Like Mormons, Jehovah´s Witnesses believe that Christianity died with the last of the apostles. They believe Christianity was not resurrected until their founder, Charles Taze Russell, began organizing the Watchtower Society in the 1870s. In their view the cross is a pagan symbol adopted by an apostate church and salvation is impossible apart from the Watchtower. While the Witnesses on your doorstep consider themselves to be the only authentic experssion of Christianity, the Society they serve compromises, confuses or contradicts essential Christian doctrine.
First, the Watchtower Society compromises the nature of God. They teach their devotees that the Trinity is a "freakish-looking, three headed God" invented by Satan and that Jesus is merely a god. In Watchtower theology Jesus was created by God as teh archangel Michael, during his earthly sojourn became merely human, and after his crucifixion was re-created an immaterial spirit creature. JW´s also deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. According to Russell, the body that hung on a torture stake either "dissolved into gasses" or is "preserved somewhere as the grand memorial of God´s love".
Furthermore, while Christians in " a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1, 22:17) the Watchtower teaches that only 144,000 who get to go to heaven and a "great crowd" of others who are relegated to earth. The heavenly class are born again, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and partake of communion; the earthly class do not. To substantiate the notion that heaven´s door was closed irrevocably in 1935, JW,s point to "flashes of prophetic light" include Watchtower predictions of end-time cataclysms that were to occur in 1914......1918.......1925.......1975.
Finally, under the threat of being "disfellowshipped," Jehovah´s Witnesses are barred from celebrating Christmas, birthdays, or holidays such as Thanksgiving and Good Friday. Even more troubling are Watchtower regulations regarding vaccinations, organ transplants, and blood transfusions. In 1931, JW´s were instructed to refuse vaccinations - by 1952, this regulations was rescinded. In 1967, organ transplants were ruled a forbidden form of cannibalism -- by 1980, this edict was erased. In 1909, the Watchtower produced a prohibition agains blood transfusions. No doubt, this too will one day become a relic of the past. In the meantime, tens of thousands have no only been ravished spiritually by the Watchtower Society but have paid the ultimate physical price as well.
While Watchtower adherents are often willing to do more for a lie than Christians are willing to do for the truth, these and a host of other doctrinal perversions keep JW´s from rightly being considered Christians.
"If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him" Deuteronomy 18:22
*Taken from The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff editorial house
First, the Watchtower Society compromises the nature of God. They teach their devotees that the Trinity is a "freakish-looking, three headed God" invented by Satan and that Jesus is merely a god. In Watchtower theology Jesus was created by God as teh archangel Michael, during his earthly sojourn became merely human, and after his crucifixion was re-created an immaterial spirit creature. JW´s also deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. According to Russell, the body that hung on a torture stake either "dissolved into gasses" or is "preserved somewhere as the grand memorial of God´s love".
Furthermore, while Christians in " a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1, 22:17) the Watchtower teaches that only 144,000 who get to go to heaven and a "great crowd" of others who are relegated to earth. The heavenly class are born again, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and partake of communion; the earthly class do not. To substantiate the notion that heaven´s door was closed irrevocably in 1935, JW,s point to "flashes of prophetic light" include Watchtower predictions of end-time cataclysms that were to occur in 1914......1918.......1925.......1975.
Finally, under the threat of being "disfellowshipped," Jehovah´s Witnesses are barred from celebrating Christmas, birthdays, or holidays such as Thanksgiving and Good Friday. Even more troubling are Watchtower regulations regarding vaccinations, organ transplants, and blood transfusions. In 1931, JW´s were instructed to refuse vaccinations - by 1952, this regulations was rescinded. In 1967, organ transplants were ruled a forbidden form of cannibalism -- by 1980, this edict was erased. In 1909, the Watchtower produced a prohibition agains blood transfusions. No doubt, this too will one day become a relic of the past. In the meantime, tens of thousands have no only been ravished spiritually by the Watchtower Society but have paid the ultimate physical price as well.
While Watchtower adherents are often willing to do more for a lie than Christians are willing to do for the truth, these and a host of other doctrinal perversions keep JW´s from rightly being considered Christians.
"If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him" Deuteronomy 18:22
*Taken from The Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff editorial house
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