Jehovah's Witnesses: Who Are They and What Do They Believe?

The Jehovah's Witnesses are a unique religious Christian denomination. They consist of millions of people throughout over 230 different lands throughout the world (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 2006). The Jehovah's Witnesses world headquarters are in Brooklyn, New York. Their name comes from what they believe to be the name of God, or Jehovah. Their purpose is to spread the word of God and Jesus Christ, or witness, to others. Kingdom Halls are where they worship, learn, and teach. Many people recognize them when they go door to door in hopes of teaching others about their religion and the Bible.

First, Kingdom Halls are the center of the Jehovah's Witnesses activity. They are built quickly in as little as four days, all by volunteer work. Locally, there is a Kingdom Hall in Jersey Shore located on 325 Thomas Street. It is a simple brick building on the outside. Inside, it is subtly decorated in green and mauve. The carpeting is green with a mauve design in it. There are rows of comfortable mauve chairs facing a stage that holds a podium. There are no religious pictures, statues, or symbols in the room. It is very simple yet tasteful. The Jehovah's Witnesses want their Kingdom Halls to be centers for learning and education. They want the focus to be on the teachings of God, not their surroundings.

This author conducted an interview with an Elder of the religion, Larry Andrews, and his wife, Brenda Andrews. According to Larry Andrews, "There's no organization like this on the face of the earth...there's no brotherhood like this anywhere" (personal communication, May 28, 2009). He and his wife are very proud of their religious organization. They are very eager to educate anyone that is interested in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Larry also explained that every congregation is the same, from the teachings to the very way that it is taught. They all teach from the same material. There are no variations, so when a person is traveling and enters a different Kingdom Hall than they are used to, they will not find any differences in the teachings. All Kingdom Halls are kept on the same schedule of teachings as well. For example, what a Kingdom Hall in North Carolina is teaching on a particular Sunday, that same message is being taught on that same Sunday in New York as well. Brenda Andrews appreciates the consistency in the Jehovah's Witness religion, in fact, it is what helped her to choose to become a Jehovah's Witness. Brenda said, "...I could see inconsistencies

Likewise, one might wonder what the Jehovah's Witnesses teach. Larry Andrews explained, "The foundation for our beliefs is the Bible...we adhere to the Bible more than any other [religion]" (personal communication, May 28, 2009). They take the Bible quite literally and use different versions of the Bible, including the King James Version, American Standard Version, and mostly the New World Translation. Mostly every question this author asked Larry and Brenda Andrews was answered with or by scripture from the Bibles that they had brought with them. They also used supplemental tracts to explain some things. "The standards in the Bible, we don't feel are antiquated. We feel they apply today," explained Larry (personal communication, May 28, 2009). He went on to explain that though the world's standards may change, like how homosexuality is now widely accepted in the United States, their standards do not deviate from the Bible. Brenda Andrews added, "It's the practice that we condemn, not the person" (personal communication, May 28, 2009). In fact, a person can be excommunicated from the Jehovah's Witnesses if they choose to sin. They are always welcomed back if they are sorry for what they have done. The elders and other members of the church work with them to repent and focus on passages of the Bible that condemn their actions. Then, with approval from the elders of the church, they are allowed to join the Jehovah's Witnesses again. There are many prison inmates that are Jehovah's Witnesses and teach others while in jail. Jehovah's Witnesses also claim that a homosexual does not have to remain a homosexual for life. They can turn their backs on the practice and live a new life.

By the same token, a few other things Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in are abortion, current "right to die" laws in some states, saluting the flag (this is seen as worship of an image), or even receiving or giving blood for medical purposes. This is because the Bible specifically states that no blood should be received in any way. The misuse of blood is one in a list of things that Jehovah hates, according to What Does the Bible Really Teach? (2006). Jehovah's Witnesses do not take part of political scenes and will not participate in any war or military action. They are to remain neutral in these instances and let the government handle these things. Because of this, they do not vote and are not registered voters. They will stand when the Pledge of Allegiance is spoken to respect our country, but they will not say an oath to the flag.

