Posted on 12/02/2011 9:56:33 AM PST by Cronos
they differ from Protestant religions in many significant ways. In fact, The Encyclopedia of Religion refers to Jehovah’s Witnesses as being “distinctive.” Consider three ways in which they are different.
First, although Protestant faiths reject certain features of Catholic worship, Reformation leaders retained certain Catholic dogmas, such as belief in the Trinity, hellfire, and the immortality of the human soul. Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, believe that those doctrines not only contradict the Bible but also promote a distorted view of God.—See Exposed: Six Myths About Christianity.
Second, the religion that Jehovah’s Witnesses advocate is, not one of negative protest, but one of positive instruction. They take seriously the Bible’s counsel: “A servant of the Lord is not to engage in quarrels, but has to be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. He has to be gentle when he corrects people who dispute what he says.” (2 Timothy 2:24, 25, The Jerusalem Bible) Jehovah’s Witnesses do point out contradictions between what the Bible says and what many religious groups teach. Yet, their goal in doing so is not to reform other religious organizations. Rather, their goal is to help sincere individuals to gain accurate knowledge of God and of his Word, the Bible. (Colossians 1:9, 10) When people of other persuasions insistently disagree with them, Jehovah’s Witnesses avoid engaging in fruitless debates.—2 Timothy 2:23.
Third, unlike the Protestant movement, which has splintered into hundreds of denominations, Jehovah’s Witnesses have maintained a united global brotherhood. When it comes to Bible doctrine, Jehovah’s Witnesses in over 230 countries follow the apostle Paul’s counsel to “speak in agreement.” There are no divisions among them. Instead, they are genuinely “united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) They strive within their own ranks “to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace.”—Ephesians 4:3.
Of course they’re protest-ants!
I mean, everyone I have ever known protests loudly as all get-out whenever a JW knocks at the door with a Watchtower. :-)
What is a "fundamentalist"? I see the term tossed around all the time with no attempt to objectively define it. Generally, it's just used by the secular world as a pejorative epitaph. If it just means someone who believes in the fundamentals of Christianity, then who would ever deny being a fundamentalist?
If you lack the knowledge of the Godhead and who Jesus is it is difficult to say you are a protestant. I is also difficult to be anything else but a cult.
No. They are Arians.
If you define anything other than “Catholic” as Protestant, then I guess they are. However JWs see themselves as separate from any part of what they label as “Christendom.”
My sister is a JW and would rile at being called a Protestant. I also think that over time definitions can change to mean something different than originally intended. I see Protestants as a group of Christians other than Chatolic who embrace a similar Theology regarding the nature of God, scripture, etc. Since JWs do not define God or Christ in the same way and have rewritten the Bible to suit their beliefs, I would not consider them a part of mainstream Protestant Christianity.
funny — have you read the one of where the Jehovah’s witness folks knock on the door of a Mormon?
cultic JWs
cultic mormonism
>> have you read the one of where the Jehovah’s witness folks knock on the door of a Mormon?
No! That sounds like a joke — what’s the punch line?
“Third, unlike the Protestant movement, which has splintered into hundreds of denominations, Jehovah’s Witnesses have maintained a united global brotherhood. “
This is not true, even JWs habe their splinter groups.
LOL! I remember reading a book where a JW knocked on a New Yorker’s door in the 1960s and said,”God has a message for you,” and her mother said, “Tell him to send it by Western Union.”
I don’t think they are true Protestants, but as you say, they came out of that weird 19th century period where there was a surge in strange spiritualist cults coming out of areas in the “Burnt-Over District” (Upstate New York, source of Mormonism) and others where there had been heavy Protestant camp-meeting style revivalism and not a very effective institutional Protestant presence.
That is, the mainline churches were perceived as being upper-class, and the camp-meeting folk were not, but because there was no continuing church presence, they were up for grabs by whoever was the next charismatic speaker. Spiritualism was the 19th century equivalent of New Age; think of all the many 20th and 21st century cults that have been based on a combination of New Age and some vague remnant of Christianity or Judaism, and you’ll get a realistic view of the source of the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, etc.
No, they are a CULT!
Pseudo-Christian. They are doctrinally outside the pale of Christian orthodoxy.
Cult. They are clueless about the blood atonement of Christ and in fact deny Jesus is God Himself. They are liars.
Ha, one of my Uncles was butchering a deer in his garage one day long ago when a couple of them came to visit. He emerged fairly well covered in blood, knife in hand and asked “Can I help you?”. Never heard from them again.
Compare that to the millions of "German Christians" - Protestants who found they could easily reconcile putting the swastika up next to the cross.
The Anglican Church is a good example of what you describe. If CS Lewis would see them now, he’d be rolling in his grave.
A Fundamentalist, as I see it, is one who adheres to the theology set forth in a series of books entitled The Fundamentals: A testimony to the Truth (Reuben Torrey and A. C. Dixon, eds., Los Angeles: Bible Institute, 1917). I don't normally give references to "wiki"-type resources, but Theopedia has a pretty good summary of the series, available here
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