedience to scripture and religious conscience" (December 1999). Journal of Medical Ethics. 
  99. ^ University of Pennsylvania article [3]
  100. ^ [4] Article from Jehovah's Witnesses official website
  101. ^ MSNBC article on Jehovah's Witnesses and bloodless surgery
  102. ^ Nicolas Jabbour. Transfusion-Free Medicine and Surgery, 15-22. 
  103. ^ "Looking back to 1871, we see that many of our company were what are known as Second Adventists."--Zion's Watch Tower, February 1881. Reprints, p. 187. "Second Adventists" is an older name for the Advent Christian Church.
  104. ^ Barbour, N.H. (1871). Evidences for the Coming of the Lord in 1873: or the Midnight Cry. Retrieved on 20 February, 2006.
  105. ^ Barbour, N.H. (1874). The Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning. Retrieved on 20 February, 2006. See Section under "Our Faith."
  106. ^ N.H. Barbour (July 1875). "The Prophetic Periods". Herald of the Morning: 28-29. Russell recounts his meeting with Barbour and gives "a brief sketch of the development of present truth" in the April 25, 1894 Watch Tower pp. 92-119. See also Watchtower (July 15 1906). "Harvest Gatherings and Siftings". Watchtower: 3822. 
  107. ^ N.H. Barbour, C.T. Russell (1877). The Three Worlds and The Harvest of This World. Text Version
  108. ^ The Three Worlds, pp. 68, 89-93, 124, 125-126, 143, 189. Chas T. Russell (October 1876). "Gentile Times: When Do They End?". Bible Examiner. 
  109. ^ See the July 18, 1877 Advent Christian Times, pp. 89-90.
  110. ^ The dispute between Barbour and Russell began in August, 1878 and lasted several months. Russell, as co-editor of The Herald of the Morning defended his view against Barbour's in the September, 1878 issue.
  111. ^ Online copies of The Watch Tower from 1879–1916 can be viewed by issue at [5] or by article at [6] or in a PDF at [7]. These are taken from the 7 volume Watch Tower Reprints published by the Watch Tower Society in 1920 which reprinted all the issues from 1879–1919.
  112. ^ "Notice" (June 1879). Herald of the Morning: 99.  By 1880, Barbour had rejected the idea of an invisible presence in 1874, believing instead that Christ would return in the flesh: "And he [Jesus] will come back to the church, in like manner as they saw him go; and not in an invisible manner." "Our Mistake" (July 1880). Herald of the Morning: 2. 
  113. ^ July, 1882 Zion's Watch Tower, Reprints, p. 369. But see "God is Love" in the first issue of Zion's Watch Tower (July, 1879).
  114. ^ Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was formed on February 16, 1881, with W. H. Conley as president and C. T. Russell as secretary and treasurer. (1993) Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower, 576. 
  115. ^ Originally entitled Millennial Dawn. The titles of the six volumes are: 1) The Divine Plan of the Ages, 2)The Time is At Hand, 3)Thy Kingdom Come, 4)The Day of Vengeance (later retitled The Battle of Armageddon), 5)The At-one-ment Between God and Man, 6)The New Creation. Volumes available in scanned PDF format at: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
  116. ^ C.T. Russell (1902). The Time is At Hand. Watch Tower, 76-78.  The predictions for 1914 were revised in later editions.
  117. ^ The Watchtower, July 15, 1894, p. 1677
  118. ^ See article "Yet Seven Years More" in Zion's Watch Tower, January 1, 1908 (reprint), p. 4110.
  119. ^ Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower, 64–65. ;C.T. Russell's Last Will and Testament. from the December 1, 1916 Watch Tower. This editorial committee was requested to not write, or be connected with, any other publications.
  120. ^ New by-laws were passed at the time of Rutherford's election that strengthened the President's authority. M.J. Penton. Apocalypse Delayed, p. 51.  Rutherford, as chief legal counsel for the Watch Tower Society, had written the new by-laws. (See Harvest Siftings II, written by J.F. Rutherford.) Initially, the Board of Directors for the Watch Tower Society accepted this change, but four of the board members withdrew their support. Rutherford published his account of the dispute in Harvest Siftings. and Harvest Siftings II. The four directors replied to Rutherford's first booklet in Light After Darkness. The June 20, 1917 meeting of the full board of directors tabled, for one month, a proposal to return control of the Society to the board (see Rutherford's Harvest Siftings under subheading "Seeds Begin to Bring Forth"), but Rutherford prevented the board from meeting again.
