Salvation

• Jehovah's Witnesses: Faith in Jesus Christ, obey Jehovah’s commands, join the JW organization, and do good works by active participation in their ministry such as going door-to-door or passing out literature.

• Christians: Faith in Jesus Christ alone, with good works as a result of that faith.

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Authority

• Jehovah's Witnesses: The Bible, but the JW's own modified version of it called the New World Translation. The Governing Body of men in the New York headquarters. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.

• Christians: The Bible.

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Founder - Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916)

• He disagreed with traditional Christian doctrine since he didn't believe in hell or the immortality of the soul. He started this offshoot of Christianity in the 1870's as he claimed to be a better interpreter of the Bible even though he didn't know Greek, the language of the New Testament. 

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JW beliefs that differ from Protestants

• Reject the Trinity and do NOT believe God is one being who exists in three co-equal persons: Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.

• Jesus is a created being and is the firstborn heavenly son that God later transferred to the womb of a Jewish virgin named Mary.

• Jesus was originally Michael the Archangel in heaven, then became Jesus on earth, then resumed his role as Michael the Archangel in heaven after his resurrection.

• Jesus is a lesser God, but not Almighty God.

• Reject the deity of Jesus by saying he was “a” God, not the “one true” God.

• Jesus died on an upright stake, not a cross. They view the cross as a pagan symbol. Note: They printed a cross symbol on their Watchtower magazine up until 1936 when they removed it.

• Jesus was resurrected only with a spirit body, not a physical body.

• Holy Spirit is NOT the third person in the Trinity, but is an “active force.”

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Resurrection to heaven - a second chance

• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Billions of the “unrighteous” dead who did not have the chance to know Jehovah will be resurrected in the future and have the opportunity in the afterlife to know him and serve him. However, only Jehovah will determine who gets a second chance.

• Christians: After death, there is no second chance to go to heaven.

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Dual Heavens - 144,000 in heaven, all others on paradise earth

• Jehovah’s Witnesses: Only 144,000 who are in the “anointed class” go to heaven in spirit form to rule with Jesus. All heavenly spots were supposedly filled by about 1935. Later, the 1935 date was extended to the present day. Heaven, for the rest of the JW faithful, is to live on a new paradise earth with a physical body.

• Christians: All those who believe in Christ go to the same heaven and there is no limit.

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Hell - no eternal torment

• Jehovah's Witnesses: There’s no eternal torment in a literal hell because those who reject Jehovah will be annihilated (cease to exist).

• Christians: Those who reject Christ will spend eternity in the final hell called the “Lake of Fire” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever.”

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False Prophesies - failed predictions

• 1914 – Second Coming of Christ. They predicted Christ would return physically to earth in October 1914. This date would be the end of the Great Tribulation; the end of Armageddon; followers would be raised to heaven; and Christ would establish his peaceful, 1,000 year millennial reign on earth. In reality, World War I began in 1914. Later, with hindsight, they explained their error and said 1914 did not mark Jesus' "literal" return, but his "invisible" presence.

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• 1925 – Coming of Saints to Earth. They predicted the return of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in 1925 to reign on earth as physical beings. It didn’t happen.

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• 1975 – End of the World. They predicted back in 1966 that the world as we know it would end after the battle of Armageddon in 1975. Then, Jesus will reign from heaven for 1,000 years over a restored paradise on earth. Based on this prediction, people sold houses and businesses, stopped getting married, etc. When the prediction failed, it's estimated that over a million people left the faith. They no longer set dates for the end of the world.​

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Jehovah’s Witnesses Practices

• They do not celebrate Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays and other holidays because they have pagan roots.

• They don’t believe in going to war, military service or saluting a country's flag.

• They don’t accept blood transfusions.

• They don’t vote or get involved in political matters.

• The place they worship is called a Kingdom Hall, not a church.

• They do not pay most of their local leaders or clergy.

• They are not required to tithe, but donation boxes are available.

• They are known for their door-to-door ministry.

• If you leave the religion, you will be "shunned" (members won't talk to you).

• They consider themselves Christians, but not Protestants.