Definition of Jehovah's Witnesses
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Javier Navarro, in Dec. 2016
Christianity is a religion with a wide range of streams, churches and groups. One of them is constituted by the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Historical origin
The founder of this movement was the American Charles Taze Russel, who at the end of the 19th century announced a second coming of Jesus Christ.
According to his teachings, Jesus Christ returned to this world again in 1874 and did so as spirit and not bodily. From this idea, his followers started a new religious trend known as the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Main doctrines
Jesus Christ is considered not to be God and therefore they deny the Trinity as it is held in the approach of Catholicism and of other Trinitarian churches.
By interpreting the Bible in a literal, affirm that when the human soul dies it ceases to exist and, therefore, does not survive. By denying the immortality of the soul, the existence of an eternal hell is also denied.
During their history, Jehovah's Witnesses have prophesied the arrival of the end of the world on several occasions (during the 1st and 2nd War World and in 1975).
Based on the prohibition of eating blood mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, the witnesses reject blood transfusions
In order to support their beliefs they have produced their own translation of the Bible. On the other hand, they consider that the Catholic Church and the rest of Christian currents are corrupted versions and far from the true faith.
From a doctrinal point of view, Jehovah's Witnesses present two fundamental ideas: the rejection of the Trinity and a interpretation literal Bible (the Bible contains the absolute truth and any other interpretation or analysis is rejected).
A religious current surrounded by controversy
This church has been valued at times as a sect destructive. This consideration is based on some testimonies from former members, who have recounted the manipulation techniques of the conduct that are employed with their followers. They are also criticized because they claim that when doomsday arrives, only witnesses will be saved.
With regard to the refusal of blood transfusions, this circumstance It has created a lot of controversy, because sometimes some people have died because they could not receive blood from another person. Finally, Jehovah's Witnesses have received harsh criticism because their religious views go accompanied by a lucrative business selling brochures and publications, as well as large donations from their followers.
Photo: Fotolia - Photocreo Bednarek
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