  121. ^ The Finished Mystery. Watchtower. , published 1917, was called the seventh volume of Studies in the Scriptures. PDF version of The Finished Mystery
  122. ^ A.H. MacMillan. Faith on the March, 80. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. . The ousted directors disagreed: "...if the directors were not legally elected, neither were the Society's three officers: Rutherford, Pierson, and Van Amburgh. In order to have been chosen officers in January 1917, they would have had to have been legally elected directors. Yet, they had not been, and hence, by Rutherford's own logic, did not hold office legally."—Apocalypse Delayed, M. James Penton, p. 52
  123. ^ "Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of 'Christianity.'"— (1917) The Finished Mystery. Watchtower, 485.  (later editions read differently)
  124. ^ "And the mountains were not found. Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. And the mountains were not found. Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy." (1917) The Finished Mystery. Watchtower, 258. . (This date was changed in later editions.)
  125. ^ (1920) Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Watchtower, 88. . PDF version of book This book was distributed as part of a major lecture program worldwide. See News Clippings from the "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" Campaign (1919-1925)
  126. ^ (1924) The Way to Paradise. Watchtower, 220–235. 
  127. ^ The Finished Mystery pp. 247-253 468 and 474. See also The Fall of Babylon, published in 1917, which contains extracts from The Finished Mystery.
  128. ^ M.J. Penton. Apocalypse Delayed, 55–56.  (1993) Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower, 647-654.  Rutherford gives his defense against the charges in Souvenir Report of the Bible Student's Convention (1919). Watchtower, 62-63.  and in the tract The Case of the IBSA
  129. ^ "Distress of Nations: Cause, Warning, Remedy" (September 29 1920). The Golden Age: 712-718. 
  130. ^ (1993) Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower, 259–260. 
  131. ^ (1958) Your Will Be Done on Earth. Watchtower, 337. 
  132. ^ (1959) Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose. Watchtower, 313. 
  133. ^ M. James Penton. Apocalypse Delayed—The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses, 61.  Attendance at the annual Memorial (statistics were published each year in the Watch Tower) shows the growth in the period before 1925. 1919: 17,961, 1922: 32,661, 1923: 42,000, 1924: 62,696, 1925: 90,434. 1926 marked the first decrease: 89,278. There are no published statistics from 1929-1934. In 1935, Memorial attendance was 63,146. "Watchtower" (August 15, 1996): 31. 
  134. ^ See, for example, (1946) When Pastor Russell Died. Dawn Bible Students Association, 6-16. 
  135. ^ (1921) The Harp of God, 231–236.  affirms that “the Lord’s second presence dates from 1874.” "Watchtower" (March 1 1922): 71. Watchtower.  and (1930) Prophecy, 65–66.  reiterated this position. The eschatological changes during this period are documented in Thomas Daniels. Historical Idealism and Jehovah's Witnesses, 3–37. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.  These are the current teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses regarding 1914, 1918 and 1919. They no longer consider the dates 1799, 1874 and 1878 to have any eschatological significance
  136. ^ A People For His Name by Timothy White, pp. 186-188. The Watchtower, June 15, 1938, p. 185
  137. ^ Proclaimers, p. 214. June 15, 1938 Watchtower
  138. ^ See article on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved on 22 February, 2005.
  139. ^ .Hans Hesse (2001). Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime, 10. 
  140. ^ American Civil Liberties Union (1941). The Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1-24.  Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1978). Visions of Glory, 185, 281.  Jayne Persian (December 2005). The Banning of Jehovah's Witnesses in Australia in 1941.
  141. ^ *Writing Their Faith into the Law of the Land: Jehovah's Witnesses, the Supreme Court and the Battle for the Meaning of the Free Exercise Clause, 1939-1945
  142. ^ At a trial in Scotland, Fred Franz was asked: "Were you yourself responsible for the translation of the Old Testament?" He replied: "I cannot answer that question." Pursuer's Proof: Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, p. 92. Since 1942, Witness publications have been produced under a policy of anonymity. However, former Governing Body member Raymond Franz (nephew of Fred Franz) claims the translators of the New World Translation were Fred Franz, Nathan Knorr, Albert Schroeder and George Gangas. (2004) Crisis of Conscience, 4th, Commentary Press, 56. 0-914675-23-0. 
