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Free Bible Students

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Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
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The Free Bible Students is the branch of the Bible Student movement that discarded most of Watch Tower Society founder Charles Taze Russell's writings as error. The Free Bible Students form independent, autonomous assemblies and the name, "Free", is given to them to distinguish them from Bible Students, with whom they share historical roots.


Contents  [hide]
1 History 1.1 New Covenant Believers
1.2 Christian Millennial Fellowship
1.3 Free Bible Students Association
2 Beliefs 2.1 The Bible
2.2 God the Father
2.3 Jesus the Son
2.4 The Holy Spirit
2.5 The Church
2.6 Prophecy
2.7 Christian Ordinances
2.8 Ten Commandments
2.9 Man, Satan, Sin, and Death
2.10 Kingdom of God
3 Worship style
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

History[edit]
In 1905 Paul S.L. Johnson, one of Russell's pilgrims and a former Lutheran minister, pointed out to Ch. T. Russell that his doctrines on the New Covenant had undergone a complete reversal: until 1880 he had taught that the New Covenant would be inaugurated only after the last of the 144,000 anointed Christians had been taken to heaven,[1] but from 1881 he had written that it was already in force.[2] Russell reconsidered the question and in January 1907 wrote several Watch Tower articles not only reaffirming his 1880 position - that "the new covenant belongs exclusively to the coming age" - but adding that since the church was under no mediated covenant, it had no Mediator at all.[3] Further, the church itself would join Christ as a joint Messiah and Mediator during the Millennium. Several prominent Bible Students vigorously opposed the new teaching.
New Covenant Believers[edit]
On October 24, 1909 former Society secretary-treasurer E.C. Henninges, who was by then the Australian branch manager of the International Bible Students Association, based in Melbourne, wrote Russell an open letter of protest trying to persuade him to abandon the teaching and calling on Bible Students to examine its legitimacy. When Russell refused, Henninges and most of the Melbourne congregation left Russell's movement to form the New Covenant Fellowship Hundreds out of the estimated 10,000 US Bible Students also left, including pilgrim M.L. McPhail, a member of the Chicago Bible Students and A. E. Williamson of Brooklyn. The dissidents formed the New Covenant Believers. In 1908 they began publishing "The Kingdom Scribe", which ceased publication in 1975. Since 1956 they have published "The Berean News", a small newsletter. The founding group is now known under the name Berean Bible Students Church in Lombard, Il.[4]
Christian Millennial Fellowship[edit]
In 1928 the Italian Bible Students Association in Hartford, CT., withdrew their support from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and 1938 established the Christian Millennial Fellowship as a publishing arm for their ministry work. In 1940 they began publishing The New Creation, a Herald of God's Kingdom.[5] The publishing house eventually reorganized and has relocated to New Jersey, with branch offices in Australia, Austria, England, Ghana, Germany, India, Italy, Japan and Romania.[6] They withdrew their support in 1928, and in 1940, they produced the New Creation - a Herald of Christ's Kingdom magazine. However a few years later, Gaetano Boccaccio, began to be influenced by the writings of E.C. Henninges and M.L. McPhail. The CMF eventually discarded most of Russell's writings as error. Gaetano Boccaccio was its leader since its inception, having been with the Society since 1917, he died in 1996. Today, the ministry work is now known as Christian Discipling Ministries International.[7]
Free Bible Students Association[edit]
Conrad C. Binkele the former Branch Manager of Watchtower Society founded in 1928 the community of "Free Bible Students Association" in the German region with other brethren. He began publishing "Der Pilgrim" a religious magazin from 1930 to 1934. These efforts were all suspended around the advent of the Nazi regime. Members of this community were made as well in the Nazi concentration camps under the "Purple angle" of the Bible Students.[8] After the war, the Free Bible Students were again able to receive literature and the Mission again at startup.
All Christian of all this Missionworks they refer to themselves as "Free Bible Students", implying that they are no longer under the control of a man or organization.[5] Unlike the Bible Students, they eventually discarded most of Watch Tower Society founder Charles Taze Russell's writings as error.
Beliefs[edit]
The Bible[edit]
The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is God’s inspired Word. Inerrant in its original writing, the Bible is the only authoritative and infallible rule of faith and conduct for humanity.
God the Father[edit]
God the Father of whom are all things, whom no one has seen nor can see, reigns in the heavens and transcends our complete knowing. He is revealed as our loving heavenly Father by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, God will restore perfect harmony to all creation through Christ and reign eternally over the redeemed.
Jesus the Son[edit]
They believe that Jesus Christ is God’s one and only begotten Son. As begotten, not created, He shares the nature, names, and attributes of God with the Father. As Son, not Father, Jesus is subordinate to His Father in rank. From eternity, the Son was with the Father, shared the Father’s glory as the pre-incarnate Word, and with Him created and sustains all things. Jesus the Christ (Messiah) was born of the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus uniting two natures human and divine. Jesus lived without sin, died as an atoning sacrifice for sin, was entombed for three days and three nights, was resurrected bodily, and ascended to His Father to serve as mediator and high priest. He reigns as Lord in heaven and will return to earth as judge and king. Now it pleases the Father that the Son is preeminent in all things and receives our worship.[9]
The Holy Spirit[edit]
The Holy Spirit is the promised divine helper who proceeds from the Father and Son. The Spirit is God’s presence and power in the world and indwells believers. By the Holy Spirit, God inspired and illuminates the Scriptures; convicts and regenerates sinners; sanctifies, teaches, comforts, guides, and preserves believers; and empowers them for service. Evidences of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life are faith in Christ, obedience to God, and the spiritual fruit of love.
The Church[edit]
The Church of God in Scripture is a spiritual body of believers who hold the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God. Under the lordship of Christ and the authority of His Word, the church exists universally and locally for purposes of worshipping God, preaching the gospel, nurturing believers, and serving humanity. Christians should participate in the church’s mission by service to others and fellowship with believers.
Prophecy[edit]
Bible prophecy preserves and strengthens a believer’s hope for the Second Advent. It identifies religious, social, and political trends and events, including the rebirth of the nation of Israel, which point to the imminent return of Christ and the eventual establishment of God’s eternal kingdom on earth.
Christian Ordinances[edit]
Christ prescribed two ordinances that confirm faith in Him: 1) baptism, preceded by a confession of faith in Christ and repentance, symbolizing the believer’s initial union with Christ by death to sins, burial (immersion) in water, and rising to new life; and 2) Lord's Supper, an annual memorial of Christ’s death in which believers eat the bread and drink from the cup symbols of His body and blood. They extend charity toward those who may observe communion at other times. This communion service demonstrates fellowship with our Savior until He comes again.[10]
Ten Commandments[edit]
The Ten Commandments were known and obeyed by faithful people before the law was given at Sinai. Later incorporated into the new covenant by the example and teaching of Christ, they constitute the basic moral code for humanity and are obeyed to demonstrate the believer’s love for God and his fellowman.
Man, Satan, Sin, and Death[edit]
Free Bible Students believe the humanity was created in the image of God: sinless, though not naturally immortal. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, all human beings became sinners by nature and by choice. The penalty for our sin is alienation from God, physical death (without consciousness), and, ultimately, eternal death for those who do not receive the salvation offered by Christ. It was Satan, the adversary of God, who tempted our first parents in the garden. The Devil is still capable of transforming himself into an angel of light but will finally be destroyed in the lake of fire.[11]
Kingdom of God[edit]
They believe that the Kingdom of God (kingdom of heaven) is realized in three phases:
The Present Kingdom
The spiritual kingdom of grace exists now as God rules in the lives of obedient believers. This kingdom was announced and revealed through the prophets and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We enter this kingdom when we turn from sin to serve God through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Millennial Kingdom of Christ
Free Bible Students believe that the purpose of the second advent is to bless all mankind, and renew the earth into the paradise conditions that existed in the Garden of Eden. Jesus will return to earth in power and glory to resurrect the righteous dead, bestow immortality and eternal life upon the resurrected and the living righteous, avenge the saints, and be glorified in them. His earthly reign of one thousand years will be a universal kingdom in which all principalities, powers, and enemies are overcome. At its conclusion, the unrighteous will be resurrected to suffer annihilation at the great white throne judgment.[12]
The Eternal Kingdom of God
God’s eternal kingdom will begin when Jesus Christ, having put all enemies under His feet, turns the kingdom over to the Father. God will dwell with the redeemed in a new heaven and a new earth where no disappointment, defilement, or death can enter and where righteousness and peace will prevail forever.
Worship style[edit]



 Free Bible Students meet in buildings called Church or Ecclesia, like this one in 32 Chapel Lane Somersworth, NH 03878.
Free Bible Students emphasize that worship is not limited to the Sunday gathering, but is a lifestyle of love and service to Christ and dedication to God's truth as revealed in the Scriptures. Most churches expect the members to carry the message of the gospel into the world among their family and friends.
See also[edit]
Bible Student movement
External links[edit]
Free Bible Students International
The New Creation
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Three Great Covenants", Zion's Watch Tower, March 1880.
2.Jump up ^ "The New Covenant vs the Law Covenant", Zion's Watch Tower, September 1887.
3.Jump up ^ "The Mediator of the New Covernant", Zion's Watch Tower, January 1, 1907, pages 9, 10.
4.Jump up ^ The Berean News
5.^ Jump up to: a b Who are the Free Bible Students and what is their history?
6.Jump up ^ The CMF Annual Report for 2006, Nr 2, 2007.
7.Jump up ^ Christian Discipling Ministries International
8.Jump up ^ Detlef Garbe: Between resistance and martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich; Page 100
9.Jump up ^ "How Well Do You Know God?", CMF Advanced Bible Cours, page 11
10.Jump up ^ "Have You Met Jesus?", CMF free booklet, page 2
11.Jump up ^ "Just What is Hell?", CMF tract, page 3
12.Jump up ^ "The Second Coming of our Lord", CMF tract, page 5
  


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Free Bible Students

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 

The Free Bible Students is the branch of the Bible Student movement that discarded most of Watch Tower Society founder Charles Taze Russell's writings as error. The Free Bible Students form independent, autonomous assemblies and the name, "Free", is given to them to distinguish them from Bible Students, with whom they share historical roots.


Contents  [hide]
1 History 1.1 New Covenant Believers
1.2 Christian Millennial Fellowship
1.3 Free Bible Students Association
2 Beliefs 2.1 The Bible
2.2 God the Father
2.3 Jesus the Son
2.4 The Holy Spirit
2.5 The Church
2.6 Prophecy
2.7 Christian Ordinances
2.8 Ten Commandments
2.9 Man, Satan, Sin, and Death
2.10 Kingdom of God
3 Worship style
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

History[edit]
In 1905 Paul S.L. Johnson, one of Russell's pilgrims and a former Lutheran minister, pointed out to Ch. T. Russell that his doctrines on the New Covenant had undergone a complete reversal: until 1880 he had taught that the New Covenant would be inaugurated only after the last of the 144,000 anointed Christians had been taken to heaven,[1] but from 1881 he had written that it was already in force.[2] Russell reconsidered the question and in January 1907 wrote several Watch Tower articles not only reaffirming his 1880 position - that "the new covenant belongs exclusively to the coming age" - but adding that since the church was under no mediated covenant, it had no Mediator at all.[3] Further, the church itself would join Christ as a joint Messiah and Mediator during the Millennium. Several prominent Bible Students vigorously opposed the new teaching.
New Covenant Believers[edit]
On October 24, 1909 former Society secretary-treasurer E.C. Henninges, who was by then the Australian branch manager of the International Bible Students Association, based in Melbourne, wrote Russell an open letter of protest trying to persuade him to abandon the teaching and calling on Bible Students to examine its legitimacy. When Russell refused, Henninges and most of the Melbourne congregation left Russell's movement to form the New Covenant Fellowship Hundreds out of the estimated 10,000 US Bible Students also left, including pilgrim M.L. McPhail, a member of the Chicago Bible Students and A. E. Williamson of Brooklyn. The dissidents formed the New Covenant Believers. In 1908 they began publishing "The Kingdom Scribe", which ceased publication in 1975. Since 1956 they have published "The Berean News", a small newsletter. The founding group is now known under the name Berean Bible Students Church in Lombard, Il.[4]
Christian Millennial Fellowship[edit]
In 1928 the Italian Bible Students Association in Hartford, CT., withdrew their support from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and 1938 established the Christian Millennial Fellowship as a publishing arm for their ministry work. In 1940 they began publishing The New Creation, a Herald of God's Kingdom.[5] The publishing house eventually reorganized and has relocated to New Jersey, with branch offices in Australia, Austria, England, Ghana, Germany, India, Italy, Japan and Romania.[6] They withdrew their support in 1928, and in 1940, they produced the New Creation - a Herald of Christ's Kingdom magazine. However a few years later, Gaetano Boccaccio, began to be influenced by the writings of E.C. Henninges and M.L. McPhail. The CMF eventually discarded most of Russell's writings as error. Gaetano Boccaccio was its leader since its inception, having been with the Society since 1917, he died in 1996. Today, the ministry work is now known as Christian Discipling Ministries International.[7]
Free Bible Students Association[edit]
Conrad C. Binkele the former Branch Manager of Watchtower Society founded in 1928 the community of "Free Bible Students Association" in the German region with other brethren. He began publishing "Der Pilgrim" a religious magazin from 1930 to 1934. These efforts were all suspended around the advent of the Nazi regime. Members of this community were made as well in the Nazi concentration camps under the "Purple angle" of the Bible Students.[8] After the war, the Free Bible Students were again able to receive literature and the Mission again at startup.
All Christian of all this Missionworks they refer to themselves as "Free Bible Students", implying that they are no longer under the control of a man or organization.[5] Unlike the Bible Students, they eventually discarded most of Watch Tower Society founder Charles Taze Russell's writings as error.
Beliefs[edit]
The Bible[edit]
The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is God’s inspired Word. Inerrant in its original writing, the Bible is the only authoritative and infallible rule of faith and conduct for humanity.
God the Father[edit]
God the Father of whom are all things, whom no one has seen nor can see, reigns in the heavens and transcends our complete knowing. He is revealed as our loving heavenly Father by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, God will restore perfect harmony to all creation through Christ and reign eternally over the redeemed.
Jesus the Son[edit]
They believe that Jesus Christ is God’s one and only begotten Son. As begotten, not created, He shares the nature, names, and attributes of God with the Father. As Son, not Father, Jesus is subordinate to His Father in rank. From eternity, the Son was with the Father, shared the Father’s glory as the pre-incarnate Word, and with Him created and sustains all things. Jesus the Christ (Messiah) was born of the virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, thus uniting two natures human and divine. Jesus lived without sin, died as an atoning sacrifice for sin, was entombed for three days and three nights, was resurrected bodily, and ascended to His Father to serve as mediator and high priest. He reigns as Lord in heaven and will return to earth as judge and king. Now it pleases the Father that the Son is preeminent in all things and receives our worship.[9]
The Holy Spirit[edit]
The Holy Spirit is the promised divine helper who proceeds from the Father and Son. The Spirit is God’s presence and power in the world and indwells believers. By the Holy Spirit, God inspired and illuminates the Scriptures; convicts and regenerates sinners; sanctifies, teaches, comforts, guides, and preserves believers; and empowers them for service. Evidences of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life are faith in Christ, obedience to God, and the spiritual fruit of love.
The Church[edit]
The Church of God in Scripture is a spiritual body of believers who hold the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God. Under the lordship of Christ and the authority of His Word, the church exists universally and locally for purposes of worshipping God, preaching the gospel, nurturing believers, and serving humanity. Christians should participate in the church’s mission by service to others and fellowship with believers.
Prophecy[edit]
Bible prophecy preserves and strengthens a believer’s hope for the Second Advent. It identifies religious, social, and political trends and events, including the rebirth of the nation of Israel, which point to the imminent return of Christ and the eventual establishment of God’s eternal kingdom on earth.
Christian Ordinances[edit]
Christ prescribed two ordinances that confirm faith in Him: 1) baptism, preceded by a confession of faith in Christ and repentance, symbolizing the believer’s initial union with Christ by death to sins, burial (immersion) in water, and rising to new life; and 2) Lord's Supper, an annual memorial of Christ’s death in which believers eat the bread and drink from the cup symbols of His body and blood. They extend charity toward those who may observe communion at other times. This communion service demonstrates fellowship with our Savior until He comes again.[10]
Ten Commandments[edit]
The Ten Commandments were known and obeyed by faithful people before the law was given at Sinai. Later incorporated into the new covenant by the example and teaching of Christ, they constitute the basic moral code for humanity and are obeyed to demonstrate the believer’s love for God and his fellowman.
Man, Satan, Sin, and Death[edit]
Free Bible Students believe the humanity was created in the image of God: sinless, though not naturally immortal. Through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, all human beings became sinners by nature and by choice. The penalty for our sin is alienation from God, physical death (without consciousness), and, ultimately, eternal death for those who do not receive the salvation offered by Christ. It was Satan, the adversary of God, who tempted our first parents in the garden. The Devil is still capable of transforming himself into an angel of light but will finally be destroyed in the lake of fire.[11]
Kingdom of God[edit]
They believe that the Kingdom of God (kingdom of heaven) is realized in three phases:
The Present Kingdom
The spiritual kingdom of grace exists now as God rules in the lives of obedient believers. This kingdom was announced and revealed through the prophets and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We enter this kingdom when we turn from sin to serve God through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Millennial Kingdom of Christ
Free Bible Students believe that the purpose of the second advent is to bless all mankind, and renew the earth into the paradise conditions that existed in the Garden of Eden. Jesus will return to earth in power and glory to resurrect the righteous dead, bestow immortality and eternal life upon the resurrected and the living righteous, avenge the saints, and be glorified in them. His earthly reign of one thousand years will be a universal kingdom in which all principalities, powers, and enemies are overcome. At its conclusion, the unrighteous will be resurrected to suffer annihilation at the great white throne judgment.[12]
The Eternal Kingdom of God
God’s eternal kingdom will begin when Jesus Christ, having put all enemies under His feet, turns the kingdom over to the Father. God will dwell with the redeemed in a new heaven and a new earth where no disappointment, defilement, or death can enter and where righteousness and peace will prevail forever.
Worship style[edit]



 Free Bible Students meet in buildings called Church or Ecclesia, like this one in 32 Chapel Lane Somersworth, NH 03878.
Free Bible Students emphasize that worship is not limited to the Sunday gathering, but is a lifestyle of love and service to Christ and dedication to God's truth as revealed in the Scriptures. Most churches expect the members to carry the message of the gospel into the world among their family and friends.
See also[edit]
Bible Student movement
External links[edit]
Free Bible Students International
The New Creation
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Three Great Covenants", Zion's Watch Tower, March 1880.
2.Jump up ^ "The New Covenant vs the Law Covenant", Zion's Watch Tower, September 1887.
3.Jump up ^ "The Mediator of the New Covernant", Zion's Watch Tower, January 1, 1907, pages 9, 10.
4.Jump up ^ The Berean News
5.^ Jump up to: a b Who are the Free Bible Students and what is their history?
6.Jump up ^ The CMF Annual Report for 2006, Nr 2, 2007.
7.Jump up ^ Christian Discipling Ministries International
8.Jump up ^ Detlef Garbe: Between resistance and martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich; Page 100
9.Jump up ^ "How Well Do You Know God?", CMF Advanced Bible Cours, page 11
10.Jump up ^ "Have You Met Jesus?", CMF free booklet, page 2
11.Jump up ^ "Just What is Hell?", CMF tract, page 3
12.Jump up ^ "The Second Coming of our Lord", CMF tract, page 5
  


Categories: Religious organizations established in 1909
Bible Student movement


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This page was last modified on 8 January 2015, at 15:53.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Bible_Students








Laymen's Home Missionary Movement

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 



 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)
The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement, founded by Paul S. L. Johnson in 1918, is a non-sectarian, interdenominational religious organisation that arose as an independent offshoot of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society after the death its founder, Charles Taze Russell. It is active in many countries, including the United States, France, Germany, India, Poland, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and throughout Africa, the Caribbean and South America.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early history
2 Schisms
3 Leadership
4 Publications
5 External links

Early history[edit]
See also: Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)
In early 1917, a disagreement arose between the members of the Editorial Committee of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell) over Russell's arrangements for the Editorial Committee outlined in his Last Will and Testament and the Society's official charter.
This caused the Society to splinter into many factions with over 75% of the original Bible students leaving the WTBTS by 1928 with many forming other independent groups and fellowships which included the Elijah Voice Society, The Pastoral Bible Institute (PBI) and others. The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement (LHMM) was formed by three former members of the Pastoral Bible Institute Committee which was formed by a large group of dissenting brethren in 1917 at the Fort Pitt Convention (Paul S L Johnson, Raymond G Jolly and Robert Hirsch). The name had been used by Pastor Russell to describe the association he led as well as the more frequent designation: International Bible Students Association. Following its 1918 founding, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement is active in over 50 countries.
Schisms[edit]
After the death of Pastor Johnson in 1950, Raymond G. Jolly led the movement, but soon there were disagreements with other members:
John Krewson of Fort Myers, Florida was disfellowshipped in 1955 and formed the Laodicean Home Missionary Movement in Philadelphia.[citation needed]
John Hoefle of Mount Dora, Florida left the Watchtower Society to join Johnson in 1928, and was disfellowshipped in 1956. He formed his own group, the Epiphany Bible Students Association, and published a newsletter under the same name. He died in 1980 and his wife Emily continued the work until her death in January 2010. The work continues under a board of directors.[citation needed]
After Hedman's death, another schism arose. The movement took on the name Bible Standard Ministries under Herzig's leadership.[clarification needed] As a result the movement began to polarize with dissension in Chicago, Illinois, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Springfield, Massachusetts and classes in California. Other members in the US, Canada and abroad withdrew support of the movement.
Leadership[edit]
Paul S. L. Johnson (1920 –1950) graduated from Capital University of Columbus Ohio with high honors, and also from the Theological Seminary of the Ohio Synod of the Lutheran Church. Pastor Johnson was a Greek and Hebrew scholar, which gave him the skills necessary to understand the Bible from the original languages. He came to believe that a god of perfect wisdom, justice, power and love, would not punish his enemies forever. He adopted the view that Bible teaches that the punishment for sin is death, not eternal torment.
Raymond G. Jolly (1950–1979) graduated from Bloomsburg State College with high honors. He studied theology and the classics at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. He served in the Presbyterian Church, but later left to promote the Gospel from a non-sectarian standpoint, serving as a pilgrim under both Pastors Russell and Johnson. He assumed the office of Executive after the demise of the latter until his own death, Feb. 14, 1979.
August Gohlke, a special helper under Raymond Jolly was appointed as Executive Trustee in 1979, and served until his death in 1985, greatly expanding the public work, including a radio broadcast ministry that covered large parts of the United States.
Bernard W. Hedman was Editor of The Bible Standard magazine from 1985 until his death in 2004; he also served as Executive Trustee and Director of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement, further expanding the work and republishing some of their existing publications.
Ralph M. Herzig was elected as Executive Trustee and Director of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement in 2004, and assumed the office of General Editor of The Bible Standard and Present Truth magazines as well as overseeing the pilgrim service, which functions as a speakers bureau serving its many congregations and tendering evangelistic service to outside groups and individuals on request. Four annual General Conventions are held in the US, and many more are held in other countries during the course of the year. Websites exist in eleven countries, creating many new contacts.
Publications[edit]
Currently, the LHMM publishes the six-volume series Studies in the Scriptures, written by Charles Taze Russell in the 1880s (see External links section).
It also publishes and makes available to the public the 17-volume set written by Professor Paul S.L. Johnson, Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, as well as two magazines, the bi-monthly The Bible Standard and the quarterly The Present Truth, which are produced in about a dozen different languages. Their website "www.biblestandard.com" offers a look into their understanding of the Bible with various magazine articles, links to foreign LHMM sites, and an interactive button where Bible questions can be asked and answered. The Movement in recent years has adopted the name Bible Standard Ministries as its working name for its public ministry, yet still functions as the L.H.M.M.
External links[edit]
The Bible Standard – website for the magazine
  


Categories: Christian missionary societies
Bible Student movement
Religious organizations established in 1919
Christian new religious movements








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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laymen%27s_Home_Missionary_Movement








Laymen's Home Missionary Movement

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
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 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)
The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement, founded by Paul S. L. Johnson in 1918, is a non-sectarian, interdenominational religious organisation that arose as an independent offshoot of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society after the death its founder, Charles Taze Russell. It is active in many countries, including the United States, France, Germany, India, Poland, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and throughout Africa, the Caribbean and South America.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early history
2 Schisms
3 Leadership
4 Publications
5 External links

Early history[edit]
See also: Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)
In early 1917, a disagreement arose between the members of the Editorial Committee of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell) over Russell's arrangements for the Editorial Committee outlined in his Last Will and Testament and the Society's official charter.
This caused the Society to splinter into many factions with over 75% of the original Bible students leaving the WTBTS by 1928 with many forming other independent groups and fellowships which included the Elijah Voice Society, The Pastoral Bible Institute (PBI) and others. The Laymen's Home Missionary Movement (LHMM) was formed by three former members of the Pastoral Bible Institute Committee which was formed by a large group of dissenting brethren in 1917 at the Fort Pitt Convention (Paul S L Johnson, Raymond G Jolly and Robert Hirsch). The name had been used by Pastor Russell to describe the association he led as well as the more frequent designation: International Bible Students Association. Following its 1918 founding, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement is active in over 50 countries.
Schisms[edit]
After the death of Pastor Johnson in 1950, Raymond G. Jolly led the movement, but soon there were disagreements with other members:
John Krewson of Fort Myers, Florida was disfellowshipped in 1955 and formed the Laodicean Home Missionary Movement in Philadelphia.[citation needed]
John Hoefle of Mount Dora, Florida left the Watchtower Society to join Johnson in 1928, and was disfellowshipped in 1956. He formed his own group, the Epiphany Bible Students Association, and published a newsletter under the same name. He died in 1980 and his wife Emily continued the work until her death in January 2010. The work continues under a board of directors.[citation needed]
After Hedman's death, another schism arose. The movement took on the name Bible Standard Ministries under Herzig's leadership.[clarification needed] As a result the movement began to polarize with dissension in Chicago, Illinois, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Springfield, Massachusetts and classes in California. Other members in the US, Canada and abroad withdrew support of the movement.
Leadership[edit]
Paul S. L. Johnson (1920 –1950) graduated from Capital University of Columbus Ohio with high honors, and also from the Theological Seminary of the Ohio Synod of the Lutheran Church. Pastor Johnson was a Greek and Hebrew scholar, which gave him the skills necessary to understand the Bible from the original languages. He came to believe that a god of perfect wisdom, justice, power and love, would not punish his enemies forever. He adopted the view that Bible teaches that the punishment for sin is death, not eternal torment.
Raymond G. Jolly (1950–1979) graduated from Bloomsburg State College with high honors. He studied theology and the classics at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. He served in the Presbyterian Church, but later left to promote the Gospel from a non-sectarian standpoint, serving as a pilgrim under both Pastors Russell and Johnson. He assumed the office of Executive after the demise of the latter until his own death, Feb. 14, 1979.
August Gohlke, a special helper under Raymond Jolly was appointed as Executive Trustee in 1979, and served until his death in 1985, greatly expanding the public work, including a radio broadcast ministry that covered large parts of the United States.
Bernard W. Hedman was Editor of The Bible Standard magazine from 1985 until his death in 2004; he also served as Executive Trustee and Director of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement, further expanding the work and republishing some of their existing publications.
Ralph M. Herzig was elected as Executive Trustee and Director of the Laymen’s Home Missionary Movement in 2004, and assumed the office of General Editor of The Bible Standard and Present Truth magazines as well as overseeing the pilgrim service, which functions as a speakers bureau serving its many congregations and tendering evangelistic service to outside groups and individuals on request. Four annual General Conventions are held in the US, and many more are held in other countries during the course of the year. Websites exist in eleven countries, creating many new contacts.
Publications[edit]
Currently, the LHMM publishes the six-volume series Studies in the Scriptures, written by Charles Taze Russell in the 1880s (see External links section).
It also publishes and makes available to the public the 17-volume set written by Professor Paul S.L. Johnson, Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, as well as two magazines, the bi-monthly The Bible Standard and the quarterly The Present Truth, which are produced in about a dozen different languages. Their website "www.biblestandard.com" offers a look into their understanding of the Bible with various magazine articles, links to foreign LHMM sites, and an interactive button where Bible questions can be asked and answered. The Movement in recent years has adopted the name Bible Standard Ministries as its working name for its public ministry, yet still functions as the L.H.M.M.
External links[edit]
The Bible Standard – website for the magazine
  


Categories: Christian missionary societies
Bible Student movement
Religious organizations established in 1919
Christian new religious movements








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Dawn Bible Students Association

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
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The Dawn Bible Students Association is a Christian organization and movement, and a legal entity used by a branch of the Bible Student Movement.
It was founded with the intention of becoming a publishing house to begin printing and distributing the first six volumes of the Studies in the Scriptures series that were written directly by Charles Taze Russell which the Watchtower Society had officially ceased publishing in 1927.[1]
In 1966, the Dawn published 'Oh, the Blessedness', a small booklet which rejected most of Russell's views of Bible prophecy and end time predictions resulting in numerous internal divisions.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Later history 2.1 Present day
3 Beliefs
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

History[edit]
In 1928 Norman Woodworth, following intense personal disagreement with the new policies of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and actions of the Society's President, Joseph Rutherford, left to create the radio program Frank and Ernest with the help of the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students. He had previously been responsible for producing the same radio program for the Watchtower Society.
In 1932, the Dawn Publishers, Inc. was founded in Brooklyn, New York, just blocks away from Watch Tower headquarters. In the 1940s it was moved to Rutherford, New Jersey under its current name, Dawn Bible Students Association. The Dawn was founded, by Woodworth and others, with the intention of becoming a publishing house to begin redistribution of the Studies in the Scriptures. Soon after starting the Frank and Ernest radio program a 4-page brochure entitled Bible Student's Radio Echo began to be printed in order to maintain public interest. Soon, its name was changed to The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence magazine, and its size changed to 16-pages. It began as a bi-monthly, then later monthly, journal.
Later history[edit]



 The Dawn Office in East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Dawn was influential in regathering large numbers of the Bible Students who had ceased association with Watchtower Society between 1917 and 1928, sponsoring the "First Annual Reunion Convention of Bible Students" in 1929.[3] As a result, new congregations of Bible Students were formed in various countries worldwide and publishing their literature in various languages.
In 1966 the Dawn published Oh, the Blessedness; a small booklet which rejected many of Russell's views on Bible prophecy and end times.
This rejection polarized those Bible Students who still accepted Russell's views, and an independent movement was formed in 1974. Russell's Studies in the Scriptures as well as all other writings never before reproduced since his death were now being republished independently of the Dawn, alongside radio and television programs, journals, newsletters, books and booklets produced by various Bible Student individuals and congregations independent of the Dawn. As of 1992 all of Russell's writings, including printed sermons, speeches, newspaper and journal articles, tracts, letters and brochures have been reprinted and digitized.
Present day[edit]
Today the Dawn continue publication of Russell's Studies in the Scriptures, as well as booklets written by various Bible Students. They also produce radio and television programs.
Current membership in America is difficult to estimate from the number of conventions.[4] In the late 1980s they had a membership of about 60,000.[5]
In 2007 The Dawn Magazine 75th Anniversary 1932–2007[6] gave a brief history of the group.
Beliefs[edit]
The Dawn Bible Students accept the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible. They accept Jesus as God's Son and Messiah, and believe in his pre-existent divine Sonship as the "Logos", but believe that the Father is greater.[7] They teach Christ's ransom and blood atonement for mankind, and in a general resurrection. They also teach the existence of a literal fallen angel Satan, and other demons. The Dawn Bible Students teach the necessity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for salvation and sanctification, but reject the doctrines of a co-equal Trinity, immortality of the soul, and a literal hell-fire.
Studies in the Scriptures teaches two phases of the Kingdom of God - a spiritual phase, invisible, and an earthly phase.
Oh, the Blessedness! in 1966[8] addresses the two dates in Charles Taze Russell's prediction - the "beginning of the Master’s second presence" in 1874, and the "times of the Gentiles" end in 1914, recognising as did Russell himself in 1907[9] and 1916[10] that the predicted "foretold harvest" of saints did not end in 1914 and still is going on.
They believe in the Restitution of all things, the Restoration of Paradise and the General Resurrection under the Millennial Reign of Christ.
See also[edit]
Bible Students
Bible Student Movement
Frank and Ernest - the international broadcast by the Dawn Bible Students Association.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ WTB&TS, "God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached" (1973) page 347
2.Jump up ^ Oh, the Blessedness (1966)
3.Jump up ^ Bible Student's Radio Echo vol. 1 no. 2
4.Jump up ^ http://www.dawnbible.com/conv.htm
5.Jump up ^ Pocket Dictionary of North American Denominations 2004 p79 ed. Drew Blankman, Todd Augustine "A smaller group rejected Rutherford's leadership and became the Dawn Bible Student's Association and in the late 1980s had a membership of about 60000. "
6.Jump up ^ The Dawn Magazine 75th Anniversary 1932–2007
7.Jump up ^ beliefs mp3s
8.Jump up ^ "Only because these more than fifty years have passed since 1914 have our minds been expanded to see this more protracted and larger picture of the end of the world.
9.Jump up ^ M. James Penton Apocalypse delayed: the story of Jehovah's Witnesses p167 1997 "On this theme Russell expressed himself in 1907: But let us suppose a case far from our expectations: suppose that AD 1915 should pass with the world's affairs all serene and with evidence that the 'very elect' had not all been 'changed' and without the restoration of natural Israel to favor under the New Covenant. (Romans 11:12, 15) What then? Would not that prove our chronology wrong? Yes, surely! And would not that prove a keen disappointment? Indeed it would! It would work irreparable wreck to parallel dispensations and Israel's double, and to the Jubilee calculations, and to the prophecy of 2300 days of Daniel and to the epoch called 'Gentile Times,' and to 1,260, 1,290 and 1,335 days, ... none of these would be available longer. What a blow that would be! One, of the strings of our harp would be quite broken! However, dear friends, our harp would still have all the other strings in tune and that is what no other aggregation of God's people on earth could boast. (WTR 1907)
10.Jump up ^ "NOT ENDED: As we have noted, it was expected that the harvest would end in 1914. When, two years later, Brother Russell recognized that the harvest work was still in progress, he wrote: “Some of us were quite strongly convinced that the harvest would be ended by now, but our expectations must not be allowed to weigh anything against the facts.”—R. 5950, par. 1 Later in the same article he wrote: “We imagined that the harvest work of gathering the church would be accomplished before the end of the Gentile Times; but nothing in the Bible so said. Our thought was purely an inference, and now we see that it was an unjustified one.”—R. 5950, last par."
External links[edit]
Dawn Bible Students Association
Charles Taze Russell website
  


Categories: Bible Student movement
Religious organizations established in 1932
Student religious organizations in the United States
Organizations based in New Jersey


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_Bible_Students_Association








Dawn Bible Students Association

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 

The Dawn Bible Students Association is a Christian organization and movement, and a legal entity used by a branch of the Bible Student Movement.
It was founded with the intention of becoming a publishing house to begin printing and distributing the first six volumes of the Studies in the Scriptures series that were written directly by Charles Taze Russell which the Watchtower Society had officially ceased publishing in 1927.[1]
In 1966, the Dawn published 'Oh, the Blessedness', a small booklet which rejected most of Russell's views of Bible prophecy and end time predictions resulting in numerous internal divisions.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Later history 2.1 Present day
3 Beliefs
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

History[edit]
In 1928 Norman Woodworth, following intense personal disagreement with the new policies of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and actions of the Society's President, Joseph Rutherford, left to create the radio program Frank and Ernest with the help of the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students. He had previously been responsible for producing the same radio program for the Watchtower Society.
In 1932, the Dawn Publishers, Inc. was founded in Brooklyn, New York, just blocks away from Watch Tower headquarters. In the 1940s it was moved to Rutherford, New Jersey under its current name, Dawn Bible Students Association. The Dawn was founded, by Woodworth and others, with the intention of becoming a publishing house to begin redistribution of the Studies in the Scriptures. Soon after starting the Frank and Ernest radio program a 4-page brochure entitled Bible Student's Radio Echo began to be printed in order to maintain public interest. Soon, its name was changed to The Dawn and Herald of Christ’s Presence magazine, and its size changed to 16-pages. It began as a bi-monthly, then later monthly, journal.
Later history[edit]



 The Dawn Office in East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Dawn was influential in regathering large numbers of the Bible Students who had ceased association with Watchtower Society between 1917 and 1928, sponsoring the "First Annual Reunion Convention of Bible Students" in 1929.[3] As a result, new congregations of Bible Students were formed in various countries worldwide and publishing their literature in various languages.
In 1966 the Dawn published Oh, the Blessedness; a small booklet which rejected many of Russell's views on Bible prophecy and end times.
This rejection polarized those Bible Students who still accepted Russell's views, and an independent movement was formed in 1974. Russell's Studies in the Scriptures as well as all other writings never before reproduced since his death were now being republished independently of the Dawn, alongside radio and television programs, journals, newsletters, books and booklets produced by various Bible Student individuals and congregations independent of the Dawn. As of 1992 all of Russell's writings, including printed sermons, speeches, newspaper and journal articles, tracts, letters and brochures have been reprinted and digitized.
Present day[edit]
Today the Dawn continue publication of Russell's Studies in the Scriptures, as well as booklets written by various Bible Students. They also produce radio and television programs.
Current membership in America is difficult to estimate from the number of conventions.[4] In the late 1980s they had a membership of about 60,000.[5]
In 2007 The Dawn Magazine 75th Anniversary 1932–2007[6] gave a brief history of the group.
Beliefs[edit]
The Dawn Bible Students accept the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible. They accept Jesus as God's Son and Messiah, and believe in his pre-existent divine Sonship as the "Logos", but believe that the Father is greater.[7] They teach Christ's ransom and blood atonement for mankind, and in a general resurrection. They also teach the existence of a literal fallen angel Satan, and other demons. The Dawn Bible Students teach the necessity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for salvation and sanctification, but reject the doctrines of a co-equal Trinity, immortality of the soul, and a literal hell-fire.
Studies in the Scriptures teaches two phases of the Kingdom of God - a spiritual phase, invisible, and an earthly phase.
Oh, the Blessedness! in 1966[8] addresses the two dates in Charles Taze Russell's prediction - the "beginning of the Master’s second presence" in 1874, and the "times of the Gentiles" end in 1914, recognising as did Russell himself in 1907[9] and 1916[10] that the predicted "foretold harvest" of saints did not end in 1914 and still is going on.
They believe in the Restitution of all things, the Restoration of Paradise and the General Resurrection under the Millennial Reign of Christ.
See also[edit]
Bible Students
Bible Student Movement
Frank and Ernest - the international broadcast by the Dawn Bible Students Association.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ WTB&TS, "God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached" (1973) page 347
2.Jump up ^ Oh, the Blessedness (1966)
3.Jump up ^ Bible Student's Radio Echo vol. 1 no. 2
4.Jump up ^ http://www.dawnbible.com/conv.htm
5.Jump up ^ Pocket Dictionary of North American Denominations 2004 p79 ed. Drew Blankman, Todd Augustine "A smaller group rejected Rutherford's leadership and became the Dawn Bible Student's Association and in the late 1980s had a membership of about 60000. "
6.Jump up ^ The Dawn Magazine 75th Anniversary 1932–2007
7.Jump up ^ beliefs mp3s
8.Jump up ^ "Only because these more than fifty years have passed since 1914 have our minds been expanded to see this more protracted and larger picture of the end of the world.
9.Jump up ^ M. James Penton Apocalypse delayed: the story of Jehovah's Witnesses p167 1997 "On this theme Russell expressed himself in 1907: But let us suppose a case far from our expectations: suppose that AD 1915 should pass with the world's affairs all serene and with evidence that the 'very elect' had not all been 'changed' and without the restoration of natural Israel to favor under the New Covenant. (Romans 11:12, 15) What then? Would not that prove our chronology wrong? Yes, surely! And would not that prove a keen disappointment? Indeed it would! It would work irreparable wreck to parallel dispensations and Israel's double, and to the Jubilee calculations, and to the prophecy of 2300 days of Daniel and to the epoch called 'Gentile Times,' and to 1,260, 1,290 and 1,335 days, ... none of these would be available longer. What a blow that would be! One, of the strings of our harp would be quite broken! However, dear friends, our harp would still have all the other strings in tune and that is what no other aggregation of God's people on earth could boast. (WTR 1907)
10.Jump up ^ "NOT ENDED: As we have noted, it was expected that the harvest would end in 1914. When, two years later, Brother Russell recognized that the harvest work was still in progress, he wrote: “Some of us were quite strongly convinced that the harvest would be ended by now, but our expectations must not be allowed to weigh anything against the facts.”—R. 5950, par. 1 Later in the same article he wrote: “We imagined that the harvest work of gathering the church would be accomplished before the end of the Gentile Times; but nothing in the Bible so said. Our thought was purely an inference, and now we see that it was an unjustified one.”—R. 5950, last par."
External links[edit]
Dawn Bible Students Association
Charles Taze Russell website
  


Categories: Bible Student movement
Religious organizations established in 1932
Student religious organizations in the United States
Organizations based in New Jersey


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Pastoral Bible Institute

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 

The Pastoral Bible Institute was started in 1918 when a number of prominent leaders and members withdrew their support from the Watch Tower Society after Joseph Rutherford became the president of the Society, following the death of pastor Charles Taze Russell. The Watchtower society was the publishing arm of the Bible Student movement, a Christian denomination following Millerite Adventist notions guided by principles expounded by Pastor Russell who founded and led the movement.
The first Bible Student Convention held independent of the Watch Tower Society took place on July 26-29, 1918, in Asbury Park, New Jersey.[1] In November 1918, two to three hundred people attended the second convention in Providence, Rhode Island.[2] It was at this meeting that the Pastoral Bible Institute (PBI) was formed to resume Pastor Russell’s pastoral work independent of the Society.
In December 1918 the first issue of The Herald of Christ's Kingdom[3] was published. It was edited by R. E. Streeter until his death in December 1924.[4] Nearing almost a century of service, the PBI functions in a reduced capacity and continues to publish the Herald magazine and distribute Christian literature.
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "THE CONVENTION AT ASBURY PARK", The Herald, VOL. I. August 15, 1918 NO. I
2.Jump up ^ "A HOLY CONVOCATION AT PROVIDENCE", The Herald, VOL. I. December 1, 1918 No. 1
3.Jump up ^ The Herald of Christ's Kingdom, from 1918 to present.
4.Jump up ^ "THE PASSING OF OUR MUCH LOVED BROTHER R. E. STREETER", The Herald, VOL. VIII. January 15 & February 1, 1925 Nos. 2 & 3
External links[edit]
Pastoral Bible Institute
Online issues of The Herald of Christ's Kingdom from 1918 to present
  


Categories: Christian magazines
Bible Student movement


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoral_Bible_Institute








Pastoral Bible Institute

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 

The Pastoral Bible Institute was started in 1918 when a number of prominent leaders and members withdrew their support from the Watch Tower Society after Joseph Rutherford became the president of the Society, following the death of pastor Charles Taze Russell. The Watchtower society was the publishing arm of the Bible Student movement, a Christian denomination following Millerite Adventist notions guided by principles expounded by Pastor Russell who founded and led the movement.
The first Bible Student Convention held independent of the Watch Tower Society took place on July 26-29, 1918, in Asbury Park, New Jersey.[1] In November 1918, two to three hundred people attended the second convention in Providence, Rhode Island.[2] It was at this meeting that the Pastoral Bible Institute (PBI) was formed to resume Pastor Russell’s pastoral work independent of the Society.
In December 1918 the first issue of The Herald of Christ's Kingdom[3] was published. It was edited by R. E. Streeter until his death in December 1924.[4] Nearing almost a century of service, the PBI functions in a reduced capacity and continues to publish the Herald magazine and distribute Christian literature.
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "THE CONVENTION AT ASBURY PARK", The Herald, VOL. I. August 15, 1918 NO. I
2.Jump up ^ "A HOLY CONVOCATION AT PROVIDENCE", The Herald, VOL. I. December 1, 1918 No. 1
3.Jump up ^ The Herald of Christ's Kingdom, from 1918 to present.
4.Jump up ^ "THE PASSING OF OUR MUCH LOVED BROTHER R. E. STREETER", The Herald, VOL. VIII. January 15 & February 1, 1925 Nos. 2 & 3
External links[edit]
Pastoral Bible Institute
Online issues of The Herald of Christ's Kingdom from 1918 to present
  


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Studies in the Scriptures

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Jump to: navigation, search




Studies in the Scriptures volumes 1–6
Studies in the Scriptures is a series of publications, intended as a Bible study aid, containing seven volumes of great importance to the history of the Bible Student movement, and the early history of Jehovah's Witnesses.


Contents  [hide]
1 Origin
2 Purpose
3 Contents
4 Viewpoint and theology
5 The Finished Mystery
6 Withdrawal
7 References
8 External links

Origin[edit]
The author of Studies in the Scriptures, Charles Taze Russell, reported that he did not write them "through visions and dreams, nor by God's audible voice," but that he sought "to bring together these long scattered fragments of truth".[1] The first volume was written in 1886. Originally titled The Plan of the Ages as part of a series called Millennial Dawn, it was later renamed The Divine Plan of the Ages. The name of the series was changed to Studies in the Scriptures in 1904 in order to clarify their nature as biblical textbooks.
Purpose[edit]



 Chart from Divine Plan of the Ages, Studies in Scriptures Vol 1.
The series was written as a Bible study aid. The intention was that by studying the Bible topically, rather than verse by verse, details of God's purpose might become clearer. The series progresses from elementary topics, such as the existence of God and promoting the Bible as God's word, to deeper subject matter throughout the series.

Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 

Contents[edit]
1.The Divine Plan of the Ages (1886)—elementary topics and attempts to show God has a clear purpose for mankind;
2.The Time is at Hand (1889)—an interpretation of biblical chronology, keys to time prophecies, the second advent of Christ, and the identification of the Antichrist;
3.Thy Kingdom Come (1891)—describes biblical prophecies in further detail, along with the fate of Israel and information on the Great Pyramid of Giza as being built under God's direction. The section on Pyramidology was influenced by the theories of Charles Piazzi Smyth, who also helped review it;
4.The Day of Vengeance (1897), later renamed The Battle of Armageddon—suggests causes of the dissolution of the present order, with the biblical remedy as God's kingdom;
5.The At-one-ment Between God and Men (1899)—discusses the nature of humanity, the work of redemption, and the Holy Spirit;
6.The New Creation (1904)—discusses the seven days of creation found in Genesis, and the duties and personal responsibilities of a Christians.
Viewpoint and theology[edit]
The series was criticized by some early 20th century ministers as an attempt to replace the Bible.[citation needed] Russell's view was that whilst the Bible had been studied by different methods, topical study was the best approach. In addition to other material, the six volumes contain commentary about biblical events and expressions. Russell did not claim infallibility, but declared that God's plan of salvation could not be understood independently from his writings. He stated, "if he then lays [the Studies in the Scriptures] aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness."[2] Studies in the Scriptures claimed to represent that humankind had reached the end of the current era, and that Jesus would soon separate the wheat from the weeds.
The Finished Mystery[edit]
Following Russell's death in 1916, a seventh volume—entitled The Finished Mystery—was published in 1917 and advertised as his "posthumous work".[3] This seventh volume was a detailed interpretation of the book of Book of Revelation, but also included interpretations of Ezekiel and the Song of Solomon. An advertisement for the book in Zion's Watch Tower called it "the true interpretation",[4] and it was promoted as being "of the Lord—prepared under his guidance."[5]
Immediate controversy surrounded both its publication and content. It was soon established that it was largely written and compiled by two of Russell's associates, Clayton J. Woodworth and George H. Fisher, and edited by Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford.[6]
Withdrawal[edit]
In 1927, during Rutherford's presidency, the Watch Tower Society ceased publication of all seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures, as several core doctrines had been changed from what Russell had taught.[7] Other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, including Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (their official history) and Revelation—Its Grand Climax at Hand (their exposition of the Book of Revelation) make reference to Studies in the Scriptures.
The six original volumes of Studies in the Scriptures are still published by the Bible Student movement.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower: 87. April 1, 1899. Missing or empty |title= (help)
2.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower: 297. September 15, 1910. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery. p. preface, p. 5. "This book may properly be said to be a posthumous publication of Pastor Russell."
4.Jump up ^ (The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 334)
5.Jump up ^ (The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 126)
6.Jump up ^ Wills, Tony (2006). A People For His Name. p. 97.
7.Jump up ^ "The Modern Fulfillment of the "Penny"". The Watchtower: 54. January 15, 1967. "But in 1927 The Finished Mystery and the other six volumes of the Studies in the Scriptures ceased to be published"
External links[edit]
[1] Studies in the Scriptures Online
[2] Studies in the Scriptures and other materials from Biblestudents.com
Searchable database of all Pastor Russell's writings
On-line copy of Volume 7, The Finished Mystery


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Studies in the Scriptures

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search




Studies in the Scriptures volumes 1–6
Studies in the Scriptures is a series of publications, intended as a Bible study aid, containing seven volumes of great importance to the history of the Bible Student movement, and the early history of Jehovah's Witnesses.


Contents  [hide]
1 Origin
2 Purpose
3 Contents
4 Viewpoint and theology
5 The Finished Mystery
6 Withdrawal
7 References
8 External links

Origin[edit]
The author of Studies in the Scriptures, Charles Taze Russell, reported that he did not write them "through visions and dreams, nor by God's audible voice," but that he sought "to bring together these long scattered fragments of truth".[1] The first volume was written in 1886. Originally titled The Plan of the Ages as part of a series called Millennial Dawn, it was later renamed The Divine Plan of the Ages. The name of the series was changed to Studies in the Scriptures in 1904 in order to clarify their nature as biblical textbooks.
Purpose[edit]



 Chart from Divine Plan of the Ages, Studies in Scriptures Vol 1.
The series was written as a Bible study aid. The intention was that by studying the Bible topically, rather than verse by verse, details of God's purpose might become clearer. The series progresses from elementary topics, such as the existence of God and promoting the Bible as God's word, to deeper subject matter throughout the series.

Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 

Contents[edit]
1.The Divine Plan of the Ages (1886)—elementary topics and attempts to show God has a clear purpose for mankind;
2.The Time is at Hand (1889)—an interpretation of biblical chronology, keys to time prophecies, the second advent of Christ, and the identification of the Antichrist;
3.Thy Kingdom Come (1891)—describes biblical prophecies in further detail, along with the fate of Israel and information on the Great Pyramid of Giza as being built under God's direction. The section on Pyramidology was influenced by the theories of Charles Piazzi Smyth, who also helped review it;
4.The Day of Vengeance (1897), later renamed The Battle of Armageddon—suggests causes of the dissolution of the present order, with the biblical remedy as God's kingdom;
5.The At-one-ment Between God and Men (1899)—discusses the nature of humanity, the work of redemption, and the Holy Spirit;
6.The New Creation (1904)—discusses the seven days of creation found in Genesis, and the duties and personal responsibilities of a Christians.
Viewpoint and theology[edit]
The series was criticized by some early 20th century ministers as an attempt to replace the Bible.[citation needed] Russell's view was that whilst the Bible had been studied by different methods, topical study was the best approach. In addition to other material, the six volumes contain commentary about biblical events and expressions. Russell did not claim infallibility, but declared that God's plan of salvation could not be understood independently from his writings. He stated, "if he then lays [the Studies in the Scriptures] aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness."[2] Studies in the Scriptures claimed to represent that humankind had reached the end of the current era, and that Jesus would soon separate the wheat from the weeds.
The Finished Mystery[edit]
Following Russell's death in 1916, a seventh volume—entitled The Finished Mystery—was published in 1917 and advertised as his "posthumous work".[3] This seventh volume was a detailed interpretation of the book of Book of Revelation, but also included interpretations of Ezekiel and the Song of Solomon. An advertisement for the book in Zion's Watch Tower called it "the true interpretation",[4] and it was promoted as being "of the Lord—prepared under his guidance."[5]
Immediate controversy surrounded both its publication and content. It was soon established that it was largely written and compiled by two of Russell's associates, Clayton J. Woodworth and George H. Fisher, and edited by Russell's successor, Joseph Franklin Rutherford.[6]
Withdrawal[edit]
In 1927, during Rutherford's presidency, the Watch Tower Society ceased publication of all seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures, as several core doctrines had been changed from what Russell had taught.[7] Other publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, including Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom (their official history) and Revelation—Its Grand Climax at Hand (their exposition of the Book of Revelation) make reference to Studies in the Scriptures.
The six original volumes of Studies in the Scriptures are still published by the Bible Student movement.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower: 87. April 1, 1899. Missing or empty |title= (help)
2.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower: 297. September 15, 1910. Missing or empty |title= (help)
3.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery. p. preface, p. 5. "This book may properly be said to be a posthumous publication of Pastor Russell."
4.Jump up ^ (The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 334)
5.Jump up ^ (The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 126)
6.Jump up ^ Wills, Tony (2006). A People For His Name. p. 97.
7.Jump up ^ "The Modern Fulfillment of the "Penny"". The Watchtower: 54. January 15, 1967. "But in 1927 The Finished Mystery and the other six volumes of the Studies in the Scriptures ceased to be published"
External links[edit]
[1] Studies in the Scriptures Online
[2] Studies in the Scriptures and other materials from Biblestudents.com
Searchable database of all Pastor Russell's writings
On-line copy of Volume 7, The Finished Mystery


[show]
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studies_in_the_Scriptures








Frank and Ernest (broadcast)

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Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
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 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)
Frank and Ernest is the name of an international religious broadcast by the Dawn Bible Students Association, which has been heard on many stations, including Radio Luxembourg. The program's format was generally that of a personal dialogue, wherein "Frank" asked "Ernest" a question (or vice versa), and a reply is given in order to expound upon the Bible.
In 1928 Norman Woodworth, following intense personal disagreement with the new policies and practices of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, left to create the radio program Frank and Ernest with the help of the Brooklyn, New York Congregation of Bible Students. He had previously been responsible for producing the same radio program for the Society.
The Dawn Bible Students Association was formed as a printing house by bible students who had left their association with the Watch Tower Society.
External links[edit]
Dawn Bible Students
Pastor-Russell.com
  


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_and_Ernest_(broadcast)








Frank and Ernest (broadcast)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
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 This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)
Frank and Ernest is the name of an international religious broadcast by the Dawn Bible Students Association, which has been heard on many stations, including Radio Luxembourg. The program's format was generally that of a personal dialogue, wherein "Frank" asked "Ernest" a question (or vice versa), and a reply is given in order to expound upon the Bible.
In 1928 Norman Woodworth, following intense personal disagreement with the new policies and practices of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, left to create the radio program Frank and Ernest with the help of the Brooklyn, New York Congregation of Bible Students. He had previously been responsible for producing the same radio program for the Society.
The Dawn Bible Students Association was formed as a printing house by bible students who had left their association with the Watch Tower Society.
External links[edit]
Dawn Bible Students
Pastor-Russell.com
  


Categories: Christian radio programs
Bible Student movement





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The New Creation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from The New Creation (magazine))
Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
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The New Creation is a bimonthly illustrated Christian magazine, printed and published by Free Bible Students via the Christian Discipling Ministries International in New Jersey and offices in Australia, Austria, England, Germany, Italy and Romania.
The first publication was started by 1940 under the title The New Creation and a Herald of God's Kingdom.
External links[edit]
Online issues of The New Creation from 2006 to present



The New Creation magazine


This Christian magazine or journal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




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The New Creation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from The New Creation (magazine))
Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
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The New Creation is a bimonthly illustrated Christian magazine, printed and published by Free Bible Students via the Christian Discipling Ministries International in New Jersey and offices in Australia, Austria, England, Germany, Italy and Romania.
The first publication was started by 1940 under the title The New Creation and a Herald of God's Kingdom.
External links[edit]
Online issues of The New Creation from 2006 to present



The New Creation magazine


This Christian magazine or journal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.




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The Dawn (magazine)

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Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
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For the Australian feminist magazine, see The Dawn (feminist magazine).
The Dawn is a religious magazine printed and published by the Dawn Bible Students Association, East Rutherford, New Jersey and branch offices around the world.[1] The magazine was first published in 1932 as a monthly journal, with the full title, The Dawn—A Herald of Christ’s Presence.[2]
Content[edit]
The magazine includes articles about Christian life, prophecy, Bible study and biblical interpretation, from a politically conservative Christian viewpoint.[3]
External links[edit]
http://www.dawnbible.com (online Magazine The Dawn)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ The Dawn International
2.Jump up ^ The Dawn Magazine 75th Anniversary 1932–2007
3.Jump up ^ The Dawn, Its Ministry
  


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The Dawn (magazine)

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Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
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For the Australian feminist magazine, see The Dawn (feminist magazine).
The Dawn is a religious magazine printed and published by the Dawn Bible Students Association, East Rutherford, New Jersey and branch offices around the world.[1] The magazine was first published in 1932 as a monthly journal, with the full title, The Dawn—A Herald of Christ’s Presence.[2]
Content[edit]
The magazine includes articles about Christian life, prophecy, Bible study and biblical interpretation, from a politically conservative Christian viewpoint.[3]
External links[edit]
http://www.dawnbible.com (online Magazine The Dawn)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ The Dawn International
2.Jump up ^ The Dawn Magazine 75th Anniversary 1932–2007
3.Jump up ^ The Dawn, Its Ministry
  


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Publications established in 1932


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The Photo-Drama of Creation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
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The Photo-drama of Creation used the recorded voice and moving pictures of Charles Taze Russell in 1912
The Photo-Drama of Creation, or Creation-Drama, is a four-part Christian film (eight hours in total) produced by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania under the direction of Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Bible Student movement. The film presented their beliefs about God's plan from the creation of the earth through to the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Content
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
6 Further reading

History[edit]
Production began in 1912, and the presentation was introduced to audiences in 1914.[2] It was the first major screenplay to incorporate synchronized sound, moving film, and color slides.[3][4] Russell also published an accompanying book, Scenario of the Photo-Drama of Creation, in various languages.[5][6][7]
The presentation premiered in January 1914 in New York, and in the summer of 1914 in Germany. Over 9,000,000 people in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia saw either the full Photo-Drama or an abbreviated version called the Eureka-Drama.[3][4][8]
Shows that combined magic lantern slides and films were common at the time, but the addition of recorded speech was unusual, and the magnitude of its distribution for a single religious production was particularly notable. At the time, the project's full cost was estimated at about $300,000 (current value $7,063,000).[2][8][9]
Content[edit]
The Photo-Drama purports that the seven creative 'days' in the Book of Genesis equal 49,000 years, based on Russell's belief that each creative day lasts 7,000 years. It further claims that 48,000 years had already passed, such that the final thousand years were "near at hand".[10]
See also[edit]
List of longest films by running time
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses—Who Are They? What Do They Believe?, page 6
2.^ Jump up to: a b "The Warning Work (1909-1914)", The Watchtower, March 1, 1955, page 143, "[F]rom 1912 to the beginning of 1914 the Watch Tower Society spent a fortune (over $300,000) in preparing the Photo-Drama of Creation, to spread Bible knowledge to the masses of people during and after 1914."
3.^ Jump up to: a b IMDB article "Photo-Drama of Creation (1914), IMDB article "Trivia", Retrieved 2009-04-15
4.^ Jump up to: a b American Movie Classics, "Timeline of Greatest Film History Milestones'..."1914", Retrieved 2009-04-15
5.Jump up ^ "Israel and Jordan", 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 215
6.Jump up ^ "Romania", 2006 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 78
7.Jump up ^ "Responding to Godly Training from Infancy", The Watchtower, August 1, 1972, page 476
8.^ Jump up to: a b "Society Uses Many Means to Expand Preaching", Centennial of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 1884-1984, page 24, "The Photo-Drama ... is believed to have been viewed by more than 9,000,000 people throughout North America and Europe, as well as many others in places around the world. It took two years and $300,000 to complete the project, many of the scenes being hand colored. Yet admission was free and no collections were taken."
9.Jump up ^ "United States of America", 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 59, "A fortune for those days—some $300,000—was spent by the Society in producing the Photo-Drama."
10.Jump up ^ "AGS Consulting". AGS Consulting. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
External links[edit]
Photo-Drama: A 100-Year-Old Epic of Faith
The Photo-Drama of Creation at the Internet Movie Database
Internet Archive of the complete "Photo-Drama of Creation"
RealMedia: "The Photo-Drama of Creation"
Pastor Russell´s ministry
Further reading[edit]
Richard Alan Nelson, “Propaganda for God: Pastor Charles Taze Russell and the Multi-Media Photo-Drama of Creation (1914),” in Roland Cosandey, André Gaudreault, and Tom Gunning, editors, Une Invention du diable? Cinéma des premiers temps et religion - An Invention of the Devil? Religion and Early Cinema, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada: Les Presses de l’Université Laval & Lausanne, Suisse: Éditions Payot Lausanne, 1992, 230-255; ISBN 2-7637-7300-1.
  


Categories: Films about Evangelicalism
Bible Student movement
Depictions of Adam and Eve
Portrayals of Jesus in film
Depictions of John the Baptist


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Photo-Drama_of_Creation









The Photo-Drama of Creation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
 talk ·
 edit
 




The Photo-drama of Creation used the recorded voice and moving pictures of Charles Taze Russell in 1912
The Photo-Drama of Creation, or Creation-Drama, is a four-part Christian film (eight hours in total) produced by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania under the direction of Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Bible Student movement. The film presented their beliefs about God's plan from the creation of the earth through to the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 History
2 Content
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
6 Further reading

History[edit]
Production began in 1912, and the presentation was introduced to audiences in 1914.[2] It was the first major screenplay to incorporate synchronized sound, moving film, and color slides.[3][4] Russell also published an accompanying book, Scenario of the Photo-Drama of Creation, in various languages.[5][6][7]
The presentation premiered in January 1914 in New York, and in the summer of 1914 in Germany. Over 9,000,000 people in North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia saw either the full Photo-Drama or an abbreviated version called the Eureka-Drama.[3][4][8]
Shows that combined magic lantern slides and films were common at the time, but the addition of recorded speech was unusual, and the magnitude of its distribution for a single religious production was particularly notable. At the time, the project's full cost was estimated at about $300,000 (current value $7,063,000).[2][8][9]
Content[edit]
The Photo-Drama purports that the seven creative 'days' in the Book of Genesis equal 49,000 years, based on Russell's belief that each creative day lasts 7,000 years. It further claims that 48,000 years had already passed, such that the final thousand years were "near at hand".[10]
See also[edit]
List of longest films by running time
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses—Who Are They? What Do They Believe?, page 6
2.^ Jump up to: a b "The Warning Work (1909-1914)", The Watchtower, March 1, 1955, page 143, "[F]rom 1912 to the beginning of 1914 the Watch Tower Society spent a fortune (over $300,000) in preparing the Photo-Drama of Creation, to spread Bible knowledge to the masses of people during and after 1914."
3.^ Jump up to: a b IMDB article "Photo-Drama of Creation (1914), IMDB article "Trivia", Retrieved 2009-04-15
4.^ Jump up to: a b American Movie Classics, "Timeline of Greatest Film History Milestones'..."1914", Retrieved 2009-04-15
5.Jump up ^ "Israel and Jordan", 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 215
6.Jump up ^ "Romania", 2006 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 78
7.Jump up ^ "Responding to Godly Training from Infancy", The Watchtower, August 1, 1972, page 476
8.^ Jump up to: a b "Society Uses Many Means to Expand Preaching", Centennial of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 1884-1984, page 24, "The Photo-Drama ... is believed to have been viewed by more than 9,000,000 people throughout North America and Europe, as well as many others in places around the world. It took two years and $300,000 to complete the project, many of the scenes being hand colored. Yet admission was free and no collections were taken."
9.Jump up ^ "United States of America", 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 59, "A fortune for those days—some $300,000—was spent by the Society in producing the Photo-Drama."
10.Jump up ^ "AGS Consulting". AGS Consulting. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
External links[edit]
Photo-Drama: A 100-Year-Old Epic of Faith
The Photo-Drama of Creation at the Internet Movie Database
Internet Archive of the complete "Photo-Drama of Creation"
RealMedia: "The Photo-Drama of Creation"
Pastor Russell´s ministry
Further reading[edit]
Richard Alan Nelson, “Propaganda for God: Pastor Charles Taze Russell and the Multi-Media Photo-Drama of Creation (1914),” in Roland Cosandey, André Gaudreault, and Tom Gunning, editors, Une Invention du diable? Cinéma des premiers temps et religion - An Invention of the Devil? Religion and Early Cinema, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada: Les Presses de l’Université Laval & Lausanne, Suisse: Éditions Payot Lausanne, 1992, 230-255; ISBN 2-7637-7300-1.
  


Categories: Films about Evangelicalism
Bible Student movement
Depictions of Adam and Eve
Portrayals of Jesus in film
Depictions of John the Baptist


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This page was last modified on 4 January 2015, at 14:53.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Photo-Drama_of_Creation









Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups

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Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about groups that separated from Jehovah's Witnesses after their official formation in 1931. For groups that developed from the Bible Student movement, see Bible Student movement.
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
A number of splinter groups have separated from Jehovah's Witnesses since 1931 after members broke affiliation with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Earlier group defections from the Watch Tower Society, most of them between 1917 and 1931, had resulted in a number of religious movements forming under the umbrella term of the Bible Student movement.
After 1931, some isolated groups of Jehovah's Witnesses came to distrust "outside" instruction;[citation needed] some preferred their autonomy even after persecution and isolation abated, such as in Germany following World War II, in Romania following Nicolae Ceausescu, and in the former USSR following the Cold War. Beginning in the 1990s, other former Witnesses used Internet technologies to group themselves around shared ideas such as numerical analysis of the Bible, or a wish to embrace some but not all Jehovah's Witness beliefs and practices.


