Jehovah In Cape Coral
University of Florida – REL2300
Hallie Mallard – October 26, 2018 Introduction
Having much to be desired from the lack of space made for Jehovah’s Witnesses within Willard Oxtoby’s, A Concise Introduction to World Religions, this paper dives into the unique world of a follower of the God Jehovah. The religion founded by Charles Taze Russell in the late 1800s, is a smaller denomination, of the thousands, of Christianity that values a strict interpretation of the Bible. Its members are tasked with learning and sharing the word of God with others. The religion came be to be through Bible studies where smaller groups of people would come together and a discussion was held about the scripture. Russell introduced his interpretation to these Bible study attendees and they became Russell’s followers. First the group called themselves the Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society but four years later they chose the name they continue to operate under to this day, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
In the 1900s the group saw rapid growth and began printing their sermons in multiple languages in thousands of newspapers over all North America and parts of Europe. In 1914 Russell made the prediction of an epic doomsday which explains the groups explosive member count, many Christians criticized this particular act and condemned it as falsehood for the purpose of expanding the Witnesses member base. Joseph Franklin Rutherford or J. F, Rutherford proceeded the leadership of Russell after he passed in 1916 and made many major changes that caused splits amongst some of the followers. These changes included the organizations structural workings and certain doctrines that may have been less than popular. According to the official site of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as of 2017, there are 8,457,107 members comprising 120,053 congregations in 240 “lands” worldwide.
Witnesses are well known for their distinctive practices such as knocking on the front doors of many American households and providing personal Bible studies for followers and non-followers. As stated before, Jehovah’s Witnesses is a denomination of Christianity characterized by strict Bible teachings. Many of their beliefs involve isolation from particular civic duties such as participating in the draft during World War 2 or voting. Many do not comply with certain laws because they were not “god’s laws” and, therefore, should not be followed. Those beliefs, clashing with the principles of basic American values, were restructured in the 60s in an attempt to no longer call attention and generate backlash to their organization. Today they still do not participate in political arenas because when doomsday comes and they are saved God Jehovah will construct the Kingdom which accounts for any and all government proceedings. Just like other religions Jehovah’s Witnesses have been persecuted since its founding for its more polarizing beliefs in comparison to long established Christians. It’s my goal to better understand those beliefs and how they differ from other Christian sects.
Consistently sharing truth about god and the Bible is a standard for many of the followers; with strict, traditional values being a fundamental aspect of the religion it has adapted to fit different societies and demographics. The task of this paper is to take in and process the Jehovah’s Witnesses values and beliefs and to see how they operate in 2018.
Website Research
Website #1 – JW.ORG
After choosing this religion then came the task of online research for better understanding. The first website found was the official site for Jehovah’s Witnesses, JW.ORG, this website was recommended by a younger follower of Jehovah. When loading the page one is greeted with a slideshow depicting Witnesses all over the world with smiles on their faces and Bibles in their hands, speaking to a non follower. This slideshow is accompanied by a Bible scripture expert, “‘This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth.’—Matthew 24:14.” This lead to the next question… What version of the Bible does Jehovah’s Witnesses follow? The site is organized in a way that a link is posed as a question and once clicked the article that follows answers the question through the eyes of a Jehovah’s Witness. The Bible – Why so Many? article stands to explain the many versions of Bible translations, how they came to be and what service they provide now. They say the disciples of Jesus collected the various books written in “Christian Greek Scriptures” and joined them with the “Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures” creating the Bible many Christians follow today. Then a strong belief held by the group is stated in the next paragraph where they describe the Latin Vulgate which is the latin translation made to update and correct errors found in the Bible some 300 years later. The Witnesses say it is, “great disservice!” That the church decided to make the Latin Vulgate the only version of the Bible that would be considered correct and that all others would be incorrect translations. This is very concerning for Jehovah’s Witnesses because their whole religion is based on spreading the word of Jehovah and being able to translate and interpret, so it is understandable to see their distaste for the actions of church officials so long ago. Jehovah’s Witnesses follow the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures which instead of referring to god as “Lord” he is referred to as Jehovah unlike many “modern English Bibles.”
