Jehovah’s Witness — a comparison of the doctrine of 17 current religions
Prepared by and presented by Rex Bennett
An overview of the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witness Church
- Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Atonement — The purpose of Christ’s life was to vindicate God’s name by witnessing of God’s Kingdom. The vindication of God’s name is more important than the salvation of men. Vindicate in this sense means to clear of guilt or to justify.
- Baptism — Baptism is performed by immersion, usually in a river, lake, or municipal bath. There are no fonts in the meeting places of this church, known as Kingdom Halls. Immersion symbolizes being dead to old ways of life. Baptism does not cleanse from sin. Infants are not baptized.
- Did Christ organize a church while on earth? — Witnesses have been around for 6000 years, even to this day. The Witnesses are the only true faith and one must be a member to be saved. Christ was a Witness in a long line of Witnesses.
- Ecclesiastical authority — All who are baptized as Witnesses are ministers of the church. Titles such as ‘Reverend’ or ‘Father’ are not applied to church leaders – they apply to God only. Women are not permitted to teach the congregation.
- God — God is Jehovah, who sent Christ Jesus to earth to perform the ransom sacrifice. God is the leader of the Jehovah’s Witness church and of no other people on earth. God’s primary purpose is to vindicate his name.
- Heaven and Hell — Heaven is where spirit creatures live with Jehovah God. The ruling body in heaven will be composed of 144,000 souls. Hell is the grave, a place of rest in hope of resurrection, not a place of torment. The existence of hell is one of Satan’s lies.
- Holy Bible — The Bible is entirely consistent, both the Hebrew and Greek. In 1961, the Watchtower Society printed “The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures” which is the official Jehovah Witness translation of the Bible.
- Holy Ghost —The Holy Spirit is not a person as Jehovah God and Jesus Christ are. The Holy Spirit is God’s active force.
- Holy Trinity — Jehovah God and Jesus Christ are two separate and distinct persons. They are not combined with the so-called “Holy Ghost” in one Godhead, commonly called “The Trinity”.
- Is membership in a church needed for salvation? — Jehovah’s Witnesses are not an incorporated body. Today’s Witnesses are the last in a long line of the servants of God. You must be a Witness for God (a Jehovah Witness) before you can be saved.
- Life after death — The body lies dormant in the grave (hell) until Christ decides if you will be resurrected. An intermediate state does not exist. The un-resurrected wicked will “go out of existence”.
- Marriage — Believe in the marriage relationship with the woman subject to the man. Divorce only granted in the case of adultery. Those who divorce for any other reason, and remarry, must be expelled from the congregation.
- Miracles — The miracles of the past as recorded in the Holy Bible were very real, but today there is no need for miracles. The biggest miracle today is the increase in the church membership worldwide.
- Future status of non-believers in Christ — Unrepentant sinners, along with the Devil and his angels, will just “cease to exist”. There is no hell or place of punishment, because all of these wicked will be destroyed at Armageddon.
- Pre-existence of man — Christ had what is called a ‘pre-human’ existence as a spirit person, was born a mortal man, and does not have an immortal soul. Our personal existence begins with our birth.
- Purpose of life — Life’s purpose is to announce the King Jehovah’s reign, to keep integrity to him, and to help our neighbors ‘find the way to godly service and everlasting life’. They will not salute the flag nor fight in armed conflicts, as these are contrary to God’s law.
- Resurrection — Christ died with a human body and was resurrected as an invisible mighty spirit creature. He did not take up his physical body. Man has no soul. There is no proof of immortality. Christ will decide who is worthy of being resurrected.
- Revelation — The Bible is full of revelation from Jehovah to man. We do not need revelation today, either personal or for the church, though the day of Armageddon will be revealed in the future.
- Sacrament — Only those numbered in the 144,000 should partake of the sacrament. This memorial of Christ’s death is taken annually on the day corresponding to Nisan 14 of the Jewish calendar. This is in March or April. They use bread and wine.
- Satan — Satan caused rebellion in the Garden of Eden, and he now tests all men. The end for Satan began in 1914 when Christ took power in heaven as King and cast Satan out, causing tribulation on earth. He has no power of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
- Second Coming of Christ — The Second Coming happened in 1914 when Christ returned invisibly (no mortal man could see him). There was no physical Second Coming that man could see. Christ was resurrected as an invisible spirit creature, not physically.
- Vicarious work for the dead — There is no doctrine concerning work for the dead. The body lies dormant in the grave after daeth (no soul). Christ will decide who is resurrected. The is no intermediate state for the dead.
- Virgin birth, immaculate conception — The virgin birth happened to fulfill the promise that man would be ransomed from original sin. It is blasphemy to call Mary ‘the mother of God’. Christ was a mortal man, and has no immortal soul.
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