Contents  [hide]
1 Britain
2 Germany, postwar
3 Romania
4 USSR
5 Internet-era departures
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Britain[edit]
Jesse Hemery was appointed overseer of the Watch Tower Society's British Isles branch office by Russell in 1901,[1] holding that post until 1946.[2] Hemery founded the Goshen Fellowship after he was disfellowshipped by N.H. Knorr in 1951.[2]
Germany, postwar[edit]
During the Nazi regime, scholars estimate that about half of all Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany were incarcerated in prison or concentration camps, where they were exposed to "sadism marked by an unending chain of physical and mental tortures, the likes of which no language in the world can express."[3] At the time, they were represented by several geographical Bible Students Associations, each of which considered itself affiliated with the Watch Tower Society despite little contact with their Brooklyn (USA) headquarters. When contact was re-established, a minority of German Jehovah's Witnesses either preferred their autonomy or disagreed with the doctrinal changes that had occurred in the meantime.[citation needed] Some disassociated themselves from the Watch Tower Society and some individual members established contact with non-Jehovah's Witness Bible Student groups.[4]
Romania[edit]
In 1948, the Romanian government imposed a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses that lasted until 1989. Many Witnesses were arrested and sent to prison or labor camps, and members of the religion had limited communication with other Witnesses and studied largely from older books and magazines.[5] In 1962, The Watchtower altered its doctrine on the meaning of the phrase "superior authorities" at Romans 13:1, identifying them as human governmental authorities rather than God and Jesus Christ as formerly thought. Many Witnesses in Romania rejected the change, and some suspected it was a communist fabrication intended to make them subservient to the state.[5] After the Romanian ban was lifted, members and representatives of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses were able to meet thousands of long-separated Romanian Witnesses, but some Romanians still rejected certain changes and preferred their autonomy, forming The True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses Association in 1992.[6]
USSR[edit]
When the Watch Tower Society changed its interpretation about the "superior authorities", some Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR suspected that the change came from the KGB instead. This led to formation of the Theocratic Organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses, which discontinued use of Watch Tower Society publications printed after 1962. The group has a presence in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, and claims to seek contacts with Witnesses in other countries.[7] The group does not publish any statistics regarding numbers of congregations or adherents, and has little or no public presence.
Internet-era departures[edit]
In 1993, mathematician Gordon Ritchie requested baptism by Jehovah's Witnesses and almost immediately began advocating disagreements with their teachings. He claims he was expelled for apostasy in March 1996.[8][9] Ritchie contends that Jehovah's Witnesses constituted true religion until 2004, but that his own group of "Lord's Witnesses" is now the sole form of true worship.[10] The group claims several hundred adherents, and argues that their mathematical analysis of the Bible contains divine revelations that Jehovah's Witnesses have ignored.
In 2007, Jehovah's Witness apologist and author Greg G. Stafford, author of Jehovah's Witnesses Defended (Elihu Books), formally disassociated from the religion, while insisting on describing himself and his followers as "Jehovah's Witnesses".[11] Stafford has published information about Jehovah's Witnesses, defending many of their distinctive, central beliefs, such as nontrinitarian Christology.[12] In 2007 Stafford introduced the term "Christian Witnesses of Jah" to describe individuals who believe many of the same things as Jehovah's Witnesses,[13][14] but who may not embrace the organization or all of its theological teachings.[15]
See also[edit]
Bible Student movement
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ 1973 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 92, "The British Isles"
2.^ Jump up to: a b Willis, Tony. A People for His Name: A History of Jehovah's Witnesses and an Evaluation. 2007. p. 268.
3.Jump up ^ Gary Botting, Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993), p. 6, citing Karl R.A. Wittig, a plenipotentiary of General Ludendorff, affidavit sworn 13 November 1945
4.Jump up ^ Hesse, Hans (1998). Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime, 1933-1945. New York, US: Berghahn Books. ISBN 3-86108-750-2.
5.^ Jump up to: a b 2006 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 112-116.
6.Jump up ^ "The Association The True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses". Retrieved 3 September 2011. archive.org
7.Jump up ^ "The Theocratic Organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses". Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
8.Jump up ^ "History of the decoding & Gordon's battle with FDS3". The Lords Witnesses. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
9.Jump up ^ "The cock always crows twice". The True Bible Code. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
10.Jump up ^ Official web site of Lord's Witnesses, Retrieved 2009-05-05
11.Jump up ^ "Watching the Ministry". Retrieved 3 September 2011.
12.Jump up ^ http://www.elihubooks.com/data/in_medios/000/000/002/Worth_Another_Look_REVISED.pdf
13.Jump up ^ http://elihubooks.com/images/CWJ_homepage_final.jpg
14.Jump up ^ http://www.elihubooks.com/data/lampstand/000/000/007/Why_interested_in_JWs_REVISED.pdf
15.Jump up ^ http://www.elihubooks.com/data/in_medios/000/000/015/Christian_Witnesses_of_Jah_REVISED.pdf
External links[edit]
Bible Student Ministries
Chicago Bible Students
Christian Millennial Fellowship
Dawn Bible Students Association
Friends of the Nazarene
Lords' Witnesses
Pastor-Russell.com
Pastoral Bible Institute
The Bible Standard magazine
The True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses Association
  


Categories: Jehovah's Witnesses
Bible Student movement






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Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about groups that separated from Jehovah's Witnesses after their official formation in 1931. For groups that developed from the Bible Student movement, see Bible Student movement.
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
A number of splinter groups have separated from Jehovah's Witnesses since 1931 after members broke affiliation with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Earlier group defections from the Watch Tower Society, most of them between 1917 and 1931, had resulted in a number of religious movements forming under the umbrella term of the Bible Student movement.
After 1931, some isolated groups of Jehovah's Witnesses came to distrust "outside" instruction;[citation needed] some preferred their autonomy even after persecution and isolation abated, such as in Germany following World War II, in Romania following Nicolae Ceausescu, and in the former USSR following the Cold War. Beginning in the 1990s, other former Witnesses used Internet technologies to group themselves around shared ideas such as numerical analysis of the Bible, or a wish to embrace some but not all Jehovah's Witness beliefs and practices.


Contents  [hide]
1 Britain
2 Germany, postwar
3 Romania
4 USSR
5 Internet-era departures
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Britain[edit]
Jesse Hemery was appointed overseer of the Watch Tower Society's British Isles branch office by Russell in 1901,[1] holding that post until 1946.[2] Hemery founded the Goshen Fellowship after he was disfellowshipped by N.H. Knorr in 1951.[2]
Germany, postwar[edit]
During the Nazi regime, scholars estimate that about half of all Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany were incarcerated in prison or concentration camps, where they were exposed to "sadism marked by an unending chain of physical and mental tortures, the likes of which no language in the world can express."[3] At the time, they were represented by several geographical Bible Students Associations, each of which considered itself affiliated with the Watch Tower Society despite little contact with their Brooklyn (USA) headquarters. When contact was re-established, a minority of German Jehovah's Witnesses either preferred their autonomy or disagreed with the doctrinal changes that had occurred in the meantime.[citation needed] Some disassociated themselves from the Watch Tower Society and some individual members established contact with non-Jehovah's Witness Bible Student groups.[4]
Romania[edit]
In 1948, the Romanian government imposed a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses that lasted until 1989. Many Witnesses were arrested and sent to prison or labor camps, and members of the religion had limited communication with other Witnesses and studied largely from older books and magazines.[5] In 1962, The Watchtower altered its doctrine on the meaning of the phrase "superior authorities" at Romans 13:1, identifying them as human governmental authorities rather than God and Jesus Christ as formerly thought. Many Witnesses in Romania rejected the change, and some suspected it was a communist fabrication intended to make them subservient to the state.[5] After the Romanian ban was lifted, members and representatives of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses were able to meet thousands of long-separated Romanian Witnesses, but some Romanians still rejected certain changes and preferred their autonomy, forming The True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses Association in 1992.[6]
USSR[edit]
When the Watch Tower Society changed its interpretation about the "superior authorities", some Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR suspected that the change came from the KGB instead. This led to formation of the Theocratic Organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses, which discontinued use of Watch Tower Society publications printed after 1962. The group has a presence in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, and claims to seek contacts with Witnesses in other countries.[7] The group does not publish any statistics regarding numbers of congregations or adherents, and has little or no public presence.
Internet-era departures[edit]
In 1993, mathematician Gordon Ritchie requested baptism by Jehovah's Witnesses and almost immediately began advocating disagreements with their teachings. He claims he was expelled for apostasy in March 1996.[8][9] Ritchie contends that Jehovah's Witnesses constituted true religion until 2004, but that his own group of "Lord's Witnesses" is now the sole form of true worship.[10] The group claims several hundred adherents, and argues that their mathematical analysis of the Bible contains divine revelations that Jehovah's Witnesses have ignored.
In 2007, Jehovah's Witness apologist and author Greg G. Stafford, author of Jehovah's Witnesses Defended (Elihu Books), formally disassociated from the religion, while insisting on describing himself and his followers as "Jehovah's Witnesses".[11] Stafford has published information about Jehovah's Witnesses, defending many of their distinctive, central beliefs, such as nontrinitarian Christology.[12] In 2007 Stafford introduced the term "Christian Witnesses of Jah" to describe individuals who believe many of the same things as Jehovah's Witnesses,[13][14] but who may not embrace the organization or all of its theological teachings.[15]
See also[edit]
Bible Student movement
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ 1973 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 92, "The British Isles"
2.^ Jump up to: a b Willis, Tony. A People for His Name: A History of Jehovah's Witnesses and an Evaluation. 2007. p. 268.
3.Jump up ^ Gary Botting, Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993), p. 6, citing Karl R.A. Wittig, a plenipotentiary of General Ludendorff, affidavit sworn 13 November 1945
4.Jump up ^ Hesse, Hans (1998). Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime, 1933-1945. New York, US: Berghahn Books. ISBN 3-86108-750-2.
5.^ Jump up to: a b 2006 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 112-116.
6.Jump up ^ "The Association The True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses". Retrieved 3 September 2011. archive.org
7.Jump up ^ "The Theocratic Organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses". Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
8.Jump up ^ "History of the decoding & Gordon's battle with FDS3". The Lords Witnesses. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
9.Jump up ^ "The cock always crows twice". The True Bible Code. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
10.Jump up ^ Official web site of Lord's Witnesses, Retrieved 2009-05-05
11.Jump up ^ "Watching the Ministry". Retrieved 3 September 2011.
12.Jump up ^ http://www.elihubooks.com/data/in_medios/000/000/002/Worth_Another_Look_REVISED.pdf
13.Jump up ^ http://elihubooks.com/images/CWJ_homepage_final.jpg
14.Jump up ^ http://www.elihubooks.com/data/lampstand/000/000/007/Why_interested_in_JWs_REVISED.pdf
15.Jump up ^ http://www.elihubooks.com/data/in_medios/000/000/015/Christian_Witnesses_of_Jah_REVISED.pdf
External links[edit]
Bible Student Ministries
Chicago Bible Students
Christian Millennial Fellowship
Dawn Bible Students Association
Friends of the Nazarene
Lords' Witnesses
Pastor-Russell.com
Pastoral Bible Institute
The Bible Standard magazine
The True Faith Jehovah's Witnesses Association
  


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Raymond Franz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For those of a similar name, see Ray Franz (disambiguation).

Raymond Victor Franz
RaymondVFranz-ca1981cropofphoto.png
Ray Franz, early 1980s

Born
May 8, 1922
Cincinnati, Ohio
Died
June 2, 2010 (aged 88)
Winston, Georgia

Cause of death
 brain hemorrhage
Nationality
American
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Raymond Victor Franz (May 8, 1922 – June 2, 2010) was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses from October 20, 1971 until his removal on May 22, 1980,[1][2] and served at the organization's world headquarters for fifteen years, from 1965 until 1980. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy.[3][not in citation given (See discussion.)] Following his removal, Franz wrote two books that related his personal experiences with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and his views on Jehovah's Witnesses teachings.


Contents  [hide]
1 Watch Tower career
2 Expulsion
3 Death
4 See also
5 References
6 Bibliography
7 External links

Watch Tower career[edit]
Franz was born in 1922. His uncle, Frederick Franz, was influential in the religion's development, practices and doctrines.[4] His father associated with the Bible Student movement (from which Jehovah's Witnesses developed) and was baptized in 1913. Raymond joined the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1938, and became a baptized member in 1939.[5]
In 1944 Franz graduated from Gilead, the religion's school for training missionaries,[6] and temporarily served the organization as a traveling representative in the continental United States until receiving a missionary assignment to Puerto Rico in 1946. Franz became a representative of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the Caribbean, traveling to the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic, until at least 1957 when Jehovah's Witnesses were banned in the Dominican Republic by dictator Rafael Trujillo.[7] At the age of 37, Franz married his wife, Cynthia, who joined him on missionary work. Both returned to the Dominican Republic in 1961 to evangelize for four more years and were then assigned to Watch Tower headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.[8]
According to Franz, he began working in the organization's writing department and was assigned to collaboratively write Aid to Bible Understanding, the first religious encyclopedia published by Jehovah's Witnesses. On October 20, 1971 he was appointed as a member of the Governing Body.[9] In his personal memoir, Franz said that at the end of 1979 he reached a personal crossroad:

I had spent nearly forty years as a full time representative, serving at every level of the organizational structure. The last fifteen years I had spent at the international headquarters, and the final nine of those as a member of the worldwide Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was those final years that were the crucial period for me. Illusions there met up with reality. I have since come to appreciate the rightness of a quotation I recently read, one made by a statesman, now dead, who said: "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." I now began to realize how large a measure of what I had based my entire adult life course on was just that, a myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.[10]
Frustrated by what he viewed as the Governing Body's dogmatism and overemphasis on traditional views rather than reliance on the Bible in reaching doctrinal decisions, Franz and his wife decided in late 1979 they would leave the international headquarters.[11]
Expulsion[edit]
In March 1980, Franz and his wife took a leave of absence from the world headquarters for health reasons and moved to Alabama, where he took up laboring work on a property owned by a fellow Witness. The following month, a committee of the Governing Body raised concerns about "wrong teachings" being spread by headquarters staff and began questioning staff about their beliefs. Staff were also questioned about comments Franz had made that may have contradicted Watch Tower doctrine.[12][13] The March 15, 1980 issue of The Watchtower issued a statement of regret that its assertions of probability of Armageddon arriving before 1975 had "apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of expectation already initiated."[14] It told disappointed Jehovah's Witnesses, "including persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centred on that date" to "concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint".[15] This statement, which placed blame for the disappointment about 1975 on Raymond Franz as the former chairman of the writing committee, precipitated a purge of that committee.[16] On May 8, 1980, Franz was told that he had been implicated as an apostate.[17] He was called back to Brooklyn on May 20 for two days of questioning[18] by the Chairman's Committee. According to Franz, the discussion involved allegations that some Witnesses were meeting privately to discuss various teachings of the Watch Tower Society that may have constituted apostasy.
On May 21, 1980, Franz was called to a Governing Body session where he was questioned for three hours about his biblical viewpoints and commitment to Watch Tower doctrines.[2][19] Consequently, he agreed to a request to resign from the Governing Body and headquarters staff. Franz refused the Watch Tower Society's offer of a monthly stipend as a member of the "Infirm Special Pioneers".[20] The Governing Body investigation resulted in the disfellowshipping of several other headquarters staff.[21][22][23]
On September 1, 1980, the Governing Body distributed a letter to all Circuit and District overseers stating that apostates need not be promoting doctrines to be disfellowshipped. The letter stated that individuals who persisted in "believing other doctrine despite scriptural reproof" were also apostatizing and therefore warranted "appropriate judicial action".[18][24]
On March 18, 1981 Franz' employer in Alabama submitted a letter of disassociation from Jehovah's Witnesses. The September 15, 1981 issue of The Watchtower announced a change of policy on disassociation, directing that those who formally withdrew from the religion were to be shunned by Witnesses in the same manner as those who have been disfellowshipped.[25] Franz, who continued to socialize with his employer, was summoned to a judicial hearing on November 25 and disfellowshipped for disobeying the edict.[2][26][27] Determined to present his point of view, not only with respect to his having been disfellowshipped, but with respect to broader doctrinal issues, in 1982 he sent Heather and Gary Botting proofs of his book Crisis of Conscience so that they could chronicle the more widespread discord within the Watch Tower Society.[28] They wrote regarding Franz' contribution to their exposé on the Witnesses that his recommendations "undoubtedly strengthened the veracity of the text; we were impressed by his insistence on both fairness and frankness with respect to representing the view of the Watch Tower Society."[29] After he was disfellowshipped, Franz published two books—Crisis of Conscience (1983) and In Search of Christian Freedom (1991)—presenting detailed accounts of his experiences as a Jehovah's Witness, a Governing Body member, and his experiences throughout various levels of the organization.
Death[edit]
On May 30, 2010, at age 88, Franz fell and suffered a brain hemorrhage.[30] He died on June 2, 2010.[30]
See also[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 1980, page 2, "This is a notification that Raymond Victor Franz is no longer a member of the Governing Body and of the Brooklyn Bethel family as of May 22, 1980."
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Ostling, Richard. "Witness Under Prosecution". Tme Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
3.Jump up ^ Dart, John. "Church Told to Break Privacy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
4.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, p. 66
5.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 11
6.Jump up ^ "Gilead’s 61st Graduation a Spiritual Treat", The Watchtower, November 1, 1976, page 671.
7.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 16
8.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, pp. 19, 20
9.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 31
10.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 273
11.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 274,275
12.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, pp. 119–121
13.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 298,299
14.Jump up ^ p. 17
15.Jump up ^ pp. 17-18
16.Jump up ^ The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. 48-49, 158-163
17.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, pp. 312, 313
18.^ Jump up to: a b Beverley 1986, p. 71
19.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 331
20.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 332
21.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, p. 121
22.Jump up ^ Botting & Botting 1984, p. 161
23.Jump up ^ "Branch Letter", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 1980, "We are saddened to report at this time that five members of the Bethel family, and a few others in the New York city area have recently been disfellowshiped. There has been some apostasy against the organization and the promoting of sectarian divisions in some of the congregations of God’s people. (Titus 3:9-11) Living as we are in times difficult to deal with, it should not be surprising that such things occur. The first-century congregation also experienced deviations as we well know from our reading of the Holy Scriptures.—1 Tim. 1:20; 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18; 1 Cor. 15:12, 13; Acts 20:29, 30."
24.Jump up ^ Protecting the Flock, Watch Tower Society letter to district and circuit overseers, September 1, 1980, part 1. Protecting the Flock, Part 2.
25.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping — How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 23, "One who has been a true Christian might renounce the way of the truth, stating that he no longer considers himself to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses or wants to be known as one. When this rare event occurs, the person is renouncing his standing as a Christian, deliberately disassociating himself from the congregation ... Persons who make themselves 'not of our sort' by deliberately rejecting the faith and beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses should appropriately be viewed and treated as are those who have been disfellowshiped for wrongdoing."
26.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, pp. 357–369
27.Jump up ^ "Expelled Witnesses Claim Group is Ingrown", Miami News, March 19, 1983.
28.Jump up ^ the Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. 161-63
29.Jump up ^ The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses,p. xxiii
30.^ Jump up to: a b "Obituary". Legacy.com.
Bibliography[edit]
Beverley, James A. (1986). Crisis of Allegiance. Burlington, Ontario: Welch Publishing Company. ISBN 0-920413-37-4.
Botting, Heather; Botting, Gary (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-6545-7.
Franz, Raymond (2002). Crisis of Conscience. Commentary Press. ISBN 0-914675-23-0.
Penton, M. J. (1997). Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
Rogerson, Alan (1969). Millions Now Living Will Never Die: A Study of Jehovah's Witnesses. Constable & Co, London. ISBN 0-0945-5940-6.
External links[edit]
Richard N. Ostling (February 22, 1982), "Religion: Witness Under Prosecution", Time magazine.
Raymond Franz at Find a Grave


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Franz









Raymond Franz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For those of a similar name, see Ray Franz (disambiguation).

Raymond Victor Franz
RaymondVFranz-ca1981cropofphoto.png
Ray Franz, early 1980s

Born
May 8, 1922
Cincinnati, Ohio
Died
June 2, 2010 (aged 88)
Winston, Georgia

Cause of death
 brain hemorrhage
Nationality
American
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Raymond Victor Franz (May 8, 1922 – June 2, 2010) was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses from October 20, 1971 until his removal on May 22, 1980,[1][2] and served at the organization's world headquarters for fifteen years, from 1965 until 1980. Franz stated the request for his resignation and his subsequent disfellowshipping resulted from allegations of apostasy.[3][not in citation given (See discussion.)] Following his removal, Franz wrote two books that related his personal experiences with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and his views on Jehovah's Witnesses teachings.


Contents  [hide]
1 Watch Tower career
2 Expulsion
3 Death
4 See also
5 References
6 Bibliography
7 External links

Watch Tower career[edit]
Franz was born in 1922. His uncle, Frederick Franz, was influential in the religion's development, practices and doctrines.[4] His father associated with the Bible Student movement (from which Jehovah's Witnesses developed) and was baptized in 1913. Raymond joined the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1938, and became a baptized member in 1939.[5]
In 1944 Franz graduated from Gilead, the religion's school for training missionaries,[6] and temporarily served the organization as a traveling representative in the continental United States until receiving a missionary assignment to Puerto Rico in 1946. Franz became a representative of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the Caribbean, traveling to the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic, until at least 1957 when Jehovah's Witnesses were banned in the Dominican Republic by dictator Rafael Trujillo.[7] At the age of 37, Franz married his wife, Cynthia, who joined him on missionary work. Both returned to the Dominican Republic in 1961 to evangelize for four more years and were then assigned to Watch Tower headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.[8]
According to Franz, he began working in the organization's writing department and was assigned to collaboratively write Aid to Bible Understanding, the first religious encyclopedia published by Jehovah's Witnesses. On October 20, 1971 he was appointed as a member of the Governing Body.[9] In his personal memoir, Franz said that at the end of 1979 he reached a personal crossroad:

I had spent nearly forty years as a full time representative, serving at every level of the organizational structure. The last fifteen years I had spent at the international headquarters, and the final nine of those as a member of the worldwide Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was those final years that were the crucial period for me. Illusions there met up with reality. I have since come to appreciate the rightness of a quotation I recently read, one made by a statesman, now dead, who said: "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." I now began to realize how large a measure of what I had based my entire adult life course on was just that, a myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.[10]
Frustrated by what he viewed as the Governing Body's dogmatism and overemphasis on traditional views rather than reliance on the Bible in reaching doctrinal decisions, Franz and his wife decided in late 1979 they would leave the international headquarters.[11]
Expulsion[edit]
In March 1980, Franz and his wife took a leave of absence from the world headquarters for health reasons and moved to Alabama, where he took up laboring work on a property owned by a fellow Witness. The following month, a committee of the Governing Body raised concerns about "wrong teachings" being spread by headquarters staff and began questioning staff about their beliefs. Staff were also questioned about comments Franz had made that may have contradicted Watch Tower doctrine.[12][13] The March 15, 1980 issue of The Watchtower issued a statement of regret that its assertions of probability of Armageddon arriving before 1975 had "apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of expectation already initiated."[14] It told disappointed Jehovah's Witnesses, "including persons having to do with the publication of the information that contributed to the buildup of hopes centred on that date" to "concentrate on adjusting his viewpoint".[15] This statement, which placed blame for the disappointment about 1975 on Raymond Franz as the former chairman of the writing committee, precipitated a purge of that committee.[16] On May 8, 1980, Franz was told that he had been implicated as an apostate.[17] He was called back to Brooklyn on May 20 for two days of questioning[18] by the Chairman's Committee. According to Franz, the discussion involved allegations that some Witnesses were meeting privately to discuss various teachings of the Watch Tower Society that may have constituted apostasy.
On May 21, 1980, Franz was called to a Governing Body session where he was questioned for three hours about his biblical viewpoints and commitment to Watch Tower doctrines.[2][19] Consequently, he agreed to a request to resign from the Governing Body and headquarters staff. Franz refused the Watch Tower Society's offer of a monthly stipend as a member of the "Infirm Special Pioneers".[20] The Governing Body investigation resulted in the disfellowshipping of several other headquarters staff.[21][22][23]
On September 1, 1980, the Governing Body distributed a letter to all Circuit and District overseers stating that apostates need not be promoting doctrines to be disfellowshipped. The letter stated that individuals who persisted in "believing other doctrine despite scriptural reproof" were also apostatizing and therefore warranted "appropriate judicial action".[18][24]
On March 18, 1981 Franz' employer in Alabama submitted a letter of disassociation from Jehovah's Witnesses. The September 15, 1981 issue of The Watchtower announced a change of policy on disassociation, directing that those who formally withdrew from the religion were to be shunned by Witnesses in the same manner as those who have been disfellowshipped.[25] Franz, who continued to socialize with his employer, was summoned to a judicial hearing on November 25 and disfellowshipped for disobeying the edict.[2][26][27] Determined to present his point of view, not only with respect to his having been disfellowshipped, but with respect to broader doctrinal issues, in 1982 he sent Heather and Gary Botting proofs of his book Crisis of Conscience so that they could chronicle the more widespread discord within the Watch Tower Society.[28] They wrote regarding Franz' contribution to their exposé on the Witnesses that his recommendations "undoubtedly strengthened the veracity of the text; we were impressed by his insistence on both fairness and frankness with respect to representing the view of the Watch Tower Society."[29] After he was disfellowshipped, Franz published two books—Crisis of Conscience (1983) and In Search of Christian Freedom (1991)—presenting detailed accounts of his experiences as a Jehovah's Witness, a Governing Body member, and his experiences throughout various levels of the organization.
Death[edit]
On May 30, 2010, at age 88, Franz fell and suffered a brain hemorrhage.[30] He died on June 2, 2010.[30]
See also[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 1980, page 2, "This is a notification that Raymond Victor Franz is no longer a member of the Governing Body and of the Brooklyn Bethel family as of May 22, 1980."
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Ostling, Richard. "Witness Under Prosecution". Tme Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
3.Jump up ^ Dart, John. "Church Told to Break Privacy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
4.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, p. 66
5.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 11
6.Jump up ^ "Gilead’s 61st Graduation a Spiritual Treat", The Watchtower, November 1, 1976, page 671.
7.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 16
8.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, pp. 19, 20
9.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 31
10.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 273
11.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 274,275
12.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, pp. 119–121
13.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 298,299
14.Jump up ^ p. 17
15.Jump up ^ pp. 17-18
16.Jump up ^ The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. 48-49, 158-163
17.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, pp. 312, 313
18.^ Jump up to: a b Beverley 1986, p. 71
19.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 331
20.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, p. 332
21.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, p. 121
22.Jump up ^ Botting & Botting 1984, p. 161
23.Jump up ^ "Branch Letter", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 1980, "We are saddened to report at this time that five members of the Bethel family, and a few others in the New York city area have recently been disfellowshiped. There has been some apostasy against the organization and the promoting of sectarian divisions in some of the congregations of God’s people. (Titus 3:9-11) Living as we are in times difficult to deal with, it should not be surprising that such things occur. The first-century congregation also experienced deviations as we well know from our reading of the Holy Scriptures.—1 Tim. 1:20; 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18; 1 Cor. 15:12, 13; Acts 20:29, 30."
24.Jump up ^ Protecting the Flock, Watch Tower Society letter to district and circuit overseers, September 1, 1980, part 1. Protecting the Flock, Part 2.
25.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping — How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 23, "One who has been a true Christian might renounce the way of the truth, stating that he no longer considers himself to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses or wants to be known as one. When this rare event occurs, the person is renouncing his standing as a Christian, deliberately disassociating himself from the congregation ... Persons who make themselves 'not of our sort' by deliberately rejecting the faith and beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses should appropriately be viewed and treated as are those who have been disfellowshiped for wrongdoing."
26.Jump up ^ Franz 2002, pp. 357–369
27.Jump up ^ "Expelled Witnesses Claim Group is Ingrown", Miami News, March 19, 1983.
28.Jump up ^ the Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. 161-63
29.Jump up ^ The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses,p. xxiii
30.^ Jump up to: a b "Obituary". Legacy.com.
Bibliography[edit]
Beverley, James A. (1986). Crisis of Allegiance. Burlington, Ontario: Welch Publishing Company. ISBN 0-920413-37-4.
Botting, Heather; Botting, Gary (1984). The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-6545-7.
Franz, Raymond (2002). Crisis of Conscience. Commentary Press. ISBN 0-914675-23-0.
Penton, M. J. (1997). Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
Rogerson, Alan (1969). Millions Now Living Will Never Die: A Study of Jehovah's Witnesses. Constable & Co, London. ISBN 0-0945-5940-6.
External links[edit]
Richard N. Ostling (February 22, 1982), "Religion: Witness Under Prosecution", Time magazine.
Raymond Franz at Find a Grave


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Franz








James Penton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


M. James Penton

Born
April 27, 1932 (age 83)
Saskatchewan, Canada
Nationality
Canadian
Education
University of Arizona (B.A., 1956); University of Iowa (M.A., 1959); University of Iowa (Ph.D., 1965)
Occupation
Historian, author
Known for
Former Jehovah's Witness
Spouse(s)
Marilyn
Children
David, John, Anne
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Marvin James Penton[1] is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and the author of three books on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although raised in the religion, he was expelled in 1981 on the grounds of apostasy after criticizing some of the teachings and conduct of the religion's leadership. His expulsion gained national media attention and prompted one of several schisms that year among Jehovah's Witnesses.[2]

Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Dissent
3 Books
4 Published works
5 References

Background[edit]
Born in April 1932, Penton was raised as a fourth-generation Jehovah's Witnesses, experiencing as a child Canadian government restrictions on the religion's activities.[3] He was baptized in June 1948 and was sent by his parents to Arizona because of ill health. Penton attended Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona. He married Marilyn Mae Kling when they were both 19 (circa 1951). In 1953-1956 he attended the University of Arizona majoring in history with minors in German and Spanish. He received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1956. In 1956-1959 he attended the University of Iowa, studying Medieval History and serving as a research and teaching assistant. He received his Master of Arts (M.A.) in European History in 1959. In 1965, he received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Latin American History with a minor in Religious Studies, from the University of Iowa.
Over the years, Penton served in various capacities in Jehovah's Witness congregations in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada while pursuing an academic career, before moving to Alberta in 1965.[4] Penton claimed to be an anointed Christian, and therefore one of the religion's faithful and discreet slave class, which is said to be collectively used by Jesus Christ to "feed" his followers with scriptural instruction.
Dissent[edit]
While serving as an elder in his Lethbridge congregation in the late 1970s he developed concerns over the Watch Tower Society’s emphasis on the requirement for Witnesses to engage in public preaching work and what he saw as a growing harshness and intolerance in the treatment of members of the religion by those in authority.[5]
On August 10, 1979 he sent an eight-page letter to the society detailing his concerns. He opened the letter by saying he would “write lovingly but candidly about what I believe to be the central problem in our organization – the thing which has sickened it and for which the Governing Body as such must take much direct responsibility”.

... It is the Society’s misplaced, unscriptural overemphasis on the preaching work which has sickened, is sickening and will continue to sicken the organization until it is placed in its proper perspective. Although it is a necessary aspect of the Christian congregation’s testimony to the world, it is no important than any other Christian works outlined in the Scriptures ... many are tired to the point of spiritual death itself by the super-pietism and work-righteousness pervading the organization.[6]
Penton gave examples of what he claimed were distortions of New Testament texts to support Watch Tower Society teachings on house-to-house preaching, criticized the appointment of elders chiefly on the basis of field service records and described circuit overseer visits as “military inspections”. He also sought a re-emphasis on justification by faith.[2]
The letter, which was distributed among some Witnesses in Lethbridge, prompted accusations from within the organization's hierarchy that Penton was denigrating and opposed to the preaching work and resulted in pointed talks by the circuit and district overseers in Lethbridge warning that anyone who suggested the religion’s Governing Body had made "lots of mistakes" about the issue was lying, "blaspheming the organization" and trying to destroy it. One overseer told an assembly: "Woe betide the man that would speak evil against the representatives of God. He may become like Miriam and stricken with leprosy and he might lose his life." Another overseer said those who suggested the Governing Body were wrong were "unrighteous people" who would die at God's judgment day. Author James Beverley observed: "It is not often that preachers use the threat of leprosy to keep the flock in line." He said most informed Witnesses in Lethbridge would have guessed that the comments were directed chiefly against Penton.[7]
Penton resigned as an elder in December 1979, but a day later withdrew the resignation. He received a one-page reply to his letter from the society's headquarters in January 1980 that urged him to adjust his viewpoint or remain silent.
Despite his protests that he was the subject of a witch hunt and injustice[4] because of expressing his view about a religion he had once hailed as a "champion of free speech", Penton was disfellowshipped, or expelled, from Jehovah's Witnesses on the grounds of apostasy in February 1981.[8] His expulsion triggered a schism among Lethbridge Witnesses, as 80 supporters–about a quarter of all local members–severed ties or were expelled from the religion.[2][9] The events surrounding his expulsion gained widespread media attention including national television coverage[10] and were the subject of a 1986 book, Crisis of Allegiance, by James A. Beverley, an assistant professor at Atlantic Baptist College in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Books[edit]
While still a member, he wrote Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship (1976), a history of the religion's struggle for religious freedom under Canadian law, in which he claimed that much of the political and theological attacks on the Watch Tower Society had been grossly unfair. He subsequently appeared on a national current affairs television program in Canada defending the religion's doctrines and denying its leaders were guilty of false prophecy.[11] The book gained brief mentions in the society's magazine The Watchtower (quoting a Toronto Star review) and three years later in a Yearbook article about the Witnesses' history in Canada, although Penton later wrote that he found it curious that the society refused to quote directly from it or otherwise mention it in publications or conventions. "As a result," he wrote, "some Witnesses manifested direct hostility towards it. On occasions I was openly criticized by particularly narrow Witnesses with 'trying to make money on the brothers' or 'trying to make a big fellow out of myself'."[12]
He began work on Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses soon afterwards, but halted his research and writing in 1979 after developing concerns over what he viewed as a growing punitive response of the religion's leadership to doctrinal dissent from within its ranks.[3] He resumed work on the book after his expulsion and it was published in 1985. In 2004 he published Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution, which highlights what he claims are discrepancies between the religion's official history of its opposition to Nazism during World War II and documented facts. Historian Detlef Garbe, director at the Neuengamme (Hamburg) Memorial, criticized Penton's "new theory" that in the 1930s the Watch Tower Society had "adapted" to National Socialism's anti-semitic aggression. Garbe suggested Penton's interpretation reflected a "deep-seated aversion" against his former religion and that "from a historiographic viewpoint Penton's writings perhaps show a lack of scientific objectivity".[13][14]
Penton has also edited two journals, written five articles about Jehovah's Witnesses and also wrote the Canadian Encyclopedia's entry about the religion.[15]
Published works[edit]
(1976) Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship. (Macmillan, Toronto). ISBN 0-7705-1340-9.
Penton, M. James (1997-08-09) [1985]. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802079732.
(2004) Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution. (University of Toronto Press, Toronto). ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Penton, Marvin James. "About the Author". PentonFamilyOnline.info. Retrieved 2015-04-03. "My name is Marvin James Penton, but I have always been known as James or Jim in order to distinguish me from my father’s only brother."
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Edwards, Linda (2001). A Brief Guide to Beliefs. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 440. ISBN 0-664-22259-5.
3.^ Jump up to: a b Penton, M. James (1997-08-09) [1985]. "Preface". Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802079732.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Beverley, James A. (1986). "Appendix, letter 2". Crisis of Allegiance. Burlington, Ontario: Welch Publishing Company. ISBN 0-920413-37-4.
5.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, Appendix, p. 29
6.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, Appendix, letter 1
7.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, pp. 21, 33
8.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, pp. 22, 32, 71
9.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, p. 67
10.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, p. 12
11.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, p. 11
12.Jump up ^ Penton, M. James (1997-08-09) [1985]. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802079732. p. 359, footnote 28.
13.Jump up ^ By Detlef Garbe, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Dagmar G. Grimm; See Preface for English edition pg. xix, xx (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: See Preface for English edition pg. xix, xx. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 9780299207908.
14.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich, Amazon.com.
15.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Canadian Encyclopedia.


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University of Lethbridge faculty






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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Penton








James Penton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


M. James Penton

Born
April 27, 1932 (age 83)
Saskatchewan, Canada
Nationality
Canadian
Education
University of Arizona (B.A., 1956); University of Iowa (M.A., 1959); University of Iowa (Ph.D., 1965)
Occupation
Historian, author
Known for
Former Jehovah's Witness
Spouse(s)
Marilyn
Children
David, John, Anne
Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Marvin James Penton[1] is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and the author of three books on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although raised in the religion, he was expelled in 1981 on the grounds of apostasy after criticizing some of the teachings and conduct of the religion's leadership. His expulsion gained national media attention and prompted one of several schisms that year among Jehovah's Witnesses.[2]

Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Dissent
3 Books
4 Published works
5 References

Background[edit]
Born in April 1932, Penton was raised as a fourth-generation Jehovah's Witnesses, experiencing as a child Canadian government restrictions on the religion's activities.[3] He was baptized in June 1948 and was sent by his parents to Arizona because of ill health. Penton attended Amphitheater High School in Tucson, Arizona. He married Marilyn Mae Kling when they were both 19 (circa 1951). In 1953-1956 he attended the University of Arizona majoring in history with minors in German and Spanish. He received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1956. In 1956-1959 he attended the University of Iowa, studying Medieval History and serving as a research and teaching assistant. He received his Master of Arts (M.A.) in European History in 1959. In 1965, he received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Latin American History with a minor in Religious Studies, from the University of Iowa.
Over the years, Penton served in various capacities in Jehovah's Witness congregations in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada while pursuing an academic career, before moving to Alberta in 1965.[4] Penton claimed to be an anointed Christian, and therefore one of the religion's faithful and discreet slave class, which is said to be collectively used by Jesus Christ to "feed" his followers with scriptural instruction.
Dissent[edit]
While serving as an elder in his Lethbridge congregation in the late 1970s he developed concerns over the Watch Tower Society’s emphasis on the requirement for Witnesses to engage in public preaching work and what he saw as a growing harshness and intolerance in the treatment of members of the religion by those in authority.[5]
On August 10, 1979 he sent an eight-page letter to the society detailing his concerns. He opened the letter by saying he would “write lovingly but candidly about what I believe to be the central problem in our organization – the thing which has sickened it and for which the Governing Body as such must take much direct responsibility”.

... It is the Society’s misplaced, unscriptural overemphasis on the preaching work which has sickened, is sickening and will continue to sicken the organization until it is placed in its proper perspective. Although it is a necessary aspect of the Christian congregation’s testimony to the world, it is no important than any other Christian works outlined in the Scriptures ... many are tired to the point of spiritual death itself by the super-pietism and work-righteousness pervading the organization.[6]
Penton gave examples of what he claimed were distortions of New Testament texts to support Watch Tower Society teachings on house-to-house preaching, criticized the appointment of elders chiefly on the basis of field service records and described circuit overseer visits as “military inspections”. He also sought a re-emphasis on justification by faith.[2]
The letter, which was distributed among some Witnesses in Lethbridge, prompted accusations from within the organization's hierarchy that Penton was denigrating and opposed to the preaching work and resulted in pointed talks by the circuit and district overseers in Lethbridge warning that anyone who suggested the religion’s Governing Body had made "lots of mistakes" about the issue was lying, "blaspheming the organization" and trying to destroy it. One overseer told an assembly: "Woe betide the man that would speak evil against the representatives of God. He may become like Miriam and stricken with leprosy and he might lose his life." Another overseer said those who suggested the Governing Body were wrong were "unrighteous people" who would die at God's judgment day. Author James Beverley observed: "It is not often that preachers use the threat of leprosy to keep the flock in line." He said most informed Witnesses in Lethbridge would have guessed that the comments were directed chiefly against Penton.[7]
Penton resigned as an elder in December 1979, but a day later withdrew the resignation. He received a one-page reply to his letter from the society's headquarters in January 1980 that urged him to adjust his viewpoint or remain silent.
Despite his protests that he was the subject of a witch hunt and injustice[4] because of expressing his view about a religion he had once hailed as a "champion of free speech", Penton was disfellowshipped, or expelled, from Jehovah's Witnesses on the grounds of apostasy in February 1981.[8] His expulsion triggered a schism among Lethbridge Witnesses, as 80 supporters–about a quarter of all local members–severed ties or were expelled from the religion.[2][9] The events surrounding his expulsion gained widespread media attention including national television coverage[10] and were the subject of a 1986 book, Crisis of Allegiance, by James A. Beverley, an assistant professor at Atlantic Baptist College in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Books[edit]
While still a member, he wrote Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship (1976), a history of the religion's struggle for religious freedom under Canadian law, in which he claimed that much of the political and theological attacks on the Watch Tower Society had been grossly unfair. He subsequently appeared on a national current affairs television program in Canada defending the religion's doctrines and denying its leaders were guilty of false prophecy.[11] The book gained brief mentions in the society's magazine The Watchtower (quoting a Toronto Star review) and three years later in a Yearbook article about the Witnesses' history in Canada, although Penton later wrote that he found it curious that the society refused to quote directly from it or otherwise mention it in publications or conventions. "As a result," he wrote, "some Witnesses manifested direct hostility towards it. On occasions I was openly criticized by particularly narrow Witnesses with 'trying to make money on the brothers' or 'trying to make a big fellow out of myself'."[12]
He began work on Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses soon afterwards, but halted his research and writing in 1979 after developing concerns over what he viewed as a growing punitive response of the religion's leadership to doctrinal dissent from within its ranks.[3] He resumed work on the book after his expulsion and it was published in 1985. In 2004 he published Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution, which highlights what he claims are discrepancies between the religion's official history of its opposition to Nazism during World War II and documented facts. Historian Detlef Garbe, director at the Neuengamme (Hamburg) Memorial, criticized Penton's "new theory" that in the 1930s the Watch Tower Society had "adapted" to National Socialism's anti-semitic aggression. Garbe suggested Penton's interpretation reflected a "deep-seated aversion" against his former religion and that "from a historiographic viewpoint Penton's writings perhaps show a lack of scientific objectivity".[13][14]
Penton has also edited two journals, written five articles about Jehovah's Witnesses and also wrote the Canadian Encyclopedia's entry about the religion.[15]
Published works[edit]
(1976) Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship. (Macmillan, Toronto). ISBN 0-7705-1340-9.
Penton, M. James (1997-08-09) [1985]. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802079732.
(2004) Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution. (University of Toronto Press, Toronto). ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Penton, Marvin James. "About the Author". PentonFamilyOnline.info. Retrieved 2015-04-03. "My name is Marvin James Penton, but I have always been known as James or Jim in order to distinguish me from my father’s only brother."
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Edwards, Linda (2001). A Brief Guide to Beliefs. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. p. 440. ISBN 0-664-22259-5.
3.^ Jump up to: a b Penton, M. James (1997-08-09) [1985]. "Preface". Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802079732.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Beverley, James A. (1986). "Appendix, letter 2". Crisis of Allegiance. Burlington, Ontario: Welch Publishing Company. ISBN 0-920413-37-4.
5.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, Appendix, p. 29
6.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, Appendix, letter 1
7.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, pp. 21, 33
8.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, pp. 22, 32, 71
9.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, p. 67
10.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, p. 12
11.Jump up ^ Beverley 1986, p. 11
12.Jump up ^ Penton, M. James (1997-08-09) [1985]. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0802079732. p. 359, footnote 28.
13.Jump up ^ By Detlef Garbe, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Dagmar G. Grimm; See Preface for English edition pg. xix, xx (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: See Preface for English edition pg. xix, xx. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 9780299207908.
14.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich, Amazon.com.
15.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses", Canadian Encyclopedia.


Authority control
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 ISNI: 0000 0000 7358 6891 ·
 SUDOC: 094167575
 




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  


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People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses
University of Lethbridge faculty






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Category:People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses

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Jump to: navigation, search

People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the Jehovah's Witnesses, being disfellowshipped is the rough equivalent of excommunication in other Christian churches. For further information, see Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline.
  

Pages in category "People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses"
The following 3 pages are in this category, out of 3 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).

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Raymond Franz
M
Maureen Mwanawasa
P
James Penton



Categories: Former Jehovah's Witnesses
People excommunicated by Christian churches


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Category:People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses

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People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the Jehovah's Witnesses, being disfellowshipped is the rough equivalent of excommunication in other Christian churches. For further information, see Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline.
  

Pages in category "People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses"
The following 3 pages are in this category, out of 3 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).

F
Raymond Franz
M
Maureen Mwanawasa
P
James Penton



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People excommunicated by Christian churches


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:People_disfellowshipped_by_the_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses








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Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses

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 This category may inappropriately label persons. See Wikipedia:Categorization of people for advice on how to apply categorization to articles relating to people.
See also the policy at WP:BLPCAT regarding categorization by religion or sexual orientation.
This category is for people who self-identify as former members of Jehovah's Witnesses for whom such status is indicated in reliable sources and is related to their notability.
  

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D

?  People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses? (3 P)



Pages in category "Former Jehovah's Witnesses"
The following 31 pages are in this category, out of 31 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).



A
Gregg Alexander
Peter Andre

B
David Bercot
Gary Botting
Heather Botting

C
Daniel Allen Cox

G
Jan Groenveld

H
Geri Halliwell
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

J
Ja Rule
Jackie Jackson
Janet Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
La Toya Jackson
Marlon Jackson
Michael Jackson
Randy Jackson (The Jacksons)
Tito Jackson

L
John-Paul Langbroek

M
Michelle Massey
Norma McCorvey
Olin R. Moyle
Dave Mustaine

N
Gloria Naylor

P
Oliver Pocher

Q
Nate Quarry

R
Michelle Rodriguez

S
Sherri Shepherd
Patti Smith
Carol M. Swain

V
Leo Volpe



Categories: Jehovah's Witnesses people
People by former religion


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Former_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses








Help

Category:Former Jehovah's Witnesses

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

 This category may inappropriately label persons. See Wikipedia:Categorization of people for advice on how to apply categorization to articles relating to people.
See also the policy at WP:BLPCAT regarding categorization by religion or sexual orientation.
This category is for people who self-identify as former members of Jehovah's Witnesses for whom such status is indicated in reliable sources and is related to their notability.
  

Subcategories
This category has only the following subcategory.

D

?  People disfellowshipped by the Jehovah's Witnesses? (3 P)



Pages in category "Former Jehovah's Witnesses"
The following 31 pages are in this category, out of 31 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).



A
Gregg Alexander
Peter Andre

B
David Bercot
Gary Botting
Heather Botting

C
Daniel Allen Cox

G
Jan Groenveld

H
Geri Halliwell
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

J
Ja Rule
Jackie Jackson
Janet Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
La Toya Jackson
Marlon Jackson
Michael Jackson
Randy Jackson (The Jacksons)
Tito Jackson

L
John-Paul Langbroek

M
Michelle Massey
Norma McCorvey
Olin R. Moyle
Dave Mustaine

N
Gloria Naylor

P
Oliver Pocher

Q
Nate Quarry

R
Michelle Rodriguez

S
Sherri Shepherd
Patti Smith
Carol M. Swain

V
Leo Volpe



Categories: Jehovah's Witnesses people
People by former religion


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Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses

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Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

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See also: Jehovah's Witnesses and governments and Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses by country
Throughout Jehovah's Witnesses' history, their beliefs, doctrines, and practices have engendered controversy and opposition from local governments, communities, and religious groups.
Many Christian denominations consider the interpretations and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be heretical. Some religious leaders have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of being a cult. According to law professor Archibald Cox, in the United States, Jehovah's Witnesses were "the principal victims of religious persecution … they began to attract attention and provoke repression in the 1930s, when their proselytizing and numbers rapidly increased."[1]
Political and religious animosity against Jehovah's Witnesses has at times led to mob action and government oppression in various countries, including Cuba, the United States, Canada, Singapore, and Nazi Germany. The religion's doctrine of political neutrality has led to imprisonment of members who refused conscription (for example in Britain during World War II and afterwards during the period of compulsory national service).
During the World Wars, Jehovah's Witnesses were targeted in the United States, Canada, and many other countries for their refusal to serve in the military or help with war efforts. In Canada, Jehovah's Witnesses were interned in camps[2] along with political dissidents and people of Japanese and Chinese descent. Activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have previously been banned in the Soviet Union and in Spain, partly due to their refusal to perform military service. Their religious activities are currently banned or restricted in some countries, for example in Singapore, China, Vietnam, and many Islamic states.
According to the journal, Social Compass, "Viewed globally, this persecution has been so persistent and of such an intensity that it would not be inaccurate to regard Jehovah's witnesses as the most persecuted religion of the twentieth century".[3] The claim is disputed, as deaths resulting from persecution of Christians of other denominations during the twentieth century are estimated to number 26 million.[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Countries 1.1 Benin
1.2 Bulgaria
1.3 Cuba
1.4 Canada
1.5 Eritrea
1.6 France 1.6.1 French dependencies
1.7 Georgia
1.8 Germany
1.9 India
1.10 Malawi
1.11 Singapore
1.12 Soviet Union
1.13 Russian Federation
1.14 United States
2 Notes
3 References 3.1 Bibliography
4 Additional reading

Countries[edit]
Benin[edit]
During the first presidency of Mathieu Kérékou, activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were banned and members were forced to undergo "demystification training."[5][clarification needed]
Bulgaria[edit]
In Bulgaria, Jehovah's Witnesses have been targets of violence by right wing nationalist groups such as the Bulgarian National Movement. On April 17, 2011, a group of about sixty hooded men carrying BMPO flags besieged a Kingdom Hall in Burgas, during the annual memorial of Christ's death. Attackers threw stones, damaged furniture, and injured at least five of the people gathered inside.[6][7] The incident was recorded by a local television station.[8] Jehovah's Witnesses in Bulgaria have been fined for proselytizing without proper government permits, and some municipalities have legislation prohibiting or restricting their rights to preach.[9]
Cuba[edit]
Main article: Military Units to Aid Production
See also: Human rights in Cuba
Under Fidel Castro's communist regime, Jehovah's Witnesses were considered "social deviants", along with homosexuals, vagrants, and other groups, and were sent to forced labor concentration camps to be "reeducated".[10] Jehovah's Witnesses could not refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, as the Cuban Healthcare system gave no right to refuse treatment (even on religious or animal rights grounds).[citation needed]
Canada[edit]
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada
During both world wars, Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for abhorrence of patriotic exercises and conscientious objection to military service.[11]
In 1984, Canada released a number of previously classified documents which revealed that in the 1940s, "able bodied young Jehovah's Witnesses" were sent to "camps", and "entire families who practiced the religion were imprisoned."[2] The 1984 report stated, "Recently declassified wartime documents suggest [World War II] was also a time of officially sanctioned religious bigotry, political intolerance and the suppression of ideas. The federal government described Jehovah's Witnesses as subversive and offensive 'religious zealots' … in secret reports given to special parliamentarian committees in 1942." It concluded that, "probably no other organization is so offensive in its methods, working as it does under the guise of Christianity. The documents prepared by the justice department were presented to a special House of Commons committee by the government of William Lyon Mackenzie King in an attempt to justify the outlawing of the organizations during the second world war."[12]
Eritrea[edit]
In Eritrea, the government stripped Jehovah's Witnesses of their civil and political rights in 1994 after their refusal to engage in voting and military service.[13][14][15] Members of all ages have been arrested for participating in religious meetings.[16][17] Paulos Eyassu, Negede Teklemariam, and Isaac Mogos were arrested without charges, and were not allowed a trial.[18][19] International rights groups are aware of the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Eritrea[20] and have repeatedly called for Eritrean authorities to end the persecution.[21]
France[edit]
See also: Jehovah's Witnesses and governments (France)
Prior to World War II, the French government banned the Association of Jehovah's Witnesses in France, and ordered that the French offices of the Watch Tower Society be vacated.[Note 1] After the war, Jehovah's Witnesses in France renewed their operations. In December 1952, France's Minister of the Interior banned The Watchtower magazine, citing its position on military service.[22] The ban was lifted on November 26, 1974.[23][24]
In the 1990s and 2000s, the French government included Jehovah's Witnesses on its list of "cults", and governmental ministers made derogatory public statements about Jehovah's Witnesses.[Note 2] Despite its century of activity in the country, France's Ministry of Finance opposed official recognition of the religion; it was not until June 23, 2000 that France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses qualify as a religion under French law.[25] France's Ministry of the Interior sought to collect 60% of donations made to the religion's entities; Witnesses called the taxation "confiscatory" and appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.[Note 3][Note 4] On June 30, 2011, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that France’s actions violated the religious freedom of Jehovah’s Witnesses by demanding 58 million euros in taxes.[26]
Jehovah's Witnesses in France have reported hundreds of criminal attacks against their adherents and places of worship.[Note 5]
French dependencies[edit]
During the ban of the The Watchtower in France, publication of the magazine continued in various French territories. In French Polynesia, the magazine was covertly published under the name, La Sentinelle, though it was later learned that The Watchtower had not been banned locally.[27] In Réunion, the magazine was published under the name, Bulletin intérieur.[28]
Georgia[edit]
In 1996, one year after Georgia adopted its post-USSR Constitution,[29] the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs began a campaign to detain tons of religious literature belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses.[30][31] Government officials refused permits for Jehovah's Witnesses to organize assemblies, and law enforcement officials dispersed legal assemblies. In September 2000, "Georgian police and security officials fired blank anti-tank shells and used force to disperse an outdoor gathering of some 700 Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Natuliki in northwestern Georgia on 8 September, AP and Caucasus Press reported." [32]
In cases when the instigators were formally charged, prosecution was impeded by a lack of cooperation by government and law enforcement.[Note 6] In 2004, Forum 18 News Service referred to the period since 1999 as a "five-year reign of terror" against Jehovah's Witnesses and certain other religious minorities.[33] Amnesty International noted: "Jehovah's Witnesses have frequently been a target for violence … in Georgia … In many of the incidents police are said to have failed to protect the believers, or even to have participated in physical and verbal abuse." [34] Individual Witnesses have fled Georgia seeking religious refugee status in other nations.[Note 7]
On May 3, 2007, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the government of Georgia for its toleration of religious violence toward Jehovah's Witnesses and ordered the victims be compensated for moral damages and legal costs.[35][36][37]
Germany[edit]
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany
During 1931 and 1932, more than 2000 legal actions were instigated against Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany and members of the religion were dismissed from employment.[38] Persecution intensified following Adolf Hitler's appointment as chancellor in 1933 and continued until 1945.[39] A "Declaration of Facts" was issued at a Jehovah's Witness convention in Berlin on June 25, 1933, asserting the religion's political neutrality and calling for an end to government opposition. More than 2.1 million copies of the statement were distributed throughout Germany,[40] but its distribution prompted a new wave of persecution against German Witnesses, whose refusal to give the Hitler salute, join Nazi organizations or perform military service demonstrated their opposition to the nationalist and totalitarian ideologies of National Socialism.[41]
On October 4, 1934, congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany sent telegrams of protest and warning to Hitler. According to one eyewitness account Hitler was shown a number of telegrams protesting against the Third Reich's persecution of the Bible Students. The eyewitness, Karl Wittig, reported: "Hitler jumped to his feet and with clenched fists hysterically screamed: 'This brood will be exterminated in Germany!' Four years after this discussion I was able, by my own observations, to convince myself … that Hitler's outburst of anger was not just an idle threat. No other group of prisoners of the named concentration-camps was exposed to the sadism of the SS-soldiery in such a fashion as the Bible Students were. It was a sadism marked by an unending chain of physical and mental tortures, the likes of which no language in the world can express."[42][43]
About 10,000 Witnesses were imprisoned, including 2000 sent to concentration camps, where they were identified by purple triangles; as many as 1200 died, including 250 who were executed.[44][45] From 1935 Gestapo officers offered members a document to sign indicating renouncement of their faith, submission to state authority, and support of the German military. Historian Detlef Garbe says a "relatively high number" of people signed the statement before the war, but "extremely low numbers" of Bible Student prisoners did so in concentration camps in later years.[46]
Despite more than a century of conspicuous activity in the country, Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany were not granted legal recognition until March 25, 2005, in Berlin;[Note 8] in 2006 Germany's Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) in Leipzig extended the local decision to apply nationwide.[47]
India[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information has documented a number of mob attacks in India. It states that these instances of violence "reveal the country's hostility toward its own citizens who are Christians."[48][not in citation given] There have been reports that police assist mob attacks on Jehovah's Witnesses or lay charges against the Witnesses while failing to charge other participants in involved.[49] In the city of Davangere on December 20, 2010 a mob confronted two female Witnesses. The mob broke into the home of one of the Witnesses where they had taken refuge. Property was damaged and one of the Witnesses was assaulted. When the police arrived, the Witnesses were arrested and charged with blasphemy.[50]
In another incident, on December 6, 2011, three Witnesses were attacked by a mob in Madikeri, in the state of Karnataka. The male Witness "was kicked and pummeled by the mob" and then the mob dragged them towards a nearby temple; while making lewd remarks, the mob "tried to tear the clothes off of the female Witnesses." According to the report, the police came and "took the three Witnesses to the police station and filed charges against them rather than the mob."[51][not in citation given] During a July 2012 incident, a group of fifteen men assaulted four Witnesses in Madikeri. The group was taken to a police station and charged with "insulting the religion or religious beliefs of another class" before being released on bail.[52]
Malawi[edit]
In 1967, thousands of Witnesses in Malawi were beaten by police and citizens for refusing to purchase political party cards and become members of the Malawi Congress Party.[53] While their stand of not involving themselves in politics during the time of the old Colonial government was seen as an act of resistance their continued non-involvement with the new independent government was viewed as treasonous.[54] The organization was declared illegal in the penal code and the foreign members in the country were expelled. Persecution, both economic and physical, was intensified after a September 1972 Malawi Congress Party meeting which stated, in part, that "all Witnesses should be dismissed from their employment; any firm that failed to comply would have its license cancelled." By November 1973 some 21,000 Jehovah's Witness had fled to the neighboring country of Zambia.[55][56] In 1993, during the transition to a multiparty system and a change in leadership, the government's ban on the organization was lifted in the country.[57][58][59]
Singapore[edit]
In 1972 the Singapore government de-registered and banned the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses on the grounds that its members refuse to perform military service (which is obligatory for all male citizens), salute the flag, or swear oaths of allegiance to the state.[60][61] Singapore has banned all written materials (including Bibles) published by the International Bible Students Association and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, both publishing arms of the Jehovah's Witnesses. A person in possession of banned literature can be fined up to S$2,000 (US$1,333) and jailed up to 12 months for a first conviction.[62]
In February 1995, Singapore police raided private homes where group members were holding religious meetings, in an operation codenamed "Operation Hope". Officers seized Bibles, religious literature, documents and computers, and eventually brought charges against 69 Jehovah's Witnesses, many of whom went to jail.[63][64] In March 1995, 74-year-old Yu Nguk Ding was arrested for carrying two "undesirable publications"—one of them a Bible printed by the Watch Tower Society.[65]
In 1996, eighteen Jehovah's Witnesses were convicted for unlawfully meeting in a Singapore apartment and were given sentences from one to four weeks in jail.[66] Canadian Queen's Counsel Glen How flew to Singapore to defend the Jehovah's Witnesses and argued that the restrictions against the Jehovah's Witnesses violated their constitutional rights. Then-Chief Justice Yong Pung How questioned How's sanity, accused him of "living in a cartoon world" and referred to "funny, cranky religious groups" before denying the appeal.[63] In 1998, two Jehovah's Witnesses were charged in a Singapore court for possessing and distributing banned religious publications.[67]
In 1998 a Jehovah's Witness lost a law suit against a government school for wrongful dismissal for refusing to sing the national anthem or salute the flag. In March 1999, the Court of Appeals denied his appeal.[60] In 2000, public secondary schools indefinitely suspended at least fifteen Jehovah's Witness students for refusing to sing the national anthem or participate in the flag ceremony.[68] In April 2001, one public school teacher, also a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, resigned after being threatened with dismissal for refusing to participate in singing the national anthem.[60]
Singapore authorities have seized Jehovah's Witnesses' literature on various occasions from individuals attempting to cross the Malaysia-Singapore border. In thirteen cases, authorities warned the Jehovah's Witnesses, but did not press charges.[68][69][70]
As of 2008, there were 23 members of Jehovah's Witnesses incarcerated in the armed forces detention barracks for refusal to carry out mandatory military service. The initial sentence for failure to comply is 15 months' imprisonment, with an additional 24 months for a second refusal. All of the Jehovah's Witnesses in detention were incarcerated for failing to perform their initial military obligations and expect to serve a total of 39 months.[70] Failure to perform annual military reserve duty, which is required of all those who have completed their initial 2-year obligation, results in a 40-day sentence, with a 12-month sentence after four refusals.[70][71] There is no alternative civilian service for Jehovah's Witnesses.
In 2008–2009, the Singapore government declined to make data available to the public concerning arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses.[72][73]
Soviet Union[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses did not have a significant presence in the Soviet Union prior to 1939 when the Soviet Union forcibly incorporated eastern Poland, Moldavia, and Lithuania, each of which had a Jehovah's Witness movement. Although never large in number (estimated by the KGB to be 20,000 in 1968), the Jehovah's Witnesses became one of the most persecuted religious groups in the Soviet Union during the post-World War II era.[74] Members were arrested or deported; some were put in Soviet concentration camps. Witnesses in Moldavian SSR were deported to Tomsk Oblast; members from other regions of the Soviet Union were deported to Irkutsk Oblast.[75] KGB officials, who were tasked with dissolving the Jehovah's Witness movement, were disturbed to discover that the Witnesses continued to practice their faith even within the labor camps.[76]
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Viktor Semyonovich Abakumov proposed the deportation of the Jehovah's Witnesses to Stalin in October 1950. A resolution was voted by the Council of Minister and an order was issued by the Ministry for State Security in March 1951. The Moldavian SSR passed a decree "on the confiscation and selling of the property of individuals banished from the territory of the Moldavian SSR", which included the Jehovah's Witnesses.[75]
In April 1951, over 9,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were deported to Siberia under a plan called "Operation North".[77][78]
Importation of Jehovah's Witnesses' literature into the Soviet Union was strictly forbidden, and Soviet Jehovah's Witnesses received their religious literature from Brooklyn illegally. Literature from Brooklyn arrived regularly, through well-organized unofficial channels, not only in many cities, but also in Siberia, and even in the penal camps of Potma.[citation needed] The Soviet government was so disturbed by the Jehovah's Witnesses that the KGB was authorized to send agents to infiltrate the Brooklyn headquarters.[79]
In September 1965, a decree of the Presidium of the USSR Council of Ministers canceled the "special settlement" restriction of Jehovah's Witnesses, though the decree, signed by Anastas Mikoyan, stated that there would be no compensation for confiscated property. However, Jehovah's Witnesses remained the subject of state persecution due to their ideology being classified as anti-Soviet.[80]
Russian Federation[edit]