The site is filled with information about Jehovah’s Witnesses’ beliefs and practices. To continue with broader observations made at the top on the page there is a link named “Bible Teachings” and once clicked the dropdown gives multiple topics in which the Bible has an excerpt and serves as a guide, such as: Peace and Happiness, Marriage and Family, Teenagers, Science and the Bible, etc. As a closing remark for this website it seems to be very professional looking and aesthetically pleasing to browse yet it is not free from bias which is of course to be expected for the official site of a religion. The target demographic for this website seems to be not only non-followers but for witnesses who need specific advice for certain dilemmas like raising their children and better understanding how they can contribute to conventions and donate.
Website #2 – BBC Religions – Jehovah’s Witnesses
To move towards a more unbiased and more informational source for the second website, BBC.CO.UK Religions – Jehovah's Witnesses was chosen for its straightforward data. BBC has information on many different religions as well as atheism, indigenous religions and more well known religions like Christianity and Hinduism. The homepage for Jehovah’s Witnesses is similar to the other religions on the site where every topic relating to the religion is organized into a vertical dropdown section. These options include: Jehovah’s Witnesses at a glance, Beliefs, Customs, History, Holy Days, Structure, and Ethics.
In the section Jehovah’s Witnesses at a glance, many basic questions are answered such as the meaning behind the term witnessing, which is living for god (Jehovah) and doing as he pleases. The section discusses the Witnesses’ belief of rejection of our “secular world” and how they separate themselves from others due to the thought that they are “not ‘of the world’.” It also discussed the Witnesses rejection of any blood transfusion, for one’s blood is sacred and should not be spilt as stated in the Bible. BBC also mentions the more well-known and interesting fact that Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays or holidays such as "Christmas or Easter.” Witnesses say Jesus’s birthday was not celebrated by his followers and other holidays are seen as pagan rituals. This section also introduces the beginnings of the religion, but under the ‘History’ section more can be found in a chronological timeline.
The organization tab focuses on how Jehovah’s Witnesses structure their leadership positions and how their “corporation” functions. The paragraph opens with the fact that the Witnesses do not have a head leader and all witnesses are considered “ordained ministers” and are tasked with the job of missionary work, the most popular being door-knocking. The religion does have many leadership positions available for members if they qualify in the eyes of a governing body within the group; Men who assume these higher roles are called Elders, but are commonly subject to turnover for multiple members to have a chance in the position. Jehovahs Witnesses have a very business like structure when understanding their hierarchy, where 200 people make up one Kingdom Hall, their word for church, 20 of these congregations make up a circuit which is managed by a circuit overseer. Then 10 circuits are overseen by a district overseer who reports back to a national headquarter and is “responsible for the spiritual welfare of up to 40,000 people.” At the national level a headquarter is called a Bethel and Bethels can be found all over the world. This site has factual points about various subjects within the religion and does not focus on actual scripture or any beliefs taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses. BBC’s website seems to cater to a non-follower who is focused on factual information and historical events associated with the religion. This site is not exclusively for Jehovah’s Witnesses, it also features other religions and topics not relating to religion, but in an attempt to not completely rely on bias websites this site was included for its cut and dry information.
Website #3 – Towerwatch
On the hunt for the next website I found it was a common result when "Jehovah’s Witness” was typed into the search bar of Google, many negative Youtube videos and other testimonies were popping up before reputable sites that discussed beliefs of the followers. The website Towerwatch Ministries is a blog unlike the the previous sites discussed which held some sort of official authority. The author and founder of the page described himself as a born again Christian and was a Witness for 35 years serving as an Elder for 20 years. Under the page’s title is the subtitle: “Helping Christians Reach Jehovah's Witnesses with the Gospel of Our Savior Jesus Christ.” This site describes itself as a support group and a center for Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been disfellowshipped and no longer want to be apart of the religion. The menu includes links titled: About Towerwatch, About Witnesses, Help for Ex-Witnesses and Witnesses in the News, etc.
