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Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious group that grew out of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. [3] Jehovah's Witnesses are considered to be a nontrinitarian, millenarian, restorationist Christian denomination. [8] In 2024, the group reported a membership of more than 9 million worldwide.
Jehovah's Witnesses consider the Bible to be scientifically and historically accurate and reliable [51] and interpret much of it literally, while also accepting it contains much symbolism. [52] Jehovah's Witnesses base all of their beliefs on the Bible, as interpreted by the Governing Body.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the kingdom of God is the central theme of the Bible, of Jesus' message while on earth, and of their own door-to-door preaching. They believe their door-to-door preaching is part of a "sign" before God's kingdom destroys the world's governments, in order to have God's will done on earth as it is in heaven.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the entire Bible, including both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is inspired of God and important for the Christian faith.(2 Timothy 3:16,17) Witnesses generally use a translation of the Bible that they developed in the mid-twentieth century, known as the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT).
The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures was released at a Jehovah's Witness convention at Yankee Stadium, New York, on August 2, 1950. [34] [35] The translation of the Old Testament, which Jehovah's Witnesses refer to as the Hebrew Scriptures, was released in five
Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that the Bible prohibits the consumption, storage and transfusion of blood, based on their understanding of scriptures such as Leviticus 17:10, 11: "I will certainly set my face against the one who is eating the blood" and Acts 15:29: "abstain from … blood." This standpoint is applied even in emergencies.
The doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses have developed since the publication of The Watchtower magazine began in 1879. Early doctrines were based on interpretations of the Bible by Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society founder Charles Taze Russell, then added to, altered, or discarded by his successors, Joseph Rutherford and Nathan Knorr.
In 1990, 68 Jehovah’s Witness elementary students were expelled for refusing to participate in daily flag-raising ceremonies. In Ebralinag, et al. vs. Division Superintendent of Schools of Cebu, the court ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses are permitted to refrain from saluting the Philippine flag and singing the national anthem.