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Jehovahs Witnesses Religion
The Jehovahs Witnesses Religion is faith based on the principles of restoration, millennium and Christian which involve themselves in evangelism. They claim 7 million adherents, convention attendance of 12 million and an annual memorial attendance of 17 million. They have a governing body, a group of elders which has authority on all doctrinal matters, based on their interpretation of the bible. Their own translation of the bible the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures takes precedence over the Bible.
The faith originated in the late 19th century emerging from a Bible Student Movement under the direction of Charles Taze Russell with the creation of Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society. After a disagreement the movement splintered with the main group becoming known as the Jehovahs Witnesses Religion in 1931. Since its start, the Watch Tower Society has taught that humans are now living in the last days of the present world order. They believe that after the current world order is destroyed at Armageddon, surviving righteous Jehovah's Witnesses and resurrected individuals will have the opportunity to live forever in an earthly paradise, ruled by Christ and 144,000 humans will be raised to heaven.
In the years leading up to 1914, 1925 and 1975, the Society's publications expressed strong expectations of Armageddon or the establishment of Christ's kingdom over the earth occurring in those years. The Watch Tower Society now teaches that it is impossible to know precisely when Armageddon will occur, but that it is imminent. Jehovahs Witnesses Religion members are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distribution of literature such as The Watchtower and Awake!, and for their refusal of military service and blood transfusions even in life-threatening situations. They consider use of the name Jehovah vital to proper worship and they reject the trinity, immortality of the soul, and hellfire, because they consider them to be unscriptural doctrines. They do not observe celebrations such as Christmas, Easter or birthdays, which they believe to have pagan origins, or national holidays, such as Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day. Members commonly refer to their body of beliefs as "the Truth", and adherents consider themselves to be "in the Truth". The religion's position regarding conscientious objection to military service and refusal to salute national flags has brought it into conflict with governments, particularly those that conscript citizens for military service. Activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have been consequently banned or restricted in some countries. Persistent legal challenges by Jehovah's Witnesses have had considerable influence on legislation and legal practice concerning civil liberties and conscientious objection to military service in several countries including the United States. Jehovah's Witnesses regard secular society as a place of moral contamination and under the control of Satan, and limit their social contact with non-Witnesses. Members who violate their fundamental moral principles or who dispute doctrinal matters are subject to disciplinary action, the most severe being a form of shunning they call disfellowshipping. Some do not accept that the Jehovahs Witnesses are a religion but rather a cult as they are so controlling of their members
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