| a.k.a. | Friend | |
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| Number of Members | 400,000 | 8,687,000[1] |
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| How does one get saved? | Varies widely | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to save you, be baptized, and do good works for the rest of your life. The 144,000 most faithful Christians will go to heaven; the rest will live on earth. |
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| Who gets saved? | No established doctrine | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved. |
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| Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. |
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| Who gets baptized and why? | Baptism not practiced. | Saved people get baptized as a public demonstration of their new lives.[2] |
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| How should baptism be done? | Baptism not practiced. | Baptism should be by immersion.[2] |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | There is "that of God in everyone". | God's holy spirit is received after one prays for it, learns God's Word, and lives in line with it.[3][4] |
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| What is the trinity? | The Trinity is God existing as one god in three equal, eternal, cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. | There is no Trinity. Jesus is God's first creation, and the Holy Spirit is not a person. |
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| What is the human nature? | There is "that of God in everyone", making humans inherently good. | Human nature is corrupt and naturally inclined to evil. |
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| Are we guilty of Adam's original sin? | No established doctrine | No, we are not guilty of Adam's sin, but we did inherit the consequences and a corrupt human nature from him, causing us all to sin. |
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| Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament ceremonial laws? | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. |
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| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | Christian perfection is possible and a major goal of Quakers. | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. |
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| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | Communion not practiced. | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ.[5] |
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| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | No, the dead cannot be baptized. | No, the dead cannot be baptized. |
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| What happens if a saved person dies without being perfect? | Perfection must take place during life, not after death.[6] | Death itself is the full and complete punishment for sin.[7] |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
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| What spiritual gifts are available today? | Continuationism: All spiritual gifts are still available to believers. | |
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| What are the requirements for clergy? | | No clergy is employed. All members are ministers, but only men who have been ministerial servants may be elders. |
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| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church does not have any ordinances more sacred than any other practice.[8] | The church has two ordinances: Baptism and Holy Communion.[5][9] |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins. | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins.[10] |
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| How should a church be structured? | Congregationalist: Every church congregation should be independent and governed by its members. | |
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| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday. | Jehovah's Witnesses meet on any two days of the week. |
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| How does God's revelation come to us today? | Varies widely[11] | The Bible, as interpreted by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, is the only infallible source of God's revelation. |
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| How many books are in the Bible? | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.[12] |
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| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | Varies widely[13] | |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | | The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is God's "faithful and discreet slave" and "spokesman", although it does so imperfectly. |
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| How was the earth created? | The earth was formed by gravity pulling dust together, which ultimately came from the Big Bang. | The earth was formed by gravity pulling dust together, which ultimately came from the Big Bang.[14] |
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| What is marriage? | Varies widely | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman. |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | Varies widely | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[15] |
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| When is divorce permissible? | | Divorce is only permissible for adultery.[16] |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | | Yes, a Christian may remarry after divorce if the divorce was for a valid reason.[17] |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Most believe humanity begins sometime between conception and birth.[18] | Humanity begins at conception.[19] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible. | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[20] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. | No, blood transfusions are not permissible.[21] |
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| Should women cover their heads? | | Women should cover their heads when praying or teaching when a man normally would.[22][23] |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | No, alcohol should be totally avoided.[24][25] | Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk.[26] |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | No, Christians should never fight.[27][28] | No, Christians should never fight.[29] |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | | God's holy spirit comes from God alone. |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | No established doctrine | After death, one's existence ceases until and unless God resurrects him.[30] |
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