When was jehovah witnesses established

In the Witnesses published Poems and Hymns of the Millennial Dawn which included over hymns and a number of poems. By the work had become international, and the society's headquarters were moved to its present location in Brooklyn, New York.

Printed sermons were syndicated in newspapers, and by these were being printed in four languages in 3, newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Russell predicted that the anointed would be called to heaven by , although he later amended this date. Rutherford made big changes in the organisation's staff and certain changes to its doctrines.

This led some followers to split from the movement and form their own groups. Rutherford and seven of his colleagues were sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to promote draft evasion during a time of war.

The convictions were overturned a year later, but the experience hardened Rutherford's heart against public institutions and he referred to politics, commerce, and religion as "the three chief instruments of the Devil". Rutherford thought deeply about a key passage in Romans 13, and concluded that the proper interpretation of the passage no longer required Witnesses to cooperate with secular law unless those laws were in accordance with God's laws.

The relationship between the Witnesses and the civil authorities deteriorated further as a result. This downgraded democratic elections as a way of choosing local elders, and brought in a highly centralised structure, obedience to which was considered obedience to God. Rutherford focussed the movement on missionary work, and soon every member who wanted to keep their status had to take part in visiting non-members to try and convert them.

In , to reflect its greater emphasis on the public witness of missionary work, the movement adopted the title "Jehovah's Witnesses". The Nazis were very hostile to the Witnesses, and punished them under conscription and other laws. The Witnesses, who had initially tried to reach an accommodation with the German Government to keep the freedom to do their missionary work, were intransigent. They refused to give the Nazi salute, and refused to salute the swastika regarding that as idolatry.

Overall, one in four German Witnesses died during the Nazi period. In America they refused at that time to accept any alternatives on the grounds that enforced civilian work was also conscription. Witnesses suffered badly for taking this stand. Some were beaten up, others tarred and feathered, while yet others lost their jobs.

Knorr was an organisation man, a natural backroom boy who worked hard to make the movement a more efficient missionary machine. The movement grew greatly in numbers during his leadership.

Knorr strengthened the educational work of the Witnesses by setting up the Theocratic Ministry School in each congregation and introducing a range of textbooks and educational products to help members carry out doorstep ministry more effectively. Institutes on Religious Pluralism. Interreligious Dialogue Study at Temple University. Dialogue Institute Network. Dialogue Resources. What Is Dialogue? Dialogue Principles. Online Dialogue Course. Books by Leonard Swidler.

Journal of Ecumenical Studies. Back Issues. World Ethos Overview. Related Documents. Barbour, a well-known Adventist preacher Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence , recurring monthly magazine that still is published today under the title The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom and its companion magazine Awake! The Time is at Hand, dealt with convictions that Armageddon would occur no later than Though it did not occur, it coincided with the start of World War I.

Now that this generation has almost entirely died out they had to change their doctrine. To accomplish this they follow several steps. First they try to get a copy of one of their magazines into the hands of a prospective convert. This can be kept up indefinitely. At some point the missionaries invite the prospect to a Bible study. This is not the usual sort of Bible study, where passages are examined in light of context, original word meaning, relevance to other verses in Scripture, etc.

Simple questions are presented in the literature which are derived directly from the text. The answers, therefore, are readily discernible, making the prospective convert feel spiritually astute. The prospective convert gets still more of this if he proceeds to the next step, which consists of going to meetings on Wednesday or Thursday nights. Every month each Kingdom Hall mails to the headquarters in Brooklyn a detailed log of activities. That involves baptism by immersion and agreeing to work actively as a missionary Witnesses will typically spend hours each month in their evangelizing work.

Although not every Witness can put in so many hours, every Witness is expected to do what he can by way of missionary work. There is no separate, ordained ministry. Their sect operates no hospitals, orphanages, schools, colleges, or social welfare agencies. A disfellowshipped Witness may attend a Kingdom Hall, but he is not allowed to speak to anyone, and no one may speak to him.

This applies even to his family, who may only communicate with him as much as absolutely necessary. They recognize the legitimacy of no governmental authority, since they believe all earthly authority is of Satan. They will not serve in the military, salute the flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance, vote, run for office, or serve as officials of labor unions.

No matter how peculiar their doctrines, they deserve to be complimented on their single-minded zeal. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10,