Question book-new.svg
 This section relies too much on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. (December 2014)
On December 8, 2009 the Supreme Court of Russia upheld the ruling of the lower courts which pronounced 34 pieces of Jehovah's Witness literature extremist, including their magazine The Watchtower, in the Russian language, and the book for children, My Book of Bible Stories. Jehovah's Witnesses claim that this ruling affirms a misapplication of the Federal Law on Counteracting Extremist Activity to Jehovah's Witnesses. The ruling upheld the confiscation of property of Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog (Rostov Region) in Russia, and might set a precedent for similar cases in other areas of Russia, as well as placing literature of Jehovah's Witnesses on a list of literature unacceptable throughout Russia. The Chairman of the Presiding Committee of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Vasily Kalin, said: "I am very concerned that this decision will open a new era of opposition against Jehovah's Witnesses, whose right to meet in peace, to access religious literature and to share the Christian hope contained in the Gospels, is more and more limited." Kalin also stated, "When I was young I was sent to Siberia for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses and because my parents were reading The Watchtower, the same journal being unjustly declared 'extremist' in these proceedings."[81]
United States[edit]
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States
During the 1930s and 1940s, some US states passed laws that made it illegal for Jehovah's Witnesses to distribute their literature, and children of Jehovah's Witnesses in some states were banned from attending state schools. Mob violence against Jehovah's Witnesses was not uncommon, and some were murdered for their beliefs. Those responsible for these attacks were seldom prosecuted.[need quotation to verify][82]
After a drawn-out litigation process in state courts and lower federal courts, lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses convinced the Supreme Court to issue a series of landmark First Amendment rulings that confirmed their right to be excused from military service and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.[citation needed][when?]
The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses for their refusal to salute the flag became known as the "Flag-Salute Cases".[83] Their refusal to salute the flag became considered as a test of the liberties for which the flag stands, namely the freedom to worship according to the dictates of one's own conscience. It was found that the United States, by making the flag salute compulsory in Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940), was impinging upon the individual's right to worship as one chooses — a violation of the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause in the constitution. Justice Frankfurter, speaking in behalf of the 8-to-1 majority view against the Witnesses, stated that the interests of "inculcating patriotism was of sufficient importance to justify a relatively minor infringement on religious belief."[84] The result of the ruling was a wave of persecution. Lillian Gobitas, the mother of the schoolchildren involved in the decision said, "It was like open season on Jehovah's Witnesses."[85]
The American Civil Liberties Union reported that by the end of 1940, "more than 1,500 Witnesses in the United States had been victimized in 335 separate attacks."[86] Such attacks included beatings, being tarred and feathered, hanged, shot, maimed, and even castrated, as well as other acts of violence.[87] As reports of these attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses continued, "several justices changed their minds, and in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the Court declared that the state could not impinge on the First Amendment by compelling the observance of rituals."[84]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "THE ORGANIZATION IS BANNED In mid-October 1939, about six weeks after the beginning of the war, the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was banned in France."[88]
2.Jump up ^ "[The French] Government has a stated policy of monitoring potentially 'dangerous' cult activity through the Inter-ministerial Monitoring Mission against Sectarian Abuses (MIVILUDES). … In January 2005, MIVILUDES published a guide for public servants instructing them how to spot and combat 'dangerous' sects. … The Jehovah's Witnesses were mentioned"[89]
3.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses awaited a ruling by the ECHR on the admissibility of a case contesting the government's assessment of their donations at a 60 percent tax rate. The government had imposed the high rate relative to other religious groups after ruling the group to be a harmful cult. If the assessed tax, which totaled more than 57 million euros (approximately $77.5 million) as of year's end, were to be paid, it would consume all of the group's buildings and assets in the country."[90]
4.Jump up ^ "France's highest court of appeal, the Cour de cassation, has handed down its decision in a case between the Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah, a not-for-profit religious association used by Jehovah's Witnesses in France, and the national tax department, the Direction des services fiscaux. Following a tax inspection lasting 18 months, the tax department established that Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah, whose sole revenue consists of religious donations by its adherents, was run in a completely benevolent fashion, and that its activities were not commercial or for profit. Nevertheless, the tax department levied a 60-percent tax on the religious donations made over a period of four years, between 1993 and 1996. … This is the first time in their 100-year existence in France that Jehovah's Witnesses have been taxed in this manner. … Furthermore, this tax has not been imposed on any other religious organization in France. The Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah has decided to institute proceedings against this confiscatory taxation before the European Court of Human Rights."[91]
5.Jump up ^ "According to representatives for the Jehovah's Witnesses community, there were 65 acts of vandalism against the group in the country through December including Molotov cocktails aimed at Jehovah's Witnesses' property. … According to the leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses community in the country, there were 98 acts against individuals for 2006 and 115 acts in 2007."[90]
6.Jump up ^ "[A lawyer for Jehovah's Witnesses] does not believe judge Chkheidze did enough. "He should have done more to protect the security of participants. Five policemen were present but left the courtroom before the hearing started. We don't know why. Maybe they were instructed to do so." In a statement issued after the trial, the Jehovah's Witnesses reported that about three hundred of Mkalavishvili's supporters, mostly men, armed with metal and wooden crosses, tried to invade the courtroom before the hearing began. "Many entered and occupied areas reserved for attorneys as they rang their religious bell and waved large anti-Jehovah's Witness banners. As the victims' attorneys made their way through the mob to Judge Ioseb Chkheidze's chambers, they overheard security police being ordered away from the scene. The courtroom was left with no security." Attorneys explained to Chkheidze that under these circumstances it was impossible to proceed with the trial as it was too dangerous for the victims or their attorneys to attend."[92]
7.Jump up ^ "On 12 May 1995 during the "status interview" conducted by the officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Office the applicant declared additionally that, among others, she could not return to the country, because since 1989 she had been the Jehovah Witness sic and she feared that she could be arrested for that reason."[93]
8.Jump up ^ "A Berlin court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah's Witnesses are entitled to the same privileges enjoyed by Germany's major Catholic and Protestant churches, ending a 15-year legal fight about the group's status."[94]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Cox, Archibald (1987). The Court and the Constitution. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co. p. 189. ISBN 0-395-48071-X.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Yaffee, Barbara (9 September 1984). "Witnesses Seek Apology for Wartime Persecution". The Globe in Mail. p. 4.
3.Jump up ^ Jubber, Ken (1977). "The Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Southern Africa". Social Compass, 24 (1): 121,. doi:10.1177/003776867702400108.
4.Jump up ^ "More martyrs now than then".
5.Jump up ^ Lamb, David. The Africans. Page 109.
6.Jump up ^ http://www.jw-media.org/bgr/20110421.htm
7.Jump up ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9lQjwwbEM
8.Jump up ^ "Brawl between Bulgarian Nationalists, Jehovah Witnesses Injures 5". The Journal of Turkish Weekly.
9.Jump up ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148922.htm
10.Jump up ^ Philip Brenner, Marguerite Rose Jiménez, John M. Kirk, William M LeoGrande. A contemporary Cuba reader.
11.Jump up ^ Marsh, James H. (1988). The Canadian Encyclopedia (2 ed.). Hurtig. p. 1107. ISBN 0-88830-328-9.
12.Jump up ^ "Secret Files Reveal Bigotry, Suppression". The Globe and Mail. 4 September 1984.
13.Jump up ^ "Eritrea: Torture fears for 28 Jehovah's Witnesses arrested, including 90-year-old man". Amnesty International UK. 19 February 2004. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
14.Jump up ^ Fisher, Jonah (17 September 2004). "Religious persecution in Eritrea". BBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
15.Jump up ^ Plaut, Martin (28 June 2007). "Christians protest over Eritrea". BBC News. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
16.Jump up ^ "Imprisoned for Their Faith". jw.org.
17.Jump up ^ "Eritrea - No Progress on Key Human Rights Concerns". Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review. Amnesty International. January – February 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
18.Jump up ^ "Twenty Years of Imprisonment in Eritrea—Will It Ever End?". 24 September 2014.
19.Jump up ^ Hendricks III, Robert J. (July–August 2010). "Aliens for Their Faith". Liberty magazine. North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
20.Jump up ^ http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/eritrea/jehovahs-witnesses-unjust-imprisonment-20-years/
21.Jump up ^ http://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Eritrea%202014.pdf |url= missing title (help) (PDF). USCIRF Annual Report 2014. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2014. pp. 54–57. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
22.Jump up ^ Anonymous (1980), p. 128
23.Jump up ^ 1976 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses
24.Jump up ^ "Announcements", Our Kingdom Ministry, February 1975, page 3
25.Jump up ^ "Highest administrative court in France rules that Jehovah's Witnesses are a religion", News release June 23, 2000, Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, As Retrieved 2009-08-19
26.Jump up ^ http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/article.aspx?id=45917
27.Jump up ^ 2005 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. pp. 88–89.
28.Jump up ^ 2007 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 255
29.Jump up ^ That is, 'the year after 1995'. See Parliament of Georgia website, As Retrieved 2009-08-26, "THE CONSTITUTION OF GEORGIA Adopted on 24 August 1995"
30.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses in Georgia: Chronology of Acts of Violence and Intimidation", Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
31.Jump up ^ "Georgia Country Reports on Human Rights Practices", U. S. State Department, February 23, 2000, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
32.Jump up ^ Encyclopedia.com, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
33.Jump up ^ "GEORGIA: Will violent attackers of religious minorities be punished?" by Felix Corley, F18News, Forum 18 News Service, published 16 August 2004, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
34.Jump up ^ AmnestyUSA.org, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
35.Jump up ^ "CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF JUDGMENTS AND PUBLISHED DECISIONS", EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS,As Retrieved 2009-08-26, page 203 of 285, May 3, 2007, Listing "7148 3.5.2007 Membres de la Congrégation des témoins de Jéhovah de Gldani et autres c. Géorgie/Members of the Gldani Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and Others v. Georgia, no/no. 71156/01 (Sect. 2), CEDH/ECHR 2007-V"
36.Jump up ^ As Retrieved 2009-08-26, pages 13–14 (of 53)
37.Jump up ^ "European Court rules against Georgia's campaign of terror", Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
38.Jump up ^ "Firm in Faith Despite Opposition", The Watchtower, June 15, 1967, pages 366–367
39.Jump up ^ "Germany", 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, pages 116–117
40.Jump up ^ Penton, M.J. (1997). Apocalypse Delayed. University of Toronto Press. pp. 147–149. ISBN 9780802079732.
41.Jump up ^ Garbe (2008), pp. 512–524
42.Jump up ^ "Foreign Activities Under Fascist-Nazi Persecution", The Watchtower, August 1, 1955, page 462
43.Jump up ^ "Germany", 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 138
44.Jump up ^ Garbe (2008), p. 484
45.Jump up ^ [1].
46.Jump up ^ Garbe (2008), pp. 286–291
47.Jump up ^ "Germany Federal Administrative Court Upholds Witnesses' Full Exercise of Faith", Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
48.Jump up ^ http://www.jw-media.org/ind/index.htm
49.Jump up ^ "July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report". U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. September 13, 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
50.Jump up ^ Jess, Kevin (February 16, 2011). "Hindu mob attacks Christian women, police back mob". Digital Journal. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
51.Jump up ^ "Violence against Jehovah’s Witnesses in India escalates as police assist mob attacks", Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, [2]
52.Jump up ^ "USCIRF Annual Report 2013 - Tier 2: India". refworld. UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
53.Jump up ^ Jubber, Ken (1977). "The Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Southern Africa". Social Compass 24 (1): 121–134. doi:10.1177/003776867702400108.
54.Jump up ^ Tengatenga, James (2006). Church, State, and Society in Malawi: An Analysis of Anglican Ecclesiology. Kachere Series. p. 113. ISBN 9990876517.
55.Jump up ^ Carver, Richard (1990). Where Silence Rules: The Suppression of Dissent in Malawi. Human Rights Watch. pp. 64–66. ISBN 9780929692739.
56.Jump up ^ Howard-Hassmann, Rhoda E. (1986). Human Rights in Commonwealth Africa. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 110. ISBN 0847674339.
57.Jump up ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=_FQb4Ulgz0sC&pg=RA6-PA499&lpg=RA6-PA499&dq=malawi+jehovah%27s+witnesses+ban+lifted&source=bl&ots=vGjE0mS2Ii&sig=qqGzoAXiDjQNrKdaKbtSg-dtTj0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E6eeVLyANcfjgwSAlYO4Aw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=malawi%20jehovah's%20witnesses%20ban%20lifted&f=false |url= missing title (help). Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard). 19 April 1995. p. 499. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
58.Jump up ^ "Malawi Human Rights Practices, 1993". U.S. Department Of State. January 31, 1994. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
59.Jump up ^ "Malawi A new future for human rights" (PDF). Amnesty International. February 1994. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
60.^ Jump up to: a b c http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5732.htm
61.Jump up ^ "Singapore", International Religious Freedom Report 2004, U. S. Department of State, As Retrieved 2010-03-11
62.Jump up ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127287.htm
63.^ Jump up to: a b http://www.singapore-window.org/80411sm.htm
64.Jump up ^ http://www.jehovah.com.au/jehovah-articles/1995/2/27/singapore-police-swoop-on-jehovahs-witnesses/
65.Jump up ^ http://www.chrislydgate.com/webclips/jehovah.htm
66.Jump up ^ http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1996/january8/6t164b.html
67.Jump up ^ http://www.singapore-window.org/80330up.htm
68.^ Jump up to: a b http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13909.htm
69.Jump up ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27788.htm
70.^ Jump up to: a b c http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90153.htm
71.Jump up ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108423.htm
72.Jump up ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119056.htm
73.Jump up ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/eap/136008.htm
74.Jump up ^ Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield, New York: Basic Books, 1999, ISBN 0-465-00310-9, p.503.
75.^ Jump up to: a b Pavel Polian. "Against Their Will: The History and Geography of Forced Migrations in the USSR", Central European University Press, 2004. ISBN 978-963-9241-68-8. p.169-171
76.Jump up ^ Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield, New York: Basic Books, 1999, ISBN 0-465-00310-9, p.505.
77.Jump up ^ "Recalling Operation North", by Vitali Kamyshev, "??????? ?????", ?????, N 4363, 26 April 2001 (Russian)
78.Jump up ^ ??????? ????? ."??????? ???????? ??????? ??????? (1940–1950)". ??????: ???. Terra, 1994 (Russian)
79.Jump up ^ Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Sword and the Shield, New York: Basic Books, 1999, ISBN 0-465-00310-9, p.506.
80.Jump up ^ "Christan Believers Were Persecuted by All Tolatitarian Regimes" Prava Lyudini ("Rights of a Person"), the newspaper of a Ukrainian human rights organization, Kharkiv, December 2001 (Russian)
81.Jump up ^ "Russian Supreme Court rules against Jehovah's Witnesses and religious freedom" December 8, 2009
82.Jump up ^ cf. Peters (2000), p. 11
83.Jump up ^ Hall (1992), p. 394
84.^ Jump up to: a b Hall (1992), p. 395
85.Jump up ^ Irons, Peter. A People's History of the Supreme Courtp. 341. New York: Viking Penguin, 1999.
86.Jump up ^ Peters (2000), p. 10
87.Jump up ^ Peters (2000), p. 8
88.Jump up ^ Anonymous (1980), pp. 87–89
89.Jump up ^ "France: International Religious Freedom Report 2006", U.S. Department of State, As Retrieved 2009-08-19
90.^ Jump up to: a b "France: International Religious Freedom Report 2008", U.S. Department of State, As Retrieved 2009-08-19
91.Jump up ^ "French High Court confirms 60-percent confiscatory tax measure on religious donations", News release October 6, 2004, Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, As Retrieved 2009-08-19
92.Jump up ^ "GEORGIA: INTIMIDATION SABOTAGES TRIAL OF VIOLENT PRIEST" by Felix Corley, Keston News Service, February 7, 2002, Keston Institute, Oxford, UK, as cited by Eurasianet.org, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
93.Jump up ^ T. L. v. Ministry of Internal Affairs, V SA 1969/95, Poland: High Administrative Court, 17 September 1996, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
94.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses Granted Legal Status", Deutsche Welle, March 25, 2005, http://www.dw-world.de/popups/popup_printcontent/0,,1530197,00.html As Retrieved 2009-08-26, As Retrieved 2009-08-26
Bibliography[edit]
Anonymous (1980). "France". 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
Hall, Kermit L. (1992). The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. New York: Oxford University Press.
Peters, Shawn Francis (2000). Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: Religious Persecution and the Dawn of the Rights Revolution. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.
Additional reading[edit]
Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime Edited by Hans Hesse ISBN 3-86108-750-2
Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, ISBN 0-689-10728-5


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Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses

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See also: Jehovah's Witnesses and governments and Supreme Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses by country
Throughout Jehovah's Witnesses' history, their beliefs, doctrines, and practices have engendered controversy and opposition from local governments, communities, and religious groups.
Many Christian denominations consider the interpretations and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be heretical. Some religious leaders have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of being a cult. According to law professor Archibald Cox, in the United States, Jehovah's Witnesses were "the principal victims of religious persecution … they began to attract attention and provoke repression in the 1930s, when their proselytizing and numbers rapidly increased."[1]
Political and religious animosity against Jehovah's Witnesses has at times led to mob action and government oppression in various countries, including Cuba, the United States, Canada, Singapore, and Nazi Germany. The religion's doctrine of political neutrality has led to imprisonment of members who refused conscription (for example in Britain during World War II and afterwards during the period of compulsory national service).
During the World Wars, Jehovah's Witnesses were targeted in the United States, Canada, and many other countries for their refusal to serve in the military or help with war efforts. In Canada, Jehovah's Witnesses were interned in camps[2] along with political dissidents and people of Japanese and Chinese descent. Activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have previously been banned in the Soviet Union and in Spain, partly due to their refusal to perform military service. Their religious activities are currently banned or restricted in some countries, for example in Singapore, China, Vietnam, and many Islamic states.
According to the journal, Social Compass, "Viewed globally, this persecution has been so persistent and of such an intensity that it would not be inaccurate to regard Jehovah's witnesses as the most persecuted religion of the twentieth century".[3] The claim is disputed, as deaths resulting from persecution of Christians of other denominations during the twentieth century are estimated to number 26 million.[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Countries 1.1 Benin
1.2 Bulgaria
1.3 Cuba
1.4 Canada
1.5 Eritrea
1.6 France 1.6.1 French dependencies
1.7 Georgia
1.8 Germany
1.9 India
1.10 Malawi
1.11 Singapore
1.12 Soviet Union
1.13 Russian Federation
1.14 United States
2 Notes
3 References 3.1 Bibliography
4 Additional reading

Countries[edit]
Benin[edit]
During the first presidency of Mathieu Kérékou, activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were banned and members were forced to undergo "demystification training."[5][clarification needed]
Bulgaria[edit]
In Bulgaria, Jehovah's Witnesses have been targets of violence by right wing nationalist groups such as the Bulgarian National Movement. On April 17, 2011, a group of about sixty hooded men carrying BMPO flags besieged a Kingdom Hall in Burgas, during the annual memorial of Christ's death. Attackers threw stones, damaged furniture, and injured at least five of the people gathered inside.[6][7] The incident was recorded by a local television station.[8] Jehovah's Witnesses in Bulgaria have been fined for proselytizing without proper government permits, and some municipalities have legislation prohibiting or restricting their rights to preach.[9]
Cuba[edit]
Main article: Military Units to Aid Production
See also: Human rights in Cuba
Under Fidel Castro's communist regime, Jehovah's Witnesses were considered "social deviants", along with homosexuals, vagrants, and other groups, and were sent to forced labor concentration camps to be "reeducated".[10] Jehovah's Witnesses could not refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, as the Cuban Healthcare system gave no right to refuse treatment (even on religious or animal rights grounds).[citation needed]
Canada[edit]
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada
During both world wars, Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for abhorrence of patriotic exercises and conscientious objection to military service.[11]
In 1984, Canada released a number of previously classified documents which revealed that in the 1940s, "able bodied young Jehovah's Witnesses" were sent to "camps", and "entire families who practiced the religion were imprisoned."[2] The 1984 report stated, "Recently declassified wartime documents suggest [World War II] was also a time of officially sanctioned religious bigotry, political intolerance and the suppression of ideas. The federal government described Jehovah's Witnesses as subversive and offensive 'religious zealots' … in secret reports given to special parliamentarian committees in 1942." It concluded that, "probably no other organization is so offensive in its methods, working as it does under the guise of Christianity. The documents prepared by the justice department were presented to a special House of Commons committee by the government of William Lyon Mackenzie King in an attempt to justify the outlawing of the organizations during the second world war."[12]
Eritrea[edit]
In Eritrea, the government stripped Jehovah's Witnesses of their civil and political rights in 1994 after their refusal to engage in voting and military service.[13][14][15] Members of all ages have been arrested for participating in religious meetings.[16][17] Paulos Eyassu, Negede Teklemariam, and Isaac Mogos were arrested without charges, and were not allowed a trial.[18][19] International rights groups are aware of the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Eritrea[20] and have repeatedly called for Eritrean authorities to end the persecution.[21]
France[edit]
See also: Jehovah's Witnesses and governments (France)
Prior to World War II, the French government banned the Association of Jehovah's Witnesses in France, and ordered that the French offices of the Watch Tower Society be vacated.[Note 1] After the war, Jehovah's Witnesses in France renewed their operations. In December 1952, France's Minister of the Interior banned The Watchtower magazine, citing its position on military service.[22] The ban was lifted on November 26, 1974.[23][24]
In the 1990s and 2000s, the French government included Jehovah's Witnesses on its list of "cults", and governmental ministers made derogatory public statements about Jehovah's Witnesses.[Note 2] Despite its century of activity in the country, France's Ministry of Finance opposed official recognition of the religion; it was not until June 23, 2000 that France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses qualify as a religion under French law.[25] France's Ministry of the Interior sought to collect 60% of donations made to the religion's entities; Witnesses called the taxation "confiscatory" and appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.[Note 3][Note 4] On June 30, 2011, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that France’s actions violated the religious freedom of Jehovah’s Witnesses by demanding 58 million euros in taxes.[26]
Jehovah's Witnesses in France have reported hundreds of criminal attacks against their adherents and places of worship.[Note 5]
French dependencies[edit]
During the ban of the The Watchtower in France, publication of the magazine continued in various French territories. In French Polynesia, the magazine was covertly published under the name, La Sentinelle, though it was later learned that The Watchtower had not been banned locally.[27] In Réunion, the magazine was published under the name, Bulletin intérieur.[28]
Georgia[edit]
In 1996, one year after Georgia adopted its post-USSR Constitution,[29] the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs began a campaign to detain tons of religious literature belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses.[30][31] Government officials refused permits for Jehovah's Witnesses to organize assemblies, and law enforcement officials dispersed legal assemblies. In September 2000, "Georgian police and security officials fired blank anti-tank shells and used force to disperse an outdoor gathering of some 700 Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Natuliki in northwestern Georgia on 8 September, AP and Caucasus Press reported." [32]
In cases when the instigators were formally charged, prosecution was impeded by a lack of cooperation by government and law enforcement.[Note 6] In 2004, Forum 18 News Service referred to the period since 1999 as a "five-year reign of terror" against Jehovah's Witnesses and certain other religious minorities.[33] Amnesty International noted: "Jehovah's Witnesses have frequently been a target for violence … in Georgia … In many of the incidents police are said to have failed to protect the believers, or even to have participated in physical and verbal abuse." [34] Individual Witnesses have fled Georgia seeking religious refugee status in other nations.[Note 7]
On May 3, 2007, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the government of Georgia for its toleration of religious violence toward Jehovah's Witnesses and ordered the victims be compensated for moral damages and legal costs.[35][36][37]
Germany[edit]
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany
During 1931 and 1932, more than 2000 legal actions were instigated against Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany and members of the religion were dismissed from employment.[38] Persecution intensified following Adolf Hitler's appointment as chancellor in 1933 and continued until 1945.[39] A "Declaration of Facts" was issued at a Jehovah's Witness convention in Berlin on June 25, 1933, asserting the religion's political neutrality and calling for an end to government opposition. More than 2.1 million copies of the statement were distributed throughout Germany,[40] but its distribution prompted a new wave of persecution against German Witnesses, whose refusal to give the Hitler salute, join Nazi organizations or perform military service demonstrated their opposition to the nationalist and totalitarian ideologies of National Socialism.[41]
On October 4, 1934, congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany sent telegrams of protest and warning to Hitler. According to one eyewitness account Hitler was shown a number of telegrams protesting against the Third Reich's persecution of the Bible Students. The eyewitness, Karl Wittig, reported: "Hitler jumped to his feet and with clenched fists hysterically screamed: 'This brood will be exterminated in Germany!' Four years after this discussion I was able, by my own observations, to convince myself … that Hitler's outburst of anger was not just an idle threat. No other group of prisoners of the named concentration-camps was exposed to the sadism of the SS-soldiery in such a fashion as the Bible Students were. It was a sadism marked by an unending chain of physical and mental tortures, the likes of which no language in the world can express."[42][43]
About 10,000 Witnesses were imprisoned, including 2000 sent to concentration camps, where they were identified by purple triangles; as many as 1200 died, including 250 who were executed.[44][45] From 1935 Gestapo officers offered members a document to sign indicating renouncement of their faith, submission to state authority, and support of the German military. Historian Detlef Garbe says a "relatively high number" of people signed the statement before the war, but "extremely low numbers" of Bible Student prisoners did so in concentration camps in later years.[46]
Despite more than a century of conspicuous activity in the country, Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany were not granted legal recognition until March 25, 2005, in Berlin;[Note 8] in 2006 Germany's Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) in Leipzig extended the local decision to apply nationwide.[47]
India[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information has documented a number of mob attacks in India. It states that these instances of violence "reveal the country's hostility toward its own citizens who are Christians."[48][not in citation given] There have been reports that police assist mob attacks on Jehovah's Witnesses or lay charges against the Witnesses while failing to charge other participants in involved.[49] In the city of Davangere on December 20, 2010 a mob confronted two female Witnesses. The mob broke into the home of one of the Witnesses where they had taken refuge. Property was damaged and one of the Witnesses was assaulted. When the police arrived, the Witnesses were arrested and charged with blasphemy.[50]
In another incident, on December 6, 2011, three Witnesses were attacked by a mob in Madikeri, in the state of Karnataka. The male Witness "was kicked and pummeled by the mob" and then the mob dragged them towards a nearby temple; while making lewd remarks, the mob "tried to tear the clothes off of the female Witnesses." According to the report, the police came and "took the three Witnesses to the police station and filed charges against them rather than the mob."[51][not in citation given] During a July 2012 incident, a group of fifteen men assaulted four Witnesses in Madikeri. The group was taken to a police station and charged with "insulting the religion or religious beliefs of another class" before being released on bail.[52]
Malawi[edit]
In 1967, thousands of Witnesses in Malawi were beaten by police and citizens for refusing to purchase political party cards and become members of the Malawi Congress Party.[53] While their stand of not involving themselves in politics during the time of the old Colonial government was seen as an act of resistance their continued non-involvement with the new independent government was viewed as treasonous.[54] The organization was declared illegal in the penal code and the foreign members in the country were expelled. Persecution, both economic and physical, was intensified after a September 1972 Malawi Congress Party meeting which stated, in part, that "all Witnesses should be dismissed from their employment; any firm that failed to comply would have its license cancelled." By November 1973 some 21,000 Jehovah's Witness had fled to the neighboring country of Zambia.[55][56] In 1993, during the transition to a multiparty system and a change in leadership, the government's ban on the organization was lifted in the country.[57][58][59]
Singapore[edit]
In 1972 the Singapore government de-registered and banned the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses on the grounds that its members refuse to perform military service (which is obligatory for all male citizens), salute the flag, or swear oaths of allegiance to the state.[60][61] Singapore has banned all written materials (including Bibles) published by the International Bible Students Association and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, both publishing arms of the Jehovah's Witnesses. A person in possession of banned literature can be fined up to S$2,000 (US$1,333) and jailed up to 12 months for a first conviction.[62]
In February 1995, Singapore police raided private homes where group members were holding religious meetings, in an operation codenamed "Operation Hope". Officers seized Bibles, religious literature, documents and computers, and eventually brought charges against 69 Jehovah's Witnesses, many of whom went to jail.[63][64] In March 1995, 74-year-old Yu Nguk Ding was arrested for carrying two "undesirable publications"—one of them a Bible printed by the Watch Tower Society.[65]
In 1996, eighteen Jehovah's Witnesses were convicted for unlawfully meeting in a Singapore apartment and were given sentences from one to four weeks in jail.[66] Canadian Queen's Counsel Glen How flew to Singapore to defend the Jehovah's Witnesses and argued that the restrictions against the Jehovah's Witnesses violated their constitutional rights. Then-Chief Justice Yong Pung How questioned How's sanity, accused him of "living in a cartoon world" and referred to "funny, cranky religious groups" before denying the appeal.[63] In 1998, two Jehovah's Witnesses were charged in a Singapore court for possessing and distributing banned religious publications.[67]
In 1998 a Jehovah's Witness lost a law suit against a government school for wrongful dismissal for refusing to sing the national anthem or salute the flag. In March 1999, the Court of Appeals denied his appeal.[60] In 2000, public secondary schools indefinitely suspended at least fifteen Jehovah's Witness students for refusing to sing the national anthem or participate in the flag ceremony.[68] In April 2001, one public school teacher, also a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, resigned after being threatened with dismissal for refusing to participate in singing the national anthem.[60]
Singapore authorities have seized Jehovah's Witnesses' literature on various occasions from individuals attempting to cross the Malaysia-Singapore border. In thirteen cases, authorities warned the Jehovah's Witnesses, but did not press charges.[68][69][70]
As of 2008, there were 23 members of Jehovah's Witnesses incarcerated in the armed forces detention barracks for refusal to carry out mandatory military service. The initial sentence for failure to comply is 15 months' imprisonment, with an additional 24 months for a second refusal. All of the Jehovah's Witnesses in detention were incarcerated for failing to perform their initial military obligations and expect to serve a total of 39 months.[70] Failure to perform annual military reserve duty, which is required of all those who have completed their initial 2-year obligation, results in a 40-day sentence, with a 12-month sentence after four refusals.[70][71] There is no alternative civilian service for Jehovah's Witnesses.
In 2008–2009, the Singapore government declined to make data available to the public concerning arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses.[72][73]
Soviet Union[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses did not have a significant presence in the Soviet Union prior to 1939 when the Soviet Union forcibly incorporated eastern Poland, Moldavia, and Lithuania, each of which had a Jehovah's Witness movement. Although never large in number (estimated by the KGB to be 20,000 in 1968), the Jehovah's Witnesses became one of the most persecuted religious groups in the Soviet Union during the post-World War II era.[74] Members were arrested or deported; some were put in Soviet concentration camps. Witnesses in Moldavian SSR were deported to Tomsk Oblast; members from other regions of the Soviet Union were deported to Irkutsk Oblast.[75] KGB officials, who were tasked with dissolving the Jehovah's Witness movement, were disturbed to discover that the Witnesses continued to practice their faith even within the labor camps.[76]
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Viktor Semyonovich Abakumov proposed the deportation of the Jehovah's Witnesses to Stalin in October 1950. A resolution was voted by the Council of Minister and an order was issued by the Ministry for State Security in March 1951. The Moldavian SSR passed a decree "on the confiscation and selling of the property of individuals banished from the territory of the Moldavian SSR", which included the Jehovah's Witnesses.[75]
In April 1951, over 9,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were deported to Siberia under a plan called "Operation North".[77][78]
Importation of Jehovah's Witnesses' literature into the Soviet Union was strictly forbidden, and Soviet Jehovah's Witnesses received their religious literature from Brooklyn illegally. Literature from Brooklyn arrived regularly, through well-organized unofficial channels, not only in many cities, but also in Siberia, and even in the penal camps of Potma.[citation needed] The Soviet government was so disturbed by the Jehovah's Witnesses that the KGB was authorized to send agents to infiltrate the Brooklyn headquarters.[79]
In September 1965, a decree of the Presidium of the USSR Council of Ministers canceled the "special settlement" restriction of Jehovah's Witnesses, though the decree, signed by Anastas Mikoyan, stated that there would be no compensation for confiscated property. However, Jehovah's Witnesses remained the subject of state persecution due to their ideology being classified as anti-Soviet.[80]
Russian Federation[edit]

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On December 8, 2009 the Supreme Court of Russia upheld the ruling of the lower courts which pronounced 34 pieces of Jehovah's Witness literature extremist, including their magazine The Watchtower, in the Russian language, and the book for children, My Book of Bible Stories. Jehovah's Witnesses claim that this ruling affirms a misapplication of the Federal Law on Counteracting Extremist Activity to Jehovah's Witnesses. The ruling upheld the confiscation of property of Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog (Rostov Region) in Russia, and might set a precedent for similar cases in other areas of Russia, as well as placing literature of Jehovah's Witnesses on a list of literature unacceptable throughout Russia. The Chairman of the Presiding Committee of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Vasily Kalin, said: "I am very concerned that this decision will open a new era of opposition against Jehovah's Witnesses, whose right to meet in peace, to access religious literature and to share the Christian hope contained in the Gospels, is more and more limited." Kalin also stated, "When I was young I was sent to Siberia for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses and because my parents were reading The Watchtower, the same journal being unjustly declared 'extremist' in these proceedings."[81]
United States[edit]
Main article: Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States
During the 1930s and 1940s, some US states passed laws that made it illegal for Jehovah's Witnesses to distribute their literature, and children of Jehovah's Witnesses in some states were banned from attending state schools. Mob violence against Jehovah's Witnesses was not uncommon, and some were murdered for their beliefs. Those responsible for these attacks were seldom prosecuted.[need quotation to verify][82]
After a drawn-out litigation process in state courts and lower federal courts, lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses convinced the Supreme Court to issue a series of landmark First Amendment rulings that confirmed their right to be excused from military service and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.[citation needed][when?]
The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses for their refusal to salute the flag became known as the "Flag-Salute Cases".[83] Their refusal to salute the flag became considered as a test of the liberties for which the flag stands, namely the freedom to worship according to the dictates of one's own conscience. It was found that the United States, by making the flag salute compulsory in Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940), was impinging upon the individual's right to worship as one chooses — a violation of the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause in the constitution. Justice Frankfurter, speaking in behalf of the 8-to-1 majority view against the Witnesses, stated that the interests of "inculcating patriotism was of sufficient importance to justify a relatively minor infringement on religious belief."[84] The result of the ruling was a wave of persecution. Lillian Gobitas, the mother of the schoolchildren involved in the decision said, "It was like open season on Jehovah's Witnesses."[85]
The American Civil Liberties Union reported that by the end of 1940, "more than 1,500 Witnesses in the United States had been victimized in 335 separate attacks."[86] Such attacks included beatings, being tarred and feathered, hanged, shot, maimed, and even castrated, as well as other acts of violence.[87] As reports of these attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses continued, "several justices changed their minds, and in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the Court declared that the state could not impinge on the First Amendment by compelling the observance of rituals."[84]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "THE ORGANIZATION IS BANNED In mid-October 1939, about six weeks after the beginning of the war, the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was banned in France."[88]
2.Jump up ^ "[The French] Government has a stated policy of monitoring potentially 'dangerous' cult activity through the Inter-ministerial Monitoring Mission against Sectarian Abuses (MIVILUDES). … In January 2005, MIVILUDES published a guide for public servants instructing them how to spot and combat 'dangerous' sects. … The Jehovah's Witnesses were mentioned"[89]
3.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses awaited a ruling by the ECHR on the admissibility of a case contesting the government's assessment of their donations at a 60 percent tax rate. The government had imposed the high rate relative to other religious groups after ruling the group to be a harmful cult. If the assessed tax, which totaled more than 57 million euros (approximately $77.5 million) as of year's end, were to be paid, it would consume all of the group's buildings and assets in the country."[90]
4.Jump up ^ "France's highest court of appeal, the Cour de cassation, has handed down its decision in a case between the Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah, a not-for-profit religious association used by Jehovah's Witnesses in France, and the national tax department, the Direction des services fiscaux. Following a tax inspection lasting 18 months, the tax department established that Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah, whose sole revenue consists of religious donations by its adherents, was run in a completely benevolent fashion, and that its activities were not commercial or for profit. Nevertheless, the tax department levied a 60-percent tax on the religious donations made over a period of four years, between 1993 and 1996. … This is the first time in their 100-year existence in France that Jehovah's Witnesses have been taxed in this manner. … Furthermore, this tax has not been imposed on any other religious organization in France. The Association Les Témoins de Jéhovah has decided to institute proceedings against this confiscatory taxation before the European Court of Human Rights."[91]
5.Jump up ^ "According to representatives for the Jehovah's Witnesses community, there were 65 acts of vandalism against the group in the country through December including Molotov cocktails aimed at Jehovah's Witnesses' property. … According to the leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses community in the country, there were 98 acts against individuals for 2006 and 115 acts in 2007."[90]
6.Jump up ^ "[A lawyer for Jehovah's Witnesses] does not believe judge Chkheidze did enough. "He should have done more to protect the security of participants. Five policemen were present but left the courtroom before the hearing started. We don't know why. Maybe they were instructed to do so." In a statement issued after the trial, the Jehovah's Witnesses reported that about three hundred of Mkalavishvili's supporters, mostly men, armed with metal and wooden crosses, tried to invade the courtroom before the hearing began. "Many entered and occupied areas reserved for attorneys as they rang their religious bell and waved large anti-Jehovah's Witness banners. As the victims' attorneys made their way through the mob to Judge Ioseb Chkheidze's chambers, they overheard security police being ordered away from the scene. The courtroom was left with no security." Attorneys explained to Chkheidze that under these circumstances it was impossible to proceed with the trial as it was too dangerous for the victims or their attorneys to attend."[92]
7.Jump up ^ "On 12 May 1995 during the "status interview" conducted by the officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Office the applicant declared additionally that, among others, she could not return to the country, because since 1989 she had been the Jehovah Witness sic and she feared that she could be arrested for that reason."[93]
8.Jump up ^ "A Berlin court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah's Witnesses are entitled to the same privileges enjoyed by Germany's major Catholic and Protestant churches, ending a 15-year legal fight about the group's status."[94]
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Bibliography[edit]
Anonymous (1980). "France". 1980 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
Hall, Kermit L. (1992). The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. New York: Oxford University Press.
Peters, Shawn Francis (2000). Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: Religious Persecution and the Dawn of the Rights Revolution. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.
Additional reading[edit]
Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime Edited by Hans Hesse ISBN 3-86108-750-2
Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, ISBN 0-689-10728-5


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Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany

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Jehovah's Witnesses suffered religious persecution in Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 after refusing to perform military service, join Nazi organizations or give allegiance to the Hitler regime. An estimated 10,000 Witnesses—half of the number of members in Germany during that period—were imprisoned, including 2000 who were sent to Nazi concentration camps. An estimated 1200 died in custody, including 250 who were executed. They were the first Christian denomination banned in the Third Reich and the most extensively and intensively persecuted.[1] Unlike Jews and Gypsies who were persecuted on the basis of their ethnicity, Jehovah's Witnesses could escape persecution and personal harm by renouncing their religious beliefs by signing a document indicating renouncement of their faith, submission to state authority, and support of the German military.[2] Historian Sybil Milton concludes that "their courage and defiance in the face of torture and death punctures the myth of a monolithic Nazi state ruling over docile and submissive subjects."[3]
The group came under increasing public and governmental persecution from 1933, with many expelled from jobs and schools, deprived of income and suffering beatings and imprisonment, despite early attempts to demonstrate shared goals with the National Socialist regime. Historians are divided over whether the Nazis intended to exterminate them, but several authors have claimed the Witnesses' outspoken condemnation of the Nazis contributed to their level of suffering.


Contents  [hide]
1 Pre-Nazi era
2 Legislative developments
3 Punishment
4 Concentration camps
5 Causes of persecution and Nazi motives
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

Pre-Nazi era[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses were an outgrowth of the International Bible Students, who began missionary work in Europe in the 1890s. A German branch office of the Watch Tower Society opened in Elberfeld in 1902. By 1933 almost 20,000 Witnesses were counted as active door-to-door preachers and their annual Memorial service was attracting almost 25,000 people.[4] In Dresden there were more Bible Students than in New York, where the Watch Tower Society was headquartered.[5]
Members of the religion, who were known as Ernste Bibelforscher, or Earnest Bible Students, had attracted opposition since the end of World War I, with accusations that they were Bolsheviks, communists and covertly Jewish.[6] From 1920 the German Evangelical Church called for a ban on Watch Tower Society publications, which were engaging in increasing amounts of antichurch polemic and through the remainder of the 1920s opposition mounted from a combination of church and Völkisch movement agitation and pamphlet campaigns.[7] Nazis began to harass Bible Students, with SA members also disrupting meetings.[4]
From 1922, German Bible Students were arrested on charges of illegal peddling as they publicly distributed Watch Tower Society literature. Between 1927 and 1930, almost 5000 charges were pressed against members of the religion, and although most ended in acquittals[8][9] some "severe sentences" were also handed down.[10]
From 1930 calls for state intervention against the Bible Students increased and on March 28, 1931 Reich president Paul von Hindenburg issued the Decree for the Resistance of Political Acts of Violence, which provided for action to be taken in cases in which religious organizations, institutions or customs were "abused or maliciously disparaged".[11] Bavaria became the first German state where the decree was used against the Bible Students, with a police order issued on November 18 to prohibit and confiscate all Bible Student publications throughout the state.[11] A second decree in 1932 widened the ban in other German states. By the end of 1932 more than 2300 charges against Bible Students were pending.[10]
Legislative developments[edit]
Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933, and from that point persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses intensified. Witnesses, being politically neutral, refused to swear loyalty to the Nazi regime. Initially, Witness indifference to the Nazi state manifested itself in the refusal to raise their arms in the Nazi salute, join the German Labor Front, participate in Nazi welfare collections, perform air raid duties or participate in Nazi rallies and parades.[3] Nazi Party SA stormtroopers raided the homes of Witnesses who failed to vote in a November 1933 plebiscite over German withdrawal from the League of Nations and marched them to the polling booths. Some were beaten or forced to walk holding placards declaring their "betrayal" of the fatherland; in one town a billboard was displayed in the marketplace listing Bible Student "traitors" who had not voted, and mobs also gathered outside Witnesses' homes to throw stones or chant. Similar action was taken at subsequent elections in the one-party state.[12]



 Chancellor Adolf Hitler.
Nazi authorities denounced Jehovah's Witnesses for their ties to the United States and derided the apparent revolutionary millennialism of their preaching that a battle of Armageddon would precede the rule of Christ on earth. They linked Jehovah's Witnesses to "international Jewry" by pointing to Witness reliance on certain Old Testament texts. The Nazis had grievances with many of the smaller Protestant groups on these issues, but only the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Christadelphian Church refused to bear arms or swear loyalty to the state.[3]
Activities of the Bible Students Association were banned in the states of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (April 10, 1933) and Bavaria (April 13). When Witnesses responded with a nationwide house-to-house booklet distribution campaign, many were arrested and within a week bans were extended to the states of Saxony and Hessen. Publications were also confiscated in some states. On April 24 police seized the Bible Student headquarters at Magdeburg, withdrawing five days later after US diplomatic efforts. From mid-May other states issued decrees outlawing the Bible Students and by the middle of June they were banned in almost every state. In one state's decree, the rationale for the ban was said to be that Bible Students were "imposing" on householders Watch Tower Society journals "which contain malicious attacks on the major Christian churches and their institutions".[13][14]
Prussia, Germany's biggest state, imposed a ban on June 24, explaining that the Bible Students were attracting and harboring subversive former members of Communist and Marxist parties. Its decree added that the Bible Students:

"...are obviously involved in agitation against political and religious institutions in word and written form. By declaring both institutions as agencies of Satan, they undermine the very foundation of life in the people's community. In their numerous publications ... they deliberately and maliciously misrepresent Bible accounts for the purpose of ridiculing State and church institutions. One of the characteristics of their struggle is a fanatical manipulation of their followers ... It is therefore obvious that the above-mentioned association tends to be in complete opposition to the present state and its cultural and moral structures."[13]
On June 25, 1933 about 7000 Witnesses assembled at the Wilmersdorfer Tennishallen in Berlin where a 3800-word "Declaration of Facts" was issued. The document, written by Watch Tower Society president J.F. Rutherford, asserted the religion's political neutrality, appealed for the right to publicly preach and claimed it was the victim of a misinformation campaign by other religions.[15] Some 2.1 million copies of the declaration, reproduced as a four-page pamphlet, were distributed publicly throughout Germany, with a copy also sent to Hitler accompanied by a seven-page cover letter assuring the Chancellor that the IBSA "was not in opposition to the national government of the German Reich", but that, to the contrary, "the entirely religious, nonpolitical objectives and efforts of the Bible Students" were "completely in agreement with the corresponding goals of the national government".[16] German historian Detlef Garbe described the declaration as part of the religion's efforts to adapt at a time of increasing persecution,[17] while Canadian historian Professor James Penton, a former Jehovah's Witness and critic of the religion, claimed the declaration was a compromising document that proves "that Watch Tower leaders were attempting to pander to the Nazis"[18]—an allegation the Watch Tower Society rejected in a 1998 magazine article.[19]



 Watch Tower Society president Joseph Rutherford.
The distribution of the declaration prompted a new wave of persecution against German Witnesses.[20] On June 28 thirty stormtroopers occupied the branch office for a second time, closing the factory, sealing the printing presses and hoisting the swastika over the building. In late August, authorities used 25 trucks to transport about 70 tonnes of Watch Tower literature and Bibles to the city's outskirts and publicly burned them. Preaching activities and meetings in private homes continued, though the threat of Gestapo raids caused many believers to withdraw association and activity in some places ceased.[21] When authorities discovered banned literature was being smuggled into Germany from abroad, Bavarian police ordered the confiscation of mail of all known Bible Students and expressed irritation that their activity was increasing rather than ceasing.[21]
By early 1934 Rutherford had concluded that an improvement in conditions within Germany was unlikely. On February 9, 1934 the Watch Tower Society president sent a strongly worded letter to Hitler, asking the chancellor to allow the Witnesses to assemble and worship without hindrance, warning that if he failed to do so by March 24, the organization would publicise their "unjust treatment" throughout the world. He threatened that Jehovah God would also punish Hitler and destroy him at Armageddon. The society's German branch president Paul Balzereit directed members that they should continue to distribute The Watchtower, but that meetings be kept to about three to five people in size and public preaching be discontinued. But in September 1934, at an international convention of 3500 Witnesses in Basel, Switzerland, under the theme "Fear Them Not", Rutherford reversed the instruction. He urged the 1000 German Witnesses present to resume completely their preaching activity, starting with a collective witnessing effort on October 7. The convention also passed a resolution of protest, a copy of which was sent to Hitler with the warning: "Refrain from further persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses; otherwise God will destroy you and your national party." On October 8 an international campaign was launched to flood the Reich chancellory with telegrams and letters of protest.[22]
In late 1934 all state bans against the Witnesses were replaced with a prohibition at the Reich level. State governments were instructed in July 1935 to confiscate all Watch Tower Society publications, including Bibles and in December nine Watch Tower leaders were sentenced to up to 2½ years' jail for defying bans. Yet throughout 1933 and 1934 some courts continued to acquit Witnesses after legal and constitutional challenges.[23]



 Nazi renunciation document
When Germany reintroduced universal military service in 1935, Jehovah's Witnesses generally refused to enroll. Although they were not pacifists, they refused to bear arms for any political power. The Nazis prosecuted Jehovah's Witnesses for failing to report for conscription and arrested those who did missionary work for undermining the morale of the nation. John Conway, a British historian, stated that they were “against any form of collaboration with the Nazis and against service in the army.”[24]
Children of Jehovah's Witnesses also suffered under the Nazi regime. In classrooms, teachers ridiculed children who refused to give the Heil Hitler salute or sing patriotic songs. Principals found reasons to expel them from school. Following the lead of adults, classmates shunned or beat the children of Witnesses. On occasion, authorities sought to remove children from their Witness parents and send them to other schools, orphanages, or private homes to be brought up as "good Germans".[3]
Jehovah's Witnesses could, however, escape persecution and personal harm by renouncing their religious beliefs. From 1935 Gestapo officers offered members a document to sign indicating renouncement of their faith, submission to state authority, and support of the German military. By signing the document, individuals vowed to refrain from any association with members of the IBSA for the purposes of studying the Bible, The Watchtower or other Bible Student publications, refrain from participating in any Bible Student activities and also report to authorities any observations that members were continuing the organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses.[2] Garbe says a "relatively high number" of people signed the statement before the war, but "extremely low numbers" of Bible Student prisoners did so in concentration camps in later years.[25]
Punishment[edit]
From 1933 Witnesses working in post offices, railway stations or other civil service jobs began to be dismissed for refusing to give the compulsory Hitler salute. From August 1934 they could also lose their jobs for refusing to take an official oath swearing loyalty and obedience to Hitler. Teachers were required to sign a statement confirming they were not members of the International Bible Students Association and were fired if they refused. Jehovah's Witnesses were dismissed in the private sector as well, often at the insistence of the German Labor Front (DAF) or Nazi Party members. In 1936 the Nazi press urged that Bible Students be removed from all German companies, while self-employed members of the religion were denied professional or business licences to carry out their work on the basis that their refusal to join Nazi organizations marked them as "politically unreliable".[26]



 Memorial plaque at Sachsenhausen concentration camp
The state confiscated motor vehicles and bicycles used by Witnesses for their business, withdrew driver's licences, withdrew pensions and evicted Witnesses from their homes. Schoolchildren were required to sing the Horst Wessel song and Deutschlandlied at a flag salute roll call, give the Hitler salute and take part in ceremonies honoring Hitler; those who refused were beaten by teachers and sometimes by classmates, while many were also expelled. From March 1936 authorities began removing Witness children from their parents, forcing some of them to undergo "corrective training".[27]
From early 1935, Gestapo officers began widening their use of "protective detention", usually when judges failed to convict Witnesses on charges of defying the Bible Student ban. Bible Students deemed to "present an imminent danger to the National Socialist state because of their activities" were from that point not handed to courts for punishment but sent directly to concentration camps for incarceration for several months, but even those who completed their prison terms were routinely arrested by the Gestapo upon release and taken into protective custody.[28]
More brutal methods of punishment began to be applied from 1936, including horsewhipping, prolonged daily beatings, the torture of family members and the threat of shooting. Some Witnesses were placed in mental institutions and subjected to psychiatric treatment; sterilization was ordered for some deemed to be "stubborn" in their refusal to denounce their religion.
Following an assembly in Lucerne, Switzerland in early September 1936 up to 3000 copies of a resolution of protest were sent to government, public and clerical leaders, stepping up the Watch Tower Society's anti-Catholic polemic. Several German Witnesses who attended the convention were arrested by waiting police as they returned to their homes and between August and September the Gestapo arrested more than 1000 members. The society responded with a pamphlet campaign on December 12, dropping up to 200,000 copies of the Lucerne resolution in mailboxes and also leaving them at phone booths, park benches and parked cars. Those arrested in subsequent police raids were sentenced to up to two years in prison. The number of arrests increased; in Dresden alone as many as 1500 Witnesses had been arrested by mid-1937. Another letterbox campaign was carried out in June 1937, a year in which the Watch Tower Society announced German Witnesses had distributed more than 450,000 books and booklets in 12 months.[29][30]
Compulsory military service for all men aged between 18 and 45 was introduced by Hitler in March 1935. No exemptions were provided for religious or conscientious reasons and Witnesses who refused to serve or take the oath of allegiance to Hitler were sent to prison or concentration camp, generally for terms of one or two years. At the outbreak of war in August 1939, more serious punishments were applied. A decree was enacted that greatly increased penal regulations during periods of war and states of emergency and included in the decree was an offense of "demoralization of the armed forces"; any refusal to perform military service or public inducement to this effect would be punishable by death. Between August 1939 and September 1940, 152 Bible Students appeared before the highest military court of the Wehrmacht charged with demoralization of the armed forces and 112 were executed, usually by beheading. Garbe estimates about 250 German and Austrian Jehovah's Witnesses were executed during World War II as a result of military court decisions. In November 1939 another regulation was issued providing for the jailing of anyone who supported or belonged to an "anti-military association" or displayed an "anti-military attitude", which allowed authorities to impose prison sentences on the charge of IBSA membership. Death penalties were applied frequently after 1943.[31]
Concentration camps[edit]
From 1935 the authorities began sending hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses to concentration camps, where they were imprisoned with Communists, Socialists, other political prisoners and union members. In May 1938 they accounted for 12 percent of all prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar; by May 1939 they represented 40 percent of all prisoners at Schloss Lichentenburg, the central concentration camp for women, though as the total number of prisoners increased rapidly, the proportion of Witnesses generally fell to about 3 percent.[32] About 2000 Witnesses were eventually sent to Nazi concentration camps, where they were identified by purple triangles; as many as 1200 died in custody, including 250 who were executed.[33][34] Garbe claims members of the religion were special objects of hatred by the SS, receiving beatings, whippings and public humiliation and given the dirtiest and most laborious work details for refusing to salute, stand at attention or sing Nazi songs. They were subjected to high-pressure jets of ice-cold water from fire hydrants and subjected to arbitrary acts of torture including pushing a fully laden wheelbarrow with their necks while crawling on hands and knees. Others were forced to stand still for an entire day in the heat or cold or were confined in groups in small closets in an attempt to suffocate them.[35] From March to December 1938 Jehovah's Witnesses in Buchenwald were not allowed to send or receive letters or to purchase food. Many approached starvation and were forced to eat leaves from trees and bushes. Many were forced to engage in a "drill" that included rolling, creeping, hopping and running for 75 minutes while camp guards kicked and beat them, while others, forced to work in stone quarries, were refused medical attention when sick.[36] Despite persecution, Jehovah's Witnesses continued to hold secret religious gatherings inside the camps.
Conditions for Witnesses improved in 1942, when they were increasingly given work details that required little supervision, such as farming, gardening, transportation and unloading goods, while others worked in civilian clothing in a health resort, as housekeepers for Nazi officials or were given construction and craft tasks at military buildings.[37]
Causes of persecution and Nazi motives[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses were one of a range of religious denominations against whom authorities took action from 1933, declaring that they "contributed to the ideological fragmentation of the German people", preventing the forming of a united German community.[38] Historians including Canadian Michael H. Kater, Christine Elizabeth King from England and Austrian Wolfgang Neugebauer have suggested the extraordinary animosity between National Socialism and Bible Student teachings was rooted in the similarity in structure of both ideologies, which were based on authoritarianism and totalitarianism and which each believed had a monopoly on the "truth".[39][40] Kater wrote:

Just as the National Socialist ideology, so were also the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses dominated not by a democratic but an authoritarian policy. Both systems were totalitarian in that they strictly integrated national comrades as well as fellow believers into the respective authoritarian structure and requested them to give up their own personal identity for the objectives of the system. While the National Socialists accepted the ""Führer State", the "Earnest Bible Students" submitted to the "Theocracy", in which not the Führer, but Jehovah, was the dictatorial ruler. Since both groups claimed exclusiveness, this inevitably had to result in conflict. A Bible Student who had devoted himself to Jehovah was in no way able to carry out the duties that the National Socialist State demanded of him as a national comrade.[41]
Garbe accepts that both ideologies claimed to represent the "epitome of truth", demanded the person as a whole, tolerated no questioning of ideology and also held a common belief in salvation utopias for certain parts of humankind and the vision of a Thousand-Year Reign. But pitted against a considerably more powerful organization, the religion's efforts were doomed to fail.[42]
German writer Falk Pingel argued that the source of controversy between the Bible Students and National Socialists was their determination to continue their religious activities despite restrictions[43] and Garbe, noting that the increasing repression by authorities simply provoked the religion's determination to go underground and maintain their activity, concludes that "the extraordinary severity with which Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted resulted from a conflict that gradually escalated in an interaction of action and reaction ... the authorities responsible for the persecution always responded with increasing severity to the continuous stubbornness of the IBSA members".[42] He said the National Socialists were baffled by an opponent that, convinced it was being directed by God's channel, did not back down under intensified persecution, as expected. He wrote:

These factors could have contributed to the fact that ... efforts to break their resolve were intensified and even more brutal. From this point of view, the IBSA members contributed to a certain extent to the severity of the NS actions, but this certainly does not mean that they intentionally provoked these measures.[42]
Penton noted that in August 1933 then branch overseer Martin Harbeck directed members that they should cease distributing literature and holding meetings without police permission. He said the organization's later decision to abandon caution and direct members to intensify their preaching efforts was a "reckless" behavior that caused Witnesses and their families more suffering than was necessary. Hitler, Penton argued, had become highly popular with the German populace by 1936, yet Witnesses persisted in distributing a Rutherford booklet that described the chancellor as "of unsound mind, cruel, malicious and ruthless". He said the international campaign to swamp Hitler with telegrams of protest in October 1934 infuriated the chancellor and was a major factor in bringing greater governmental persecution on them. Citing Dietrich Hellmund's description of their "incredible public militancy", he wrote: "Jehovah's Witnesses were the most stridently outspoken conscientious objectors in the country, and the Nazis had no intention of putting up with them ... No movement can constantly heap insults on all other religions, the business community and national governments in the way that the Bible Student-Jehovah's Witnesses did from 1918 onward without provoking a reaction."[44][45]
Scholars are divided over the ultimate intention of the Nazi regime towards Jehovah's Witnesses. Garbe believes the Gestapo considered members of the religion to be "incorrigible" elements who had to be ruthlessly eliminated.[46] The 1934 telegram protest had prompted an "hysterical" Hitler to vow that "this brood will be exterminated in Germany"[47] and he repeated the threat in August 1942.[48] Watch Tower Society writer Wolfram Slupina claims the Nazis "attempted to consign the Witnesses to oblivion by systematically exterminating them". But Penton has argued there is abundant evidence that the Nazis had no intention to eradicate members:

Rather, they wanted to break their opposition to the values of the Third Reich and turn them into loyal German citizens ... The Witnesses were not candidates for destruction in the way that Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals were. Almost none were gassed. More important, during the last three years of the Second World War, they became very useful to the SS.[49]
See also[edit]
Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses
Declaration of Facts
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 100, 102, 514. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi-Regime, Michael Berenbaum
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d Laqueur, Walter; Baumel, Judith Tydor (2001). The Holocaust encyclopedia. Yale University Press. pp. 346–50. ISBN 978-0-300-08432-0. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 144. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
5.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
6.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 48–51. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
7.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 54–59. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
8.Jump up ^ Saarbrücker Landes Zeitung, December 16, 1929, as cited in 1974 Yearbook, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1974, pg 102: "Unfortunately the police have been powerless in doing anything about the work of the Bible Students. Arrests made up until now ... have all ended up in acquittal."
9.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 62, 570 note 151. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
10.^ Jump up to: a b 1974 Yearbook, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1974, pg 102-111.
11.^ Jump up to: a b Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
12.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 139–141. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 73–83. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
14.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 150. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
15.Jump up ^ Declaration of Facts English translation
16.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 90, 91. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
17.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 87–91. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
18.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 71–75. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
19.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses–Courageous in the Face of Nazi Peril", Awake!, July 8, 1998, pgs 10-14.
20.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
21.^ Jump up to: a b Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 92–99. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
22.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 105–112. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
23.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 117–135. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
24.Jump up ^ p.251,260 “Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi-Regime 1933-1945
25.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 286–291. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
26.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 149–159. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
27.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 162–179, 183. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
28.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 252–3, 277. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
29.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 226–7, 230, 233–243. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
30.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 173, 177. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
31.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 341–367. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
32.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 394–5. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
33.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 484. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
34.Jump up ^ Johannes S. Wrobel, Jehovah’s Witnesses in National Socialist Concentration Camps, 1933 – 45, Religion, State & Society, Vol. 34, No. 2, June 2006, pp. 89-125.
35.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 398–416. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
36.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 188. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
37.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 440–447. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
38.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 101. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
39.Jump up ^ Neugebauer, Wolfgang (1984). Widerstand und Verfolgung in Wien, 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation (in German). Vienna. pp. 161, as cited by Garbe, pg 514.
40.Jump up ^ King, Christine Elizabeth (1983), The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity, Edwin Mellen, pp. 175–6, ISBN 0-889-468656
41.Jump up ^ Kater, Michael (1969, as cited by Garbe, pg 514.). "Die Ernsten Bibelforscher im Dritten Reich". Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte (in German) 17: 187. Check date values in: |date= (help)
42.^ Jump up to: a b c Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 514–7, 520–1, 523. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
43.Jump up ^ Falk Pingel, Häftlinge unter SS-Herrschaft: Widerstand, Selbstbehauptung und Vernichtung in Konzentrationslager, 1978, page 88, as quoted by Garbe, pg 518.
44.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 155–6, 170, 176–7, 236. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
45.Jump up ^ Hesse, Hans, ed. (2003). Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime: 1933-1945. Edition Temmen. pp. 344 isbn = 3–861–087502.
46.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 291. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
47.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 167, 317–8. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
48.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 365. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
49.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 225, 237. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
Further reading[edit]
Hesse, Hans (editor) Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi-Regime: 1933-1945
Reynaud, Michael. The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Nazis: Persecution, Deportation, and Murder, 1933-1945
Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, ISBN 0-689-10728-5
Judith Tydor Baumel, Walter Laqueur:The Holocaust Encyclopedia, ISBN 0-300-08432-3
Michael Berenbaum,The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as Told in United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, ISBN 0-316-09134-0
External links[edit]
[1] - Official Site of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses under Nazism and Communism - List of books
Jehovah's Witnesses under dictatorships - List of Internet resources
The Case of the Jehovah's Witnesses - Shoah Resource Center - Yad Vashem
Non-Jewish Victims of Persecution in Nazi Germany - About the Holocaust - Yad Vashem
English Translation of "Declaration of Facts"
English Translation of Declaration of Facts Cover Letter
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Memorial and Museum AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_in_Nazi_Germany









Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany

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Jehovah's Witnesses suffered religious persecution in Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 after refusing to perform military service, join Nazi organizations or give allegiance to the Hitler regime. An estimated 10,000 Witnesses—half of the number of members in Germany during that period—were imprisoned, including 2000 who were sent to Nazi concentration camps. An estimated 1200 died in custody, including 250 who were executed. They were the first Christian denomination banned in the Third Reich and the most extensively and intensively persecuted.[1] Unlike Jews and Gypsies who were persecuted on the basis of their ethnicity, Jehovah's Witnesses could escape persecution and personal harm by renouncing their religious beliefs by signing a document indicating renouncement of their faith, submission to state authority, and support of the German military.[2] Historian Sybil Milton concludes that "their courage and defiance in the face of torture and death punctures the myth of a monolithic Nazi state ruling over docile and submissive subjects."[3]
The group came under increasing public and governmental persecution from 1933, with many expelled from jobs and schools, deprived of income and suffering beatings and imprisonment, despite early attempts to demonstrate shared goals with the National Socialist regime. Historians are divided over whether the Nazis intended to exterminate them, but several authors have claimed the Witnesses' outspoken condemnation of the Nazis contributed to their level of suffering.


