What images come to mind when you think of Jehovah's Witness?
The Jehovah’s Witness religion was founded by Charles Taze Russell on July 1, 1879 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jehovah’s Witness base their beliefs on their translation of the Bible, called The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. They reject the Cross and other religious images as pagan symbols, as well as other non-Jehovah’s Witness holidays for that very same reason. When you become a member, you are baptized and required to go to the Kingdom Hall for worship once a week. There is a strong focus on door-to-door evangelism, and getting everyone to hear the “Truth”. The main objective of the religion is to draw people closer to the kingdom of heaven, which they believe is a real government that will take over all the ones on earth. They believe the world will end “soon”, as they have had to change this date with earlier predictions of it ending in 1914 and 1925. After this, the Jehovah’s Witness will not die, but 144,000 of them will take on heavenly bodies and live in “Paradise on Earth”. All others will be destroyed to no longer exist, as they do not believe in Hell.
Jehovah's Witness seem to make a huge emphasis on Armageddon, using such end-of-the-world imagery to instill fear as a tactic to keep members devout
Currently, there are about six million members of the Jehovah's Witness faith. That is way past 144,000; why are they trying to gain more members? What's the point of being Jehovah's Witness if you may live by the rules religiously only to be destroyed with all the other non-Jehovah's Witnesses? Maybe it's time they increase their numbers or come up with something more vague like they did for the time frame predicting the end of the world.
There have been criticisms of Jehovah's Witness with regards to brainwashing and cult-like behavior. Baptized members who break the rules or dispute what is taught may suffer consequences such as being shunned from friends and family members of the congregation; they call it disfellowshipping. Jehovah's Witness also object to such things as military service, blood transfusions, abortion, divorce, and premarital sex. Jehovah's Witness has caused problems with some governments, especially those that require its men to join the military. Some activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned or restricted in some countries.
Fear and paranoia seem prevalent with Jehovah's Witness teachings. Is it really different from many other religions in that aspect?
Really, only time will tell how many blood-borne viruses are lurking in the blood supply.
Watchtower: Blood Transfusions- How Safe? http://www.watchtower.org/e/hb/article_02.htm
Sources:http://www.jwfacts.com/. Facts About Jehovah’s Witness. Paul Grundy 2005 – 2010
http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/salvation-only-for-jehovahs-witnesses.php. Facts About Jehovah’s Witness. Paul Grundy 2005 – 2010
http://www.watchtower.org/e/hb/article_02.htm. Jehovah’s Witness Official Website. 1990.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/jw/jw30.html. Jehovah's Witnesses: A growing phenomenon
Times of Zambia, September 21, 1999
