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Their religious activities are currently banned or restricted in some countries, including China , Vietnam and some Islamic states. Authors including William Whalen , Shawn Francis Peters and former Witnesses Barbara Grizzuti Harrison , Alan Rogerson and William Schnell have claimed the arrests and mob violence in the United States in the s and s were the consequence of what appeared to be a deliberate course of provocation of authorities and other religious groups by Jehovah's Witnesses. Whalen, Harrison and Schnell have suggested Rutherford invited and cultivated opposition for publicity purposes in a bid to attract dispossessed members of society, and to convince members that persecution from the outside world was evidence of the truth of their struggle to serve God.
Several cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses have been heard by Supreme Courts throughout the world. In the United States, legal challenges by Jehovah's Witnesses prompted a series of state and federal court rulings that reinforced judicial protections for civil liberties. Jehovah's Witnesses have received criticism from mainstream Christianity, members of the medical community, former members and commentators regarding their beliefs and practices. The movement has been accused of doctrinal inconsistency and reversals, failed predictions, mistranslation of the Bible, harsh treatment of former members and autocratic and coercive leadership.
Criticism has also focused on their rejection of blood transfusions , particularly in life-threatening medical situations, and failing to report cases of sexual abuse to the authorities. Many of the claims are denied by Jehovah's Witnesses and some have also been disputed by courts and religious scholars. Doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses are established by the Governing Body. Former members Heather and Gary Botting compare the cultural paradigms of the denomination to George Orwell 's Nineteen Eighty-four , [] and Alan Rogerson describes the group's leadership as totalitarian.
Jehovah's Witness publications state that consensus of faith aids unity, and deny that unity restricts individuality or imagination. Sociologist Rodney Stark states that Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and that members "are expected to conform to rather strict standards," but adds that "enforcement tends to be very informal, sustained by the close bonds of friendship within the group", and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it.
Various Bible scholars, including Bruce M. Metzger [] and MacLean Gilmour , [] have said that while scholarship is evident in New World Translation , its rendering of certain texts are inaccurate and biased in favor of Witness practices and doctrines. Gruss, [] and Christian writers such as Ray C. Most criticism of the New World Translation relates to its rendering of the New Testament, particularly regarding the introduction of the name Jehovah and in passages related to the Trinity doctrine. Watch Tower Society publications have claimed that God has used Jehovah's Witnesses and formerly, the International Bible Students to declare his will [] [] and has provided advance knowledge about Armageddon and the establishment of God's kingdom.
Chryssides stated, "while prediction may be part of a biblical prophet's role, the root meaning of prophecy is that of proclaiming God's word. The Watch Tower Society rejects accusations that it is a false prophet , [] stating that its interpretations are not inspired or infallible, [] [] [] and that it has not claimed its predictions were "the words of Jehovah.
Jehovah's Witnesses have been accused of having policies and culture that help to conceal cases of sexual abuse within the organization. Anderson says the policies "protect pedophiles rather than protect the children. The group's failure to report abuse allegations to authorities has also been criticized. In , the Charity Commission for England and Wales began an inquiry into Jehovah's Witnesses' handling of allegations of child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. History of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jesus in Christianity Virgin birth Crucifixion Resurrection. Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Kingdom Hall Gilead School. William Miller Henry Grew. Raymond Franz Olin Moyle. Supreme Court cases by country. Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses and salvation. Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses list of "serious sins". Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline. Jehovah's Witnesses and governments. Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions. Demographics of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sociological classifications of religious movements. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany.
Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses by country. Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses. New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Watch Tower Society unfulfilled predictions. Jehovah's Witnesses' handling of child sex abuse. Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ.
It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect. Have we formed a loyal attachment to the organization that Jehovah is using today? We too should remain faithful to Jehovah and to his organization regardless of injustices we suffer and regardless of what others do. Just as Noah and his God-fearing family were preserved in the ark, survival of individuals today depends on their faith and their loyal association with the earthly part of Jehovah's universal organization.
Worship The Only True God.
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Jehovah is guiding us today by means of his visible organization under Christ. Our attitude toward this arrangement demonstrates how we feel about the issue of sovereignty By being loyal to Jehovah's organization, we show that Jehovah is our God and that we are united in worship of him. In Crisis of Conscience , , pg. He also cites "Identifying the Right Kind of Messenger". The Watch Tower book noted: Some of it may lack the precision that its detractors appear to demand, but the Society's position is quite clear. Jehovah's Witnesses do not claim to have any new revelation or people who are designated as prophets.
As cessationists, they identify the ability to prophesy as a gift that died out with the first generation of Christians, but prophetic utterances remain in the Bible, which serves as the key source of authority. We are a hierarchical religion structured just like the Catholic Church". Dictionary of American History 3rd ed. The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses. Stark, Rodney ; Iannaccone, Laurence R. Journal of Contemporary Religion. Retrieved 27 December Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. World Almanac and Book of Facts.
