The Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments, became the basis for many creeds. This collection of texts is sacred to Jews and Christians. However, in Judaism the main book is considered to be the first part, and in Christianity - the Gospel or the New Testament. Jehovah's Witnesses, who are they - Christians or sectarians distorting the meaning of the Bible?
Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?
Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious faith based on the Bible, but fundamentally different from all Christian religions. In some aspects of the doctrine there are close parallels with Protestantism (Baptists, Adventists, Pentecostals), but these concern only minor details.
Jehovah's Witnesses - history of origin
The Jehovah's Witnesses organization originated at the end of the 19th century in the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA. Its founder, Charles Taze Russell, was interested in religion and at the same time “secret teachings” from a young age. Since childhood, he attended an evangelical church; by the age of 17, he began to doubt the correct interpretation of the Bible and the truth of the concept of the immortality of the soul. Subsequently, he became interested in the ideas of Adventism, which at that time was very popular in the USA. Historical significant dates for the founding of the sect:
- 1870 - creation of a society for the study of the Holy Scriptures called the “Bible Circle”;
- 1884 – official registration of the religious organization “Zion’s Watchtower Society”;
- 1931 - the organization splits into two separate societies, Jehovah's Witnesses and Bible Students.
Leader of Jehovah's Witnesses
The sect is organized according to the principle of hierarchy or theocracy, as the Jehovah's Witnesses themselves call it. At the head of the entire community is a collective body - the Governing Council, which has the highest powers. The head of the council is the elected president. Subordinate to the governing body are six committees, each of which performs a strictly defined function.
Since 2021, the main center of the organization is located in the small American town of Warwick in the state of New York. The leader of Jehovah's Witnesses, Don Alden Adams, is currently continuing the sale of real estate acquired by the community in Brooklyn. For 85 years the community's headquarters were in this city. In every country and region where there is no ban on the organization’s activities, there is a separate branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Organizational structure
The sect is headed by what is called the "Governing (or Ruling) Corporation", or Board of Jehovah's Witnesses, located at the world headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, USA. The management corporation (or administration) consists of men and monitors the worldwide activities of the sectarians. In sectarian theology, the Brooklyn Leadership Corporation is most often referred to as the “faithful and discreet slave” (or “VBR”), as well as the “anointed remnant”, “princes”, “truthful church”, “sacred remnant”, “sacred group”, “ the little flock", "anointed followers of Jesus Christ", "co-rulers of Christ in the Kingdom", "spiritual partners of Christ in heaven", "Elijah's Class", sometimes simply "anointed" or "saints of the Most High". According to the teachings of the sectarians, the “faithful and prudent slave” is a channel of communication with Jehovah. Without participation in which one cannot comprehend his wisdom: “All who wish to know the Bible should appreciate the fact that the “manifold wisdom of God” can only be known through the channel of communication - the “faithful, discreet servant” used by Jehovah.” In the terminology of the sect, the “channel of communication” or “channel of truth” refers to the entire organization as a whole, but especially the Brooklyn Governing Corporation within this organization (i.e., within the general “channel of communication” there is a special “channel of truth” through which spiritual food is distributed "). Members of the Brooklyn Governing Body are part of "God's heavenly kingdom" and represent to the cult members "the real authority for which Jesus taught to pray."
The Brooklyn management corporation (board) is headed by a president and vice president. This “Board” works through six (according to other sources seven) committees. Authorized representatives of the "Ruling Corporation" control the Watch Tower Society in New York, the representative office in England, as well as other legal organizations, including more than 15 "zones" around the world, managing branch representatives in each zone. Currently there are 98 branches. Each of them is governed by a committee of 3 to 7 members. The country in which the branch is located is divided into regions, which in turn are divided into districts. There are about 20 congregations in each district. The district overseer periodically visits the districts of his region. Congresses are held in each district twice a year. The circuit overseer supervises the activities of the circuit "meetings." The main members of the “assembly” are the elders, who are subordinate to the circuit overseer.
