Jehovah's Witnesses: Difference between revisions

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	== Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses ==		== Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses ==

	Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from the local governments, communities, or religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be ]. By other critics, they have been accused of being a "]". In addition, governments in the past have considered the religion as a subversive organization. See the article ].		Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from the local governments, communities, or religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be ]. By other critics, they have been accused of being a "]". In addition, governments in the past have considered the religion as a subversive organization. See the article ].

	Political and religious animosity against them has at times led to ] and ] oppression, including the ].		Political and religious animosity against them has at times led to ] and ] oppression, including the ].
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	For more details, see the article ].		For more details, see the article ].

	==Jehovah's Witnesses and ]==

	Since their formation in the 1880s, leaders of the organization have sought to identify dates for end-time events such as the enthronement of Jesus as King in Heaven, the return of Jesus Christ, the return of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and for the "end of this system of things," culminating in ].

	In the group's early period, during the late 1800s, Jehovah's Witnesses (then called Bible Students) believed that the return of Jesus Christ would be a visible, dramatic and world shattering event, a position also commonly held among many other Christian groups. They believed that the "time of the end" (also called the "last days") had started in 1799, and that the culmination of Armageddon would occur in 1914, and for nearly fifty years believed and taught that the date for Christ's enthronement as heavenly King had occurred in 1874. Many years later in 1930, the Witnesses' organization moved the dates forward, and believed the beginning of the biblical "last days" and the enthronement of Jesus Christ as King, had now occurred in 1914, not 1799 and 1874, and that his return in 1914 was invisible to all but those with "eyes of understanding." The Bible passage urging believers to watch for Jesus' return, which would come "in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven" (] 1:11, KJV) is understood by Jehovah's Witnesses to be visible only with the "eyes of understanding."

	Other dates proclaimed to be time of God's judgement on humankind and the culmination of Armageddon, were 1915, 1918, 1920 and 1925. The return of ] men including ], ], and ] was an event anticipated by many Jehovah's Witnesses in the year 1925 based on writings in their Journal, '']'', the book ''Millions Now Living Will Never Die'', and various other Watch Tower Society publications. When these events did not occur, there was a period of discouragement and some left the organization at that time, but the majority saw it only as a temporary disappointment. In 1929 the second president of the Watch Tower Society, ], also called "Judge Rutherford", built a luxury villa in California called ''Beth Sarim'' for the claimed purpose of housing the prophets and godly men of old, who were expected to be physically resurrected after Armageddon to help with Christ's Millennial reign over the earth, even though they had failed to materialize as predicted in 1925. A local paper published a humorous with Rutherford about the villa in March 1930. Rutherford used the villa himself for many years until his death in 1942, and in 1948 the luxury villa was sold.

	During the 1960s and early 1970s, many Witnesses, stimulated by and further encouraged by overzealous speakers at their assemblies prior to 1975, believed and hoped that Armageddon and Christ's thousand-year millennial reign would begin by 1975. While Witnesses were reminded by the Watch Tower Society in the ''Watchtower'' magazine of 15 August 1968, p. 501 that they had "not dedicated their lives to serve Jehovah only until 1975," many concluded to serve God with a date in mind. Although the view of Armageddon and Christ's millennium beginning in 1975 was never fully, or explicitly supported by the Watch Tower Society, many in the organisations' writing department, as well as several leading Witnesses, Elders, and presiding overseers in the organisation, heavily suggested that Christ's millennial reign over earth would begin by 1975. Because of considerable speculation created by members of Watchtower Society and Witnesses in general, in 1974 just prior to the failure of the 1975 date suggested as the beginning of Christ reign on earth and Armageddon, the ''Watchtower'' magazine 15 October 1974 p. 635 quoted a prepared assembly talk, "Why we have not been told the Day or Hour" of when God will bring the end (Armageddon). This attempt to draw the Witnesses away from the "day or hour" had little impact on members already convinced.

