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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.
fundamentalists (including those that influenced the baptist movement)
I don’t think that had to do with the restoration movements. I think it was a reaction to neo-orthodox theologians like Karl Barth and other due to questions about the inerrancy of scripture.
I believe there are some offshoots with different names like Millennial Dawnists and such. They often advertise their bible study courses in newspapers and magazines.
Psalm 144 wrote:
“No. They are Arians.”
Succinct, to the point, true. They hold almost exactly the same false doctrine as those at whom the Nicene and, later, the Athanasian Creeds were aimed. Good job.
Yes, I am familiar with "The Fundamentals". The theology put forth in it would be accepted by just about anyone who would call themselves an "evangelical" today. The two are synonymous yet you often see them referred to as separate theologies with the fundamentlist being painted as a snake handling, poison drinking cretin with only 3 teeth.
They most certainly are NOT Protestants....and neither are the Mormons.
You had might as well include Scientology as Protestant.
They are NOT Protestants. They don’t even believe in the Trinity.
The 19th Century American-based religions (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Scientists, etc.) are not theologically Protestant or orthodox Christian. However, the style of their worship, their rejection of any and all post-Apostolic practices, and their focus (LDS and JW, not Christian Science) on personal conversion are rooted in the evangelical, camp meeting Protestantism of that century. To an uninformed Catholic or Jew, members of these groups would seem to be a Protestant cult.
LOL! Now there’s a solution to that persistent JW problem...
Answer: No. They do not believe that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. Jesus' resurrection was physical. Consequently, they do not believe the gospel of Christ. They believe in works righteousness (not justification by faith without works--Romans 3:28). And this invariably leads to believing that they can "lose their salvation".
A lot of Protestants aren't Christians because they share many of the same beliefs. They have not believed God. They have called him a liar (1 John 5:10). They're still trusting in their own righteousness to be saved (or remain saved), rather than on the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)
When one believes, he has everlasting life at that very moment and is alive again (born again -- John 3:3). He is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). And that new creature cannot sin (1 John 3:9) and will NEVER die (John 5:24, John 11:25,26).
Jesus Christ has saved us from the lake of fire and has given us his righteousness, an unfathomable gift.
How many denominations do you know of that actually ask their members to get off their backsides and get out to preach the word?Are you suggesting that JW's do that? If you mean what sects and cults proselytize regularly and often, well, in my neck of the woods the Mormon's do, the JW's do. In Southern Cal the L Ron Hubbard types they do. In most prisons, the Black Muslims do.
Are they preaching "The Word"? You tell us what you think?
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The JWs are not protestant. To be protestant, the church has to have been part of the “protest”. The protestant churches are those that were part of the reformation: The Lutheran, The Reformed, and Anglican for a period of time. There were some Baptists that were reformation, but many weren’t.
The Methodists were after the reformation, and while they bought some of the doctrine of the reformation, they did not take all of it.
Essentially, any denomination that came after the Methodist movement is not a reformation church, and therefore is not a “protestant” church.
The correct question to ask about the Jehovah’s Witnesses is whether or not they are a Christian Church, since they’ve added quite a bit from their own prophet.
Funny, but based on all the post-sunday church attitudes of so called Christians of predominately Baptist and Catholics that I've had the misfortune to have to endure, I'd say the JW's are no more a cult than they are......
I would treat them with respect, as its been shown they are survivors.
And if given a choice I would rather have them as neighbors than Moslems every day of the week.
I’m not “suggesting”...I’m saying.
From the official JW site Watchtower.org:
“The best-known way they use to find those who are distressed by present conditions is by going from house to house. Thus they make a positive effort to reach the public, just as Jesus did when “he went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God.” His early disciples did likewise. (Luke 8:1; 9:1-6; 10:1-9)”
I think this is a silly argument. The Communist partisans also bravely fought the Nazis. Is that now our standard of theological truth - if so, then militant, class warfare atheism is awfully Christian.
The JW religion is NOT a Protestant belief system. It is much older than that - it is a recapitulation of a 1st century heresy. The church stood firm against its denial of the divinity of Christ back then, and we must do the same today.
They claim they are not Protestants but they take aim solely at the Catholic Church in nearly every issue of their WatchTower magazine, but without naming the Catholic Church most times. Protestant they are!
That’s what I figured. Another JW cultist.
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