Under the “About Witnesses” section there is a brief history of how the religion came to be with its founder and its early beginnings. The “Facts and Brief History of Jehovah's Witnesses” subsection is a very blatantly bias “history”, where they say Russell was a “flawed character”, and they make sure to highlight the many “failed prophecies” he made while alive. They are referring to the end of the word predictions the group’s leader had made, this doomsday prediction was made in 1914 and when it didn’t happen Russell updated it to 1915 and later died in 1916. It is important to know that like Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses do believe in a decision day and an inevitable doomsday. With the believe of an impending armageddon being shared by fellow Christians composing other denominations it interested me why they're is so much division between the groups.
This particular page continues to degrade the name of the religion by saying the followers are intimidated to stay because of new end of the world predictions and pressure from insiders. All around quite negative there is a paragraph which includes an interview with a Jehovah’s Witness being asked who writes The Watchtower. The interviewee states The Watchtower is edited and written from the word of God (Jehovah) and there is no qualification for their claim. This inspired me in my interview to ask the same question and see if this interview is truly representative of a Jehovah’s Witness. Over and over again the writer says Witnesses cannot leave or else they are excommunicated from family and friends and they cannot read literature that clashes with approved religious literature by the Tract Society. This lead me to the “Testimonies” link to see first hand accounts of the disfellowshipped.
Aside from the history and background page the site is filled with testimonies from Ex- Witnesses telling their story of how and why they left the church, how their actions were received by the church and where they are in their current lives. Many of these testimonies are from Witnesses who were brought up as so as young kids and how the preachings had affected their personal development. One Ex-Witness, Laurie, goes through her major life events and choices and why she made them. She emphasizes that as a young girl she was told she was a part of a special group, a group God only saw and would praise, and she says that as a kid that message makes you feel mightier and better than others, a feelings she did not enjoy once older. She felt lied to and depressed once she got older because she then is introduced to others whom think they are the chosen ones, just as she did. Most other testimonies include the same structure: “I was lied to!”, “I wanted out but my family disowned me.”, and, “I am better for being out.” all with unique additions.
The Help for Ex-Witnesses link leads you to a page with 4 paragraphs. The first summarizes that if you leave the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society then you will be shunned and you must realize Jesus is your mediator not the society. A recommendation for the book Pure Grace by Dan Hall which “gives Biblical explanations of controversial Christian issues, debunks certain Christian “myths,” and presents the pure grace of God, through Jesus Christ.” Nothing else is provided for an Ex-Witness in regards to support but their facebook page is linked on other articles. Overall this site seems to be targeting Ex-Witnesses and possibly other Christians who agree with the founder of the page that Jehovah’s Witnesses must be liberated from their shackles.
Site Visit
Visit #1
For my first visit, I was invited to a Sunday meeting at 4801 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses by a work colleague. This kingdom hall was a few minutes away from my house and I had never even known of its existence until now. Parking and walking in with my friend and her family I felt nervous because I’ve never been to a Sunday service, but immediately I was welcomed. The outside had a simplistic architecture adorned with a metal roof, with no a steeple and a path leading to the main entrance. The front yard and shrubbery was well groomed and the building was surrounded with palm trees.
When inside many people were shaking hands or hugging and talking about their week. I saw a few flyers on the lobby counter when I walked through the front doors and asked an Elder if I could grab a few which he responded with a joyful, “Of course! It’s nice to meet you!” and reached out with a handshake. On the left was the entrance to the main room where the meeting was going to be held. The hall was void of any religious iconography Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it is idolatry to have any pictures of religious figures adorning the walls. The walls were gray as well as the chairs, the carpet and many of the men’s suits. All women were either wearing skirts or dresses that met the knee or ankle. The demographic was varied for race as well as age. Total there were 50+ witnesses and they spread out amongst the three sections of seating available in the room. To the front of the room was a slightly lifted stage with a podium in the middle and two large flatscreen televisions on each side with,“‘Those hoping in Jehovah will regain power.’ – Isaiah 40:31.’” being broadcasted.
Before the meeting started My friend’s father gave me their New World Translation Bible so I could follow along with the scripture as well as a book of their hymns. I had downloaded the JW Library app for my phone which makes it easier for Bible scrolling and had the meeting agenda posted under the Meetings tab.
