J E H O V A H`S  W I T N E S S E S

Jehovah's Witnesses

History and Teachings
This movement was founded by Charles Tazé Russell, who originally belonged to an Adventist sect. This sect had announced the Second Coming of Christ for the year 1874. As it did not materialise, Russell postponed the date to 1915, then to 1916 and then again to 1918. After further fruitless waiting for the fulfilment of the prophecy, he decided to declare the Second Coming of Christ to be invisible and further claimed that it had taken place in 1914!
"The Watchtower", a newspaper founded by Russell in 1879, propagates the imminent end times of the social order. Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford, named the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" (1931).
Until the 1970s, the number of followers grew very strongly. But when his successor's announced end-time date of 1975 was again not correct, a large part of the membership was lost.
Rutherford's successor, Nathan Homer Knorr, streamlined the organisation by introducing strict training programmes.
The Witnesses do refer to the Bible, but their Bible edition ("New World Bible") deviates from any ecumenically accepted translation and interpretation.
Jesus is not understood as the Son of God, but as the Archangel Michael.
He is said to have established a throne in heaven from where he leads the people of God (Jehovah's Witnesses). The leadership takes place through the visible representatives (the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society). At the Battle of Armageddon, Christ will destroy all the governments of the world and establish Paradise on Earth with the surviving Jehovah's Witnesses.

Organisation and Way of Life
Food containing animal blood is not permitted. Blood transfusion, even when it is to save lives, is forbidden. Birthdays, Mother's Days and Christmas may not be celebrated as they have a pagan origin.
Membership of political parties, as well as the right to vote, is rejected, in anticipation of the end times and the "New World". 144,000 chosen ones will reign with Christ in heaven (Rev. 7:4). In case of compulsory military service, they decide to do community service instead.
Each member is obliged to spend 40 hours a week going from house to house, advertising. Two publications are distributed for this purpose: " The Watchtower" and "Awake". Members are forbidden to accept Church or political functions.
Leaving this society is difficult and often entails financial losses. The splinter groups that have formed advocate similar doctrines.

Experience Report
In the district where I lived 10 years ago, I regularly received visits from Jehovah's Witnesses. Usually three people come, one of whom is the "leader", the others are the "disciples" of the evangelisation. Unfortunately, there are always Catholics among them who are not satisfied with our Church. Many Catholics do not know the Bible particularly well and therefore do not recognise the falsifications that occur in the "Book of Truth" of Jehovah's Witnesses. They do not know either that the Witnesses do not believe in the Holy Spirit.
Since I am well informed about this group, I always invited these people to pray with me. And since they believe they are Christians, they agreed to pray together. It was the same a few years ago. As a Catholic, I begin every prayer with the sign of the cross: 'In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!' When I mentioned the Holy Spirit, my "friends" jumped up and hurriedly left my house. They neither said "thank you" nor "goodbye" and so I never saw them again.

When Catholics now ask me what they should actually do or say when Jehovah's Witnesses stand in front of their door, I advise them never to enter into a discussion, but to invite them to prayer and then to pray the sign of the cross aloud. Then they will get rid of these zealous Witnesses, mostly forever.
What happens? The Holy Spirit confronts and unveils the falsehood, the bearers of this falsehood cannot tolerate this and evade this confrontation as soon and as quickly as possible. Moreover, it gives a testimony to those who are not yet completely taken in by the false teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is a testimony for our Christian truth and hopefully for those who were baptised as Catholics.