	While Witnesses have always been encouraged to increase the preaching work, and avoid secular life goals or careers that interfere with their spirituality, this emphasis was especially strong prior to 1975. Some Witnesses gave up jobs, , and some imprudently sold their houses in the hopeful expectation that God's Kingdom would literally be established on earth in 1975 after the biblical Armageddon, encouraged by the Watch Tower Society: "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." () Some irresponsibly ran up debt hoping not to have to pay it back, and some unwisely spent their life savings believing that the 1975 date was a certain and unchangeable fact due to the many encouraging . In spite of the Watch Tower Society’s previous admonition that Witnesses should let '''nothing'' cause them to tire and give out (''Watchtower,'' 15 August 1968, p. 501), there were many who left the organisation (or became inactive) due to the disappointment of ] not coming in 1975, although the majority remained. The large numbers leaving or inactive are seen as baptisms continued at over 100,000 per year (around 200,000 in 1976) but the organisation still continued to lose more members than it gained after 1975 for several years until 1979 when numbers started to recover and increase again.

	In 1980, The Watch Tower Society claimed responsibility of the 1975 incident, they stated: "With the appearance of the book Life Everlasting-in Freedom of the Sons of God, and its comments as to how appropriate it would be for the millennial reign of Christ to parallel the seventh millennium of man's existence, considerable expectation was aroused regarding the year 1975. There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated."—Watchtower magazine, 15 March 1980 p.17

	Jehovah's Witnesses have preached that these are the biblical "last days" leading to Armageddon since the year 1914. They taught for many decades that the "generation alive in 1914 would not pass away before Armageddon came and the new system under Christ's rule started." This literal interpretation of the term "generation" in ] 24:34 was abandoned by the group in 1994, eighty years after 1914. The Witnesses' viewpoint of the "]" differs significantly from that of other apocalyptic religions. While the Witnesses do believe that the present system of things is at its end, they do not believe that the earth itself will be destroyed or that all of humankind will be wiped out. Rather, they believe that only wicked mankind (including political, false religious organizations, and those who support them) will be destroyed. For further discussion of this, see "]" above.

Revision as of 17:43, 3 August 2005

Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian denomination numbering over six million in 234 lands. Headquartered in New York, USA, it is an international organization known for its preaching and publishing activities (in particular the publication of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines). In the late 19th century under the leadership of Charles Taze Russell, a movement arose whose members referred to themselves as "Bible Students" and were called "Russellites" by non-members. In 1931, after disputes over Russell's succession, those members who followed Joseph Franklin Rutherford adopted the name "Jehovah's Witnesses". For details about the similarities and differences between their beliefs and those of other Christian denominations, see Beliefs and doctrines below.

Origins

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that some time after the death of the last apostle, the Church generally departed in a "Great Apostasy" from the original faith in major points. They believe as stated in their literature: "It was the 1900-year-old 'faithful and discreet slave,' the old Christian congregation, that was entrusted with this precious Kingdom service. . . obedient in its centuries-old commission to be witnesses in the earth. . .the matured 'slave' as represented by a remnant now stood ready for new assignments of service." (Watchtower 15 July 1960 p.436) They believe this occurred in 1919. Jehovah's Witnesses feel that true understanding of the scriptures began to be reassembled when Charles Taze Russell and his associates started a Bible study group in the 1870's in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.

From the begining, the "Bible Students" as they were then known, focused their evangelizing work on proclaiming that the Millenial Reign of Christ would soon begin and destroy the present "system of things" (including religious organizations and governments). This is one reason they also were referred to as "Millenial Dawnists." To this day, based on their understanding of Bible chronology, that Armageddon is near and that these are the "Last Days" drive the sense of urgency in their preaching work.

Born a Presbyterian, Russell had gained an appreciation for the importance of Bible study from his earlier involvement with the Millerites and related groups. They formed the Watch Tower Society in 1881, and in 1884 it was incorporated with Russell as president. Over the years, many millions of copies of Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence were distributed in several languages to proclaim Christ's presence and the dawn of his Millennium. In addition, his six-volume work, Studies in the Scriptures, established the fundamental doctrines derived from their Bible study.

