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| They are known for their close-knit social community. They are also known for door-to-door proselytizing. | They are known for their close-knit social community. They are also known for door-to-door proselytizing. | ||
| They use a translation of the Bible that they comissioned in the early twentieth century, known as the ]. | They use a translation of the Bible that they comissioned in the early twentieth century, known as the ]. That translation is | ||
| one of the sources of conflict with the rest of the Christian denominations. | |||
| The Jehovah's Witnesses have frequently been involved in legal controversy. They have refused to ] flags, to pledge allegiance to states, to serve in ] organizations, to have ]s, and most controversially in recent years, to receive ]s. All of these acts are disallowed by their faith. The issue of ], and all other medical issues not covered by their beliefs, are left for individual members to decide for themselves. However, refusing needed medical treatment is frowned upon where the treatment doesn't involve partaking of blood. | The Jehovah's Witnesses have frequently been involved in legal controversy. They have refused to ] flags, to pledge allegiance to states, to serve in ] organizations, to have ]s, and most controversially in recent years, to receive ]s. All of these acts are disallowed by their faith. The issue of ], and all other medical issues not covered by their beliefs, are left for individual members to decide for themselves. However, refusing needed medical treatment is frowned upon where the treatment doesn't involve partaking of blood. | ||
Revision as of 14:08, 9 August 2002
Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell. They adopted their current name in 1931. Their world headquarters is located in Brooklyn, New York. They use the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. as their legal representative.
They call their gathering places "Kingdom Halls" instead of churches. Their most distinctive beliefs are a historical premillenialism (see Eschatology), connected with an interpretation of the year 1914 marking the return of Christ as a King in heaven. They derive all their doctrines from two key axioms: the first is that a Creator exists and is characterized by love, justice, wisdom, and power. The second axiom is that the Bible is a communication, the only communication, from the Creator to all humans.
They are known for their close-knit social community. They are also known for door-to-door proselytizing.
They use a translation of the Bible that they comissioned in the early twentieth century, known as the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. That translation is one of the sources of conflict with the rest of the Christian denominations.
The Jehovah's Witnesses have frequently been involved in legal controversy. They have refused to salute flags, to pledge allegiance to states, to serve in military organizations, to have abortions, and most controversially in recent years, to receive blood transfusions. All of these acts are disallowed by their faith. The issue of vaccination, and all other medical issues not covered by their beliefs, are left for individual members to decide for themselves. However, refusing needed medical treatment is frowned upon where the treatment doesn't involve partaking of blood.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
As of the year 2000, Jehovah's Witnesses claimed a world-wide membership of more than six million active individuals.
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