Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hispanics: More in Common Than You Think…
Cultural Diversity: Religious and Ethnic Groups Paper
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hispanics: More in Common Than You Think…
Today’s Jehovah’s Witness, formed at the end of the 19th century near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as the International Bible Students, they are an internationally recognized religious group, comprised of approximately 19 million active members, across 239 nations. This unique assemblage of individuals have since firmly implanted their footprint in American and Christian culture.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses differ from more traditional Christian based religions, insofar as they execute an aggressive public service and outreach/conversion campaign. In corroboration of this, in the last 10 years, they have published and distributed over 20 billion Bible-based literature pamphlets, usually through door to door proselytizing. Not some, all members that proclaim to be Jehovah’s Witness must participate in this very important aspect of their faith. In addition to their hard line outreach campaign, Jehovah’s Witnesses also stand out from their fellow Christian counterparts by attending their church, called Kingdom Hall, many times per week, and also vehemently oppose the celebration of traditional American holidays, as well as birthdays. Arguably, the most controversial aspect of their belief system is the prohibition of its members to participate in any government, civil or military service; members are not even allowed to vote. These actions, which fall outside of America’s traditional social construct, are what have caused Jehovah’s Witnesses to be viewed as cult like, and one of the more fringe outgrowths of Christianity.
While Jehovah’s Witnesses act in ways that set them apart from traditional, American culture, they have been firmly aligned with America’s culture of self sustainability. They have experience positive influences in the face of adversity. Over the years, the group has overwhelmingly used information
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hispanics: More in Common Than You Think…
Today’s Jehovah’s Witness, formed at the end of the 19th century near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as the International Bible Students, they are an internationally recognized religious group, comprised of approximately 19 million active members, across 239 nations. This unique assemblage of individuals have since firmly implanted their footprint in American and Christian culture.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses differ from more traditional Christian based religions, insofar as they execute an aggressive public service and outreach/conversion campaign. In corroboration of this, in the last 10 years, they have published and distributed over 20 billion Bible-based literature pamphlets, usually through door to door proselytizing. Not some, all members that proclaim to be Jehovah’s Witness must participate in this very important aspect of their faith. In addition to their hard line outreach campaign, Jehovah’s Witnesses also stand out from their fellow Christian counterparts by attending their church, called Kingdom Hall, many times per week, and also vehemently oppose the celebration of traditional American holidays, as well as birthdays. Arguably, the most controversial aspect of their belief system is the prohibition of its members to participate in any government, civil or military service; members are not even allowed to vote. These actions, which fall outside of America’s traditional social construct, are what have caused Jehovah’s Witnesses to be viewed as cult like, and one of the more fringe outgrowths of Christianity.
While Jehovah’s Witnesses act in ways that set them apart from traditional, American culture, they have been firmly aligned with America’s culture of self sustainability. They have experience positive influences in the face of adversity. Over the years, the group has overwhelmingly used information
Cited: "Annual Worldwide Statistics" Jehovah’s Witnesses Official Media Web Site: Our History and Organization. Retrieved 2013-05-19. Elliot, Joel. “The Jehovah 's Witnesses and the Theocratic Subversion of Ethnicity” A Paper Presented to the American Academy of Religion Washington, DC, November 21, 1993 Brown-Graham, Anita R. “Housing Discrimination against Hispanics in Private Rental Markets” Retrieved 2013-05-19. “From the Doorstep to the Courtroom: 400 religious persecution cases on the Jehovah’s Witness docket worldwide” PBS documentary