Difference between revisions of "Jehovah's Witnesses"
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Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" (King James) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> | Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" (King James) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> | ||
Revision as of 21:30, December 16, 2007
Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious organization which considers itself Christian, but rejects the divinity of Jesus Christ, (while still regarding Jesus as the son of God). It is headquartered in the United States and legally known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by Charles Taze Russell. They are best known in America for their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and for going door-to-door to spread their message. In addition to their use of the Bible, they are known by distributing copies of The Watchtower and Awake! magazines.
They do not celebrate holidays that have connections with non-Biblical origins or that serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. Jehovah's Witnesses do observe an annual celebration of the Last Supper, or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient Passover celebration observed by Jews.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is the restoration of the early Church.
They are most well-known for their door-to-door preaching, not celebrating birthdays and holidays such as Christmas, objection to blood transfusions and believing that the Second Coming has already happened.
The group was one of the most heavily persecuted non-Jewish groups during the Holocaust because of their refusal to serve in the German military. Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, and various republics of the former Soviet Union including Russia, Georgia and Uzbekistan.
Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" (King James) [1]
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900's, this practice stopped in 1926. [2] Since that time they have published information regarding the origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon The Encyclopædia Britannica, The Catholic Encyclopedia, The World Book Encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia Americana, and similar publicly available resources.
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at John 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; Revelation 19:10.[3]
Jehovah's Witnesses operate two offical websites: