Jehovah's Witnesses believe that: God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. The Holy Spirit is not a person; it is God's active force.
Jehovah's Witnesses identify as Christians, but their beliefs are different from other Christians in some ways. For instance, they teach that Jesus is the son of God but is not part of a Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is the name of God's active force in the world. Witnesses believe that they are living in the last days, and they look forward to the imminent establishment of God's kingdom on earth, which will be headed by Christ and jointly administered by 144,000 human corulers (Revelation 7:4).
Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves to be Christian and as such recognize that Jesus Christ is the son of God and commemorate the Memorial of Jesus' death. The purposes of the Memorial evening meal are to remember Jesus and show gratitude for the sacrifice that he made on behalf of humanity.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that salvation is possible only through Christ's ransom sacrifice and that individuals cannot be saved until they repent of their sins and call on the name of Jehovah. Salvation is described as a free gift from God, but is said to be unattainable without good works that are prompted by faith.
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.
The service is held in the Kingdom Hall and is led by the Congregation Elder. The service is brief (generally between 15 and 30 minutes) and the body of the deceased is usually present. Following the service, the body is transported to either the crematorium or to the cemetery for a graveside service and burial.
Memorial of Christ's death
Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate Christ's death as a ransom or "propitiatory sacrifice" by observing the Lord's Evening Meal, or Memorial. They celebrate it once per year, noting that it was instituted on the Passover, an annual festival.
Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or Easter because they believe that these festivals are based on (or massively contaminated by) pagan customs and religions. They point out that Jesus did not ask his followers to mark his birthday.
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a translation of the Bible published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; it is used and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe God is the Creator and Supreme Being. Witnesses reject the Trinity doctrine, which they consider unscriptural. They view God as the Father, an invisible spirit person separate from the Son, Jesus Christ.
Jehovah's Witnesses emphasize the use of God's name, and they prefer the form Jehovah—a vocalization of God's name based on the Tetragrammaton. They believe that Jehovah is the only true God, the creator of all things, and the "Universal Sovereign".
What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe? Witnesses believe in one God, not the Trinity. Like most Christians, they believe that Jesus Christ died for humankind's sins, and was resurrected after his crucifixion.
Jehovah's Witnesses started in 1870 when Charles Taze Russell led Bible studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Jehovah's Witnesses movement came out of the Bible Student movement, also founded by Russell.
Jehovah is the name of God, and devout Jews, out of reverence for Him, never say His name. Instead they substitute Adonai, a Hebrew title meaning “Lord.” 2 So whenever they speak of Him or read aloud His name from scripture, they substitute Adonai (Lord).
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.
Because Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays, it is offensive to say “Merry Christmas” to a Jehovah's Witness, as well as “Happy Birthday.” Both are disrespectful greetings. There are no special greetings for the following occasions: Candlemas.
The cross. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus did not die on a cross but on single stake. This belief is based on the Greek words used in the Bible for the cross, which literally translate as 'stake' and 'tree'.
Additionally, the Witnesses hold the belief that Jehovah was the creator of all. Furthermore, they do not celebrate birthdays or religious and national holidays. The major Jehovah's Witnesses holiday memorializes the day when Jesus Christ died comes around Passover and Easter moments.
Jehovah's Witnesses hold meetings for worship twice each week. At these meetings, which are open to the public, they examine what the Bible says and how they can apply its teachings in their lives.
They don't believe in military service, national anthems or voting. Jehovah's Witnesses do not stand for national anthems, salute flags, vote or serve in the military. Followers believe their allegiance belongs to God alone, who runs an actual government in heaven.
Those lawsuits have revealed that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society — the nonprofit that oversees the Jehovah's Witnesses from New York — maintains a secret database containing allegations of child molestation across multiple decades, and most allegations have not been shared with law enforcement.
Therefore death is not to be feared as the absolute end, because the dead who are “in God's memory” will be resurrected. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in a place called Hell or a realm of eternal torment. They do believe in a heaven and the hope of going there.