The story of Jehovah’s Witnesses begins in the late 19th century near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a group of students studying the Bible. The group was led by Charles Taze Russell, a religious seeker from a Presbyterian background. These students understood “Jehovah,” a version of the Hebrew “Yahweh,” to be the name of God the Father himself.
Russell and his followers looked forward to Jesus Christ establishing a “millennium” or a thousand-year period of peace on Earth. This “Golden Age” would see the Earth transformed to its original purity, with a “righteous” social system that would not have poverty or inequality.
Russell died in 1916, but his group endured and grew. The name “Jehovah’s Witnesses” was formally adopted in the 1930s.
Early Jehovah’s Witnesses believed 1914 would be the beginning of the end of worldly governments, which would culminate with the Battle of Armageddon. Armageddon specifically refers to Mount Megiddo in Israel, where some Christians believe the final conflict between good and evil will take place. Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, expected that the Battle of Armageddon would be worldwide, with Jesus leading a “heavenly army” to defeat the enemies of God.
Read: Explosions in Jehovah Witness convention in Kerala, one dead
They also believed that after Armageddon, Jesus would rule the world from heaven with 144,000 “faithful Christians,” as specified in the Book of Revelation. Other faithful Christians would be reunited with dead loved ones and live on a renewed Earth.
Over the years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have reinterpreted elements of this timeline and have abandoned setting specific dates for the return of Jesus Christ. But they still look forward to the Golden Age that Russell and his Bible students expected.
Given the group’s belief in a literal thousand-year earthly reign of Christ, scholars of religion classify Jehovah’s Witnesses as a “millennarian movement.”
What are their beliefs?
Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the idea of the Trinity. For most Christians, God is a union of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Instead, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is distinct from God – not united as one person with him. The “Holy Spirit,” then, refers to God’s active power. Such doctrines distinguish Jehovah’s Witnesses from mainline Christian denominations, which hold that God is “triune” in nature.
Jehovah’s Witnesses spend a substantial amount of time on Bible study and evangelizing door to door.
But like other Christian denominations, Jehovah’s Witnesses praise God through worship and song. Their gathering places are called “Kingdom Halls,” which are ordinary-looking buildings – like small conference centers – that have the advantage of being easily built. Inside are rows of chairs and a podium for speakers, but little special adornment. Jehovah’s Witnesses are best known for devoting a substantial amount of time to Bible study and door-to-door evangelizing.
Their biblical interpretations and missionary work certainly have critics. But it is the political neutrality of the group that has attracted the most suspicion.
Jehovah’s Witnesses accept the legitimate authority of government in many matters. For example, they pay taxes, following Jesus’ admonition in Mark 12:17 “to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
But they do not vote in elections, serve in the military or salute the flag. Such acts, they believe, compromise their primary loyalty to God.
A history of persecution
Jehovah’s Witnesses have no political affiliations, and they renounce violence. However, they make an easy target for governments looking for internal enemies, as they refuse to bow down to government symbols. Many nationalists call them “enemies of the state.”
As a result, they have often suffered persecution throughout history in many parts of the world.
Jehovah’s Witnesses were jailed as draft evaders in the U.S. during both world wars. In a Supreme Court ruling in 1940, school districts were allowed to expel Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to salute the American flag. Through subsequent legal battles in the 1940s and 1950s, Jehovah’s Witnesses helped expand safeguards for religious liberty and freedom of conscience both in the United States and Europe.
In Nazi Germany, Jehovah’s Witnesses were killed in concentration camps; a purple triangle was used by the Nazis to mark them. In the 1960s and 1970s, dozens of African Jehovah’s Witnesses were slaughtered by members of The Youth League of the Malawi Congress Party for refusing to support dictator Hastings Banda. Many Witnesses fled to neighboring Mozambique, where they were held in internment camps.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in India
Jehovah’s Witnesses were part of case law for not singing the national anthem. In 1986, the Supreme Court's landmark judgement in Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State Of Kerala & Ors had established the legal framework regarding perceived disrespect to the national anthem.
In 1985, three Jehovah’s Witness students in Kerala were suspended for refusing to sing the national anthem, citing religious beliefs. Their father, VJ Emmanuel, filed a petition in the Kerala High Court, which was dismissed. The case reached the Supreme Court, which in 1986, emphasised the significance of Article 25 of the Constitution, which enshrines the freedom of conscience and the practice of religion. The Court recognised that even a minority, no matter how small, must have the ability to express its identity within the constitutional framework of the nation.
The SC also said that respectfully standing during the singing of the national anthem, as the children had done, without vocal participation, did not constitute an offence under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971. This Act imposes penalties for obstructing or causing disturbance during the singing of the anthem. Ultimately, the court ruled in favour of the children, affirming their right to abstain from singing the national anthem on religious grounds.
The judgement underscored the paramount importance of safeguarding the freedom of conscience, considering it a cornerstone of a genuine democracy. This landmark case set a significant precedent in India's legal history, balancing religious freedom with national symbols.
In 2017, there were reports stating that Jehovah’s Witnesses in India were going to challenge the Supreme Court ruling making it mandatory for movie theatres to play the country’s national anthem before every film, and audience members to stand for the anthem.
The ‘cult’ label
Police in Germany have said the 2023 shooting was most likely committed by a lone individual who did not leave the organization “on good terms,” although they have not released information about a possible motive.
At times, disputes between members and ex-members have revolved around criticism over practices such as refusing blood transfusions and “disfellowshipping” members who do not repent for committing what the group considers serious sins.
In popular culture, Jehovah’s Witnesses are sometimes portrayed as members of a “cult,” which has made them a convenient target for persecution and multiple forms of violence. As I and other religion scholars have written, however, that word is very difficult to define – and tends to lead to stereotypes, rather than nuanced understanding.
This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 4, 2017.
Mathew Schmalz, Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.