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Jehovah's Witnesses

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Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell, first known as the International Bible Students.

Jehovah's Witnesses consider their religion to be a restoration of original first century Christianity. Many Christian groups object to their non-trinitarian theology. Some consider Jehovah's Witnesses non-Christians because they reject the Trinity. The members are known for their racially diverse, close-knit brotherhood, door-to-door evangelizing, and non-participation in government, including politics and military service.

Drawing much of their early membership and theology from the Millerite movement, the Jehovah's Witnesses adopted their current name in 1931 under the direction of Charles Taze Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Rutherford oversaw their transition from being organized in congregations to being centrally organized. At this time several small groups split off, keeping the original name or becoming known as Russelites.

Jehovah's Witness headquarters are located in Brooklyn, New York. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is their main legal representative. Jehovah's Witnesses claim a world-wide membership of more than 6.3 million active individuals[1].

The Witnesses' teachings are mainly presented through two monthly journals published by the Watchtower Society. Awake!, published in 86 languages, is a general-interest magazine covering many topics from a religious perspective. The Watchtower, published in 146 languages, focuses mainly on doctrine. With an average circulation of 25 million copies semimonthly, 'The Watchtower' is the most widely distributed religious magazine in the world. At their yearly conventions, new books, pamphlets, and other items pertaining to the religion's current doctrine are usually released. Their website is one of the few sites on the internet that present information in over 150 different languages (167 in May 2003).

Throughout their history, their doctrines and practices have met controversy. Animosity against them has at times risen to the point of mob action, government oppression — including being targeted in the Holocaust — and widespread criticism from members of other faiths.

In the United States, many Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses have shaped First Amendment law. Significant cases affirmed rights such as these:

By 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court had reviewed 71 cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses, two thirds of which were decided in their favor. Most recently, in 2002, Watchtower disputed an ordinance in Sutton, Ohio that required a permit in order to proselyte from door to door. The Supreme Court decided in favor of Watchtower.


Famous Jehovah's Witnesses



Opposing Viewpoints

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