Contents  [hide]
1 Pre-Nazi era
2 Legislative developments
3 Punishment
4 Concentration camps
5 Causes of persecution and Nazi motives
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

Pre-Nazi era[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses were an outgrowth of the International Bible Students, who began missionary work in Europe in the 1890s. A German branch office of the Watch Tower Society opened in Elberfeld in 1902. By 1933 almost 20,000 Witnesses were counted as active door-to-door preachers and their annual Memorial service was attracting almost 25,000 people.[4] In Dresden there were more Bible Students than in New York, where the Watch Tower Society was headquartered.[5]
Members of the religion, who were known as Ernste Bibelforscher, or Earnest Bible Students, had attracted opposition since the end of World War I, with accusations that they were Bolsheviks, communists and covertly Jewish.[6] From 1920 the German Evangelical Church called for a ban on Watch Tower Society publications, which were engaging in increasing amounts of antichurch polemic and through the remainder of the 1920s opposition mounted from a combination of church and Völkisch movement agitation and pamphlet campaigns.[7] Nazis began to harass Bible Students, with SA members also disrupting meetings.[4]
From 1922, German Bible Students were arrested on charges of illegal peddling as they publicly distributed Watch Tower Society literature. Between 1927 and 1930, almost 5000 charges were pressed against members of the religion, and although most ended in acquittals[8][9] some "severe sentences" were also handed down.[10]
From 1930 calls for state intervention against the Bible Students increased and on March 28, 1931 Reich president Paul von Hindenburg issued the Decree for the Resistance of Political Acts of Violence, which provided for action to be taken in cases in which religious organizations, institutions or customs were "abused or maliciously disparaged".[11] Bavaria became the first German state where the decree was used against the Bible Students, with a police order issued on November 18 to prohibit and confiscate all Bible Student publications throughout the state.[11] A second decree in 1932 widened the ban in other German states. By the end of 1932 more than 2300 charges against Bible Students were pending.[10]
Legislative developments[edit]
Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933, and from that point persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses intensified. Witnesses, being politically neutral, refused to swear loyalty to the Nazi regime. Initially, Witness indifference to the Nazi state manifested itself in the refusal to raise their arms in the Nazi salute, join the German Labor Front, participate in Nazi welfare collections, perform air raid duties or participate in Nazi rallies and parades.[3] Nazi Party SA stormtroopers raided the homes of Witnesses who failed to vote in a November 1933 plebiscite over German withdrawal from the League of Nations and marched them to the polling booths. Some were beaten or forced to walk holding placards declaring their "betrayal" of the fatherland; in one town a billboard was displayed in the marketplace listing Bible Student "traitors" who had not voted, and mobs also gathered outside Witnesses' homes to throw stones or chant. Similar action was taken at subsequent elections in the one-party state.[12]



 Chancellor Adolf Hitler.
Nazi authorities denounced Jehovah's Witnesses for their ties to the United States and derided the apparent revolutionary millennialism of their preaching that a battle of Armageddon would precede the rule of Christ on earth. They linked Jehovah's Witnesses to "international Jewry" by pointing to Witness reliance on certain Old Testament texts. The Nazis had grievances with many of the smaller Protestant groups on these issues, but only the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Christadelphian Church refused to bear arms or swear loyalty to the state.[3]
Activities of the Bible Students Association were banned in the states of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (April 10, 1933) and Bavaria (April 13). When Witnesses responded with a nationwide house-to-house booklet distribution campaign, many were arrested and within a week bans were extended to the states of Saxony and Hessen. Publications were also confiscated in some states. On April 24 police seized the Bible Student headquarters at Magdeburg, withdrawing five days later after US diplomatic efforts. From mid-May other states issued decrees outlawing the Bible Students and by the middle of June they were banned in almost every state. In one state's decree, the rationale for the ban was said to be that Bible Students were "imposing" on householders Watch Tower Society journals "which contain malicious attacks on the major Christian churches and their institutions".[13][14]
Prussia, Germany's biggest state, imposed a ban on June 24, explaining that the Bible Students were attracting and harboring subversive former members of Communist and Marxist parties. Its decree added that the Bible Students:

"...are obviously involved in agitation against political and religious institutions in word and written form. By declaring both institutions as agencies of Satan, they undermine the very foundation of life in the people's community. In their numerous publications ... they deliberately and maliciously misrepresent Bible accounts for the purpose of ridiculing State and church institutions. One of the characteristics of their struggle is a fanatical manipulation of their followers ... It is therefore obvious that the above-mentioned association tends to be in complete opposition to the present state and its cultural and moral structures."[13]
On June 25, 1933 about 7000 Witnesses assembled at the Wilmersdorfer Tennishallen in Berlin where a 3800-word "Declaration of Facts" was issued. The document, written by Watch Tower Society president J.F. Rutherford, asserted the religion's political neutrality, appealed for the right to publicly preach and claimed it was the victim of a misinformation campaign by other religions.[15] Some 2.1 million copies of the declaration, reproduced as a four-page pamphlet, were distributed publicly throughout Germany, with a copy also sent to Hitler accompanied by a seven-page cover letter assuring the Chancellor that the IBSA "was not in opposition to the national government of the German Reich", but that, to the contrary, "the entirely religious, nonpolitical objectives and efforts of the Bible Students" were "completely in agreement with the corresponding goals of the national government".[16] German historian Detlef Garbe described the declaration as part of the religion's efforts to adapt at a time of increasing persecution,[17] while Canadian historian Professor James Penton, a former Jehovah's Witness and critic of the religion, claimed the declaration was a compromising document that proves "that Watch Tower leaders were attempting to pander to the Nazis"[18]—an allegation the Watch Tower Society rejected in a 1998 magazine article.[19]



 Watch Tower Society president Joseph Rutherford.
The distribution of the declaration prompted a new wave of persecution against German Witnesses.[20] On June 28 thirty stormtroopers occupied the branch office for a second time, closing the factory, sealing the printing presses and hoisting the swastika over the building. In late August, authorities used 25 trucks to transport about 70 tonnes of Watch Tower literature and Bibles to the city's outskirts and publicly burned them. Preaching activities and meetings in private homes continued, though the threat of Gestapo raids caused many believers to withdraw association and activity in some places ceased.[21] When authorities discovered banned literature was being smuggled into Germany from abroad, Bavarian police ordered the confiscation of mail of all known Bible Students and expressed irritation that their activity was increasing rather than ceasing.[21]
By early 1934 Rutherford had concluded that an improvement in conditions within Germany was unlikely. On February 9, 1934 the Watch Tower Society president sent a strongly worded letter to Hitler, asking the chancellor to allow the Witnesses to assemble and worship without hindrance, warning that if he failed to do so by March 24, the organization would publicise their "unjust treatment" throughout the world. He threatened that Jehovah God would also punish Hitler and destroy him at Armageddon. The society's German branch president Paul Balzereit directed members that they should continue to distribute The Watchtower, but that meetings be kept to about three to five people in size and public preaching be discontinued. But in September 1934, at an international convention of 3500 Witnesses in Basel, Switzerland, under the theme "Fear Them Not", Rutherford reversed the instruction. He urged the 1000 German Witnesses present to resume completely their preaching activity, starting with a collective witnessing effort on October 7. The convention also passed a resolution of protest, a copy of which was sent to Hitler with the warning: "Refrain from further persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses; otherwise God will destroy you and your national party." On October 8 an international campaign was launched to flood the Reich chancellory with telegrams and letters of protest.[22]
In late 1934 all state bans against the Witnesses were replaced with a prohibition at the Reich level. State governments were instructed in July 1935 to confiscate all Watch Tower Society publications, including Bibles and in December nine Watch Tower leaders were sentenced to up to 2½ years' jail for defying bans. Yet throughout 1933 and 1934 some courts continued to acquit Witnesses after legal and constitutional challenges.[23]



 Nazi renunciation document
When Germany reintroduced universal military service in 1935, Jehovah's Witnesses generally refused to enroll. Although they were not pacifists, they refused to bear arms for any political power. The Nazis prosecuted Jehovah's Witnesses for failing to report for conscription and arrested those who did missionary work for undermining the morale of the nation. John Conway, a British historian, stated that they were “against any form of collaboration with the Nazis and against service in the army.”[24]
Children of Jehovah's Witnesses also suffered under the Nazi regime. In classrooms, teachers ridiculed children who refused to give the Heil Hitler salute or sing patriotic songs. Principals found reasons to expel them from school. Following the lead of adults, classmates shunned or beat the children of Witnesses. On occasion, authorities sought to remove children from their Witness parents and send them to other schools, orphanages, or private homes to be brought up as "good Germans".[3]
Jehovah's Witnesses could, however, escape persecution and personal harm by renouncing their religious beliefs. From 1935 Gestapo officers offered members a document to sign indicating renouncement of their faith, submission to state authority, and support of the German military. By signing the document, individuals vowed to refrain from any association with members of the IBSA for the purposes of studying the Bible, The Watchtower or other Bible Student publications, refrain from participating in any Bible Student activities and also report to authorities any observations that members were continuing the organizational structure of Jehovah's Witnesses.[2] Garbe says a "relatively high number" of people signed the statement before the war, but "extremely low numbers" of Bible Student prisoners did so in concentration camps in later years.[25]
Punishment[edit]
From 1933 Witnesses working in post offices, railway stations or other civil service jobs began to be dismissed for refusing to give the compulsory Hitler salute. From August 1934 they could also lose their jobs for refusing to take an official oath swearing loyalty and obedience to Hitler. Teachers were required to sign a statement confirming they were not members of the International Bible Students Association and were fired if they refused. Jehovah's Witnesses were dismissed in the private sector as well, often at the insistence of the German Labor Front (DAF) or Nazi Party members. In 1936 the Nazi press urged that Bible Students be removed from all German companies, while self-employed members of the religion were denied professional or business licences to carry out their work on the basis that their refusal to join Nazi organizations marked them as "politically unreliable".[26]



 Memorial plaque at Sachsenhausen concentration camp
The state confiscated motor vehicles and bicycles used by Witnesses for their business, withdrew driver's licences, withdrew pensions and evicted Witnesses from their homes. Schoolchildren were required to sing the Horst Wessel song and Deutschlandlied at a flag salute roll call, give the Hitler salute and take part in ceremonies honoring Hitler; those who refused were beaten by teachers and sometimes by classmates, while many were also expelled. From March 1936 authorities began removing Witness children from their parents, forcing some of them to undergo "corrective training".[27]
From early 1935, Gestapo officers began widening their use of "protective detention", usually when judges failed to convict Witnesses on charges of defying the Bible Student ban. Bible Students deemed to "present an imminent danger to the National Socialist state because of their activities" were from that point not handed to courts for punishment but sent directly to concentration camps for incarceration for several months, but even those who completed their prison terms were routinely arrested by the Gestapo upon release and taken into protective custody.[28]
More brutal methods of punishment began to be applied from 1936, including horsewhipping, prolonged daily beatings, the torture of family members and the threat of shooting. Some Witnesses were placed in mental institutions and subjected to psychiatric treatment; sterilization was ordered for some deemed to be "stubborn" in their refusal to denounce their religion.
Following an assembly in Lucerne, Switzerland in early September 1936 up to 3000 copies of a resolution of protest were sent to government, public and clerical leaders, stepping up the Watch Tower Society's anti-Catholic polemic. Several German Witnesses who attended the convention were arrested by waiting police as they returned to their homes and between August and September the Gestapo arrested more than 1000 members. The society responded with a pamphlet campaign on December 12, dropping up to 200,000 copies of the Lucerne resolution in mailboxes and also leaving them at phone booths, park benches and parked cars. Those arrested in subsequent police raids were sentenced to up to two years in prison. The number of arrests increased; in Dresden alone as many as 1500 Witnesses had been arrested by mid-1937. Another letterbox campaign was carried out in June 1937, a year in which the Watch Tower Society announced German Witnesses had distributed more than 450,000 books and booklets in 12 months.[29][30]
Compulsory military service for all men aged between 18 and 45 was introduced by Hitler in March 1935. No exemptions were provided for religious or conscientious reasons and Witnesses who refused to serve or take the oath of allegiance to Hitler were sent to prison or concentration camp, generally for terms of one or two years. At the outbreak of war in August 1939, more serious punishments were applied. A decree was enacted that greatly increased penal regulations during periods of war and states of emergency and included in the decree was an offense of "demoralization of the armed forces"; any refusal to perform military service or public inducement to this effect would be punishable by death. Between August 1939 and September 1940, 152 Bible Students appeared before the highest military court of the Wehrmacht charged with demoralization of the armed forces and 112 were executed, usually by beheading. Garbe estimates about 250 German and Austrian Jehovah's Witnesses were executed during World War II as a result of military court decisions. In November 1939 another regulation was issued providing for the jailing of anyone who supported or belonged to an "anti-military association" or displayed an "anti-military attitude", which allowed authorities to impose prison sentences on the charge of IBSA membership. Death penalties were applied frequently after 1943.[31]
Concentration camps[edit]
From 1935 the authorities began sending hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses to concentration camps, where they were imprisoned with Communists, Socialists, other political prisoners and union members. In May 1938 they accounted for 12 percent of all prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar; by May 1939 they represented 40 percent of all prisoners at Schloss Lichentenburg, the central concentration camp for women, though as the total number of prisoners increased rapidly, the proportion of Witnesses generally fell to about 3 percent.[32] About 2000 Witnesses were eventually sent to Nazi concentration camps, where they were identified by purple triangles; as many as 1200 died in custody, including 250 who were executed.[33][34] Garbe claims members of the religion were special objects of hatred by the SS, receiving beatings, whippings and public humiliation and given the dirtiest and most laborious work details for refusing to salute, stand at attention or sing Nazi songs. They were subjected to high-pressure jets of ice-cold water from fire hydrants and subjected to arbitrary acts of torture including pushing a fully laden wheelbarrow with their necks while crawling on hands and knees. Others were forced to stand still for an entire day in the heat or cold or were confined in groups in small closets in an attempt to suffocate them.[35] From March to December 1938 Jehovah's Witnesses in Buchenwald were not allowed to send or receive letters or to purchase food. Many approached starvation and were forced to eat leaves from trees and bushes. Many were forced to engage in a "drill" that included rolling, creeping, hopping and running for 75 minutes while camp guards kicked and beat them, while others, forced to work in stone quarries, were refused medical attention when sick.[36] Despite persecution, Jehovah's Witnesses continued to hold secret religious gatherings inside the camps.
Conditions for Witnesses improved in 1942, when they were increasingly given work details that required little supervision, such as farming, gardening, transportation and unloading goods, while others worked in civilian clothing in a health resort, as housekeepers for Nazi officials or were given construction and craft tasks at military buildings.[37]
Causes of persecution and Nazi motives[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses were one of a range of religious denominations against whom authorities took action from 1933, declaring that they "contributed to the ideological fragmentation of the German people", preventing the forming of a united German community.[38] Historians including Canadian Michael H. Kater, Christine Elizabeth King from England and Austrian Wolfgang Neugebauer have suggested the extraordinary animosity between National Socialism and Bible Student teachings was rooted in the similarity in structure of both ideologies, which were based on authoritarianism and totalitarianism and which each believed had a monopoly on the "truth".[39][40] Kater wrote:

Just as the National Socialist ideology, so were also the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses dominated not by a democratic but an authoritarian policy. Both systems were totalitarian in that they strictly integrated national comrades as well as fellow believers into the respective authoritarian structure and requested them to give up their own personal identity for the objectives of the system. While the National Socialists accepted the ""Führer State", the "Earnest Bible Students" submitted to the "Theocracy", in which not the Führer, but Jehovah, was the dictatorial ruler. Since both groups claimed exclusiveness, this inevitably had to result in conflict. A Bible Student who had devoted himself to Jehovah was in no way able to carry out the duties that the National Socialist State demanded of him as a national comrade.[41]
Garbe accepts that both ideologies claimed to represent the "epitome of truth", demanded the person as a whole, tolerated no questioning of ideology and also held a common belief in salvation utopias for certain parts of humankind and the vision of a Thousand-Year Reign. But pitted against a considerably more powerful organization, the religion's efforts were doomed to fail.[42]
German writer Falk Pingel argued that the source of controversy between the Bible Students and National Socialists was their determination to continue their religious activities despite restrictions[43] and Garbe, noting that the increasing repression by authorities simply provoked the religion's determination to go underground and maintain their activity, concludes that "the extraordinary severity with which Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted resulted from a conflict that gradually escalated in an interaction of action and reaction ... the authorities responsible for the persecution always responded with increasing severity to the continuous stubbornness of the IBSA members".[42] He said the National Socialists were baffled by an opponent that, convinced it was being directed by God's channel, did not back down under intensified persecution, as expected. He wrote:

These factors could have contributed to the fact that ... efforts to break their resolve were intensified and even more brutal. From this point of view, the IBSA members contributed to a certain extent to the severity of the NS actions, but this certainly does not mean that they intentionally provoked these measures.[42]
Penton noted that in August 1933 then branch overseer Martin Harbeck directed members that they should cease distributing literature and holding meetings without police permission. He said the organization's later decision to abandon caution and direct members to intensify their preaching efforts was a "reckless" behavior that caused Witnesses and their families more suffering than was necessary. Hitler, Penton argued, had become highly popular with the German populace by 1936, yet Witnesses persisted in distributing a Rutherford booklet that described the chancellor as "of unsound mind, cruel, malicious and ruthless". He said the international campaign to swamp Hitler with telegrams of protest in October 1934 infuriated the chancellor and was a major factor in bringing greater governmental persecution on them. Citing Dietrich Hellmund's description of their "incredible public militancy", he wrote: "Jehovah's Witnesses were the most stridently outspoken conscientious objectors in the country, and the Nazis had no intention of putting up with them ... No movement can constantly heap insults on all other religions, the business community and national governments in the way that the Bible Student-Jehovah's Witnesses did from 1918 onward without provoking a reaction."[44][45]
Scholars are divided over the ultimate intention of the Nazi regime towards Jehovah's Witnesses. Garbe believes the Gestapo considered members of the religion to be "incorrigible" elements who had to be ruthlessly eliminated.[46] The 1934 telegram protest had prompted an "hysterical" Hitler to vow that "this brood will be exterminated in Germany"[47] and he repeated the threat in August 1942.[48] Watch Tower Society writer Wolfram Slupina claims the Nazis "attempted to consign the Witnesses to oblivion by systematically exterminating them". But Penton has argued there is abundant evidence that the Nazis had no intention to eradicate members:

Rather, they wanted to break their opposition to the values of the Third Reich and turn them into loyal German citizens ... The Witnesses were not candidates for destruction in the way that Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals were. Almost none were gassed. More important, during the last three years of the Second World War, they became very useful to the SS.[49]
See also[edit]
Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses
Declaration of Facts
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 100, 102, 514. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi-Regime, Michael Berenbaum
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d Laqueur, Walter; Baumel, Judith Tydor (2001). The Holocaust encyclopedia. Yale University Press. pp. 346–50. ISBN 978-0-300-08432-0. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 144. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
5.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
6.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 48–51. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
7.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 54–59. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
8.Jump up ^ Saarbrücker Landes Zeitung, December 16, 1929, as cited in 1974 Yearbook, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1974, pg 102: "Unfortunately the police have been powerless in doing anything about the work of the Bible Students. Arrests made up until now ... have all ended up in acquittal."
9.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 62, 570 note 151. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
10.^ Jump up to: a b 1974 Yearbook, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1974, pg 102-111.
11.^ Jump up to: a b Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
12.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 139–141. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 73–83. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
14.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 150. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
15.Jump up ^ Declaration of Facts English translation
16.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 90, 91. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
17.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 87–91. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
18.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 71–75. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
19.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses–Courageous in the Face of Nazi Peril", Awake!, July 8, 1998, pgs 10-14.
20.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
21.^ Jump up to: a b Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 92–99. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
22.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 105–112. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
23.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 117–135. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
24.Jump up ^ p.251,260 “Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi-Regime 1933-1945
25.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 286–291. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
26.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 149–159. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
27.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 162–179, 183. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
28.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 252–3, 277. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
29.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 226–7, 230, 233–243. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
30.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 173, 177. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
31.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 341–367. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
32.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 394–5. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
33.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 484. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
34.Jump up ^ Johannes S. Wrobel, Jehovah’s Witnesses in National Socialist Concentration Camps, 1933 – 45, Religion, State & Society, Vol. 34, No. 2, June 2006, pp. 89-125.
35.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 398–416. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
36.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 188. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
37.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 440–447. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
38.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 101. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
39.Jump up ^ Neugebauer, Wolfgang (1984). Widerstand und Verfolgung in Wien, 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation (in German). Vienna. pp. 161, as cited by Garbe, pg 514.
40.Jump up ^ King, Christine Elizabeth (1983), The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity, Edwin Mellen, pp. 175–6, ISBN 0-889-468656
41.Jump up ^ Kater, Michael (1969, as cited by Garbe, pg 514.). "Die Ernsten Bibelforscher im Dritten Reich". Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte (in German) 17: 187. Check date values in: |date= (help)
42.^ Jump up to: a b c Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 514–7, 520–1, 523. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
43.Jump up ^ Falk Pingel, Häftlinge unter SS-Herrschaft: Widerstand, Selbstbehauptung und Vernichtung in Konzentrationslager, 1978, page 88, as quoted by Garbe, pg 518.
44.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 155–6, 170, 176–7, 236. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
45.Jump up ^ Hesse, Hans, ed. (2003). Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi Regime: 1933-1945. Edition Temmen. pp. 344 isbn = 3–861–087502.
46.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 291. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
47.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 167, 317–8. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
48.Jump up ^ Garbe, Detlef (2008). Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 365. ISBN 0-299-20794-3.
49.Jump up ^ Penton, James (2004). Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics Under Persecution. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 225, 237. ISBN 0-8020-8678-0.
Further reading[edit]
Hesse, Hans (editor) Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah's Witnesses During the Nazi-Regime: 1933-1945
Reynaud, Michael. The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Nazis: Persecution, Deportation, and Murder, 1933-1945
Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, ISBN 0-689-10728-5
Judith Tydor Baumel, Walter Laqueur:The Holocaust Encyclopedia, ISBN 0-300-08432-3
Michael Berenbaum,The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust as Told in United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, ISBN 0-316-09134-0
External links[edit]
[1] - Official Site of Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses under Nazism and Communism - List of books
Jehovah's Witnesses under dictatorships - List of Internet resources
The Case of the Jehovah's Witnesses - Shoah Resource Center - Yad Vashem
Non-Jewish Victims of Persecution in Nazi Germany - About the Holocaust - Yad Vashem
English Translation of "Declaration of Facts"
English Translation of Declaration of Facts Cover Letter
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Memorial and Museum AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU
Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_in_Nazi_Germany









Bible Student movement

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 A simplified chart of historical developments of major groups within Bible Students
Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
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The Bible Student movement is the name adopted by a Millennialist[1] Restorationist Christian movement that emerged from the teachings and ministry of Charles Taze Russell, also known as Pastor Russell. Members of the movement have variously referred to themselves as Bible Students, International Bible Students, Associated Bible Students, or Independent Bible Students. The origins of the movement are associated with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1881.
A number of schisms developed within the congregations of Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower Society between 1909 and 1932.[2][3] The most significant split began in 1917 following the election of Joseph Franklin Rutherford as president of the Watch Tower Society two months after Russell's death. The schism began with Rutherford's controversial replacement of four of the Society's board of directors and publication of The Finished Mystery.
Thousands of members left congregations of Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower Society throughout the 1920s prompted in part by Rutherford's failed predictions for the year 1925, increasing disillusionment with his on-going doctrinal and organizational changes, and his campaign for centralized control of the movement.[2] William Schnell, author and former Jehovah's Witness, claims that three-quarters of the original Bible Students who had been associating with the Watch Tower Society in 1921 had left by 1931.[4][a][b][6] In 1930 Rutherford stated that "the total number of those who have withdrawn from the Society... is comparatively large."[7]
Between 1918 and 1929, several factions formed their own independent fellowships, including the Standfast Movement, the Pastoral Bible Institute, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement founded by PSL Johnson, and the Dawn Bible Students Association. These groups range from conservative, claiming to be Russell's true followers, to more liberal, claiming that Russell's role is not as important as once believed.[8] Rutherford's faction of the movement retained control of the Watch Tower Society[8] and adopted the name Jehovah's witnesses in July 1931.[c] The cumulative worldwide membership of the various Bible Students groups independent of the Watch Tower Society is estimated at less than 75,000.[9][10]


Contents  [hide]
1 Foundation 1.1 Watch Tower Society
1.2 International Bible Students Association
2 Formative influences
3 First schism
4 Leadership dispute
5 Associated Bible Students 5.1 Pastoral Bible Institute
5.2 Berean Bible Institute
5.3 StandFast Bible Students Association
5.4 Dawn Bible Students Association
5.5 Independent Bible Students
6 Free Bible Students 6.1 New Covenant Believers
6.2 Christian Discipling Ministries International
6.3 Free Bible Students Association
7 Jehovah's Witnesses
8 Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
9 Other groups 9.1 Friends of Man
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 Bibliography
14 External links

Foundation[edit]



 Charles Russell in 1911
In 1869 Charles Russell viewed a presentation by Advent Christian preacher Jonas Wendell[11][12] (influenced by the Millerites)[13] and soon after began attending an Adventist Bible study group in Allegheny, Pennsylvania led by George Stetson. Russell acknowledged the influence of Adventist ministers including George Storrs, an old acquaintance of William Miller and semi-regular attendee at the Bible study group in Allegheny.[14]
In early January 1876 Russell met independent Adventist preachers Nelson H. Barbour and John H. Paton, publishers of the Herald of the Morning, who convinced him that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874.[13][d][16][e] Russell provided financial backing for Barbour and became co-editor of Barbour's magazine, Herald of the Morning; the pair jointly issued Three Worlds and the Harvest of This World (1877), written mostly by Barbour.[f][19] Various concepts in the book are still taught by the Bible Student movement and Jehovah's Witnesses, including a 2520-year period termed "the Gentile Times" predicted to end in 1914. Deviating from most Second Adventists the book taught that the earth would not be burned up when Christ returned, but that humankind since Adam would eventually be resurrected to the earth and given the opportunity to attain eternal perfect human life if obedient. It also revealed an expectation that all of the "saints" would be taken to heaven in April, 1878.[20][21]
Russell continued to develop his interpretations of biblical chronology. In 1877, he published 50,000 copies of the pamphlet The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return, teaching that Christ would return invisibly before the battle of Armageddon. By 1878 he was teaching the Adventist view that the "time of the end" had begun in 1799,[22] and that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874[23] and had been crowned in heaven as king in 1878. Russell believed that 1878 also marked the resurrection of the "sleeping saints" (all faithful Christians who had died up to that time) and the "fall of Babylon" which he taught to be God's final judgment of unfaithful Christendom.[24][25] October 1914 was held as the end of a harvest period that would culminate in the beginning of Armageddon, manifested by the emergence of worldwide anarchy and the decline and destruction of civilized society.[26][27]
Russell broke with Barbour in July 1879 over the doctrine of substitutionary atonement and began publishing his own monthly magazine, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom), and the pair competed through their rival publications for the minds of their readers.[20][28] (Semi-monthly publication of the magazine began in 1892.)[g][29]
In early 1881, Russell predicted that the churches ('Babylon') would begin to fall apart and that the rapture of the saints would take place that year, although they would remain on earth as materialized spirit beings.[20] In 1882 he outlined his nontrinitarian views concluding that the doctrine is not taught in the Bible.[20]
Readers of Zion's Watch Tower formed thirty Bible study groups in seven states in the United States in 1879–80, with each congregation electing its own elders. In 1880 Russell visited the congregations to conduct six-hour study sessions, teaching each congregation how to carry out topical Bible study.[20][30]
Watch Tower Society[edit]
In 1881, Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was formed as an unincorporated administrative agency for the purpose of disseminating tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles, with Russell as secretary and William Henry Conley as president.[29] Three years later, on December 15, 1884, Russell became president of the society when it was legally incorporated in Pennsylvania.[31] (The society was renamed Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in September 1896).[32] Russell wrote many articles, books, pamphlets and sermons, which by his death totaled 50,000 printed pages, with almost 20 million copies of his books printed and distributed around the world.[20] In 1886, he wrote the first of what would become a six-volume Bible textbook series called Millennial Dawn, later renamed Studies in the Scriptures,[33][h] which presented his fundamental doctrines. As a consequence, the Bible Students were sometimes called Millennial Dawnists.
Russell advertised for 1000 preachers in 1881, and encouraged all who were members of "the body of Christ" to preach to their neighbors, to gather the "little flock" of saints while the vast majority of mankind would be given the opportunity to gain salvation during Christ's 1000-year reign.[13] Russell's supporters gathered as autonomous congregations to study the Bible and his writings. Russell rejected the concept of a formal organization as "wholly unnecessary" for his followers and declared that his group had no record of its members' names, no creeds, and no sectarian name.[34] He wrote in February 1884: "By whatsoever names men may call us, it matters not to us... we call ourselves simply Christians."[35] Elders and deacons were elected by congregations and Russell tolerated a great latitude of belief among members. He opposed formal disciplinary procedures by congregation elders, claiming this was beyond their authority,[36] instead recommending that an individual who continued in a wrong course be judged by the entire congregation, which could ultimately "withdraw from him its fellowship" if the undesirable behavior continued.[i] Disfellowshipping did not mean the wrongdoer was to be shunned in all social circumstances or by all Bible Students, though fellowship would be limited.[38] From 1895, Russell encouraged congregations to study his Bible textbook series, Studies in the Scriptures, paragraph by paragraph to properly discern God's plan for humanity. In 1905 he recommended replacing verse-by-verse Bible studies with what he called "Berean Studies" of topics he chose.[13]
The Watch Tower Society opened overseas branches in London (1900),[39] Germany (1903), and Australia and Switzerland (1904).[40] The Society's headquarters were transferred to Brooklyn, New York in 1909.[41]
In January 1914 the Bible Students began public showings of The Photo-Drama of Creation.[42] It presented Russell's views of God's plan from the creation of the earth through to the establishment and administration of God's kingdom on earth. The Photo-Drama represented a significant advancement in film production, as the first major presentation to synchronize motion pictures with audio by use of phonograph records.[43][44] Worldwide attendance in 1914 exceeded nine million.[citation needed]
International Bible Students Association[edit]
In 1910 Russell introduced the name International Bible Students Association as a means of identifying his worldwide community of Bible study groups. He wrote:

Now in the Lord's providence we have thought of a title suitable, we believe, to the Lord's people everywhere, and free from objection, we believe, on every score—the title at the head of this article (IBSA). It fairly represents our sentiments and endeavors. We are Bible students. We welcome all of God's people to join with us in the study. We believe that the result of such studies is blessed and unifying. We recommend therefore that the little classes everywhere and the larger ones adopt this unobjectionable style and that they use it in the advertising columns of their newspapers. Thus friends everywhere will know how to recognize them when visiting strange cities.[45]
Russell explained that the Association would be directed and managed by the Peoples [sic] Pulpit Association which, in turn, represented the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. All Bible Student classes using Watch Tower Society publications could consider themselves identified with the Association and were authorized to use the name International Bible Students Association in connection with their meetings. The name was also used when advertising and conducting Bible Students conventions.[citation needed]
Formative influences[edit]
In addition to Russell other early influences include:
Nelson H. Barbour (1824–1905)
John Nelson Darby (1800–1882)
Henry Dunn (1801–1878)
Henry Grew (1781–1862)
Dunbar Isidore Heath (1816–1888)
William Miller (1782–1849)
George Stetson (1814–1879)
George Storrs (1796–1879)
R. E. Streeter (1847–1924)
Jonas Wendell (1815–1873)
Joseph Seiss (1823–1904)
First schism[edit]
See also: Free Bible Students
In 1905 Paul S. L. Johnson, one of the traveling "Pilgrim" speakers and a former Lutheran minister, pointed out to Russell that his doctrines on the New Covenant had undergone a complete reversal: until 1880 he had taught that the New Covenant would be inaugurated only after the last of the 144,000 anointed Christians had been taken to heaven,[46] but since 1881 he had written that it was already in force.[47][48] Russell reconsidered the question and in January 1907 wrote several Watch Tower articles reaffirming his 1880 position—that "the new covenant belongs exclusively to the coming age"[49]—adding that the church had no mediator, but that Christ was the "advocate". He also taught that Christians making up the 144,000 would join Christ as a "joint heir" and assistant mediator during the millennium.[50]
On October 24, 1909 former Watch Tower Society secretary-treasurer E.C. Henninges, who was by then the Australian branch manager based in Melbourne, wrote Russell an open letter of protest trying to persuade him to abandon the teaching, and calling on Bible Students to examine its legitimacy. When Russell refused, Henninges and most of the Melbourne congregation left Russell's movement to form the New Covenant Fellowship. Hundreds of the estimated 10,000 U.S. Bible Students also left, including pilgrim M. L. McPhail, a member of the Chicago Bible Students, and A. E. Williamson of Brooklyn, forming the New Covenant Believers.[48][51] The group, which informally referred to members as Free Bible Students, published The Kingdom Scribe magazine until 1975. The group is currently known as the Berean Bible Students Church, with fewer than 200 members.
Leadership dispute[edit]
Main article: Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)



 Joseph Rutherford
Russell died on October 31, 1916, in Pampa, Texas during a cross-country preaching trip. On January 6, 1917, board member and society legal counsel Joseph Franklin Rutherford was elected president of the Watch Tower Society, unopposed, at the Pittsburgh convention. Rutherford then announced publication of The Finished Mystery, which he claimed was a posthumous volume of Russell's Studies in the Scriptures.[52] By-laws passed by both the Pittsburgh convention and the board of directors stated that the president would be the executive officer and general manager of the society, giving him full charge of its affairs worldwide.[53]
By June, four of the seven Watch Tower Society directors—Robert H. Hirsh, Alfred I. Ritchie, Isaac F. Hoskins and James D. Wright— had decided they had erred in endorsing Rutherford's expanded powers of management,[54] claiming Rutherford had become autocratic.[54] In June Hirsch attempted to rescind the new by-laws and reclaim the powers of management from the president,[55] but Rutherford later claimed he had by then detected a conspiracy among the directors to seize control of the society.[56] In July, Rutherford gained a legal opinion from a Philadelphia corporation lawyer that the four were not legally directors of the society. On July 12, Rutherford filled what he claimed were four vacancies on the board, appointing A. H. Macmillan and Pennsylvania Bible Students W. E. Spill, J. A. Bohnet and George H. Fisher as directors.[57] Between August and November the society and the four ousted directors published a series of pamphlets, with each side accusing the other of ambitious, disruptive and dishonest conduct. The former directors also claimed Rutherford had required all headquarters workers to sign a petition supporting him and threatened dismissal for any who refused to sign.[58] The former directors were forcibly escorted by police from the Brooklyn headquarters on August 8.[59] On January 5, 1918 Rutherford was returned to office.
By mid-1919, about one in seven Bible Students had chosen to leave rather than accept Rutherford's leadership,[60] forming groups such as The Standfast Movement, Paul Johnson Movement, and the Pastoral Bible Institute of Brooklyn.[61] It is estimated that as many as three quarters of the Bible Students associating in 1921 left the movement by 1931 in protest to Rutherford's rejection of Pastor Russell's teachings. To reduce public confusion regarding the existence of several groups of Bible Students no longer associated with the Watch Tower Society, Rutherford's faction of Bible Students adopted the name Jehovah's witnesses on July 26, 1931 at a convention in Columbus, Ohio.[62][63]
Associated Bible Students[edit]
The Associated Bible Students groups, which adhere to Charles Taze Russell's teachings, include the Independent Bible Students, StandFast Bible Students and Dawn Bible Students. Congregations are autonomous, and may not necessarily have contact with other congregations, though many do. The Dawn Bible Students collectively form the largest segment of the Bible Student movement separate from the Watch Tower Society.[64]
Pastoral Bible Institute[edit]
In 1918, the former directors held the first Bible Student Convention independent of the Watch Tower Society. At the second convention a few months later, the informal Pastoral Bible Institute was founded. They began publishing The Herald of Christ's Kingdom, edited by RE Streeter. An editorial committee continues publication of the magazine[65] in a reduced capacity, and reproduces other Bible Student movement literature, including Russell's six-volume Studies in the Scriptures.[64]
Berean Bible Institute[edit]
The Australian Berean Bible Institute (BBI) formally separated from the Watch Tower Society in 1918. It published The Voice, and continues to publish the People's Paper magazine. There are several 'classes' of Bible students in Australia that hold similar beliefs to those promulgated by the BBI, but there is no official affiliation. Two conventions are held annually in Anglesea, Victoria and Alexandra Headlands, Queensland. There is no official creed; members are allowed to come to their own conclusions regarding interpretations of the Bible; the role of fellowship is to provide mutual help and stimulation. The number of Bible Students in Australia is estimated at approximately 100.[64]
StandFast Bible Students Association[edit]
In December 1918, Charles E. Heard and others considered[citation needed] Rutherford's indifference[66] regarding the purchase of war bonds to be a perversion of Russell's pacifist teachings, and contrary to scripture.[67] As a result, they founded the StandFast Bible Students Association in Portland, Oregon, USA. The name originated from their decision to "stand fast" on principles involving war that Russell had espoused. Membership dwindled and the group was eventually disbanded. A splinter group known as the Elijah Voice Society, was founded by John A. Herdersen and C. D. McCray in 1923. They were especially noted for their preaching and pacifist activity.[citation needed]
Dawn Bible Students Association[edit]
Main article: Dawn Bible Students Association
See also: Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
In 1928, Norman Woodworth, cousin of Clayton J. Woodworth, left the Watch Tower Society after having been in charge of their radio ministry. Woodworth created an independent Bible Students radio program called Frank and Ernest.[68] Funding was provided by the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students and broadcasting continued into the 1980s. In 1929 the station sponsored the First Annual Reunion Convention of Bible Students at the old Bible House used by Russell in Pittsburgh.
In 1931 Woodworth and others founded the Dawn Bible Students Association to resume publication of Studies in the Scriptures, which the Watch Tower Society had officially ceased printing in 1927. The Dawn Bible Students published a leaflet, The Bible Students Radio Echo, to follow up interest in the radio program. The leaflet was soon developed into a 16-page magazine and renamed The Dawn—A Herald of Christ's Presence, which they continue to publish, along with radio, television, and Internet radio programs.[68]
Independent Bible Students[edit]


 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)
Over the past thirty-five years, controversy surrounded the Dawn Bible Students Association as their publishing and editorial committee began to promote more-liberal points of view, distancing themselves from some of Russell's viewpoints, alienating many Bible Students as a result.[citation needed] In 1974, a group of Bible Students meeting at a convention in Fort Collins, Colorado formally ceased their spiritual fellowship with, and financial support of, the Dawn Bible Students Association. They refer to themselves as Independent Bible Students. The split was not intended to eliminate or restrict personal fellowship, but was viewed as a "stand for the truth"[citation needed] by ceasing sponsorship of elders associated with the Dawn Bible Students, and avoiding attendance at their conventions. In recent years, attempts have been made to reintegrate the groups. The Independent Bible Students publishes a non-doctrinal magazine, The Bible Students Newsletter.[citation needed]
Free Bible Students[edit]
Main article: Free Bible Students
The Free Bible Students separated very early from the Watchtower Society, as Russell began to change some teachings.
New Covenant Believers[edit]
In 1909, M. L. McPhail, a traveling elder ("Pilgrim") and member of the Chicago Bible Students, disassociated from Russell's movement when controversy arose over Russell's expanded view of the application and timing of the "New Covenant" mentioned by Jeremiah, and led the New Covenant Bible Students in the United States, founding the New Covenant Believers in that year. The community, which members informally refer to as Free Bible Students, published The Kingdom Scribe magazine until 1975.[69] The founding group is now known as the Berean Bible Students Church in Lombard.[70]
Christian Discipling Ministries International[edit]
In 1928 the Italian Bible Students Association[clarification needed] in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew its support from the Watch Tower Society and changed its name to the Millennial Bible Students Church or Christian Millennial Fellowship and later to Christian Discipling Ministries International. They came to reject many of Russell's writings as erroneous. Now located in New Jersey, the group is known as the Free Bible Students; it has published The New Creation magazine since 1940.[69]
Free Bible Students Association[edit]
Conrad C. Binkele the former Branch Manager of Watchtower Society founded in 1928 the community of "Free Bible Students Association" in the German region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with other brethren and began publishing "Der Pilgrim" a religious magazine from 1931 to 1934. Free Bible Students in Germany were persecuted during World War II. Only after the war, were rehabilitated in the Bible Students and approved the publication again.
Jehovah's Witnesses[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses
Bible Students who submitted to Rutherford's leadership of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society became known as Jehovah's witnesses in 1931. The Watch Tower Society remains the religion's primary administrative body, and their beliefs and organizational structure have diverged considerably from Russell's.[71] Their literature states that Bible Students is the former name for their group,[72] and does not acknowledge the continued existence of other Bible Student groups. In 1955, the Watch Tower Society claimed that those who separated from the movement during Rutherford's presidency constituted the "evil slave" of Matthew 24:48-51.[73] (The Society altered its view in 2013, calling the "evil slave" a hypothetical warning to the 'faithful slave'.[74]) Jehovah's Witnesses report worldwide membership of approximately 8 million.[75]
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement[edit]
Main article: Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Paul S. L. Johnson founded the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement in 1919. Johnson's death in 1950 led to an internal disagreement over his role as a teacher chosen by God, and resulted in the formation of new splinter groups, such as the Epiphany Bible Students Association, and the Laodicean Home Missionary Movement. Johnson believed he had been appointed by God as Russell's official spiritual successor, that he was the last member of the 144,000 of Revelation 7, and that hope of a heavenly reward of immortality for the Christian faithful would cease after his death. His associate and successor, Raymond Jolly, taught that he himself was the last member of the "great multitude", also of Revelation 7. After Jolly's death, remaining members of the fellowship believed they would live on a perfected earth in God's kingdom as a group referred to as the "modern worthies", as associates of the "ancient worthies"—the ancient Jewish prophets God would resurrect to guide and instruct the world in his kingdom.[citation needed]
Other groups[edit]
Friends of Man[edit]
Main article: Friends of Man
Alexander FL Freytag, manager of the branch office of the Watch Tower Society in Switzerland since 1898, had disagreed with Russell's teachings before Russell's death in 1916. He began publishing his own views using the Watch Tower Society's printing equipment in 1917, and was ousted from the Watch Tower Society by Rutherford in 1919. In 1920, Freytag founded the Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society, also known as the Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man and The Church of the Kingdom of God. He published two journals, the monthly The Monitor of the Reign of Justice and the weekly Paper for All.[76]
See also[edit]
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
International Bible Students Association
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ Rogerson notes that it is not clear exactly how many Bible Students left, but quotes Rutherford (Jehovah, 1934, page 277) as saying "only a few" who left other religions were then "in God's organisation".
b.Jump up ^ Annual Memorial attendance figures in 1925 (90, 434) with 1928 (17, 380).[5]
c.Jump up ^ 'witnesses' was not capitalised until the 1970s
d.Jump up ^ Barbour had originally predicted a visible return of Christ for 1873, but when that failed to eventuate, he concluded that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874 based on a reference in Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott.[15]
e.Jump up ^ Russell explains how he accepted the idea of an invisible return of Christ in 1874 from N.H. Barbour[17]
f.Jump up ^ Though the book bore the names of both men as authors, James Penton (Apocalypse Delayed) points out that in early issues of the Watch Tower, Russell repeatedly referred to Barbour as its author. In the July 15, 1906 Watch Tower Russell said it was "mostly written by Mr Barbour"[18]
g.Jump up ^ Online copies of the Watch Tower from 1879–1916 can be viewed by issue at Most holy faith or by article at AGS Consulting . These are taken from the 7 volume Watch Tower Reprints published by the Watch Tower Society in 1920 which reprinted all the issues from 1879–1919.
h.Jump up ^ The titles of the six volumes are: 1) The Divine Plan of the Ages, 2)The Time is At Hand, 3)Thy Kingdom Come, 4)The Battle of Armageddon, 5)The At-one-ment Between God and Man, 6) The New Creation (PDF) (study) 6, Bible Students.
i.Jump up ^ Russell directed that an unrepentant person be judged by the entire ecclesia, rather than the elders. He directed that the ecclesia not make the wrongdoer's faults public.[37]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Crompton, Robert (1996). Counting the Days to Armageddon. Cambridge: James Clarke & Co. p. 12. ISBN 0-227-67939-3.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Penton 1997, pp. 43–62.
3.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, pp. 52.
4.Jump up ^ Schnell, William J (1956), Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave, Grand Rapids: Baker[page needed], as cited by Rogerson 1969, pp. 52.
5.Jump up ^ Watchtower 1959, pp. 110, 312–13.
6.Jump up ^ Wills 2006, p. 167 cites The Watch Tower December 1, 1927 (p 355) in which Rutherford states, "the larger percentage" of original Bible Students had by then departed.
7.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower November 15, 1930 p. 342 col 1.
8.^ Jump up to: a b Rogerson 1969, pp. 39.
9.Jump up ^ Present Truth February, 2006 pp 9–13.
10.Jump up ^ Blankman, Drew; Augustine, Todd, eds. (2004), Pocket Dictionary of North American Denominations, p. 79, "A smaller group rejected Rutherford's leadership and became the Dawn Bible Student's Association and in the late 1980s had a membership of about 60000."
11.Jump up ^ Watchtower 1993, pp. 43.
12.Jump up ^ Wendell, Jonas, The Present Truth or Meat in Due Season (PDF) (treatise), Pastor Russell, pp. 35–36 pointed to 1873 for the time of Christ's visible return.
13.^ Jump up to: a b c d Penton 1997, pp. 13–46.
14.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, 1906, as cited by Penton 1997, p. 17.
15.Jump up ^ Barbour, Nelson H (1871), Evidences for the Coming of the Lord in 1873: or the Midnight Cry, retrieved February 20, 2006.
16.Jump up ^ "The Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning", Herald, March 1874 |chapter= ignored (help).
17.Jump up ^ "Harvest Gatherings and Siftings", Watch Tower (AGS Consulting), July 15, 1906: 3822 |chapter= ignored (help).
18.Jump up ^ "Emphatic Diaglott", Watch Tower (reprint) (Jehovah’s Witness truth).
19.Jump up ^ Barbour, NH; Russell, Charles T (1877), "Three Worlds and The Harvest of This World" (PDF), Herald (magazine), retrieved March 15, 2006.
20.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Penton 1997, pp. 13–46
21.Jump up ^ Three Worlds, pp. 184–85.
22.Jump up ^ "The 'Time of the End,' a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures." Thy Kingdom Come, 1890, p. 23.
23.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society 1993, pp. 631–32.
24.Jump up ^ Thy Kingdom Come (1890), Volume 3 of Studies in the Scriptures, pp. 305–8.
25.Jump up ^ "This spuing out, or casting off, of the nominal church as an organization in 1878, we then understood, and still proclaim, to be the date of the commencement of Babylon's fall..."—"The Consummation of Our Hope" in Zion's Watch Tower, April 1883. Reprints pp. 474–5.
26.Jump up ^ [1] The Watch Tower, July 1881, "Future Work and Glory"
27.Jump up ^ "Things to Come—And The Present European Situation", The Watch Tower, January 15, 1892, Reprints, p. 1355
28.Jump up ^ Russell explained his side of the break with Barbour in the first issue of the Watch Tower.
29.^ Jump up to: a b "Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses", Watchtower, January 15, 1955, page 14.
30.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, p. 12.
31.Jump up ^ Holden, A. (2002) Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement. (p. 18)
32.Jump up ^ Pierson et al 1917, pp. 22.
33.Jump up ^ Yearbook 1975, Watch Tower Society, 1975.
34.Jump up ^ Franz 2007, chapter 4.
35.Jump up ^ Watch Tower (reprint), Most holy faith, February 1984 and cited by Franz & 2007, chapter 4.
36.Jump up ^ Jones, Leslie W (1917), What Pastor Russell Said, p. 346, as cited by Penton 1997, p. 31, "The Lord's word does not authorize any court of Elders, or anyone else, to become busybodies. This would be going back to the practices of the Dark Ages during the Inquisition and we would be showing the same spirit as did the inquisitors."
37.Jump up ^ Russell, Charles T (1904), The New Creation, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, pp. 289–90.
38.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, p. 31.
39.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1959, page 32.
40.Jump up ^ "The First One a Hundred Years Ago", Awake, December 22, 2000.
41.Jump up ^ "Organized Testimony to the New World", Watchtower, July 15, 1950, page 215.
42.Jump up ^ Slides and film from the Photo-Drama can be viewed online at AGS Consulting; the book is available online at Herald.
43.Jump up ^ "Trivia", Photo-Drama of Creation (1914) (article), IMDb, retrieved 2009-04-15
44.Jump up ^ American Movie Classics, "Timeline of Influential Milestones... 1910s", Retrieved 2009-04-15.
45.Jump up ^ Watchtower, April 1910.
46.Jump up ^ "The Three Great Covenants", Zion's Watch Tower, March 1880.
47.Jump up ^ "The New Covenant vs the Law Covenant", Zion's Watch Tower, September 1887.
48.^ Jump up to: a b Wills, Tony (2006). A People For His Name. Lulu Enterprises. pp. 63–68. ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4.
49.Jump up ^ "The Mediator of the New Covernant", Zion's Watch Tower, January 1, 1907, pages 9, 10.
50.Jump up ^ "The Word Mediator Used Differently,", Watch Tower, January 1909.
51.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, pp. 42
52.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery. p. reface, p. 5. "This book may properly be said to be a posthumous publication of Pastor Russell."
53.Jump up ^ Pierson et al 1917, pp. 5,6
54.^ Jump up to: a b Pierson et al 1917, pp. 4
55.Jump up ^ Rutherford August 1917, pp. 12
56.Jump up ^ Rutherford August 1917, pp. 22–23
57.Jump up ^ Rutherford August 1917, pp. 14,15
58.Jump up ^ Pierson et al 1917, pp. 9
59.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society 1993, pp. 68
60.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society 1975, pp. 93–94
61.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, pp. 39
62.Jump up ^ Rogerson, Alan, Millions Now Living Will Never Die: A Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Constable, London, 1969. pp 55-56: "In 1931 came an important milestone in the history of the organisation. For many years Rutherford's followers had been called a variety of names: 'International Bible Students', 'Russellites', or 'Millennial Dawners'. In order to distinguish clearly his followers from the other groups who had separated in 1918 Rutherford proposed that they adopt an entirely new name - Jehovah's witnesses."
63.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, "A New Name", October 1, 1931 pp 291: "Since the death of Charles T. Russell there have arisen numerous companies formed out of those who once walked with him, each of these companies claiming to teach the truth, and each calling themselves by some name, such as "Followers of Pastor Russell", "those who stand by the truth as expounded by Pastor Russell", "Associated Bible Students", and some by the names of their local leaders. All of this tends to confusion and hinders those of good will who are not better informed from obtaining a knowledge of the truth."
64.^ Jump up to: a b c Daughters of the Tower
65.Jump up ^ Herald (magazine).
66.Jump up ^ "Could Not Talk of Loan", The New York Times, April 29, 1918, As Retrieved 2010-03-02, "Rutherford, the President, sa[id] that the buying of bonds was not a religious question, and that the [IBSA] association did not oppose the purchase of Liberty bonds by the members"
67.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, March 1, 1919:"'The International Bible Students’ Association is not against the Liberty Loan.; in Watch Tower, June 1, 1919 Rutherford indicated regret about making any comment on the matter.
68.^ Jump up to: a b Frank and Ernest
69.^ Jump up to: a b Who are the Free Bible Students and what is their history?
70.Jump up ^ Welcome to Berean Bible Students Church
71.Jump up ^ Whalen, William J. (1962). Armageddon Around the Corner: A Report on Jehovah's Witnesses. New York: John Day Company. pp. 207–209.
72.Jump up ^ "Right Choices Led to Lifelong Blessings". The Watchtower: 12. 1 January 2007. "One of the Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known"
73.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, April 1, 1955, "Part 7—New Administration Amid World War I"
74.Jump up ^ The Watchtower: 24. July 15, 2013 http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20130715/who-is-faithful-discreet-slave/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
75.Jump up ^ 2014 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. p. 176.
76.Jump up ^ Rodriguez, Rolando. "Recent Bible Student History". The Herald of Christ's Kingdom. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
Bibliography[edit]
Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press.
Johnson, Paul SL (November 1, 1917), Harvest Siftings Reviewed (PDF), Pastor Russell, retrieved July 21, 2009
Macmillan, AH (1957), Faith on the March, Prentice-Hall
Penton, James M (1997), Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
Pierson, AN et al. (September 1, 1917), Light After Darkness (PDF), Pastor Russell, retrieved July 21, 2009.
Rogerson, Alan (1969), Millions Now Living Will Never Die, London: Constable, ISBN 978-0-09-455940-0.
Rutherford, JF (August 1, 1917), "Part I", Harvest Siftings (PDF), Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, retrieved July 19, 2009.
Rutherford, JF (October 1, 1917), "Part II", Harvest Siftings (PDF), Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, retrieved July 19, 2009.
Wills, Tony (2006), A People For His Name, Lulu Enterprises, ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4.
Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose (PDF), Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1959
Yearbook, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1975
Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1993
External links[edit]
 Media related to Bible Students at Wikimedia Commons
  


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_Student_movement









Bible Student movement

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 A simplified chart of historical developments of major groups within Bible Students
Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
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The Bible Student movement is the name adopted by a Millennialist[1] Restorationist Christian movement that emerged from the teachings and ministry of Charles Taze Russell, also known as Pastor Russell. Members of the movement have variously referred to themselves as Bible Students, International Bible Students, Associated Bible Students, or Independent Bible Students. The origins of the movement are associated with the formation of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1881.
A number of schisms developed within the congregations of Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower Society between 1909 and 1932.[2][3] The most significant split began in 1917 following the election of Joseph Franklin Rutherford as president of the Watch Tower Society two months after Russell's death. The schism began with Rutherford's controversial replacement of four of the Society's board of directors and publication of The Finished Mystery.
Thousands of members left congregations of Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower Society throughout the 1920s prompted in part by Rutherford's failed predictions for the year 1925, increasing disillusionment with his on-going doctrinal and organizational changes, and his campaign for centralized control of the movement.[2] William Schnell, author and former Jehovah's Witness, claims that three-quarters of the original Bible Students who had been associating with the Watch Tower Society in 1921 had left by 1931.[4][a][b][6] In 1930 Rutherford stated that "the total number of those who have withdrawn from the Society... is comparatively large."[7]
Between 1918 and 1929, several factions formed their own independent fellowships, including the Standfast Movement, the Pastoral Bible Institute, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement founded by PSL Johnson, and the Dawn Bible Students Association. These groups range from conservative, claiming to be Russell's true followers, to more liberal, claiming that Russell's role is not as important as once believed.[8] Rutherford's faction of the movement retained control of the Watch Tower Society[8] and adopted the name Jehovah's witnesses in July 1931.[c] The cumulative worldwide membership of the various Bible Students groups independent of the Watch Tower Society is estimated at less than 75,000.[9][10]


Contents  [hide]
1 Foundation 1.1 Watch Tower Society
1.2 International Bible Students Association
2 Formative influences
3 First schism
4 Leadership dispute
5 Associated Bible Students 5.1 Pastoral Bible Institute
5.2 Berean Bible Institute
5.3 StandFast Bible Students Association
5.4 Dawn Bible Students Association
5.5 Independent Bible Students
6 Free Bible Students 6.1 New Covenant Believers
6.2 Christian Discipling Ministries International
6.3 Free Bible Students Association
7 Jehovah's Witnesses
8 Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
9 Other groups 9.1 Friends of Man
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 Bibliography
14 External links

Foundation[edit]



 Charles Russell in 1911
In 1869 Charles Russell viewed a presentation by Advent Christian preacher Jonas Wendell[11][12] (influenced by the Millerites)[13] and soon after began attending an Adventist Bible study group in Allegheny, Pennsylvania led by George Stetson. Russell acknowledged the influence of Adventist ministers including George Storrs, an old acquaintance of William Miller and semi-regular attendee at the Bible study group in Allegheny.[14]
In early January 1876 Russell met independent Adventist preachers Nelson H. Barbour and John H. Paton, publishers of the Herald of the Morning, who convinced him that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874.[13][d][16][e] Russell provided financial backing for Barbour and became co-editor of Barbour's magazine, Herald of the Morning; the pair jointly issued Three Worlds and the Harvest of This World (1877), written mostly by Barbour.[f][19] Various concepts in the book are still taught by the Bible Student movement and Jehovah's Witnesses, including a 2520-year period termed "the Gentile Times" predicted to end in 1914. Deviating from most Second Adventists the book taught that the earth would not be burned up when Christ returned, but that humankind since Adam would eventually be resurrected to the earth and given the opportunity to attain eternal perfect human life if obedient. It also revealed an expectation that all of the "saints" would be taken to heaven in April, 1878.[20][21]
Russell continued to develop his interpretations of biblical chronology. In 1877, he published 50,000 copies of the pamphlet The Object and Manner of Our Lord's Return, teaching that Christ would return invisibly before the battle of Armageddon. By 1878 he was teaching the Adventist view that the "time of the end" had begun in 1799,[22] and that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874[23] and had been crowned in heaven as king in 1878. Russell believed that 1878 also marked the resurrection of the "sleeping saints" (all faithful Christians who had died up to that time) and the "fall of Babylon" which he taught to be God's final judgment of unfaithful Christendom.[24][25] October 1914 was held as the end of a harvest period that would culminate in the beginning of Armageddon, manifested by the emergence of worldwide anarchy and the decline and destruction of civilized society.[26][27]
Russell broke with Barbour in July 1879 over the doctrine of substitutionary atonement and began publishing his own monthly magazine, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence (now known as The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom), and the pair competed through their rival publications for the minds of their readers.[20][28] (Semi-monthly publication of the magazine began in 1892.)[g][29]
In early 1881, Russell predicted that the churches ('Babylon') would begin to fall apart and that the rapture of the saints would take place that year, although they would remain on earth as materialized spirit beings.[20] In 1882 he outlined his nontrinitarian views concluding that the doctrine is not taught in the Bible.[20]
Readers of Zion's Watch Tower formed thirty Bible study groups in seven states in the United States in 1879–80, with each congregation electing its own elders. In 1880 Russell visited the congregations to conduct six-hour study sessions, teaching each congregation how to carry out topical Bible study.[20][30]
Watch Tower Society[edit]
In 1881, Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society was formed as an unincorporated administrative agency for the purpose of disseminating tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles, with Russell as secretary and William Henry Conley as president.[29] Three years later, on December 15, 1884, Russell became president of the society when it was legally incorporated in Pennsylvania.[31] (The society was renamed Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in September 1896).[32] Russell wrote many articles, books, pamphlets and sermons, which by his death totaled 50,000 printed pages, with almost 20 million copies of his books printed and distributed around the world.[20] In 1886, he wrote the first of what would become a six-volume Bible textbook series called Millennial Dawn, later renamed Studies in the Scriptures,[33][h] which presented his fundamental doctrines. As a consequence, the Bible Students were sometimes called Millennial Dawnists.
Russell advertised for 1000 preachers in 1881, and encouraged all who were members of "the body of Christ" to preach to their neighbors, to gather the "little flock" of saints while the vast majority of mankind would be given the opportunity to gain salvation during Christ's 1000-year reign.[13] Russell's supporters gathered as autonomous congregations to study the Bible and his writings. Russell rejected the concept of a formal organization as "wholly unnecessary" for his followers and declared that his group had no record of its members' names, no creeds, and no sectarian name.[34] He wrote in February 1884: "By whatsoever names men may call us, it matters not to us... we call ourselves simply Christians."[35] Elders and deacons were elected by congregations and Russell tolerated a great latitude of belief among members. He opposed formal disciplinary procedures by congregation elders, claiming this was beyond their authority,[36] instead recommending that an individual who continued in a wrong course be judged by the entire congregation, which could ultimately "withdraw from him its fellowship" if the undesirable behavior continued.[i] Disfellowshipping did not mean the wrongdoer was to be shunned in all social circumstances or by all Bible Students, though fellowship would be limited.[38] From 1895, Russell encouraged congregations to study his Bible textbook series, Studies in the Scriptures, paragraph by paragraph to properly discern God's plan for humanity. In 1905 he recommended replacing verse-by-verse Bible studies with what he called "Berean Studies" of topics he chose.[13]
The Watch Tower Society opened overseas branches in London (1900),[39] Germany (1903), and Australia and Switzerland (1904).[40] The Society's headquarters were transferred to Brooklyn, New York in 1909.[41]
In January 1914 the Bible Students began public showings of The Photo-Drama of Creation.[42] It presented Russell's views of God's plan from the creation of the earth through to the establishment and administration of God's kingdom on earth. The Photo-Drama represented a significant advancement in film production, as the first major presentation to synchronize motion pictures with audio by use of phonograph records.[43][44] Worldwide attendance in 1914 exceeded nine million.[citation needed]
International Bible Students Association[edit]
In 1910 Russell introduced the name International Bible Students Association as a means of identifying his worldwide community of Bible study groups. He wrote:

Now in the Lord's providence we have thought of a title suitable, we believe, to the Lord's people everywhere, and free from objection, we believe, on every score—the title at the head of this article (IBSA). It fairly represents our sentiments and endeavors. We are Bible students. We welcome all of God's people to join with us in the study. We believe that the result of such studies is blessed and unifying. We recommend therefore that the little classes everywhere and the larger ones adopt this unobjectionable style and that they use it in the advertising columns of their newspapers. Thus friends everywhere will know how to recognize them when visiting strange cities.[45]
Russell explained that the Association would be directed and managed by the Peoples [sic] Pulpit Association which, in turn, represented the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. All Bible Student classes using Watch Tower Society publications could consider themselves identified with the Association and were authorized to use the name International Bible Students Association in connection with their meetings. The name was also used when advertising and conducting Bible Students conventions.[citation needed]
Formative influences[edit]
In addition to Russell other early influences include:
Nelson H. Barbour (1824–1905)
John Nelson Darby (1800–1882)
Henry Dunn (1801–1878)
Henry Grew (1781–1862)
Dunbar Isidore Heath (1816–1888)
William Miller (1782–1849)
George Stetson (1814–1879)
George Storrs (1796–1879)
R. E. Streeter (1847–1924)
Jonas Wendell (1815–1873)
Joseph Seiss (1823–1904)
First schism[edit]
See also: Free Bible Students
In 1905 Paul S. L. Johnson, one of the traveling "Pilgrim" speakers and a former Lutheran minister, pointed out to Russell that his doctrines on the New Covenant had undergone a complete reversal: until 1880 he had taught that the New Covenant would be inaugurated only after the last of the 144,000 anointed Christians had been taken to heaven,[46] but since 1881 he had written that it was already in force.[47][48] Russell reconsidered the question and in January 1907 wrote several Watch Tower articles reaffirming his 1880 position—that "the new covenant belongs exclusively to the coming age"[49]—adding that the church had no mediator, but that Christ was the "advocate". He also taught that Christians making up the 144,000 would join Christ as a "joint heir" and assistant mediator during the millennium.[50]
On October 24, 1909 former Watch Tower Society secretary-treasurer E.C. Henninges, who was by then the Australian branch manager based in Melbourne, wrote Russell an open letter of protest trying to persuade him to abandon the teaching, and calling on Bible Students to examine its legitimacy. When Russell refused, Henninges and most of the Melbourne congregation left Russell's movement to form the New Covenant Fellowship. Hundreds of the estimated 10,000 U.S. Bible Students also left, including pilgrim M. L. McPhail, a member of the Chicago Bible Students, and A. E. Williamson of Brooklyn, forming the New Covenant Believers.[48][51] The group, which informally referred to members as Free Bible Students, published The Kingdom Scribe magazine until 1975. The group is currently known as the Berean Bible Students Church, with fewer than 200 members.
Leadership dispute[edit]
Main article: Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)



 Joseph Rutherford
Russell died on October 31, 1916, in Pampa, Texas during a cross-country preaching trip. On January 6, 1917, board member and society legal counsel Joseph Franklin Rutherford was elected president of the Watch Tower Society, unopposed, at the Pittsburgh convention. Rutherford then announced publication of The Finished Mystery, which he claimed was a posthumous volume of Russell's Studies in the Scriptures.[52] By-laws passed by both the Pittsburgh convention and the board of directors stated that the president would be the executive officer and general manager of the society, giving him full charge of its affairs worldwide.[53]
By June, four of the seven Watch Tower Society directors—Robert H. Hirsh, Alfred I. Ritchie, Isaac F. Hoskins and James D. Wright— had decided they had erred in endorsing Rutherford's expanded powers of management,[54] claiming Rutherford had become autocratic.[54] In June Hirsch attempted to rescind the new by-laws and reclaim the powers of management from the president,[55] but Rutherford later claimed he had by then detected a conspiracy among the directors to seize control of the society.[56] In July, Rutherford gained a legal opinion from a Philadelphia corporation lawyer that the four were not legally directors of the society. On July 12, Rutherford filled what he claimed were four vacancies on the board, appointing A. H. Macmillan and Pennsylvania Bible Students W. E. Spill, J. A. Bohnet and George H. Fisher as directors.[57] Between August and November the society and the four ousted directors published a series of pamphlets, with each side accusing the other of ambitious, disruptive and dishonest conduct. The former directors also claimed Rutherford had required all headquarters workers to sign a petition supporting him and threatened dismissal for any who refused to sign.[58] The former directors were forcibly escorted by police from the Brooklyn headquarters on August 8.[59] On January 5, 1918 Rutherford was returned to office.
By mid-1919, about one in seven Bible Students had chosen to leave rather than accept Rutherford's leadership,[60] forming groups such as The Standfast Movement, Paul Johnson Movement, and the Pastoral Bible Institute of Brooklyn.[61] It is estimated that as many as three quarters of the Bible Students associating in 1921 left the movement by 1931 in protest to Rutherford's rejection of Pastor Russell's teachings. To reduce public confusion regarding the existence of several groups of Bible Students no longer associated with the Watch Tower Society, Rutherford's faction of Bible Students adopted the name Jehovah's witnesses on July 26, 1931 at a convention in Columbus, Ohio.[62][63]
Associated Bible Students[edit]
The Associated Bible Students groups, which adhere to Charles Taze Russell's teachings, include the Independent Bible Students, StandFast Bible Students and Dawn Bible Students. Congregations are autonomous, and may not necessarily have contact with other congregations, though many do. The Dawn Bible Students collectively form the largest segment of the Bible Student movement separate from the Watch Tower Society.[64]
Pastoral Bible Institute[edit]
In 1918, the former directors held the first Bible Student Convention independent of the Watch Tower Society. At the second convention a few months later, the informal Pastoral Bible Institute was founded. They began publishing The Herald of Christ's Kingdom, edited by RE Streeter. An editorial committee continues publication of the magazine[65] in a reduced capacity, and reproduces other Bible Student movement literature, including Russell's six-volume Studies in the Scriptures.[64]
Berean Bible Institute[edit]
The Australian Berean Bible Institute (BBI) formally separated from the Watch Tower Society in 1918. It published The Voice, and continues to publish the People's Paper magazine. There are several 'classes' of Bible students in Australia that hold similar beliefs to those promulgated by the BBI, but there is no official affiliation. Two conventions are held annually in Anglesea, Victoria and Alexandra Headlands, Queensland. There is no official creed; members are allowed to come to their own conclusions regarding interpretations of the Bible; the role of fellowship is to provide mutual help and stimulation. The number of Bible Students in Australia is estimated at approximately 100.[64]
StandFast Bible Students Association[edit]
In December 1918, Charles E. Heard and others considered[citation needed] Rutherford's indifference[66] regarding the purchase of war bonds to be a perversion of Russell's pacifist teachings, and contrary to scripture.[67] As a result, they founded the StandFast Bible Students Association in Portland, Oregon, USA. The name originated from their decision to "stand fast" on principles involving war that Russell had espoused. Membership dwindled and the group was eventually disbanded. A splinter group known as the Elijah Voice Society, was founded by John A. Herdersen and C. D. McCray in 1923. They were especially noted for their preaching and pacifist activity.[citation needed]
Dawn Bible Students Association[edit]
Main article: Dawn Bible Students Association
See also: Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
In 1928, Norman Woodworth, cousin of Clayton J. Woodworth, left the Watch Tower Society after having been in charge of their radio ministry. Woodworth created an independent Bible Students radio program called Frank and Ernest.[68] Funding was provided by the Brooklyn congregation of Bible Students and broadcasting continued into the 1980s. In 1929 the station sponsored the First Annual Reunion Convention of Bible Students at the old Bible House used by Russell in Pittsburgh.
In 1931 Woodworth and others founded the Dawn Bible Students Association to resume publication of Studies in the Scriptures, which the Watch Tower Society had officially ceased printing in 1927. The Dawn Bible Students published a leaflet, The Bible Students Radio Echo, to follow up interest in the radio program. The leaflet was soon developed into a 16-page magazine and renamed The Dawn—A Herald of Christ's Presence, which they continue to publish, along with radio, television, and Internet radio programs.[68]
Independent Bible Students[edit]


 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)
Over the past thirty-five years, controversy surrounded the Dawn Bible Students Association as their publishing and editorial committee began to promote more-liberal points of view, distancing themselves from some of Russell's viewpoints, alienating many Bible Students as a result.[citation needed] In 1974, a group of Bible Students meeting at a convention in Fort Collins, Colorado formally ceased their spiritual fellowship with, and financial support of, the Dawn Bible Students Association. They refer to themselves as Independent Bible Students. The split was not intended to eliminate or restrict personal fellowship, but was viewed as a "stand for the truth"[citation needed] by ceasing sponsorship of elders associated with the Dawn Bible Students, and avoiding attendance at their conventions. In recent years, attempts have been made to reintegrate the groups. The Independent Bible Students publishes a non-doctrinal magazine, The Bible Students Newsletter.[citation needed]
Free Bible Students[edit]
Main article: Free Bible Students
The Free Bible Students separated very early from the Watchtower Society, as Russell began to change some teachings.
New Covenant Believers[edit]
In 1909, M. L. McPhail, a traveling elder ("Pilgrim") and member of the Chicago Bible Students, disassociated from Russell's movement when controversy arose over Russell's expanded view of the application and timing of the "New Covenant" mentioned by Jeremiah, and led the New Covenant Bible Students in the United States, founding the New Covenant Believers in that year. The community, which members informally refer to as Free Bible Students, published The Kingdom Scribe magazine until 1975.[69] The founding group is now known as the Berean Bible Students Church in Lombard.[70]
Christian Discipling Ministries International[edit]
In 1928 the Italian Bible Students Association[clarification needed] in Hartford, Connecticut withdrew its support from the Watch Tower Society and changed its name to the Millennial Bible Students Church or Christian Millennial Fellowship and later to Christian Discipling Ministries International. They came to reject many of Russell's writings as erroneous. Now located in New Jersey, the group is known as the Free Bible Students; it has published The New Creation magazine since 1940.[69]
Free Bible Students Association[edit]
Conrad C. Binkele the former Branch Manager of Watchtower Society founded in 1928 the community of "Free Bible Students Association" in the German region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with other brethren and began publishing "Der Pilgrim" a religious magazine from 1931 to 1934. Free Bible Students in Germany were persecuted during World War II. Only after the war, were rehabilitated in the Bible Students and approved the publication again.
Jehovah's Witnesses[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses
Bible Students who submitted to Rutherford's leadership of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society became known as Jehovah's witnesses in 1931. The Watch Tower Society remains the religion's primary administrative body, and their beliefs and organizational structure have diverged considerably from Russell's.[71] Their literature states that Bible Students is the former name for their group,[72] and does not acknowledge the continued existence of other Bible Student groups. In 1955, the Watch Tower Society claimed that those who separated from the movement during Rutherford's presidency constituted the "evil slave" of Matthew 24:48-51.[73] (The Society altered its view in 2013, calling the "evil slave" a hypothetical warning to the 'faithful slave'.[74]) Jehovah's Witnesses report worldwide membership of approximately 8 million.[75]
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement[edit]
Main article: Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Paul S. L. Johnson founded the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement in 1919. Johnson's death in 1950 led to an internal disagreement over his role as a teacher chosen by God, and resulted in the formation of new splinter groups, such as the Epiphany Bible Students Association, and the Laodicean Home Missionary Movement. Johnson believed he had been appointed by God as Russell's official spiritual successor, that he was the last member of the 144,000 of Revelation 7, and that hope of a heavenly reward of immortality for the Christian faithful would cease after his death. His associate and successor, Raymond Jolly, taught that he himself was the last member of the "great multitude", also of Revelation 7. After Jolly's death, remaining members of the fellowship believed they would live on a perfected earth in God's kingdom as a group referred to as the "modern worthies", as associates of the "ancient worthies"—the ancient Jewish prophets God would resurrect to guide and instruct the world in his kingdom.[citation needed]
Other groups[edit]
Friends of Man[edit]
Main article: Friends of Man
Alexander FL Freytag, manager of the branch office of the Watch Tower Society in Switzerland since 1898, had disagreed with Russell's teachings before Russell's death in 1916. He began publishing his own views using the Watch Tower Society's printing equipment in 1917, and was ousted from the Watch Tower Society by Rutherford in 1919. In 1920, Freytag founded the Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society, also known as the Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man and The Church of the Kingdom of God. He published two journals, the monthly The Monitor of the Reign of Justice and the weekly Paper for All.[76]
See also[edit]
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
International Bible Students Association
Notes[edit]
a.Jump up ^ Rogerson notes that it is not clear exactly how many Bible Students left, but quotes Rutherford (Jehovah, 1934, page 277) as saying "only a few" who left other religions were then "in God's organisation".
b.Jump up ^ Annual Memorial attendance figures in 1925 (90, 434) with 1928 (17, 380).[5]
c.Jump up ^ 'witnesses' was not capitalised until the 1970s
d.Jump up ^ Barbour had originally predicted a visible return of Christ for 1873, but when that failed to eventuate, he concluded that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874 based on a reference in Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott.[15]
e.Jump up ^ Russell explains how he accepted the idea of an invisible return of Christ in 1874 from N.H. Barbour[17]
f.Jump up ^ Though the book bore the names of both men as authors, James Penton (Apocalypse Delayed) points out that in early issues of the Watch Tower, Russell repeatedly referred to Barbour as its author. In the July 15, 1906 Watch Tower Russell said it was "mostly written by Mr Barbour"[18]
g.Jump up ^ Online copies of the Watch Tower from 1879–1916 can be viewed by issue at Most holy faith or by article at AGS Consulting . These are taken from the 7 volume Watch Tower Reprints published by the Watch Tower Society in 1920 which reprinted all the issues from 1879–1919.
h.Jump up ^ The titles of the six volumes are: 1) The Divine Plan of the Ages, 2)The Time is At Hand, 3)Thy Kingdom Come, 4)The Battle of Armageddon, 5)The At-one-ment Between God and Man, 6) The New Creation (PDF) (study) 6, Bible Students.
i.Jump up ^ Russell directed that an unrepentant person be judged by the entire ecclesia, rather than the elders. He directed that the ecclesia not make the wrongdoer's faults public.[37]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Crompton, Robert (1996). Counting the Days to Armageddon. Cambridge: James Clarke & Co. p. 12. ISBN 0-227-67939-3.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Penton 1997, pp. 43–62.
3.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, pp. 52.
4.Jump up ^ Schnell, William J (1956), Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave, Grand Rapids: Baker[page needed], as cited by Rogerson 1969, pp. 52.
5.Jump up ^ Watchtower 1959, pp. 110, 312–13.
6.Jump up ^ Wills 2006, p. 167 cites The Watch Tower December 1, 1927 (p 355) in which Rutherford states, "the larger percentage" of original Bible Students had by then departed.
7.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower November 15, 1930 p. 342 col 1.
8.^ Jump up to: a b Rogerson 1969, pp. 39.
9.Jump up ^ Present Truth February, 2006 pp 9–13.
10.Jump up ^ Blankman, Drew; Augustine, Todd, eds. (2004), Pocket Dictionary of North American Denominations, p. 79, "A smaller group rejected Rutherford's leadership and became the Dawn Bible Student's Association and in the late 1980s had a membership of about 60000."
11.Jump up ^ Watchtower 1993, pp. 43.
12.Jump up ^ Wendell, Jonas, The Present Truth or Meat in Due Season (PDF) (treatise), Pastor Russell, pp. 35–36 pointed to 1873 for the time of Christ's visible return.
13.^ Jump up to: a b c d Penton 1997, pp. 13–46.
14.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, 1906, as cited by Penton 1997, p. 17.
15.Jump up ^ Barbour, Nelson H (1871), Evidences for the Coming of the Lord in 1873: or the Midnight Cry, retrieved February 20, 2006.
16.Jump up ^ "The Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning", Herald, March 1874 |chapter= ignored (help).
17.Jump up ^ "Harvest Gatherings and Siftings", Watch Tower (AGS Consulting), July 15, 1906: 3822 |chapter= ignored (help).
18.Jump up ^ "Emphatic Diaglott", Watch Tower (reprint) (Jehovah’s Witness truth).
19.Jump up ^ Barbour, NH; Russell, Charles T (1877), "Three Worlds and The Harvest of This World" (PDF), Herald (magazine), retrieved March 15, 2006.
20.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Penton 1997, pp. 13–46
21.Jump up ^ Three Worlds, pp. 184–85.
22.Jump up ^ "The 'Time of the End,' a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures." Thy Kingdom Come, 1890, p. 23.
23.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society 1993, pp. 631–32.
24.Jump up ^ Thy Kingdom Come (1890), Volume 3 of Studies in the Scriptures, pp. 305–8.
25.Jump up ^ "This spuing out, or casting off, of the nominal church as an organization in 1878, we then understood, and still proclaim, to be the date of the commencement of Babylon's fall..."—"The Consummation of Our Hope" in Zion's Watch Tower, April 1883. Reprints pp. 474–5.
26.Jump up ^ [1] The Watch Tower, July 1881, "Future Work and Glory"
27.Jump up ^ "Things to Come—And The Present European Situation", The Watch Tower, January 15, 1892, Reprints, p. 1355
28.Jump up ^ Russell explained his side of the break with Barbour in the first issue of the Watch Tower.
29.^ Jump up to: a b "Modern History of Jehovah’s Witnesses", Watchtower, January 15, 1955, page 14.
30.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, p. 12.
31.Jump up ^ Holden, A. (2002) Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement. (p. 18)
32.Jump up ^ Pierson et al 1917, pp. 22.
33.Jump up ^ Yearbook 1975, Watch Tower Society, 1975.
34.Jump up ^ Franz 2007, chapter 4.
35.Jump up ^ Watch Tower (reprint), Most holy faith, February 1984 and cited by Franz & 2007, chapter 4.
36.Jump up ^ Jones, Leslie W (1917), What Pastor Russell Said, p. 346, as cited by Penton 1997, p. 31, "The Lord's word does not authorize any court of Elders, or anyone else, to become busybodies. This would be going back to the practices of the Dark Ages during the Inquisition and we would be showing the same spirit as did the inquisitors."
37.Jump up ^ Russell, Charles T (1904), The New Creation, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, pp. 289–90.
38.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, p. 31.
39.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1959, page 32.
40.Jump up ^ "The First One a Hundred Years Ago", Awake, December 22, 2000.
41.Jump up ^ "Organized Testimony to the New World", Watchtower, July 15, 1950, page 215.
42.Jump up ^ Slides and film from the Photo-Drama can be viewed online at AGS Consulting; the book is available online at Herald.
43.Jump up ^ "Trivia", Photo-Drama of Creation (1914) (article), IMDb, retrieved 2009-04-15
44.Jump up ^ American Movie Classics, "Timeline of Influential Milestones... 1910s", Retrieved 2009-04-15.
45.Jump up ^ Watchtower, April 1910.
46.Jump up ^ "The Three Great Covenants", Zion's Watch Tower, March 1880.
47.Jump up ^ "The New Covenant vs the Law Covenant", Zion's Watch Tower, September 1887.
48.^ Jump up to: a b Wills, Tony (2006). A People For His Name. Lulu Enterprises. pp. 63–68. ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4.
49.Jump up ^ "The Mediator of the New Covernant", Zion's Watch Tower, January 1, 1907, pages 9, 10.
50.Jump up ^ "The Word Mediator Used Differently,", Watch Tower, January 1909.
51.Jump up ^ Penton 1997, pp. 42
52.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery. p. reface, p. 5. "This book may properly be said to be a posthumous publication of Pastor Russell."
53.Jump up ^ Pierson et al 1917, pp. 5,6
54.^ Jump up to: a b Pierson et al 1917, pp. 4
55.Jump up ^ Rutherford August 1917, pp. 12
56.Jump up ^ Rutherford August 1917, pp. 22–23
57.Jump up ^ Rutherford August 1917, pp. 14,15
58.Jump up ^ Pierson et al 1917, pp. 9
59.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society 1993, pp. 68
60.Jump up ^ Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society 1975, pp. 93–94
61.Jump up ^ Rogerson 1969, pp. 39
62.Jump up ^ Rogerson, Alan, Millions Now Living Will Never Die: A Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Constable, London, 1969. pp 55-56: "In 1931 came an important milestone in the history of the organisation. For many years Rutherford's followers had been called a variety of names: 'International Bible Students', 'Russellites', or 'Millennial Dawners'. In order to distinguish clearly his followers from the other groups who had separated in 1918 Rutherford proposed that they adopt an entirely new name - Jehovah's witnesses."
63.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, "A New Name", October 1, 1931 pp 291: "Since the death of Charles T. Russell there have arisen numerous companies formed out of those who once walked with him, each of these companies claiming to teach the truth, and each calling themselves by some name, such as "Followers of Pastor Russell", "those who stand by the truth as expounded by Pastor Russell", "Associated Bible Students", and some by the names of their local leaders. All of this tends to confusion and hinders those of good will who are not better informed from obtaining a knowledge of the truth."
64.^ Jump up to: a b c Daughters of the Tower
65.Jump up ^ Herald (magazine).
66.Jump up ^ "Could Not Talk of Loan", The New York Times, April 29, 1918, As Retrieved 2010-03-02, "Rutherford, the President, sa[id] that the buying of bonds was not a religious question, and that the [IBSA] association did not oppose the purchase of Liberty bonds by the members"
67.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, March 1, 1919:"'The International Bible Students’ Association is not against the Liberty Loan.; in Watch Tower, June 1, 1919 Rutherford indicated regret about making any comment on the matter.
68.^ Jump up to: a b Frank and Ernest
69.^ Jump up to: a b Who are the Free Bible Students and what is their history?
70.Jump up ^ Welcome to Berean Bible Students Church
71.Jump up ^ Whalen, William J. (1962). Armageddon Around the Corner: A Report on Jehovah's Witnesses. New York: John Day Company. pp. 207–209.
72.Jump up ^ "Right Choices Led to Lifelong Blessings". The Watchtower: 12. 1 January 2007. "One of the Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known"
73.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, April 1, 1955, "Part 7—New Administration Amid World War I"
74.Jump up ^ The Watchtower: 24. July 15, 2013 http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20130715/who-is-faithful-discreet-slave/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
75.Jump up ^ 2014 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. p. 176.
76.Jump up ^ Rodriguez, Rolando. "Recent Bible Student History". The Herald of Christ's Kingdom. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
Bibliography[edit]
Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press.
Johnson, Paul SL (November 1, 1917), Harvest Siftings Reviewed (PDF), Pastor Russell, retrieved July 21, 2009
Macmillan, AH (1957), Faith on the March, Prentice-Hall
Penton, James M (1997), Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
Pierson, AN et al. (September 1, 1917), Light After Darkness (PDF), Pastor Russell, retrieved July 21, 2009.
Rogerson, Alan (1969), Millions Now Living Will Never Die, London: Constable, ISBN 978-0-09-455940-0.
Rutherford, JF (August 1, 1917), "Part I", Harvest Siftings (PDF), Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, retrieved July 19, 2009.
Rutherford, JF (October 1, 1917), "Part II", Harvest Siftings (PDF), Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, retrieved July 19, 2009.
Wills, Tony (2006), A People For His Name, Lulu Enterprises, ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4.
Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose (PDF), Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1959
Yearbook, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1975
Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1993
External links[edit]
 Media related to Bible Students at Wikimedia Commons
  


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Jehovah's Witnesses and the United Nations

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Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

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Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
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John Nelson Darby


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Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


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 by country

v ·
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Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the League of Nations and the United Nations were set up as a counterfeit of God's Kingdom. Joseph F. Rutherford, second president of the Watch Tower Society, condemned politicians, business leaders and clergy in their support of the League of Nations. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the United Nations will soon destroy all other religions, and then turn against Jehovah's Witnesses.

