Jehovah's Witness Beliefs
Jehovah's Witnesses is a controversial Abrahamic religion founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is now led by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses which dictates doctrine for the organization. It is a restorationist denomination, meaning it claims all other Christian practices have been wrong since the early church which the Jehovah's Witnesses restore the true practices of. Russell taught that this was because Christ's spirit returned in 1874 for forty years for the final harvest of the Gentile Times until God overthrew all governments and established His kingdom on earth in 1914.
Although Jehovah's Witnesses profess to be Christians, their denial of the divinity of Christ leads most other denominations to deny such. Jehovah's Witnesses instead believe that the Father is essentially the only person of God and believe Jesus is simply a creation of God. They deny the personhood of the Holy Spirit entirely.
The most popular country for Jehovah's Witnesses is their country of origin of the 🇺🇸 United States of America. However, Jehovah's Witnesses are very active in evangelism, commonly giving out their magazine The Watchtower. They can be found in nearly every the world, even though they are banned in many Asian and North African countries.
While Jehovah's Witnesses are active in trying to draw people to God, they do not believe trusting in Christ alone is enough to go to heaven. They believe that God will only choose the most righteous 144,000 Christians to ever live to go to heaven and that most have already been chosen. Most other Witnesses will simply be part of "the other sheep" and resurrected to live on earth forever. Those people whom God judges to be unrighteous will simply have their souls forever destroyed rather than have any afterlife, as Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in a hell or in a soul living separately from the human body.
Other unorthodox beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses include their refusals of blood transfusions, their rejection of Christmas, Easter, and Birthdays, their belief that "Jehovah" is the only proper name for God, and their shunning of anyone who leaves the organization.
Belief Listing
How does one get saved?
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.
Who gets saved?
Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved.
Can one lose his salvation?
Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy.
Who gets baptized and why?
Saved people get baptized as a public demonstration of their new lives.
How should baptism be done?
Baptism should be by immersion.
When does one receive the Holy Spirit?
God's holy spirit is received after one prays for it, learns God's Word, and lives in line with it.
What is the trinity?
There is no Trinity. Jesus is God's first creation, and the Holy Spirit is not a person.
What is the human nature?
Human nature is corrupt and naturally inclined to evil.
Are we guilty of Adam's original sin?
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.
Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament ceremonial laws?
No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus.
Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life?
No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life.
Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ?
No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ.
Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died?
No, the dead cannot be baptized.
What happens if a saved person dies without being perfect?
Death itself is the full and complete punishment for sin.
Did Mary ever sin?
Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus.
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.
How many church ordinances/sacraments are there?
The church has two ordinances: Baptism and Holy Communion.
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.
What day of the week should Christians worship?
Jehovah's Witnesses meet on any two days of the week.
How does God's revelation come to us today?
The Bible, as interpreted by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, is the only infallible source of God's revelation.
How many books are in the Bible?
There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.
How was the earth created?
The earth was formed by gravity pulling dust together, which ultimately came from the Big Bang.
What is marriage?
Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.
Is sex permissible outside marriage?
No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.
When is divorce permissible?
Divorce is only permissible for adultery.
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.
When does a fetus become human?
Humanity begins at conception.
Is contraception permissible?
Yes, contraceptives are permissible.
Are blood transfusions permissible?
No, blood transfusions are not permissible.
Should women cover their heads?
Women should cover their heads when praying or teaching when a man normally would.
Should Christians drink alcohol?
Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk.
Should Christians fight in wars?
No, Christians should never fight.
Whom does the Holy Spirit come from?
God's holy spirit comes from God alone.
Where does a Christian's soul go after death?
After death, one's existence ceases until and unless God resurrects him.