Branches in each country are legally registered so that the sect can benefit as much as possible from its status. Immediately after death, these representatives of the administration - “saints of the Most High” - are guaranteed, according to their own teaching, an immediate “resurrection to immortal life and they immediately continue to serve Jehovah in heaven. They do not remain in the sleep of death for a long time, but “suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye,” they are clothed with immortality.” The rest of the ordinary “sheep” (“servants”) upon death turn “into nothing,” since a person, according to the “new teaching” of the Governing Corporation, does not have a soul. Information about those who have “turned into nothing” or “not anointed” is contained in the “memory of Jehovah,” who will “remember” them, having previously created “paradise on earth,” and will create them again and settle them in a well-known world filled with food, clothes, good job, etc.
Until recently, the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were prohibited in the following countries: Spain, Greece, Romania, Dominican Republic, Malawi, etc. Missionaries of the society have unlimited freedom of action in many African countries - Angola, Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and others. The number of sectarians has now reached more than 12 million people. They are combined into 89,000 congregations.
Branches of the Jehovah's Witnesses Society
In the organizational structure of the sect, below the Brooklyn Governing Corporation, there are branches scattered around the world, or so-called “Bethels,” which coordinate and direct the work of sectarians in countries, regions, and districts. Branches of the sect are located in buildings specially built for this purpose, which are not just offices or “houses of culture” of faithful “witnesses,” but some mystical “structures associated with the worship of Jehovah in our days.” Bethel is also called the “House of God,” where “every assignment—whether operating a machine, printing spiritual food, washing clothes, preparing food, working in the kitchen, or any other place—is all sacred service.” This branch assignment for a sect member "takes precedence over other activities" and requires "humility, submission and obedience to the directions given by the Society." The Russian branch of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, officially called the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, is registered with the Russian Ministry of Justice, but is managed by a parent organization in New York, which is registered there as a publishing house. The governing body of the regional religious organization in the CIS countries is the Management Center (Bethel). in March 1991 in Moscow. The management center is headed by a steering committee consisting of elders of local religious societies appointed by the “Ruling Corporation”. The administrative center establishes local societies, gives instructions for the commencement and termination of their religious activities, appoints and removes overseers (elders), ministerial servants (deacons), public speakers (preachers) and other ministers. The final decision on all the above-mentioned issues, however, is taken by the “Ruling Corporation”. The Management Center is headed by a coordinator.
Currently, the sect's activities in Moscow are officially prohibited. In St. Petersburg, sectarians enjoy complete freedom of action.
Primary structure - "assembly"
The primary organizational unit is the "gatherings" of sect members, who meet in the so-called "Kingdom Halls". Each congregation meets five times a week, including Theocratic Ministry School programs, Watchtower studies, and others.
Each congregation has an appointed elder and his assistants, such as the congregation overseer, ministerial servants, etc., who carry out service in the congregation, teaching, supervision of the “purity of the congregation” and preaching activities in the territory entrusted to them. They are trained in the Ministry Training School and the Kingdom Ministry School, which prepare elders and ministerial servants for theocratic assignments.” Every year the sect also conducts recruitment campaigns - regional, district and international congresses. The most impressive was the 1993 congress in Kyiv, where more than 64,000 people gathered at the Republican Stadium. During this event, 7,402 people were initiated into the sect. In recent years, from one to two dozen congresses have been held in Russia.
All members of the sect are called to continuously preach the doctrines of the sect throughout their lives: “Witnesses do not devote just an hour or two a week to ministry. They dedicate their entire lives to service.” The preachers of the sect vary in different degrees of preaching service, but they can be conditionally divided into ordinary sectarians and those who engage in propaganda professionally, being in the pay of the sect, these are the so-called “pioneers.” There is a regulated mode of their work, depending on qualifications; it ranges from 60 to 140 hours per month. The most promising ministry pioneers, with an average of 12 years of experience, are invited to further missionary training at the Gilead Watchtower Bible Schools. Gilead graduates receive missionary assignments to any country regardless of their desire: “Missionaries do not decide for themselves where they will live or what work they will do.”