Contents  [hide]
1 History of teaching 1.1 Development
1.2 1963 Resolution
2 Current teaching
3 Associate membership to the UN Department of Public Information
4 References
5 External links

History of teaching[edit]
Development[edit]
At a convention of Bible Students held in September 1919, the local press reported J. F. Rutherford's comments on the League of Nations: "He declared a League of Nations formed by the political and economic forces, moved by a desire to better mankind by establishment of peace and plenty would accomplish great good, and then asserted that the Lord's displeasure is certain to be visited upon the League, because the clergy--Catholic and Protestant--have abandoned his plan and endorsed the League of Nations, haling it as the political expression of Christ's kingdom on earth."[1] Rutherford’s view was similarly held by other pre-millennialist expositors of that era.[2]
The Bible Student journal Golden Age referred to the “professional politician” and the “financial powers” and the “clergy” as an “unholy trinity” in support of the League of Nations and predicted its demise: “Since these two classes [politicians and financial] are presumed to be worldly men who never claimed to have made a covenant with God, he might not interfere with them for a time, but chiefly because of the other member of the unholy trinity—the clergy—God indicates that he will not permit the League of Nations and league of churches to endure.”[3] In 1930, Rutherford published the booklet Prohibition and the League of Nations-Born of God or the Devil, Which? The Bible Proof which concluded: “Here is the positive and unqualified statement from Jehovah God that neither the League of Nations nor any other combination of men and governments shall have anything to do with the setting up of his kingdom and establishing peace and righteousness. It is God’s kingdom, and not man’s; and for men to assume to do what God has declared he will do is a gross, presumptuous sin. The nation organization that attempts to run ahead of God and presumptuously attempts to set up a rule or organization and call it God’s kingdom will suffer severe punishment.”[4]
In a speech given on 20 September 1942, Nathan Knorr, the Society's third president, claimed the newly formed United Nations was the scarlet-colored wild beast of Revelation that would be ridden by the woman "Babylon", which Knorr identified as "the religious organization with headquarters at Vatican City".[5]
1963 Resolution[edit]
In 1963 Jehovah's Witnesses adopted a Resolution establishing the official view of the United Nations. The Resolution was published in the November 15, 1963 issue of Watchtower. At 24 assemblies held throughout the year, a total of 454,977 convention attendees adopted the Resolution.
Regarding the United Nations, paragraph 5 of that resolution states, "the nations further refused the surrender of their sovereignty to God’s Messianic kingdom by setting up ... the United Nations, ....This international organization stands for world sovereignty by political men. For years men without faith in God’s kingdom have endeavored to get all people to worship this international image of human political sovereignty as the best hope for earthly peace and security, in fact, the last hope for humanity. To date 111 nations have given worship to this political image by becoming members of it. However, we, as witnesses of the Sovereign God Jehovah, will continue refusing to engage in such idolatrous worship..."
Current teaching[edit]



 The flag of the United Nations
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the United Nations is the "image of the wild beast" referred to in Revelation 13:1-18 and the fulfillment of the "disgusting thing that causes desolation" from Matthew 24:15.[6][7] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jehovah will use the United Nations to destroy "false religion" as an institution, wherein all institutionalized religions except Jehovah's Witnesses will be destroyed. It is expected that the United Nations will then turn against Jehovah's Witnesses to destroy them, but Jehovah will intervene and destroy all political elements. They believe this act of divine intervention will be Armageddon, the final part of the Great Tribulation.[8][9]
In practice, Jehovah's Witnesses "view the United Nations organization as they do other governmental bodies of the world," as "superior authorities" that "exist by God's permission," based on their interpretation of Romans 13:1, 2. They believe "this Scriptural position does not condone any form of disrespect toward governments or their officials," to which they are to "render due respect," and they "obey them as long as such obedience does not require that they sin against God."[7]

Associate membership to the UN Department of Public Information[edit]
The Watchtower Society became an Associate member of the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN/DPI) in February 1992 and maintained this membership until October 2001. According to the United Nations Department of Public Information, the primary purpose of NGO association is, "the redissemination of information in order to increase public understanding of the principles, activities and achievements of the United Nations and its Agencies."[10] The association status was ceased the day after it was made known in the Guardian newspaper.[11][12] In a letter dated March 4, 2004, the UN website explained the association it had with the Watchtower Society: "By accepting association with DPI, the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities."[10] The official UN/DPI Web page explains about associated organizations: “Please note that association of NGOs with DPI does not constitute their incorporation into the United Nations system, nor does it entitle associated organizations or their staff to any kind of privileges, immunities or special status.”[13]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ From the Sandusky, Ohio, Star Journal as quoted in the October 1, 1919 Watch Tower, p. 298
2.Jump up ^ ”Such a League of Nations, for instance, as is proposed to-day as a panacea for national wrongs, not only has been foretold in Scripture as the last resource of international politics, but its failure has likewise been predicted.”-- C.F. Hogg and W.E. Vine, Touching the Coming of the Lord, London 1919, p. 95.
3.Jump up ^ September 9, 1920 ‘’Golden Age’’, p. 722
4.Jump up ^ Prohibition and the League of Nations, p. 52
5.Jump up ^ Knorr, Nathan. "Peace - Can It Last?" (PDF). Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. p. 22. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
6.Jump up ^ The Watchtower 1 May 1999, p. 14
7.^ Jump up to: a b The Watchtower, 1 October 1995, p. 7
8.Jump up ^ Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand, Chapter 39, page 279: "ARMAGEDDON ... With the desolating of Babylon the Great, the great tribulation will already have started. Then, urged on by Satan, the scarlet-colored wild beast and its ten horns will concentrate their attack on Jehovah’s people."
9.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, 1 October, page 20: "20 In God’s Word, the course of the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations, is likened to that of “a scarlet-colored wild beast” having seven heads (representing the world powers from which it originates) and ten horns (standing for the governmental powers that now support it)."
10.^ Jump up to: a b "Was the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ever affiliated with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization (NGO)? - Ask DAG". Dag Hammarskjöld Library - Ask DAG!. Dept. of Public Instruction - NGO Section, United Nations. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
11.Jump up ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/oct/08/religion.world
12.Jump up ^ http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/oct/15/religion.unitednations
13.Jump up ^ Non-Governmental Organization/DPI
External links[edit]
NGO-Partnership
Commentary from religioustolerance.org on the Watchtower Society/UN situation
  


Categories: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses
Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses


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Jehovah's Witnesses and the United Nations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the League of Nations and the United Nations were set up as a counterfeit of God's Kingdom. Joseph F. Rutherford, second president of the Watch Tower Society, condemned politicians, business leaders and clergy in their support of the League of Nations. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the United Nations will soon destroy all other religions, and then turn against Jehovah's Witnesses.

Contents  [hide]
1 History of teaching 1.1 Development
1.2 1963 Resolution
2 Current teaching
3 Associate membership to the UN Department of Public Information
4 References
5 External links

History of teaching[edit]
Development[edit]
At a convention of Bible Students held in September 1919, the local press reported J. F. Rutherford's comments on the League of Nations: "He declared a League of Nations formed by the political and economic forces, moved by a desire to better mankind by establishment of peace and plenty would accomplish great good, and then asserted that the Lord's displeasure is certain to be visited upon the League, because the clergy--Catholic and Protestant--have abandoned his plan and endorsed the League of Nations, haling it as the political expression of Christ's kingdom on earth."[1] Rutherford’s view was similarly held by other pre-millennialist expositors of that era.[2]
The Bible Student journal Golden Age referred to the “professional politician” and the “financial powers” and the “clergy” as an “unholy trinity” in support of the League of Nations and predicted its demise: “Since these two classes [politicians and financial] are presumed to be worldly men who never claimed to have made a covenant with God, he might not interfere with them for a time, but chiefly because of the other member of the unholy trinity—the clergy—God indicates that he will not permit the League of Nations and league of churches to endure.”[3] In 1930, Rutherford published the booklet Prohibition and the League of Nations-Born of God or the Devil, Which? The Bible Proof which concluded: “Here is the positive and unqualified statement from Jehovah God that neither the League of Nations nor any other combination of men and governments shall have anything to do with the setting up of his kingdom and establishing peace and righteousness. It is God’s kingdom, and not man’s; and for men to assume to do what God has declared he will do is a gross, presumptuous sin. The nation organization that attempts to run ahead of God and presumptuously attempts to set up a rule or organization and call it God’s kingdom will suffer severe punishment.”[4]
In a speech given on 20 September 1942, Nathan Knorr, the Society's third president, claimed the newly formed United Nations was the scarlet-colored wild beast of Revelation that would be ridden by the woman "Babylon", which Knorr identified as "the religious organization with headquarters at Vatican City".[5]
1963 Resolution[edit]
In 1963 Jehovah's Witnesses adopted a Resolution establishing the official view of the United Nations. The Resolution was published in the November 15, 1963 issue of Watchtower. At 24 assemblies held throughout the year, a total of 454,977 convention attendees adopted the Resolution.
Regarding the United Nations, paragraph 5 of that resolution states, "the nations further refused the surrender of their sovereignty to God’s Messianic kingdom by setting up ... the United Nations, ....This international organization stands for world sovereignty by political men. For years men without faith in God’s kingdom have endeavored to get all people to worship this international image of human political sovereignty as the best hope for earthly peace and security, in fact, the last hope for humanity. To date 111 nations have given worship to this political image by becoming members of it. However, we, as witnesses of the Sovereign God Jehovah, will continue refusing to engage in such idolatrous worship..."
Current teaching[edit]



 The flag of the United Nations
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the United Nations is the "image of the wild beast" referred to in Revelation 13:1-18 and the fulfillment of the "disgusting thing that causes desolation" from Matthew 24:15.[6][7] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jehovah will use the United Nations to destroy "false religion" as an institution, wherein all institutionalized religions except Jehovah's Witnesses will be destroyed. It is expected that the United Nations will then turn against Jehovah's Witnesses to destroy them, but Jehovah will intervene and destroy all political elements. They believe this act of divine intervention will be Armageddon, the final part of the Great Tribulation.[8][9]
In practice, Jehovah's Witnesses "view the United Nations organization as they do other governmental bodies of the world," as "superior authorities" that "exist by God's permission," based on their interpretation of Romans 13:1, 2. They believe "this Scriptural position does not condone any form of disrespect toward governments or their officials," to which they are to "render due respect," and they "obey them as long as such obedience does not require that they sin against God."[7]

Associate membership to the UN Department of Public Information[edit]
The Watchtower Society became an Associate member of the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN/DPI) in February 1992 and maintained this membership until October 2001. According to the United Nations Department of Public Information, the primary purpose of NGO association is, "the redissemination of information in order to increase public understanding of the principles, activities and achievements of the United Nations and its Agencies."[10] The association status was ceased the day after it was made known in the Guardian newspaper.[11][12] In a letter dated March 4, 2004, the UN website explained the association it had with the Watchtower Society: "By accepting association with DPI, the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities."[10] The official UN/DPI Web page explains about associated organizations: “Please note that association of NGOs with DPI does not constitute their incorporation into the United Nations system, nor does it entitle associated organizations or their staff to any kind of privileges, immunities or special status.”[13]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ From the Sandusky, Ohio, Star Journal as quoted in the October 1, 1919 Watch Tower, p. 298
2.Jump up ^ ”Such a League of Nations, for instance, as is proposed to-day as a panacea for national wrongs, not only has been foretold in Scripture as the last resource of international politics, but its failure has likewise been predicted.”-- C.F. Hogg and W.E. Vine, Touching the Coming of the Lord, London 1919, p. 95.
3.Jump up ^ September 9, 1920 ‘’Golden Age’’, p. 722
4.Jump up ^ Prohibition and the League of Nations, p. 52
5.Jump up ^ Knorr, Nathan. "Peace - Can It Last?" (PDF). Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. p. 22. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
6.Jump up ^ The Watchtower 1 May 1999, p. 14
7.^ Jump up to: a b The Watchtower, 1 October 1995, p. 7
8.Jump up ^ Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand, Chapter 39, page 279: "ARMAGEDDON ... With the desolating of Babylon the Great, the great tribulation will already have started. Then, urged on by Satan, the scarlet-colored wild beast and its ten horns will concentrate their attack on Jehovah’s people."
9.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, 1 October, page 20: "20 In God’s Word, the course of the League of Nations and its successor, the United Nations, is likened to that of “a scarlet-colored wild beast” having seven heads (representing the world powers from which it originates) and ten horns (standing for the governmental powers that now support it)."
10.^ Jump up to: a b "Was the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ever affiliated with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization (NGO)? - Ask DAG". Dag Hammarskjöld Library - Ask DAG!. Dept. of Public Instruction - NGO Section, United Nations. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
11.Jump up ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/oct/08/religion.world
12.Jump up ^ http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/oct/15/religion.unitednations
13.Jump up ^ Non-Governmental Organization/DPI
External links[edit]
NGO-Partnership
Commentary from religioustolerance.org on the Watchtower Society/UN situation
  


Categories: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses
Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses


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Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses

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Criticism of religion

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Related topics
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v ·
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Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


Beliefs ·
 Practices
 
Salvation ·
 Eschatology

The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
Hymns ·
 God's name

Blood ·
 Discipline


Literature

The Watchtower ·
 Awake!

New World Translation
List of publications
Bibliography

Teaching programs

Kingdom Hall ·
 Gilead School


People

Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

v ·
 t ·
 e
   
Jehovah's Witnesses have attracted criticism from mainstream Christianity, some members of the medical community, some former members and some commentators over their beliefs and practices. The religion has been accused of doctrinal inconsistency and reversals, failed predictions, mistranslation of the Bible, harsh treatment of former members and autocratic and coercive leadership. Criticism has also focused on their rejection of blood transfusions, particularly in life-threatening medical situations, and claims that they have failed to report cases of sexual abuse to the authorities. Many of the claims are denied by Jehovah's Witnesses and some have also been disputed by courts and religious scholars.


Contents  [hide]
1 Doctrinal criticisms 1.1 Failed predictions
1.2 Changes of doctrine
1.3 United Nations association
1.4 Fall of Jerusalem
1.5 Evolution
2 Social criticisms 2.1 Authoritarianism and denial of free speech
2.2 Description as a "cult"
2.3 Coercion
2.4 Shunning
2.5 Blood 2.5.1 Fractions and components
2.5.2 Storing and donation
2.5.3 Legal considerations
2.5.4 Animal blood
2.6 Reporting of sexual abuse
3 Biblical criticisms
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links

Doctrinal criticisms[edit]
Failed predictions[edit]
Main article: Watch Tower Society unfulfilled predictions
See also: Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses
The beliefs unique to Jehovah's Witnesses involve their interpretations of the second coming of Christ, the millennium and the kingdom of God. Watch Tower Society publications have made, and continue to make, predictions about world events they believe were prophesied in the Bible.[1] Some of those early predictions were described as "established truth",[2] and 'beyond a doubt'.[3] Witnesses are told to 'be complete in accepting the visible organization's direction in every aspect' and that there is no need to question what God tells them through his Word and organization, since love "believes all things."[4][5][6] If a member advocates views different to what appears in print, they face expulsion.[7][8][9]
Failed predictions that were either explicitly stated or strongly implied, particularly linked to dates in 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1975, have led to the alteration or abandonment of some teachings. The Society's publications have at times suggested that members had previously "read into the Watch Tower statements that were never intended"[10] or that the beliefs of members were "based on wrong premises."[11] Critic Edmond Gruss claims that other failed predictions were ignored, and replaced with new predictions; for example, in the book, The Finished Mystery (1917), events were applied to the years 1918 to 1925 that earlier had been held to occur prior to 1914. When the new interpretations also did not transpire, the 1926 edition of the book changed the statements and removed the dates.[12]
Raymond Franz, a critic and former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, has cited publications that claimed God has used Jehovah's Witnesses as a collective prophet.[13] Critics including James A. Beverley have accused the religion of false prophecy for making those predictions, particularly because of assertions in some cases that the predictions were beyond doubt or had been approved by God, but describes its record of telling the future as "pathetic".[14][15][16][17] Beverley says the Watch Tower Society has passed judgment on others who have falsely predicted the end of the world (he cites a 1968 Awake! that says other groups were "guilty of false prophesying" after having "predicted an 'end to the world', even announcing a specific date").[18][19]
The Watch Tower Society rejects accusations that it is a false prophet.[20][21] It says its explanations of Bible prophecy are not infallible[22][23][24] and that its predictions are not claimed explicitly as "the words of Jehovah."[20] It states that some of its expectations have needed adjustment because of eagerness for God's kingdom, but that those adjustments are no reason to "call into question the whole body of truth."[25] Raymond Franz claims that the Watch Tower Society tries to evade its responsibility when citing human fallibility as a defense, adding that the Society represents itself as God's appointed spokesman, and that throughout its history has made many emphatic predictions. Franz adds that the organization's eagerness for the Millennium does not give it license to impugn the motives of those who fail to accept its predictions.[6]
George D. Chryssides has suggested widespread claims that Witnesses "keep changing the dates" are a distortion and misunderstanding of Watch Tower Society chronology. He argues that, although there have been failures in prophetic speculation, the changing views and dates of the Jehovah's Witnesses are more largely attributable to changed understandings of biblical chronology than to failed predictions. Chryssides states, "For the Jehovah’s Witnesses prophecy serves more as a way of discerning a divine plan in human history than a means to predicting the future."[26] In 1904 Zion's Watch Tower stated: "We have in the Scriptures what we think is clear testimony respecting that date [1914], but no particulars or dates for the intervening time. It is not our intention to enter upon the role of prophet to any degree, but merely to give below what seems to us rather likely to be the trend of events." [27]
Predictions (by date of publication) include:
1877: Christ's kingdom would hold full sway over the earth in 1914; the Jews, as a people, would be restored to God's favor; the "saints" would be carried to heaven.[28]
1891: 1914 would be "the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men."[29]
1904: "World-wide anarchy" would follow the end of the Gentile Times in 1914.[30]
1916: World War I would terminate in Armageddon and the rapture of the "saints".[31]
1917: In 1918, Christendom would go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God would "destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions." Church members would "perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy." The dead would lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments would disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing.[32]
1920: Messiah's kingdom would be established in 1925 and bring worldwide peace. God would begin restoring the earth. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other faithful patriarchs would be resurrected to perfect human life and be made princes and rulers, the visible representatives of the New Order on earth. Those who showed themselves obedient to God would never die.[33]
1922: The anti-typical "jubilee" that would mark God's intervention in earthly affairs would take place "probably the fall" of 1925.[34]
1924: God's restoration of Earth would begin "shortly after" October 1, 1925. Jerusalem would be made the world's capital. Resurrected "princes" such as Abel, Noah, Moses and John the Baptist would give instructions to their subjects around the world by radio, and airplanes would transport people to and from Jerusalem from all parts of the globe in just "a few hours".[35]
1938: Armageddon was too close for marriage or child bearing.[36]
1941: There were only "months" remaining until Armageddon.[37]
1942: Armageddon was "immediately before us."[38]
1961: Awake! magazine stated that the heavenly kingdom "will, within the twentieth century, cleanse the entire earth of wickedness."[39]
1966: It would be 6000 years since man's creation in the fall of 1975 and it would be "appropriate" for Christ's thousand-year reign to begin at that time.[40] Time was "running out, no question about that."[41] The "immediate future" was "certain to be filled with climactic events ... within a few years at most", the final parts of Bible prophecy relating to the "last days" would undergo fulfillment as Christ's reign began.
1967: The end-time period (beginning in 1914) was claimed to be so far advanced that the time remaining could "be compared, not just to the last day of a week, but rather, to the last part of that day".[42]
1968: No one could say "with certainty" that the battle of Armageddon would begin in 1975, but time was "running out rapidly" with "earthshaking events" soon to take place.[43] In March 1968 there was a "short period of time left", with "only about ninety months left before 6000 years of man's existence on earth is completed".[44]
1969: The existing world order would not last long enough for young people to grow old; the world system would end "in a few years." Young Witnesses were told not to bother pursuing tertiary education for this reason.[45]
1971: The "battle in the day of Jehovah" was described as beginning "[s]hortly, within our twentieth century".[46]
1974: There was just a "short time remaining before the wicked world's end" and Witnesses were commended for selling their homes and property to "finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service."[47]
1984: There were "many indications" that "the end" was closer than the end of the 20th century.[48]
1989: The Watchtower asserted that Christian missionary work begun in the first century would "be completed in our 20th century".[49] When republished in bound volumes, the phrase "in our 20th century" was replaced with the less specific "in our day".
Changes of doctrine[edit]


History of Eschatological Doctrine

Last Days begin
Start of Christ's Presence
Christ made King
Resurrection of 144,000
Judgment of Religion
Separating Sheep & Goats
Great Tribulation
1879–1920 1799 1874 1878 during Millenium 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920
1920–1923 1925
1923–1925 during Christ's presence
1925–1927 1914 1878 1878 within generation of 1914
1927–1930 1918
1930–1933 1919
1933–1966 1914
1966–1975 1975?
1975–1995 within generation of 1914
1995–present during Great Tribulation imminent
See also: Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine
Although Watch Tower Society literature claims the Society's founder, Charles Taze Russell, was directed by God's Holy Spirit, through which he received "flashes of light",[50] it has substantially altered doctrines since its inception and abandoned many of Russell's teachings.[51] Many of the changes have involved biblical chronology that had earlier been claimed as beyond question.[52][53][54][55][56] Watch Tower Society publications state that doctrinal changes result from a process of "progressive revelation", in which God gradually reveals his will.[57][58]
Date of beginning of Christ's kingdom rule. Russell taught that Jesus had become king in April 1878.[59][60] In 1922, Joseph Rutherford altered the date to 1914.[51]
Date of resurrection of anointed Christians. After the failure of predictions that Christ's chosen "saints" would be carried away to heaven in 1878,[61] Russell developed the teaching that those "dying in the Lord" from 1878 forward would have an immediate heavenly resurrection.[62] The Watch Tower confirmed the doctrine in 1925,[63] but two years later asserted this date was wrong[64] and that the beginning of the instant resurrection to heaven for faithful Christians was from 1918.[65]
Great Pyramid as a "stone witness" of God. Russell wrote in 1910 that God had the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt built as a testimony to the truth of the Bible and proof of its chronology identifying the "last days".[66][67] In 1928 Rutherford rejected the doctrine and claimed the Pyramid had been built under the direction of Satan.[68]
Identity of "faithful and wise servant". Russell initially believed the "faithful and wise servant" of Matthew 24:45 was "every member of this body of Christ ... the whole body individually and collectively."[69] By 1886 he had altered his view and began explaining it was a person, not the Christian church.[70] Russell accepted claims by Bible Students that he was that "servant"[71][72][73] and in 1909 described as his "opponents" those who would apply the term "faithful and wise servant" to "all the members of the church of Christ" rather than to an individual.[74] By 1927 the Watch Tower Society was teaching that it was "a collective servant."[75]
Beginning of the "last days". From the earliest issues of the Watch Tower, Russell promoted the belief that the "last days" had begun in 1799 and would end in 1914.[76] As late as 1921 Watch Tower publications were still claiming the last days had begun in 1799.[77] In 1930 that date was abandoned and 1914 was fixed as the beginning of the last days.
Jews' role in God's Kingdom. Russell followed the view of Nelson H. Barbour, who believed that in 1914 Christ's kingdom would take power over all the earth and the Jews, as a people, would be restored to God's favor.[78] In 1889 Russell wrote that with the completion of the "Gentile Times" in 1914, Israel's "blindness" would subside and they would convert to Christianity.[79] The book Life (1929) noted that the return of Jews to Palestine signaled that the end was very close, because Jews would "have the favors first and thereafter all others who obey the Lord" under God's restoration of his kingdom.[80] In 1932 that belief was abandoned and from that date the Watch Tower Society taught that Witnesses alone were the Israel of God.[81]
Date of Christ's invisible presence. The Watch Tower Society taught for more than 60 years that this began in 1874, insisting in 1922 that the date was "indisputable".[82][83] In 1943 the society moved the event to 1914.[51][84][85]
Identity of the "superior authorities". Russell taught that the "superior authorities" of Romans 13:1, to whom Christians had to show subjection and obedience, were governmental authorities. In 1929 The Watchtower discarded this view, stating that the term referred only to God and Christ, and saying the change of doctrine was evidence of "advancing light" of truth shining forth to God's chosen people.[86] In 1952, The Watchtower stated that the words of Romans 13 "could never have applied to the political powers of Caesar’s world as wrongly claimed by the clergy of Christendom,"[87] and in 1960 The Watchtower described the earlier view as a factor that had caused the Bible Student movement to be "unclean" in God's eyes during the 1914–1918 period. Two years later, in 1962, The Watchtower reverted to Russell's initial doctrine.[86]
Identity and function of the Governing Body. Frequent mentions of the term "Governing Body" began in Watch Tower Society literature in the 1970s.[88] The Governing Body was initially identified as the Watch Tower Society's seven-member board of directors.[89] However, at the time, the board played no role in establishing Watchtower doctrines, and all such decisions since the Society's origins had been made by the Society's president.[90][91] A 1923 Watch Tower noted that Russell alone directed the policy and course of the Society "without regard to any other person on earth"[92] and both his successors, Rutherford and Knorr, also acted alone in establishing Watch Tower doctrines. An organizational change on January 1, 1976, for the first time gave the Governing Body the power to rule on doctrines[93] and become the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses.[94] Despite this, The Watchtower in 1971 claimed that a Governing Body of anointed Christians had existed since the 19th century to govern the affairs of God's anointed people.[95]
Treatment of disfellowshipped persons. In the 1950s when disfellowshipping became common, Witnesses were to have nothing to do with expelled members, not conversing with or acknowledging them.[96] Family members of expelled individuals were permitted occasional "contacts absolutely necessary in matters pertaining to family interests," but could not discuss spiritual matters with them.[97] In 1974 The Watchtower, acknowledging some unbalanced Witnesses had displayed unkind, inhumane and possibly cruel attitudes to those expelled,[98] relaxed restrictions on family contact, allowing families to choose for themselves the extent of association,[99] including whether or not to discuss some spiritual matters.[100] In 1981, a reversal of policy occurred, with Witnesses instructed to avoid all spiritual interaction with disfellowshipped ones, including with close relatives.[101] Witnesses were instructed not to greet disfellowshipped persons.[101][102][103] Parents were permitted to care for the physical needs of a disfellowshipped minor child; ill parents or physically or emotionally ill child could be accepted back into the home "for a time". Witnesses were instructed not to eat with disfellowshipped relatives and were warned that emotional influence could soften their resolve.[104] In 1980 the Witnesses' Brooklyn headquarters advised traveling overseers that a person need not be promoting "apostate views" to warrant disfellowshipping; it advised that "appropriate judicial action" be taken against a person who "continues to believe the apostate ideas and rejects what he has been provided" through The Watchtower.[105] The rules on shunning were extended in 1981 to include those who had resigned from the religion voluntarily.[106][107]
Fall of "Babylon the Great". Russell taught that the fall of the "world empire of false religion" had taken place in 1878 and predicted "Babylon's" complete destruction in 1914.[108] Rutherford claimed in 1917 that religion's final destruction would take place in 1918, explaining that God would destroy churches "wholesale" and that "Christendom shall go down as a system to oblivion."[109] In 1988 the Watch Tower Society claimed that release from prison in 1919 of senior Watchtower figures marked the fall of Babylon "as far as having any captive hold on God's people was concerned",[110] with her "final destruction" "into oblivion, never to recover", expected "in the near future."[111]
United Nations association[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and the United Nations
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the United Nations is one of the 'superior authorities' that exist by God's permission, and that it serves a purpose in maintaining order, but do not support it politically and do not consider it to be the means to achieve peace and security. Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that the United Nations is the "image of the wild beast" of Revelation 13:1-18, and the second fulfillment of the "abominable thing that causes desolation" from Matthew 24:15; that it will be the means for the devastation of organized false religion worldwide;[112][113] and that, like all other political powers, it will be destroyed and replaced by God's heavenly kingdom.[114] Jehovah's Witnesses have denounced other religious organizations for having offered political support to the UN.[115]
On October 8, 2001, an article was published in the British Guardian newspaper questioning the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society's registration as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the United Nations Department of Public Information and accusing the Watch Tower Society of hypocrisy.[116] Within days of the article's publication, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society submitted a formal request for disassociation, removing all association with the United Nations Department of Public Information,[117] and released a letter stating that the reason for becoming associated with the United Nations Department of Information (DPI) was to access their facilities, and that they had not been aware of the change in language contained in the criteria for NGO association.[118] However, when the Watch Tower Society sought NGO association, "the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations", acknowledging that the purpose of membership is to "promote knowledge of the principles and activities of the United Nations."[119] The official UN/DPI website states that "association of NGOs with DPI does not constitute their incorporation into the United Nations system."[120]
Fall of Jerusalem[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses assert that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 607 BC and completely uninhabited for exactly seventy years. This date is critical to their selection of October 1914 for the arrival of Christ in kingly power—2520 years after October 607 BC.[121][122] Non-Witness scholars do not support 607 BC for the event; most scholars date the destruction of Jerusalem to within a year of 587 BC, twenty years later.[122] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that periods of seventy years mentioned in the books of Jeremiah and Daniel refer to the Babylonian exile of Jews. They also believe that the gathering of Jews in Jerusalem, shortly after their return from Babylon, officially ended the exile in Jewish month of Tishrei (Ezra 3:1). According to the Watch Tower Society, October 607 BC is derived by counting back seventy years from Tishrei of 537 BC, based on their belief that Cyrus' decree to release the Jews during his first regnal year "may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4–5, 537 B.C."[123][124] Non-Witness sources assign the return to either 538 BC or 537 BC.[125][126][127][128][129]
In The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return, Carl O. Jonsson, a former Witness, presents eighteen lines of evidence to support the traditional view of neo-Babylonian chronology. He accuses the Watch Tower Society of deliberately misquoting sources in an effort to bolster their position.[130] The Watch Tower Society claims that biblical chronology is not always compatible with secular sources, and that the Bible is superior. It claims that secular historians make conclusions about 587 BC based on incorrect or inconsistent historical records, but accepts those sources that identify Cyrus' capture of Babylon in 539 BC, claiming it has no evidence of being inconsistent and hence can be used as a pivotal date.[123][131][132]
Rolf Furuli, a Jehovah's Witness and a lecturer in Semitic languages, presents a study of 607 BC in support of the Witnesses' conclusions in Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian Chronology Compared with the Chronology of the Bible, Volume 1: Persian Chronology and the Length of the Babylonian Exile of the Jews.[133] Lester L. Grabbe, professor of theology at the University of Hull, said of Furuli's study: "Once again we have an amateur who wants to rewrite scholarship. ... F. shows little evidence of having put his theories to the test with specialists in Mesopotamian astronomy and Persian history."[134]
The relative positions of the moon, stars and planets indicated in the Babylonian astronomical diary VAT 4956 are used by secular historians to establish 568 BC as the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign.[135] The Watch Tower Society claims that unnamed researchers have confirmed that the positions of the moon and stars on the tablet are instead consistent with astronomical calculations for 588 BC; the Society claims that the planets mentioned in the tablet cannot be clearly identified.[136] The Watch Tower Society's article cites David Brown as stating, "some of the signs for the names of the planets and their positions are unclear,"[136] however Brown indicates that the Babylonians also had unique names for the known planets;[137] Jonsson confirms that the unique names are those used in VAT 4956.[138] According to the Watch Tower Society, astronomical calculations based on ancient writings are unreliable and prone to error.[139]
Evolution[edit]
Watch Tower Society publications attempt to refute the theory of evolution, in favor of divine creation.[140][141] The Watch Tower Society's views of evolution have met with criticism typical of objections to evolution. Gary Botting described his own difficulty as a Jehovah's Witness to reconcile creation with simple observations of species diversification, especially after discussions with J.B.S. Haldane in India.[142]
The Society's 1985 publication, Life—How Did it Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? is criticized for its dependency on Francis Hitching, who is cited thirteen times. The book presents Hitching—a TV writer and paranormalist with no scientific credentials—as an evolutionary scientist.[143] Richard Dawkins also criticizes the book for implying that "chance" is the only alternative to deliberate design, stating, "[T]he candidate solutions to the riddle of improbability are not, as falsely implied, design and chance. They are design and natural selection."[144]
The Watch Tower Society teaches a form of day-age creationism.[145] It dismisses Young Earth creationism as "unscriptural and unbelievable",[146] and states that Jehovah's Witnesses "are not creationists", based on the more specific definition of believers in a 'young' earth created in six literal days.[147] According to a 1986 article in The Watchtower, "Jehovah's Witnesses reject the unreasonable theories of 'creationism' in favor of what the Bible really teaches about 'creation'."[148]
Social criticisms[edit]
Authoritarianism and denial of free speech[edit]
The religion's leadership has been described as autocratic and totalitarian, with criticism focusing on the Watch Tower Society's demands for the obedience and loyalty of Witnesses,[149][150] its intolerance of dissent or open discussion of doctrines and practices[151] and the practice of expelling and shunning members who cannot conscientiously agree with all the religion's teachings.[152][153][154]
Raymond Franz has accused the religion's Governing Body of resenting, deprecating and seeking to silence differences of viewpoint within the organization[155] and demanding organizational conformity that overrides personal conscience.[156] He claimed the Watch Tower Society confirmed its position when, in a 1954 court case in Scotland, Watch Tower Society legal counsel Hayden C. Covington said of Jehovah's Witnesses: "We must have unity ... unity at all costs".[157] Sociologist James A. Beckford noted that the Watch Tower movement demands uniformity of beliefs from its members;[158] George D. Chryssides has also reported that Witness publications teach that individuals' consciences are unreliable and need to be subordinated to scripture and to the Watch Tower organization.[159]
Sociologist Andrew Holden said that Witnesses are taught their theology in a highly mechanistic fashion, learning almost by rote.[160] Raymond Franz and others have described Jehovah's Witnesses' religious meetings as "catechistical" question-and-answer sessions in which questions and answers are both provided by the organization, placing pressure on members to reiterate its opinions.[161][162] Former Witnesses Heather and Gary Botting claimed Witnesses "are told what they should feel and think"[163] and members who do voice viewpoints different from those expressed in publications and at meetings are said to be viewed with suspicion.[164] Raymond Franz has claimed most Witnesses would be fearful to voice criticism of the organization for fear of being accused of disloyalty.[156] Authors have drawn attention to frequent Watch Tower warnings against the "dangers" and "infection" of "independent thinking", including questioning any of its published statements or teachings,[165][166][167][168] and instructions that members refrain from engaging in independent Bible research.[169][170][171] The Watch Tower Society also directs that members must not read criticism of the organization by "apostates"[172][173] or material published by other religions.[174][175] Heather and Gary Botting declared: "Jehovah's Witnesses will brook no criticism from within, as many concerned members who have attempted to voice alternative opinions regarding the basic doctrine or application of social pressure have discovered to their chagrin."[176] Beckford observed that the Society denies the legitimacy of all criticisms of itself and that the habit of questioning official doctrine is "strenuously combated at all organizational levels".[177] Witnesses are said to be under constant surveillance within the congregation[178] and are subject to a disciplinary system that encourages informers.[179][180]
Heather and Gary Botting argue that the power of the Watch Tower Society to control members is gained through the acceptance of the Society "quite literally as the voice of Jehovah – God's 'mouthpiece'."[163] Franz claims the concept of loyalty to God's organization has no scriptural support and serves only to reinforce the religion's authority structure, with its strong emphasis on human authority.[181] He has claimed The Watchtower has repeatedly blurred discussions of both Jesus Christ's loyalty to God and the apostles' loyalty to Christ to promote the view that Witnesses should be loyal to the Watch Tower organization.[182] Religion professor James A. Beverley describes the belief that organizational loyalty is equal to divine loyalty[183] as the "central myth" of Jehovah's Witnesses employed to ensure complete obedience.[184] Sociologist Andrew Holden has observed that Witnesses see no distinction between loyalty to Jehovah and to the movement itself;[185] Heather and Gary Botting have claimed that challenging the views of those higher in the hierarchy is regarded as tantamount to challenging God himself.[186]
The Society has described its intolerance of dissident and divergent doctrinal views within its ranks as "strict", but claims its stance is based on the scriptural precedent of 2 Timothy 2:17,18 in which the Apostle Paul condemns heretics Hymenaeus and Philetus who denied the resurrection of Jesus. It said: "Following such Scriptural patterns, if a Christian (who claims belief in God, the Bible, and Jesus) unrepentantly promotes false teachings, it may be necessary for him to be expelled from the congregation ... Hence, the true Christian congregation cannot rightly be accused of being harshly dogmatic."[187] Sociologist Rodney Stark says that Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and members are expected to conform to "rather strict standards," but says enforcement tends to be informal, sustained by close bonds of friendship and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it".[188] In a case involving Jehovah's Witnesses' activities in Russia, the European Court of Human Rights stated that the religion's requirements "are not fundamentally different from similar limitations that other religions impose on their followers' private lives" and that charges of "mind control" in that case were "based on conjecture and uncorroborated by fact."[189] Despite the intolerance of dissident views within the organisation, the Watch Tower Society and its affiliates have, through litigation, been instrumental in establishing civil liberties in many countries, including Canada and the United States.[190]
Description as a "cult"[edit]
Authors Anthony A. Hoekema, Ron Rhodes[191] and Alan W. Gomes,[192] claim Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious cult. Hoekema bases his judgment on a range of what he describes as general characteristics of a cult, including the tendency to elevate peripheral teachings (such as door-to-door witnessing) to great prominence, extra-scriptural source of authority (Hoekema highlights Watch Tower teachings that the Bible may be understood only as it is interpreted by the Governing Body), a view of the group as the exclusive community of the saved (Watch Tower publications teach that Witnesses alone are God's people and only they will survive Armageddon) and the group's central role in eschatology (Hoekema says Witness publications claim the group was called into existence by God to fill in a gap in the truth neglected by existing churches, marking the climax of sacred history).[193]
Jehovah's Witnesses state that they are not a cult[194] and say that although individuals need proper guidance from God, they should do their own thinking.[195][196] Witnesses state that they are saved by the ransom sacrifice of God's Son and undeserved kindness, that there is no one that can earn salvation.[197] American religious scholar J. Gordon Melton,[198] cult deprogrammer John Bowen Brown II,[199] and Knocking producer Joel P. Engardio also reject the claims that Witnesses are a cult.[200][201] The two volume encyclopedia Contemporary American Religion stated: "Various critics and ex-members in recent years have wrongly labeled Jehovah’s Witnesses a 'cult.'"[202]
Coercion[edit]
Since 1920 the Watch Tower Society has required all congregation members participating in the preaching work to turn in written reports of the amount of their activity,[203] explaining that the reports help the Society to plan its activities and identify areas of greater need[204] and help congregation elders to identify those who may need assistance.[205] In 1943 the Society imposed personal quotas, requiring all active Witnesses to spend at least 60 hours of door-to-door preaching per month, claiming these were "directions from the Lord".[206] Although these quotas were subsequently removed, Raymond Franz claims "invisible" quotas remained, obliging Witnesses to meet certain levels of preaching work to remain in good standing in the congregation[164] or to qualify for eldership.[156] Franz describes repeated urging for adherents to "put kingdom interests first" and devote increasing amounts of time to door-to-door preaching efforts as coercive pressure. He says many Witnesses constantly feel guilty that they are not doing more in "field activity".[156]
Former Witnesses Heather and Gary Botting, claiming an emphasis on a personal track record would mean that salvation is effectively being "bought" with "good works", observed: "No matter how long a Witness remains an active distributor of literature, the moment he ceases to be active he is regarded by his peers as good as dead in terms of achieving the ultimate goal of life everlasting in an earthly paradise ... Few realize upon entering the movement that the purchase price is open-ended and that the bill can never be paid in full until death or the advent of Armageddon."[163]
The Watchtower, however, noted that although public preaching is necessary, such works do not "save" a Christian and it urged Witnesses to examine their motive for engaging in preaching activity.[207]
Russian religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, in a dissenting opinion to a report by a panel of experts to Moscow's Golovinsky Intermunicipal Court in 1999, stated, "It would be a serious mistake to represent the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion whose leadership forces its rank and file believers to engage in one form of activity or another, or place upon them strict restrictions or directives." Ivanenko, who based his view on a study of Watch Tower Society literature, concluded: "Jehovah's Witnesses strive to live in accord with Bible principles on the basis of an individual, voluntary choice ... This also applies in full measure to preaching." [208] James A. Beckford, a professor at the University of Warwick, England, who published a study of English Jehovah's Witnesses in 1975,[209] also told the court: "It is important for each of them to exercise free moral agency in choosing to study the Bible and to live in accordance with their interpretation of its message."[210] On June 10, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) stated in regards to a charge of coercion of family members, that "Quite often, the opposite is true: it is the resistance and unwillingness of non-religious family members to accept and to respect the [Jehovah's Witnesses] religious relative's freedom to manifest and practise his or her religion that is the source of conflict."[211]
Medical and legal commentators have also noted cases claiming that Witness medical patients were coerced to obey the religion's ban on blood transfusions.[212][213][214] In a case involving a review of a Russian district court decision, however, the ECHR found nothing in the judgments to suggest that any form of improper pressure or undue influence was applied. It noted: "On the contrary, it appears that many Jehovah’s Witnesses have made a deliberate choice to refuse blood transfusions in advance, free from time constraints of an emergency situation." The court said: "The freedom to accept or refuse specific medical treatment, or to select an alternative form of treatment, is vital to the principles of self-determination and personal autonomy. A competent adult patient is free to decide ... not to have a blood transfusion. However, for this freedom to be meaningful, patients must have the right to make choices that accord with their own views and values, regardless of how irrational, unwise or imprudent such choices may appear to others."[215]
Shunning[edit]
Main articles: Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline and Shunning
Witnesses practice disfellowshipping of members who unrepentantly engage in "gross sin",[216] (most commonly for breaches of the Witnesses' code of personal morality),[217][218] and "remorseless apostasy".[219] The process of disfellowshipping is said to be carried to uphold God’s standards, preserve the congregation’s spiritual cleanness, and possibly prompt a change of attitude in the wrongdoer.[216] The practice requires that the expelled person be shunned by all members of the religion, including family members who do not live in the same home, unless they qualify for re-admission. A person who dies while disfellowshipped cannot be given a funeral at a Kingdom Hall.[220][221] Members often face difficulties and trauma once expelled because of their previously limited contact with the outside world.[222][223] The Watchtower??'?s description of those who leave as being "mentally diseased" has drawn criticism from some current and former members; in Britain some have argued that the description may constitute a breach of laws regarding religious hatred.[224][225]
The Watch Tower Society has attracted criticism for disfellowshipping members who decide they cannot conscientiously agree with all the religion's teachings and practices. Sociologist Andrew Holden says that because the religion provides no valid reason for leaving, those who do choose to leave are regarded as traitors.[226] According to Raymond Franz, those who decide they cannot accept Watch Tower teachings and practices often live in a climate of fear, feeling they must constantly be on guard about what they say, do and read. He says those who do express any disagreement, even in a private conversation with friends, risk investigation and trial by a judicial committee as apostates or heretics[227] and classed as "wicked".[228]
Franz argues that the threat of expulsion for expressing disagreement with the Watch Tower Society's teachings is designed to create a sterile atmosphere in which the organization's teachings and policies can circulate without the risk of confronting serious questioning or adverse evidence.[229] The result, according to Holden, is that individuals may spend most of their lives suppressing doubts for fear of losing their relationships with friends and relatives.[230] Penton describes the system of judicial committees and the threat of expulsion as the ultimate control mechanism among the Witnesses;[231] Holden claims that shunning not only rids the community of defilement, but deters others from dissident behavior.[222] Sociologist Ronald Lawson has also noted that the religion allows little room for independence of thought, and no toleration of doctrinal diversity; he says those who deviate from official teachings are readily expelled and shunned.[232]
Watch Tower Society publications defend the practice of expelling and shunning those who "promote false teaching", claiming such individuals must be quarantined to prevent the spread of their "spiritual infection".[233] They have cited a dictionary definition of apostasy ("renunciation of a religious faith, abandonment of a previous loyalty") to rule that an individual who begins affiliating with another religion has disassociated from the Witnesses, warranting their shunning to protect the spiritual cleanness of the Witness congregation on the basis of the reference in 1 John 2:19 that those who leave Christianity are "not of our sort".[234] An individual's acceptance of a blood transfusion is similarly deemed as evidence of disassociation.[235] They say Witnesses also obey the "strong counsel" at 1 Corinthians 5:11 that Christians should "quit mixing in company" with people who unrepentantly reject certain scriptural standards.[236]
The Witnesses' judicial process has also been criticized. Hearings take place in secret,[231] with judicial committees filling the roles of judge, jury and prosecutor.[221] According to Franz, witnesses may present evidence but are not permitted to remain for the discussion[237] Critics Heather and Gary Botting have claimed that Witnesses accused of an offence warranting expulsion are presumed guilty until found innocent. They say the onus is on the accused to prove their innocence and if they make no attempt to do so—by failing to appear at a hearing set by the judicial committee—they are assumed to be guilty and unrepentant.[238]
When a decision is made regarding disfellowshipping or disassociation, an announcement is made that the person is "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses," at which point shunning is immediate. Members are not told whether the person has disassociated or has been disfellowshipped. Neither testimony nor evidence in support of the judicial decision are provided. Congregation members are told to accept the rulings without question and Witnesses who refuse to abide by a judicial committee decision will themselves suffer expulsion.[231] Members are forbidden to talk with the expelled member, removing any opportunity for the person to discuss or explain their actions.[237][239] Penton claims judicial committee members and the Watch Tower Society frequently ignore established procedures when dealing with troublesome individuals, conspiring to have them expelled in violation of Society rules.[240] Critics claim that Witness policies encourage an informer system to report to elders Witnesses suspected of having committed an act that could warrant expulsion, including deviating from organizational policies and teachings.[241][242]
Criticism has also been directed at the 1981 change of policy[243] that directed that persons who disassociate from (formally leave) the religion were to be treated as though they were disfellowshipped.[244][245] Holden says that as a result, those who do leave the religion are seldom allowed a dignified exit.[222] Heather and Gary Botting claim inactive Witnesses are often pressured to either become active or to disassociate themselves by declaring they no longer accept key Watch Tower Society doctrines.[238]
Blood[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions
Jehovah's Witnesses reject transfusions of whole allogenic blood and its primary components (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma), and transfusions of stored autologous blood or its primary components. As a doctrine, Jehovah's Witnesses do not reject transfusion of whole autologous blood so long as it is not stored prior to surgery (e.g. peri-operative extraction and transfusion of autologous blood). This religious position is due to their belief that blood is sacred and represents life in God's eyes. Jehovah's Witnesses understand scriptures such as Leviticus 17:10-14 (which speaks of not eating blood) and Acts 15:29 ("abstain from blood") to include taking blood into the body via a transfusion.[246] Controversy has stemmed, however, from what critics state are inconsistencies in Witness policies on blood, claims that Witness patients are coerced into refusing blood and that Watch Tower literature distorts facts about transfusions and fails to provide information that would allow Witnesses to make an informed decision on the issue.[154]
Fractions and components[edit]
In the case of minor fractions derived from blood, each individual is directed to follow their own conscience on whether these are acceptable.[247][248] This is because it is difficult to define at what point blood is no longer blood. As a substance is broken down into smaller and smaller parts it may or may not be considered the original substance. Therefore some of Jehovah's Witnesses personally choose to accept the use of blood fractions and some do not. However, if a fraction "makes up a significant portion of that component" or "carries out the key function of a primary component" it may be objectionable to them.[249]
Such a stance of dividing blood into major components and minor fractions rather than either accepting all blood or requiring all blood components to be poured out onto the ground has led to criticism from organizations such as the Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood.[250] Witnesses respond that blood as the fluid per se is not the real issue. They say the real issue is respect and obedience regarding blood, which they perceive as being God's personal property.[251][252] Members are allowed to eat meat that still contains small traces of blood remaining. Once blood is drained from an animal, the respect has been shown to God and then a person can eat the meat. Jehovah's Witnesses view of meat and blood is therefore different from the Jewish view that goes to great lengths to remove even minor traces of blood.[253][254]
According to lawyer Kerry Louderback-Wood, a former Jehovah's Witness,[255] the Watch Tower Society misrepresents the scope of allowed fractions. If taken together, they "total the entire volume of blood they came from".[256] An example of this can be seen in blood plasma, which consists of 90-96% water. The remaining amount consists mainly of albumin, globulins, fibrinogen and coagulation factors. These four fractions are allowable for use, but only if taken separately. Critics have likened this to banning the eating of a ham and cheese sandwich but allowing the eating of bread, ham and cheese separately.[257]
Storing and donation[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that storing blood violates direction from the Bible to 'pour blood out onto the ground'. They do not donate blood except for uses they have individually pre-approved.[258] However, they are told that acceptance of blood fractions from donated blood is a matter of conscience. A 2006 issue of Jehovah's Witnesses' newsletter Our Kingdom Ministry stated, "Although [Jehovah's Witnesses] do not donate or store their own blood for transfusion purposes, some procedures or tests involving an individual’s blood are not so clearly in conflict with Bible principles. Therefore, each individual should make a conscientious decision" [emphasis added].[259] Critics have challenged these policies because acceptable blood fractions can only be derived from stored blood provided by donors.[260]
Legal considerations[edit]
Regardless of the medical considerations, Jehovah Witnesses advocate that physicians should uphold the right of a patient to choose what treatments they do or do not accept (though a Witness is subject to religious sanctions if they exercise their right to choose a blood transfusion).[261] Accordingly, US courts tend not to hold physicians responsible for adverse health effects that a patient incurred out of his or her own requests.[246] However, the point of view that physicians must, in all circumstances, abide by the religious wishes of the patients is not acknowledged by all jurisdictions, such as was determined in a case involving Jehovah's Witnesses in France.
The situation has been controversial, particularly in the case of children. In the United States, many physicians will agree to explore and exhaust all non-blood alternatives in the treatment of children at the request of their legal guardians. Some state laws require physicians to administer blood-based treatment to minors if it is their professional opinion that it is necessary to prevent immediate death or severe permanent damage.[citation needed]
Kerry Louderback-Wood has claimed that Jehovah's Witnesses' legal corporations are potentially liable to significant claims for compensation if the religion misrepresents the medical risks of blood transfusions. Wood claims that constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion do not remove the legal responsibility that every person or organization has regarding misrepresenting secular fact.[262]
Animal blood[edit]
The Watchtower has stated that "Various medical products have been obtained from biological sources, either animal or human ... Such commercialization of ... blood is hardly tempting for true Christians, who guide their thinking by God's perfect law. Our Creator views blood as sacred, representing God-given life ... blood removed from a creature was to be poured out on the ground, disposed of."[263]
Reporting of sexual abuse[edit]
Main articles: Jehovah's Witnesses and child sex abuse and Silentlambs
Critics such as Silentlambs have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of employing organizational policies that make the reporting of sexual abuse difficult for members.[264][265] Some victims of sexual abuse have asserted that when reporting abuse they were ordered to maintain silence by their local elders to avoid embarrassment to both the accused and the organization.[266][267][268][269]
The religion's official policy on child protection, which discusses the procedures for reporting child sexual abuse, states that elders obey all legal requirements for reporting sex offenders, including reporting uncorroborated or unsubstantiated allegations where required by law. Elders are to discipline pedophiles in the congregation. Victims are permitted to notify the authorities if they wish to do so.[270]
While a Witness may lose congregation privileges following a single credible accusation of abuse,[271] Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be scripturally obliged to require corroboration ("two witnesses") before applying their severest forms of congregational discipline.[272] If there is not an actual second witness to an incident of abuse, a congregation judicial committee will accept medical or police reports, or a witness to a separate but similar incident as such a second witness against a member accused of sexual abuse.[273]
Biblical criticisms[edit]
The Watch Tower Society has been criticized for its refusal to reveal the names and academic credentials of the translators of its New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT).[274] The Society has claimed members of the NWT's translation committee wished to remain anonymous in order to exalt only the name of God,[275] The Watchtower stating that the educational qualifications of the translators were unimportant and that "the translation itself testifies to their qualifications".[276] Raymond Franz, a former member of the Governing Body, has claimed that of the four men he says constituted the committee, only one—its principal translator, his uncle Frederick Franz—had sufficient knowledge of biblical languages to have attempted the project.[277] Frederick Franz had studied Greek for two years and was self-taught in Hebrew.[278]
Much criticism of the NWT involves the rendering of certain texts considered to be biased towards specific Witness practices and doctrines.[274][279][280][281][282][283] These include the use of "torture stake" instead of "cross" throughout the New Testament;[274] the rendering of John 1:1, with the insertion of the indefinite article ("a") in its rendering to give "the Word was a god";[274][284] Romans 10:10, which uses the term "public declaration", which may reinforce the imperative to engage in public preaching;[274] John 17:3, which used the term "taking in knowledge" rather than "know" to suggest that salvation is dependent on ongoing study,[274] and the placement of the comma in Luke 23:43, which affects the timing of the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to the thief at Calvary.[285]
Also criticized is the NWT's insertion of the name Jehovah 237 times in the New Testament without extant New Testament Greek manuscript evidence that the name existed there.[286][287][288] Watch Tower publications have claimed that the name was "restored" on a sound basis, stating that when New Testament writers quote earlier Old Testament scriptures containing the Tetragrammaton (????), "the translator has the right to render Kyrios ("LORD") as Jehovah."[289] The NWT mentions twenty-seven other translations which have similarly rendered Kyrios as a form of the name Jehovah, stating that there is only one verse where the NWT does so without agreement from other translations.[290]
The Society has claimed its translation "courageously restores God’s name, Jehovah, to its proper place in the Biblical text, is free from the bias of religious traditionalism, and ... gives the literal meaning of God’s Word as accurately as possible."[291] Jason BeDuhn, associate professor of religious studies at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, Arizona, compared major translations for accuracy. He wrote that the NWT's introduction of the name "Jehovah" into the New Testament 237 times was "not accurate translation by the most basic principle of accuracy".[292] BeDuhn also stated that whilst there are "a handful of examples of bias in the [New World Translation (NW)]", that "most of the differences are due to the greater accuracy of the NW as a literal, conservative translation of the original expressions of the New Testament writers." He concluded that "the NW and [another translation] are not bias free, and they are not perfect translations. But they are remarkably good translations ... often better than [the other six translations analyzed]."[293]
See also[edit]
Anti-cult movement
Beth Sarim
Charles Taze Russell controversies
Christian countercult movement
Heresy in Christianity
Heterodoxy
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Crompton, Robert (1996), Counting the Days to Armageddon, Cambridge: James Clarke & Co, pp. 9, 115, ISBN 0-227-67939-3
2.Jump up ^ The Time is at Hand, Watch Tower Society, 1889, pages 99 "In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth, that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God will be accomplished by A.D. 1914."; cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 193.
3.Jump up ^ In 1892 Zion's Watch Tower stated that God's battle, Armageddon, which was believed to be already under way, would end in October 1914, a date "definitely marked in Scripture," (15 January 1892, page 1355 reprint) and Watch Tower editor Charles Taze Russell declared: "We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours." (The Watchtower, 15 July 1894, page 1677). After comparing "unreliable secular chronology" to reliable "Bible chronology" The Watchtower stated, “It was on this line of reckoning [using the chronology of the Bible as an established fact] that the dates 1874, 1914, and 1918 were located; and the Lord has placed the stamp of his seal upon 1914 and 1918 beyond any possibility of erasure....Using this same measuring line, beginning with the entry...of Israel into Canaan, and counting the full 70 cycles...,as clearly indicated by Jehovah's sending of the Jews into Babylon for the full 70 years, it is an easy matter to locate 1925, probably the fall, for the beginning of the antitypical jubilee. There can be no more question about 1925 than there was about 1914.... Looking back we can now easily see that those dates were clearly indicated in Scripture and doubtless intended by the Lord to encourage his people....That all that some expect to see in 1925 may not transpire that year will not alter the date one whit more than in the other cases.”(The Watch Tower, May 15, 1922, p. 150; Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 224).
4.Jump up ^ "Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View", The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, page 591, "Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect. We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his Word and channel of communication....Jehovah's visible organization is based firmly on the twelvefold foundation of the apostles of the Lamb with Jesus Christ himself being the foundation cornerstone.(Rev. 21:14,19;Eph 2:20-22) Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah's visible theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements."
5.Jump up ^ "The Godly Qualities of Love and Hate", The Watchtower, 15 July 1974: 441, "Christians have implicit trust in their heavenly Father; they do not question what he tells them through his written Word and organization."
6.^ Jump up to: a b Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 174, "No less serious is it when a group of men have divided views on predictions related to a certain date and yet present their adherents an outward appearance of united confidence, encouraging those adherents to place unwavering trust in those predictions."
7.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, p. 629 "people certainly ha[ve] the freedom to believe what they chose. But anyone who publicly or privately advocates views that are divergent from what appears in the publications of an organization, and who does so while claiming to represent that organization, causes division."
8.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Atlanta: Commentary Press, pp. 18–28, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
9.Jump up ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, pp. 66–69, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
10.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, Watch Tower Society, 1959, page 52.
11.Jump up ^ "A Solid Basis for Confidence", The Watchtower, July 15, 1976, page 440.
12.Jump up ^ Gruss, Edmond C. (1972), The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, pp. 87–88, ISBN 0-87552-306-4
13.Jump up ^ In Crisis of Conscience, 2002, pg. 173, Franz quotes from "They Shall Know That a Prophet Was Among Them", (The Watchtower, April 1, 1972,) which states that God had raised Jehovah's Witnesses as "a prophet to help [people], to warn them of dangers and declare things to come". He also cites "Identifying the Right Kind of Messenger" (The Watchtower, May 1, 1997, page 8) which identifies the Witnesses as his "true messengers ... by making the messages he delivers through them come true", in contrast to "false messengers", whose predictions fail. In In Search of Christian Freedom, 2007, he quotes The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah - How? (1971, pg 70, 292) which describes Witnesses as the modern Ezekiel class, "a genuine prophet within our generation". The Watch Tower book noted: "Concerning the message faithfully delivered by the Ezekiel class, Jehovah positively states that it 'must come true' ... those who wait undecided until it does 'come true' will also have to know that a prophet himself had proved to be in the midst of them." He also cites "Execution of the Great Harlot Nears", (The Watchtower, October 15, 1980, pg 17) which claims God gives the Witnesses "special knowledge that others do not have ... advance knowledge about this system's end".
14.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 86-91.
15.Jump up ^ Criticisms of statements, such as those found below, are found in a number of books including Penton, M. James (1997) Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press; Franz, Raymond, In Search of Christian Freedom (2007) Commentary Press; Watters, Randall (2004) Thus Saith Jehovah's Witnesses, Common Sense Publications; Reed, David A. (1990) Index of Watchtower Errors, 1879 to 1989, Baker Books and at websites including Watchtower Information Service; Quotes-Watchtower.co.uk; Reexamine.Quotes.
16.Jump up ^ Waldeck, Val Jehovah's Witnesses: What do they believe?. Pilgrim Publications SA. ISBN 1-920092-08-0.
17.Jump up ^ Buttrey, John M (2004). Let No One Mislead You. iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-30710-8.
18.Jump up ^ Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 23.
19.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, page 87.
20.^ Jump up to: a b "Why So Many False Alarms?", Awake!, March 22, 1993, pages 3-4, footnote.
21.Jump up ^ Reasoning From the Scriptures, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1989, pg 137.
22.Jump up ^ Revelation - Its Grand Climax, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1988, page 9.
23.Jump up ^ "Views From the Watchtower", Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, January 1908, "We are not prophesying; we are merely giving our surmises ... We do not even [assert] that there is no mistake in our interpretation of prophesy and our calculations of chronology. We have merely laid these before you, leaving it for each to exercise his own faith or doubt in respect to them."
24.Jump up ^ "Preaching Christ—Through Envy or Goodwill?", The Watchtower, May 15, 1976, p. 297, "Jehovah’s Witnesses as modern-day Christians are working hard to get this good news preached to every individual. They do not claim infallibility or perfection. Neither are they inspired prophets."
25.Jump up ^ "Allow No Place for the Devil!", The Watchtower, March 15, 1986, page 19, "Some opposers claim that Jehovah’s Witnesses are false prophets. These opponents say that dates have been set, but nothing has happened. ... Yes, Jehovah’s people have had to revise expectations from time to time. Because of our eagerness, we have hoped for the new system earlier than Jehovah’s timetable has called for it. But we display our faith in God’s Word and its sure promises by declaring its message to others. Moreover, the need to revise our understanding somewhat does not make us false prophets or change the fact that we are living in 'the last days,' ... How foolish to take the view that expectations needing some adjustment should call into question the whole body of truth! The evidence is clear that Jehovah has used and is continuing to use his one organization."
26.Jump up ^ George Chryssides, They Keep Changing the Dates, A paper presented at the CESNUR 2010 conference in Torino. How Prophecy Succeeds:The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Expectations
27.Jump up ^ March 1, 1904 Zion's Watch Tower p. 67
28.Jump up ^ Charles Taze Russell and Nelson H. Barbour, The Three Worlds (1907) as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, pages 21-22.
29.Jump up ^ Charles Taze Russell, The Time Is At Hand (1891) as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 44.
30.Jump up ^ Melvin D. Curry, Jehovah's Witnesses: The Millenarian World of the Watch Tower, Garland, 1992, as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 45.
31.Jump up ^ Penton, James (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0802079732.
32.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 485, 258, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 206-211.
33.Jump up ^ J. F. Rutherford, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 212-214.
34.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, May 15, 1922, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 224.
35.Jump up ^ The Way to Paradise booklet, Watch Tower Society, 1924, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 230-232.
36.Jump up ^ Face the Facts, 1938, pp. 46-50
37.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 15, 1941, p. 288
38.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, May 1, 1942, p. 139
39.Jump up ^ Awake!, February 22, 1961, p. 7
40.Jump up ^ Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God (PDF), Watch Tower Society, 1966, pp. 29–35, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 238-239.
41.Jump up ^ Talk by F. W. Franz, Baltimore, Maryland 1966, cited by Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, and by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 238-239.
42.Jump up ^ Did Man Get Here By Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1967, pg 161.
43.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, May 1, 1968, page 273
44.Jump up ^ Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, March 1968, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 246.
45.Jump up ^ Awake!, May 22, 1969, p. 15
46.Jump up ^ The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah – How?, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1971, pg 216.
47.Jump up ^ Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, May 1974, page 3.
48.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, March 1, 1984, pp. 18-19
49.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, January 1, 1989, pg. 12.
50.Jump up ^ "Flashes of Light - Great and Small", The Watchtower, May 15, 1995, page 17.
51.^ Jump up to: a b c Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 184.
52.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, July 15, 1894: 1677, "We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God’s dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble." Missing or empty |title= (help)
53.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 15, 1901: 292, "The culmination of the trouble in October, 1914, is clearly marked in the Scriptures;" Missing or empty |title= (help)
54.Jump up ^ The Time Is at Hand, 1907, p. 101, "The ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty’ (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth’s present rulership, is already commenced."
55.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, November 1, 1922: 346, "We understand that the jubilee type began to count in 1575 B.C.; and the 3,500 year period embracing the type must end in 1925. It follows, then, that the year 1925 will mark the beginning of the restoration of all things lost by Adam's disobedience." Missing or empty |title= (help)
56.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, November 1, 1922: 333, "Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874 ... these facts are indisputable." Missing or empty |title= (help)
57.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 708.
58.Jump up ^ "Impart God’s Progressive Revelation to Mankind", The Watchtower, March 1, 1965, p. 158-159
59.Jump up ^ Studies in the Scriptures Vol. II 1889 p. 239, Studies in the Scriptures Volume III 1891 p. 234, Studies in Scriptures Vol. IV 1897 p. 621.
60.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 632.
61.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, pages 20, 23.
62.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 23.
63.Jump up ^ Watchtower, February 1, 1925, page 371.
64.Jump up ^ Watchtower, May 15, 1927, page 151.
65.Jump up ^ Watchtower, June 1, 1927.
66.Jump up ^ "The Corroborative Testimony of God's Stone Witness and Prophet, The Great Pyramid in Egypt", Chapter 10, Thy Kingdom Come, third volume of Studies in the Scriptures, 1910.
67.Jump up ^ Watchtower, June 15, 1922, page 187, as reproduced by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 225, 226.
68.Jump up ^ Watchtower, 1928, pages 339-45, 355-62, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 170.
69.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, October–November 1881, as cited by Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 142.
70.Jump up ^ The Battle of Armageddon by C. T. Russell, 1886, page 613, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, footnote, page 345.
71.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, December 1, 1916, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 34.
72.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, pages 68 and 71, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 63.
73.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 626, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 67.
74.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, October 1, 1909, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 67.
75.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 626.
76.Jump up ^ Thy Kingdom Come, 1891, page 23.
77.Jump up ^ The Harp of God, (1921), 1924 ed., p. 231.
78.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, pages 21, 46.
79.Jump up ^ C.T. Russell, The Time Is At Hand (Watch Tower Society, 1889, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 190, 204.
80.Jump up ^ Life, Watch Tower Society, 1929, page 170, as cited by Edmond C. Gruss, The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, page 87.
81.Jump up ^ J.F. Rutherford, Vindication - Book II, pages 257-258, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 65.
82.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, November 1, 1922, page 333, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 228.
83.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, March 1, 1922, "The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the time of the end began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874".
84.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, pages 18-22.
85.Jump up ^ "No Spiritual Energy Crisis for Discreet Ones", The Watchtower, August 15, 1974, page 507, footnote.
86.^ Jump up to: a b Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, 2007, page 484.
87.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, June 15, 1952, page 376.
88.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 107, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
89.Jump up ^ Qualified To Be Ministers, Watch Tower Society, 1955, page 381, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 74.
90.Jump up ^ Marley Cole, Jehovah's Witnesses - The New World Society, Vantage Press, New York, 1955, pages 86-89, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 74.
91.Jump up ^ Testimony by Fred Franz, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh Transcript, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, 1954, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 75-76.
92.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, page 68, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 59.
93.Jump up ^ Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, pages 58-79.
94.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, 1997, page 216.
95.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, December 15, 1971, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 78.
96.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, July 1, 1963, page 412.
97.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, July 15, 1963, page 443.
98.Jump up ^ "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, pages 467, "It is right to hate the wrong committed by the disfellowshiped one, but it is not right to hate the person nor is it right to treat such ones in an inhumane way."
99.Jump up ^ "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, pages 471-472.
100.Jump up ^ "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, page 471, par 19.
101.^ Jump up to: a b "If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 28.
102.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 24-25.
103.Jump up ^ "If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 30.
104.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 20-31, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 299-300.
105.Jump up ^ Letter to all circuit and district overseers from Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, September 1, 1980, as reproduced by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 341.
106.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 23, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 299-300.
107.Jump up ^ Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 357-359.
108.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, June 15, 1911, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 188.
109.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 485, 258, 513 as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 206-211.
110.Jump up ^ Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Society, 1988, page 209.
111.Jump up ^ Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Society, 1988, pages 266, 269.
112.Jump up ^ "No Calamity Will Befall Us" (Subheading). (Nov. 15, 2001). The Watchtower, p.19
113.Jump up ^ "Let the Reader Use Discernment", (Subheading "A Modern-Day 'Disgusting Thing'"). (May 1, 1999). The Watchtower, p 14
114.Jump up ^ "A World Without War-When?" Oct.1, 1991, pp.5 The Watchtower
115.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, 1 June 1997, p. 17 par. 15: "In the first place, what lies ahead for the world's false religions that have so often been extremely friendly with the UN? They are the offspring of one idolatrous fountainhead, ancient Babylon. Appropriately, they are described at Revelation 17:5 as "Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth". Jeremiah described the doom of this hypocritical conglomerate. Harlotlike, they have seduced earth's politicians, flattering the UN and forming illicit relations with its member political powers."
116.Jump up ^ Bates, Stephen (Oct. 8, 2001) "Jehovah's Witnesses link to UN queried", The Guardian
117.Jump up ^ Bates, Stephen (Oct. 15, 2001) "'Hypocrite' Jehovah's Witnesses abandon secret link with UN", The Guardian
118.Jump up ^ Letter to Editor - The Guardian" (Oct. 22, 2001) Office of Public Information
119.Jump up ^ Letter from United Nations DPI/NGO Resource Centre
120.Jump up ^ UN DPI/NGO
121.Jump up ^ Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy! chap. 6 par. 25-29
122.^ Jump up to: a b Edmond C. Gruss, Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, ISBN 0-87552-306-4 Page 42.
123.^ Jump up to: a b "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part One" The Watchtower, October 1, 2011, page 26
124.Jump up ^ "Evidences of the Year’s Correctness". The Watchtower: 271–2. May 1, 1952. "It was in this first regnal year of Cyrus that he issued his decree to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. (Ezra 1:1) The decree may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4–5, 537 B.C. In either case this would have given sufficient time for the large party of 49,897 Jews to organize their expedition and to make their long four-month journey from Babylon to Jerusalem to get there by September 29–30, 537 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month, to build their altar to Jehovah as recorded at Ezra 3:1-3. Inasmuch as September 29–30, 537 B.C., officially ends the seventy years of desolation as recorded at 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21, so the beginning of the desolation of the land must have officially begun to be counted after September 21–22, 607 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month in 607 B.C., which is the beginning point for the counting of the 2,520 years."
125.Jump up ^ [1] "Babylonian Exile." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.
126.Jump up ^ "Timeline of Judaism after the Babylonian Exile (538 BCE-70 CE)". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
127.Jump up ^ Keller, Werner (1983). The Bible As History. Bantam; 2 Revised edition. p. 352. ISBN 0-553-27943-2.
128.Jump up ^ Dictionary of the Bible: Biographical, Geographical, Historical and Doctrinal by Charles Randall Barnes, Page 247.
129.Jump up ^ Dyer, Charles (2003). Nelson’s Old Testament survey: Discovering essence, Background & Meaning about Every Old Testament book.
130.Jump up ^ The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return by Carl O. Jonsson. ISBN 0-914675-06-0 Publisher: Commentary Press (July, 1998, Fourth edition 2004)
131.Jump up ^ "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part Two" The Watchtower, November 1, 2011, page 22
132.Jump up ^ Insight from scriptures. Vol.2 page 458, "secular chronologers calculate the 16th day of Tashritu (Tishri) as falling on October 11, Julian calendar, and October 5, Gregorian calendar, in the year 539 B.C.E. Since this date is an accepted one, there being no evidence to the contrary, it is usable as a pivotal date in coordinating secular history with Bible history."
133.Jump up ^ Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian Chronology Compared with the Chronology of the Bible, Volume 1: Persian Chronology and the Length of the Babylonian Exile of the Jews (2003) ISBN 82-994633-3-5
134.Jump up ^ Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 28:5 [2004], p. 42-43
135.Jump up ^ Under One Sky: Astronomy and Mathematics in the Ancient Near East, Münster 2002, pp. 423-428, F. R. Stephenson and D. M. Willis.
136.^ Jump up to: a b "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part Two" The Watchtower, November 1, 2011, page 25, 28, footnote 18
137.Jump up ^ Mesopotamian Planetary Astronomy–Astrology, David Brown, pages 53–56; 2000
138.Jump up ^ When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed, page 21, Carl O. Jonsson.
139.Jump up ^ Insight from scriptures, Vol. I, Astronomical Calculations, page 454
140.Jump up ^ Life — How Did It Get Here? By Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1985
141.Jump up ^ Was Life Created?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 2010
142.Jump up ^ Gary Botting, "Preface" to The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. xiv-xvi
143.Jump up ^ Hitching is first introduced as an "evolutionist" (p. 15). A Hitching quote on page 71 is repeated on page 73, in the latter case presented as the statement of "a scientist". The 1986 Watchtower book The Bible — God's Word or Man's? likewise refers to Hitching as a scientist (p. 106).
144.Jump up ^ Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion, p. 145. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2006. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
145.Jump up ^ Is There a Creator Who Cares About You?. Watch Tower Society. p. 93.
146.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, April 1, 1986, pp. 12-13
147.Jump up ^ Awake!, May 8, 1997, p. 12
148.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 1, 1986, p. 30
149.Jump up ^ "Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View", The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, page 591, "Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect ... in submitting to Jehovah's visible theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements."
150.Jump up ^ "Loyal to Christ and His Faithful Slave", The Watchtower, April 1, 2007, page 24, "When we loyally submit to the direction of the faithful slave and its Governing Body, we are submitting to Christ, the slave's Master."
151.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, pp. 89, 95, 103, 120, 204, 221, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
152.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, pp. 22, 32, 150–170, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
153.Jump up ^ Alan Rogerson, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Constable, 1969, page 50.
154.^ Jump up to: a b Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses, part 1", Journal of Medical Ethics, August 1998, Vol 24, Issue 4, page 223-230.
155.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, pp. 98–100, 104–107, 113, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
156.^ Jump up to: a b c d R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 6.
157.Jump up ^ Court transcript as cited by Heather & Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1984, page 67-68, also at Pursuer's Proof: Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh Transcript, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, 1954.
158.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p. 103, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
159.Jump up ^ Minority Religions, Social Change, and Freedom of Conscience
160.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 67, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
161.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, pp. 419–421, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
162.Jump up ^ Stevenson, W.C. (1967), Year of Doom 1975: The Inside Story of Jehovah's Witnesses, London: Hutchinson & Co, pp. 33–35, "The inevitable result of a person's submitting to (the home Bible study) arrangement is that eventually all his own thoughts will be replaced by the thoughts contained in the book he is studying ... if one were able to watch this person's development ... it would be quite obvious that he was gradually losing all individuality of thought and action ... One of the characteristics of Jehovah's Witnesses is the extraordinary unanimity of thinking on almost every aspect of life ... in view of this there seems to be some justification for the charge that their study methods are in fact a subtle form of indoctrination or brainwashing."
163.^ Jump up to: a b c Botting, Heather & Gary (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, p. 153, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
164.^ Jump up to: a b R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 16.
165.Jump up ^ "Exposing the Devil’s Subtle Designs" and "Armed for the Fight Against Wicked Spirits", Watchtower, January 15, 1983, as cited by Heather and Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1984, page 92.
166.Jump up ^ "Serving Jehovah Shoulder to Shoulder", The Watchtower, August 15, 1981, page 28, "Jehovah's Theocratic Organization Today", The Watchtower, February 1, 1952, pages 79–81.
167.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 25-26, 101, "For every passage in Society literature that urges members to be bold and courageous in critical pursuits, there are many others that warn about independent thinking and the peril of questioning the organization ... Fear of disobedience to the Governing Body keeps Jehovah's Witnesses from carefully checking into biblical doctrine or allegations concerning false prophecy, faulty scholarship, and injustice. Witnesses are told not to read books like this one."
168.Jump up ^ According to Randall Watters, who in 1981 published a pamphlet, "What happened at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in the spring of 1980?", cited by Heather and Gary Botting, a former Governing Body member is said to have referred Brooklyn headquarters staff to an organizational handbook containing 1,177 policies and regulations, telling them: "If there are some who feel that they cannot subject themselves to the rules and regulations now in operation, such ones ought to be leaving and not be involved here."
169.Jump up ^ Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, pp. 107–108, 122, 298.
170.Jump up ^ "Walk With Confidence in Jehovah’s Leadership", The Watchtower, June 1, 1985, page 20, "To turn away from Jehovah and his organization, to spurn the direction of “the faithful and discreet slave,” and to rely simply on personal Bible reading and interpretation is to become like a solitary tree in a parched land."
171.Jump up ^ Question box, Our Kingdom Ministry, September 2007.
172.Jump up ^ "Do not be quickly shaken from your reason", Watchtower, March 15, 1986
173.Jump up ^ "At which table are you feeding?" Watchtower, July 1, 1994
174.Jump up ^ Watchtower, May 1, 1984, page 31, as cited by R. Franz, "In Search of Christian Freedom", chapter 12
175.Jump up ^ "Firmly uphold godly teaching," Watchtower, May 1, 2000, page 9.
176.Jump up ^ Heather & Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, 1984, page 143, 153.
177.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, pp. 204, 221, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
178.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 30, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
179.Jump up ^ R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 11.
180.Jump up ^ Muramoto, O. (January 6, 2001), "Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses", BMJ 322 (7277): 37–39, doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7277.37, PMC 1119307, PMID 11141155.
181.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, pp. 449–464, ISBN 0-914675-17-6, "Loyalty to the organization becomes the touchstone, the criterion, the "bottom line", when it comes to determining whether one is a faithful Christian or not ... to make any organizational loyalty the criterion for judging anyone's Christianity is, then, clearly a perversion of Scripture ... Read the whole of those Scriptures ... nowhere are we taught to put faith in men or in an earthly organization, unquestioningly following its lead ... the entire Bible record is a continual reminder of the danger inherent in that kind of trust."
182.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, p. 458, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
183.Jump up ^ "You Must Be Holy Because Jehovah Is Holy", The Watchtower, February 15, 1976, page 124, "Would not a failure to respond to direction from God through his organization really indicate a rejection of divine rulership?"
184.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 25-26, 101.
185.Jump up ^ Holden 2002, p. 121.
186.Jump up ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, p. 156, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
187.Jump up ^ "Questions from readers", Watchtower, April 1, 1986.
188.Jump up ^ Stark and Iannoccone (1997), "Why the Jehovah's Witnesses Grow So Rapidly: A Theoretical Application" (PDF), Journal of Contemporary Religion (PDF), pp. 142–143, retrieved 2008-12-30.
189.Jump up ^ ECHR Point 130, 118
190.Jump up ^ Gary Botting, Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses, (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993.
191.Jump up ^ Rhodes, Ron (2001), The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, pp. 77–103, ISBN 0-310-23217-1
192.Jump up ^ Gomes, Alan W. (1995), Unmasking the Cults, Zondervan, pp. 22, 23, ISBN 0-310-70441-3
193.Jump up ^ Hoekema, Anthony A. (1963), The Four Major Cults, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, pp. 1–8,223–371, 373–388, ISBN 0-8028-3117-6
194.Jump up ^ "Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Cult?", The Watchtower, February 15, 1994, pages 5-7
195.Jump up ^ "Do Others Do Your Thinking?", Awake!, August 22, 1978, page 4.
196.Jump up ^ "Who Molds Your Thinking?", The Watchtower, April 1, 1999, page 22, "You have free will. Exercising it, you can choose to respond to Jehovah’s molding influence or deliberately reject it. How much better to listen to Jehovah’s voice instead of arrogantly asserting, 'No one tells me what to do'!"
197.Jump up ^ "Salvation", Reasoning on the Scriptures, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, p. 359, "Is anything more than faith needed in order to gain salvation? Eph. 2:8, 9, RS: “By grace [“undeserved kindness,” NW] you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.” (The entire provision for salvation is an expression of God’s undeserved kindness. There is no way that a descendant of Adam can gain salvation on his own, no matter how noble his works are. Salvation is a gift from God given to those who put faith in the sin-atoning value of the sacrifice of his Son.)"
198.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses Wish You Would Answer The Door" (PDF). The Grand Rapids Press. 2006.
199.Jump up ^ Brown II, John Bowen (2008-04-16), "Cult Watchdog Organizations and Jehovah’s Witnesses", Twenty Years and More: Research into Minority Religions, New Religious Movements and 'the New Spirituality', London School of Economics, London, UK: Center for Studies on New Religions, retrieved 2010-03-03
200.Jump up ^ Engardio, Joel P. (2007-04-17). "Myths & Realities". PBS Independent Lens. Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
201.Jump up ^ Brown II, John B. (2005-06-02), "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Anti-cult Movement: A Human Rights Perspective", Religious Movements, Globalization and Conflict: Transnational Perspectives, Palermo, Sicily: Center for Studies on New Religions
202.Jump up ^ Raschke, Carl A. (2013-07-19), "Contemporary American Religion Volume 1", in Catherine L. Albanese, Randall Balmer, Frederick M. Denny, Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, Ana Maria Diaz-Stevens, Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo, Ellen M. Umansky, Jehovah's Witnesses, New York: Macmillan Reference USA An Imprint of the Gale Group, p. 343, ISBN 0-02-864926-5
203.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, page 96, as cited by R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 4.
204.Jump up ^ Question Box, Our Kingdom Ministry, September 1979, page 4.
205.Jump up ^ "Do You Contribute to an Accurate Report?", Our Kingdom Ministry, December 2002, page 8.
206.Jump up ^ "Righteous requirements", Watchtower, July 1, 1943, pages 204-206, "Jehovah ... has appointed his 'faithful and wise servant, who is his visible mouthpiece ... These expressions of God's will by his King and through his established agency constitute his law or rule of action ... The Lord breaks down our organization instructions further ... He says the requirements for special pioneers shall be 175 hours and 50 back-calls per month ... and for regular pioneers 150 hours ... And for company publishers he says, 'Let us make a quota of 60 hours and 12 back-calls and at least one study a week for each publisher'. These directions come to us from the Lord through his established agency directing what is required of us ... This expression of the Lord's will should be the end of all controversy ... The Lord through his 'faithful and wise servant' now states to us, Let us cover our territory four times in six months. That becomes our organization instructions and has the same binding force on us that his statement to the Logos had when he said, 'Let us make man in our image'. It is our duty to accept this additional instruction and obey it."
207.Jump up ^ "Saved, Not by Works Alone, But by Undeserved Kindness", The Watchtower, June 1, 2005, pages 17-18.
208.Jump up ^ Expert Opinion by S. I. Ivanenko, p. 10, Golovinsky Intermunicipal Court, in the application of the Moscow Northern Administrative District prosecutor to liquidate the Religious Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow
209.Jump up ^ The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, John Wiley and Sons, 1975, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, 1997. Penton describes Beckford's book as "uneven" and marred by errors and a misunderstanding of certain basic Witness doctrines.
210.Jump up ^ Sworn Expert Opinion, prepared by Professor James Beckford, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, November 1998, Golovinsky Intermunicipal Court, in the application of the Moscow Northern Administrative District prosecutor to liquidate the Religious Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow
211.Jump up ^ ECHR Point number 111
212.Jump up ^ “Jehovah's Witnesses case heads to B.C. court”, Vancouver Sun, April 1, 2007
213.Jump up ^ Medical emergencies in children of orthodox Jehovah's Witness families: Three recent legal cases, ethical issues and proposals for management”, by J Guicho and, I Mitchell, Paediatrics & Child Health, Canadian Pediatric Society, December 2006.
214.Jump up ^ "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses, part 2." Journal of Medical Ethics, October 1998, pages 295-301.
215.Jump up ^ ECHR Point number 136, 139
216.^ Jump up to: a b "Always Accept Jehovah’s Discipline", The Watchtower, November 15, 2006, page 26.
217.Jump up ^ "Cultivate Obedience as the End Draws Near", The Watchtower, October 1, 2002, page 21
218.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy, A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p. 55, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
219.Jump up ^ "Elders, Judge With Righteousness", The Watchtower, July 1, 1992, page 19.
220.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 354, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
221.^ Jump up to: a b Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 89
222.^ Jump up to: a b c Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 163, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
223.Jump up ^ Osamu Muramoto, "Recent developments in medical care of Jehovah's Witnesses", Western Journal of Medicine, May 1999, page 298.
224.Jump up ^ Taylor, Jerome (27 September 2011). "War of words breaks out among Jehovah's Witnesses". The Independent.
225.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses church likens defectors to 'contagious, deadly disease'", Sunday Herald Sun, page 39, October 2, 2011.
226.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 150, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
227.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 384, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
228.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 351, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
229.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 359, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
230.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 151, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
231.^ Jump up to: a b c Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 249
232.Jump up ^ Ronald Lawson, "Sect-State Relations: Accounting for the Differing Trajectories of Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses," Sociology of Religion, 1995, 56:4, pg 371.
233.Jump up ^ "Maintain Your Faith and Spiritual Health", The Watchtower, October 1, 1989.
234.Jump up ^ "Questions From Readers", The Watchtower, October 15, 1986, page 31.
235.Jump up ^ Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses", British Medical Journal, January 6, 2001, page 37.
236.Jump up ^ Donald T. Ridley, "Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood: Obedience to scripture and religious conscience", Journal of Medical Ethics, 1999:25, page 470.
237.^ Jump up to: a b Franz, Raymond (2002), Crisis of Conscience, Commentary Press, p. 38, ISBN 0-914675-23-0
238.^ Jump up to: a b Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, p. 91, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
239.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 371, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
240.Jump up ^ Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 248
241.Jump up ^ Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, pages 365-385, citing "A Time to Speak – When?", The Watchtower, September 1, 1987.
242.Jump up ^ Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses, Part 1", Journal of Medical Ethics, August 1998.
243.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 23.
244.Jump up ^ Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 319
245.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2002), Crisis of Conscience, Commentary Press, p. 357, ISBN 0-914675-23-0
246.^ Jump up to: a b How Can Blood Save Your Life?. Watch Tower Society. p. 22.
247.Jump up ^ "Be guided by the Living God" (Jun. 15, 2004). The Watchtower
248.Jump up ^ "Questions from readers: Do Jehovah's Witnesses accept any minor fractions of blood?" (Jun. 15, 2000). The Watchtower
249.Jump up ^ Awake! August 2006 box on P. 11
250.Jump up ^ Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood
251.Jump up ^ The Watchtower November 1, 1961, p. 669 Questions From Readers
252.Jump up ^ What Does The Bible Really Teach? 2005 P.128
253.Jump up ^ "OK Kosher Certification — Salting of Meat". Ok.org. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
254.Jump up ^ "Making Meat Kosher: Between Slaughtering and Cooking". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
255.Jump up ^ "Religion Today", New York Times, January 6, 2006
256.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood Transfusions and the Tort of Misrepresentation, Journal of Church and State Vol 47, Autumn 2005 p. 815
257.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond. "In Search of Christian Freedom" - Chapter Nine. Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1991. ISBN 0-914675-16-8. p.732.
258.Jump up ^ "Questions From Readers", The Watchtower, October 15, 2000, page 31, "Jehovah’s Witnesses...do not donate blood [without preconditions on its use], nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out.’ That practice conflicts with God’s law. Other procedures or tests involving an individual’s own blood are not so clearly in conflict with God’s stated principles. ...the goal may be to isolate some of a blood component and apply that elsewhere... A Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled... Ahead of time, he should obtain from the doctor or technician the facts about what might be done with his blood during the procedure. Then he must decide according to what his conscience permits."
259.Jump up ^ "How Do I View Blood Fractions and Medical Procedures Involving My Own Blood?", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2006, page 4.
260.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond. "In Search of Christian Freedom" - Chapter Nine. Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1991. Pbk. ISBN 0-914675-16-8. pp.732.
261.Jump up ^ Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs - When Religion and Medicine Collide
262.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood Transfusions and the Tort of Misrepresentation, Journal of Church and State Vol 47, Autumn 2005
263.Jump up ^ The Watchtower (Feb. 1, 1997) p30
264.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses (WTS) Handling of Child Sexual Abuse Cases", Religious Tolerance.org Retrieved Mar 3, 2006.
265.Jump up ^ Tubbs, Sharon (Aug. 22, 2002), "Spiritual shunning", St. Petersburg Times.
266.Jump up ^ "Another Church Sex Scandal" (Apr. 29, 2003). CBS News.
267.Jump up ^ Cutrer, Corrie (Mar. 5, 2001). "Witness Leaders Accused of Shielding Molesters", Christianity Today.
268.Jump up ^ Channel 9 Sunday, November 2005.
269.Jump up ^ "Secret database protects paedophiles", BBC Panorama, 2003.
270.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection" (2003). Jehovah's Witnesses Office of Public Information.
271.Jump up ^ “Let All Things Take Place for Upbuilding”, Our Kingdom Ministry, July 2000, page 1
272.Jump up ^ "Comfort for Those With a “Stricken Spirit”", The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, page 28, "If the [lone] accusation is denied [by the accused], the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. ...The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)"
273.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses Office of Public Information, Press Release "Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection," 2003.
274.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, pp. 174–176
275.Jump up ^ "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures", The Watchtower, September 15, 1950, page 320.
276.Jump up ^ Questions from readers, The Watchtower, December 15, 1974, page 767.
277.Jump up ^ In a 1954 court case, Franz was invited to translate a passage of Genesis from English to Hebrew. (Translator's proof, page 102-103). He declined, saying he would not attempt it. Heather and Gary Botting wrongly claim (page 98) he could make no sense of "an elementary passage of Hebrew from Genesis".
278.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), Crisis of Conscience, Commentary Press, p. 56, ISBN 0-914675-23-0
279.Jump up ^ Robert M. Bowman Jr, Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses, (Grand Rapids MI: Baker Book House, 1992); Ankerberg, John and John Weldon, 2003, The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, accessible from this site, which quotes a number of scholars regarding theological bias of the New World Translation.
280.Jump up ^ Samuel Haas,Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 74, No. 4, (Dec. 1955), p. 283, "This work indicates a great deal of effort and thought as well as considerable scholarship, it is to be regretted that religious bias was allowed to colour many passages."
281.Jump up ^ See Ankerberg, John and John Weldon, 2003, The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, accessible online
282.Jump up ^ Rhodes R, The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response, Zondervan, 2001, p. 94
283.Jump up ^ Bruce M Metzger, "Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ," Theology Today, (April 1953 p. 74); see also Metzger, "The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," The Bible Translator (July 1964)
284.Jump up ^ C.H. Dodd: "The reason why [the Word was a god] is unacceptable is that it runs counter to the current of Johannine thought, and indeed of Christian thought as a whole." Technical Papers for The Bible Translator, Vol 28, No. 1, January 1977
285.Jump up ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, pp. 98–101, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
286.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, pp. 494–505, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
287.Jump up ^ G. HÉBERT/EDS, "Jehovah's Witnesses", The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Gale, 20052, Vol. 7, p. 751.
288.Jump up ^ Metzger, Bruce M., The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, The Bible Translator 15/3 (July 1964), pp. 150-153.
289.Jump up ^ "God’s Name and the New Testament", The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1984, pages 23-27
290.Jump up ^ "Appendix 1D The Divine Name in the Christian Greek Scriptures", New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures - With References, page 1565
291.Jump up ^ "Your Bible—How It Was Produced", The Watchtower, December 15, 1981, page 15
292.Jump up ^ Jason D. BeDuhn, Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament, 2004, pages 165, 169, 175, 176. BeDuhn compared the King James, the (New) Revised Standard, the New International, the New American Bible, the New American Standard Bible, the Amplified Bible, the Living Bible, Today's English and the NWT versions in Matthew 28:9, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15-20, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8, John 8:58, John 1:1.
293.Jump up ^ Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament by Jason BeDuhn, 2004, pages 165, University Press of America, ISBN 0-7618-2556-8, ISBN 978-0-7618-2556-2
Further reading[edit]
Botting, Gary and Heather. The Orwellian World of Jehovah`s Witnesses (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984). ISBN 0-8020-6545-7. The Bottings compare the social, cultural and political paradigms of Jehovah's Witnesses to those set out in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Both authors were raised Jehovah's Witnesses and are trained scholars (Heather Botting is a professor of anthropology and Gary Botting is a lawyer and legal scholar). The book is based in part on a doctoral dissertation by Heather Botting. Read selections from: The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses (Google book search) University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978-0-8020-6545-2
Botting, Gary. Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993). ISBN 1-895176-06-9. Botting considers the irony of Jehovah's Witness insisting on a closely regulated society while at the same time fighting for freedom of association, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. It is available on-line at http://www.questia.com/library/102111748/fundamental-freedoms-and-jehovah-s-witnesses.
Castro, Joy. The Truth Book: Escaping a Childhood of Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses, adopted as a baby and raised by a devout Jehovah's Witness family. Read selections from: The Truth Book: Escaping a Childhood of Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses (Google book search) Published 2005 Arcade Publishing, ISBN 1-55970-787-9
Franz, Raymond. Crisis of Conscience Franz, a former Jehovah's Witness and Governing Body member, and nephew of the fourth president of the Watch Tower Society. This book gives a detailed account of the authority structure, practices, doctrines and decision-making practices Franz experienced while serving on the Governing Body. Sample chapters online: 1, 9, 10, 11, 12. Publisher: Commentary Press. 420 pages. Hardback ISBN 0-914675-24-9. Paperback ISBN 0-914675-23-0. 4th edition (June 2002)
Franz, Raymond. In Search of Christian Freedom. 2nd ed., 2007. ISBN 0-914675-17-6 (Further critique and analysis by this author)
Gruss, Edmond C. Apostles of Denial ISBN 0-87552-305-6 / ISBN 978-0-87552-305-7.
Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. ISBN 0-7091-8013-6 (An account by an American journalist and essayist of growing up in the JW religion, which she left at age 22)
Hewitt, Joe. I Was Raised a Jehovah's Witness Hewitt gives a frank and compelling account of his life as a Jehovah's Witness and his subsequent persecution and excommunication after he decided to leave the Jehovah's Witness movement. Read selections from: I Was Raised a Jehovah's Witness (Google book search) Published 1997, Kregel Publications, ISBN 0-8254-2876-9
Jonsson, Carl O. The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return Jonsson considers the origin of the belief that the Gentile Times began in 607 B.C. and examines several lines of evidence and the methodology for deriving it. ISBN 0-914675-06-0 Publisher: Commentary Press (July, 1998, Fourth edition 2004)
King, Robert. Jehovah Himself Has Become King The author considers himself one of Jehovah's Witnesses but was disfellowshipped after publishing his review and criticisms of current Watchtower interpretations related to Bible prophecy, and documentation regarding the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society's involvement with the United Nations. He is preparing an updated, second edition. ISBN 1-4208-5498-4 / ISBN 978-1-4208-5498-5 / Publisher: AuthorHouse (September 14, 2005, First Edition) (Available from Amazon.com)
Kostelniuk, James. Wolves Among Sheep. Harpercollins Trade Sales Dept, ISBN 978-0-00-639107-4
Penton, M. James. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2nd ed., 1997. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3 (Scholarly examination of JW history and doctrines)
Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses by M. James Penton. Penton, who is a former Jehovah's Witness and a professor emeritus of history at University of Lethbridge, examines the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their doctrines. Read selections from: Apocalypse Delayed: the Story of Jehovah's Witnesses University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3 (Canada, 1998) (Google book search)
Schnell, William J. 30 Years a Watchtower Slave Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1956, 1971, reprinted 2001. ISBN 0-8010-6384-1 (One of the first book-length critiques of the organization to be written by a disaffected former Witness)
Stafford, Greg. Jehovah's Witnesses Defended and Three Dissertations. The author considers himself one of Jehovah's Witnesses but has renounced affiliation with the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. He now considers himself a Christian Witness of Jah, or one of Jehovah's Witnesses who rejects beliefs specific to Jehovah's Witnesses. These books review and thoroughly explore some of the most common, and/or prevalent, criticisms made about Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. http://www.elihubooks.com/content/books_media.php
External links[edit]
SupportiveOfficial Jehovah's Witnesses website
Jehovah's Witnesses response to child abuse allegations (video)
Jehovah's Witnesses Official Policy on Child Protection
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
CriticalApologetics index - Criticisms of Jehovah's Witnesses from a mainstream Christian viewpoint.
Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood - A site that promotes reform of the Watch Tower Society's blood doctrine.
Exposé on the Jehovah's Witnesses - From Blue Letter Bible. An examination of the Watch Tower Society. Contains relatively brief explanations of each point.
Free Minds, Inc - the largest Watchtower dissident site
Historical Idealism and Jehovah's Witnesses - Documents the historical development of Jehovah's Witness chronology and the claimed "idealized" history of it by the Watch Tower Society
JW Files--Research on Jehovah's Witnesses - A site "dedicated to research on Jehovah Witnesses".
jwfacts.com - Information about Jehovah's Witnesses
JWRecovery Magazine - An ex-JW community contributed magazine / journal which provides information and support assistance to former Jehovah's Witnesses.
Religious Tolerance.org Jehovah's Witnesses Policies & examples of child sexual abuse.
Silentlambs.org Silentlamb's official web site.


