This is the official Web site of Jehovah's Witnesses. You will find it very informative. http://www.watchtower.org/

Thank you for asking. We can go into some detail here, which has been done before. Perryman referred you to the official website of JW's which is excellent advice. To get the answers you really want, being able to dig deeper, there is one thing to do. Ask JW's locally to study the Bible with you using the study guide "What Does the Bible Really Teach?" along with your Bible. You will find these sessions interesting and helpful. They are totally free of charge and at a time and place suitable for you. Each little meeting can be as short as a few minutes and deal with one question. You are welcome to have present anyone you like. Usually, only one or two Witnesses will come. They are qualified to give you satisfying and authoritative answers. I learned the Bible by this method many years ago and have since conducted countless studies of the sort with others. While we refer to certain publications, the Bible is always the main textbook. You are welcome to challenge those visiting you to prove any statement from the Scriptures. No question is out of bounds. If it is important (as opposed to simply intriguing), the Bible has the answer. What you will find after a while is, simply put, if the Bible teaches it, we believe it. You've done well to ask this question. This is my best advice. Hope it helps. Happy hunting.

One thing I dont get... A jehovahs witness once told me they believed that the earth is only 10,000 years old. How is that possible? Thats an awful big jump from what scientists have proved, which would set the earth at some odd billions of years old.

first off here again perryman tries to distort absolute fact. NOONE needs to be a member of the UN be it NGO or otherwise to access the library. I can access the library. And I personally spoke to the NGO representative at the UN. She made it extremely clear that at no time would the JW's have been forced to do something like become an NGO just to access the library, since noone has to do anything like that. And even if it was a one time misunderstanding, renewing your membership would require accepting the terms and conditions set out in the NGO contract. Naturally here again, as a witness would never accept that they have been lied to...we are left with the fact that any rank and file witness will believe what the organization says without question. Same as with all those poor children who got raped and were then disfellowshipped for going to the authorities. Once the organization comes out with some lame excuse making themselves out to be the victims,all witnesses will believe it. Even after it was exposed that these innocent children were disfellowshipped for nothing more than going to authorities over being raped, fellow brothers and sisters shunned these children. Going to the authorities for being raped is not listed in the bible as a disfellowshipping offense. I also seriously doubt that Jehovah God would have chosen a man, Charles Taze Russell, who was into occult practices and pyramidology to lead his pure and true form of worship. I'm sure there were others who weren't into satanic practices that had good hearts that God would have chosen. Deuteronomy chapter 18 tells us how we would know when someone speaks in Jehovah's name how we could tell if it was really from Jehovah. Take a long serious look at the historical merry go round that is the doctrinal flip flopping of Jehovah's witnesses. Jehovah changed some teaching because of new light, then changed it back to it's original teaching? How is that possible? It couldn't have come from Jehovah. Jehovah's spokesmen in the bible did not make mistakes when speaking on behalf of Jehovah. So why then the erroneous teachings of JW's and failed predictions should be taken as from God, I'll never know. It's not the individual witness that is the perpetrator, they are the victims. Mind control is so powerful. The very people they label as apostates are the very people that love them enough to speak out and try to rescue the individual witness. It is a thankless job for the most part. The very people you are trying to save, hate you for caring enough to speak out on their behald. The average witness has no clue why their fellow's are disfellowshipped or labeled apostate. They just accept. Like good little robots they accept without question. This is how the society is so effective at getting away with so many things. Those who come forward with the truth behind the scenes about their corrupted leadership are immediately expelled and not allowed to spread the truth any further. It is a totalitarian complete control leadership that accepts no criticism against itself. No open minded discussion. No fact finding. No independent research. No independent thought. No free will. Just absolute and total power. And they have it. Farrell Till has for years dared any witness leader to prove any bible prophecy to be true. He has left an open ended challenge out there. He has offered to expose the witness religion for thier lies if only they will accept his challenge. They don't anymore. In the early days they did accept public debate. But that didn't work so well as they ended up looking bad so they stopped it. JW's organization has become everything it was started to oppose. Religion is a snare and a racket was their motto. Russell encouraged free thinking. He stood firm that it was not necessary to accept all the teachings and ideas put forth in the watchtower to gain salvation. He stressed never giving up your god given right of free will. He condemned all the religions of the world for being organized and totalitarian in their authority. Now look. Also by the way there is a picture in the Watchtower magazine of Charles Taze Russell's gravesite. It is a complete fraud. I've seen his grave site in person. It is a pyramid, which is consistent with his being a free mason and pryamidologist.