In 1914 they founded the International Bible Students Association in Great Britain. Russell died in 1916.

The period following Russell's death has seen some significant doctrinal changes in the organization. Some adherents of Russell's teachings chose to disassociate themselves from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (WTB&TS), believing that, after the death of Russell, the purpose of the WTB&TS completely changed. Some of these groups still survive today as the Bible Students.

In 1931, while Joseph Franklin Rutherford was president of the WTB&TS, those who maintained their association with the Society adopted the name "Jehovah's Witnesses." This is based on Isaiah 43:10 which reads, "'You are my witnesses,' is the utterance of Jehovah..." (New World Translation).

Under Rutherford, the Jehovah's Witnesses experienced rapid growth. Rutherford was known to be bold, some would say inflamatory, in his rhetoric. In his preaching, he coined the phrase "Religion is a snare and a racket" as he denounced heavily the Catholic Church, other Christian denominations, modern Judaism, and national governments. Under his leadership the Society developed a talented legal staff (which is utilized to this day), and battled successfully in the US and Canadian courts to establish their rights to preach their religion and be protected under the law.

Under the leadership of later Presidents, Jehovah's Witnesses have developed a more sophisticated organizational and leadership structure, as well as refining their doctrines over time.

Organizational Structure

Main article: Organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses

Leadership

Jehovah's Witnesses are led by a "Governing Body", whom they believe to be the spirit-annointed remaining ones of the 144,000, whom God has chosen to enter into a New Covenant. The Governing Body directs the operation of the 111 branches spread throughout the world . Each branch has appointed overseers who travel among the various local congregations, spending a week with each congregation and giving spiritual encouragement through talks and one-on-one time spent with congregation members in their public ministry. Within each local congregation, appointed elders organize the congregation's public ministry, and the content and schedule of their five weekly meetings, based on publications and precedents set by the governing body. They also recommend "spiritually mature" baptized male members of the congregation for the office of elder or ministerial servant, requiring the approval of higher levels of leadership. Elders deal primarily in religious instruction and spiritual counseling, whereas the ministerial servants assist elders in an administrative capacity, and perform other more technical aspects of the congregation's operations. Church offices are not distributed by votes among the grass roots membership, but follow the "theocratic" principle of top-down leadership. Elders are said to be worthy of "double honor," but are just as susceptible to judicial review if their actions come in to question as falling out of line with the established moral and ethical code of conduct expected of all members of the organization. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that their leadership council is obeying the orders of Jesus Christ and corresponds to the Council of Jerusalem.

Membership

As of August 2004, Jehovah's Witnesses have a practicing membership of more than 6.5 million individuals. According to data reported in the Annual Worldwide Statistics at the Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses: "While other religious groups count their membership by occasional or annual attendance, this figure reflects only those who are actively involved in the public Bible educational work."

This statistic is based on the service report completed by each active member, or publisher, every month indicating the amount of time they have personally spent in the ministry and other relevant information. (Publishers are both baptized and non-baptized persons who engage in the preaching work.) These reports are compiled and forwarded to the appropriate Branch Office. To be classed as an active member, and counted in the yearly collated figures, baptized members must serve at least one hour a month in the preaching work, or 15 minutes a month for elderly members, or those that are otherwise physically restricted.

In the United States, the Census Bureau estimates there to be 1.3 million people who self-identify as Jehovah's Witnesses (2001) see Table 79 here. The Jehovah's Witnesses claim that there are just over 1 million active members in the United States, which implies that about three-quarters of Jehovah's Witnesses are counted as active members. In 1990, the Census Bureau reported 1.8 million people who self-identified as Jehovah's Witnesses. The decline in membership in the United States is paralleled in other Western countries, such as Germany, but more than offset by rapid growth in Eastern Europe and the developing world.

Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate the Memorial of Christ's death (also known as the Lord's Supper) annually. Worldwide attendance at the 2004 celebration of the Memorial was 16,760,607. This is obviously in excess of the more than 6.5 million active members, but includes, inactive members, relatives, visitors, and interested persons. In the U.S., 2.3 million people were present, compared with 1.3 million estimated members (whether active or inactive). In addition, of the approximately 17 million in attendance, only 8,565 persons participated in eating and drinking the memorial emblems of the unleavened bread and wine. These are believed to be the "anointed ones," or "remnant" that are going to heaven out of a literal 144,000. See the 2004 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide which shows the "memorial partakers" at the bottom of the spreadsheet, which does not indicate the geographical distribution of this "remnant."

Beliefs and doctrines

See the related article Doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses for additional details.

Because of their common reliance on the Bible as the source of their theology, many beliefs and practices are similar to those of mainstream denominations who also identify themselves as Christian, yet there are areas where the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses differ significantly. Some of the distinctive beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses include:

The prominent use of the biblical name of God, commonly transliterated into English from the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah
Neutrality in secular politics and refusal to take part in elections or serve in the military
Preaching about God's Kingdom worldwide, most noticeably from "house to house" (Matt 28:19-20)
Not celebrating common religious or national holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas
Belief that Jesus Christ is a created being, the only-begotten Son of God, not the uncreated second person of a trinitarian God-head, (rejection of trinity doctrine)
Belief that the Holy Spirit is not the third person of God, or even a person at all, but Jehovah God's active force (further rejection of trinity doctrine)
Belief that the doctrine of the Trinity is a belief system derived from various ancient pagan sources, defined by notions borrowed heavily from Neoplatonism, and lightly from Stoicism
Belief that the number of Christians going to heaven is limited to exactly 144,000 where they will rule with Jesus as kings and priests over the earth. (Revelation 7:4; 14:1) This group is believed to be the recipient of the New Covenant and entitled to become joint-heirs with Christ.
Belief that a "Great Crowd" of faithful Christians is now living that will survive the coming battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and have the prospect of living forever on a paradise earth. They are not part of the "new covenant" and so do not partake of the emblems (bread and wine) at the annual celebration of the Memorial of Christ's death, also known as the Lord's Evening Meal and the Lord's Supper.
"Abstaining from blood", most notably characterized by the refusal of whole blood transfusions (Acts 15:20)

In a number of points, Jehovah's Witnesses differ from popularly held notions of what constitutes Christian faith, but the differences are not entirely incompatible with what theologians of other denominations would be willing to accept, but perhaps phrase differently, or the difference is simply a question of just which organization is carrying out God's will:

Belief that people "are" souls and don't "have" a soul. The soul is mortal and subject to death. (Gen 2:7; Ezek 18:4)
Belief that Hell is the common grave of mankind and not a fiery place of torment.
Belief that God has a visible organization that is directing His efforts, and that organization is Jehovah's Witnesses

Areas where Jehovah's Witnesses are similar to conservative or fundamentalist Christian denominations include:

Belief in the inerrancy of the Bible
Rejection of evolution
Belief that homosexuality and sex out of wedlock are sins
Belief that abortion is murder
Belief that the current time is the "Last Days"

Areas where Jehovah's Witnesses are similar to mainstream Christian denominations include:

Worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Belief that the Hebrew Scriptures tell the history of the people of Israel as the beneficiaries of God's covenant and recipients of His Law, and prophecy the coming of Christ
Belief that Jesus is the incarnate Word
Belief that Jesus died to atone for the sins of humankind
Belief that through the Gospels and the death of Christ, humanity has been freed from the Law to serve God and neighbor in love

Because of Jehovah's Witnesses' distinctive doctrines, especially concerning God, most Christian denominations, comprising most Christian believers, receive converts from Jehovah's Witnesses by baptism, an act which is usually viewed by these denominations as being performed when the new member has not been a Christian before converting. However, not all of these denominations have issued verbal statements claiming that Jehovah's Witnesses are non-Christians or outside the historical Christian faith, and individual members of these denominations may differ in their views.