A basic timeline of the meeting went as follows:
Opening – Prayer / Song
Discussion on Science and Religion
Announcements / Event updates
Article Review (“If you Know These Things, Happy You Are if You Do Them”) Question and Answer
Announcements
Conclusion / Ending Prayers / Song
The discussion on the relationship between science and religion was lead by one of the Elders and consisted of mostly historical scientific discoveries not truly finding all the answers to world phenomenas and proposing that the Bible and spirituality is the other half not discovered. For example the Elder had stated that many cosmologists say they will never know the vastness of space with current capabilities and then inserted the Bible goes hand in hand in understanding the universe because it fills in the blanks left by scientist. The Elder said, “Economics, Politics, Healthcare all these institutions should not matter to us humans because we have no control over them…” and in saying this reminds me of the information I found on the BBC where it stated the Witnesses are not active politically.
During his monologue he referred to the Bible as fact and stated, “The Bible is truth.” This intrigued me because Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for their Bible studies which introduced new understandings and a new translation of the Bible and Christianity. Knowing that the Bible’s meaning can be changed to a certain degree raises the question: Can the truth be changed to a certain degree? Especially to fit someone’s personal narrative.
The activity allotted the most time was the Article Review. The article was provided on the app but hard copies were also passed out. The front page of the package says, “The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom, Study Articles for: Oct. 29-Dec. 2, 2018” and had pictures happy people riding bikes in Ireland. The major lesson that was being taught was that Jehovah’s word is important to head but if you don’t act on his word then you are not truly listening. They compare the word of god to putting food into your mouth, but you are not nourished if you don’t chew and swallow, and chewing is spreading his message. They stressed the importance of missionary work in the Bible and that we should immolate its characters, such as Paul’s humility and Epaphras’ devoted servitude. The Elder who was reading the passage also engaged in a Q&A activity after every paragraph. Two more Elders were tasked with carrying a microphone up and down the isles when a sister or brother was called on. Questions were very straight forward and when members answered they were met with a some variation of good job from the Elder.
At the end of the meeting we sang and prayed and I shook hands with the people I met and walked out. Leaving new people we’re just arriving I had asked why that was and Jehovah’s Witnesses have services in multiple different languages. They have meetings in English, Spanish, Italian, etc. and have allotted times for every member so they can attend a meeting with small numbers and a native tongue.
Visit #2
After Sunday’s meeting I was invited to a Circuit Assembly in Arcadia on November 10. I decided this would be my second visit because it fit the requirements for different visits. The meeting would comprise 10 out of the 11 congregations all coming together at a civic center an hour away from Cape Coral. I brought my father with me and we dressed accordingly, he wore a suit and tie and I wore a modest looking dress.
Attendance exceeded one thousand and the demographics were very similar to the first visit where there were both young and old as well as multiple races and ethnicities. Majority of the older members were seated at the bottom and younger ones were seated in the stands. As we walked in there was a booth with a sign “Attendants” there were multiple walking around with orange lanyards and they were there to hand out the pamphlets for the program, Be Bold!
The majority of the speakers were Elders from all around the surrounding area and they all had special speeches that all related to the Be Bold prompt. The meeting began at 9:30 AM but many followers arrived an hour or two earlier to help set up.
We had arrived right before the meeting started and picked seats near the back of the auditorium. The first speaker introduced the idea that many of the figures in the Bible were bold in their fight to spread the word of Jehovah and we as followers should emulate them and their unwavering action to dedicate ourselves to Jehovah and be bold in our preachings to non-believers. Many people had paper Bibles but even more had iPads or were looking at the JW Library app on their phones. The pamphlet outlined the day’s activities for the morning and afternoon.
The schedule for the morning went as follows:
Music
Song / Prayer
Jehovah Makes Us Bold
Symposium: Be Bold Like…
Enoch
Moses
Jehoshaphat
Peter
Song / Announcements
Muster Up Boldness in the Ministry
Dedication and Baptism
Song
The purpose of the symposium was to draw relations between the Witnesses and the Bible figures mentioned. Each figure had its own speaker from a congregation and each had their own personal struggle which is drawn back to us. For Enoch he had a lack of courage, for Moses is was his lack of self-esteem, Jehoshaphat stood for what he thought was right and Peter conquered his fear. All of these characteristics are common reasons that many Witnesses are not as out spoken or are scared to participate in doing missionary work. They address real life problems that many Jehovah’s Witnesses face either in the work place or in school. This was interesting to me because it is obvious to the ministry that their witnesses are facing these life struggles especially children in public schools and they had a whole assembly dedicated to addressing these concerns. During the symposium there were testimonies and roleplaying. Scenarios were proposed by the Elder and witnesses would walk on the stage and begin to act in a scene either in the workplace, at a school or in the community.
