What it Means to be a Jehovah's Witness!

If you’re tired of the endless activities this Christmas Season, you may just want to go to the home of a Jehovah’s Witness for a respite.


There’s no Christmas activity going on.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not to celebrate Christmas.
This practice is one of the things most people know about Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as the religion’s Watchtower magazine that’s distributed pervasively throughout the United States and the world.

But being a Jehovah's Witness offers much substance to their followers and to the world.

The religion has been acknowledged for its contributions to medical practice in bloodless surgery, its assistance in the development of constitutional law concerning civil liberties and conscientious objection to military service, and its international publishing and missionary activity.
Perhaps the best known Jehovah’s Witnesses are pop singers Michael Jackson and Prince, who converted from Seventh-Day Adventist.



The Early Beginnings
Jehovah's Witness is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination. The religion emerged from the Bible Student Movement, founded in the late 19th century by Charles Taze Russell.

In July 1879, Charles Taze Russell, who had earlier studied the Bible with the Millerist Adventist group and jointly edited a religious journal, Herald of the Morning, began leading a Bible study group and publishing a magazine, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, highlighting Biblical time prophecies and Russell's belief that the world was in "'the last days' 'the day of the Lord' — 'the end' of the Gospel age, and consequently, in the dawn of the 'new' age".

In 1881 Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to disseminate tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles and three years later, on December 15, 1884, Russell became the president of the society when it was legally incorporated in Pennsylvania.Watch Tower magazine was born.



Today, there are about seven million people, who are members, subscribing to Jehovah’s Witnesses teachings throughout the world. The United States, Mexico and Brazil have the largest following.



The Name
The name Jehovah’s Witness is a descriptive name the church uses to indicate that they “bear witness concerning Jehovah, his Godship, and his purposes." It was felt that "God," "Lord," "Creator," "President," "King," and "General,"were mere titles that could be applied to several different personalities.


Meetings
The meeting places of Jehovah’s Witnesses are called Kingdom Halls. These are usually modest, functional structures with practicality in mind and since Witnesses do not use symbols, Kingdom Halls are bereft of any symbols.



In architecture and construction, Kingdom Halls are intended for educational purposes. However, congregations typically meet in their Kingdom Halls three days each week. Meetings usually open and close with song and prayer.

Gatherings include Bible readings, public talks on matters such as the Bible, family life, Christian qualities and prophecy, as well as discussion of specially-prepared study articles in Watchtower magazine and other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Witnesses also meet in Kingdom Halls for preparation and prayer before engaging in their door-to-door ministry.

Beliefs
Witnesses believe that there is a difference between "Christianity" and "Christendom," which they define as the part of the world where Christianity prevails, largely, the Western world. Witnesses belief that by not adhering to the ways of the world and living fully from the bible, they are practicing “true Christianity.”

Jehovah's Witnesses believe God is the creator and supreme being. He is the father, and therefore separate from the son, an invisible spirit 'person'. They say he is "infinite, but approachable". He is not omnipresent, but has a location in heaven. It is possible to have a personal relationship with him as a friend.

Witnesses believe in a kind and merciful God who would not 'torture' anyone, even those who commit wicked acts. For members, ussing God's name is vital for true worship. The Holy Spirit is God's active force, not the third person of the Trinity.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that death is a state of non-existence with no consciousness. They do not believe in any Hell of fiery torment. They consider the soul and body to be the living being that expires. Their hope for life after death involves being resurrected by God.

About Jesus, the Jehovah Witnesses believe:


*He is God's only begotten son.

*He began his life in heaven.

*He was God's first creation and the 'exact representation of God'. He is the perfect image of God. Yet he is a separate entity and much less powerful than God.

*He was used by God in the creation of all other things.

*He was known as the Archangel Michael, and also "the Word," in his pre-human existence.

*His birth on earth was accomplished when he willingly allowed himself to be transferred, by God, from heaven to the womb of the Virgin Mary.

*While on earth, hes was executed as a sacrifice to atone for mankind's sins.

*He ultimately becomes 'eternal father' to the human family.

*He remains subordinate to God even in all his heavenly glory.

*He did not die on the cross (this is viewed as a later pagan addition). Instead, he was executed on a single-beamed torture stake.

*He appeared to his disciples after his death and convinced them of his resurrection.

* He then ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of Jehovah until he would become the promised king of God's heavenly kingdom.

* Mary was not perpetually virgin, but rather bore more children after Jesus.

Family Life
Husbands are considered the final authority of family decisions. He is the head of his family, this includes religious instruction and taking the lead in preaching activities.

Each man must only have one wife. Wives should be submissive to their husbands and husbands are to have deep respect and love for their wives and should treat their wives as Jesus treated his followers.

He should not hurt or mistreat his family in any way. The father should be hard-working in providing necessities to his family.


Parental discipline for children should not be in a harsh, cruel way. Children are instructed to obey their parents.
Married couples are encouraged to speak with local elders if they are having problems. Married couples can separate in the case of physical abuse and neglect, or if one partner attempts to hinder the other from being a Jehovah's Witness. Divorce (with the ability to remarry) is permissible only on the grounds of adultery, based on their understanding of Jesus' words, Matthew 5:32: "But I say to you that whoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever shall marry her who is put away commits adultery," and Matthew 19:9: "I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery."

Practices
Witnesses celebrate weddings and anniversaries. They also use rings as symbols of marriage in in wedding ceremonies. However, birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are not celebrated, because they believe that these continue to involve "false religious beliefs or activities."






Celebrating Mother's Day was revived in 1908 but is no longer celebrated because of a claimed link with pagan gods. May Day, New Year's Day & Valentine's Day celebrations for the same reason.

Their opposition to birthdays is said to be based on how the Bible presents them. Watchtower Society publications note that the only birthday celebrations explicitly mentioned in the Bible are Herod's and Pharaoh's. Both were associated with executions, and neither celebrant was a servant of God.

Witnesses observe wedding anniversaries because they are not considered to have pagan origins.


Other Practices
Jehovah's Witnesses do not run for any political office, but they do not seek to prevent or discourage others from doing so.
The Watchtower Society has stated that voting in political elections is a personal conscience decision. In countries in which voting is compulsory, Witnesses may enter a polling booth and what they do within it is "between him and his Creator."

The Watchtower has given five reasons for not voting in political elections. 1. Being “no part of the world,” they are neutral in the political affairs of the world. 2. The apostle Paul referred to himself as an “ambassador” representing Christ. Ambassadors are expected to be neutral and not to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries to which they are sent. 3. Those who have a part in voting a person into office may become responsible for what he does. 4. When religions become involved in politics, the result is often division among their members. 5. They must speak to people of all political persuasions with the important message of the Kingdom.

One reason why many of you who encounter Jehovah’s Witnesses may feel you’re in the presence of a “minister” is that with the Jehovah's Witnesses, there is no formal clergy-laity division.

All baptized members are considered to be ordained ministers and share in proselytizing efforts.





Chances are, though, that if you wanted to stop by the home of a Jehovah’s Witness, you’d have to be very special to that person.

Most Witnesses do not keep close associations with those who are outside the religion, or other religions, simply because they believe there can only be ONE TRUTH.

Now that sounds logical to me!

Namaste’,

Che’
NOTE: In January 2009, we'll take a look at Scientology!