Centrumvux Haninge

English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz

Jehovahs Witnesses

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz

Table of content

1. Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Aim

2. Method

3. Result
3.1 Historical background
3.2 Beliefs
3.3 Restrictions

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

1. Introduction
2

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz

1.1 Background
I still remember hearing about Jehovahs witnesses for the first time, my head was
filled with confusion, questions and therefore my ignorance grew. I did not act in a bad
manner towards them I just did not understand what their beliefs were and how they
practiced it. Questions like do they make human sacrifices, do they marry off their
young to their leader came across my mind. I was at this point a young adult, an
ignorant young adult filled with prejudice towards a group of people that I had never
met. It is so easy to make fun of people when they are not standing in front of you. As
I got older of course my thoughts changed but I still could not put my finger on what
their religion stood for and why they were prohibited from doing different things such
as celebrations and blood transfusions. I forgot about my questions at some point until
a close family member turned out to be a member of this religious movement and I
wanted to have answers to the questions that I once had when I was younger. Racism
and hatred toward religion or people comes from ignorance and lack of knowledge, I
wouldnt say that I hated or discriminated them for what they believed in, but there
was ignorance and a lack of knowledge from my part. Despite my lack of knowledge
and at times wrong assumptions, I do believe that every person is beautiful, and every
religion is beautiful in its own way.

1.2 Aim
My interest grew from my lack of knowledge so I wanted to learn more, and I found
this to be the perfect opportunity to gather some information about Jehovahs
Witnesses. My aim is not to pick it apart, to prove a point whether it is the right
religion or not. It is a simple as this; I want to enlighten people who are or were in the
same ignorant state that I found myself in so many years ago or just inform people in
general about Jehovahs Witnesses. I hope that by the end of this paper you will have
more knowledge about this cult religion, as will I.

2. Method
The method I chose for my essay is primarily the internet. I found that it is the easiest
way for me to collect accurate information about a topic that I knew nothing about. I
hoped to find some good information in books and even talking to and interviewing
people that were a part of this religious sect but made no progress in that area. So I
left that idea and went on writing my essay relying on what the internet had to offer and
information that I found in books.

3. Result
3.1 Historical background
3

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz
The year was 1952 and the world was in full bloom, Elisabeth the II had just been
proclaimed queen of England and on the other side of the
continent the University of Tennessee had just admitted
its first African American student. Somewhere in
between these historical events a little boy was born on
February 16th to Joseph L. and Anna Eliza Russell in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They named their little boy
Charles Taze Russell and little did they know that he
would grow up to be the founder of modern days largest
and
vast growing cult religion.
As Russell got older he found himself drifting away from his Presbyterian upbringing,
his scepticism toward the religion grew and he refused to believe that God could send
anyone to hell. At the age of 17 when he tried to convert an atheist to Christianity he
found himself converted to agnosticism, later on Russell went to a meeting where it
was said that Jesus Christ would be back again in a short period of time and this
information got him interested in Bible study.
In the 1970s Russell led a Bible study class in Pennsylvania which he named
Millennial Dawn Bible Study where they searched the script after what Russell
called Gods present truth and his first mission was to find proof that there was no
hell. He wanted his message and the results from his Bible studies to reach others so
he started to write a series of books called The Millennial Dawn he wrote a total of 6
books before he passed away in October 1916. It was not Russells intention to start a
new religious movement neither did he claim to have received a revelation from God.1
When Charles Taze Russell passed away a Missouri lawyer
named Joseph Franklin Rutherford took over presidency of
the religious movement The Watch Tower Society. The
movement grew and Rutherford continued working on the
book collection that Russell had once started, he wrote a 7th
book and then decided to change the name of the
movement to what we know today Jehovah Witness2

1http://www.knocking.org/jehovahs_witness_history.html

2http://www.gotquestions.org/Jehovahs-Witnesses.html

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz
The following years brought about many leadership
changes, after Rutherfords passing Nathan Knorr took
over. After Knorr, Frederick William Franz became
president. In modern day the society was led by Milton
George Henschel who died in 2003, by then the Jehovah
Witness was one of the largest and vast growing
religiousmovements in the world with nearly 2000
members joining every year. 3

