Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses, the name that evokes a variety of images and produces a numerous amount of reactions. Known around the world for distinct beliefs, door-to-door proselytism, refusal to participate in any political or military conflict or saluting to the national flag of the many lands in which they live and worship in, often greeted with a mixture of respect and hostility. According to the Yearbook of Jehovah s Witnesses they number well over six hundred thousand active members worldwide and are regularly involved in spreading information about their religious beliefs and practices. Although Jehovah's Witnesses are generally eager to discuss their religious beliefs and convictions, there are still those who view them with such hostility that tend to view them as a closed and secretive society.
I admit I have also personally had a similar view for several years. This continued until I met friends of my father, Luis and Nancy who have experienced such disdainful reception from those viewing them as a nuisance. It was only when I spoke to them that I learned what their beliefs were about. In writing this paper I wish to explain how the Jehovah’s Witnesses came to be as well as their organization and exactly what their beliefs are.
History of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Before this group was created there was an Adventist movement that rose in the 1830s based on the predictions of William Miller, who declared that Jesus Christ would return in 1843 or 1844 (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.). When Christ did not return as prophesized, the Adventists divided into separate factions. The sect known today as the Jehovah’s Witnesses originated in about 1872 when Charles Taze Russell, who established himself as an independ...
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...ear in the extant Greek manuscripts. In response to this critical response the Society published that the name was "restored" on a sound basis, particularly when New Testament writers used the Greek Kyrios (Lord) when translating Old Testament Hebrew scriptures that contained the Tetragrammaton. Additionally Jason BeDuhn states that changing the name Jehovah “violates accuracy in favor of denominationally preferred expressions for God" (BeDuhn 2003).
As it can be clearly seen there is certainly is plenty of controversy surrounding the Jehovah’s Witnesses. However in spite of this they have firm beliefs and have persisted since the late 1800s. In conclusion while no one will fully be able to fully comprehend the Jehovah’s Witnesses without being one, I believe that the first step is to learn about their history, organizational structure and especially their beliefs.
In 1929, Victor Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant, claimed that he had a new message for the Seventh Day Adventist church. He submitted it to the church in the form of a book called "The Shepard's Rod". In the book he points out how the church has departed from basic church teachings. The churches leaders frowned upon his claims and felt that they would start uproar in the church. The leaders decided to ban him from the church. Once he was banned he formed a new church called the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. He got the Davidian from the belief to restore the Davidic kingdom. In 1955 after Houteff's death the movement split forming the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. The term branch refers to the new name for Jesus Christ. The group, founded by Benjamin L. Roden, settled outside of Waco, Texas. The group occupied land formerly owned by the Davidian group. George Roden, the son of Benjamin, claimed he was the group's prophet but was sent to jail. The group never had a clear-cut leader until Vernon Howell took charge in 1988.
Developed from the Radical Reformation in the 1300’s, a group was formed called the Anabaptists. These Anabaptists were a joint group between the Mennonites, the Hutterites, and the Amish. The Amish people came from a split in the Swiss Mennonites in 1693 when a man named Jacob Amman and his supporters left their church to begin their own. Jacob Amman was born in Switzerland as an Anabaptist in 1644, and is considered the founder of the Amish religion.
Some bible principles deal with family life, work habits, and relationships with others. They apply to all people and its counsel is always beneficial. Many who say that the bible is unhelpful and is a waste of time haven't read it or tried to live by its standards, so they do not fully know this. It is impossible to fully understand what it feels like to live by bible standards unless you've tried it yourself. It is impossible to fully understand what it feels like to be a Jehovah's Witness unless you've embarked on the lifestyle.
The Branch Davidians trace their origins to the Davidian movement, a splinter group of Seventh-Day Adventists founded by Adventist leader Victor Houteff in Los Angeles, California, in 1934. Houteff retained the traditional Adventist belief that the apocalypse (the end of the world) and the Second Coming of Christ were imminent and would be preceded by catastrophes and war. Houteff also taught that the kingdom of ancient Israelite monarch David—hence the term Davidian—would be reestablished in Palestine. After splitting from the Adventists, Houteff led his followers from Los Angeles to Waco, where they established the communal Mount Carmel Center. Houteff died in 1955, and the Branch Davidian movement itself eventually splintered.
The Heaven’s Gate Cult is one of thousands of millennial cults and UFO- based cults throughout the world. It has existed for over 22 years now. The cult was lead by a man named Marshall Applewhite and a woman named Bonnie Nettles. They were referred to as “Do” and “Ti” by the cult. These were said to be their spiritual names. Bonnie met Marshall as a patient in a psychiatric hospital where she worked as a nurse.
The Amish have their roots in the Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe, led by Martin Luther. Of these Protestant groups one sect was the Anabaptists. The first Anabaptist group was kno...