The American Heritage Dictionary. Jehovah's Witnesses in Auschwitz". Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Doctrine has always emanated from the Society's elite in Brooklyn and has never emerged from discussion among, or suggestion from, rank-and-file Witnesses. The Columbia Encyclopedia 6th ed. Sociological Yearbook of Religion in Britain 5: Nevertheless, he persisted in moulding the Society to suit his own programme of activist evangelism under systematic central control, and he succeeded in creating the administrative structure of the present-day sect of Jehovah's Witnesses.
A Study of Jehovah's Witnesses. In , came an important milestone in the history of the organization. For many years Rutherford's followers had been called a variety of names: In order to distinguish clearly his followers from the other groups who had separated in Rutherford proposed that they adopt an entirely new name— Jehovah's witnesses. Beckford, The Trumpet of Prophecy , , page 30, "The new title symbolized a break with the legacy of Russell's traditions, the instigation of new outlooks and the promotion of fresh methods of administering evangelism.
Since the death of Charles T. Russell there have arisen numerous companies formed out of those who once walked with him, each of these companies claiming to teach the truth, and each calling themselves by some name, such as "Followers of Pastor Russell", "those who stand by the truth as expounded by Pastor Russell," "Associated Bible Students," and some by the names of their local leaders. All of this tends to confusion and hinders those of good will who are not better informed from obtaining a knowledge of the truth.
Rutherford, through the Watch Tower Society, succeeded in changing all aspects of the sect from to and created Jehovah's Witnesses—a charismatic offshoot of the Bible student community. In Search of Christian Freedom. A Brief Guide to Beliefs. Westminster John Knox Press. The Jehovah's Witnesses' interpretation of Christianity and their rejection of orthodoxy influenced them to produce their own translation of the Bible, The New World Translation. However, if you are not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, you may prefer to use other translations when considering Bible subjects. This article quotes from a number of widely accepted Bible translations.
Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses , pg. The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. Most Witnesses tend to think of society outside their own community as decadent and corrupt This in turn means to Jehovah's Witnesses that they must keep themselves apart from Satan's "doomed system of things.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their practice of 'disfellowshipping' wayward members. The committee should be careful to allow sufficient time, perhaps many months, a year, or even longer, for the disfellowshipped person to prove that his profession of repentance is genuine. University of Calgary Press, , pg 1— Counting the Days to Armageddon. When Do They End? The seven times will end in A. IV The Battle of Armageddon.
The Time is at Hand. The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is the first number of the first volume of "Zion's Watch Tower," and it may not be amiss to state the object of its publication.
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That we are living "in the last days"—"the day of the Lord"—"the end" of the Gospel age, and consequently, in the dawn of a "new" age. As congregations continued to form during Russell's ministry, they each remained self-administrative, functioning under the congregationalist style of church governance. Studies in the Scriptures. VI The New Creation. This is a business association merely Chryssides , Scarecrow Press, , page xxxiv, "Russell wanted to consolidate the movement he had started. In , Bible House, a four-story building in Allegheny, was completed, with printing facilities and meeting accommodation, and it became the organization's headquarters.
The next stage of institutionalization was legal incorporation. Russell was concerned that his supporters should feel part of a unified movement. In , a charter was granted recognizing the Society as a religious, non-profit corporation. Books, booklets, and tracts are distributed by the hundreds of millions. This is supplemented by well-publicized speaking tours and a masterful press relations effort, which gives him widespread access to general audiences. Established initially in the s by Charles Taze Russell under the title International Bible Students Association, this organization has proclaimed Pierson et al, Light After Darkness , , page 4.
One of Rutherford's first actions as president Responsibility for preparing this volume was given to two of Russell's close associates, George H. Fisher and Clayton J. On the face of it, their brief was to edit for publication the notes left by Russell But the fact is, he did write it.
This book may properly be said to be a posthumous publication of Pastor Russell. This book is chiefly a compilation of things which he wrote and which have been brought together in harmonious style by properly applying the symbols which he explained to the Church. Advertise the King and the Kingdom! Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. International Bible Students Association.
The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Expectations". International Journal for the Study of New Religions. Many of those who remembered wistfully the halcyon days of Mr Russell's leadership found that the new incumbent did not fulfill their expectations of a saintly leader. Various elements split off from the parent body, and such fission continued throughout Rutherford's leadership. What Does the Record Show? Christian Research Journal , Summer , pg Some local congregations broke away, forming such groups as the Chicago Bible Students, the Dawn Bible Students, and the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement, all of which continue to this day.