Muster Up Boldness in the Ministry is a section where they push activity and dedication within the ministry. Each speaker indirectly compares boldness to being strong and it can be acquired through pure worship. We’re told that “every worshipper of Jehovah is precious to him” and losing our relationship with Jehovah is more precious than fearing other men’s opinions. The speakers say you shouldn’t be anxious because you are then you wont be confident when you preach the word of Jehovah. There are four steps to stay close to Jehovah and being bold: Faithfully walking with him, fearing him, studying his word, pleading for his strength. The overall basis of the meeting was you as a witness shouldn’t be ashamed of your faith and if you were ever put into an uncomfortable situation you should be bold in your believe and maybe even try to show the non-believer they way of Jehovah. My dad and I couldn’t stay for the second half of the meeting but we kept the schedule of what was planned. If I were to make assumptions about the afternoon’s festivities the main prompt of Be Bold would be again reiterated and multiple examples on how to do so would be presented.
The afternoon schedule went as follows:
Music
Song / Prayer
Public Bible Discourse: Take Your Stand for True Worship
Summary of The Watchtower
Song / Announcements
Symposium: imitate Christ’s Boldness When Facing Pressure
In the Family
In School
At Work
In the Community
Your boldness “Will Be Richly Rewarded”
Song / Prayer
It seemed the day had two purposes, one being to preach the word of God Jehovah and to reassure the following that their fears of completing missionary work isn’t substantial and you as a witness are required to share God’s will. This was different than the first visit at the Kingdom Hall because it seemed to be focused on scripture, but more so on the uncertainties shared by witnesses and to complete multiple baptisms.
Interview
I decided to interview a friend’s mother who has been a member of the religion since she converted at the age of 17. She grew up in a traditional Christian household, but stopped going to church gatherings early in her childhood which created an urge to go study the Bible and ask questions about her faith. She found comfort in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and 20+ years later is still an active member. Here are my questions and her responses:
How long have you been a Jehovah’s Witness?
Danea – 20 years
Why did you decide to be a Jehovah’s Witness?
Danea- I was always curious about religion and God and after studying the Bible for several years in my late teens, I was able to understand it and come to an accurate knowledge of it. I then dedicated myself to God by being baptized.
How long have you attended this particular Kingdom Hall?
Danea- I have been in this kingdom hall for 1.5 years and in the Kingdom Hall on Nicholas Pkwy for the previous 18+ years.
How important is it to you to be active in the ministry?
Danea- It is very important as we are imitating the work that Jesus and his apostles did as he set the example for us to follow.
How important is it to you to be active in missionary work like door knocking?
Danea- In addition to the answer above (door knocking is what we call the ministry since we are preaching and teaching to others) we do this because Jesus commissioned his followers in the Bible that this should be done. He went from door to door and town to town preaching about Jehovah God and his purpose for the earth, and so we do the same. We are not paid to do it, nor is anyone in the entire organization paid for anything they do, we all do it voluntarily so that others can benefit from God's words recorded in the Bible.
What would you say is expected of you as a Jehovah’s Witness?
Danea- Everything we do is by choice and voluntary because we want to please God and serve him faithfully. He is our Creator and therefore has the right to instruct us. We follow the standards set in the Bible as far as holidays, blood transfusions, going to war, immorality and so on. There is no one man or one group of people telling us what to do or what is expected, only what is found in the Bible. For example, if a natural disaster was coming, we would want to warn or friends family, neighbors, even strangers of the upcoming danger. In the same way, as Jehovah's people, we want to show everyone from the Bible what the future holds and the hope that God has promised for all of mankind if we follow his requirements.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of religion to you?