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses









Criticism of Jehovah's Witnesses

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Part of a series on
Jehovah's Witnesses

Overview

Organizational structure
Governing Body
Watch Tower Bible
 and Tract Society
Corporations

History
Bible Student movement
Leadership dispute
Splinter groups
Doctrinal development
Unfulfilled predictions

Demographics
By country


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The 144,000
Faithful and discreet slave
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 Awake!

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Watch Tower presidents

W. H. Conley ·
 C. T. Russell

J. F. Rutherford ·
 N. H. Knorr

F. W. Franz ·
 M. G. Henschel

D. A. Adams

Formative influences

William Miller ·
 Henry Grew

George Storrs ·
 N. H. Barbour

John Nelson Darby


Notable former members

Raymond Franz ·
 Olin Moyle


Opposition

Criticism ·
 Persecution

Supreme Court cases
 by country

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Jehovah's Witnesses have attracted criticism from mainstream Christianity, some members of the medical community, some former members and some commentators over their beliefs and practices. The religion has been accused of doctrinal inconsistency and reversals, failed predictions, mistranslation of the Bible, harsh treatment of former members and autocratic and coercive leadership. Criticism has also focused on their rejection of blood transfusions, particularly in life-threatening medical situations, and claims that they have failed to report cases of sexual abuse to the authorities. Many of the claims are denied by Jehovah's Witnesses and some have also been disputed by courts and religious scholars.


Contents  [hide]
1 Doctrinal criticisms 1.1 Failed predictions
1.2 Changes of doctrine
1.3 United Nations association
1.4 Fall of Jerusalem
1.5 Evolution
2 Social criticisms 2.1 Authoritarianism and denial of free speech
2.2 Description as a "cult"
2.3 Coercion
2.4 Shunning
2.5 Blood 2.5.1 Fractions and components
2.5.2 Storing and donation
2.5.3 Legal considerations
2.5.4 Animal blood
2.6 Reporting of sexual abuse
3 Biblical criticisms
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 External links

Doctrinal criticisms[edit]
Failed predictions[edit]
Main article: Watch Tower Society unfulfilled predictions
See also: Eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses
The beliefs unique to Jehovah's Witnesses involve their interpretations of the second coming of Christ, the millennium and the kingdom of God. Watch Tower Society publications have made, and continue to make, predictions about world events they believe were prophesied in the Bible.[1] Some of those early predictions were described as "established truth",[2] and 'beyond a doubt'.[3] Witnesses are told to 'be complete in accepting the visible organization's direction in every aspect' and that there is no need to question what God tells them through his Word and organization, since love "believes all things."[4][5][6] If a member advocates views different to what appears in print, they face expulsion.[7][8][9]
Failed predictions that were either explicitly stated or strongly implied, particularly linked to dates in 1914, 1918, 1925 and 1975, have led to the alteration or abandonment of some teachings. The Society's publications have at times suggested that members had previously "read into the Watch Tower statements that were never intended"[10] or that the beliefs of members were "based on wrong premises."[11] Critic Edmond Gruss claims that other failed predictions were ignored, and replaced with new predictions; for example, in the book, The Finished Mystery (1917), events were applied to the years 1918 to 1925 that earlier had been held to occur prior to 1914. When the new interpretations also did not transpire, the 1926 edition of the book changed the statements and removed the dates.[12]
Raymond Franz, a critic and former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, has cited publications that claimed God has used Jehovah's Witnesses as a collective prophet.[13] Critics including James A. Beverley have accused the religion of false prophecy for making those predictions, particularly because of assertions in some cases that the predictions were beyond doubt or had been approved by God, but describes its record of telling the future as "pathetic".[14][15][16][17] Beverley says the Watch Tower Society has passed judgment on others who have falsely predicted the end of the world (he cites a 1968 Awake! that says other groups were "guilty of false prophesying" after having "predicted an 'end to the world', even announcing a specific date").[18][19]
The Watch Tower Society rejects accusations that it is a false prophet.[20][21] It says its explanations of Bible prophecy are not infallible[22][23][24] and that its predictions are not claimed explicitly as "the words of Jehovah."[20] It states that some of its expectations have needed adjustment because of eagerness for God's kingdom, but that those adjustments are no reason to "call into question the whole body of truth."[25] Raymond Franz claims that the Watch Tower Society tries to evade its responsibility when citing human fallibility as a defense, adding that the Society represents itself as God's appointed spokesman, and that throughout its history has made many emphatic predictions. Franz adds that the organization's eagerness for the Millennium does not give it license to impugn the motives of those who fail to accept its predictions.[6]
George D. Chryssides has suggested widespread claims that Witnesses "keep changing the dates" are a distortion and misunderstanding of Watch Tower Society chronology. He argues that, although there have been failures in prophetic speculation, the changing views and dates of the Jehovah's Witnesses are more largely attributable to changed understandings of biblical chronology than to failed predictions. Chryssides states, "For the Jehovah’s Witnesses prophecy serves more as a way of discerning a divine plan in human history than a means to predicting the future."[26] In 1904 Zion's Watch Tower stated: "We have in the Scriptures what we think is clear testimony respecting that date [1914], but no particulars or dates for the intervening time. It is not our intention to enter upon the role of prophet to any degree, but merely to give below what seems to us rather likely to be the trend of events." [27]
Predictions (by date of publication) include:
1877: Christ's kingdom would hold full sway over the earth in 1914; the Jews, as a people, would be restored to God's favor; the "saints" would be carried to heaven.[28]
1891: 1914 would be "the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men."[29]
1904: "World-wide anarchy" would follow the end of the Gentile Times in 1914.[30]
1916: World War I would terminate in Armageddon and the rapture of the "saints".[31]
1917: In 1918, Christendom would go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God would "destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions." Church members would "perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy." The dead would lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments would disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing.[32]
1920: Messiah's kingdom would be established in 1925 and bring worldwide peace. God would begin restoring the earth. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other faithful patriarchs would be resurrected to perfect human life and be made princes and rulers, the visible representatives of the New Order on earth. Those who showed themselves obedient to God would never die.[33]
1922: The anti-typical "jubilee" that would mark God's intervention in earthly affairs would take place "probably the fall" of 1925.[34]
1924: God's restoration of Earth would begin "shortly after" October 1, 1925. Jerusalem would be made the world's capital. Resurrected "princes" such as Abel, Noah, Moses and John the Baptist would give instructions to their subjects around the world by radio, and airplanes would transport people to and from Jerusalem from all parts of the globe in just "a few hours".[35]
1938: Armageddon was too close for marriage or child bearing.[36]
1941: There were only "months" remaining until Armageddon.[37]
1942: Armageddon was "immediately before us."[38]
1961: Awake! magazine stated that the heavenly kingdom "will, within the twentieth century, cleanse the entire earth of wickedness."[39]
1966: It would be 6000 years since man's creation in the fall of 1975 and it would be "appropriate" for Christ's thousand-year reign to begin at that time.[40] Time was "running out, no question about that."[41] The "immediate future" was "certain to be filled with climactic events ... within a few years at most", the final parts of Bible prophecy relating to the "last days" would undergo fulfillment as Christ's reign began.
1967: The end-time period (beginning in 1914) was claimed to be so far advanced that the time remaining could "be compared, not just to the last day of a week, but rather, to the last part of that day".[42]
1968: No one could say "with certainty" that the battle of Armageddon would begin in 1975, but time was "running out rapidly" with "earthshaking events" soon to take place.[43] In March 1968 there was a "short period of time left", with "only about ninety months left before 6000 years of man's existence on earth is completed".[44]
1969: The existing world order would not last long enough for young people to grow old; the world system would end "in a few years." Young Witnesses were told not to bother pursuing tertiary education for this reason.[45]
1971: The "battle in the day of Jehovah" was described as beginning "[s]hortly, within our twentieth century".[46]
1974: There was just a "short time remaining before the wicked world's end" and Witnesses were commended for selling their homes and property to "finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service."[47]
1984: There were "many indications" that "the end" was closer than the end of the 20th century.[48]
1989: The Watchtower asserted that Christian missionary work begun in the first century would "be completed in our 20th century".[49] When republished in bound volumes, the phrase "in our 20th century" was replaced with the less specific "in our day".
Changes of doctrine[edit]