3.2 Beliefs
The modern day Jehovah Witness beliefs are based on the founder Charles Taze
Russells teaching and the successive presidents of the Watch Tower Society. Even
though this religious movement is an interpretation of Christianity it is considered the
one true Christian religion by the members themselves.
Members of the Witness believe that there is only one true god whose name had
been revealed in the Bible as Jehovah, and they are his followers that have the task to
spread his message and guide others to the right path, the Jehovah witness path.
This religion does not speak of trinity which is a word that is used to explain that there
are three different people called God, God the father, God the son and God the Holy
Spirit. According to Jehovahs Witnesses Jesus was not fully god nor fully human; He
was the son of god, his first creation. Jesus did exist before he was sent to earth but as
a spirit that God and his spokesmen had created, he took human form and became the
man we know as Jesus by means of a virgin birth.
Charles Taze Russell spoke of the non-existence of hell and this truth as he called it
is still one of the main beliefs in Jehovah Witness. Heaven on the other hand is
according to them a kingdom where Jehovah himself is found in a spirit body. They
believe that Jehovah (God) sees all and even though he is the creator of the universe
he does not rule the world and when the time comes, when salvation comes 144.000
people will be invited to join Jehovah in heaven and the rest who obey God will live
forever on a restored paradise earth.4

3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses#History

4http://www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs-witnesses/beliefs
http://christianity.about.com/od/jehovahswitnesses/a/jwbeliefs.htm
5

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz

3.4 Restrictions
Being a part of this religious movement means that there are rules to follow,
restrictions to be exact, that are mandatory if you want to be on Gods good side and
still be a member of Jehovahs Witnesses. For example, blood transfusion, celebrating
Christmas and birthdays are some of the restrictions that the members are prohibited
from doing.
Blood transfusion;
One of the strictest rules that Jehovahs Witnesses must fallow is not to accept blood
transfusion or to give blood, since the movement is based on an interpretation on the
bible the answer to why are found within its pages;
(Genesis 9:4) 4But you hall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.
(Leviticus 17:14) 14For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life.
Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any
creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
(Acts 15:28-29) 28for it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no
greater burden than these requirements: 29that you abstain from what has been a
sacrificed idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual
immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
They mean that these Bible verses should apply regardless if you eat, drink or receive
blood via transfusion. According to Jehovahs witnesses and their beliefs the blood
that runs in our veins are a sign of life, blood is holy and something that should not be
shared with other. Taking someone elses blood is like taking that persons life, and the
same apply for every individual, if you give blood you give them a part of yourself
and your life and that is why it is prohibited.

Celebrations;

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz
Not being able to participate in celebrating birthdays or Christmas is yet another
restrictionfor the members of Jehovahs Witnesses. Allot of people think that the
members of the watch tower society are not Christians that they do not believe in Jesus
Christ and that is the reason behind why they do not celebrate Christmas. But they are
in fact Christians, according to themselves, and they do believe in Jesus, there are two
reasons to why they do not celebrate Christmas. Firstly, according to Jehovahs
Witnesses the birth of Jesus was never documented so there is no knowledge of his
exact birthdate and secondly the biggest reason to why they dont celebrate the birth of
Christ is answered in this bible verse:
(Luke 12:19-20) 19Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them,
saying: This means my body, which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in
remembrance of me.20 Also, he did the same with the cup after they had the evening
meal, saying: This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be
poured out in your behalf.
According to their interpretation of the bible verse above Jesus say that we are to
celebrate his death and not his birth, therefore they do not celebrate Christmas. 5
When it comes to the why they do not celebrate birthdays there are different yet very
similar reasons behind it;
In the book Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and
Lege (1984) Maria Lech and Jerome Fried write about evil spirits and dark powers
that have the opportunity to attack the person whose birthdays being celebrated, and
that the presence of friends and family acts like a protection against it. In another book
that is dedicated to the history of birthday celebrationsThe Lore of Birthdays (1952)
Ralph and Adelin Linto write about the meaning behind it, its said that in ancient
times it was of great importance to hold birthday record for the casting of horoscope
and that the birthday candles hold magical powers which could grant wishes.
Since Jehovah witness started from a bible study group the answers to why they dont
celebrate birthdays is found and interoperated in numerous bible verses;
(Deuteronomy 18:14) 14For these nations that you are dispossessing used to listen to
those practicing magic and divination, but Jehovah your God has not allowed you to
do anything like this

