Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious group whose inception occurred in the late nineteenth century by the hand of the late Charles Tate Russell. In 1872 he began the International Bible Student's Association in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He then became pastor of his own independent church and published a magazine called "The Watchtower" which reflected his own religious beliefs in 1879.
Russell's beliefs were consistent with those of adventists who believed one could predict the time and manner of the endtimes using the Bible. [Note a seeming relationship between a young, not quite established religion and the five responses to outside force on any religion discussed in the first half of this class, i.e., apochalyptic thought.] Relating to an apochalyptic aspect of the adventists, his studies demonstrated to him that the coming of Christ had "invisibly" occurred in 1874, and the Second Coming would be in 1914. This was established by determining the difference in time between the writing of the Book of Daniel and a number of years mentioned in the same book of the Bible to place one temporally at 1914. (I noted a discrepancy on this point with the National Council of Churches publication, "Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches," published in 1995, which states that when Jesus did not come as expected in 1874, Russell went ahead and began the religion and the Second Coming of Christ was awaited. Further they believe the Second Coming did occur in the sense that Jesus became spiritually present and is reflected in the world today. The Holy Spirit is not a consideration with Jehovah's Witnesses. The end of Gentile times occurs at the time of the Second Coming, and in II Timothy it is spoken of as being marked by a lack of parental obedience and love of money, as just a few examples. The Jehovah's Witness belief is that our time was predicted in the Bible.
Their belief is in the complete and total inerrancy of the Bible and its literal translation. They believe that Jehovah is the correct name for God, the father of Jesus (originally the archangel Michael) and of Satan. Jesus for them is not part of a divine Trinity. Jesus was God's first creation and was present at the creation of the universe, according to Mary, a member of the Jehovah's Witness fellowship who allowed herself to be interviewed. Adherents to the faith are named Jehovah's Witnesses and their meeting places are called Kingdom Halls.
There is no ritual in the Kingdom Hall. There is study. There is no sabbath as you may know it. There are three meeting days a week. At the meetings Witnesses focus on Bible study and effective methods of conversion, according to "Contemporary Religions."
There is a profound antipathy for established religions, and Jehovah's Witnesses manipulate the beliefs of other churches to add membership to their own congregations as proselytization and missionary work are vital to the institution in members' neighborhoods as well as abroad. Each member is given an area to evangelize and is required to report their activity. Witnesses go to homes, invite discussion and leave their literature behind. Ultimately converts are the goal of the work and are at the heart of the organization. Apparently the work is effective.
According to the 1995 publication of the "Yearbook" mentioned earlier, there were eight million members at that time, with an annual increase of six to seven percent. There were thirty-seven thousand congregations. Jehovah Witnesses are present in two hundred nine countries around the world. The institution is known for being extremely authoritarian and is directed worldwide by a governing Body of Elders in New York. (Members may be disciplined by expulsion from what they call the "fellowship of believers."
The Witnesses disagree with blood transfusions, political activity (since the national government is in conflict with the rule of Christ since the Second Coming) and the celebration of Christian holidays. In fact, the only holiday celebrated by this group is the Passover supper celebrated in the Jewish tradition by a Seder. These original thoughts and actions are a result of the literal translation of the Bible, they say.
Baptism is with full immersion, the earliest age at which this should occur being seven to eight, since one is capable of reading at that point and knowledge is important in the baptismal equation. However, understanding is even more important and so the common age for baptism is in the early twenties' age group designation, and usually takes place after a considerable amount of time has been devoted to Bible study. When the newly baptized return from immersion he/she is believed to have a completely clean conscience and blank slate from which to begin. It sounds much like the experience of renewal.
Women may not teach from the podium, nor may they hold office. However, according to Mary, if a "brother's" prayers are not being answered, this is a result of his doing something wrong in his relationship with his "partner." The women are full partners, she says.
Mary personally sought religion for a considerable length of time. She tried and rejected Judaism, Presbyterianism and the Baptist religion. She says that she generally had been opposed to cults. Her brother joined the Jehovah's Witnesses and without his evangelizing she began Bible study and did so for ten years before being baptized as a Jehovah Witness. It has been seven years since that time. She loves her religion and her responsibility to it, which, from what I understand outside of family responsibilities, is evangelizing. Women are allowed to do that.
SDA's do not consider themselves to be members of any subgroup or denomination. They are Christians only.
The structure includes a Body of Elders in New York, as previously mentioned and a Circuit Overseer who oversees Presiding Overseers who check on everyone else. The congregation itself is responsible for non-spiritual and non-religious decisions, for instance, enlarging the bathrooms.
Harris, I., Mews, S., et al (Eds.). "Contemporary Religions: A World Guide."
"Jehovah Witnesses: Unitedly Doing God's Will Worldwide." New York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1986.
"Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches." New York: National Council of Churches, 1995.
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