Jehovah's Witnesses and the question of blood

Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept whole blood transfusions . This is based on their understanding of the Bible admonition to "keep abstaining from blood" (Acts 15:28, 29).

Although Jehovah's Witnesses do not take whole blood in any form including transfusions, they may according to the conscience of the particular individual accept certain blood fractions and derivatives. The Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, provides a detailed list of these specific distinctions.

The refusal of blood transfusions is a significant issue among medical professional and others concerning Jehovah's Witnesses, especially when it involves members' under-age children. In some countries, laws may impose limitations on physicians on the ability to withhold or withdraw blood transfusions or blood therapy from minors, particularly in life-threatening situations; parents who have prevented children under their care from receiving blood therapy in life-threatening situations may face prosecution. Courts have ordered transfusions in some children, often the very young; whereas in other cases they have respected the declared choice of an under-age minor who is able to defend his or her own beliefs to the court in a manner that reflects a mature understanding and without undue influence from the parents.

See also Practices of Jehovah's Witnesses: Medicine and Health for additional information on this subject.

Practices

See Practices of Jehovah's Witnesses for details.

Jehovah's Witnesses generally attend five meetings three times a week (totaling approximately five hours) in their local Kingdom Halls and in private homes. Larger gatherings (called assemblies or conventions) are held usually three times a year in facilities that are owned or maintained by the Watchtower Society or in ones that are rented, such as sports stadiums or auditoriums. Throughout the week, there are also meetings for "field service" (preaching work) where members meet either in homes or the Kingdom Hall to organize and pray prior to engaging in door-to-door or other forms of evangelism. On a daily basis, Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to meditate on spiritual things, often by aids such as "Examining the Scriptures Daily," which is a booklet with a scripture from the Bible, and commentary. Before meals, Jehovah's Witnesses commonly say a prayer, either silently when alone or aloud when at a gathering.

Aside from their worship practices, Jehovah's Witnesses are identifiable by what they abstain or refrain from doing. There is a general avoidance of practices that have nationalistic or "false religious" (from the Jehovah's Witness perspective) roots. These can be in such things as singing the national anthem at sporting events, to things as minor as not saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. They generally avoid celebrations of birthdays and holidays. Their only officially sanctioned celebration is the "Memorial of Christ's Death ." Adhering to these standards of behavior, Jehovah's Witnesses believe themselves to be faithful even in the seemingly small things, and also set apart from "the world."

Culturally speaking, Jehovah's Witnesses seek to maintain a "clean-cut" image out of a desire to be acceptable representatives of God. They therefore often refrain from language which might be considered offensive. Similarly, their sexual behavior reflects conservative Christian views, such as sexual abstinence before marriage, and condemnation of homosexuality. "Modesty" is heavily encouraged in daily dress, especially at spiritual events, where standards of dress are more formal (suit, tie, and slacks for men, skirts below the knee for women). In addition, entertainment with sexual subject matter is strongly discouraged. Further, though they are nonconformists in some ways, they seek to not appear to be "counter-cultural." Therefore, things like beards, long hair for men, or any dress or grooming for both men and women that appears "rebellious" or "immodest" is seriously discouraged, even outside of spiritual activities. To violate these standards would risk providing a "bad witness," and they fear that it could result in discouraging non-Jehovah's Witnesses from wanting to learn more about God.

Jehovah's Witnesses and governments

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and governments.

Jehovah's Witnesses require that all members be law-abiding citizens, and makes special emphasis on paying taxes. This is their interpretation of Romans 13:7:

Render to all their dues, to him who calls for the tax, the tax; to him who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to him who calls for fear, such fear; to him who calls for honor, such honor.

At the same time, however, they hold a stance of "neutrality" (or political noninvolvement). Examples of this neutrality in practice include:

refusal to salute the flag, or sing nationalistic songs
refusal to serve in the military (including defense, or non-combatant roles)
refusal to participate in political processes (including democratic ones), though voting is allowed under certain circumstances
refusal to hold political office

One area that Jehovah's Witnesses have influenced public policy is in the area of freedom of religion. The Watchtower Society from the days of Joseph Franklin Rutherford has utilized the court systems of various countries to defend religious freedoms. In addition, they've occassionally organized letter writing campaigns to protest persecutions, such as those that happened in Africa during the 1970s.