"Instructions" of the Brooklyn Corporation for members of sect meetings on relations with non-Jehovah's Witnesses
The corporation requires its employees to “limit communication with those who have not dedicated themselves to Jehovah.” This does not exclude the situation “when a servant of Jehovah should not show sympathy (!), for example, when his close friend or relative was deprived of “communication” (in other words, expelled from the meeting of the sect), and not “communicate”, not succumb to feelings of pity - such a firm position can even prompt the sinner to repent (?)..." In other words, a firm position can be applied in relation to mother, father, husband, wife... If a member of the sect met a person who does not share the views of the leaders of the sect, then he strongly recommends that one "end a destructive relationship before irreparable harm is done, since such relationships displease God but also threaten a person's happiness and well-being," or "worse," he will become an apostate who will once again find himself "in the darkness of Christendom and its teachings, such as the belief that all Christians go to heaven,” instead of the ardently desired and “joyful submission to the authorities” and “administration” of the sect (Brooklyn Corporation).
All non-Jehovah religious organizations are called by them “the organizations of Satan” (“What organizations can exist outside the true congregation? Only the organizations of Satan”), which will be destroyed at Armageddon (“Jehovah will destroy bad people who do not reform”).
How do Jehovah's Witnesses differ from Orthodox Christians?
Without detailed study, it is difficult to understand what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. This is due to the fact that throughout the existence of the organization, its doctrines have been changed and adjusted more than once. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses have already loudly warned the world several times about the impending end of the world. Jehovah's Witnesses, who they are and how their faith differs from the Orthodox:
- Followers of the teaching study and interpret the Holy Scriptures in their own way, considering only their own interpretation to be truly correct. They recognize only the Bible, ignoring all other writings (including the apostolic ones), because they do not come from God, but from people. At the same time, they themselves constantly publish literature based on biblical texts and supplemented with their own inventions.
- For adherents of Jehovah's Witnesses, the terms “Creator” and “Lord” are not worthy terms to refer to God. They consider them only titles and address the Almighty only by the name Jehovah.
- Adherents of the sect perceive Christ as the incarnation of Archangel Michael.
- Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the execution and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not salvation from the sins of mankind. In their opinion, Christ generally rose not physically, but spiritually, and atoned only for the original sin of Adam and Eve.
- Jehovah's Witnesses have absolutely no concept of an immortal soul.
- Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize the concepts of heaven and hell. According to their belief, heaven will come on Earth after the end of the world and only those who have been pardoned or those who have served God will enter it.
- Adherents of the community claim that the second coming of Christ has already occurred, as well as the appearance of Satan. Therefore, in the near future they expect the end of the world and the judgment of people, which has been predicted more than once.
- The sect does not have icons, they do not recognize the sign of the cross.
Printed publications of the sect
It opened its own publishing house in Brooklyn in 1927. It currently includes a complex of 7 buildings plus an office building. There are also auxiliary production facilities for 3,000 workers. The sectarians who work in all institutions of the sect, including the headquarters, receive almost no money.
The sect's main publication is the Watchtower, which is published in 120 languages with a circulation of more than 16 million copies monthly. In addition, Awake! with a monthly circulation of about 13 million copies in 75 languages. All of these issues are printed simultaneously, so that all "witnesses" receive the same information at the same time. Brochures like “Enjoy life on earth forever!” are also published. (over 72 million in 198 languages) or “Look I am making everything new”, “The government that will bring Paradise”, with similar similar circulations. The sect's books are also published in multi-million copies, for example: “You can live forever in heaven on earth” (67 million copies in 114 languages). The distribution of magazines and books occurs when visiting homes, during distribution on the streets, bazaars, gas stations, in public transport, on airplanes - wherever possible, and is a duty for all members of the sect.
What do Jehovah's Witnesses preach?
