Wednesday, March 7, 2012

month two: jehovah's witness




Jehovah's Witness. Whenever I mention that phrase the reaction seems to always be the same: a taken a-back “oh”. As if simply mentioning their name is the first crime. The second is they don’t celebrate holidays. The third is they are strangely focused on “the end of time” or Armageddon from the book of Revelations

As I have been studying the Witnesses, or Zion’s Watch Tower and Tract Society, I can see they are very passionate. They come out of a bible study movement in Pittsburgh, desiring to know the Word. Even their title “Jehovah’s Witnesses” comes straight from the bible, based on Isaiah 43:10–12. Witnesses are best known for their door-to-door preaching like Morman’s, distributing literature and tracts, refusing military service like Mennonite’s, and not taking any sort of blood transfusions for fear it counts as consuming blood (a law clearly stated in the bible). Also like the Mormon’s, they reject the idea of the trinity. The most extreme ideas are that other’s sinful nature could corrupt them, so they do not like interaction with non-believers unless they are witnessing. The three strongest allies to Satan are government, big business, and churches (because they teach false doctrine). All are untrustworthy and should not be saluted (pledge of allegiance to the flag), encouraged (voting), or partaken in.

Jevohah’s Witnesses have very strong morals, and any form of sidetracking the rules brings about disfellowshiping, very similar to Amish shunnings. Witnesses believe that churches are idols, so they never enter them. Their meeting place, instead, is called a Kingdom Hall and it is always built by the hands of the congregation. Witnesses find constant bible study important, so they meet several times a week at their kingdom halls. Bible study is the key to everything since they believe everything that is being revealed is through the bible, the living word. Witnesses do not have pastors, priests, preachers, saints, etc. They all gather together and teach each other-- remember this comes out of bible study practices. Of note, woman must go up front and speak to another person on the stage, they cannot interact directly with the crowd. Witnesses have very traditional male and female roles.

In the end, what matters is the end of the world, the righteous being spared from disaster, the 144,000 that will live with the Father, and the rest of the witness who will inherit the restored world. Just wait and proclaim for that day.

A book I read that I would recommend is "I'm Perfect, You're Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah's Witness Upbringing" by Kyria Abrahams.