Schnell, Baker, Grand Rapids, , as cited by Rogerson, page Rogerson notes that it is not clear exactly how many Bible Students left, but quotes Rutherford Jehovah , , page as saying "only a few" who left other religions were then "in God's organization". Johnson April , pg Johnson stated that between late and early , "20, to 30, Truth people the world over have left the Society. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co. Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich.
University of Wisconsin Press. Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses. Does this mean that the above evidence positively points to as the complete end of this system of things? Since the Bible does not specifically state this, no man can say If the s should see intervention by Jehovah God to bring an end to a corrupt world drifting toward ultimate disintegration, that should surely not surprise us.
Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly, this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world's end. Crisis of Conscience PDF. Archived from the original PDF on Notes a nine percent drop in total publishers door-to-door preachers and a 38 per cent drop in pioneers full-time preachers in the Netherlands.
Journal of Contemporary Religion: Cited statistics showing a net increase of publishers worldwide from to of ,, while baptisms totaled 1. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated.
I can remember speaking to Mormon missionaries--not letting them know who I was and listening to them talk about this guy named "Matt Slick" and saying things about me that were not true. This has happened more than once. In the case of my website, I have been accused of lying and great efforts have been taken by Mormons to attempt to prove this.
To discredit the messenger. Again, the Mormons have a strong need to discredit the critics of Mormonism. Anderson, a religion professor at Brigham Young University, authored one article in particular that was written against the Hurlbut Affidavits. It can be found at: Many Mormons have used his article as a springboard from which to pose rebuttals against the Hurlbut Affidavits. Roger Anderson, not to be confused with Richard L. He has taken Richard L. Anderson's article and found many glaring weaknesses in it. I will use his comments as a springboard of my own to counter the general claims of those attempting to discredit Mr.
The section by Roger Anderson is more than 30 pages and cannot be reproduced here. Superior as it is to Nibley's analysis in method and scholarly apparatus, Anderson's article still falls short on several counts.
Its errors may be summarized under three main headings: In Anderson's analysis these errors recur regularly and sometimes flagrantly p. Anderson's first charge of substance is that Hurlbut either composed or heavily edited the depositions he collected. Anderson finds evidence of this contention in the similar structuring of the affidavits and the use of certain recurring words: What Anderson did not mention is that other statements about Joseph Smith dating from the early s, statements which Hurlbut did not collect and which are not dependent on him, display many of the same characteristics.
The Governing Body as a whole considers adjusted explanations. Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses. Many Mormons have used his article as a springboard from which to pose rebuttals against the Hurlbut Affidavits. Because they portray themselves as being Jehovah's sole mouthpiece to mankind, they have sought to present themselves as being above question. It is a great privilege to get baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Our History and Organization:
In the Pennsylvania statements made during the same period certain words recur: Here we have evidence that similar language used to describe Joseph Smith was used by another source not even connected with Hurlbut. It seems, then, that Mr. Anderson's charge isn't a very good one. It can clearly be seen that the affidavits were written by Hurlbut since the style is the same throughout. It may be noted also that although five out of the eight had heard Spaulding's story only once, there was a surprising uniformity in the details they remembered after twenty-two years. Six recalled the names Nephi, Lamanite, etc.
The very tightness with which Hurlbut here was implementing his theory rouses an immediate suspicion that he did a little judicious prompting. This comment has already been addressed above. But, it is worth noting that Mr. Roger Anderson states that the same questions given to different people who knew Joseph Smith can easily result in common answers. For example, "How long were you acquainted with the Smith family? What was the general reputation of the Smiths? Was it such as to entitle them to respectability among their neighbors, or were they addicted to indolence, intemperance, or lying?
There is nothing wrong with asking the same question to different people. It could easily explain the similarities in answers. This is something that neither Mrs. Brodie nor Richard L. Therefore, the negative opinions of Anderson and Brodie on this issue carry far less weight and amount to nothing more than what they are: What we do have along the lines of hard evidence are written affidavits sworn to and signed by people who claimed to know Joseph Smith.
The documents were attested to be true by the witnesses and signed off as being true affidavits. In fact, these affidavits were signed in front of Thomas P. Smith, Justice of the Peace of Wayne County; Jonathan Lapham, Justice of the peace; Charles Dimon, Justice of the Peace; and, some of the signers of the testimonies even had people who signed off as character references for them!
Mormonism Unveiled , p. The first states that the Smith family was "destitute of moral character" among other things. It is then signed by 51 people. The second of the accounts is much shorter and is signed by 11 people. I reproduce it here:.
We, the undersigned, being personally acquainted with the family of Joseph Smith, Sen. Parton Butts, Warden A. Smith, Joseph Fish, Horace N. Mormonism Unveiled, page Are we to say that all these people, 66 in total, who signed these documents, were lying or had been coerced or unduly influenced by Mr. Do the Mormons actually think that Mr.
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