By the way I do know that Perryman. I also know the minimum requirements needed to join the UN as an NGO. I had the lady at the UN send me a sample NGO contract so I could review it. She said for a long time these phone calls poured in from all over the world and she was overwhelmed. She said that despite what the witnesses choose to tell their followers she knows more than they do because it's what she does for a living. So if you as a member CHOOSE to accept what the society tells you was their reason for joining, then allow yourself to believe it. It's not true. It doesn't fit the facts and it's completely illogical. I can't sign the society up for an NGO relationship with the UN. And why not? I"m not a legal representative for the society. So someone with legal authority to sign as a representative of the society gave their signatures on an NGO CONTRACT!!! CONTRACT!!! CONTRACT!!! Not a library card..call it what is...a CONTRACT!!! No legal representative of a major worldwide organization would just arbitrarily sign his legal signature to a CONRTRACT without reading it. Nowhere would it state in an NGO contract that only by signing this contract would the society be able to use the library. Even so. Leaders and those in positions of responsibity bear greater weight with Jehovah. They are more accountable. So if rank and file witnesses are given Judicial committee hearings for things much less serious, then why wasn't there any judicial proceedings for the governing body? why haven't they confessed what they did and repented? Surely Mosess made a mistake when he smashed the tablets on Mt. Sinai, but he was held accountable for it. No matter what the excuse given, the fact is that by joining and MAINTAINING a secret membership with the UN, they are to be held accountable for that action. Why aren't they still members if it was ok? Why not renew their membership again? Why stop doing something if it wasn't wrong to begin with? I'm sure your just a puppet at Bethel giving your programmed responses but your accountable too. Just accepting everything without using logic makes you accountable. Think think think. you can do it perryman. Something is wrong with the big picture. Why didn't you address the child molestaion disfellowshippings? You only addressed the UN issue because that's a standard answer script that you were given. You were supplied with the answer without any facts. You can't tell me that you personally were there at the UN when this all occurred. You didn't hear the conversation. You haven't read the NGO contract that was signed by the society and you therefore are not a valid witness to the facts that you present as fact. You don't really know what your talking about. I've called Bethel directly several times and gotten the same old song and dance that your trying to sell now. But if the society really had nothing to hide they would print the copy of the NGO conract that they signed initially in the watchtower magazine for all to see and then repent and apologize. Why don't they? I'll tell ya why. Same reason they don't like rank and file witnesses to do any independent bible research. Or go to college. Or talk to x witnesses. Or research opinions and viewpoints that differ from their own. They know the truth would destroy them. They can't risk that. I say "Shout it from the rooftops if your not hiding anything". I would and you would too. But they don't have to. Because the good little robots never question their programmers.

Perryman, the issue here is not about being a member nation or an NGO ...the literature says very clearly that anyone TOUCHING the unclean thing would be detestable to JEhovah. It also clearly says that to even support the ideas or notions of the U.N. would be equivelant to touching it. There are 4000 references to the U.N. in the literature. None are good. Your splitting hairs. Member nation or NGO...Who cares?? Entering into a contractual relationship with the U.N. requiring attending meetings in support of the U.N. etc. is inexcuseable for an organization that claims such hatred and reproach for the unlean image of the wild beast. It was done secretly and maintained secretly. No admission has been made yet to date still. I was like you once. I just believed as I was told. I defended it blindly. Without really knowing the facts. You don't know what your talking about. You weren't there. You haven't spoken to a UN representative regarding UN policies towards NGO's have you? You say so what if you spoke to someone at the UN what does that prove?? It proves a lot. If you want to find out about a company policy, you request the company manual with their policies in it. If you want to know about the UN policy towards NGO's you ask for a copy of the UN policy with regards to NGO's. Have u done that? Or are you just repeating answers that you were spoon fed? And I remember just like you that when I was forced with the truth in my face I would get angry and resort to name calling just like you did calling me a very disturbed individual. How do you know if I'm very disturbed?? What a rude thing to say. I didn't combat you personally because your a victim here too. Jesus NEVER EVER resorted to name calling when he was confronted with questions. He calmly and respectfully answered them with absolute FACTS. Facts that he could prove. Not heresay. Not second or third or 4th hand information. It is not wrong to question things. It is in fact a scriptural obligation. You can't "put all things to the test" if you never question them or test them out. BLindly accepting something as truth without testing it out...is a direct disobeyment of scripture. You have no problem posting your comments and your second hand information on this website. If you have the truth you wouldn't need to get angry. You would have a solid SOLID scriptural and factual answer. You don't because you werent' there and your information is not based on any fact whatsoever. It is based on your believing everything your told by ur leaders. You can be free too. The truth will set you free. FREEEE! Think about that. Are you free?