  143. ^ In 1988, this was replaced by the 2-volume set Insight on the Scriptures.
  144. ^ (1993) Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower, 106. 
  145. ^ The year 1975 was first mentioned in 1966. See "How Much Longer Will It Be?" (October 8 1966). 'Awake!': 17–20. 
  146. ^ See 1975: 'THE APPROPRIATE TIME FOR GOD TO ACT'. Page 14 of the October 8, 1968 Awake! demonstrates the disclaimer that was made at the time: "Does this mean that the above evidence positively points to 1975 as the complete end of this system of things? Since the Bible does not specifically state this, no man can say...If the 1970s should see intervention by Jehovah God to bring an end to a corrupt world drifting toward ultimate disintegration, that should surely not surprise us."
  147. ^ "Witnessing the End" (July 18 1969). Time. Retrieved on September 12, 2006. 
  148. ^ Raymond Franz. "1975—The Appropriate Time for God to Act", Crisis of Conscience, 237–253. Retrieved on July 27, 2006. This drop in membership has been variously analyzed. Richard Singelenberg (“The ‘1975'-prophecy and its impact among Dutch Jehovah’s Witnesses”) in Sociological Analysis 50(1)1989, pp 23–40 notes a 9 per cent drop in total publishers (door-to-door preachers) and a 38 per cent drop in pioneers (full-time preachers) in the Netherlands. Stark and Iannoccone have analyzed the impact on US Witnesses. "The Journal of Contemporary Religion" (1997): 142-143.  The January 30, 1982 Los Angeles Times ("Defectors Feel 'Witness' Wrath: Critics say Baptism Rise Gives False Picture of Growth" by John Dart, p. B4) cited statistics showing a net increase of publishers worldwide from 1971–1981 of 737,241, while baptisms totaled 1.71 million for the same period.
  149. ^ The Watchtower, 15 March, 1980, p.17 "With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting—in Freedom of the Sons of God, ... considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. ... there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated. ... persons having to do with the publication of the information ... contributed to the buildup of hopes centered on that date."
  150. ^ 1977 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, p. 258
  151. ^ Watchtower 6/1/97 p. 28 "God’s servants in modern times have tried to derive from what Jesus said about “generation” some clear time element calculated from 1914. For instance, one line of reasoning has been that a generation can be 70 or 80 years, made up of people old enough to grasp the significance of the first world war and other developments; thus we can calculate more or less how near the end is.…So the recent information in The Watchtower about “this generation” did not change our understanding of what occurred in 1914. But it did give us a clearer grasp of Jesus’ use of the term “generation,” helping us to see that his usage was no basis for calculating—counting from 1914—how close to the end we are."
  152. ^ "A Time To Keep Awake", The Watchtower (November 1, 1995), p. 19 par. 12, and p. 20 par. 15.
  153. ^ "Jesus was concerned that his followers too could become distracted by Satan's world, even to the point that they might 'return to the things behind.' (Luke 17:22, 31) And, indeed, this has happened to some Christians. For years such ones longed for the day when Jehovah will put an end to this wicked world. However, when Armageddon did not occur by the time they expected, they became disheartened. Their confidence in the nearness of Jehovah's day of judgment faded. They slowed down in the ministry and gradually became so involved in the mundane matters of life that little time was left for spiritual matters. (Luke 8:11, 13, 14) In time, they `returned to the things behind'--how sad!" "Watchtower" (December 15, 2006): 25-29. 
  154. ^ To be counted, an individual must be approved as a minister and report at least 15 minutes in the ministry. In 2007, these reports indicated a total of over 1.3 billion hours.
  155. ^ Yearbooks of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1996–2008.
  156. ^ Facts about truth and Jehovah's Witnesses
  157. ^ Statistics
  158. ^ If Witnesses counted members like other churches, the number of members (1995 data) would then be over 15 million. (See study by Rodney Stark on Jehovah's Witness growth at http://www.geocities.com/rogueactivex/JWGrow-O.pdf and article comparing Mormon and other churches growth, including the Witnesses, at http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2890645).
  159. ^ The Watchtower, February 1, 1999, p. 17
  160. ^ Zion’s Watch Tower, Extra Edition April 25, 1894 p. 56, Charles T. Russell, Henry Weber, Maria F. Russell, W. C. McMillan, J. B. Adamson, Simon O. Blunden, Rose Ball.
