The following overview of Jehovah’s Witnesses was written by Religion Transcends writer Jackie Walker for the Winter 2007 issue of Relate magazine. Relate’s mission is to inspire teen girls to pursue their dreams with confidence and to teach them to be an example for others in their speech, life, love, faith and purity. Religion overviews may have Christian overtones to make the content relatable for the Christian teen audience.

You’ve probably seen them around your neighborhood. They may have knocked on your door, offering to tell you the Good News before moving on to the next house. You may have even received information explaining their beliefs. So just who are these door-to-door evangelists that call themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses? What do they really believe? And why are they so urgently calling out to neighborhoods across the country?

Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses?

In 1870, Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) organized a Bible study in Pennsylvania. He began collecting his beliefs and teachings into a magazine now called The Watch Tower. Russell’s teachings were often focused on the return of Christ, as predicted in the New Testament book of Revelation, which he believed would happen in the near future. Quickly, he gained a following and organized his followers under an organization called the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (“God’s visible organization in the world”). Today, we know this group of students as Jehovah’s Witnesses, a name drawing on the personal name of God (sometimes translated as Yahweh, as in Roman Catholicism). Jehovah’s Witnesses now span 230 countries and territories, and boast over 6 million followers.

Jehovah’s Witnesses meet every Sunday in a local Kingdom Hall (their version of a church) to study a biblical theme using their copies of The Watch Tower. Then, they meet weekly in each other’s homes for Bible studies, always using The Watch Tower to find out what the Bible says. In addition, Witnesses meet mid-week in Kingdom Hall to train for evangelizing, or witnessing, to local unbelievers. Afterward, Witnesses go door-to-door, explaining their beliefs and attempting to gain converts. If they find that someone is interested, they may then hold a Bible study in the potential convert’s home to better explain their beliefs in person.

What do they believe?

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity – in other words, they do not believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God. Instead, they believe that the Holy Spirit is a force that God uses to make people do His will. In addition, they believe Jesus was simply a created angel, neither divine nor equal to God. He is thought to have died on a stake (instead of the traditional cross with nails) so that man’s sins could be forgiven. Witnesses do not believe Christ was resurrected after his death. Rather, they believe he was raised in 1914 (the year they believe the world’s greatest troubles began) and that he is invisible. So, for Witnesses, Christ is already here but will not appear visibly until the end of the world.

At the time of the present world’s end, Witnesses believe Christ will destroy Satan and purify the Earth, creating Paradise right here where we already live.  They believe only 144,000 people (the “flock” predicted in Revelation) will enter heaven and live forever. All other believers will live in Paradise on Earth; nonbelievers will perish.

Because they believe the end of the world to be right around the corner, Witnesses feel it is critical that they convert as many believers as possible so that those people may, too, live in Paradise.

Will they celebrate Christmas this winter?

The short answer is no. Witnesses do attend a memorial of Jesus’s death each year, right around the time of the Jewish/Christian Passover in the spring. However, they do not celebrate birthdays or any other holidays, including Christmas and Easter. They believe man created birthdays and holidays and that they give glory to the world and not to God. Sometimes, these celebrations are thought to be under the control of Satan himself.

What do they think of governments and war?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are politically neutral. Their government is God’s Kingdom, so they don’t believe in allegiance to worldly governments. They do not vote, salute the flag, participate in public service, or run for office. It is absolutely forbidden to serve in the armed forces, as they are only to serve in God’s army. Anyone who performs any of these actions and is found guilty can be excommunicated, or removed from the community of believers. Family and friends may also shun that person until they seek to be forgiven and allowed back into the community of believers.

Instead of focusing on worldly actions, Witnesses focus most of their energy on converting nonbelievers and members of other religions. So don’t be surprised if you find them knocking on your door in the future. They are seeking to tell you the Good News as they know it, in the hopes of taking you with them to Paradise.

To learn more about Witnesses and how you might respond at the door, check out Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses by Jason Evert.

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends.

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