According to the book Judging Jehovah's Witnesses, Jehovah's Witnesses have helped to widen the definition of civil liberties in most western societies, hence broadening the rights of millions of people, due to their firm stand and determination. According to the preface to the book State and Salvation: One of the results of the Witnesses' legal battles was the long process of discussion and debate that led to the Charter of Rights, which is now part of the fundamental law of Canada. Thus Jehovah's Witnesses claim to have contributed more in the area of civil rights than any other religion.

Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses

Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from the local governments, communities, or religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be Heresy. By other critics, they have been accused of being a "cult". In addition, governments in the past have considered the religion as a subversive organization. See the article Opposition to Jehovah's Witnesses.

Political and religious animosity against them has at times led to mob action and government oppression, including the targeting of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Holocaust.

On the milder side, there have been opposition by locals to the building of facilities (such as Kingdom Halls), and the holding of large conventions. In those circumstances, at times the reason is opposition to the religion, but at other times, they are more mundane, such as concerns about traffic congestion and noise.

For more details, see the article Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.

External links

Official websites of Jehovah's Witnesses

Official Web Site of Jehovah's Witnesses
Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses - Who Are They? What Do They Believe? Brochure on the official web site
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures - Online Bible on the official web site
God's Name--Its Meaning and Pronunciation - Brochure on the official web site

Additional positive websites

Jehovah's Witnesses United - The site was created so that scholarly information supporting the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society's teachings and the New World Translation could be collected in one location on the web.
In Defense of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures:Index of Pages - This web site has the intention of defending the Bible translation known as The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.
CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions - CESNUR is an international network of associations of scholars working in the field of new religious movements. Its director is the Italian scholar Massimo Introvigne.
West Virginia Board of Education Vs. Barnette et al. - Documentation of 1943 Supreme Court ruling regarding Jehovah's Witnesses' rights in not saluting the flag
ReligionFacts.com - About Jehovah's Witnesses, including comparision chart with mainstream Protestant Christianity.
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance - About Jehovah's Witnesses.
Beliefnet:Jehovah's Witnesses
Faith on the March A history of the origins of the group written by A.H. Macmillan in 1957.
Thank Jehovah's Witnesses for Speech Freedoms short article outlining legal battles of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States, resulting in greater freedoms for Americans as a whole (dated 30 March 2000)
Interactive Map of the Worldwide Work Map showing JW numbers worldwide.

Resources Critical of the Group

Quotes.Watchtower.ca A research and information web site devoted to collecting and preserving interesting and/or significant quotes from the publications of the Watch Tower Society, without explicit commentary or editorial. Many original Watch Tower Society source documents and references.
Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood A large site that that promotes changes to the Watch Tower Society's blood doctrine. Many original Watch Tower Society source documents and references.
Free minds - Detailed discussions about Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrines, history, and claims from a critical perspective.
Jehovah's-Witness.com A very large archived message board community discussing Jehovah's Witnesses and their Watch Tower organisation.
Silent lambs - For those Jehovah's Witnesses who claim they were victims of sexual molestation within their religious organisation. Criticism of the Watch Tower organisation, and its controversial policies of how it deals with child molestation within the church organisation.
The Watch Tower's United Nations Controversy - Discusses the relationship of the Watch Tower Society with the United Nations, believed by JWs to be the "Image of the wild beast" of Revelation"
Watchtower News A site that lists the most current news items involving Jehovah's Witnesses or the Watch Tower organisation
Watchtower Observer - archived information board
JW Files-Research on Jehovah's Witnesses A large researched site headed by subject grouping, with many original scans from the Watch Tower Society's literature, and discussing many important doctrinal and ethical issues from a critical perspective.
The counter-cult Rick A. Ross Institute

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