Danea- Seeing people learn and come to an accurate knowledge of the Bible on their own accord and then dedicating themselves to God by getting baptized.
How important is Bible study to you? Why?
Danea – Bible Study is extremely important as it is God's words and we are instructed in the Bible to read it daily in order to come to a full understanding of it. In order to be able to teach others abut the Bible, we should know and understand it ourselves.
What misconception do you feel people have about your religion?
Danea – Many feel that we do not believe in Jesus or that we are not Christians, which is not the case. A christian is a follower of Christ, and we are just that. The Bible clearly states that Jesus was sent to earth by his father, Jehovah God, as a ransom sacrifice to pay for the sin that Adam committed. Jesus died for all mankind to cover over our sins and to give us all the opportunity again for everlasting that God promises in the Bible. We follow Jesus example in all that we do in the way we live our lives ad the way we carry out our ministry.
What do you like best about your religion? The least?
Danea- I love knowing that I have the truth from the Bible and that I am pleasing our father Jehovah God in doing what he asks us to in the Bible. There is nothing I do not like about it, as it is not simply a religion, but it is a way of life, living our lives in harmony with God's standards everyday.
What are the major differences between you religion and other religions, like Christianity? What are similarities?
Danea- As stated earlier, we are Christians. However, as set in the standards of the Bible, we do not engage in immoral acts, we do not believe in the trinity (that God, Jesus and the holy spirit are all on person), we do not go to war as we try to always be peaceable with all, we do not celebrate holidays due to the negative connotation of the origin of holidays and the examples set in the Bible of this, we do not accept blood transfusions due to the sacredness of blood from the Bible, we do not vote or get involved in political affairs, as we give our allegiance to God as he is the only one who will set up an everlasting government (Kingdom) that will not be brought to ruin and that will bring peace for all, and we also engage in a worldwide public ministry to tell others abut the Bible.
As for similarities, we attend weekly meetings (Bible studies and Public Bible discourses), and we follow Jesus as our exemplar and Jehovah God as our Creator.
Conclusion
In the search to better understand Jehovah’s Witnesses I’ve witnessed dedication from its followers and strong abstention from the group by fellow Christians. Their beliefs can be described as strict and limiting especially from the standpoint of someone who has not grown up with a religious background. I found that, like other Christian denominations they follow the Bible’s teachings but give different explanations and expect different things from their members. To be a witness is to witness the God Jehovah and everyone who is not apart of the religion can be converted and saved by Jehovah and his word. Though Methodists and Baptists don’t necessarily have a word for members who leave the religion, like Catholicism, a follower can leave the religion and be considered disfellowshipped or excommunicated. With the horror stories of people getting cut off from their families and no longer seeing their children or parents I decided to ask a young follower how they are taught to handle disfellowshipped members. She didn’t seem to go along with the dramatics found online. She told me that the group continues to encourage the ex-member to change their ways and come back to the religion, but if the ex-member continues to promote negative life choices they are advised to shun the person. To me this is understandable and others experiences are anecdotal and not representative of the religious sect.
Since the beginning of the religious sect conception they consider themselves a sect of Christianity and though they deem themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses they also proudly call themselves Christians because they follow the Bible and God Jehovah’s word. Also being found at the root of the religion is a consistent thought of inclusivity of others. They print the Watchtower and hold meetings in different languages in an attempt to allow more followers to understand the Bible and to dedicate themselves to Jehovah. The religious sect exudes this idea of comprehensive study of the truth and wants all to know the truth.
Going to their meetings and seeing first hand how the religion is organized I understand how many of their customs are viewed as extreme. In America especially, where freedom rings and rights and liberties are guaranteed outsiders of the religion do not agree with the limitations set of the followers of Jehovah. I see joining this particular religious sect as a choice that can be made and unmade quite easily, with not as much drama as one might have expected if uneducated on the group. I was allowed not only at one of their biweekly meetings but also invited to a circuit assembly as well as Bible study later that week. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not as mysterious and secluded as people may think and I truly believe if others wanted to better understand they would be invited to with open arms. It is engrained in the Witnesses lives that non-followers can find salvation with their help and Witnesses are happy to show you what they know of the Bible if you are willing to listen.