Jehovah's Witnesses claim that after the Day of Judgment, heavenly life will begin on Earth. In their opinion, Christ, as the messenger and representative of God, will judge people and weed out sinners who will die forever. The main difference is faith in the one Old Testament God, Jehovah (Yahweh). For uninitiated people, it is difficult to understand who Jehovah is. In the interpretation of the sect’s adherents, he is the only God with whom one can and should build personal relationships. “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you” (James 4:8).
In all Christian denominations, the absolute postulate of faith is the triune essence - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jehovah's Witnesses deny the divine origin of Christ, while recognizing his important role. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the atonement for sins that Jesus provided through his sacrificial death on the cross. Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize the existence and significance of the Holy Spirit at all.
What should Jehovah's Witnesses not do?
The rules of Jehovah's Witnesses are very strict. A clearly constructed system of internal hierarchy leads to total surveillance and control over compliance by members of the organization with the main prohibitions:
- Political neutrality, even to the point of ignoring all elections and public events.
- Absolute denial of killing, even for the purposes of defense and self-defense. Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to even touch weapons. Their faith does not even allow them to serve in the army; conscripts choose alternative options for service.
- Ban on blood transfusions and vaccinations. Adherents of the sect exclude the possibility of blood transfusion, even if life depends on it. This is explained by the biblical prohibition and the fear that the blood of Satan will enter the body.
- Denial of holidays. For Jehovah's Witnesses there are practically no holidays, including religious, secular and personal dates. The exception is the Evening of Remembrance of the Death of Christ. They consider the rest of the holidays to be pagan, because there is no mention of them in the Bible.
SMALL HEROES OR SMALL VICTIMS?
Every year, hundreds of people die around the world who refuse blood transfusions, voluntarily dooming themselves to death. These people are Jehovah's Witnesses. By depriving their loved ones of the chance to save their lives and, thereby, dooming them to death, Jehovah's Witnesses violate one of the most important commandments of Christianity - “thou shalt not kill”! “In the old days, THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE died because God was their first priority. They are still dying for it, only today the drama is being played out in hospitals and courtrooms, and the essence of it is blood transfusions” (Journal of Awake!, May 22, 1994, p. 2). Photos of cute boys and beautiful smiling girls adorn the cover of the magazine so that Jehovah's Witnesses can easily sell it to millions of unsuspecting people. It is only when readers open Awake! that they discover that the eye-catching photographs show the faces of children who died following the Watchtower Society's blood transfusion ban. Three photographs: 15-year-old Adrian Yatts, who died on September 13, 1993, after the Supreme Court of the Canadian province of Newfoundland declared him "of sufficient age" and rejected the Department of Child Protection's request for a court order for a blood transfusion; 12-year-old Lena Martinez, who died on 22 September 1993, after the local Commission of Medical Ethics declared her “old enough” and did not file an appeal against the court order for a blood transfusion; and 12-year-old Linda Kosak, who died (unspecified date) in Canada after she refused a blood transfusion, threatening that she would “resist and rip off the IV, and pull out the needle, no matter how painful it was, and rip the bag with blood." But are Jehovah's Witnesses right when they claim that the use of blood for medical purposes is prohibited by God? The Bible passages commonly cited by Witnesses set rules for eating. “Every moving thing that lives will be food for you; I give you everything like green herbs. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life or blood” (Genesis 9:3-4). “This is a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwellings; You shall not eat any fat or any blood” (Leviticus 3:17). A similar passage from the New Testament refers to a conflict that arose in the young Christian Church when it was discovered that Jewish converts ate only kosher food, while Gentile converts ate all kinds of food. None of these biblical passages, when read in their proper context, have anything to do with the use of blood for medical purposes. Yet Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that they should not accept anyone else's blood plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets or whole blood, or even their own blood if it has been outside the body for even a short time. At the same time, they have the right to take albumin, immunoglobulin, other drugs, as well as their own blood, if its circulation is only supported by some kind of device such as an artificial heart - this is written in the magazine Awake! dated June 22, 1982, ss. 25-27. What Bible verses justify these Pharisaic rules?
Why are Jehovah's Witnesses dangerous?