5
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/why-not-celebrate-christmas/
7

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz
(Galatians 5:19-21) 19Now the work of the flesh are plainly seen, and they are sexual
immorality, uncleanness, brazen conduct, 20idolatry, spiritism, hostility, strife,
jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, sects,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and thing
like these. I am forewarning you about these things, the same way I already warned
you, that those who practice such things will not inherit Gods Kingdom
Jehovahs Witnesses are not especially preoccupied when it comes to the origins of
ancient traditions and superstition but when the Bible is as clear on a subject, as in the
Bible verses above, they cannot ignore it. Gods words are very distinctly, as a
member of the Watch tower society you are not allowed to use magic, divination,
spiritism or anything of that sort. Even though birthdays have lost its original meaning
(which was associated witch magic and spiritism) Jehovahs Witnesses cannot look
past it since God condemns the use of magic. 6

4. Discussion
Being a member of Jehovahs Witnesses means that you do believe in heaven but not
in hell, they say that if you do good by Jehovah, if you follow the rules when salvation
comes you will be saved and join the others, either by being one of the 144.000 that
gets to go to heaven or by being sent to a restored paradise earth. But if you are not a
member of this religious movement or if you disobey Jehovah you will not go to hell,
but will be trapped in your body left to rot in your grave and after 1000 years you are
given the chance to prove your loyalty and Jehovah then decides if you are worthy a
place among the others or not. Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the watch tower
society said that no God can be so cruel as to send someone to hell, but Jehovah who
lets people lay in their graves for 1000 years and if they after that period of time are
not worthy a place in heaven they are turned into dust, yet he is not considered cruel
because hell is associated with pain and suffering, since there is no hell according to
this religious movement the people who are not a part of it just seize to exist, no pain,
no suffering.
According to the bible blood is life and taking someones blood is just as bad as
taking ones life. Even though the bible does not say you shall not accept blood from
others in clear text the founders of Jehovahs Witnesses maid their own
interpretations of the bible verses where it is mentioned. In the old days abstaining
from the blood of others might not of hade devastating consequences but in modern
day and with modern technology ones life could be saved if needed with blood
transfusions. By not accepting the life of others, as they see it, you risk losing your
6
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/birthdays/

Centrumvux Haninge
English 7
Tutor: Phyllis Hallsj
Bilge Yilmaz
own. In most religions you are allowed to commit a sin if your life is in danger and
God would look past it but when it comes to Jehovah who allegedly is not cruel
because he does not send people to hell yet has no problem letting people refuse help
from others when they need it at most because you are prohibited to take or receive
blood.
When it comes not participating in birthday celebrations it does not affect people in
the same way as denying blood transfusions, even though is does not harm you in the
sense that you may lose your life it can still affect people in a negative way. As an
adult you can reason and understand the meaning behind the religion that you practice
but when it comes to children it might be hard for them to understand why they are not
being celebrated on their birthday as so many of their classmates are, and why they are
not allowed to participate in the birthday parties which they are invited to which could
make them more isolated and left alone. Children do not understand the reasoning
behind religions acts in the same way adults do, and by not being able to participate in
activities with friends can lead to depression and isolation. It is more common though
that the children that are members of Jehovahs Witnesses play with other children that
share the same values, and even though they do not celebrate birthdays they still get
present from their parents. It is not to celebrate anything (since it is prohibited) they
just do it because they want to make their children happy and encourage something
that they think he or she did.

Conclusion
I started writing this essay focusing on my main aim which was to learn more about
the biggest religious movement in the world Jehovahs Witnesses, what they believe in
and the reasons to why they do not accept blood transfusions or celebrate birthdays. I
really hope that you as a reader have learnt something from this paper as well.
In conclusion it is of great importance not to judge a religion based on what others say,
you should collect accurate information and then make up your own mind, this applies
to any religions. There is more than meets the eye and even though there are many
questions that are still unanswered such as how they coexist in society and how they
are received by other I hope that I have been able to bring some light to this
wrongfully darkened religious movement.