Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

Scissorhands

Like Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Christianity died with the last of the apostles. They believe Christianity was not resurrected until their founder, Charles Taze Russell, began organizing the Watchtower Society in the 1870s. In their view the cross is a pagan symbol adopted by an apostate church and salvation is impossible apart from the Watchtower. While the Witnesses on your doorstep consider themselves to be the only authentic expression of Christianity, the Society they serve compromises, confuses, or contradicts essential Christian doctrine. First, the Watchtower Society compromises the nature of God. They teach their devotees that the Trinity is a "freakish-looking, three headed God" invented by Satan and that Jesus is merely a god. In Watchtower theology Jesus was created by God as the archangel Michael, during his earthly sojourn became merely human, and after his crucifixion was re-created an immaterial spirit creature. JW's also deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. According to Russell, the body that hung on a torture stake either "dissolved into gasses" or is "preserved somewhere as the grand memorial of God's love." Furthermore, while Christians believe all believers will spend eternity with Christ in "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1, 22:17) the Watchtower teaches that only 144,000 people will make it to heaven while the rest of the faithful will live apart from Christ on earth. Thus in Watchtower lore there is a "little flock" of 144,000 who get to go to heaven and a "great crowd" of others who will be relegated to earth. The heavenly class are born again, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and partake of communion; the earthly class do not. To substantiate the notion that heaven's door was closed irrevocably in 1935, JWs point to "flashes of prophetic light" received by Joseph F. Rutherford at a JW convention in Washington D.C. Other false "flashes of prophetic light" include Watchtower predictions of end-time cataclysms that were to occur in 1914 ... 1918 ... 1925 ... 1975. Finally, under the threat of being "disfellowshipped," Jehovah's Witnesses are barred from celebrating Christmas, birthdays, or holidays such as Thanksgiving and Good Friday. Even more troubling are the Watchtower regulations regarding vaccinations, organ transplants, and blood transfusions. In 1931, JWs were instructed to refuse vaccinations -- by 1952, this regulation was rescinded. In 1967, organ transplants were ruled a forbidden form of cannibalism -- by 1980, this edict was erased. In 1909, the Watchtower produced a prohibition against blood transfusions. No doubt this too will one day become a relic of the past. In the meantime, tens of thousands have not only been ravished spiritually by the Watchtower Society but have paid the ultimate physical price as well. While Watchtower adherents are often willing to do more for a lie than Christians are willing to do for the truth, these and a host of other doctrinal perversions keep JWs from rightly being considered Christian. For further study, see Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses (Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House Publishers, 1993). Deuteronomy 18:22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord , if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

AudeSapere

Hi Scissorhands -

Welcome to JWD!!

Did you just find us today or have you been 'luking' for a while??

-Aude Sapere (meaning: Dare to Know; Dare to Have Wisdom/Understanding)

DanTheMan

oh for heaven's sake why don't you participate a little before plowing in with something like that??

sheesh

blondie

Welcome, Scissorhands.

Did you read many of the posts here?

If you had, you might find you are "preaching to the choir."

Blondie

jeanniebeanz

You are preaching to the choir. Did you actually bother to read anything before spouting off?

Oh, and Welcome!

LOL... Blondie Lightening Hands....

poppers

Welcome Scissorhands. It's clear that you need to read some more posts here before continuing your line of threads. I'm just wondering, what is your agenda beyond pointing to those here that JW isn't real Christianity? Are you advocating some particular set of belief other than JWism?

Nathan Natas

Thanks for the lecture, Dilbert.

luna2

LMAO! You guys crack me up!

Ed, welcome to JWD. Take a deep breath. Count to ten. Relax.

Carmel

funny!! "Jws compromise the nature of God" and the rest of xianity doesn't?

whyizit

Thank you for posting this!

I was asked to write up a basic outline of the differences between the regular run-of-the-mill Christian and the JWs. This sums it up very nicely.

I hope you don't mind if I borrow your thoughts! Lots of Christians do not know that there are that many differences, because it is carefully hidden when you first meet with the JWs at your door.

They see the differences as minor. JWs convince them that they are Christians too. What they do not do, is tell you straight-up front exactly what they believe, what will be expected of you, and many other tid-bits that they have to hide. Otherwise no one would ever have the lack of good sense to join. They have to scare you in to it. Pride and fear seem to be the motivation they use.

Thanks for writing this. It is a terrific summary for my friends who know little about the WTS and what it teaches.

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

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