The Jehovah's Witnesses sect is extremely obsessive. Jehovah's Witnesses pester passers-by on the street and freely go from house to house, preaching under the pretext of studying the Bible. The problem is that their interests go much further than their idiosyncratic interpretation of biblical texts. They impose their vision of a society without politics and governance, subject exclusively to God alone (theocracy). In achieving their goals, they do not deny the possibility of family destruction, betrayal of loved ones who do not support their views.
Why are Jehovah's Witnesses considered extremists?
At first glance, it is unclear what the extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses is; they do not advocate violence. However, according to lawyers, the radical attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses poses a danger to society. A person who does not join their ranks is considered an enemy. An important factor of danger is that due to the ban on blood transfusions, not only the adherents of the sect themselves die, but their relatives. This is especially true for children, when fanatical parents refuse medical care; this is one of the reasons why Jehovah’s Witnesses were banned in some regions of the Russian Federation.
— How to prevent a situation of psychological manipulation, how to protect yourself?
— Do not perceive emerging (often imposed) situations and topics of conversation as natural and the only possible ones. Train yourself to always perceive them as one of the options, evaluate them from the point of view of your rights and interests, and confidently and without hesitation offer your options, if necessary, before getting drawn into other people’s plans. Carefully monitor the reactions of your interlocutors to your counter activity. Any manipulator will sooner or later reveal himself with irritation and aggressiveness if the victim does not succumb to his tricks. Other reactions of manipulators: avoidance under any pretext from your questions and counter-offers, attempts to continue manipulation in other ways, loss of interest in you. In the near future, I plan to begin publishing the Jehovah’s “Manual for the Theocratic Ministry School” on my website. This is a textbook for training recruiters so that as many people as possible can become familiar with the background of their semi-professional training in manipulation
Where are Jehovah's Witnesses banned?
The Jehovah's Witnesses sect is banned in 37 countries. The main opponents of Jehovah's Witnesses are Islamic states - Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. The organization's activities have been blocked in China and North Korea, as well as in some African countries. European countries where Jehovah's Witnesses are banned - Spain, Greece. In April 2021, the Russian Supreme Court banned the organization's activities, but the decision has not yet entered into force, as the sect leaders filed an appeal.
Jehovah's Witnesses - how to join?
The answer to the question of how to become a Jehovah's Witness is very simple - the organization is open to everyone who shows even the slightest interest in activities and ideology. Almost every locality has its own community of Jehovah's Witnesses, which regularly organizes meetings in Kingdom Halls. Adherents are always happy to welcome new members. The entry process begins with a joint Bible study, after which the new member must undergo a conscious baptism and adhere to established rules.
Ivan (name changed), 35 years old
When I was 11 years old, my father took me to my first meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. By that time he no longer lived with us. My mother also went to the meeting, but rather just out of curiosity. What fascinated me most was the idea of Jehovah's Witnesses about eternal earthly life: they believe in personal physical immortality in heavenly conditions. At that age, I thought about death, imagined how terrible it would be if my grandparents suddenly passed away. It was all the more creepy to think about my own inevitable non-existence. And then they offered a wonderful alternative, and I took the bait.
My mother and I began going to meetings, and two young Jehovah’s Witnesses began studying the Bible with us at home using a special manual. Each chapter is a topic: “What is the Kingdom of Heaven?”, “Why did Jesus Christ come and die?” - and so on. They came to us a couple of times a week, read paragraphs and asked everyone questions that needed to be discussed.
Then my mother stopped attending meetings, losing interest in it. I continued to think about it, and at the age of 14 I myself began to go to meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Mom didn’t care, but my grandmother, a staunch Orthodox Christian, once pulled me by the hair. But then I saw it as confirmation that I was on the right path.
