Those who leave the faith are called "apostates" and are "disfellowshipped", a term for formal expulsion and shunning, where members are "prohibited from talking, and even from saying 'hello' to them", according to Ohmyjw.
When a judicial committee decides that a baptized Witness has committed a serious sin and is unrepentant, the person is disfellowshipped. A person who believes that a serious error in judgment has been made may appeal the decision.
Feelings of loneliness, loss of control, and worthlessness are also common after leaving. The culture of informing on other members inside the Jehovah's Witnesses also leads to a continued sense of distrust and suspicion long after leaving.
Jehovah's Witness group was founded in the 1870s
The movement's adherents initially called themselves Bible Students until 1931, when they took the name Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah is a transliteration of the letters YHWH, which were used in place of the unspeakable name for God in the Old Testament.
Jehovah's Witnesses adhere to the Bible's view of marriage and divorce. Monogamy between one man and one woman and sex only within marriage are requirements in the Witness religion. But Witnesses do permit divorce in certain cases, believing that the only valid ground for divorce and remarriage is adultery.
While she never names the player, the bit wraps up with a mention of her husband encouraging her to Google how many ex-NBA players are Jehovah's Witnesses. According to Schmitt, there are just two, which kind of defeats the purpose of her trying to maintain his anonymity by not naming him in the set.
Jesus forgives all sin
The Bible teaches that the blood Jesus' shed on the cross covers all sin, including infidelity. “… the blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). This means that any sin we commit, including infidelity, can be forgiven when we come to Jesus with a repentant heart.
Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or “bad associations.” JWs are advised not to join groups or teams outside the faith and are also discouraged from higher education.
Elders are considered "overseers" based on the biblical Greek term, ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos, typically translated "bishop").
Jesus Christ
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is God's "only-begotten Son", and that his life began in heaven. He is described as God's first creation and the "exact representation of God", but is believed to be a separate entity and not part of a Trinity.
They limit contact with non-Jehovah's Witnesses
Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or “bad associations.”
Tennis champion Serena Williams was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith and continues to practice many of her beliefs stemming from the religion today. The Jackson family was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith, but several of the family members, including sister Janet, no longer practice the religion.
An estimated 70,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are disfellowshipped every year — roughly 1% of the church's total population, according to data published by the Watchtower. Their names are published at local Kingdom Halls. Of those, two-thirds never return.
Jehovah's Witnesses have also been criticized because they reject blood transfusions, even in life-threatening medical situations, and for failing 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.
The denomination requires adherence to a strict moral code, which forbids premarital sex, homosexuality, gender transitioning, adultery, smoking, drunkenness and drug abuse, and blood transfusions.
The ban is due to Jehovah's Witnesses' refusal to swear allegiance to the state; their religious convictions forbid an oath of allegiance to or service in the armed forces of any temporal power. From 1935 onward, Jehovah's Witnesses faced a Nazi campaign of persecution.
“To us, going door to door is an expression of our God's impartiality,” he said. “We go to everyone and let them choose whether they want to hear us or not.” Even in pre-pandemic times, door-knocking ministry came with anxiety because Witnesses never knew how they would be received at any given home.
Jehovah's Witnesses use Kingdom Halls for the majority of their worship and Bible instruction. Witnesses prefer the term "Kingdom Hall" over "church", noting that the term often translated "church" in the Bible refers to the congregation of people rather than a structure.
Beliefs & Teachings about Death
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that when a person dies, their existence completely stops. This is because the Bible makes it clear that human beings do not have an immortal soul that survives when the body dies. Witnesses believe that Hell (as traditionally portrayed) does not exist.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate holidays since they hold the belief that holidays violate biblical principles.
If you are not a Jehovah's Witness but wish to attend the funeral this is fine, they are regarded as open to the public. If you've been to other funerals you'll no doubt see many similarities.
Simply put- Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate holidays. The taboo surrounding the celebration of holidays can be traced back to how many are derived from pagan or non-religious contexts and the belief that holidays such as Christmas and Easter were created to capitalize on the public's faith in a higher power.
God hates divorce .,.."17 According to Oni, "No matter what view one takes on the issue of divorce, it is important to remember Malachi 2:16: 'I hate divorce, says the LORD God of Israel.
One eternal or unforgivable sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit), also known as the sin unto death, is specified in several passages of the Synoptic Gospels, including Mark 3:28–29, Matthew 12:31–32, and Luke 12:10, as well as other New Testament passages including Hebrews 6:4–6, Hebrews 10:26–31, and 1 John 5:16.
Matthew 18: 21-22 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.