This is however untrue because unlike cults, the denomination is neither secret nor does it practice elaborate and questionable rituals. Cults also have fanatic beliefs and like I have pointed out above, are ritualistic in nature. These characteristics of cults are not present in the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination.
A look into these wrongly conceived assumptions has led me to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses as a denomination is neither a cult nor a misguided religious grouping. I must say that my understanding of this religion prior to this particular research undertaking significantly differed from my current view of the same religion. Initially, I was convinced that Jehovah's Witnesses did not indeed believe in Jesus Christ. I was also convinced that they did not believe in the resurrection of Christ and life after death. However, after a scrutiny of their beliefs, I found out that the adherents of this denomination believe that Jesus is indeed the son of God. What they have a problem with is the reference made to Jesus as God. I also found out that they believe in Jesus' resurrection as well as that of Christians in the second coming of Christ. In addition to this, I also found out that Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a paradise that will be present on earth after the resurrection (Larry, 2010). In essence, I have come to the conclusion that the differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and mainstream Christians are largely ideological.
This particular highlight on misconceptions about Jehovah's Witnesses is a simple indicator that misconceptions about other people's religions are common. This can be proven via the exploration of various misconceptions that exist about other religions. For instance, Islam is one of the least understood religions in today's world. For starters, since the September 11 attacks, there are many who are now convinced that Islam encourages (and perhaps sponsors) violence. This is however a misconception that has in the past been disputed by Muslim clerics and scholars. Most people are also convinced that Muslims do not believe in Jesus Christ (Frater, 2009). Indeed,...
Religious Service Reflection My chosen observation was of the Jehovah's Witnesses, a fundamentalist Christian organization. I have never known very much about them other than the fact that they have a community ministry, offering their pamphlets from door to door. They are often ridiculed for their beliefs against traditional celebrations such as Christmas, Halloween and birthdays. I know people who believe that they are a cult; however, I do recall a
Jehovah Witness An Overview of the Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs Jehovah's Witnesses is a sect that originated from America. In the same way, Mormonism, Islam, and several other religious beliefs have America as their birth place also. This makes the nation unrivalled in the accommodation of multiple religious sects. Though the Jehovah Witness claim to have been in existence for over 6,000 years, history has it that the sect came into existence in 1872,
Religious Life of Planet Earth What does religion look like on Earth Religion depicts a relationship between spirituality and humanity and also shows how moral values are related to them. It comprises of an organized collection of world views, cultural systems and belief systems regarding spirituality and humanity. Many religions explain the origin of life or Universe through symbols, narratives, traditions and sacred histories. The concepts of ethics, religious laws, preferred lifestyles
All other Christian and Jewish groups interpret these same passages as referring to dietary laws, to the actual eating of meat containing blood (Robinson). Witnesses also urge to "discontinue their chemotherapy treatments when platelet transfusions are needed" (Robinson). Moreover, they believe that any blood that leaves the body must be destroyed, thus they do not approve of an individual storing his own blood for a later auto-transfusion (Robinson). An important tension
Freedom and Moral Responsibility in Hospice and Palliative Services The different ethical theories Decision making within the medical field and provision of palliative services is influenced by three ethical theories. The theories are respect for autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Respect for autonomy asserts that a patient should be allowed the option of decision making. This principle will value the patient's intrinsic worth as an individual allowing them to make a decision that
Scientology Introducing a New Religious Movement, one must be as objective as possible. I, for instance, could choose to tell you that L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in 1954 and marketed it as an organization for social reform that essentially became the global force it is today, with (young, professional, stylish, racially-diverse) adherents providing positive sound bites on Scientology.org that promote (in naturalistic, community-oriented settings) the religion as
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