Who are the Jehovah's Witnesses and why are they resented by
mainstream Christians? Reg Ponniah of NZPA reports on the
movement in New Zealand.
Jehovah's Witnesses known for their door-to-door thumping
evangelism - chances are you might have had a visit from them
on Christmas Day.
Jehovah's Witnesses have long been a tightly knit and
secretive movement and have been accused of unorthodox
teachings, which have often angered mainstream Christians.
They believe their faith teaches the only true interpretation
of the Bible, that Jesus is not God and the world will end
soon.
The most controversial of their beliefs is their refusal to
allow followers blood transfusions even when patients' lives
are at stake, claiming God forbids it.
National convenor John Wills said they believed blood was
sacred and was to be used in the way that God intended.
"The Christian congregation was required to avoid the taking
in of blood even to eat it, drink it or when transfusion was
involved, so we hold it sacred and treat it that way," Mr
Wills told NZPA.
The Witnesses have been rejecting transfusions of whole blood
since 1945. Blood products like red cells, white cells,
platelets and plasma have also been forbidden.
However, the United States and Canadian courts have ruled
against the Witnesses in cases involving life-threatening
situations.
Last year, a judge in Vancouver ruled against a Jehovah's
Witnesses couple who opposed blood transfusions for their
premature sextuplets, saying children's rights overruled
their parents' beliefs when lives were in danger.
In London in November 2007, a young mother died after giving
birth to twins because her faith prevented her from accepting
a blood transfusion.
Mr Wills said many doctors now acknowledged the dangers of
blood transfusions, and more bloodless surgery was being
done.
The movement accepted non-blood alternatives, and advances in
bloodless surgery in the US had also reduced medical dangers
for Witnesses.
Mr Wills said NZ Witnesses refused blood transfusions quite
frequently.
"We have a support system in hospital liaison committees
throughout NZ who act on behalf of the patient when a
difficult situation arises." How different are the Witnesses
from mainstream Christians? Their central belief was that
"Earth is man's home", Mr Wills said.
"We put a lot of emphasis on the prospect of seeing a new
administration under God's government, under God's kingdom
which probably is different from the Heaven or Hell
alternative generated by Christian churches." Witnesses also
believe the world is going to end soon.
"We don't mean the planet Earth, we mean human rule being
replaced by God's rule and God's power and kingdom." And they
reject the belief that Jesus is God.
"We do not feel that the Bible has support for the Trinity
that Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit makes up the third
one." However, Witnesses accept Jesus as God's son which "is
clearly stated in the scripture".
They do not believe in a church or its hierarchy.
So, what's with the door knocking exercise to "spread the
word"? Mr Wills said the Bible provided "the premise for our
preaching work".
"We go out to the people rather than bring them in and by
ringing the bell...we get to people on a one-to-one basis and
quite often people prefer that informal way." He accepted the
door-to-door preaching could annoy ordinary people.
"Most people are not happy with being interrupted in what
they are doing and emotions range from keen interest,
tolerance, disinterest or suspicion." In 2006, a British
woman was ordered by police to take down a sign on her garden
gate which read "Our dogs are fed on Jehovah's Witnesses".
The woman, who insisted the sign was a gentle joke, said her
late husband put the sign up more than 30 years earlier, when
Witnesses called on Christmas Day.
Mr Wills said the movement did not celebrate Christmas
because it did not believe Jesus was born on that day.
"There was no record of Jesus' birthdate in the Bible.
"We do commemorate his death at Easter time and we have a
specific date according to the Jewish calendar."
Convinced that Satan rules the world, they do not vote, hold
public office, serve in the military or salute national
flags.
National holiday celebrations promoted nationalism and would
affect the worldwide unity of Jehovah's Witnesses, Mr Wills
said.
"We remain neutral so that in all countries we maintain the
same beliefs."
Voting was, however, a personal decision.
"Each individual must decide as we cannot. And we do not tell
anyone not to serve in the military."
Although the movement discouraged drinking, dancing, smoking
and card playing, they were not forbidden.
Mr Wills said mainstream Christians criticised Witnesses
because "we challenge their doctrinal beliefs, and our zeal
could be upsetting to some".
A US study on Christian faiths indicated that among
Christians losing their faith, the biggest fall-out rate was
among Jehovah's Witnesses. About two-thirds of those raised
in the faith left when they reached adulthood.
In New Zealand, the movement began in 1903 with just two
individuals and now has 13,000 active Witnesses who form part
of the world's 113 branches.
According to Statistics Department census figures, there were
17,826 Witnesses in 2001 and 17,910 in 2006.
A committee looked after the affairs of each branch and
meetings were held in about 100 "Kingdom Halls", Mr Wills
said.
The Witnesses have had their share of problems.
Nazis persecuted and outlawed them in 1936.
They were declared illegal during 1940 in New Zealand and
Australia. The NZ attorney-general said at the time that they
were devoting themselves to "vilification of religion, of
their fellow-citizens, of the state, and of the Government".
In 2006, the Uzbekistan government outlawed the Witnesses,
accusing them of "aggressive" missionary activity and other
violations.