The JW's are one of Christianity’s many breakaway groups based on differences on doctrinal issues. They came about in the late nineteeth and early twentieth century after their studies of the Bible led them to a different set of beliefs from all the other groups. You can explore their official website, as one of the answers suggests. But, seeing that you're after details, which may mean you have specific questions, it may be better to explore in one to one or face to face discussion as suggested by another answer. I've done just that, with the aim of comparing their beliefs with those of Islam, and can say from my experience, that you might need a lot of time and patience. The JW will often see the discussions as Bible study sessions where a lot of time is spent going through Bible passages they’ve selected. Anyway, here are just a few points I gathered from my discussions (I do not belong to the JW group so it would not be fair for anyone to take these points as the JW positions without first confirming with the JW) 1 They reject the notion of trinity as it's not in the Bible 2 They reject the idea of Jesus being the God, again because Jesus never said so in the Bible. 3 However, they believe that Jesus is the mighty God, based on Isaiah 9:6. Asked whether this contradicted point 2 I was told no, because Jehovah is Almighty God. Jesus as the “everlasting Father” also didn’t contradict point 2 , I was told, because Jehovah is the heavenly Father. You now, of course, have two Gods and two Fathers 4 they believe that Jesus was the Archangel Michael. I couldn’t explore how the angel became God’s begotten son, or whether Michael continued or ceased to exist when the son became begotten 5 they believe that Jesus made the world and not God and that it was planned that way 6 they do not believe God needs a deterrent. So there’s no hell. If you’re evil you just don’t get resurrected. Paradise will be on planet earth for the righteous. The elect (144.000?) will govern from heaven with Jesus. 7 they believe in original sin for which Jesus paid the price, however it was NOT ON THE CROSS but on a stake (no cross piece) and they seem to have irrefutable evidence for that - Just imagine the billions of crosses and crucifixes in front of churches, inside them, on the windows, all those in personal jewellery items the crosses brought out on easter – all a big fraud! 8 (there’s more but didn’t want to go beyond 7, however can’t leave this out) they believe blood is personal and very sacred and mustn’t be spilt or even given in transfusion. Oh btw only points 1 and 2 are in agreement with Islam.

Actually new archaeological finds have given us proof that the cross was just that; a cross. They have uncovered lots of them that date back to the time of Christ. They now know that they nailed their feet through the heels to the sides of the cross. Their hands were spread out on a cross bar. The word used for cross or stake in the bible can be translated as a literal cross with a cross bar. Anyway I am not going to get into a deep discussion on this but you should do a little more research on this. The cross does have supposed pagan origins, but none the less the Romans were originally pagan. They did use crosses. It's amazing. I never knew which way to believe for sure on that issue either. These new finds have really nailed shut the issue on this one. Thanks for you post. Have you ever read jaamat website? It is an Islamic comparison with JW's. You should hear all sides of this argument. It's a lot of fun to learn.

Sure. Here is the official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses: http://www.watchtower.org/e/beliefs_and_activities.htm All of your questions can be answered there. I am sorry to see you harassed buy the bigots who post such ignorance and meanness on this Website. Perhaps the administrators will take some action?

Perryman offers an excellent link in his answer. To that I would only add that JWs view the bible as the final authority on all religious matters.

