Who is Jehovah?

Any believing Christian who is aware of the historical, pagan 'Sun-Baal' connections of this date should entirely avoid celebrating Christmas. It points to certain denominations, such as Jehovah Witnesses, who explicitly refuse to participate in the celebration for this very reason.

The early Jewish-Christians such as the Ebonites, the Cerinthians, the Basilidians, the Capocratians, and the Hypisistarians. The Arians, Paulicians and Goths also accepted Jesus as a prophet of God.

Even in the modern age there are churches in Asia, in Africa, the Unitarian church, the Jehovah's witnesses, and even the majority of todays Anglican Bishops do not worship Jesus as God.

While Jehovah's Witnesses are often labeled as modern-day Arians due to their shared non-Trinitarian views, the two systems differ significantly in their specific doctrines. Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus can fully know the Father, whereas Arius denied this; additionally, Witnesses view the Holy Spirit as an impersonal active force, while Arius considered the Holy Spirit to be a high-ranking angelic person.

Jehovah Witnesses (JW) are often referred to as 'modern-day Arians'. While there are similarities in theology and doctrine, the JW differ from Arians in the following ways:

Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses believe in Jesus Christ, but they do not view him the same way traditional mainstream Christians do. They believe Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of humanity, but they reject the concept of the Holy Trinity. Instead, they believe Jesus is a created being, specifically identifying him as the Archangel Michael in his pre-human existence, and that he is subordinate to God the Father, whose name is Jehovah.

Jehovah Witnesses refuse blood transfusions based on a strict religious interpretation of Bible verses found in both the Old and New Testaments. They point to scriptures such as Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:14, and Acts 15:28-29, which command believers to 'abstain from blood'. They view the consumption or taking in of blood as a violation of God's law, though they do accept non-blood medical alternatives and complex blood fractions depending on personal conscience.

Jehovah Witnesses do not celebrate major religious or national holidays including Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or the 4th of July. They also do not celebrate birthdays. Their rejection of these events stems from the belief that these celebrations have pagan origins or promote a nationalistic spirit that honors humans rather than God. The only major event they formally observe is the annual Memorial of Christ's Death (also known as the Lord's Evening Meal).

No, Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in a literal hell of fiery torment. They teach that the soul is not immortal and ceases to exist at death. When the Bible mentions Sheol or Hades, Jehovah's Witnesses interpret these terms as the common grave of mankind where the dead remain in an unconscious, sleep-like state until the future resurrection.

According to Jehovah's Witness theology, heavenly life is restricted to a literal number of 144,000 individuals. This group, referred to as the 'anointed', is chosen by God to rule alongside Christ in heaven. The vast majority of faithful Jehovah's Witnesses (known as the 'other sheep' or 'great crowd') do not expect to go to heaven; instead, they believe they will inherit everlasting life on a cleansed, paradise Earth after Armageddon.

The primary theological differences lie in the nature of God, scripture, and the afterlife. Unlike mainstream Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses:

1. Reject the Trinity (believing God the Father and Jesus are separate entities).

2. Reject the cross as a Christian symbol, teaching that Jesus died on a single upright stake.

3. Utilize their own specific biblical translation, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

4. Abstain from political affairs, voting, and military service to maintain strict neutrality.

Disfellowshipping is the formal expulsion of a member from the Jehovah Witness congregation. This occurs if a baptized Witness commits what the religion considers a 'gross sin' and is deemed unrepentant by a judicial committee of elders. Once a person is disfellowshipped, the congregation practices shunning, meaning family members and friends within the religion cut off all normal social interaction and spiritual communication with that person.

A Kingdom Hall is the official place of worship for Jehovah Witnesses believers. Their meetings resemble lecture-based Bible studies rather than traditional church services. A typical service includes a public Bible discourse, a structured study of a pre-selected article from the Watchtower magazine using a Q&A format, prayers and singing. Meetings are open to the public and no collections are passed.

Jehovah's Witnesses preach door-to-door because they believe it is a divine command left by Jesus Christ. They model their ministry after Jesus' first-century disciples, pointing to Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19–20, which instruct Christians to make disciples and preach the 'good news of the Kingdom' to all inhabited earth.

The earthly leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses is composed of a small group of senior male elders known as the Governing Body. This council operates out of the religion's world headquarters located in Warwick, New York. The Governing Body is responsible for interpreting scripture, directing global evangelism efforts, creating religious literature and overseeing organizational policies.