History of Eschatological Doctrine

Last Days begin
Start of Christ's Presence
Christ made King
Resurrection of 144,000
Judgment of Religion
Separating Sheep & Goats
Great Tribulation
1879–1920 1799 1874 1878 during Millenium 1914, 1915, 1918, 1920
1920–1923 1925
1923–1925 during Christ's presence
1925–1927 1914 1878 1878 within generation of 1914
1927–1930 1918
1930–1933 1919
1933–1966 1914
1966–1975 1975?
1975–1995 within generation of 1914
1995–present during Great Tribulation imminent
See also: Development of Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine
Although Watch Tower Society literature claims the Society's founder, Charles Taze Russell, was directed by God's Holy Spirit, through which he received "flashes of light",[50] it has substantially altered doctrines since its inception and abandoned many of Russell's teachings.[51] Many of the changes have involved biblical chronology that had earlier been claimed as beyond question.[52][53][54][55][56] Watch Tower Society publications state that doctrinal changes result from a process of "progressive revelation", in which God gradually reveals his will.[57][58]
Date of beginning of Christ's kingdom rule. Russell taught that Jesus had become king in April 1878.[59][60] In 1922, Joseph Rutherford altered the date to 1914.[51]
Date of resurrection of anointed Christians. After the failure of predictions that Christ's chosen "saints" would be carried away to heaven in 1878,[61] Russell developed the teaching that those "dying in the Lord" from 1878 forward would have an immediate heavenly resurrection.[62] The Watch Tower confirmed the doctrine in 1925,[63] but two years later asserted this date was wrong[64] and that the beginning of the instant resurrection to heaven for faithful Christians was from 1918.[65]
Great Pyramid as a "stone witness" of God. Russell wrote in 1910 that God had the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt built as a testimony to the truth of the Bible and proof of its chronology identifying the "last days".[66][67] In 1928 Rutherford rejected the doctrine and claimed the Pyramid had been built under the direction of Satan.[68]
Identity of "faithful and wise servant". Russell initially believed the "faithful and wise servant" of Matthew 24:45 was "every member of this body of Christ ... the whole body individually and collectively."[69] By 1886 he had altered his view and began explaining it was a person, not the Christian church.[70] Russell accepted claims by Bible Students that he was that "servant"[71][72][73] and in 1909 described as his "opponents" those who would apply the term "faithful and wise servant" to "all the members of the church of Christ" rather than to an individual.[74] By 1927 the Watch Tower Society was teaching that it was "a collective servant."[75]
Beginning of the "last days". From the earliest issues of the Watch Tower, Russell promoted the belief that the "last days" had begun in 1799 and would end in 1914.[76] As late as 1921 Watch Tower publications were still claiming the last days had begun in 1799.[77] In 1930 that date was abandoned and 1914 was fixed as the beginning of the last days.
Jews' role in God's Kingdom. Russell followed the view of Nelson H. Barbour, who believed that in 1914 Christ's kingdom would take power over all the earth and the Jews, as a people, would be restored to God's favor.[78] In 1889 Russell wrote that with the completion of the "Gentile Times" in 1914, Israel's "blindness" would subside and they would convert to Christianity.[79] The book Life (1929) noted that the return of Jews to Palestine signaled that the end was very close, because Jews would "have the favors first and thereafter all others who obey the Lord" under God's restoration of his kingdom.[80] In 1932 that belief was abandoned and from that date the Watch Tower Society taught that Witnesses alone were the Israel of God.[81]
Date of Christ's invisible presence. The Watch Tower Society taught for more than 60 years that this began in 1874, insisting in 1922 that the date was "indisputable".[82][83] In 1943 the society moved the event to 1914.[51][84][85]
Identity of the "superior authorities". Russell taught that the "superior authorities" of Romans 13:1, to whom Christians had to show subjection and obedience, were governmental authorities. In 1929 The Watchtower discarded this view, stating that the term referred only to God and Christ, and saying the change of doctrine was evidence of "advancing light" of truth shining forth to God's chosen people.[86] In 1952, The Watchtower stated that the words of Romans 13 "could never have applied to the political powers of Caesar’s world as wrongly claimed by the clergy of Christendom,"[87] and in 1960 The Watchtower described the earlier view as a factor that had caused the Bible Student movement to be "unclean" in God's eyes during the 1914–1918 period. Two years later, in 1962, The Watchtower reverted to Russell's initial doctrine.[86]
Identity and function of the Governing Body. Frequent mentions of the term "Governing Body" began in Watch Tower Society literature in the 1970s.[88] The Governing Body was initially identified as the Watch Tower Society's seven-member board of directors.[89] However, at the time, the board played no role in establishing Watchtower doctrines, and all such decisions since the Society's origins had been made by the Society's president.[90][91] A 1923 Watch Tower noted that Russell alone directed the policy and course of the Society "without regard to any other person on earth"[92] and both his successors, Rutherford and Knorr, also acted alone in establishing Watch Tower doctrines. An organizational change on January 1, 1976, for the first time gave the Governing Body the power to rule on doctrines[93] and become the ruling council of Jehovah's Witnesses.[94] Despite this, The Watchtower in 1971 claimed that a Governing Body of anointed Christians had existed since the 19th century to govern the affairs of God's anointed people.[95]
Treatment of disfellowshipped persons. In the 1950s when disfellowshipping became common, Witnesses were to have nothing to do with expelled members, not conversing with or acknowledging them.[96] Family members of expelled individuals were permitted occasional "contacts absolutely necessary in matters pertaining to family interests," but could not discuss spiritual matters with them.[97] In 1974 The Watchtower, acknowledging some unbalanced Witnesses had displayed unkind, inhumane and possibly cruel attitudes to those expelled,[98] relaxed restrictions on family contact, allowing families to choose for themselves the extent of association,[99] including whether or not to discuss some spiritual matters.[100] In 1981, a reversal of policy occurred, with Witnesses instructed to avoid all spiritual interaction with disfellowshipped ones, including with close relatives.[101] Witnesses were instructed not to greet disfellowshipped persons.[101][102][103] Parents were permitted to care for the physical needs of a disfellowshipped minor child; ill parents or physically or emotionally ill child could be accepted back into the home "for a time". Witnesses were instructed not to eat with disfellowshipped relatives and were warned that emotional influence could soften their resolve.[104] In 1980 the Witnesses' Brooklyn headquarters advised traveling overseers that a person need not be promoting "apostate views" to warrant disfellowshipping; it advised that "appropriate judicial action" be taken against a person who "continues to believe the apostate ideas and rejects what he has been provided" through The Watchtower.[105] The rules on shunning were extended in 1981 to include those who had resigned from the religion voluntarily.[106][107]
Fall of "Babylon the Great". Russell taught that the fall of the "world empire of false religion" had taken place in 1878 and predicted "Babylon's" complete destruction in 1914.[108] Rutherford claimed in 1917 that religion's final destruction would take place in 1918, explaining that God would destroy churches "wholesale" and that "Christendom shall go down as a system to oblivion."[109] In 1988 the Watch Tower Society claimed that release from prison in 1919 of senior Watchtower figures marked the fall of Babylon "as far as having any captive hold on God's people was concerned",[110] with her "final destruction" "into oblivion, never to recover", expected "in the near future."[111]
United Nations association[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and the United Nations
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the United Nations is one of the 'superior authorities' that exist by God's permission, and that it serves a purpose in maintaining order, but do not support it politically and do not consider it to be the means to achieve peace and security. Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that the United Nations is the "image of the wild beast" of Revelation 13:1-18, and the second fulfillment of the "abominable thing that causes desolation" from Matthew 24:15; that it will be the means for the devastation of organized false religion worldwide;[112][113] and that, like all other political powers, it will be destroyed and replaced by God's heavenly kingdom.[114] Jehovah's Witnesses have denounced other religious organizations for having offered political support to the UN.[115]
On October 8, 2001, an article was published in the British Guardian newspaper questioning the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society's registration as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the United Nations Department of Public Information and accusing the Watch Tower Society of hypocrisy.[116] Within days of the article's publication, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society submitted a formal request for disassociation, removing all association with the United Nations Department of Public Information,[117] and released a letter stating that the reason for becoming associated with the United Nations Department of Information (DPI) was to access their facilities, and that they had not been aware of the change in language contained in the criteria for NGO association.[118] However, when the Watch Tower Society sought NGO association, "the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations", acknowledging that the purpose of membership is to "promote knowledge of the principles and activities of the United Nations."[119] The official UN/DPI website states that "association of NGOs with DPI does not constitute their incorporation into the United Nations system."[120]
Fall of Jerusalem[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses assert that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 607 BC and completely uninhabited for exactly seventy years. This date is critical to their selection of October 1914 for the arrival of Christ in kingly power—2520 years after October 607 BC.[121][122] Non-Witness scholars do not support 607 BC for the event; most scholars date the destruction of Jerusalem to within a year of 587 BC, twenty years later.[122] Jehovah's Witnesses believe that periods of seventy years mentioned in the books of Jeremiah and Daniel refer to the Babylonian exile of Jews. They also believe that the gathering of Jews in Jerusalem, shortly after their return from Babylon, officially ended the exile in Jewish month of Tishrei (Ezra 3:1). According to the Watch Tower Society, October 607 BC is derived by counting back seventy years from Tishrei of 537 BC, based on their belief that Cyrus' decree to release the Jews during his first regnal year "may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4–5, 537 B.C."[123][124] Non-Witness sources assign the return to either 538 BC or 537 BC.[125][126][127][128][129]
In The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return, Carl O. Jonsson, a former Witness, presents eighteen lines of evidence to support the traditional view of neo-Babylonian chronology. He accuses the Watch Tower Society of deliberately misquoting sources in an effort to bolster their position.[130] The Watch Tower Society claims that biblical chronology is not always compatible with secular sources, and that the Bible is superior. It claims that secular historians make conclusions about 587 BC based on incorrect or inconsistent historical records, but accepts those sources that identify Cyrus' capture of Babylon in 539 BC, claiming it has no evidence of being inconsistent and hence can be used as a pivotal date.[123][131][132]
Rolf Furuli, a Jehovah's Witness and a lecturer in Semitic languages, presents a study of 607 BC in support of the Witnesses' conclusions in Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian Chronology Compared with the Chronology of the Bible, Volume 1: Persian Chronology and the Length of the Babylonian Exile of the Jews.[133] Lester L. Grabbe, professor of theology at the University of Hull, said of Furuli's study: "Once again we have an amateur who wants to rewrite scholarship. ... F. shows little evidence of having put his theories to the test with specialists in Mesopotamian astronomy and Persian history."[134]
The relative positions of the moon, stars and planets indicated in the Babylonian astronomical diary VAT 4956 are used by secular historians to establish 568 BC as the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign.[135] The Watch Tower Society claims that unnamed researchers have confirmed that the positions of the moon and stars on the tablet are instead consistent with astronomical calculations for 588 BC; the Society claims that the planets mentioned in the tablet cannot be clearly identified.[136] The Watch Tower Society's article cites David Brown as stating, "some of the signs for the names of the planets and their positions are unclear,"[136] however Brown indicates that the Babylonians also had unique names for the known planets;[137] Jonsson confirms that the unique names are those used in VAT 4956.[138] According to the Watch Tower Society, astronomical calculations based on ancient writings are unreliable and prone to error.[139]
Evolution[edit]
Watch Tower Society publications attempt to refute the theory of evolution, in favor of divine creation.[140][141] The Watch Tower Society's views of evolution have met with criticism typical of objections to evolution. Gary Botting described his own difficulty as a Jehovah's Witness to reconcile creation with simple observations of species diversification, especially after discussions with J.B.S. Haldane in India.[142]
The Society's 1985 publication, Life—How Did it Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? is criticized for its dependency on Francis Hitching, who is cited thirteen times. The book presents Hitching—a TV writer and paranormalist with no scientific credentials—as an evolutionary scientist.[143] Richard Dawkins also criticizes the book for implying that "chance" is the only alternative to deliberate design, stating, "[T]he candidate solutions to the riddle of improbability are not, as falsely implied, design and chance. They are design and natural selection."[144]
The Watch Tower Society teaches a form of day-age creationism.[145] It dismisses Young Earth creationism as "unscriptural and unbelievable",[146] and states that Jehovah's Witnesses "are not creationists", based on the more specific definition of believers in a 'young' earth created in six literal days.[147] According to a 1986 article in The Watchtower, "Jehovah's Witnesses reject the unreasonable theories of 'creationism' in favor of what the Bible really teaches about 'creation'."[148]
Social criticisms[edit]
Authoritarianism and denial of free speech[edit]
The religion's leadership has been described as autocratic and totalitarian, with criticism focusing on the Watch Tower Society's demands for the obedience and loyalty of Witnesses,[149][150] its intolerance of dissent or open discussion of doctrines and practices[151] and the practice of expelling and shunning members who cannot conscientiously agree with all the religion's teachings.[152][153][154]
Raymond Franz has accused the religion's Governing Body of resenting, deprecating and seeking to silence differences of viewpoint within the organization[155] and demanding organizational conformity that overrides personal conscience.[156] He claimed the Watch Tower Society confirmed its position when, in a 1954 court case in Scotland, Watch Tower Society legal counsel Hayden C. Covington said of Jehovah's Witnesses: "We must have unity ... unity at all costs".[157] Sociologist James A. Beckford noted that the Watch Tower movement demands uniformity of beliefs from its members;[158] George D. Chryssides has also reported that Witness publications teach that individuals' consciences are unreliable and need to be subordinated to scripture and to the Watch Tower organization.[159]
Sociologist Andrew Holden said that Witnesses are taught their theology in a highly mechanistic fashion, learning almost by rote.[160] Raymond Franz and others have described Jehovah's Witnesses' religious meetings as "catechistical" question-and-answer sessions in which questions and answers are both provided by the organization, placing pressure on members to reiterate its opinions.[161][162] Former Witnesses Heather and Gary Botting claimed Witnesses "are told what they should feel and think"[163] and members who do voice viewpoints different from those expressed in publications and at meetings are said to be viewed with suspicion.[164] Raymond Franz has claimed most Witnesses would be fearful to voice criticism of the organization for fear of being accused of disloyalty.[156] Authors have drawn attention to frequent Watch Tower warnings against the "dangers" and "infection" of "independent thinking", including questioning any of its published statements or teachings,[165][166][167][168] and instructions that members refrain from engaging in independent Bible research.[169][170][171] The Watch Tower Society also directs that members must not read criticism of the organization by "apostates"[172][173] or material published by other religions.[174][175] Heather and Gary Botting declared: "Jehovah's Witnesses will brook no criticism from within, as many concerned members who have attempted to voice alternative opinions regarding the basic doctrine or application of social pressure have discovered to their chagrin."[176] Beckford observed that the Society denies the legitimacy of all criticisms of itself and that the habit of questioning official doctrine is "strenuously combated at all organizational levels".[177] Witnesses are said to be under constant surveillance within the congregation[178] and are subject to a disciplinary system that encourages informers.[179][180]
Heather and Gary Botting argue that the power of the Watch Tower Society to control members is gained through the acceptance of the Society "quite literally as the voice of Jehovah – God's 'mouthpiece'."[163] Franz claims the concept of loyalty to God's organization has no scriptural support and serves only to reinforce the religion's authority structure, with its strong emphasis on human authority.[181] He has claimed The Watchtower has repeatedly blurred discussions of both Jesus Christ's loyalty to God and the apostles' loyalty to Christ to promote the view that Witnesses should be loyal to the Watch Tower organization.[182] Religion professor James A. Beverley describes the belief that organizational loyalty is equal to divine loyalty[183] as the "central myth" of Jehovah's Witnesses employed to ensure complete obedience.[184] Sociologist Andrew Holden has observed that Witnesses see no distinction between loyalty to Jehovah and to the movement itself;[185] Heather and Gary Botting have claimed that challenging the views of those higher in the hierarchy is regarded as tantamount to challenging God himself.[186]
The Society has described its intolerance of dissident and divergent doctrinal views within its ranks as "strict", but claims its stance is based on the scriptural precedent of 2 Timothy 2:17,18 in which the Apostle Paul condemns heretics Hymenaeus and Philetus who denied the resurrection of Jesus. It said: "Following such Scriptural patterns, if a Christian (who claims belief in God, the Bible, and Jesus) unrepentantly promotes false teachings, it may be necessary for him to be expelled from the congregation ... Hence, the true Christian congregation cannot rightly be accused of being harshly dogmatic."[187] Sociologist Rodney Stark says that Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and members are expected to conform to "rather strict standards," but says enforcement tends to be informal, sustained by close bonds of friendship and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it".[188] In a case involving Jehovah's Witnesses' activities in Russia, the European Court of Human Rights stated that the religion's requirements "are not fundamentally different from similar limitations that other religions impose on their followers' private lives" and that charges of "mind control" in that case were "based on conjecture and uncorroborated by fact."[189] Despite the intolerance of dissident views within the organisation, the Watch Tower Society and its affiliates have, through litigation, been instrumental in establishing civil liberties in many countries, including Canada and the United States.[190]
Description as a "cult"[edit]
Authors Anthony A. Hoekema, Ron Rhodes[191] and Alan W. Gomes,[192] claim Jehovah's Witnesses is a religious cult. Hoekema bases his judgment on a range of what he describes as general characteristics of a cult, including the tendency to elevate peripheral teachings (such as door-to-door witnessing) to great prominence, extra-scriptural source of authority (Hoekema highlights Watch Tower teachings that the Bible may be understood only as it is interpreted by the Governing Body), a view of the group as the exclusive community of the saved (Watch Tower publications teach that Witnesses alone are God's people and only they will survive Armageddon) and the group's central role in eschatology (Hoekema says Witness publications claim the group was called into existence by God to fill in a gap in the truth neglected by existing churches, marking the climax of sacred history).[193]
Jehovah's Witnesses state that they are not a cult[194] and say that although individuals need proper guidance from God, they should do their own thinking.[195][196] Witnesses state that they are saved by the ransom sacrifice of God's Son and undeserved kindness, that there is no one that can earn salvation.[197] American religious scholar J. Gordon Melton,[198] cult deprogrammer John Bowen Brown II,[199] and Knocking producer Joel P. Engardio also reject the claims that Witnesses are a cult.[200][201] The two volume encyclopedia Contemporary American Religion stated: "Various critics and ex-members in recent years have wrongly labeled Jehovah’s Witnesses a 'cult.'"[202]
Coercion[edit]
Since 1920 the Watch Tower Society has required all congregation members participating in the preaching work to turn in written reports of the amount of their activity,[203] explaining that the reports help the Society to plan its activities and identify areas of greater need[204] and help congregation elders to identify those who may need assistance.[205] In 1943 the Society imposed personal quotas, requiring all active Witnesses to spend at least 60 hours of door-to-door preaching per month, claiming these were "directions from the Lord".[206] Although these quotas were subsequently removed, Raymond Franz claims "invisible" quotas remained, obliging Witnesses to meet certain levels of preaching work to remain in good standing in the congregation[164] or to qualify for eldership.[156] Franz describes repeated urging for adherents to "put kingdom interests first" and devote increasing amounts of time to door-to-door preaching efforts as coercive pressure. He says many Witnesses constantly feel guilty that they are not doing more in "field activity".[156]
Former Witnesses Heather and Gary Botting, claiming an emphasis on a personal track record would mean that salvation is effectively being "bought" with "good works", observed: "No matter how long a Witness remains an active distributor of literature, the moment he ceases to be active he is regarded by his peers as good as dead in terms of achieving the ultimate goal of life everlasting in an earthly paradise ... Few realize upon entering the movement that the purchase price is open-ended and that the bill can never be paid in full until death or the advent of Armageddon."[163]
The Watchtower, however, noted that although public preaching is necessary, such works do not "save" a Christian and it urged Witnesses to examine their motive for engaging in preaching activity.[207]
Russian religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, in a dissenting opinion to a report by a panel of experts to Moscow's Golovinsky Intermunicipal Court in 1999, stated, "It would be a serious mistake to represent the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion whose leadership forces its rank and file believers to engage in one form of activity or another, or place upon them strict restrictions or directives." Ivanenko, who based his view on a study of Watch Tower Society literature, concluded: "Jehovah's Witnesses strive to live in accord with Bible principles on the basis of an individual, voluntary choice ... This also applies in full measure to preaching." [208] James A. Beckford, a professor at the University of Warwick, England, who published a study of English Jehovah's Witnesses in 1975,[209] also told the court: "It is important for each of them to exercise free moral agency in choosing to study the Bible and to live in accordance with their interpretation of its message."[210] On June 10, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) stated in regards to a charge of coercion of family members, that "Quite often, the opposite is true: it is the resistance and unwillingness of non-religious family members to accept and to respect the [Jehovah's Witnesses] religious relative's freedom to manifest and practise his or her religion that is the source of conflict."[211]
Medical and legal commentators have also noted cases claiming that Witness medical patients were coerced to obey the religion's ban on blood transfusions.[212][213][214] In a case involving a review of a Russian district court decision, however, the ECHR found nothing in the judgments to suggest that any form of improper pressure or undue influence was applied. It noted: "On the contrary, it appears that many Jehovah’s Witnesses have made a deliberate choice to refuse blood transfusions in advance, free from time constraints of an emergency situation." The court said: "The freedom to accept or refuse specific medical treatment, or to select an alternative form of treatment, is vital to the principles of self-determination and personal autonomy. A competent adult patient is free to decide ... not to have a blood transfusion. However, for this freedom to be meaningful, patients must have the right to make choices that accord with their own views and values, regardless of how irrational, unwise or imprudent such choices may appear to others."[215]
Shunning[edit]
Main articles: Jehovah's Witnesses and congregational discipline and Shunning
Witnesses practice disfellowshipping of members who unrepentantly engage in "gross sin",[216] (most commonly for breaches of the Witnesses' code of personal morality),[217][218] and "remorseless apostasy".[219] The process of disfellowshipping is said to be carried to uphold God’s standards, preserve the congregation’s spiritual cleanness, and possibly prompt a change of attitude in the wrongdoer.[216] The practice requires that the expelled person be shunned by all members of the religion, including family members who do not live in the same home, unless they qualify for re-admission. A person who dies while disfellowshipped cannot be given a funeral at a Kingdom Hall.[220][221] Members often face difficulties and trauma once expelled because of their previously limited contact with the outside world.[222][223] The Watchtower??'?s description of those who leave as being "mentally diseased" has drawn criticism from some current and former members; in Britain some have argued that the description may constitute a breach of laws regarding religious hatred.[224][225]
The Watch Tower Society has attracted criticism for disfellowshipping members who decide they cannot conscientiously agree with all the religion's teachings and practices. Sociologist Andrew Holden says that because the religion provides no valid reason for leaving, those who do choose to leave are regarded as traitors.[226] According to Raymond Franz, those who decide they cannot accept Watch Tower teachings and practices often live in a climate of fear, feeling they must constantly be on guard about what they say, do and read. He says those who do express any disagreement, even in a private conversation with friends, risk investigation and trial by a judicial committee as apostates or heretics[227] and classed as "wicked".[228]
Franz argues that the threat of expulsion for expressing disagreement with the Watch Tower Society's teachings is designed to create a sterile atmosphere in which the organization's teachings and policies can circulate without the risk of confronting serious questioning or adverse evidence.[229] The result, according to Holden, is that individuals may spend most of their lives suppressing doubts for fear of losing their relationships with friends and relatives.[230] Penton describes the system of judicial committees and the threat of expulsion as the ultimate control mechanism among the Witnesses;[231] Holden claims that shunning not only rids the community of defilement, but deters others from dissident behavior.[222] Sociologist Ronald Lawson has also noted that the religion allows little room for independence of thought, and no toleration of doctrinal diversity; he says those who deviate from official teachings are readily expelled and shunned.[232]
Watch Tower Society publications defend the practice of expelling and shunning those who "promote false teaching", claiming such individuals must be quarantined to prevent the spread of their "spiritual infection".[233] They have cited a dictionary definition of apostasy ("renunciation of a religious faith, abandonment of a previous loyalty") to rule that an individual who begins affiliating with another religion has disassociated from the Witnesses, warranting their shunning to protect the spiritual cleanness of the Witness congregation on the basis of the reference in 1 John 2:19 that those who leave Christianity are "not of our sort".[234] An individual's acceptance of a blood transfusion is similarly deemed as evidence of disassociation.[235] They say Witnesses also obey the "strong counsel" at 1 Corinthians 5:11 that Christians should "quit mixing in company" with people who unrepentantly reject certain scriptural standards.[236]
The Witnesses' judicial process has also been criticized. Hearings take place in secret,[231] with judicial committees filling the roles of judge, jury and prosecutor.[221] According to Franz, witnesses may present evidence but are not permitted to remain for the discussion[237] Critics Heather and Gary Botting have claimed that Witnesses accused of an offence warranting expulsion are presumed guilty until found innocent. They say the onus is on the accused to prove their innocence and if they make no attempt to do so—by failing to appear at a hearing set by the judicial committee—they are assumed to be guilty and unrepentant.[238]
When a decision is made regarding disfellowshipping or disassociation, an announcement is made that the person is "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses," at which point shunning is immediate. Members are not told whether the person has disassociated or has been disfellowshipped. Neither testimony nor evidence in support of the judicial decision are provided. Congregation members are told to accept the rulings without question and Witnesses who refuse to abide by a judicial committee decision will themselves suffer expulsion.[231] Members are forbidden to talk with the expelled member, removing any opportunity for the person to discuss or explain their actions.[237][239] Penton claims judicial committee members and the Watch Tower Society frequently ignore established procedures when dealing with troublesome individuals, conspiring to have them expelled in violation of Society rules.[240] Critics claim that Witness policies encourage an informer system to report to elders Witnesses suspected of having committed an act that could warrant expulsion, including deviating from organizational policies and teachings.[241][242]
Criticism has also been directed at the 1981 change of policy[243] that directed that persons who disassociate from (formally leave) the religion were to be treated as though they were disfellowshipped.[244][245] Holden says that as a result, those who do leave the religion are seldom allowed a dignified exit.[222] Heather and Gary Botting claim inactive Witnesses are often pressured to either become active or to disassociate themselves by declaring they no longer accept key Watch Tower Society doctrines.[238]
Blood[edit]
Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses and blood transfusions
Jehovah's Witnesses reject transfusions of whole allogenic blood and its primary components (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma), and transfusions of stored autologous blood or its primary components. As a doctrine, Jehovah's Witnesses do not reject transfusion of whole autologous blood so long as it is not stored prior to surgery (e.g. peri-operative extraction and transfusion of autologous blood). This religious position is due to their belief that blood is sacred and represents life in God's eyes. Jehovah's Witnesses understand scriptures such as Leviticus 17:10-14 (which speaks of not eating blood) and Acts 15:29 ("abstain from blood") to include taking blood into the body via a transfusion.[246] Controversy has stemmed, however, from what critics state are inconsistencies in Witness policies on blood, claims that Witness patients are coerced into refusing blood and that Watch Tower literature distorts facts about transfusions and fails to provide information that would allow Witnesses to make an informed decision on the issue.[154]
Fractions and components[edit]
In the case of minor fractions derived from blood, each individual is directed to follow their own conscience on whether these are acceptable.[247][248] This is because it is difficult to define at what point blood is no longer blood. As a substance is broken down into smaller and smaller parts it may or may not be considered the original substance. Therefore some of Jehovah's Witnesses personally choose to accept the use of blood fractions and some do not. However, if a fraction "makes up a significant portion of that component" or "carries out the key function of a primary component" it may be objectionable to them.[249]
Such a stance of dividing blood into major components and minor fractions rather than either accepting all blood or requiring all blood components to be poured out onto the ground has led to criticism from organizations such as the Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood.[250] Witnesses respond that blood as the fluid per se is not the real issue. They say the real issue is respect and obedience regarding blood, which they perceive as being God's personal property.[251][252] Members are allowed to eat meat that still contains small traces of blood remaining. Once blood is drained from an animal, the respect has been shown to God and then a person can eat the meat. Jehovah's Witnesses view of meat and blood is therefore different from the Jewish view that goes to great lengths to remove even minor traces of blood.[253][254]
According to lawyer Kerry Louderback-Wood, a former Jehovah's Witness,[255] the Watch Tower Society misrepresents the scope of allowed fractions. If taken together, they "total the entire volume of blood they came from".[256] An example of this can be seen in blood plasma, which consists of 90-96% water. The remaining amount consists mainly of albumin, globulins, fibrinogen and coagulation factors. These four fractions are allowable for use, but only if taken separately. Critics have likened this to banning the eating of a ham and cheese sandwich but allowing the eating of bread, ham and cheese separately.[257]
Storing and donation[edit]
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that storing blood violates direction from the Bible to 'pour blood out onto the ground'. They do not donate blood except for uses they have individually pre-approved.[258] However, they are told that acceptance of blood fractions from donated blood is a matter of conscience. A 2006 issue of Jehovah's Witnesses' newsletter Our Kingdom Ministry stated, "Although [Jehovah's Witnesses] do not donate or store their own blood for transfusion purposes, some procedures or tests involving an individual’s blood are not so clearly in conflict with Bible principles. Therefore, each individual should make a conscientious decision" [emphasis added].[259] Critics have challenged these policies because acceptable blood fractions can only be derived from stored blood provided by donors.[260]
Legal considerations[edit]
Regardless of the medical considerations, Jehovah Witnesses advocate that physicians should uphold the right of a patient to choose what treatments they do or do not accept (though a Witness is subject to religious sanctions if they exercise their right to choose a blood transfusion).[261] Accordingly, US courts tend not to hold physicians responsible for adverse health effects that a patient incurred out of his or her own requests.[246] However, the point of view that physicians must, in all circumstances, abide by the religious wishes of the patients is not acknowledged by all jurisdictions, such as was determined in a case involving Jehovah's Witnesses in France.
The situation has been controversial, particularly in the case of children. In the United States, many physicians will agree to explore and exhaust all non-blood alternatives in the treatment of children at the request of their legal guardians. Some state laws require physicians to administer blood-based treatment to minors if it is their professional opinion that it is necessary to prevent immediate death or severe permanent damage.[citation needed]
Kerry Louderback-Wood has claimed that Jehovah's Witnesses' legal corporations are potentially liable to significant claims for compensation if the religion misrepresents the medical risks of blood transfusions. Wood claims that constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion do not remove the legal responsibility that every person or organization has regarding misrepresenting secular fact.[262]
Animal blood[edit]
The Watchtower has stated that "Various medical products have been obtained from biological sources, either animal or human ... Such commercialization of ... blood is hardly tempting for true Christians, who guide their thinking by God's perfect law. Our Creator views blood as sacred, representing God-given life ... blood removed from a creature was to be poured out on the ground, disposed of."[263]
Reporting of sexual abuse[edit]
Main articles: Jehovah's Witnesses and child sex abuse and Silentlambs
Critics such as Silentlambs have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of employing organizational policies that make the reporting of sexual abuse difficult for members.[264][265] Some victims of sexual abuse have asserted that when reporting abuse they were ordered to maintain silence by their local elders to avoid embarrassment to both the accused and the organization.[266][267][268][269]
The religion's official policy on child protection, which discusses the procedures for reporting child sexual abuse, states that elders obey all legal requirements for reporting sex offenders, including reporting uncorroborated or unsubstantiated allegations where required by law. Elders are to discipline pedophiles in the congregation. Victims are permitted to notify the authorities if they wish to do so.[270]
While a Witness may lose congregation privileges following a single credible accusation of abuse,[271] Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be scripturally obliged to require corroboration ("two witnesses") before applying their severest forms of congregational discipline.[272] If there is not an actual second witness to an incident of abuse, a congregation judicial committee will accept medical or police reports, or a witness to a separate but similar incident as such a second witness against a member accused of sexual abuse.[273]
Biblical criticisms[edit]
The Watch Tower Society has been criticized for its refusal to reveal the names and academic credentials of the translators of its New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT).[274] The Society has claimed members of the NWT's translation committee wished to remain anonymous in order to exalt only the name of God,[275] The Watchtower stating that the educational qualifications of the translators were unimportant and that "the translation itself testifies to their qualifications".[276] Raymond Franz, a former member of the Governing Body, has claimed that of the four men he says constituted the committee, only one—its principal translator, his uncle Frederick Franz—had sufficient knowledge of biblical languages to have attempted the project.[277] Frederick Franz had studied Greek for two years and was self-taught in Hebrew.[278]
Much criticism of the NWT involves the rendering of certain texts considered to be biased towards specific Witness practices and doctrines.[274][279][280][281][282][283] These include the use of "torture stake" instead of "cross" throughout the New Testament;[274] the rendering of John 1:1, with the insertion of the indefinite article ("a") in its rendering to give "the Word was a god";[274][284] Romans 10:10, which uses the term "public declaration", which may reinforce the imperative to engage in public preaching;[274] John 17:3, which used the term "taking in knowledge" rather than "know" to suggest that salvation is dependent on ongoing study,[274] and the placement of the comma in Luke 23:43, which affects the timing of the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to the thief at Calvary.[285]
Also criticized is the NWT's insertion of the name Jehovah 237 times in the New Testament without extant New Testament Greek manuscript evidence that the name existed there.[286][287][288] Watch Tower publications have claimed that the name was "restored" on a sound basis, stating that when New Testament writers quote earlier Old Testament scriptures containing the Tetragrammaton (????), "the translator has the right to render Kyrios ("LORD") as Jehovah."[289] The NWT mentions twenty-seven other translations which have similarly rendered Kyrios as a form of the name Jehovah, stating that there is only one verse where the NWT does so without agreement from other translations.[290]
The Society has claimed its translation "courageously restores God’s name, Jehovah, to its proper place in the Biblical text, is free from the bias of religious traditionalism, and ... gives the literal meaning of God’s Word as accurately as possible."[291] Jason BeDuhn, associate professor of religious studies at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, Arizona, compared major translations for accuracy. He wrote that the NWT's introduction of the name "Jehovah" into the New Testament 237 times was "not accurate translation by the most basic principle of accuracy".[292] BeDuhn also stated that whilst there are "a handful of examples of bias in the [New World Translation (NW)]", that "most of the differences are due to the greater accuracy of the NW as a literal, conservative translation of the original expressions of the New Testament writers." He concluded that "the NW and [another translation] are not bias free, and they are not perfect translations. But they are remarkably good translations ... often better than [the other six translations analyzed]."[293]
See also[edit]
Anti-cult movement
Beth Sarim
Charles Taze Russell controversies
Christian countercult movement
Heresy in Christianity
Heterodoxy
History of Jehovah's Witnesses
Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Crompton, Robert (1996), Counting the Days to Armageddon, Cambridge: James Clarke & Co, pp. 9, 115, ISBN 0-227-67939-3
2.Jump up ^ The Time is at Hand, Watch Tower Society, 1889, pages 99 "In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth, that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God will be accomplished by A.D. 1914."; cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 193.
3.Jump up ^ In 1892 Zion's Watch Tower stated that God's battle, Armageddon, which was believed to be already under way, would end in October 1914, a date "definitely marked in Scripture," (15 January 1892, page 1355 reprint) and Watch Tower editor Charles Taze Russell declared: "We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours." (The Watchtower, 15 July 1894, page 1677). After comparing "unreliable secular chronology" to reliable "Bible chronology" The Watchtower stated, “It was on this line of reckoning [using the chronology of the Bible as an established fact] that the dates 1874, 1914, and 1918 were located; and the Lord has placed the stamp of his seal upon 1914 and 1918 beyond any possibility of erasure....Using this same measuring line, beginning with the entry...of Israel into Canaan, and counting the full 70 cycles...,as clearly indicated by Jehovah's sending of the Jews into Babylon for the full 70 years, it is an easy matter to locate 1925, probably the fall, for the beginning of the antitypical jubilee. There can be no more question about 1925 than there was about 1914.... Looking back we can now easily see that those dates were clearly indicated in Scripture and doubtless intended by the Lord to encourage his people....That all that some expect to see in 1925 may not transpire that year will not alter the date one whit more than in the other cases.”(The Watch Tower, May 15, 1922, p. 150; Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 224).
4.Jump up ^ "Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View", The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, page 591, "Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect. We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his Word and channel of communication....Jehovah's visible organization is based firmly on the twelvefold foundation of the apostles of the Lamb with Jesus Christ himself being the foundation cornerstone.(Rev. 21:14,19;Eph 2:20-22) Therefore, in submitting to Jehovah's visible theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements."
5.Jump up ^ "The Godly Qualities of Love and Hate", The Watchtower, 15 July 1974: 441, "Christians have implicit trust in their heavenly Father; they do not question what he tells them through his written Word and organization."
6.^ Jump up to: a b Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 174, "No less serious is it when a group of men have divided views on predictions related to a certain date and yet present their adherents an outward appearance of united confidence, encouraging those adherents to place unwavering trust in those predictions."
7.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, p. 629 "people certainly ha[ve] the freedom to believe what they chose. But anyone who publicly or privately advocates views that are divergent from what appears in the publications of an organization, and who does so while claiming to represent that organization, causes division."
8.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Atlanta: Commentary Press, pp. 18–28, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
9.Jump up ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, pp. 66–69, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
10.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, Watch Tower Society, 1959, page 52.
11.Jump up ^ "A Solid Basis for Confidence", The Watchtower, July 15, 1976, page 440.
12.Jump up ^ Gruss, Edmond C. (1972), The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, pp. 87–88, ISBN 0-87552-306-4
13.Jump up ^ In Crisis of Conscience, 2002, pg. 173, Franz quotes from "They Shall Know That a Prophet Was Among Them", (The Watchtower, April 1, 1972,) which states that God had raised Jehovah's Witnesses as "a prophet to help [people], to warn them of dangers and declare things to come". He also cites "Identifying the Right Kind of Messenger" (The Watchtower, May 1, 1997, page 8) which identifies the Witnesses as his "true messengers ... by making the messages he delivers through them come true", in contrast to "false messengers", whose predictions fail. In In Search of Christian Freedom, 2007, he quotes The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah - How? (1971, pg 70, 292) which describes Witnesses as the modern Ezekiel class, "a genuine prophet within our generation". The Watch Tower book noted: "Concerning the message faithfully delivered by the Ezekiel class, Jehovah positively states that it 'must come true' ... those who wait undecided until it does 'come true' will also have to know that a prophet himself had proved to be in the midst of them." He also cites "Execution of the Great Harlot Nears", (The Watchtower, October 15, 1980, pg 17) which claims God gives the Witnesses "special knowledge that others do not have ... advance knowledge about this system's end".
14.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 86-91.
15.Jump up ^ Criticisms of statements, such as those found below, are found in a number of books including Penton, M. James (1997) Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press; Franz, Raymond, In Search of Christian Freedom (2007) Commentary Press; Watters, Randall (2004) Thus Saith Jehovah's Witnesses, Common Sense Publications; Reed, David A. (1990) Index of Watchtower Errors, 1879 to 1989, Baker Books and at websites including Watchtower Information Service; Quotes-Watchtower.co.uk; Reexamine.Quotes.
16.Jump up ^ Waldeck, Val Jehovah's Witnesses: What do they believe?. Pilgrim Publications SA. ISBN 1-920092-08-0.
17.Jump up ^ Buttrey, John M (2004). Let No One Mislead You. iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-30710-8.
18.Jump up ^ Awake!, October 8, 1968, p. 23.
19.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, page 87.
20.^ Jump up to: a b "Why So Many False Alarms?", Awake!, March 22, 1993, pages 3-4, footnote.
21.Jump up ^ Reasoning From the Scriptures, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1989, pg 137.
22.Jump up ^ Revelation - Its Grand Climax, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1988, page 9.
23.Jump up ^ "Views From the Watchtower", Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, January 1908, "We are not prophesying; we are merely giving our surmises ... We do not even [assert] that there is no mistake in our interpretation of prophesy and our calculations of chronology. We have merely laid these before you, leaving it for each to exercise his own faith or doubt in respect to them."
24.Jump up ^ "Preaching Christ—Through Envy or Goodwill?", The Watchtower, May 15, 1976, p. 297, "Jehovah’s Witnesses as modern-day Christians are working hard to get this good news preached to every individual. They do not claim infallibility or perfection. Neither are they inspired prophets."
25.Jump up ^ "Allow No Place for the Devil!", The Watchtower, March 15, 1986, page 19, "Some opposers claim that Jehovah’s Witnesses are false prophets. These opponents say that dates have been set, but nothing has happened. ... Yes, Jehovah’s people have had to revise expectations from time to time. Because of our eagerness, we have hoped for the new system earlier than Jehovah’s timetable has called for it. But we display our faith in God’s Word and its sure promises by declaring its message to others. Moreover, the need to revise our understanding somewhat does not make us false prophets or change the fact that we are living in 'the last days,' ... How foolish to take the view that expectations needing some adjustment should call into question the whole body of truth! The evidence is clear that Jehovah has used and is continuing to use his one organization."
26.Jump up ^ George Chryssides, They Keep Changing the Dates, A paper presented at the CESNUR 2010 conference in Torino. How Prophecy Succeeds:The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Expectations
27.Jump up ^ March 1, 1904 Zion's Watch Tower p. 67
28.Jump up ^ Charles Taze Russell and Nelson H. Barbour, The Three Worlds (1907) as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, pages 21-22.
29.Jump up ^ Charles Taze Russell, The Time Is At Hand (1891) as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 44.
30.Jump up ^ Melvin D. Curry, Jehovah's Witnesses: The Millenarian World of the Watch Tower, Garland, 1992, as cited by James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 45.
31.Jump up ^ Penton, James (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0802079732.
32.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 485, 258, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 206-211.
33.Jump up ^ J. F. Rutherford, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 212-214.
34.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, May 15, 1922, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 224.
35.Jump up ^ The Way to Paradise booklet, Watch Tower Society, 1924, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 230-232.
36.Jump up ^ Face the Facts, 1938, pp. 46-50
37.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 15, 1941, p. 288
38.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, May 1, 1942, p. 139
39.Jump up ^ Awake!, February 22, 1961, p. 7
40.Jump up ^ Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God (PDF), Watch Tower Society, 1966, pp. 29–35, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 238-239.
41.Jump up ^ Talk by F. W. Franz, Baltimore, Maryland 1966, cited by Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, and by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 238-239.
42.Jump up ^ Did Man Get Here By Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1967, pg 161.
43.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, May 1, 1968, page 273
44.Jump up ^ Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, March 1968, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 246.
45.Jump up ^ Awake!, May 22, 1969, p. 15
46.Jump up ^ The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah – How?, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1971, pg 216.
47.Jump up ^ Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, May 1974, page 3.
48.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, March 1, 1984, pp. 18-19
49.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, January 1, 1989, pg. 12.
50.Jump up ^ "Flashes of Light - Great and Small", The Watchtower, May 15, 1995, page 17.
51.^ Jump up to: a b c Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 184.
52.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, July 15, 1894: 1677, "We see no reason for changing the figures—nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God’s dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble." Missing or empty |title= (help)
53.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 15, 1901: 292, "The culmination of the trouble in October, 1914, is clearly marked in the Scriptures;" Missing or empty |title= (help)
54.Jump up ^ The Time Is at Hand, 1907, p. 101, "The ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty’ (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth’s present rulership, is already commenced."
55.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, November 1, 1922: 346, "We understand that the jubilee type began to count in 1575 B.C.; and the 3,500 year period embracing the type must end in 1925. It follows, then, that the year 1925 will mark the beginning of the restoration of all things lost by Adam's disobedience." Missing or empty |title= (help)
56.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, November 1, 1922: 333, "Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874 ... these facts are indisputable." Missing or empty |title= (help)
57.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 708.
58.Jump up ^ "Impart God’s Progressive Revelation to Mankind", The Watchtower, March 1, 1965, p. 158-159
59.Jump up ^ Studies in the Scriptures Vol. II 1889 p. 239, Studies in the Scriptures Volume III 1891 p. 234, Studies in Scriptures Vol. IV 1897 p. 621.
60.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 632.
61.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, pages 20, 23.
62.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 23.
63.Jump up ^ Watchtower, February 1, 1925, page 371.
64.Jump up ^ Watchtower, May 15, 1927, page 151.
65.Jump up ^ Watchtower, June 1, 1927.
66.Jump up ^ "The Corroborative Testimony of God's Stone Witness and Prophet, The Great Pyramid in Egypt", Chapter 10, Thy Kingdom Come, third volume of Studies in the Scriptures, 1910.
67.Jump up ^ Watchtower, June 15, 1922, page 187, as reproduced by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 225, 226.
68.Jump up ^ Watchtower, 1928, pages 339-45, 355-62, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 170.
69.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, October–November 1881, as cited by Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 142.
70.Jump up ^ The Battle of Armageddon by C. T. Russell, 1886, page 613, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, footnote, page 345.
71.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, December 1, 1916, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 34.
72.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, pages 68 and 71, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 63.
73.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 626, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 67.
74.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, October 1, 1909, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 67.
75.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society, 1993, page 626.
76.Jump up ^ Thy Kingdom Come, 1891, page 23.
77.Jump up ^ The Harp of God, (1921), 1924 ed., p. 231.
78.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, pages 21, 46.
79.Jump up ^ C.T. Russell, The Time Is At Hand (Watch Tower Society, 1889, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 190, 204.
80.Jump up ^ Life, Watch Tower Society, 1929, page 170, as cited by Edmond C. Gruss, The Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, page 87.
81.Jump up ^ J.F. Rutherford, Vindication - Book II, pages 257-258, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, page 65.
82.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, November 1, 1922, page 333, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 228.
83.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, March 1, 1922, "The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the time of the end began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874".
84.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, pages 18-22.
85.Jump up ^ "No Spiritual Energy Crisis for Discreet Ones", The Watchtower, August 15, 1974, page 507, footnote.
86.^ Jump up to: a b Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, 2007, page 484.
87.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, June 15, 1952, page 376.
88.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 107, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
89.Jump up ^ Qualified To Be Ministers, Watch Tower Society, 1955, page 381, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 74.
90.Jump up ^ Marley Cole, Jehovah's Witnesses - The New World Society, Vantage Press, New York, 1955, pages 86-89, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 74.
91.Jump up ^ Testimony by Fred Franz, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh Transcript, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, 1954, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 75-76.
92.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, page 68, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 59.
93.Jump up ^ Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, pages 58-79.
94.Jump up ^ M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, 1997, page 216.
95.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, December 15, 1971, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, 2007, page 78.
96.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, July 1, 1963, page 412.
97.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, July 15, 1963, page 443.
98.Jump up ^ "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, pages 467, "It is right to hate the wrong committed by the disfellowshiped one, but it is not right to hate the person nor is it right to treat such ones in an inhumane way."
99.Jump up ^ "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, pages 471-472.
100.Jump up ^ "Maintaining a Balanced Viewpoint Toward Disfellowshiped Ones", The Watchtower, August 1, 1974, page 471, par 19.
101.^ Jump up to: a b "If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 28.
102.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 24-25.
103.Jump up ^ "If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 30.
104.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 20-31, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 299-300.
105.Jump up ^ Letter to all circuit and district overseers from Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, September 1, 1980, as reproduced by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 341.
106.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, pages 23, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, page 299-300.
107.Jump up ^ Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 357-359.
108.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, June 15, 1911, as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, page 188.
109.Jump up ^ The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 485, 258, 513 as cited by Raymond Franz, Crisis of Conscience, pages 206-211.
110.Jump up ^ Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Society, 1988, page 209.
111.Jump up ^ Revelation - It's Grand Climax at Hand!, Watch Tower Society, 1988, pages 266, 269.
112.Jump up ^ "No Calamity Will Befall Us" (Subheading). (Nov. 15, 2001). The Watchtower, p.19
113.Jump up ^ "Let the Reader Use Discernment", (Subheading "A Modern-Day 'Disgusting Thing'"). (May 1, 1999). The Watchtower, p 14
114.Jump up ^ "A World Without War-When?" Oct.1, 1991, pp.5 The Watchtower
115.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, 1 June 1997, p. 17 par. 15: "In the first place, what lies ahead for the world's false religions that have so often been extremely friendly with the UN? They are the offspring of one idolatrous fountainhead, ancient Babylon. Appropriately, they are described at Revelation 17:5 as "Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth". Jeremiah described the doom of this hypocritical conglomerate. Harlotlike, they have seduced earth's politicians, flattering the UN and forming illicit relations with its member political powers."
116.Jump up ^ Bates, Stephen (Oct. 8, 2001) "Jehovah's Witnesses link to UN queried", The Guardian
117.Jump up ^ Bates, Stephen (Oct. 15, 2001) "'Hypocrite' Jehovah's Witnesses abandon secret link with UN", The Guardian
118.Jump up ^ Letter to Editor - The Guardian" (Oct. 22, 2001) Office of Public Information
119.Jump up ^ Letter from United Nations DPI/NGO Resource Centre
120.Jump up ^ UN DPI/NGO
121.Jump up ^ Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy! chap. 6 par. 25-29
122.^ Jump up to: a b Edmond C. Gruss, Jehovah's Witnesses and Prophetic Speculation, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 1972, ISBN 0-87552-306-4 Page 42.
123.^ Jump up to: a b "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part One" The Watchtower, October 1, 2011, page 26
124.Jump up ^ "Evidences of the Year’s Correctness". The Watchtower: 271–2. May 1, 1952. "It was in this first regnal year of Cyrus that he issued his decree to permit the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. (Ezra 1:1) The decree may have been made in late 538 B.C. or before March 4–5, 537 B.C. In either case this would have given sufficient time for the large party of 49,897 Jews to organize their expedition and to make their long four-month journey from Babylon to Jerusalem to get there by September 29–30, 537 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month, to build their altar to Jehovah as recorded at Ezra 3:1-3. Inasmuch as September 29–30, 537 B.C., officially ends the seventy years of desolation as recorded at 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21, so the beginning of the desolation of the land must have officially begun to be counted after September 21–22, 607 B.C., the first of the seventh Jewish month in 607 B.C., which is the beginning point for the counting of the 2,520 years."
125.Jump up ^ [1] "Babylonian Exile." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.
126.Jump up ^ "Timeline of Judaism after the Babylonian Exile (538 BCE-70 CE)". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
127.Jump up ^ Keller, Werner (1983). The Bible As History. Bantam; 2 Revised edition. p. 352. ISBN 0-553-27943-2.
128.Jump up ^ Dictionary of the Bible: Biographical, Geographical, Historical and Doctrinal by Charles Randall Barnes, Page 247.
129.Jump up ^ Dyer, Charles (2003). Nelson’s Old Testament survey: Discovering essence, Background & Meaning about Every Old Testament book.
130.Jump up ^ The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return by Carl O. Jonsson. ISBN 0-914675-06-0 Publisher: Commentary Press (July, 1998, Fourth edition 2004)
131.Jump up ^ "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part Two" The Watchtower, November 1, 2011, page 22
132.Jump up ^ Insight from scriptures. Vol.2 page 458, "secular chronologers calculate the 16th day of Tashritu (Tishri) as falling on October 11, Julian calendar, and October 5, Gregorian calendar, in the year 539 B.C.E. Since this date is an accepted one, there being no evidence to the contrary, it is usable as a pivotal date in coordinating secular history with Bible history."
133.Jump up ^ Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Persian Chronology Compared with the Chronology of the Bible, Volume 1: Persian Chronology and the Length of the Babylonian Exile of the Jews (2003) ISBN 82-994633-3-5
134.Jump up ^ Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 28:5 [2004], p. 42-43
135.Jump up ^ Under One Sky: Astronomy and Mathematics in the Ancient Near East, Münster 2002, pp. 423-428, F. R. Stephenson and D. M. Willis.
136.^ Jump up to: a b "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?—Part Two" The Watchtower, November 1, 2011, page 25, 28, footnote 18
137.Jump up ^ Mesopotamian Planetary Astronomy–Astrology, David Brown, pages 53–56; 2000
138.Jump up ^ When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed, page 21, Carl O. Jonsson.
139.Jump up ^ Insight from scriptures, Vol. I, Astronomical Calculations, page 454
140.Jump up ^ Life — How Did It Get Here? By Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 1985
141.Jump up ^ Was Life Created?, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society, 2010
142.Jump up ^ Gary Botting, "Preface" to The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, pp. xiv-xvi
143.Jump up ^ Hitching is first introduced as an "evolutionist" (p. 15). A Hitching quote on page 71 is repeated on page 73, in the latter case presented as the statement of "a scientist". The 1986 Watchtower book The Bible — God's Word or Man's? likewise refers to Hitching as a scientist (p. 106).
144.Jump up ^ Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion, p. 145. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2006. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
145.Jump up ^ Is There a Creator Who Cares About You?. Watch Tower Society. p. 93.
146.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, April 1, 1986, pp. 12-13
147.Jump up ^ Awake!, May 8, 1997, p. 12
148.Jump up ^ The Watchtower, September 1, 1986, p. 30
149.Jump up ^ "Following Faithful Shepherds with Life in View", The Watchtower, October 1, 1967, page 591, "Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect ... in submitting to Jehovah's visible theocratic organization, we must be in full and complete agreement with every feature of its apostolic procedure and requirements."
150.Jump up ^ "Loyal to Christ and His Faithful Slave", The Watchtower, April 1, 2007, page 24, "When we loyally submit to the direction of the faithful slave and its Governing Body, we are submitting to Christ, the slave's Master."
151.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, pp. 89, 95, 103, 120, 204, 221, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
152.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, pp. 22, 32, 150–170, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
153.Jump up ^ Alan Rogerson, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Constable, 1969, page 50.
154.^ Jump up to: a b Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses, part 1", Journal of Medical Ethics, August 1998, Vol 24, Issue 4, page 223-230.
155.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, pp. 98–100, 104–107, 113, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
156.^ Jump up to: a b c d R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 6.
157.Jump up ^ Court transcript as cited by Heather & Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1984, page 67-68, also at Pursuer's Proof: Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh Transcript, Lord Strachan vs. Douglas Walsh, 1954.
158.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p. 103, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
159.Jump up ^ Minority Religions, Social Change, and Freedom of Conscience
160.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 67, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
161.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, pp. 419–421, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
162.Jump up ^ Stevenson, W.C. (1967), Year of Doom 1975: The Inside Story of Jehovah's Witnesses, London: Hutchinson & Co, pp. 33–35, "The inevitable result of a person's submitting to (the home Bible study) arrangement is that eventually all his own thoughts will be replaced by the thoughts contained in the book he is studying ... if one were able to watch this person's development ... it would be quite obvious that he was gradually losing all individuality of thought and action ... One of the characteristics of Jehovah's Witnesses is the extraordinary unanimity of thinking on almost every aspect of life ... in view of this there seems to be some justification for the charge that their study methods are in fact a subtle form of indoctrination or brainwashing."
163.^ Jump up to: a b c Botting, Heather & Gary (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, p. 153, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
164.^ Jump up to: a b R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 16.
165.Jump up ^ "Exposing the Devil’s Subtle Designs" and "Armed for the Fight Against Wicked Spirits", Watchtower, January 15, 1983, as cited by Heather and Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1984, page 92.
166.Jump up ^ "Serving Jehovah Shoulder to Shoulder", The Watchtower, August 15, 1981, page 28, "Jehovah's Theocratic Organization Today", The Watchtower, February 1, 1952, pages 79–81.
167.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 25-26, 101, "For every passage in Society literature that urges members to be bold and courageous in critical pursuits, there are many others that warn about independent thinking and the peril of questioning the organization ... Fear of disobedience to the Governing Body keeps Jehovah's Witnesses from carefully checking into biblical doctrine or allegations concerning false prophecy, faulty scholarship, and injustice. Witnesses are told not to read books like this one."
168.Jump up ^ According to Randall Watters, who in 1981 published a pamphlet, "What happened at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in the spring of 1980?", cited by Heather and Gary Botting, a former Governing Body member is said to have referred Brooklyn headquarters staff to an organizational handbook containing 1,177 policies and regulations, telling them: "If there are some who feel that they cannot subject themselves to the rules and regulations now in operation, such ones ought to be leaving and not be involved here."
169.Jump up ^ Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, pp. 107–108, 122, 298.
170.Jump up ^ "Walk With Confidence in Jehovah’s Leadership", The Watchtower, June 1, 1985, page 20, "To turn away from Jehovah and his organization, to spurn the direction of “the faithful and discreet slave,” and to rely simply on personal Bible reading and interpretation is to become like a solitary tree in a parched land."
171.Jump up ^ Question box, Our Kingdom Ministry, September 2007.
172.Jump up ^ "Do not be quickly shaken from your reason", Watchtower, March 15, 1986
173.Jump up ^ "At which table are you feeding?" Watchtower, July 1, 1994
174.Jump up ^ Watchtower, May 1, 1984, page 31, as cited by R. Franz, "In Search of Christian Freedom", chapter 12
175.Jump up ^ "Firmly uphold godly teaching," Watchtower, May 1, 2000, page 9.
176.Jump up ^ Heather & Gary Botting, The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, 1984, page 143, 153.
177.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, pp. 204, 221, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
178.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 30, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
179.Jump up ^ R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 11.
180.Jump up ^ Muramoto, O. (January 6, 2001), "Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses", BMJ 322 (7277): 37–39, doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7277.37, PMC 1119307, PMID 11141155.
181.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, pp. 449–464, ISBN 0-914675-17-6, "Loyalty to the organization becomes the touchstone, the criterion, the "bottom line", when it comes to determining whether one is a faithful Christian or not ... to make any organizational loyalty the criterion for judging anyone's Christianity is, then, clearly a perversion of Scripture ... Read the whole of those Scriptures ... nowhere are we taught to put faith in men or in an earthly organization, unquestioningly following its lead ... the entire Bible record is a continual reminder of the danger inherent in that kind of trust."
182.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom (2nd ed.), Commentary Press, p. 458, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
183.Jump up ^ "You Must Be Holy Because Jehovah Is Holy", The Watchtower, February 15, 1976, page 124, "Would not a failure to respond to direction from God through his organization really indicate a rejection of divine rulership?"
184.Jump up ^ James A. Beverley, Crisis of Allegiance, Welch Publishing Company, Burlington, Ontario, 1986, ISBN 0-920413-37-4, pages 25-26, 101.
185.Jump up ^ Holden 2002, p. 121.
186.Jump up ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, p. 156, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
187.Jump up ^ "Questions from readers", Watchtower, April 1, 1986.
188.Jump up ^ Stark and Iannoccone (1997), "Why the Jehovah's Witnesses Grow So Rapidly: A Theoretical Application" (PDF), Journal of Contemporary Religion (PDF), pp. 142–143, retrieved 2008-12-30.
189.Jump up ^ ECHR Point 130, 118
190.Jump up ^ Gary Botting, Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses, (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993.
191.Jump up ^ Rhodes, Ron (2001), The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, pp. 77–103, ISBN 0-310-23217-1
192.Jump up ^ Gomes, Alan W. (1995), Unmasking the Cults, Zondervan, pp. 22, 23, ISBN 0-310-70441-3
193.Jump up ^ Hoekema, Anthony A. (1963), The Four Major Cults, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, pp. 1–8,223–371, 373–388, ISBN 0-8028-3117-6
194.Jump up ^ "Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Cult?", The Watchtower, February 15, 1994, pages 5-7
195.Jump up ^ "Do Others Do Your Thinking?", Awake!, August 22, 1978, page 4.
196.Jump up ^ "Who Molds Your Thinking?", The Watchtower, April 1, 1999, page 22, "You have free will. Exercising it, you can choose to respond to Jehovah’s molding influence or deliberately reject it. How much better to listen to Jehovah’s voice instead of arrogantly asserting, 'No one tells me what to do'!"
197.Jump up ^ "Salvation", Reasoning on the Scriptures, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, p. 359, "Is anything more than faith needed in order to gain salvation? Eph. 2:8, 9, RS: “By grace [“undeserved kindness,” NW] you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.” (The entire provision for salvation is an expression of God’s undeserved kindness. There is no way that a descendant of Adam can gain salvation on his own, no matter how noble his works are. Salvation is a gift from God given to those who put faith in the sin-atoning value of the sacrifice of his Son.)"
198.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses Wish You Would Answer The Door" (PDF). The Grand Rapids Press. 2006.
199.Jump up ^ Brown II, John Bowen (2008-04-16), "Cult Watchdog Organizations and Jehovah’s Witnesses", Twenty Years and More: Research into Minority Religions, New Religious Movements and 'the New Spirituality', London School of Economics, London, UK: Center for Studies on New Religions, retrieved 2010-03-03
200.Jump up ^ Engardio, Joel P. (2007-04-17). "Myths & Realities". PBS Independent Lens. Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
201.Jump up ^ Brown II, John B. (2005-06-02), "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Anti-cult Movement: A Human Rights Perspective", Religious Movements, Globalization and Conflict: Transnational Perspectives, Palermo, Sicily: Center for Studies on New Religions
202.Jump up ^ Raschke, Carl A. (2013-07-19), "Contemporary American Religion Volume 1", in Catherine L. Albanese, Randall Balmer, Frederick M. Denny, Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, Ana Maria Diaz-Stevens, Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo, Ellen M. Umansky, Jehovah's Witnesses, New York: Macmillan Reference USA An Imprint of the Gale Group, p. 343, ISBN 0-02-864926-5
203.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, page 96, as cited by R. Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, chapter 4.
204.Jump up ^ Question Box, Our Kingdom Ministry, September 1979, page 4.
205.Jump up ^ "Do You Contribute to an Accurate Report?", Our Kingdom Ministry, December 2002, page 8.
206.Jump up ^ "Righteous requirements", Watchtower, July 1, 1943, pages 204-206, "Jehovah ... has appointed his 'faithful and wise servant, who is his visible mouthpiece ... These expressions of God's will by his King and through his established agency constitute his law or rule of action ... The Lord breaks down our organization instructions further ... He says the requirements for special pioneers shall be 175 hours and 50 back-calls per month ... and for regular pioneers 150 hours ... And for company publishers he says, 'Let us make a quota of 60 hours and 12 back-calls and at least one study a week for each publisher'. These directions come to us from the Lord through his established agency directing what is required of us ... This expression of the Lord's will should be the end of all controversy ... The Lord through his 'faithful and wise servant' now states to us, Let us cover our territory four times in six months. That becomes our organization instructions and has the same binding force on us that his statement to the Logos had when he said, 'Let us make man in our image'. It is our duty to accept this additional instruction and obey it."
207.Jump up ^ "Saved, Not by Works Alone, But by Undeserved Kindness", The Watchtower, June 1, 2005, pages 17-18.
208.Jump up ^ Expert Opinion by S. I. Ivanenko, p. 10, Golovinsky Intermunicipal Court, in the application of the Moscow Northern Administrative District prosecutor to liquidate the Religious Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow
209.Jump up ^ The Trumpet of Prophecy: A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, John Wiley and Sons, 1975, as cited by M. James Penton, Apocalypse Delayed, University of Toronto Press, 1997. Penton describes Beckford's book as "uneven" and marred by errors and a misunderstanding of certain basic Witness doctrines.
210.Jump up ^ Sworn Expert Opinion, prepared by Professor James Beckford, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, November 1998, Golovinsky Intermunicipal Court, in the application of the Moscow Northern Administrative District prosecutor to liquidate the Religious Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow
211.Jump up ^ ECHR Point number 111
212.Jump up ^ “Jehovah's Witnesses case heads to B.C. court”, Vancouver Sun, April 1, 2007
213.Jump up ^ Medical emergencies in children of orthodox Jehovah's Witness families: Three recent legal cases, ethical issues and proposals for management”, by J Guicho and, I Mitchell, Paediatrics & Child Health, Canadian Pediatric Society, December 2006.
214.Jump up ^ "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses, part 2." Journal of Medical Ethics, October 1998, pages 295-301.
215.Jump up ^ ECHR Point number 136, 139
216.^ Jump up to: a b "Always Accept Jehovah’s Discipline", The Watchtower, November 15, 2006, page 26.
217.Jump up ^ "Cultivate Obedience as the End Draws Near", The Watchtower, October 1, 2002, page 21
218.Jump up ^ Beckford, James A. (1975), The Trumpet of Prophecy, A Sociological Study of Jehovah's Witnesses, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p. 55, ISBN 0-631-16310-7
219.Jump up ^ "Elders, Judge With Righteousness", The Watchtower, July 1, 1992, page 19.
220.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 354, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
221.^ Jump up to: a b Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 89
222.^ Jump up to: a b c Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 163, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
223.Jump up ^ Osamu Muramoto, "Recent developments in medical care of Jehovah's Witnesses", Western Journal of Medicine, May 1999, page 298.
224.Jump up ^ Taylor, Jerome (27 September 2011). "War of words breaks out among Jehovah's Witnesses". The Independent.
225.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses church likens defectors to 'contagious, deadly disease'", Sunday Herald Sun, page 39, October 2, 2011.
226.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 150, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
227.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 384, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
228.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 351, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
229.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 359, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
230.Jump up ^ Holden, Andrew (2002), Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement, Routledge, p. 151, ISBN 0-415-26609-2
231.^ Jump up to: a b c Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 249
232.Jump up ^ Ronald Lawson, "Sect-State Relations: Accounting for the Differing Trajectories of Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses," Sociology of Religion, 1995, 56:4, pg 371.
233.Jump up ^ "Maintain Your Faith and Spiritual Health", The Watchtower, October 1, 1989.
234.Jump up ^ "Questions From Readers", The Watchtower, October 15, 1986, page 31.
235.Jump up ^ Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah's Witnesses", British Medical Journal, January 6, 2001, page 37.
236.Jump up ^ Donald T. Ridley, "Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal of blood: Obedience to scripture and religious conscience", Journal of Medical Ethics, 1999:25, page 470.
237.^ Jump up to: a b Franz, Raymond (2002), Crisis of Conscience, Commentary Press, p. 38, ISBN 0-914675-23-0
238.^ Jump up to: a b Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, p. 91, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
239.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, p. 371, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
240.Jump up ^ Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 248
241.Jump up ^ Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, pages 365-385, citing "A Time to Speak – When?", The Watchtower, September 1, 1987.
242.Jump up ^ Osamu Muramoto, "Bioethics of the refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses, Part 1", Journal of Medical Ethics, August 1998.
243.Jump up ^ "Disfellowshiping—How to View It", The Watchtower, September 15, 1981, page 23.
244.Jump up ^ Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, p. 319
245.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2002), Crisis of Conscience, Commentary Press, p. 357, ISBN 0-914675-23-0
246.^ Jump up to: a b How Can Blood Save Your Life?. Watch Tower Society. p. 22.
247.Jump up ^ "Be guided by the Living God" (Jun. 15, 2004). The Watchtower
248.Jump up ^ "Questions from readers: Do Jehovah's Witnesses accept any minor fractions of blood?" (Jun. 15, 2000). The Watchtower
249.Jump up ^ Awake! August 2006 box on P. 11
250.Jump up ^ Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood
251.Jump up ^ The Watchtower November 1, 1961, p. 669 Questions From Readers
252.Jump up ^ What Does The Bible Really Teach? 2005 P.128
253.Jump up ^ "OK Kosher Certification — Salting of Meat". Ok.org. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
254.Jump up ^ "Making Meat Kosher: Between Slaughtering and Cooking". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
255.Jump up ^ "Religion Today", New York Times, January 6, 2006
256.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood Transfusions and the Tort of Misrepresentation, Journal of Church and State Vol 47, Autumn 2005 p. 815
257.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond. "In Search of Christian Freedom" - Chapter Nine. Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1991. ISBN 0-914675-16-8. p.732.
258.Jump up ^ "Questions From Readers", The Watchtower, October 15, 2000, page 31, "Jehovah’s Witnesses...do not donate blood [without preconditions on its use], nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be ‘poured out.’ That practice conflicts with God’s law. Other procedures or tests involving an individual’s own blood are not so clearly in conflict with God’s stated principles. ...the goal may be to isolate some of a blood component and apply that elsewhere... A Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled... Ahead of time, he should obtain from the doctor or technician the facts about what might be done with his blood during the procedure. Then he must decide according to what his conscience permits."
259.Jump up ^ "How Do I View Blood Fractions and Medical Procedures Involving My Own Blood?", Our Kingdom Ministry, November 2006, page 4.
260.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond. "In Search of Christian Freedom" - Chapter Nine. Atlanta: Commentary Press, 1991. Pbk. ISBN 0-914675-16-8. pp.732.
261.Jump up ^ Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs - When Religion and Medicine Collide
262.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood Transfusions and the Tort of Misrepresentation, Journal of Church and State Vol 47, Autumn 2005
263.Jump up ^ The Watchtower (Feb. 1, 1997) p30
264.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses (WTS) Handling of Child Sexual Abuse Cases", Religious Tolerance.org Retrieved Mar 3, 2006.
265.Jump up ^ Tubbs, Sharon (Aug. 22, 2002), "Spiritual shunning", St. Petersburg Times.
266.Jump up ^ "Another Church Sex Scandal" (Apr. 29, 2003). CBS News.
267.Jump up ^ Cutrer, Corrie (Mar. 5, 2001). "Witness Leaders Accused of Shielding Molesters", Christianity Today.
268.Jump up ^ Channel 9 Sunday, November 2005.
269.Jump up ^ "Secret database protects paedophiles", BBC Panorama, 2003.
270.Jump up ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection" (2003). Jehovah's Witnesses Office of Public Information.
271.Jump up ^ “Let All Things Take Place for Upbuilding”, Our Kingdom Ministry, July 2000, page 1
272.Jump up ^ "Comfort for Those With a “Stricken Spirit”", The Watchtower, November 1, 1995, page 28, "If the [lone] accusation is denied [by the accused], the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. ...The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)"
273.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses Office of Public Information, Press Release "Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Protection," 2003.
274.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Penton, M. J. (1997), Apocalypse Delayed (2nd ed.), University of Toronto Press, pp. 174–176
275.Jump up ^ "New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures", The Watchtower, September 15, 1950, page 320.
276.Jump up ^ Questions from readers, The Watchtower, December 15, 1974, page 767.
277.Jump up ^ In a 1954 court case, Franz was invited to translate a passage of Genesis from English to Hebrew. (Translator's proof, page 102-103). He declined, saying he would not attempt it. Heather and Gary Botting wrongly claim (page 98) he could make no sense of "an elementary passage of Hebrew from Genesis".
278.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), Crisis of Conscience, Commentary Press, p. 56, ISBN 0-914675-23-0
279.Jump up ^ Robert M. Bowman Jr, Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses, (Grand Rapids MI: Baker Book House, 1992); Ankerberg, John and John Weldon, 2003, The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, accessible from this site, which quotes a number of scholars regarding theological bias of the New World Translation.
280.Jump up ^ Samuel Haas,Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 74, No. 4, (Dec. 1955), p. 283, "This work indicates a great deal of effort and thought as well as considerable scholarship, it is to be regretted that religious bias was allowed to colour many passages."
281.Jump up ^ See Ankerberg, John and John Weldon, 2003, The New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, accessible online
282.Jump up ^ Rhodes R, The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, The Essential Guide to Their History, Their Doctrine, and Our Response, Zondervan, 2001, p. 94
283.Jump up ^ Bruce M Metzger, "Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ," Theology Today, (April 1953 p. 74); see also Metzger, "The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures," The Bible Translator (July 1964)
284.Jump up ^ C.H. Dodd: "The reason why [the Word was a god] is unacceptable is that it runs counter to the current of Johannine thought, and indeed of Christian thought as a whole." Technical Papers for The Bible Translator, Vol 28, No. 1, January 1977
285.Jump up ^ Botting, Heather; Gary Botting (1984), The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses, University of Toronto Press, pp. 98–101, ISBN 0-8020-6545-7
286.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2007), In Search of Christian Freedom, Commentary Press, pp. 494–505, ISBN 0-914675-17-6
287.Jump up ^ G. HÉBERT/EDS, "Jehovah's Witnesses", The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Gale, 20052, Vol. 7, p. 751.
288.Jump up ^ Metzger, Bruce M., The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures, The Bible Translator 15/3 (July 1964), pp. 150-153.
289.Jump up ^ "God’s Name and the New Testament", The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, 1984, pages 23-27
290.Jump up ^ "Appendix 1D The Divine Name in the Christian Greek Scriptures", New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures - With References, page 1565
291.Jump up ^ "Your Bible—How It Was Produced", The Watchtower, December 15, 1981, page 15
292.Jump up ^ Jason D. BeDuhn, Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament, 2004, pages 165, 169, 175, 176. BeDuhn compared the King James, the (New) Revised Standard, the New International, the New American Bible, the New American Standard Bible, the Amplified Bible, the Living Bible, Today's English and the NWT versions in Matthew 28:9, Philippians 2:6, Colossians 1:15-20, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8, John 8:58, John 1:1.
293.Jump up ^ Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament by Jason BeDuhn, 2004, pages 165, University Press of America, ISBN 0-7618-2556-8, ISBN 978-0-7618-2556-2
Further reading[edit]
Botting, Gary and Heather. The Orwellian World of Jehovah`s Witnesses (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1984). ISBN 0-8020-6545-7. The Bottings compare the social, cultural and political paradigms of Jehovah's Witnesses to those set out in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Both authors were raised Jehovah's Witnesses and are trained scholars (Heather Botting is a professor of anthropology and Gary Botting is a lawyer and legal scholar). The book is based in part on a doctoral dissertation by Heather Botting. Read selections from: The Orwellian World of Jehovah's Witnesses (Google book search) University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978-0-8020-6545-2
Botting, Gary. Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993). ISBN 1-895176-06-9. Botting considers the irony of Jehovah's Witness insisting on a closely regulated society while at the same time fighting for freedom of association, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. It is available on-line at http://www.questia.com/library/102111748/fundamental-freedoms-and-jehovah-s-witnesses.
Castro, Joy. The Truth Book: Escaping a Childhood of Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses, adopted as a baby and raised by a devout Jehovah's Witness family. Read selections from: The Truth Book: Escaping a Childhood of Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses (Google book search) Published 2005 Arcade Publishing, ISBN 1-55970-787-9
Franz, Raymond. Crisis of Conscience Franz, a former Jehovah's Witness and Governing Body member, and nephew of the fourth president of the Watch Tower Society. This book gives a detailed account of the authority structure, practices, doctrines and decision-making practices Franz experienced while serving on the Governing Body. Sample chapters online: 1, 9, 10, 11, 12. Publisher: Commentary Press. 420 pages. Hardback ISBN 0-914675-24-9. Paperback ISBN 0-914675-23-0. 4th edition (June 2002)
Franz, Raymond. In Search of Christian Freedom. 2nd ed., 2007. ISBN 0-914675-17-6 (Further critique and analysis by this author)
Gruss, Edmond C. Apostles of Denial ISBN 0-87552-305-6 / ISBN 978-0-87552-305-7.
Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. ISBN 0-7091-8013-6 (An account by an American journalist and essayist of growing up in the JW religion, which she left at age 22)
Hewitt, Joe. I Was Raised a Jehovah's Witness Hewitt gives a frank and compelling account of his life as a Jehovah's Witness and his subsequent persecution and excommunication after he decided to leave the Jehovah's Witness movement. Read selections from: I Was Raised a Jehovah's Witness (Google book search) Published 1997, Kregel Publications, ISBN 0-8254-2876-9
Jonsson, Carl O. The Gentile Times Reconsidered: Chronology & Christ's Return Jonsson considers the origin of the belief that the Gentile Times began in 607 B.C. and examines several lines of evidence and the methodology for deriving it. ISBN 0-914675-06-0 Publisher: Commentary Press (July, 1998, Fourth edition 2004)
King, Robert. Jehovah Himself Has Become King The author considers himself one of Jehovah's Witnesses but was disfellowshipped after publishing his review and criticisms of current Watchtower interpretations related to Bible prophecy, and documentation regarding the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society's involvement with the United Nations. He is preparing an updated, second edition. ISBN 1-4208-5498-4 / ISBN 978-1-4208-5498-5 / Publisher: AuthorHouse (September 14, 2005, First Edition) (Available from Amazon.com)
Kostelniuk, James. Wolves Among Sheep. Harpercollins Trade Sales Dept, ISBN 978-0-00-639107-4
Penton, M. James. Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2nd ed., 1997. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3 (Scholarly examination of JW history and doctrines)
Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses by M. James Penton. Penton, who is a former Jehovah's Witness and a professor emeritus of history at University of Lethbridge, examines the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their doctrines. Read selections from: Apocalypse Delayed: the Story of Jehovah's Witnesses University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3 (Canada, 1998) (Google book search)
Schnell, William J. 30 Years a Watchtower Slave Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1956, 1971, reprinted 2001. ISBN 0-8010-6384-1 (One of the first book-length critiques of the organization to be written by a disaffected former Witness)
Stafford, Greg. Jehovah's Witnesses Defended and Three Dissertations. The author considers himself one of Jehovah's Witnesses but has renounced affiliation with the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. He now considers himself a Christian Witness of Jah, or one of Jehovah's Witnesses who rejects beliefs specific to Jehovah's Witnesses. These books review and thoroughly explore some of the most common, and/or prevalent, criticisms made about Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society. http://www.elihubooks.com/content/books_media.php
External links[edit]
SupportiveOfficial Jehovah's Witnesses website
Jehovah's Witnesses response to child abuse allegations (video)
Jehovah's Witnesses Official Policy on Child Protection
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
CriticalApologetics index - Criticisms of Jehovah's Witnesses from a mainstream Christian viewpoint.
Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood - A site that promotes reform of the Watch Tower Society's blood doctrine.
Exposé on the Jehovah's Witnesses - From Blue Letter Bible. An examination of the Watch Tower Society. Contains relatively brief explanations of each point.
Free Minds, Inc - the largest Watchtower dissident site
Historical Idealism and Jehovah's Witnesses - Documents the historical development of Jehovah's Witness chronology and the claimed "idealized" history of it by the Watch Tower Society
JW Files--Research on Jehovah's Witnesses - A site "dedicated to research on Jehovah Witnesses".
jwfacts.com - Information about Jehovah's Witnesses
JWRecovery Magazine - An ex-JW community contributed magazine / journal which provides information and support assistance to former Jehovah's Witnesses.
Religious Tolerance.org Jehovah's Witnesses Policies & examples of child sexual abuse.
Silentlambs.org Silentlamb's official web site.


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–––––––– –– ––– –––––– ––––––––––– –––––––––– –––– –––––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––––– ––––––– ––– –––––– –– ––– –––––––––––– ––– –––– –– ––––– –– ––––––– –––– ––– ––––––– ––– ––––– –––– –– ––––– –––– ––––––– –– ––– –––––––––– ––––– –––– – –––– ––– –– –––––––––– –– ––– ––– –– ––– ––– –– –––– ––– –– ––– –––– –––––– ––– ––– –––– –––––– –––––––– –––– ––– –– ––––– ––––– –––– –– –– –––– –––– ––––––––––

––– –––––––––––––– –––– –––––––– –––––––– ––––– –––– –––––– ––––––– ––– – –––––– ––––– –––– ––– ––––––– ––– –––––– ––––– –– ––– ––––––– –– ––––– ––––

––––––––– –– ––––––– –– ––– ––––– ––– ––––––– ––––– ––– ––– ––– ––––– –––––––– ––– –––––––– ––––– – ––––– ––––– –– –––– ––––––––– ––––– ––––––––– –– ––––––– –––– ––– ––––– – –––– –– ––– ––– ––– ––– ––––– ––– –––– –––– –––––––– –– –– ––– ––––– –– –– ––––––– ––– –––– –––––––––– – –––––– –––––––

–– – ––––––––– ––––––––– –– ––– –––––– –––––––––––– –– –– ––––––––– ––––– ––– –––– ––––––– ––– ––– ––––– – –––– ––– –––– ––– –––––– –––––– ––– –––––– ––––––– ––– –––––– –– ––– –––––––

––––– ––– –––– ––– ––––– ––– ––– ––––– ––––– –––– –––– –––––– ––––––– –––– –––– ––– –––– –––––––– –– –––– –– –––– – –––––––– –– –––––––––– ––––

––––– –– ––––––––– ––– –––– –– ––––––– –– ––––––––– ––– ––––––– ––––––– –– – ––––––––– –– ––– –– ––––– ––––– ––– ––– – –––––– –––– ––– ––– –––––––– ––– ––– –––––– ––––––––– –– –– –––––– –––––– –– ––– ––––––––

– ––––––––– ––– ––– –––– ––––––––– –––– –– ––– –––––– ––– ––––– –– –– ––– –––––– ––– –––––––––– –– ––– – –––––– ––– ––– ––––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––– –––––– ––––– ––––– ––– –––– ––– ––––


 


  
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––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––––– –– –– –– ––––––– –––– ––– ––– –––––– ––––– ––– –––– ––––– –– ––––––––– ––––––––– –––––––––––– ––––– –– ––––––– –– ––– ––––––––

–– –– ––––––––– –– – –––––– –– ––– ––––––––– –––––––––– ––– ––––––– ––––––––––––– –– –––––– –––– ––– –––– ––– ––––– –– ––––––– –––– ––– ––––– ––––––––––– ––– ––––––– ––– –––––––– –– ––– ––––––––––

––––– –––––––––– –––– ––– ––––––––– –––– ––– –––– ––– –––––– ––––––––––– –––– ––– ––––– ––– ––––––––– –––– –– ––– ––– ––– –––– –––––– ––– ––– –––– ––– ––––– ––––––

––– –––– –– ––– –––– –– ––– ––– –– –– ––––––––––– –––––––––– ––––––– ––––– ––––– –––– ––––– –––– –––– ––––– –– ––––––– –– –– –– ––––––– –––– –– –––––––––––– –– –– ––––––– –––––––

–––––––– –– ––– –––––– ––––––––––– –––––––––– –––– –––––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––––– ––––––– ––– –––––– –– ––– –––––––––––– ––– –––– –– ––––– –– ––––––– –––– ––– ––––––– ––– ––––– –––– –– ––––– –––– ––––––– –– ––– –––––––––– ––––– –––– – –––– ––– –– –––––––––– –– ––– ––– –– ––– ––– –– –––– ––– –– ––– –––– –––––– ––– ––– –––– –––––– –––––––– –––– ––– –– ––––– ––––– –––– –– –– –––– –––– ––––––––––

––– –––––––––––––– –––– –––––––– –––––––– ––––– –––– –––––– ––––––– ––– – –––––– ––––– –––– ––– ––––––– ––– –––––– ––––– –– ––– ––––––– –– ––––– ––––

––––––––– –– ––––––– –– ––– ––––– ––– ––––––– ––––– ––– ––– ––– ––––– –––––––– ––– –––––––– ––––– – ––––– ––––– –– –––– ––––––––– ––––– ––––––––– –– ––––––– –––– ––– ––––– – –––– –– ––– ––– ––– ––– ––––– ––– –––– –––– –––––––– –– –– ––– ––––– –– –– ––––––– ––– –––– –––––––––– – –––––– –––––––

–– – ––––––––– ––––––––– –– ––– –––––– –––––––––––– –– –– ––––––––– ––––– ––– –––– ––––––– ––– ––– ––––– – –––– ––– –––– ––– –––––– –––––– ––– –––––– ––––––– ––– –––––– –– ––– –––––––

––––– ––– –––– ––– ––––– ––– ––– ––––– ––––– –––– –––– –––––– ––––––– –––– –––– ––– –––– –––––––– –– –––– –– –––– – –––––––– –– –––––––––– ––––

––––– –– ––––––––– ––– –––– –– ––––––– –– ––––––––– ––– ––––––– ––––––– –– – ––––––––– –– ––– –– ––––– ––––– ––– ––– – –––––– –––– ––– ––– –––––––– ––– ––– –––––– ––––––––– –– –– –––––– –––––– –– ––– ––––––––

– ––––––––– ––– ––– –––– ––––––––– –––– –– ––– –––––– ––– ––––– –– –– ––– –––––– ––– –––––––––– –– ––– – –––––– ––– ––– ––––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––– –––––– ––––– ––––– ––– –––– ––– ––––


 


  
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Minister Leo Varadkar pictured at the Polling Station this morning at Laurel Lodge (Scoil Thomas) in Castleknock, Dublin 15 Pic: Collins Photos.










Mark Govern




































Tanaiste Joan Burton tekes a 'selfie' at the Polling Station this morning at St. Joseph's School, Navan Road, Dublin Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.


The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall attend the Sligo Races at Sligo Racecourse on day two of a four day visit to Ireland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 20, 2015. See PA story ROYAL Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire


Pictured is from left: Sir Joe French, Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, HRH Prince Charles, President of the Republic of Turkey H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Michael D Higgins and HRH Prince Harry at Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey, at the Commonwealth and Ireland service to Commemorate the Gallipoli Campaign. Photo Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography


Police outside Dawsholm Park in Glasgow where the handbag which police believe belongs to missing student Karen Buckley was found early this afternoon. Andrew Milligan/PA Wire


Members of the Colour Parade during a ceremony to marking the 99th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising at the GPO, O’Connell Street, Dublin.Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins


Independent TD Claire Daly joins anti-water charges protesters on Dublin's O'Connell Street. Photo: Tony Gavin








Michael O'Meara captured this amazing snap in Galway City, looking out over the Claddagh


The solar eclipse from Skerries, North County Dublin (Photo: Mark Condren)






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Saturday 23 May 2015
 







PAPER PROPHET Aoife Ni Thuairisg






Published
02/07/2006 | 00:11

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I drive a Peugeot 406 and yes my no-claims bonus is miraculously still intact!

Do you have any penalty points?

No, I'm a cailin maith on the road.

What was your first job and salary?

I guess it was helping my grandmother with her Irish college students, I earned the grand sum of £30 a week.

Do you have any family connection with business?

I started my own confectionary delivery business after finishing the Leaving Cert. I was delivering some goodies to an office and the folks there asked me to screen test for a TV station they were starting up. The rest, as they like to say, is history.

Who would you like to see as Minister for Finance?

Eddie Hobbs - he talks the talk, would he walk the walk?

Which businessman/woman do you most admire?

Deirdre Nic Chathmhaoil from Ri na Mara Irish Seaweed Cosmetics. They are sponsoring Wimbledon Beo on TG4 - quite an accomplishment for a young Gaeltacht company and she recently won BPW Business Woman of The Year.

Do you own an iPod? If so, what was the last track you downloaded?

Yes, I'm ashamed to say I've never downloaded any tracks on to it - I leave that to the engineer in the house, my fiance Eoin.

What was your best investment?

Do shoes count? Well actually I think it has to be a George Callaghan painting. I'm a big fan and got a beautiful piece a few months ago.

What is the worst investment decision you ever made?

Do shoes count?

Today would you invest in property, shares, cash or other?

I prefer to invest in art. It gives you more pleasure every day than an apartment in a foreign country that might take you five hours to fly to.

Do you own any property abroad?

No.

Is your mortgage rate fixed or variable?

I don't have a mortgage. I'm getting married soon so I guess my mortgage-free days are numbered.

Have you switched your bank in the last couple of years?

No.

Has your bank, building society or another financial services company ever overcharged you?

Yes, AIB just sent me a 95¢ refund. Drinks are on me!

Do you have an SSIA? Will you splurge or invest the windfall?

Yes, I do have a SSIA. There are a few artists that I would love to buy pieces from but I'll have to wait and see what the hubby has to say about that.

Which mobile phone provider do you use: 02, Vodafone, Meteor or 3?

I'm with Vodafone but since I got a Motorola the coverage has been really patchy and the phone is a disaster. I am going to change it as soon as possible.

What would you spend more money on each year? Petrol or restaurants?

Restaurants. I absolutely adore eating out. I have just discovered a fantastic Thai restaurant in Chelsea called The Blue Elephant.

How much is a litre of milk?

No idea. I don't buy milk and haven't a clue how much groceries cost. The only thing I ever watch price wise is washing power tablets.

Who makes the financial decisions in your house, you or your spouse/partner?

My credit card limit! Ah no I'm pretty well behaved these days and I've become a good little saver so I'm really proud of myself actually.

What is your best career moment?

I've had a few highlights to date, Paisean Faisean, Ni Gaeilgeoir Me but at the moment, after meeting Agassi, Federer and Nadal, it's Wimbledon 2006,

What, in your opinion, are the reasons for the Celtic Tiger?

Opportunity and materialism. I think there is a massive spiritual vacuum in Irish society and we seem to think that money can fill it.

TG4 presenter Aoife Ni Thuairisg joined the station in 1997. She is currently hosting 'Wimbledon Beo'


 Follow @Indobusiness


  
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Saturday 23 May 2015
 







PAPER PROPHET Aoife Ni Thuairisg






Published
02/07/2006 | 00:11

Share
?

?

?

?



What car do you drive and do you still have a no-claims bonus?


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Share
?
?
?
?





I drive a Peugeot 406 and yes my no-claims bonus is miraculously still intact!

Do you have any penalty points?

No, I'm a cailin maith on the road.

What was your first job and salary?

I guess it was helping my grandmother with her Irish college students, I earned the grand sum of £30 a week.

Do you have any family connection with business?

I started my own confectionary delivery business after finishing the Leaving Cert. I was delivering some goodies to an office and the folks there asked me to screen test for a TV station they were starting up. The rest, as they like to say, is history.

Who would you like to see as Minister for Finance?

Eddie Hobbs - he talks the talk, would he walk the walk?

Which businessman/woman do you most admire?

Deirdre Nic Chathmhaoil from Ri na Mara Irish Seaweed Cosmetics. They are sponsoring Wimbledon Beo on TG4 - quite an accomplishment for a young Gaeltacht company and she recently won BPW Business Woman of The Year.

Do you own an iPod? If so, what was the last track you downloaded?

Yes, I'm ashamed to say I've never downloaded any tracks on to it - I leave that to the engineer in the house, my fiance Eoin.

What was your best investment?

Do shoes count? Well actually I think it has to be a George Callaghan painting. I'm a big fan and got a beautiful piece a few months ago.

What is the worst investment decision you ever made?

Do shoes count?

Today would you invest in property, shares, cash or other?

I prefer to invest in art. It gives you more pleasure every day than an apartment in a foreign country that might take you five hours to fly to.

Do you own any property abroad?

No.

Is your mortgage rate fixed or variable?

I don't have a mortgage. I'm getting married soon so I guess my mortgage-free days are numbered.

Have you switched your bank in the last couple of years?

No.

Has your bank, building society or another financial services company ever overcharged you?

Yes, AIB just sent me a 95¢ refund. Drinks are on me!

Do you have an SSIA? Will you splurge or invest the windfall?

Yes, I do have a SSIA. There are a few artists that I would love to buy pieces from but I'll have to wait and see what the hubby has to say about that.

