Jehovah's Witnesses have faced persecution and even death for their curious beliefs. The religion has undergone changes since the late 19th century when it was founded, and it has attracted millions of Christians from various denominations around the world.
These six events show some of the problems Jehovah's Witnesses have endured along with their triumphs.
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1. Joseph R. Rutherford succeeded Jehovah’s Witness founder Charles Taze Russell, who started the religion in 1879 and later died in 1916. Russell had predicted the return of Jesus in 1914. Rutherford, on the other hand, predicted that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would return to earth in 1925. He bought a mansion in San Diego, California to house them. He died in 1942.
2. Nathan Homer Knorr succeeded Rutherford. Instead of using Rutherford's idea of using portable phonographs for door-to-door techniques to attract converts, he trained followers to use personal testimonials. These missionaries attended courses to learn the new techniques, which led to today's practice which includes leaving pamphlets for those interested.
3. The unconventional beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses caused suspicion and even confrontation with traditional Christians. They often faced difficulties practicing their faith. From the late 1930s to the 1950s, Jehovah's Witnesses won nearly 40 court cases in the U.S. that allowed them to practice their right to
religious freedom. Most of the cases reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.
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4. The strong religious convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses have allowed them to become conscientious objectors during wartime in the U.S. But they suffered persecution and death in Germany when they refused to serve Hitler in World War II. More than 13,000 Witnesses were sent to Nazi concentration camps and nearly 2,000 were executed.
5. The Witnesses' "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures" was published in 1961. Knorr had organized a committee to produce this version of the Bible so it would match the beliefs Witnesses had been advocating. For example, since Jehovah's Witnesses denied God was part of a Christian Holy Trinity which included Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the new translation referred to "the Word was a god" in John 1:1 instead of "the Word was God," as told in traditional Christian Bibles.
6. Literature from the Jehovah's Witnesses had predicted for years the end of the world and Armageddon in 1975. Frederick Franz, who succeeded Knorr in 1977, had to reconsider prophetic calculations which included the end would be 6,000 years after Eve was created to join Adam. Franz explained that no one actually knew when Eve came along, so it could be a matter of years before
Armageddon occurred.
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