Jehovah’s Witnesses Gary Davis University of Phoenix REL334/World Religious Traditions II Dr. Devon Smith January 10, 2007
Jehovah’s Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses get their name from Jehovah, which is English version of the name given for God in the Hebrew Scriptures. The word Witnesses is taken from the passage in Isaiah 43:10 “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord..." Jehovah's Witnesses are a high strength religious group that requires a major obligation from its associates. Witnesses now have approximately six million publishers and pioneers in more than 75,000 congregations in over 200 nations. There are approximately one million Jehovah's Witnesses in the U.S., and just over …show more content…

They estimate that Jesus was born on October 2, although this date is not observed. Members who are discovered observing "worldly" or "Pagan" holidays, for example: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Canada Day, and Halloween may be excommunicated. They do not have a Sabbath; they look upon every day as holy. There are five meetings each week: Public Talk regularly every Sunday, when an Elder will convey a speech concerning a certain subject. The Watchtower Study regularly follows the public talk. This is a class that studies a learning editorial in the recent Watchtower. Theocratic Ministry School generally happens on a weekday evening. The presenters practice giving talks and witnessing. A Service Meeting generally follows the Theocratic Ministry School. This comprises of teachings for a variety of ministry activities. Sometimes, the elders will speak about particular items and problems for the parishioners Book Study is held at sometime during the week, a part of a Watchtower periodical is studied intensely. There is an enormous amount of half truths about the WTS' concerning restrictions on access to the Bible. In actuality, members are allowed to use Bible translations, commentaries, and dictionaries that are created by non-Watchtower publishers. They are encouraged to study the Bible. Every Witness is given the challenge of reading