  161. ^ Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (1993). Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 233, 234. 
  162. ^ Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (2005). Membership and Publishing Statistics. Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses. Retrieved on 4 December, 2005.
  163. ^ PDFs of the Watchtower magazines from 1879-1949 are available online at [8]
  164. ^ (2004) Crisis of Conscience, 4th, Commentary Press, 56. 0-914675-23-0. Harrison. Visions of Glory, 231. 
  165. ^ 1)United States of America, (for United States of America, Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada), 2)Mexico (for Mexico and Central America Countries), 3)Brazil (for Brazil and South America Countries), 4)Germany (for Germany, West Europe Countries, North Europe Countries, South Europe Countries, East Europe Countries, Greenland, Iceland, Indonesia (for Arabic, Dutch, German, Russia, and Spanish) and former Soviet Union Countries), 5)Britain (for United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Middle East Countries), 6)South Africa (for South Africa and African Countries), 7)Japan (for Japan, East Asia Countries, West Asia Countries, South Asia Countries, and South East Asia Countries), and 8)Australia (for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia (for French), Pacific Countries, Pacific Islands, and Pacific Territory).
  166. ^ "Watchtower.org - Jehovah's Witnesses: Watchtower Society Official Web Site" Alexa.com Retrieved on 2008-01-03
  167. ^ Robert M. Bowman Jr, Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses, (Grand Rapids MI: Baker Book House, 1992); Samuel Hass: "While this work indicates a great deal of effort and thought, it is to be regretted that religious bias was allowed to colour many passages." (Journal of Biblical Literature, December 1955, p. 283).
  168. ^ e.g., Watters, Randall (2004) Thus Saith Jehovah's Witnesses, Common Sense Publications; Gruss, Edmond (2001) Jehovah's Witnesses: Their Claims, Doctrinal Changes, and Prophetic Speculation. What Does the Record Show?, Xulon Press; Reed, David A. (1990) Index of Watchtower Errors, 1879 to 1989, Baker Books
  169. ^ Watchtower, April 1, 1919; see also Watchtower, May 15, 1933, pp. 154–155; July 15, 1960, pp. 438–439; Our Kingdom Ministry, September 2002, p. 8
  170. ^ Franz, Raymond. "In Search of Christian Freedom" Chapter Nine. Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1991. ISBN 0-914675-16-8. p. 732.
  171. ^ The Watchtower November 1, 1961 p. 669 Questions From Readers
  172. ^ What Does The Bible Really Teach? 2005 P.128
  173. ^ Bowen, W. 2007 "Jehovah’s Witnesses Lose Court Battle to Suppress Freedom of Speech". ICSA E-Newsletter, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2007
  174. ^ Alter, S. 2007 "Jehovah's Witnesses: Disfellowshipping And Shunning" Cult Awareness and Information Centre [9]
  175. ^ Worship the Only True God chap. 5 p. 43 par. 4 Freedom Enjoyed by Worshipers of Jehovah
  176. ^ The Watchtower, A Free People but Accountable, June 1, 1992 p. 11 par. 7
  177. ^ The Watchtower September 1, 1991 "Jehovah and Christ - Foremost Communicators" p. 18 par.15

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Books

  • Jehovah's Witnesses Defended by Greg Stafford. The author considers himself one of Jehovah’s Witnesses but has renounced affiliation with the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. This book reviews and thoroughly explores the most common, and/or prevalent, criticisms made about Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. http://elihubooks.com/books/
  • Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement'\ by Andrew Holden. An academic study on the sociological aspects of Jehovah's Witnesses phenomenon. Publisher: Routledge; 1st edition 2002, ISBN 978-0415266109. 224 pages.
  • Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (1993) by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Official history of the development of the beliefs, practices, and organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses. 750 pages.
  • A People for His Name: A History of Jehovah's Witnesses and an Evaluation by Tony Wills, (2006) 2nd edition. (The first edition was published under the pseudonym Timothy White.) He explores the Witnesses' doctrinal growth and shifts and notes schisms from the main body. 300 pages. ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4 Selections from Google Books
  • What Does the Bible Really Teach? Published by Jehovah's Wittnesses
  • Controversies regarding Jehovah's Witnesses#Books Critical of Jehovah's Witnesses

[edit] External links

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