Found this report very galling .....
http://news.excite.com/printstory/news/uw/011023/university-44
Jehovah's Witnesses base beliefs solely on Bible
Updated: Tue, Oct 23 12:00 PM EDT
By Bobbi Parry
Daily Utah Chronicle
U. Utah
(U-WIRE) SALT LAKE CITY -- Charles Taze Russell felt disillusioned. After trying life as a Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Adventist and skeptic, he still had not found a religion that suited him. Right, so he invents his own)
So in the early 1870s Russell created his own Bible study group. By 1880 the group had grown into a movement and spread across seven states. The movement called itself Zion's Watchtower and Bible Tract Society (though Zion later was dropped from the name), and a new religion was born.
In 1931 followers of that same faith took on the name Jehovah's Witnesses to distinguish themselves from other Christian religions. The name is strictly biblical. In the Hebrew translation of the Bible, Jehovah is the name of God. The name Jehovah's Witnesses comes from the book of Isaiah, as God calls different nations forth to bear witness to their righteousness.
But the title is not the faith's only distinction. Witnesses' beliefs differ from those of other Christians on several counts. Bob Swartz, an elder in the City Creek (Utah) Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, listed a few.
"We believe in one God, not a trinity. When a person dies, he is in a sleep state until the Resurrection. There is no literal burning hell. And we have an obligation to speak to others about our faith," he said. Elders act as leaders for their congregations, making decisions on behalf of the group, providing guidance for members and giving talks on the Bible.
Jehovah's Witnesses are strictly monotheistic, meaning they believe that Jesus Christ, as the son of God, is inferior to God. They believe the world is ruled by Satan, and Christians should remain separate from it. Considering this belief, Witnesses do not run for public office, join the military or vote. Vote? Conscience matter??
For Swartz, the reasoning behind this belief also can be found in the Bible. "Jesus said his followers would be no part of the world. There are examples in the Bible. He turned down the opportunity to be king," he explained. Jehovah's Witnesses also do not accept blood transfusions because they believe the Bible preaches against them. Oh yes???They maintain the Bible warns against celebrating any holidays -- from Christmas to the Fourth of July -- said Angel Martinez, an elder in the Hispanic City Creek Congregation. Where does it say you cant celebrate Christmas or 4th July??
The faith observes only one holiday: the Memorial of Christ's Death during Passover. You call that a HOLIDAY?? During this time the Lord's Supper is held. Though all members of the faith observe the day, only 8,600 Witnesses actually participate in it. "There is a talk on the importance of the event itself. [The speaker] speaks of the sacrifice Jesus made," Swartz said. Wine and unleavened bread are eaten. "We believe the Bible teaches about a group of individuals that will go up to heaven to rule with Jesus," Swartz said.
In the entire world only 144,000 will be chosen, while the rest will remain in a paradise on Earth. The 8,600 are part of those selected to rule with Jesus Christ. Now, doesnt that sound weird...and I used to wonder why people looked at me strangely on the doors when I told them that...Jehovah's Witnesses base their faith entirely upon Bible study. No - Watchtower and Society literature more like They consider the Old and New Testaments (which are sometimes referred to as the Old Hebrew and Christian Greek Scriptures, respectively) SOMETIMES?? ALWAYS!! to be the only true word of God.
Both Swartz and Hernandez said this emphasis on scripture study was what led them to convert. "It's totally based upon Bible study," I repeat... Watchtower and Society literature study more like!Swartz said. Witnesses study the scriptures in both individual and group settings, he explained. Members devote their meetings -- held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays -- to discussions of the scriptures.
Not quite, more like being told what you can and cant do, blackmail and bribery and false promises
"The meetings all start with a prayer and a song. Then Bible instruction and talks are given. We close with a song and prayer," he said. Readings from the faith's magazine, The Watchtower, also are given. The Bible is so central that every Jehovah's Witness has a goal of reading it once every year.
"Jehovah's Witnesses teach directly from the Bible. It straightened up a lot of the misconceptions of other religions I had been involved in," Swartz said. Oh, good grief...Though Witnesses believe it is their duty to share their beliefs with others, baptism into the faith occurs only when someone has studied and fully understands the Bible. Swartz said most children born to Jehovah's Witnesses become members in their early to mid-teens. No babies are baptized; children must learn to understand the scriptures for themselves prior to their baptism. Approximately six million people in 235 countries worldwide have come to this understanding. All members of a congregation act as missionaries for their faith, distributing literature and answering questions. For Swartz, a large part of this work involves straightening out people's misconceptions about Jehovah's Witnesses.
"Many people believe that we don't believe in Jesus Christ. A lot of rumors about Jehovah's Witnesses are unfounded, like the reason we take literature door to door. [There are] a lot of rumors, except for the truth," he said. In Utah Jehovah's Witnesses enjoy a relatively good reception, Swartz said. "We are received fairly well in comparison to other parts of the country," he said. "Quite a lot of literature is placed in this area." About 4,000 Jehovah's Witnesses reside in Utah. Of this number, a large portion (approximately 600) are Hispanic. Hernandez said the backgrounds of many Spanish speakers lead them to convert. Since they come from poorer countries, they have more of a need to accept God, he said. Can you believe that - people who are poorer then have more of a need for God?!?!?
Though their faith might be well received in some areas today, Jehovah's Witnesses have a history littered with controversy. Their religious objections to voting, saluting the flag and joining the military have drawn them criticism and occasional persecution, especially in times of conflict. One figure states as many as 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were placed in concentration camps during World War II; about 2,500 died there. In 1940 Canada outlawed the religion, forcing Jehovah's Witnesses' children to leave school and in some cases enter foster care. The men were placed in labor camps if they refused to join the army. The religion remains illegal in some countries to this day. Members draw fire for their objections to blood transfusions and their efforts to predict Armageddon. I like that bit - their EFFORTS to predict Armageddon - why didnt the writer just say they keep getting their dates wrong??
However, they have been able to overcome some of their obstacles, striving to preserve religious freedom in the United States along the way. Between 1938 and 1955 the church won 36 of the 45 cases involving religious freedom that it took before the Supreme Court.
Though their beliefs might be controversial, Jehovah's Witnesses are secure in their faith.
"We believe in many things. We believe in Christ; we believe that he died for all of us," Hernandez said. "We believe in all the books of the Bible. We try to use them as much as we can."
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What do you reckon to that then?