Which mobile phone provider do you use: 02, Vodafone, Meteor or 3?

I'm with Vodafone but since I got a Motorola the coverage has been really patchy and the phone is a disaster. I am going to change it as soon as possible.

What would you spend more money on each year? Petrol or restaurants?

Restaurants. I absolutely adore eating out. I have just discovered a fantastic Thai restaurant in Chelsea called The Blue Elephant.

How much is a litre of milk?

No idea. I don't buy milk and haven't a clue how much groceries cost. The only thing I ever watch price wise is washing power tablets.

Who makes the financial decisions in your house, you or your spouse/partner?

My credit card limit! Ah no I'm pretty well behaved these days and I've become a good little saver so I'm really proud of myself actually.

What is your best career moment?

I've had a few highlights to date, Paisean Faisean, Ni Gaeilgeoir Me but at the moment, after meeting Agassi, Federer and Nadal, it's Wimbledon 2006,

What, in your opinion, are the reasons for the Celtic Tiger?

Opportunity and materialism. I think there is a massive spiritual vacuum in Irish society and we seem to think that money can fill it.

TG4 presenter Aoife Ni Thuairisg joined the station in 1997. She is currently hosting 'Wimbledon Beo'


 Follow @Indobusiness


  
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http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/paper-prophet-aoife-ni-thuairisg-26413797.html









Aoife Ní Thuairisg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Aoife Ní Thuairisg is an iconic Irish language presenter on TG4, Ireland's Irish language television station. Aoife co-hosted TG4's 2015 Gradam Ceoil traditional Irish music awards show.
Aoife Ní Thuairisg was born in Inverin in Conamara and has two brothers and one sister. Before working in television, she ran her own business. She started working as a presenter on TG4 in 1997, and now presents the weather and is also a continuity announcer. She has presented various programmes in the past, including Ceol Tíre, the popular country music show, and the Féilte series, as well as live coverage of the Wimbledon Championships. She has also produced several programmes herself.
She produced several episodes of the successful series Paisean Faisean. However, she became involved in controversy when she refused to present a show featuring gay men, as she is a Jehovah's Witness.[1]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ McConnell, Daniel (20 May 2007). "Glam TV host had religious objection to all-gay show". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
External links[edit]
http://www.gradam.ie/?lang=en
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=777273669
http://www.rte.ie/tv/turasteanga/guest1.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2101403/
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/paper-prophet-aoife-ni-thuairisg-132075.html



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  


Categories: Living people
Irish television producers
Irish Jehovah's Witnesses
People from County Galway
TG4 presenters




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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aoife_N%C3%AD_Thuairisg










Aoife Ní Thuairisg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Aoife Ní Thuairisg is an iconic Irish language presenter on TG4, Ireland's Irish language television station. Aoife co-hosted TG4's 2015 Gradam Ceoil traditional Irish music awards show.
Aoife Ní Thuairisg was born in Inverin in Conamara and has two brothers and one sister. Before working in television, she ran her own business. She started working as a presenter on TG4 in 1997, and now presents the weather and is also a continuity announcer. She has presented various programmes in the past, including Ceol Tíre, the popular country music show, and the Féilte series, as well as live coverage of the Wimbledon Championships. She has also produced several programmes herself.
She produced several episodes of the successful series Paisean Faisean. However, she became involved in controversy when she refused to present a show featuring gay men, as she is a Jehovah's Witness.[1]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ McConnell, Daniel (20 May 2007). "Glam TV host had religious objection to all-gay show". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
External links[edit]
http://www.gradam.ie/?lang=en
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=777273669
http://www.rte.ie/tv/turasteanga/guest1.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2101403/
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/paper-prophet-aoife-ni-thuairisg-132075.html



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  


Categories: Living people
Irish television producers
Irish Jehovah's Witnesses
People from County Galway
TG4 presenters




Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
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Category:Irish Jehovah's Witnesses

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Category:Irish Jehovah's Witnesses

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Category:American Jehovah's Witnesses

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Pages in category "American Jehovah's Witnesses"
The following 24 pages are in this category, out of 24 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).



A
Don Alden Adams

B
George Benson

C
Hayden C. Covington

F
Frederick William Franz

G
Larry Graham
Teresa Graves

H
Milton George Henschel

J
Katherine Jackson
Rebbie Jackson
Jneiro Jarel

K
Nathan Homer Knorr

M
Dave Meyers (basketball)

P
Oracene Price
Prince (musician)

R
Charles Taze Russell
Joseph Franklin Rutherford

S
Selena
Constance Slack
Larry Slack
Mickey Spillane

V
Lark Voorhies

W
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Jason Worilds



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Category:American Jehovah's Witnesses

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Pages in category "American Jehovah's Witnesses"
The following 24 pages are in this category, out of 24 total. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).



A
Don Alden Adams

B
George Benson

C
Hayden C. Covington

F
Frederick William Franz

G
Larry Graham
Teresa Graves

H
Milton George Henschel

J
Katherine Jackson
Rebbie Jackson
Jneiro Jarel

K
Nathan Homer Knorr

M
Dave Meyers (basketball)

P
Oracene Price
Prince (musician)

R
Charles Taze Russell
Joseph Franklin Rutherford

S
Selena
Constance Slack
Larry Slack
Mickey Spillane

V
Lark Voorhies

W
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Jason Worilds



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Category:Jehovah's Witnesses by nationality

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Subcategories
This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total.



A

?  American Jehovah's Witnesses? (24 P)



?  Austrian Jehovah's Witnesses? (3 P)



B

?  British Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 C)



C

?  Canadian Jehovah's Witnesses? (3 P)



?  Czech Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



D

?  Dutch Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



G

?  German Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



?  Greek Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



I

?  Irish Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



J

?  Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



N

?  Nepalese Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



?  Norwegian Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



R

?  Romanian Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



U

?  Ukrainian Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



Pages in category "Jehovah's Witnesses by nationality"
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Jehovah's Witnesses by country



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Category:Jehovah's Witnesses by nationality

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Jump to: navigation, search
  

Subcategories
This category has the following 14 subcategories, out of 14 total.



A

?  American Jehovah's Witnesses? (24 P)



?  Austrian Jehovah's Witnesses? (3 P)



B

?  British Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 C)



C

?  Canadian Jehovah's Witnesses? (3 P)



?  Czech Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



D

?  Dutch Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



G

?  German Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



?  Greek Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



I

?  Irish Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



J

?  Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



N

?  Nepalese Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



?  Norwegian Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



R

?  Romanian Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



U

?  Ukrainian Jehovah's Witnesses? (1 P)



Pages in category "Jehovah's Witnesses by nationality"
This category contains only the following page. This list may not reflect recent changes (learn more).


Jehovah's Witnesses by country



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Category:Leaders of Jehovah's Witnesses

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Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.

M

?  Members of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses? (5 P)


W

?  Watch Tower Society presidents? (8 P)





Categories: Christian religious leaders by denomination
Jehovah's Witnesses people


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Category:Leaders of Jehovah's Witnesses

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Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.

M

?  Members of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses? (5 P)


W

?  Watch Tower Society presidents? (8 P)





Categories: Christian religious leaders by denomination
Jehovah's Witnesses people


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Debbie Rowe

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Debbie Rowe
MichaelJacksonDebbieRowe1.jpg
Deborah and Michael Jackson at their wedding in 1996.

Born
Deborah Jeanne Rowe
 December 6, 1958 (age 56)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Residence
Palmdale, California, U.S.
Education
Hollywood High School
Occupation
Dermatology nurse, horse breeder
Known for
Marriage to Michael Jackson
Spouse(s)
Richard Edelman (1982–1988; divorced)
 Michael Jackson (1996–1999; divorced; 2 children)
Children
Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (born February 13, 1997)
 Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born April 3, 1998) [1]
Parent(s)
Gordon Rowe
 Barbara Chilcutt
Deborah Jeanne "Debbie" Rowe (born December 6, 1958)[2] is an American nurse known for her marriage to Michael Jackson, with whom she had two children. She lives in Palmdale, California.[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Relationship with Michael Jackson 2.1 Children and marriage
2.2 Divorce
3 After Jackson's death
4 In popular culture
5 References
6 External links

Early life[edit]
Rowe was born in Spokane, Washington, the daughter of Barbara Chilcutt and Gordon Rowe. Her father divorced her mother a few weeks before her second birthday. Rowe had a lonely childhood.[4] She was raised by her mother, a few aunts, and maternal grandmother. She has one half-sister named Loretta Scarlett Rowe who was born in 1961. She was raised in a middle class home, and was later adopted by a millionaire couple from Malibu, California.
Relationship with Michael Jackson[edit]
See also: Relationship of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe
Rowe met Michael Jackson while working as a nurse in Dr. Arnold Klein's dermatology office, where Jackson was being treated for vitiligo.[5][6] She recalled that after Jackson's divorce from Lisa Marie Presley in 1996, he was upset at the possibility that he might never become a father. Rowe, a longtime Jackson fan, proposed to bear his children.[7] In an interview with Playboy, Lisa Marie stated that she knew at the time that she and Jackson were married, that Rowe wanted to have his children and that Rowe had "a crush on him".[8]
Children and marriage[edit]



 Michael Jackson with his three children (the two oldest were born by Rowe), in Disneyland Resort Paris in 2006.
It was announced she was pregnant in 1996, and the two were later married on November 14, 1996, in Sydney, Australia. It was her second marriage, her first being to Richard Edelman in 1982.[6]
Three months after Rowe and Jackson's marriage she gave birth to a son, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.[1] (born February 13, 1997),[9] who was subsequently known as Prince.[10] The next year she gave birth to a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.[1] (born April 3, 1998).[11] Jackson took full responsibility for raising the children.[7][12]
Divorce[edit]
Rowe, who described herself as a private person and almost never gave interviews, was overwhelmed by the publicity that came with being married to Jackson.[7] The couple divorced on October 8, 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson. Rowe received an $8-million settlement, and a house in Beverly Hills, California.[13] Court documents indicated she had signed a prenuptial agreement and therefore could not obtain an equal division of community property under California law.[14]
In 2001, Rowe went to a private judge to have her parental rights for the two children terminated.[13] In 2004, after Jackson was charged with 10 counts of child abuse, she went to court to have the decision reversed.[15] According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Rowe, who is Jewish, sought the reversal in part because she feared the nanny and some of Jackson's siblings were exposing the children to teachings of the Nation of Islam.[16] 2005 court documents noted that "Because she is Jewish, Deborah feared the children might be mistreated if Michael continued the association."[17] On the stand, in the 2005 People v. Jackson case, she explained that she had been allowed limited visits to her children, for eight hours every 45 days.[18]
In 2005, Rowe sold her Beverly Hills house for $1.3 million, and bought a ranch in Palmdale.[19] In 2006, she sued Jackson for one immediate payment of $195,000 and one payment of $50,000 to pursue a child custody case.[15] Jackson was ordered to pay her $60,000 in legal fees.[20]
After Jackson's death[edit]
Following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, Rowe made statements through her attorney to deny a series of gossip reports, including reports that she was not the children's biological mother[21][22] and that she was attempting to bargain her parental rights for money.[23] Several gossip outlets reported that Debbie Rowe was the surrogate mother for the children and not their biological mother.[24]
In July, 2009, she filed a lawsuit for defamation and invasion of privacy against a source who handed over alleged private e-mails to the television entertainment news program Extra[25] and on March 3, 2010 she was successful in the defamation lawsuit. She was awarded $27,000 in damages, although she had originally sought $500,000.[26]
In August 2009, Rowe reached a settlement with Katherine Jackson, the children's guardian, under which she has rights to supervised visitations. Mrs. Jackson's attorney stated that the negotiations were "never about money" and the settlement was in the best interests of the children.[27]
In popular culture[edit]
Rowe was portrayed by April Telek in the 2004 film Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story.[28]
Rowe was parodied in actress/comedian Tracey Ullman's series Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Birth certificates" (PDF). County of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
2.Jump up ^ "Debbie Rowe". nndb.com. 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
3.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe: I won't see Jackson's children again, WaToday.com.au, 2009-06-29
4.Jump up ^ "Debbie Rowe Biography". Biography.Com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
5.Jump up ^ Entertainment: Jackson to divorce again, BBC, 1999-10-08
6.^ Jump up to: a b Schneider, Karen S. (1996-12-02). "What Friends Are for". People. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See
8.Jump up ^ "Complete Lisa Marie Presley Playboy Interview". Playboy. 30 Jul 2003. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
9.Jump up ^ People – Manchild Has Boy Child, Time, February 24, 1997
10.Jump up ^ "Last Will Of Michael Joseph Jackson". The Smoking Gun. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
11.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe reaches out to Jackson family, MSNBC, 2009-06-30
12.Jump up ^ Living with Michael Jackson
13.^ Jump up to: a b Case Reopens Debate on Private Judges; Michael Jackson's clash with ex-wife heads for county court as officials seek to reform system., Los Angeles Times (archive), September 6, 2006
14.Jump up ^ Bruce Simon, Michael Jackson Divorce Details Revealed, Yahoo Music news, October 8, 1999.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Michael Jackson sued by ex-wife, BBC News, July 13, 2006
16.Jump up ^ Jackson kids' Jewish mother could regain custody, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 28, 2009.
17.Jump up ^ Rowe seeks parental rights over Nation of Islam, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 3, 2009.
18.Jump up ^ Jacko's Ex Rowe: Interview Wasn't Scripted, FoxNews, April 27, 2005
19.Jump up ^ Daly: Debbie Rowe continues to waffle on custody decision for Michael Jackson's kids, New York Daily News, July 2, 2009
20.Jump up ^ Jackson child custody fight ends, BBC News, September 30, 2006
21.Jump up ^ Lawyer: Debbie Rowe Is Biological Mom, US Weekly, 2009-06-30
22.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe, Dermatologist Respond To Reports Over Michael Jackson's Children, NBC New York, 2009-06-30
23.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe Sics Her Lawyers on the New York Post over Report She Sold Her Kids. Gawker.com (2009-07-14). Retrieved on 2012-04-09.
24.Jump up ^ Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe 'are not biological parents of any of his children', Daily Mail, July 1, 2009
25.Jump up ^ Goldman, Russell; Murphy, Eileen; Pearle, Lauren (2009-07-17). "Debbie Rowe Files Suit Over Custody Rumors". ABC News. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
26.Jump up ^ "Debbie Rowe wins judgment in defamation case". USA Today. Associated Press. 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
27.Jump up ^ Showbiz :: Jackson's lawyer praises Rowe in custody case. Daily Express, (2009-08-04). Retrieved on 2012-04-09.
28.Jump up ^ Fuchs, Cynthia (7 February 2005). "Man in Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story". popmatters.com. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
External links[edit]
Debbie Rowe at the Internet Movie Database


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Debbie Rowe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Debbie Rowe
MichaelJacksonDebbieRowe1.jpg
Deborah and Michael Jackson at their wedding in 1996.

Born
Deborah Jeanne Rowe
 December 6, 1958 (age 56)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Residence
Palmdale, California, U.S.
Education
Hollywood High School
Occupation
Dermatology nurse, horse breeder
Known for
Marriage to Michael Jackson
Spouse(s)
Richard Edelman (1982–1988; divorced)
 Michael Jackson (1996–1999; divorced; 2 children)
Children
Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (born February 13, 1997)
 Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born April 3, 1998) [1]
Parent(s)
Gordon Rowe
 Barbara Chilcutt
Deborah Jeanne "Debbie" Rowe (born December 6, 1958)[2] is an American nurse known for her marriage to Michael Jackson, with whom she had two children. She lives in Palmdale, California.[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Relationship with Michael Jackson 2.1 Children and marriage
2.2 Divorce
3 After Jackson's death
4 In popular culture
5 References
6 External links

Early life[edit]
Rowe was born in Spokane, Washington, the daughter of Barbara Chilcutt and Gordon Rowe. Her father divorced her mother a few weeks before her second birthday. Rowe had a lonely childhood.[4] She was raised by her mother, a few aunts, and maternal grandmother. She has one half-sister named Loretta Scarlett Rowe who was born in 1961. She was raised in a middle class home, and was later adopted by a millionaire couple from Malibu, California.
Relationship with Michael Jackson[edit]
See also: Relationship of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe
Rowe met Michael Jackson while working as a nurse in Dr. Arnold Klein's dermatology office, where Jackson was being treated for vitiligo.[5][6] She recalled that after Jackson's divorce from Lisa Marie Presley in 1996, he was upset at the possibility that he might never become a father. Rowe, a longtime Jackson fan, proposed to bear his children.[7] In an interview with Playboy, Lisa Marie stated that she knew at the time that she and Jackson were married, that Rowe wanted to have his children and that Rowe had "a crush on him".[8]
Children and marriage[edit]



 Michael Jackson with his three children (the two oldest were born by Rowe), in Disneyland Resort Paris in 2006.
It was announced she was pregnant in 1996, and the two were later married on November 14, 1996, in Sydney, Australia. It was her second marriage, her first being to Richard Edelman in 1982.[6]
Three months after Rowe and Jackson's marriage she gave birth to a son, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.[1] (born February 13, 1997),[9] who was subsequently known as Prince.[10] The next year she gave birth to a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.[1] (born April 3, 1998).[11] Jackson took full responsibility for raising the children.[7][12]
Divorce[edit]
Rowe, who described herself as a private person and almost never gave interviews, was overwhelmed by the publicity that came with being married to Jackson.[7] The couple divorced on October 8, 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson. Rowe received an $8-million settlement, and a house in Beverly Hills, California.[13] Court documents indicated she had signed a prenuptial agreement and therefore could not obtain an equal division of community property under California law.[14]
In 2001, Rowe went to a private judge to have her parental rights for the two children terminated.[13] In 2004, after Jackson was charged with 10 counts of child abuse, she went to court to have the decision reversed.[15] According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Rowe, who is Jewish, sought the reversal in part because she feared the nanny and some of Jackson's siblings were exposing the children to teachings of the Nation of Islam.[16] 2005 court documents noted that "Because she is Jewish, Deborah feared the children might be mistreated if Michael continued the association."[17] On the stand, in the 2005 People v. Jackson case, she explained that she had been allowed limited visits to her children, for eight hours every 45 days.[18]
In 2005, Rowe sold her Beverly Hills house for $1.3 million, and bought a ranch in Palmdale.[19] In 2006, she sued Jackson for one immediate payment of $195,000 and one payment of $50,000 to pursue a child custody case.[15] Jackson was ordered to pay her $60,000 in legal fees.[20]
After Jackson's death[edit]
Following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, Rowe made statements through her attorney to deny a series of gossip reports, including reports that she was not the children's biological mother[21][22] and that she was attempting to bargain her parental rights for money.[23] Several gossip outlets reported that Debbie Rowe was the surrogate mother for the children and not their biological mother.[24]
In July, 2009, she filed a lawsuit for defamation and invasion of privacy against a source who handed over alleged private e-mails to the television entertainment news program Extra[25] and on March 3, 2010 she was successful in the defamation lawsuit. She was awarded $27,000 in damages, although she had originally sought $500,000.[26]
In August 2009, Rowe reached a settlement with Katherine Jackson, the children's guardian, under which she has rights to supervised visitations. Mrs. Jackson's attorney stated that the negotiations were "never about money" and the settlement was in the best interests of the children.[27]
In popular culture[edit]
Rowe was portrayed by April Telek in the 2004 film Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story.[28]
Rowe was parodied in actress/comedian Tracey Ullman's series Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Birth certificates" (PDF). County of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
2.Jump up ^ "Debbie Rowe". nndb.com. 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
3.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe: I won't see Jackson's children again, WaToday.com.au, 2009-06-29
4.Jump up ^ "Debbie Rowe Biography". Biography.Com. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
5.Jump up ^ Entertainment: Jackson to divorce again, BBC, 1999-10-08
6.^ Jump up to: a b Schneider, Karen S. (1996-12-02). "What Friends Are for". People. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See
8.Jump up ^ "Complete Lisa Marie Presley Playboy Interview". Playboy. 30 Jul 2003. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
9.Jump up ^ People – Manchild Has Boy Child, Time, February 24, 1997
10.Jump up ^ "Last Will Of Michael Joseph Jackson". The Smoking Gun. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
11.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe reaches out to Jackson family, MSNBC, 2009-06-30
12.Jump up ^ Living with Michael Jackson
13.^ Jump up to: a b Case Reopens Debate on Private Judges; Michael Jackson's clash with ex-wife heads for county court as officials seek to reform system., Los Angeles Times (archive), September 6, 2006
14.Jump up ^ Bruce Simon, Michael Jackson Divorce Details Revealed, Yahoo Music news, October 8, 1999.
15.^ Jump up to: a b Michael Jackson sued by ex-wife, BBC News, July 13, 2006
16.Jump up ^ Jackson kids' Jewish mother could regain custody, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 28, 2009.
17.Jump up ^ Rowe seeks parental rights over Nation of Islam, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, July 3, 2009.
18.Jump up ^ Jacko's Ex Rowe: Interview Wasn't Scripted, FoxNews, April 27, 2005
19.Jump up ^ Daly: Debbie Rowe continues to waffle on custody decision for Michael Jackson's kids, New York Daily News, July 2, 2009
20.Jump up ^ Jackson child custody fight ends, BBC News, September 30, 2006
21.Jump up ^ Lawyer: Debbie Rowe Is Biological Mom, US Weekly, 2009-06-30
22.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe, Dermatologist Respond To Reports Over Michael Jackson's Children, NBC New York, 2009-06-30
23.Jump up ^ Debbie Rowe Sics Her Lawyers on the New York Post over Report She Sold Her Kids. Gawker.com (2009-07-14). Retrieved on 2012-04-09.
24.Jump up ^ Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe 'are not biological parents of any of his children', Daily Mail, July 1, 2009
25.Jump up ^ Goldman, Russell; Murphy, Eileen; Pearle, Lauren (2009-07-17). "Debbie Rowe Files Suit Over Custody Rumors". ABC News. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
26.Jump up ^ "Debbie Rowe wins judgment in defamation case". USA Today. Associated Press. 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2014-12-01.
27.Jump up ^ Showbiz :: Jackson's lawyer praises Rowe in custody case. Daily Express, (2009-08-04). Retrieved on 2012-04-09.
28.Jump up ^ Fuchs, Cynthia (7 February 2005). "Man in Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story". popmatters.com. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
External links[edit]
Debbie Rowe at the Internet Movie Database


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Joe Jackson (manager)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Joe Jackson
JosephJackson2007(cropped).jpg
Jackson in 2007

Born
Joseph Walter Jackson
July 26, 1928 (age 86)
Fountain Hill, Arkansas
Nationality
American
Occupation
Talent manager
Years active
1960s–present
Spouse(s)
Katherine Scruse(m. 1949)
Children
11, See below
Parent(s)
Samuel Jackson (1893–1993)
Crystal Lee King (1907–1992)
Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson(born July 26, 1928) is a talent managerand the father of the Jackson familyof entertainers which includes music superstars Michael Jacksonand Janet Jackson.


Contents [hide]
1Early life
2The Jackson 5
3Public image
4Children
5References
6Bibliography
7External links

Early life[edit]
Jackson was born to Crystal Lee (née King; 1907–1992) and Samuel Jackson (1893–1993), a schoolteacher, in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, on July 26, 1928.[1]Jackson was the eldest of five children, which included sisters Verna Mae and Lula Mae, and brothers Lawrence and Luther.
Jackson recalled from early childhood that his father was domineering and strict and he described himself as a "lonely child" in his memoirs, The Jacksons. Jackson's family moved to East Chicago, Indianawhile he was still a toddler. At eleven, his parents divorced and for a while he lived with his mother at their East Chicago home with a stepfather. In his teen years, he spent a few years in Oaklandwhere his father relocated. He returned to East Chicago where he eventually began working at East Chicago's Inland Steel Company, where he eventually became an overhead craneoperator. He also had a second job at the American Foundries food store.
Jackson first became acquainted with Katherine Scrusein 1948. Within a year, the couple married on November 5, 1949. In January 1950, they purchased a three-room house in Gary, Indiana. During the early 1950s, Jackson briefly performed with his own blues band, The Falcons, playing guitar. Despite their efforts, the Falcons failed to get a recording deal and subsequently broke up.
The Jackson 5[edit]
See also: The Jackson 5
Jackson began working with his sons' musical group in the early 1960s, first working with his three eldest sons, Jackie, Titoand Jermaine. Younger sons Marlonand Michaeleventually joined the backing band. At first, the group went under The Jackson Brothers. Following the inclusions of Marlon and Michael and Michael's increased vocal role in the group, their name was changed to the The Jackson Five.
After a couple years performing in talent contests and high school functions, Jackson had his sons perform on the chitlin' circuit, where they eventually performed at the Regal Theatreand the Apollo Theater.[2]After this success, Jackson began only working part-time at Inland Steel Company. In November 1967, The Jackson Fivesigned their first contract with Gordon Keith, an owner and producer of Steeltown Recordsin Gary, Indiana and released their first single "Big Boy" on January 30, 1968. Within the year, however, Jackson helped to land his sons an audition for Motown Recordsin Detroit. The Jackson Fivewere signed in March 1969.
The Jackson Fivebecame the Jackson 5 with the release of their first album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5in December 1969. The group eventually became crossover stars, scoring four consecutive number-one hits on the BillboardHot 100. The group also became international sensations. In 1973, wanting to reassure his role of control, Jackson had his family, including youngest son Randy, and daughters Rebbie, La Toyaand Janetperform at casinos and resorts in Las Vegas, inspired by the success of fellow family act, The Osmonds. In 1975, the Jackson 5, with the exception of Jermaine, left Motown and signed a lucrative deal with CBS Recordswithout alerting Motown of the deal, leading to a lawsuit against the family.
Public image[edit]
Joseph's image as a father became tarnished from the late 1980s onward, as the media reported stories told by his children that he was heavily abusivetowards them. When he managed his family, he ordered each of them to call him "Joseph", which contributed to several siblings being estranged from their father. Joseph is also alleged to have engaged in several extramarital affairs; one affair resulted in the birth of a daughter, Joh'Vonnie, born in 1974.
Michael Jackson claimed that from a young age he was physically and emotionally abused by his father, enduring incessant rehearsals, whippings and name-calling, but also admitting that his father's strict discipline played a large part in his success.[3]In one altercation—later recalled by Marlon Jackson—Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks."[4]Michael first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that during his childhood he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes get sick or start to vomit upon seeing his father.[5][6][7][8]Michael recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as Michael and his siblings rehearsed and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you."[9]Joseph admitted to whipping his children with switches and belts as punishment, but said he did not do so at random, and claimed never to have used any hard object as he felt was implied by the word "beating."[10]Despite the much-publicized abuse, Michael honored his father with an annual "Joseph Jackson Day" at Neverland Ranch[11]and ultimately forgave him, noting that Joseph's deep-South upbringing during the Great Depressionand the Jim Crowyears and working-class adulthood hardened him emotionally and made him push his children to succeed as entertainers.[12]
In 2003, in an interview with Louis Therouxfor a BBC TVdocumentary called Louis, Martin & Michael, Joseph admitted to using physical punishment on his children.[10]In the same documentary, Joseph took advantage of the opportunity to promote his record label's new artists, even though the intention was to talk about Michael in the interview.[13]In the same interview, Joe Jackson expressed an extreme dislikeof gay people after Theroux asked if he'd like to see Michael settle down with a "partner".




Jackson at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Following Michael's death on June 25, 2009, Joseph attended the BET Awardson June 28. The event was hastily reorganized as a tribute to Michael following his sudden passing. Joseph appeared at the event, speaking to several reporters about Michael's death.[14]He struggled with CNNreporter Don Lemon's questions about his family, first appearing cheerful, then mournful, then asking a family spokesperson to read a prepared statement. After the statement was read, Joseph talked about his new hip-hop recording project. This exchange led to accusations of insensitivity from the press.[15]
Joseph Jackson was portrayed by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobsin the mini-series The Jacksons: An American Dream& by Frederic Tucker in the 2004 VH1biopic Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story.
Contrary to media rumors that Joseph and Katherine are estranged, Katherine denied this in a phone interview to Geraldo Riverain 2009. She also described rumors that Joe was banned from entering their house as something the media tried to "cook up". She went on to insist that Joe was a good grandfather to Michael's children and that she had "no idea" from where the rumors arose.[16][17][18]
In 2010 while being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Katherine again reiterated her denial of the rumours that she and Joseph were separated.[19]
Children[edit]

Portal icon The Jackson Family portal
Jackson has had eleven children, ten with his wife Katherine Scruse.
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson(born May 29, 1950)
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson(born May 4, 1951)
Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson(born October 15, 1953)
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson(born December 11, 1954)
La Toya Jackson(born May 29, 1956)
Marlon Jackson(March 12, 1957, Marlon's twin, Brandon, died at birth)
Michael Joseph Jackson(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson(born October 29, 1961)
Janet Damita Jo Jackson(born May 16, 1966)
Jackson has a daughter born on August 30, 1974 named Joh'Vonnie Jackson who was born while Jackson was in a 25-year-long affair with a woman named Cheryl Terrell.[20]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^"Joe turns 80". Chicago Defender. 2008.
2.Jump up ^The Jackson Five And Johnny. indiana45s.com (August 28, 2010)
3.Jump up ^"Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood". VH1. Retrieved June 20,2008.
4.Jump up ^Taraborrelli, pp. 20–22
5.Jump up ^Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. pp. 14–16. ISBN 0-8283-2003-9.
6.Jump up ^Lewis, Jel (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop;: The Big Picture: the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews!. Amber Books Publishing. pp. 165–168. ISBN 0-9749779-0-X.
7.Jump up ^George, Nelson(2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collectionbooklet. Sony BMG. pp. 45–46
8.Jump up ^Taraborrelli, p. 620
9.Jump up ^Taraborrelli, p. 602
10.^ Jump up to: ab"Singer Jackson whipped by father". BBC News. November 13, 2003. Retrieved May 6,2010.
11.Jump up ^Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies
12.Jump up ^Jackson, Michael. "Heal the Kids." Speech at the Oxford Union, March 2001.
13.Jump up ^Video of the interview, 24:00 onwards
14.Jump up ^Premsrirut, Rutt (July 1, 2009). "In Defense of Joe Jackson". ABCNews.com(ABC News). Retrieved July 1,2009.
15.Jump up ^Staff writer (June 30, 2009). "Joe Jackson's behavior draws criticism". UPI.com(United Press International). Retrieved June 30,2009.
16.Jump up ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXD3ttwi7aE
17.Jump up ^http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/5970201/Michael-Jacksons-mother-Katherine-He-didnt-die-of-natural-causes.html
18.Jump up ^http://www.mtv.com/news/1617463/michael-jacksons-death-wasnt-natural-katherine-jackson-says/
19.Jump up ^http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/joe-jackson-admits-beating-his-children/
20.Jump up ^Khan, Urmee (September 14, 2009). "Michael Jackson’s secret sister JohVonnie Jackson says she was 'rejected'". The Daily Telegraph(London).
Bibliography[edit]
Taraborrelli, J. Randy(2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958–2009. Terra Alta, WV: Grand Central Publishing, 2009. ISBN 0-446-56474-5.
External links[edit]

Portal icon The Jackson Family portal
Official website for Joseph Jackson
Profile at German branch of Random House


[hide]
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t·
e

Jackson family


Parents
Joe Jackson: 1928·
Katherine Jackson: 1930


Children
Maureen Reillette (Rebbie): 1950·
Sigmund Esco (Jackie): 1951·
Toriano Adaryll (Tito): 1953·
Jermaine La Jaune: 1954·
La Toya Yvonne: 1956·
Marlon David: 1957·
Michael Joseph: 1958–2009·
Steven Randall (Randy): 1961·
Janet Damita Jo: 1966


Grandchildren
Austin Brown: 1985


Musical groups
The Jackson 5/The Jacksons·
3T


Television
The Jacksons·
The Jacksons: An American Dream·
The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty


PortalThe Jackson Family portal





 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Jackson_(manager)









Joe Jackson (manager)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Joe Jackson
JosephJackson2007(cropped).jpg
Jackson in 2007

Born
Joseph Walter Jackson
July 26, 1928 (age 86)
Fountain Hill, Arkansas
Nationality
American
Occupation
Talent manager
Years active
1960s–present
Spouse(s)
Katherine Scruse(m. 1949)
Children
11, See below
Parent(s)
Samuel Jackson (1893–1993)
Crystal Lee King (1907–1992)
Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson(born July 26, 1928) is a talent managerand the father of the Jackson familyof entertainers which includes music superstars Michael Jacksonand Janet Jackson.


Contents [hide]
1Early life
2The Jackson 5
3Public image
4Children
5References
6Bibliography
7External links

Early life[edit]
Jackson was born to Crystal Lee (née King; 1907–1992) and Samuel Jackson (1893–1993), a schoolteacher, in Fountain Hill, Arkansas, on July 26, 1928.[1]Jackson was the eldest of five children, which included sisters Verna Mae and Lula Mae, and brothers Lawrence and Luther.
Jackson recalled from early childhood that his father was domineering and strict and he described himself as a "lonely child" in his memoirs, The Jacksons. Jackson's family moved to East Chicago, Indianawhile he was still a toddler. At eleven, his parents divorced and for a while he lived with his mother at their East Chicago home with a stepfather. In his teen years, he spent a few years in Oaklandwhere his father relocated. He returned to East Chicago where he eventually began working at East Chicago's Inland Steel Company, where he eventually became an overhead craneoperator. He also had a second job at the American Foundries food store.
Jackson first became acquainted with Katherine Scrusein 1948. Within a year, the couple married on November 5, 1949. In January 1950, they purchased a three-room house in Gary, Indiana. During the early 1950s, Jackson briefly performed with his own blues band, The Falcons, playing guitar. Despite their efforts, the Falcons failed to get a recording deal and subsequently broke up.
The Jackson 5[edit]
See also: The Jackson 5
Jackson began working with his sons' musical group in the early 1960s, first working with his three eldest sons, Jackie, Titoand Jermaine. Younger sons Marlonand Michaeleventually joined the backing band. At first, the group went under The Jackson Brothers. Following the inclusions of Marlon and Michael and Michael's increased vocal role in the group, their name was changed to the The Jackson Five.
After a couple years performing in talent contests and high school functions, Jackson had his sons perform on the chitlin' circuit, where they eventually performed at the Regal Theatreand the Apollo Theater.[2]After this success, Jackson began only working part-time at Inland Steel Company. In November 1967, The Jackson Fivesigned their first contract with Gordon Keith, an owner and producer of Steeltown Recordsin Gary, Indiana and released their first single "Big Boy" on January 30, 1968. Within the year, however, Jackson helped to land his sons an audition for Motown Recordsin Detroit. The Jackson Fivewere signed in March 1969.
The Jackson Fivebecame the Jackson 5 with the release of their first album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5in December 1969. The group eventually became crossover stars, scoring four consecutive number-one hits on the BillboardHot 100. The group also became international sensations. In 1973, wanting to reassure his role of control, Jackson had his family, including youngest son Randy, and daughters Rebbie, La Toyaand Janetperform at casinos and resorts in Las Vegas, inspired by the success of fellow family act, The Osmonds. In 1975, the Jackson 5, with the exception of Jermaine, left Motown and signed a lucrative deal with CBS Recordswithout alerting Motown of the deal, leading to a lawsuit against the family.
Public image[edit]
Joseph's image as a father became tarnished from the late 1980s onward, as the media reported stories told by his children that he was heavily abusivetowards them. When he managed his family, he ordered each of them to call him "Joseph", which contributed to several siblings being estranged from their father. Joseph is also alleged to have engaged in several extramarital affairs; one affair resulted in the birth of a daughter, Joh'Vonnie, born in 1974.
Michael Jackson claimed that from a young age he was physically and emotionally abused by his father, enduring incessant rehearsals, whippings and name-calling, but also admitting that his father's strict discipline played a large part in his success.[3]In one altercation—later recalled by Marlon Jackson—Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks."[4]Michael first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that during his childhood he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes get sick or start to vomit upon seeing his father.[5][6][7][8]Michael recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as Michael and his siblings rehearsed and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you."[9]Joseph admitted to whipping his children with switches and belts as punishment, but said he did not do so at random, and claimed never to have used any hard object as he felt was implied by the word "beating."[10]Despite the much-publicized abuse, Michael honored his father with an annual "Joseph Jackson Day" at Neverland Ranch[11]and ultimately forgave him, noting that Joseph's deep-South upbringing during the Great Depressionand the Jim Crowyears and working-class adulthood hardened him emotionally and made him push his children to succeed as entertainers.[12]
In 2003, in an interview with Louis Therouxfor a BBC TVdocumentary called Louis, Martin & Michael, Joseph admitted to using physical punishment on his children.[10]In the same documentary, Joseph took advantage of the opportunity to promote his record label's new artists, even though the intention was to talk about Michael in the interview.[13]In the same interview, Joe Jackson expressed an extreme dislikeof gay people after Theroux asked if he'd like to see Michael settle down with a "partner".




Jackson at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Following Michael's death on June 25, 2009, Joseph attended the BET Awardson June 28. The event was hastily reorganized as a tribute to Michael following his sudden passing. Joseph appeared at the event, speaking to several reporters about Michael's death.[14]He struggled with CNNreporter Don Lemon's questions about his family, first appearing cheerful, then mournful, then asking a family spokesperson to read a prepared statement. After the statement was read, Joseph talked about his new hip-hop recording project. This exchange led to accusations of insensitivity from the press.[15]
Joseph Jackson was portrayed by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobsin the mini-series The Jacksons: An American Dream& by Frederic Tucker in the 2004 VH1biopic Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story.
Contrary to media rumors that Joseph and Katherine are estranged, Katherine denied this in a phone interview to Geraldo Riverain 2009. She also described rumors that Joe was banned from entering their house as something the media tried to "cook up". She went on to insist that Joe was a good grandfather to Michael's children and that she had "no idea" from where the rumors arose.[16][17][18]
In 2010 while being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Katherine again reiterated her denial of the rumours that she and Joseph were separated.[19]
Children[edit]

Portal icon The Jackson Family portal
Jackson has had eleven children, ten with his wife Katherine Scruse.
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson(born May 29, 1950)
Sigmund Esco "Jackie" Jackson(born May 4, 1951)
Toriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson(born October 15, 1953)
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson(born December 11, 1954)
La Toya Jackson(born May 29, 1956)
Marlon Jackson(March 12, 1957, Marlon's twin, Brandon, died at birth)
Michael Joseph Jackson(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
Steven Randall "Randy" Jackson(born October 29, 1961)
Janet Damita Jo Jackson(born May 16, 1966)
Jackson has a daughter born on August 30, 1974 named Joh'Vonnie Jackson who was born while Jackson was in a 25-year-long affair with a woman named Cheryl Terrell.[20]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^"Joe turns 80". Chicago Defender. 2008.
2.Jump up ^The Jackson Five And Johnny. indiana45s.com (August 28, 2010)
3.Jump up ^"Michael Jackson's Secret Childhood". VH1. Retrieved June 20,2008.
4.Jump up ^Taraborrelli, pp. 20–22
5.Jump up ^Campbell, Lisa (1995). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop's Darkest Hour. Branden. pp. 14–16. ISBN 0-8283-2003-9.
6.Jump up ^Lewis, Jel (2005). Michael Jackson, the King of Pop;: The Big Picture: the Music! the Man! the Legend! the Interviews!. Amber Books Publishing. pp. 165–168. ISBN 0-9749779-0-X.
7.Jump up ^George, Nelson(2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collectionbooklet. Sony BMG. pp. 45–46
8.Jump up ^Taraborrelli, p. 620
9.Jump up ^Taraborrelli, p. 602
10.^ Jump up to: ab"Singer Jackson whipped by father". BBC News. November 13, 2003. Retrieved May 6,2010.
11.Jump up ^Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies
12.Jump up ^Jackson, Michael. "Heal the Kids." Speech at the Oxford Union, March 2001.
13.Jump up ^Video of the interview, 24:00 onwards
14.Jump up ^Premsrirut, Rutt (July 1, 2009). "In Defense of Joe Jackson". ABCNews.com(ABC News). Retrieved July 1,2009.
15.Jump up ^Staff writer (June 30, 2009). "Joe Jackson's behavior draws criticism". UPI.com(United Press International). Retrieved June 30,2009.
16.Jump up ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXD3ttwi7aE
17.Jump up ^http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson/5970201/Michael-Jacksons-mother-Katherine-He-didnt-die-of-natural-causes.html
18.Jump up ^http://www.mtv.com/news/1617463/michael-jacksons-death-wasnt-natural-katherine-jackson-says/
19.Jump up ^http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/joe-jackson-admits-beating-his-children/
20.Jump up ^Khan, Urmee (September 14, 2009). "Michael Jackson’s secret sister JohVonnie Jackson says she was 'rejected'". The Daily Telegraph(London).
Bibliography[edit]
Taraborrelli, J. Randy(2009). Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958–2009. Terra Alta, WV: Grand Central Publishing, 2009. ISBN 0-446-56474-5.
External links[edit]

Portal icon The Jackson Family portal
Official website for Joseph Jackson
Profile at German branch of Random House


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Thriller (Michael Jackson album)

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"Thriller (album)" redirects here. For albums of the same name, see Thriller.

Thriller

Studio album by Michael Jackson

Released
November 30, 1982
Recorded
1981 – November 8, 1982
Studio
Westlake Recording Studios
 (West Hollywood, California)
Genre
Post-disco ·
 pop ·
 R&B ·
 rock ·
 funk
 
Length
42:19
Label
Epic
Producer
Quincy Jones ·
 Michael Jackson (co-producer)
 
Michael Jackson chronology

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
 (1982) Thriller
 (1982) Farewell My Summer Love
 (1984)


Singles from Thriller
1."The Girl Is Mine"
 Released: October 18, 1982
2."Billie Jean"
 Released: January 2, 1983
3."Beat It"
 Released: February 14, 1983
4."Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
 Released: May 8, 1983
5."Human Nature"
 Released: July 3, 1983
6."P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
 Released: September 19, 1983
7."Thriller"
 Released: November 12, 1983

Thriller is the sixth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records, as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including pop, R&B, rock, post-disco, funk, and adult contemporary music.[1][2][3] Recording sessions took place between April and November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a production budget of $750,000, assisted by producer Quincy Jones.
Of the album's nine tracks, four were written by Jackson. Seven singles were released from the album, all of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Three of the singles had music videos released. "Baby Be Mine" and "The Lady in My Life" were the only tracks that were not released as singles. In just over a year, Thriller became—and currently remains—the best-selling album of all time, with sales over 65 million copies worldwide according to various sources.[4][5][6]T In the United States, it also tied with the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) as the best-selling album at 29 million units shipped.[7] The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, including for Album of the Year.
Thriller enabled Jackson to break down racial barriers in pop music via his appearances on MTV and meeting with President of the United States Ronald Reagan at the White House. The album was one of the first to use music videos as successful promotional tools—the videos for "Thriller", "Billie Jean", and "Beat It" all received regular rotation on MTV. In 2001, a special edition issue of the album was released, which contains additional audio interviews, demo recordings and the song "Someone in the Dark", which was a Grammy-winning track from the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook.[8] In 2008, the album was reissued again as Thriller 25, containing re-mixes that feature contemporary artists, a previously unreleased song, and a DVD, which features the short films from the album and the Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean". That same year the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame along with Jackson's Off The Wall LP.
Thriller was ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003,[9] and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in its "Definitive 200" albums of all time. The Thriller album was included in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry of culturally significant recordings, and the Thriller video was included in the National Film Preservation Board's National Film Registry of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films". In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at number one on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s".[10]


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Recording
3 Composition
4 Release and reception
5 Influence and legacy 5.1 Music industry
5.2 Music videos and racial equality
5.3 Contemporary appeal
6 Reissues and catalog sales
7 Track listing
8 Personnel
9 Chart performance
10 Charts 10.1 Year-end charts
10.2 Decade-end charts
11 Certifications
12 See also
13 Notes
14 References
15 External links

Background[edit]
Jackson's previous album Off the Wall (1979) received strong critical acclaim[11][12] and was also a commercial success, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide.[13] The years between Off the Wall and Thriller were a transitional period for the singer, a time of increasing independence.[14] The period saw the singer become deeply unhappy; Jackson explained, "Even at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room sometimes and cry. It's so hard to make friends ... I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming home."[15] When Jackson turned 21 in August 1979, he hired John Branca as his manager.[16]
Jackson confided in Branca that he wanted to be the biggest star in show business and "the wealthiest". The singer was upset about what he perceived to be the under-performance of Off the Wall, stating, "It was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year and it can never happen again."[17] He also felt undervalued by the music industry; in 1980 when Jackson asked the publicist of Rolling Stone if they would be interested in doing a cover story on him, the publicist declined, to which Jackson responded, "I've been told over and over that black people on the cover of magazines doesn't sell copies ... Just wait. Someday those magazines are going to be begging me for an interview. Maybe I'll give them one, and maybe I won't."[17]
Recording[edit]



Quincy Jones continued his collaboration with Jackson by producing Thriller
Jackson reunited with Off the Wall producer Quincy Jones to record his sixth studio album. The pair worked together on 30 songs, nine of which were eventually included.[18] Thriller was recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a production budget of $750,000. The recording for Thriller commenced on April 14, 1982 at 12:00 noon with Jackson and Paul McCartney recording "The Girl Is Mine", and the album was completed with the final day of mixing on November 8, 1982.[19] Several members of the band Toto were also involved in the album's recording and production.[18] Jackson wrote four songs for the record: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine", "Beat It", and "Billie Jean".[20] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write these songs on paper. Instead, he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[21][22]
The relationship between Jackson and Jones became strained during the album's recording. Jackson spent much of his time rehearsing dance steps alone.[22] When the album's nine songs were completed, both Jones and Jackson were unhappy with the result and remixed every song, spending a week on each.[22]
Jackson was inspired to create an album where "every song was a killer", and developed Thriller with that in mind.[23][24] Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton gave detailed accounts of what occurred for the 2001 reissue of the album. Jones discussed "Billie Jean" and why it was so personal to Jackson, who struggled to deal with a number of obsessed fans. Jones wanted the long introduction on the song to be shortened; however, Jackson insisted that it remain because it made him want to dance.[20] The ongoing backlash against disco made it necessary to move in a different musical direction from the disco-heavy Off the Wall.[24] Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes and spent weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It". Eventually, they found Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van Halen.[20][22]
When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he originally wanted to call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man", but settled on "Thriller" because he felt the name had merchandising potential.[22] Always wanting a notable person to recite the closing lyrics, Jones brought in actor Vincent Price who was an acquaintance of Jones' wife, who completed his part in just two takes. Temperton wrote the spoken portion in a taxi on the way to the recording studio. Jones and Temperton said that some recordings were left off the final cut because they did not have the "edginess" of other album tracks.[20]
Songs recorded by Jackson for consideration included "Carousel" (written by Michael Sembello), "Nite Line" (written by Glen Ballard), "Trouble" (aka "She's Trouble", written by Terry Britten, Bill Livsey and Sue Shifrin), and "Hot Street" (written by Rod Temperton, and aka "Slapstick"). Jackson also cut a version of "Starlight". Demos of all these songs exist and have leaked onto the internet. "Carousel" and "Hot Street" were completed, but left off the final version of the album. A short clip of "Carousel" appeared as a bonus track on the 2001 reissue of the album; the full version was later released on iTunes in 2013 as part of The Ultimate Fan Extras Collection.
Composition[edit]




"Thriller"







Excerpt of the album's title track, and one of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984. Jackson uses cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger.[25]


"Human Nature"







"Human Nature", a top ten hit single in the US. It is the most notable ballad on the album, praised for its moody, introspective lyrics and sound.


"Billie Jean"







"Billie Jean", a number one hit single in many countries. The song was written and co-produced by Jackson. The track mixed uptempo funk and disco with the somber themes of paranoia and obsession.[26]

Problems playing these files? See media help.
Thriller is a post-disco album.[27] According to Steve Huey of AllMusic, it refined the strengths of Jackson's previous album Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[28] The album includes the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature", and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"[1][26][28][29] and has a similar sound to the material on Off the Wall. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is accompanied by a bass and percussion background and the song's centerpiece, a climaxing African-inspired chant (often misidentified as Swahili, but actually syllables based on Duala),[30] gave the song an international flavor.[31] "The Girl Is Mine" tells of two friends' fight over a woman, arguing over who loves her more and concludes with a spoken rap.[22][31] The album's songs have a tempo ranging from 80 beats per minute on "The Girl is Mine", to 138 on "Beat It".[32]
Despite the light pop flavor of these two records, Thriller, more so than Off the Wall, displayed foreshadowings of the contradictory thematic elements that would come to characterize Jackson's subsequent works.[33] With Thriller, Jackson would begin his association with the subliminal motif of paranoia and darker themes, including supernatural imagery in the album's title track.[26] This is evident on the songs "Billie Jean", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Thriller".[1] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers; in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossips and the media.[26][28] In the former song, Jones had Jackson sing vocal overdubs through a six-foot-long cardboard tube, and brought in jazz saxophonist Tom Scott to play a rare instrument, the lyricon, a wind-controlled analog synthesizer. Bassist Louis Johnson ran through his part on a Yamaha bass guitar. The song opens with a long bass-and-drums introduction.[34] In the song "Thriller", sound effects such as creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard.[22]
The anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece.[28][35] Jackson later said of "Beat It", "the point is no one has to be the tough guy, you can walk away from a fight and still be a man. You don't have to die to prove you're a man".[31] "Human Nature", co-written by Steve Porcaro of the band Toto,[36] is moody and introspective, as conveyed in lyrics such as, "Looking out, across the morning, the City's heart begins to beat, reaching out, I touch her shoulder, I'm dreaming of the street".[31]
By the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[11] Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[12] With the release of Thriller, Jackson could sing low—down to a basso low C—but he preferred to sing higher because pop tenors have more range to create style.[37] Rolling Stone was of the opinion that Jackson was now singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[38] "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", credited to James Ingram and Quincy Jones, and "The Lady in My Life" by Rod Temperton, both gave the album a stronger R&B direction; the latter song was described as "the closest Jackson has come to crooning a sexy, soulful ballad after his Motown years" by Taraborrelli.[31] The singer had already adopted a "vocal hiccup" which he continued to implement in Thriller. The purpose of the hiccup—somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping—is to help promote a certain emotion, be it excitement, sadness or fear.[39]
Release and reception[edit]
Thriller was released on November 30, 1982, and sold one million copies worldwide per week at its peak.[37] Seven singles were released from the album, including "The Girl Is Mine"—which was seen as a poor choice for the lead release and led some to believe that the album would be a disappointment, and to suggestions that Jackson was bowing to a white audience.[31] "The Girl Is Mine" was followed by the hit single "Billie Jean", which made Thriller a chart-topper.[40][41] Success continued with the single "Beat It", which featured guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather.[42] The album's title track was released as a single and also became a hit internationally.[31]
Thriller was well received by most critics. Christopher Connelly in a January 1983 review in Rolling Stone gave it four out of five stars and described it as "a zesty LP" with a "harrowing, dark message".[26] Comparing the songs on the album with the life challenges that the 24-year old Jackson had faced since Off the Wall, Connelly remarks that he has "dropped the boyish falsetto" and is facing his "challenges head-on" with "a feisty determination" and "a full, adult voice".[26] John Rockwell in a December 1982 review in The New York Times also commented on Jackson's age, comparing his youth with his experience as an entertainer, feeling that perhaps he is a "sometimes too practiced ... performer", and that at times Quincy Jones may "depersonalize his individuality" with his "slightly anonymous production", and that Jackson may be hiding his true emotions behind "layers of impenetrable, gauzy veils".[43] The bulk of Rockwell's review concentrated on how he felt that the album was helping breach "the destructive barriers that spring up regularly between white and black music", especially as "white publications and radio stations that normally avoid black music seem willing to pretend he isn't black after all".[43] He feels that Thriller is "a wonderful pop record, the latest statement by one of the great singers in popular music today", and that there are "hits here, too, lots of them".[43]
In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave the album an A– rating and commented that "this is virtually a hits-plus-filler job, but at such a high level it's almost classic anyway".[44] He later revised it to an A,[44] and commented in retrospect, "what we couldn't know is how brilliantly every hit but 'P.Y.T.' would thrive on mass exposure and public pleasure."[45] A year after the album's release, Time summed up the three main singles from the album, saying, "The pulse of America and much of the rest of the world moves irregularly, beating in time to the tough strut of "Billie Jean", the asphalt aria of "Beat It", the supremely cool chills of "Thriller".[37]
The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, including Album of the Year. Jackson won seven of the Grammys for the album while the eighth Grammy went to Bruce Swedien.[46][47] That same year, Jackson won eight American Music Awards, the Special Award of Merit and three MTV Video Music Awards.[48] Thriller was recognized as the world's best-selling album on February 7, 1984, when it was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records.[49] It is one of four albums to be the best-seller of two years (1983–1984) in the US.[50]
On August 21, 2009 Thriller was certified 29× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least 29 million copies in the US.[51][52] The album topped the charts in many countries, sold 4.2 million copies in the UK,[53] 2.5 million in Japan,[54] and was certified 15× Platinum in Australia.[55] Still popular today, Thriller sells an estimated 130,000 copies in the US per year; it reached number two in the US Catalog charts in February 2003 and number 39 in the UK in March 2007.[48] Outside the US, the album has sold over 20 million copies.[56]
Influence and legacy[edit]
Music industry[edit]



Thriller platinum record on display at the Hard Rock Cafe, Hollywood in Universal City, California.
Blender described Jackson as the "late twentieth century pre-eminent pop icon", while The New York Times gave the opinion that he was a "musical phenomenon", and that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[34][57] Jackson changed the way the industry functioned: both as an artistic persona, and as a financial, profitable entity. His attorney John Branca observed that Jackson achieved the highest royalty rate in the music industry to that point: approximately $2 for each album sold. As a result, Jackson earned record-breaking profits from compact disc sales, and from the sale of copies of the documentary, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the film sold over 350,000 copies in its first few months. In a market then driven by singles, Thriller raised the significance of albums, yet its multiple hit singles changed perceived notions as to the number of successful singles that could be taken from an individual album.[58] The era saw the arrival of novelties like the Michael Jackson doll, that appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[37] Thriller retains a position in American culture; biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli explains, "At some point, Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple".[59]
At the time of the album's release, a press statement from Gil Friesen, the then President of A&M Records, read that, "The whole industry has a stake in this success".[37] Time magazine speculated that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion".[37] Time summed up Thriller's impact as a "restoration of confidence" for an industry bordering on "the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop". The publication described Jackson's influence at that point as, "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[37]
When Thriller and "Billie Jean" were searching to reach their market demographic, MTV and cable TV had a smaller market share than the much larger reach of broadcast television stations in the United States. A national broadcast TV audience on ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliate stations, as well as major independent TV stations, was desired by CBS/Epic Records to promote Thriller. The national broadcast TV premiere of the Thriller album's first video, "Billie Jean", was during the week of Halloween in October 1984 and was the idea of Video Concert Hall executive producers Charles Henderson and Jerry Crowe.[60][61] Video Concert Hall, the first nationwide music video TV network, taped the one-hour special in Hollywood and Atlanta, where the TV studios of Video Concert Hall were located.[62][63][64][65] The Thriller TV special was hosted by Thriller video co-star Vincent Price, distributed by Henderson-Crowe Syndications, Inc., and aired in the top 20 TV markets and much of the United States, including TV stations WNEW (New York), WFLD (Chicago), KTTV (Los Angeles), WPLG (Miami), WQTV (Boston), and WXIA (Atlanta), for a total of 150 TV stations.[60][61]
Music videos and racial equality[edit]



Thriller??'?s music videos, and singles—including the Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine"—are credited with helping promote racial equality in the United States
Before the success of Thriller, many felt Jackson had struggled to get MTV airing because he was black.[66] In an effort to attain air time for Jackson, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff pressured MTV and declared, "I'm not going to give you any more videos and I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy."[34]
His position persuaded MTV to begin airing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", which led to a long partnership and later helped other black music artists to gain mainstream recognition.[67] MTV denies claims of racism in their broadcasting.[68] The popularity of his videos, such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean", helped to place the young channel "on the map", and MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[67][69] Jackson transformed the medium of music video into an art form and promotional tool through the use of complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and cameo appearances by well known personalities.[28] When the 14-minute-long Thriller video aired, MTV ran it twice an hour to meet demand.[70] The short film marked an increase in scale for music videos and has been routinely named the best music video ever.[58] The popularity of the video sent the album back to number one in the album chart, but Jackson's label did not support the release of the third music video from the album. They were already pleased with its success, so Jackson convinced MTV to fund the project.[22][70] Author, music critic and journalist Nelson George wrote in 2004, "It's difficult to hear the songs from Thriller and disengage them from the videos. For most of us the images define the songs. In fact it could be argued that Michael is the first artist of the MTV age to have an entire album so intimately connected in the public imagination with its imagery".[25] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has been frequently imitated.[20] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to prisons in the Philippines.[71][72]
For a black artist in the 1980s to that point, Jackson's success was unprecedented. According to The Washington Post, Thriller paved the way for other African-American artists to achieve mainstream recognition, such as Prince.[73] "The Girl Is Mine" was credited for getting interracial love on the radio.[74] Time noted, "Jackson is the biggest thing since The Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever".[37]
Contemporary appeal[edit]
Today, Thriller is still viewed in a positive light by critics some three decades later. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album the maximum five stars and wrote that the record had something to interest everyone. He believed it showcased harder funk and hard rock while remaining "undeniably fun". He went on to compliment "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and said, "The record's two best songs: 'Billie Jean, ...and the delirious 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'??'?, the freshest funk on the album [but] the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded." Erlewine gave the opinion that it was an improvement on the artist's previous album, although Allmusic was critical of the title track, describing it as "ridiculous" and as having the effect of "arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its momentum".[1] Slant Magazine gave the album five stars and, like the Allmusic review and the original Rolling Stone review, paid compliment to the lyrics of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[29] Giving it five stars in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Rolling Stone journalist Jon Pareles commented that Jackson "doubled his ambitions and multiplied his audience" with the album and wrote of its legacy, "Thriller had extramusical help in becoming the best-selling noncompilation album of all time: Jackson's dancing feet and dazzling stage presence, amplified by the newfound promotional reach of music video and the Reagan era's embrace of glossy celebrity. But especially in the album's seven hit singles (out of nine songs), the music stands on its own."[75]
Culture critic Nelson George wrote that Jackson "has educated R. Kelly, Usher, Justin Timberlake and countless others with Thriller as a textbook".[76] As a sign of the album's longevity, in 2003 Thriller was ranked at number 20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three of the "Definitive 200" albums of all time.[77][78] In 2008, 25 years after its release, the record was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and, a few weeks later, was among 25 recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry as "culturally significant".[79][80] In 2009, music critics for MTV Base and VH1 both listed Thriller as the best album released since 1981.[81] Thriller, along with other critic favorites were then polled by the public. 40,000 people found Thriller to be the Best Album of all time by MTV Generation, gaining a third of all votes.[81][82]
Reissues and catalog sales[edit]
Thriller was reissued on October 16, 2001, in an expanded set titled Thriller: Special Edition. The original tracks were remastered, and the album included a new booklet and bonus material, including the songs "Someone in the Dark", "Carousel", and Jackson's original "Billie Jean" demo, as well as audio interviews with Jones and Temperton discussing the recording of the album.[20][83] Sony also hired sound engineer and mixer Mick Guzauski[84][85] to work with Jackson on creating 5.1-channel surround sound mixes of Thriller, as well as all his other albums, for release on the then-new Super Audio CD format. Despite numerous retries, the artist never approved any of the mixes.[86] Consequently, Thriller was issued on SACD only in a stereo version.[87]
In February 2008, Epic Records released Thriller 25; Jackson served as executive producer.[52] Thriller 25 appeared on CD, USB and vinyl with seven bonus tracks, a new song called "For All Time", a snippet of Vincent Price's voice-over, and five remixes featuring American artists Fergie, will.i.am, Kanye West, and Akon.[52][88][89] It also included a DVD featuring three music videos, the Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance, and a booklet with a message from Jackson.[52] The ballad "For All Time" supposedly dates from 1982, but is often credited as being from Dangerous sessions.[90] Two singles were released from the reissue: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008".
Thriller 25 was a commercial success and did particularly well as a reissue. It peaked at number one in eight countries and Europe. It peaked at number two in the US, number three in the UK and reached the top 10 in over 30 national charts. It was certified Gold in 11 countries including the UK, received a 2× Gold certification in France and received platinum certification in Poland.[91][92][93] In the United States, Thriller 25 was the second best-selling album of its release week, selling one hundred and sixty six thousand copies, just fourteen thousand short of reaching the number one position. It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release but entered the Pop Catalog Charts at number one (where it stayed for ten non-consecutive weeks),[94] with the best sales on that chart since December 1996.[95][96][97] With the arrival of Halloween that November, Thriller 25 spent an eleventh non-consecutive week atop the US catalog chart. This brought US sales of the album to 688,000 copies, making it the best selling catalog album of 2008.[98] This was Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, selling three million copies worldwide in 12 weeks.[99]
After Jackson's death in June 2009, Thriller set additional records. It sold more than 100,000 copies, placing it at number two on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. Songs from Thriller also helped Jackson become the first artist to sell more than one million song downloads in a week.[100] According to Nielsen Soundscan, Thriller was the 14th best selling album of 2009 in the United States with 1.27 million copies sold.[101]
Track listing[edit]

No.
Title
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Length

1. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin"   Michael Jackson
Quincy Jones ·
 Jackson (co.)
  6:03
2. "Baby Be Mine"   Rod Temperton Jones 4:20
3. "The Girl Is Mine" (duet with Paul McCartney) Jackson
Jones ·
 Jackson (co.)
  3:42
4. "Thriller" (featuring. Vincent Price) Temperton Jones 5:57
5. "Beat It" (featuring. Eddie Van Halen) Jackson
Jones ·
 Jackson (co.)
  4:18
6. "Billie Jean"   Jackson
Jones ·
 Jackson (co.)
  4:54
7. "Human Nature"  
Steve Porcaro ·
 John Bettis
  Jones 4:06
8. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"  
James Ingram ·
 Jones
  Jones 3:59
9. "The Lady in My Life"   Temperton Jones 5:00
Total length:
 42:19 

[show]2001 special edition bonus tracks









   
 


 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 

 
   
Personnel[edit]
Brian Banks – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Michael Boddicker – keyboards, synthesizers
N'dugu Chancler – drums
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
David Foster – keyboards, synthesizers
Gary Grant – trumpet and flügelhorn
Eddie Van Halen – guitar solo on "Beat It"
Jerry Hey – trumpet and flügelhorn
Michael Jackson – co-producer, lead and background vocals, drum case beater, bathroom stomp board, vocal, drum, horn and string arrangement
Paul Jackson – guitar
Louis Johnson – bass guitar
Quincy Jones – producer
Steve Lukather – guitar, bass guitar
Anthony Marinelli – synthesizer programming
Paul McCartney – vocals on "The Girl Is Mine"
David Paich – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Dean Parks – guitar
Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Jeff Porcaro – drums, horn and string arrangements
Steve Porcaro – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Vincent Price – voice-over on "Thriller"
Bill Reichenbach – trombone
Bruce Swedien – recording engineer, mixer
Chris Shepard  – vibraslap on "Beat It"
Rod Temperton – keyboards, synthesizers
David Williams – guitar
Larry Williams – saxophone and flute
Bill Wolfer – keyboards, synthesizers
La Toya Jackson – background vocals on "PYT"
Janet Jackson – background vocals on "PYT"
Greg Smith – synthesizers
Chart performance[edit]
Thriller was one of the best-selling albums in many countries during 1983 to 1984, topping the charts in United States,[102] United Kingdom, Germany,[103] Japan,[104] France,[105] Canada,[106] Australia,[107] Sweden,[108] New Zealand,[109] and the Netherlands.[110]
Charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
Original release
Chart (1983)
Position

Australian Albums Chart[107]
1
Austrian Albums Chart[111]
1
Canadian Albums Chart[112]
1
Dutch Albums Chart[113]
1
French Albums Chart[114]
1
Italian Albums Chart[115]
1
Japanese Albums Chart[116]
6
UK Albums Chart[117]
1
US Billboard Year-end[118]
1
West German Albums Chart[119]
2
Chart (1984)
Position

Australian Albums Chart[107]
2
Austrian Albums Chart[120]
3
Canadian Albums Chart[121]
4
Dutch Albums Chart[122]
4
Japanese Albums Chart[123]
1
Swiss Albums Chart[124]
1
UK Albums Chart[117]
6
US Billboard Year-end[125]
1
 Reissue
Chart (2009)
Position

Australian Albums Chart[126]
32
German Albums Chart[127]
40
US Billboard Comprehensive Albums[128]
16
US Billboard Top Pop Catalog Albums[128]
2
US Billboard Top Internet Albums[128]
2
Chart (2010)
Position

Australian Catalog Albums Chart[129]
47
US Billboard 200[130]
137
US Billboard Top Pop Catalog Albums[130]
7

Decade-end charts[edit]

Chart (1980–89)
Position

Australian Albums Chart[107]
3
Austrian Albums Chart[131]
1
Japanese Albums Chart[132]
2
UK Albums Chart[117]
3
Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification
Sales/shipments


Argentina (CAPIF)[133]
Diamond 500,000x
Australia (ARIA)[134]
16× Platinum 1,150,000[135]
Austria (IFPI Austria)[136]
8× Platinum 400,000x
Brazil (ABPD)[137]
5× Platinum 1,250,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[138]
2× Diamond 2,400,000[139]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[140]
Platinum 119,061[140]
France (SNEP)[141]
Diamond 2,366,700[141]
Germany (BVMI)[142]
3× Platinum 1,500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[143]
Platinum 20,000*
Italy (FIMI)[144]
Platinum 100,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[145]
Gold 2,500,000[146]
Mexico (AMPROFON)[147]
2× Platinum+Diamond+Gold 1,600,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[148]
8× Platinum 1,400,000[149]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[150]
12× Platinum 180,000^
Portugal (AFP)[151]
Platinum 40,000x
South Korea
 50,000[152]
Sweden (GLF)[153]
4× Platinum 400,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[154]
6× Platinum 300,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[155]
11× Platinum 4,274,000[156]
United States (RIAA)[157]
29× Platinum 29,000,000^
Summaries

Europe (IFPI)[158]
For sales in 2009
Platinum 1,000,000*
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone


See also[edit]
Book icon Book: Thriller (album)


Portal icon Michael Jackson portal
List of best-selling albums
List of best-selling albums in Australia
List of best-selling albums in France
List of best-selling albums in Germany
List of best-selling albums in Japan
List of best-selling albums in New Zealand
List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom
List of best-selling albums in the United States
List of number-one dance singles of 1983 (U.S.)
Notes[edit]

TAlthough sales estimates for Thriller have been as high as 110 million copies,[159] these sales figures are unreliable.[160][161][162][163]
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External links[edit]
Thriller (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)


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Michael Jackson: Thriller







































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Categories: Albums certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Hong Kong
Albums certified diamond by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
1982 albums
Albums produced by Michael Jackson
Albums produced by Quincy Jones
English-language albums
Boogie albums
Epic Records albums
Grammy Award winners for Album of the Year
Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
Michael Jackson albums
Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award albums
United States National Recording Registry recordings




































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This page was last modified on 12 May 2015, at 23:40.
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(Michael_Jackson_album)