48 Facts About Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity.

Jehovah's Witnesses are directed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of elders in Warwick, New York, United States, which establishes all doctrines based on its interpretations of the Bible.

Consequently, some Jehovah's Witnesses have been persecuted and their activities are banned or restricted in some countries.

Persistent legal challenges by Jehovah's Witnesses have influenced legislation related to civil rights in several countries.

Jehovah's Witnesses identified the religious movement as "Bible Students, " and more formally as the International Bible Students Association.

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Jehovah's Witnesses's election was disputed, and members of the Board of Directors accused him of acting in an autocratic and secretive manner.

Jehovah's Witnesses organized large international assemblies, instituted new training programs for members, and expanded missionary activity and branch offices throughout the world.

In 1995, Jehovah's Witnesses abandoned the idea that Armageddon must occur during the lives of the generation that was alive in 1914 and in 2010 changed their teaching on the "generation".

Jehovah's Witnesses are organized hierarchically, in what the leadership calls a "theocratic organization", reflecting their belief that it is God's "visible organization" on earth.

Jehovah's Witnesses do not practice infant baptism, and previous baptisms performed by other denominations are not considered valid.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe their denomination is a restoration of first-century Christianity.

Doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses are established by the Governing Body, which assumes responsibility for interpreting and applying scripture.

Jehovah's Witnesses consider the Bible to be scientifically and historically accurate and reliable and interpret much of it literally, but accept parts of it as symbolic.

Regular personal Bible reading is frequently recommended; Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged from formulating doctrines and "private ideas" reached through Bible research independent of Watch Tower Society publications, and are cautioned against reading other religious literature.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's only direct creation, that everything else was created through Christ by means of God's power, and that the initial unassisted act of creation uniquely identifies Jesus as God's "only-begotten Son".

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was resurrected with a "spirit body", and that he only assumed human form for a temporary period after his resurrection.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Satan was originally a perfect angel who developed feelings of self-importance and craved worship.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe death is a state of non-existence with no consciousness.

Jehovah's Witnesses consider the soul to be a life or a living body that can die.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that humanity is in a sinful state, from which release is only possible by means of Jesus' shed blood as a ransom, or atonement, for the sins of humankind.

Central teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses is that the current world era, or "system of things", entered the "last days" in 1914 and faces imminent destruction through intervention by God and Jesus Christ, leading to deliverance for those who worship God acceptably.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ began to rule in heaven as king of God's kingdom in October 1914, and that Satan was ousted from heaven to the earth, resulting in "woe" to humanity.

Jehovah's Witnesses are assigned to a congregation in whose "territory" they usually reside and attend weekly services they refer to as "meetings" as scheduled by congregation elders.

Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their efforts to spread their beliefs, most notably by visiting people from house to house, distributing literature published by the Watch Tower Society.

The objective is to start a regular "Bible study" with any person who is not already a member, with the intention that the student be baptized as a member of the group; Jehovah's Witnesses are advised to consider discontinuing Bible studies with students who show no interest in becoming members.

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Jehovah's Witnesses are taught they are under a biblical command to engage in public preaching.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Bible condemns the mixing of religions, on the basis that there can only be one truth from God, and therefore reject interfaith and ecumenical movements.

Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that association with "worldly" people presents a "danger" to their faith, and are instructed to minimize social contact with non-members to better maintain their own standards of morality.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe their allegiance belongs to God's kingdom, which is viewed as an actual government in heaven, with Christ as king.

Jehovah's Witnesses are told that spontaneous giving at other times can help their children to not feel deprived of birthdays or other celebrations.

Jehovah's Witnesses accept non-blood alternatives and other medical procedures in lieu of blood transfusions, and their literature provides information about non-blood medical procedures.

Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept the transfusion of "whole blood, packed red cells, platelets, white cells or plasma".

Jehovah's Witnesses have established Hospital Liaison Committees as a cooperative arrangement between individual Jehovah's Witnesses and medical professionals and hospitals.

Jehovah's Witnesses have an active presence in most countries, but do not form a large part of the population of any country.

Sociologist James A Beckford, in his 1975 study of Jehovah's Witnesses, classified the group's organizational structure as Totalizing, characterized by an assertive leadership, specific and narrow objectives, control over competing demands on members' time and energy, and control over the quality of new members.

Controversy surrounding various beliefs, doctrines and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses has led to opposition from governments, communities, and religious groups.

Political and religious animosity against Jehovah's Witnesses has at times led to mob action and government oppression in various countries.

Jehovah's Witnesses were interned in camps along with political dissidents and people of Chinese and Japanese descent.

Jehovah's Witnesses faced discrimination in Quebec until the Quiet Revolution, including bans on distributing literature or holding meetings.

The court held that in 1946 Maurice Duplessis, both Premier and Attorney General of Quebec, had overstepped his authority by ordering the manager of the Liquor Commission to revoke the liquor licence of Frank Roncarelli, a Montreal restaurant owner and Jehovah's Witnesses Witness who was an outspoken critic of the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec.

Roncarelli provided bail for Jehovah's Witnesses arrested for distributing pamphlets attacking the Roman Catholic Church.

Jehovah's Witnesses suffered religious persecution by the Nazis because they refused military service and allegiance to Hitler's National Socialist Party.

In socialist East Germany, from the 1950s to the 1980s, Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted extensively by the State Security Service, who frequently used decomposition methods against them.

Jehovah's Witnesses were considered to be a threat because their belief system did not conform to socialist standards, and their members sometimes had contact with the West.

On October 6 2022, three members of Jehovah's Witnesses were sentenced to six years in prison in Sevastopol, Ukraine.

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Several cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses have been heard by Supreme Courts throughout the world.

Jehovah's Witnesses have received criticism from mainstream Christianity, members of the medical community, former members and commentators regarding their beliefs and practices.

Critics accuse the group's leaders of exercising "intellectual dominance" over Jehovah's Witnesses, controlling information and creating "mental isolation", which former Governing Body member Raymond Franz argued were all elements of mind control.