Religion

History

Jehovah Witnesses have grown to several million compared to fifty years ago of

less than 100,000. The religion of Jehovah Witnesses has Kingdom Halls not churches. Charles Taze Russell started the sect of Jehovah Witnesses by being raised as Congregationalist he then tried to covert atheist to Christianity, but then was converted himself and became interested in the Bible (Brom, 2004).

William Miller was a preacher who predicted the world to end two different times in 1843 and 1844. When these two predictions failed many were upset and removed themselves from the Adventist movement. Ellen G. White then led a remnant that became the Seventh - day Adventist church. Russell then became pastor and in 1879 he started the Watch Tower and moved his headquarters to Brooklyn where it stands as of today (Brom, 2004).

Russell taught his followers that hell was not real; the Trinity was non-existence, Jehovah, the father is God, the Holy Spirit was not a person, but a force, the return of Jesus would be in 1914, and the mortality of the soul. When no one saw Jesus in 1914 Russell then modified his teachings by stating that Jesus did return and was invisible. A final conflict between God and the Devil would make God the Victor and this battle between the two would be known as Armageddon. This doctrine is taught in all Witnesses centers (Brom, 2004).

In 1916 when Russell died Joseph F. Rutherford took over the Watch Tower where he told his followers that those who were still alive in 1914 would be alive when Armageddon came (Brom, 2004).

Rutherford then built and lived in a mansion named Beth Sarim in San Diego, California. Rutherford stated that the prophets, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would come back to Earth one day. In 1942 Rutherford died and the Watch Tower Society sold the mansion in a closed quiet sale to try and cover up what they felt was a very embarrassing moment of another failed prophecy in their history (Brom, 2004).

Nathan Homer Knorr then...