About Jehovah's Witnesses (WTS)

"The worldwide [Jehovah's Witnesses] organization is directed by an unpaid governing body serving at the international offices in Brooklyn, New York. It uses the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania....to publish literature, supervise global evangelizing, and organize conventions and schools for the ministry of Jehovah's Witnesses." ₁

This essay is one of many dozens of essays on Christian denominations. It is published by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance which is not related to either the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society or the Jehovah's Witnesses.

We receive an enormous number of complaint Emails critical of our description of the Jehovah's Witnesses as a Christian denomination. Many Christians have a much more restrictive definition of the term "Christian" than we do. Before sending us a complaint Email, please read our essay on the diversity of definitions of the term "Christianity"  Also please note that we do not respond to abusive or obscene Emails which unfortunately form the majority of Emails on this topic.

Topics covered in this essay:

	Introduction: Overview, History, Religious Texts, Organizational structure
	Major beliefs Predictions of the end of the world as we know it Homosexuality Same-sex marriage
	Major practices
	Medical teachings: Past opposition to vaccinations Blood transfusion and related procedures
	Conflicts: Opposition to the Witnesses; copyright; persecution in France; NGO status at the UN Persecution in Nazi Germany Oppression during 1998 to now in Russia Ban on activity in Moscow, Russia during 2004
	Child sexual abuse: Church policies and examples of abuse Reactions by church leaders, members, an advocacy group, etc.
	Witnesses' resources on the Internet

Reference used:

1. "Who are Jehovah's Witnesses," Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses, at: http://www.jw-media.org/

Publications of the WWTS & splinter groups:

PDF files of books, pamphlets and other publications related to the Jehovah's Witnesses and covering the interval 1872 to 1959 have been placed online at the "Theocratic Library." See: http://205.134.162.24/

Copyright © 1996 to 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written on: 1996-SEP-29
Last updated on: 2008-SEP-08
Author: B.A. Robinson

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