Interestingly, the Jehovah's Witnesses are unlike many of other Christian denominations. While they believe in the Bible's teachings, they do not believe what many other mainstream Christians believe. When asked what similarities Jehovah's Witnesses had with mainstream Christianity, Larry Andrews simply replied, "Very few" (personal communication, May 28, 2009). The similarities are the belief in God and that His Son is Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus died for everyone's sins and will return someday. They believe in the teachings of the Bible. However, this is where the similarities end. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the greatest punishment that Jesus and God will permit for sinning is death (Would You Like to Know the Truth?, 2008). There is no fiery hell, as many other Christians believe. Also, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is a Heaven, but only a small number, around 144,000, will go to Heaven when Jesus returns. Jesus will return, resurrect the dead, and only those who will not repent will become alive again and live on a perfect earth with perfect bodies. The government of the earth will be ruled by Jesus and Heaven. The others will be destroyed in a Lake of Fire, not a hell where they will be tortured and punished for all eternity. They will simply cease to exist (Would You Like to Know the Truth?, 2008). Brenda Andrews explained that their God is a merciful God, not a malicious God, and this type of God would not allow such brutality for an eternity spent in hell for unforgivable sins. God forgives all sins, one just has to repent and change their way of living to avoid sinning again.

There are many misconceptions about Jehovah's Witnesses. Some believe the religious group to be a cult, not a Christian denomination. Others believe that they do not believe in Jesus, however, they accept Jesus as the Son of God. That is why they consider themselves to be Christians. Some people do not think that they participate in the traditional Christian baptism, but they do. Brenda Andrews explained that the biggest misconception that she faced was that people thought that Jehovah's Witnesses brainwashed people. She asserts that she chose to join the Jehovah's Witnesses and was never coerced into anything. She feels that all of the information she learned comes from the Bible. That is another misconception that many people have. People think that the Jehovah's Witnesses fabricated their own version of the Bible. While they usually follow the New World Translation, they have followed other versions of the Bible. The difference is the interpretation of the Bible. They claim to have put God's name, Jehovah, back into its rightful places where it had once been taken out or replaced by "Lord" or "God". They take the Bible quite literally and feel that their interpretation of it is closest to the correct way of reading it. People's misconceptions of the Jehovah's Witnesses make them all the more determined to put these misconceptions to rest. They welcome everyone to ask questions in order to learn more about their religious beliefs.

In addition, emotion is not emphasized in the religious practice. They do not want to be sentimental about Jesus or become highly emotional about situations that people may find to be sensitive issues, such as patriotism. They try to adhere to the facts of the Bible. They do not have highly emotional sermons. They do sing hymns in the Kingdom Halls, and outside of church they have appropriate parties and get-togethers. The person that hosts the party or get-together is in charge of seeing that no one acts inappropriately by overindulging in food or drink. Interestingly, Jehovah's Witnesses do not socialize much outside of their own kind. This, Brenda Andrews explained, is what helps them to stay strong in their faith and not be distracted by others' beliefs or ideas. They do not want to be lead astray from their standards of living or beliefs. However, they can be found in many different occupations throughout one's community. For example, Larry Andrews is the manager of a family and community oriented free newspaper, Web Weekly, which is sent to homes all throughout Lycoming County. Brenda Andrews is a dental assistant.

In conclusion, Jehovah's Witnesses believe it is their duty to teach others, or witness God's message to other people. They want people from all countries and backgrounds to learn the message of God. They look at things in a worldly view, not just in the area or country that they live in, because God's Kingdom will be a Kingdom of the Earth, not just one particular country. They live by high moral standards based on the literal teachings of the Bible and otherwise lead quite peaceful and ordinary lives. Jehovah's Witnesses are uncompromising in their beliefs based on the standards they may find in their surroundings. They believe their uniqueness is an asset that others can take notice of and follow. While they may not believe the teachings of mainstream Christianity, they believe that their religion is the correct way of worshipping, living, and teaching.

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. "Who are they?" Watchtower.