At the age of 19 I was baptized. In order to be baptized, a Jehovah's Witness must first fully complete two basic Bible study guides, which teach both the Bible itself and the rules of conduct for a member of the organization. At this stage, a person receives the status of an “unbaptized publisher” and begins to preach. A few months later, he undergoes three interviews where his knowledge and lifestyle are assessed. If a person is found worthy, he is allowed to be baptized. The baptism itself takes place during the “Congress” (a large meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which is attended by thousands of people. - Ed.). There, a speech is made in front of a group of baptized people and they are asked to answer two questions about repentance for sins and readiness to join the organization. After this, everyone is baptized in a special pool, immersed there for a couple of seconds.
At the same time, I made a close friend - then we were both flaming idiots. A friend dropped out of a prestigious university for the sake of ministry, and soon I also began to devote all my time to preaching and became a “pioneer” (that’s what Jehovah’s Witnesses are called, who preach 70 hours a month. - Ed.). I graduated from medical college with honors, which gave me the opportunity to enter the institute with one exam. But instead of enrolling, I got a job at the institute, in the X-ray surgery department, because there was a shortened working day due to harmful conditions. In addition, I delivered medicine to pharmacies and dirty laundry to laundries - this was my second part-time job. I often met my fellow students: they went to lectures in white coats, and I walked past them in a dirty robe with a wheelbarrow clanking bottles. Then it seemed to me that in this way I was developing genuine Christian humility, laying a better foundation for the life to come. I believed that I would be rewarded in full for all my humiliations.
In the mid-2000s, I entered the School of Ministry Development. Then I felt practically like an Oxford student, a member of an elite community. At the “School” we were constantly reminded how much the organization invests in each student, and we were also often told how much our daily allowance costs.
After training, I was appointed as a “special pioneer” (a Jehovah’s Witness who devotes at least 130 hours a month to preaching. - Ed.) in another city - this meant that I had to leave my hometown in the south, where all my friends lived. and mother. My mother only found out about my appointment when it was announced on stage at my graduation. She cried and left the hall.
I moved to the Urals. To meet the quota, I had to preach about 5 hours a day. I started at 11 am: I went door to door preaching for an hour, and the rest of the time I did it on the street. In addition, my responsibilities included re-visiting new members, studying the Bible, and communicating with members of the organization.
I lived like this for five years. The society paid me 9,500 rubles a month, but now this benefit is much more. I also worked as a cleaner in a store, and sometimes worked part-time at a construction site. This money was enough to rent a room and buy food. Members of the congregation also fed me, and my mother regularly sent packages, came to visit, and bought clothes.
Then I returned home because I had to help my mother take care of my sick parents. By then I had already become an elder—an important figure in the congregation. There are always several elders, and together they make all important decisions, and also make speeches at weekly meetings, sort out sins and expel those who have not repented.
Jehovah's Witnesses - Celebrities
The size of the organization is large, and its prevalence is worldwide. Among the adherents there are many famous personalities and public figures. There are famous Jehovah's Witnesses among representatives of various professions:
- Musicians - the late Michael Jackson and his family (Janet, La Toya, Jermaine, Marlon Jackson), Lisette Santana, Joshua and Jacob Miller (duet Nemesis), Larry Graham;
- Athletes: football player Peter Knowles, tennis sisters Serena and Venus Williams, British wrestler Kenneth Richmond;
- Actors: Oliver Pocher, Michelle Rodriguez, Sherri Sheppard.
Jehovah's Witnesses - myths and facts
Many media outlets present the organization as a sect with an extremist orientation; the following facts can be cited in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses:
- The destructiveness and totalitarianism of Jehovah's Witnesses is an unproven myth. It is a clearly structured organization, but there are strict controls and enforcement measures.
- The myth that Jehovah's Witnesses call for the destruction of the family is refuted by many facts. Members of the organization have lived for years in alliance with representatives of other faiths.
- Another dubious claim is that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians. Acceptance of the New Testament is considered to be considered Christianity, which does not contradict the principles of the organization.
Active opponents are representatives of the Orthodox Church, pastors of Protestant organizations express concern about the closure of the society at the legislative level. The future of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is still unclear. Jehovah's Witnesses, who are they now and who will they become if they are banned? Some sociologists believe that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses may lead to the opposite result - the popularization of the doctrine.