The Heaven’s Gate Cult was founded in the early 1970’s by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Applewhite was recovering, under the care of his nurse Ms. Nettles, when he claimed to have has a near death experience. Applewhite claimed that he and Nettles were the two witnesses spoken of in the Book of Revelation. And they were to prepare the worlds inhabitants for recycling.
In the end, our oldest and most comprehensive lexicon of the New Testament’s use of Kurios is the Septuagint itself. It has been suggested that the majority of NT quotations were taken from the Septuagint. Therefore, if we follow this through to the logical conclusion, based on the following facts, we will see that the NT's use of Kurios means YHWH or Jehovah. Even if we discard the fact that our earliest Septuagint manuscripts used the Tetragrammaton, we know that the Septuagint was translated from the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew Scriptures used the divine name. We have evidence of this in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic text. Therefore, at some point the translators of the Septuagint either translated the Tetragrammaton as Kurios or scribes replaced the name at a later date. Now, using our current manuscript copies of the New Testament that use only Kurios, and because the quotations and other references to the God of the Hebrew Scriptures in the NT are from the Septuagint, the intended meaning behind the word Kurios would be the divine name. The NWT is merely using a different, valid lexical English word for Kurios to denote the divine name in the New Testament quotations and elsewhere when God is intended.
Society strives to feel a sense of belonging. We want to be a part of something that shares the same beliefs as us. We spend our time trying to place ourselves in a group to satisfy these needs, whether it is in a hobby club, a group of friends, or religion. Some people go to more extreme measures and find this in what we call a cult. According to Henslin, a cult is a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. (2013:405) Cults are often identified with the ideas of mass murder, deviant behaviors, unusual beliefs, and extremely devoted members. Cults are also highly known for their leaders. The leaders of cults usually are the ones that portray the image for the entire group. Successful cults take a strong-minded and, according to Max Weber, charismatic leader.
The church of Scientology has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Its methods and beliefs have attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. The church has been under government investigation and has endured a countless amount of lawsuits (Reitman 14). It is also a hot topic by the media with several endorsements by some of the most recognized Hollywood celebrities. However, the main topic of debate regarding the Church of Scientology is its status as a religion. Some members claim that the church has helped them overcome their struggles and that they are happier people, while others condemn it as a dangerous cult (Sweeney). The church of Scientology is a religious group whose purpose is to retain their members with the promise of spiritual enlightenment. Its controversial history, beliefs, and practices reveal the church’s commitment to keep its members.
People join cults as a way of feeling a sense of belonging within a community (Winner 2011:417). This need for belonging is eventually why members find themselves so involved that they cannot get out. This is especially true in the case of the cult created by Jim Jones. He established a cultic Church called the People’s Temple, most famously known for being the largest group suicide consisting of 909 people, including 276 children (Nelson 2006). Between five to seven million young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are involved in cult groups (“Cult statistics” 2010). Nearly 180 000 people are recruited into cults each year (“Cult Statistics” 2010). The sense of identity, purpose, and belonging are appealing aspects to why people join cults as the use of power and manipulation coerces them to stay.
Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a “system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc.” Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused “ tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education’s, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet”(Beck 78).
During the dawn of the mid 20th century a new idea began to formulate within the mind of L. Ron Hubbard that would later give birth to what is known today as one of the fastest growing religions of the 21st century; this controversial religion is called Scientology. Scientology has acquired many individuals from all walks of life, ethnicities, and International regions of the world into its membership.
Such total separation, the group preached, was necessary because Earth's human structures --governmental, economic and, especially, religious -- were under the control of demonic forces: “Luciferians” and evil “space aliens,” in the group's terms. In time, they began calling themselves “the Two,” a reference to the “two witnesses” of Christ foretold in the Bible's Book of Revelation. According to the Bible, the two witnesses are prophets who will be slain by a beast from the bottomless pit, then be resurrected and ascend to Heaven. They were both anti-establishment and intolerant, calling for total separation from society, simple living with shared resources, and adherence to a rigorous moral code. Applewhite also required members of the cult to dress, talk, and look the same.
Judaism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Abraham, his descendants, and Moses are believed to have been the founders. According to Jewish beliefs until Abraham man worshiped many Gods. The story begins with Abraham and his wife Sarah trying to conceive a child. When Abraham was 99 and Sarah 90 God came to Abraham and told him they would have a son. After the child was born God again came to Abraham and tested his beliefs by asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Isaac willingly went with Abraham to be sacrificed. Before Abraham could sacrifice Isaac God sent an angel down to stop him. As a reward for his faith God made a covenant with Abraham that he and his descendants would be protected as long as they continued to show faith in him and live a life that was wholesome. Also from this it is said God blessed Abraham with many children. His son Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau, Jacob who changes his name to Israel had twelve sons. Israel’s had twelve sons they are the “12 tribes of Israel” and their descendants are later known as the Israelites also called Hebrews.