the best advice i can give you is to visit the website already mentioned to you, also, you can call your local kingdom hall and ask to speak to an experienced minister. one factor you will find out about the witnesses is how heavily we will rely on the bible for any question regarding doctrinal issues. unlike other religions christian or otherwise we will go to the bible for answers to lifes important matters. we do not rely, on traditions, our beliefs are all bible based. we happen to be the most unpopular religious group by far, we are maligned, and constantly slandered, we are hated worldwide. we are hated by all christian churches, and we are hated by the non-christian religions as well. many if not most religions take offense to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses believe we have the true religion. this is why a person is considered to be "in the truth," once this person has become a baptized witness. this concept of having the true religion is not of our made-up understanding. the bible inasmuch teaches this. we are not by far a breakaway religion, the true religion has existed for thousands of years. just as in the heavens the angels worship Jehovah God in one united way, there is no such thing as catholic angels, islamic angels, or otherwise. also, on earth it was God's purpose that true worshippers of the true God worship him unitedly, all believing the same thing. we are all of one mind.(1corinthians 1:10) jesus christ said that the true religion would be identified by the love shown to one another. Jehovah's witnesses have shown this kind of love world-wide. we refuse to go to war and kill our fellow brother in another country. what have the other so-called christian religions shown in times of armed conflict? the disciple james said that to prove our faith it must be backed up by proper works, other wise that faith we claim we have is dead. he goes to say that the demons say they believe in God, however, their belief is dead because they do not have the works to back up their so-called belief in God.(james 2:18-26)there are many many differences in our beliefs and those of the rest of the christian claiming religions. doesn't it stand to reason that the true religion would have to be totally different than the rest of world religions? not just the christian but also non-christian? we know that the rest of the world looks to us with intense hatred, this is not surprising to us since the apostle paul said that anyone wishing to live in Godly devotion would be persecuted.(2timothy 3:12)also, since the beginning of mankind in the garden of eden after adam and eve sinned the bible says that there would be two organizations at odds with one another. the seed of the serpeant and the seed of the woman. this seed of the serpeant made up of satan and his organization would hate the seed of the woman. genesis 3:15 says: "i shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed." this is why since then there has been open hostility and hatred of all of Jehovah God's serveants. borasalama, as to point #6 of your comment, you wrote that we do not believe in a hell. first of all let me say that any well informed witness will tell you the same as i am going to tell you. whoever you have been speaking to is most likely not a witness, or maybe this witness is no longer active. you might want to ask this person if he/she is attending the meetings and is an active publisher. if he looks as if he doesn't know what you are talking about then you will know. so to get back to the subject of hell. Jehovah's Witnesses do believe in the doctrine of hell. we just do not believe it is a literal place of torment or a place of eternal separation from God, as the rest of religion teaches. the hell of the bible is merely a final resting place for mankind.(eclesiastes 9:5,10) that there could be such a place of torment for sinners is contradictory of Jehovah's sense of justice. do you not know God as being all merciful? true that at times he will punish an unrepentent sinner, such as when the global flood occurred. however, those that were destroyed at the flood are not in a place of torment until this day. they simply ceased to exist, and are suffering "eternal punsihment" in the sense that they will never again come into existence. as a matter of fact those that receive such a death are not even in hell. according to the bible these receive the "second death", meaning they died without the possibility of ever coming back to life.(revelation 20:14) i addressed only one of the points you made. if you like i can further respond to others, or again go to our website www.watchtower.org, or call your local kingdom hall. may i say that i always enjoy speaking to someone of your faith. i find you refreshingly interested in spiritual matters as opposed to those that say they are christian and never read the bible, yet think they know alot, and are qualified to give an answer to biblical questions. i do hope you thought about the rest of my comments. shalom to you as jesus would have said. borasalama, what mercy is showered on the criminal? the criminal that commits a crime any crime, sooner or later will pay. or do you know criminals that are 200 hundred years old? no they died long before even turning 100. they paid with their life. maybe they got away with whatever they did for a time, as for example the nazis that were responsable for so many crimes, but, where are they now? they have all paid the ultimate price. so whether you wish to believe what the bible says or not this is your right. but i do not appreciate you comparing me or my beliefs to what an atheist believes. do you even know what an atheist is? it sounds as though don't. please don't pretend to know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, as i do not try to explain your beliefs since i am not of the islam religion. i would never respond to questions about your religion, since i am not muslim. i will tell you this. i have a brotherhood in muslim countries and for this Witnesses do not participate in taking up arms. how can any religion that think they have the true religion go and kill their fellow believer? this is hypocrisy, and it is condemned. the true religion does not practice any kind of killing. you and the rest of religion cannot claim the same. your religion as well as other religions so-called christian and non-christian have a long history of violence. research the history of the Jehovah's Witnesses to see what our reputation is in this regards. what is oh so sad is that these killings have been done in the name of allah, or God. let me make this clear Jehovah's Witnesses do not share the same God that you and other religions claim to serve. as much as other resent us for claiming we have the truth. this is exactly the truth. so, to get back to the subject of hell if you want to believe that it is a literal place of torment, you and the rest of all religions out there are in good company. keep in mind that this is of pagan origin, this belief originated with what i believe you call infidels. how can you believe in such a doctirne? how can you claim to have the true religion and yet have the same practices of christendom? such as celebrating birthdays, and even christmas? the true religion cannot have such beliefs.