One of The Many, Many Faces of CHRISTIANITY: (WHY So Many??) Jehovahs Witnesses Members 7.78 million Official website jw.org Statistics from 2013 Yearbook of Jehovahs Witnesses Jehovahs Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The organization reports worldwide membership of over 7.78 million adherents involved in evangelism,convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 19 million. They are directed by the Governing Body of Jehovahs Witnesses, a group of elders in Brooklyn, New York, that establishes all doctrines. Jehovahs Witnesses beliefs are based on their interpretations of the Bible and they prefer to use their own translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. They believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and that the establishment of Gods kingdom on earth is the only solution for all problems faced by humanity. The group emerged from the Bible Student movement—founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell with the formation of Zions Watch Tower Tract Society—with significant organizational and doctrinal changes under the leadership of Joseph Franklin Rutherford. The name Jehovahs witnesses, based on Isaiah 43:10–12, was adopted in 1931 to distinguish themselves from other Bible Student groups and symbolize a break with the legacy of Russells traditions. Jehovahs Witnesses are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and refusing military service and blood transfusions. They consider use of the name Jehovah vital for proper worship. They reject Trinitarianism, inherent immortality of the soul, and hellfire, which they consider to be unscriptural doctrines. They do not observe Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or other holidays and customs they consider to have pagan origins incompatible with Christianity. Adherents commonly refer to their body of beliefs as the truth and consider themselves to be in the truth. They consider secular society to be morally corrupt and under the influence of Satan, and most limit their social interaction with non-Witnesses. Congregational disciplinary actions include disfellowshipping, their term for formal expulsion and shunning. Baptized individuals who formally leave are considered disassociated and are also shunned. Disfellowshipped and disassociated individuals may eventually be reinstated if deemed repentant. The religions position regarding conscientious objection to military service and refusal to salute national flags has brought it into conflict with some governments. Consequently, some Jehovahs Witnesses have been persecuted and their activities are banned or restricted in some countries. Persistent legal challenges by Jehovahs Witnesses have influenced legislation related to civil rights in several countries.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 21:30:16 +0000
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