What are the main differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and Catholics?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate occasions like birthday, New Year and even Christmas. They can give gifts, but not for holidays and birthdays which go against their religion. They use the name Jehovah for God - Psalms 83:18 - instead of Lord or similar and believe it has been replaced in other Bibles.

Answer

There truly is not enough space here to describe all the differences between what the Jehova Witness believe and that of the Catholic faith.

Some main points would be that the Jehova's don't believe in the Blessed Trinity; the Eucharist; the bible that most Christians use, etc.

You can Google both and get a wealth of information and compare them yourself to get a true understanding of the many differences.

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The primary difference centers on the nature of Jesus Christ. Catholics (and most other Christian denominations) hold to the divinity of Christ, and members of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society do not.

There are two things that the above people mentioned that I must point out is wrong. We do use the same bible that other religions use. I, a Jehovah's Witness, own a King James Bible as do most of my Jehovah's Witness friends. And we do believe in Jesus (but deny his divinity) and we also believe that it is only through faith in his ransom that we can approach his Father and have salvation.

Further...

Catholics believe Jesus to be Almighty God while

JW believe Jesus to be the Son of God (Luke 3:21-22)

Catholics believe in a trinity (three Gods in one) while

JW believe there to be only One True God and Creator (Deut 6:4)

Catholics believe God tortures the wicked forever in hellfire

JW believe God is love and that eternal burning in hell is not a biblical teaching (Jer 7:21)

The Catholics have added an extra 7 books to their bible

The JW only recognise the 66 books of the Holy Scripture (Rev 22:19)

The Catholics have taken steps to remove the Divine name (Yawheh/Jehovah) from all their prayers and services

The JW believe that God's name should be Sanctified, honoured and praised (Math 6:9)

Catholics Generally do not preach the gospel

JW are well known for their public ministry (Math 28:19:20)

Catholics have a human leader (they openly acknowledge the pope as their "earthly spiritual leader")

JW only recognise Jesus (and no human) as their leader (Mat 23:10)

Catholics follow human teaching (they reject "sola scriptura")

JWs believe the bible is the ONLY basis for truth (1 Tim 3:16)

Catholics use a lot of idols in their worship

JW reject the use of idols (1 Cor 1:14)

Catholics believe Mary (Jesus' mother) mediates prayer

JW only pray through Jesus (John 14:13)

Catholic ministers are forbidden to marry

JW recognise all their members as ministers and marriage is allowed (2 Tim 4:3a)

Roman Catholic AnswerEverything, the founder of the Jehovah Witnesses as Pastor Russell. He was born in American in 1852. He was first a Congregationalist, then dabbled in Seventh Day Adventism, and finally set up for himself as a prophet announcing the Second Coming of Christ. His piety was not true piety. It was an unbalanced religious mania centered entirely in himself. He set himself up on a pedestal as the sole object of his worship. Nor was he a Christian, for he denied the divinity of Christ, declaring that Christ was really Michael the Archangel who came in the flesh to redeem mankind. That is not Christian doctrine. nor was Russell a follower of Christ in practice. his wife divorced him for infidelity; and he made money by selling what he called "miracle wheat" at sixty dollars a bushel to credulous farmers, the fraud being eventually stopped by the Federal authorities, who made him refund the money.

Pastor Russell died in 1916, and Mr. Joseph Rutherford, one of the editorial committee of Russell's paper, "Zion's Watch Tower," secured control of the movement. The trend, gist, and authority of his teaching:

Its trend is to turn people into simple fools, impelling them to wander about, calling themselves Witnesses of Jehovah, and selling Judge Rutherford's booklets. Its gist is this: Civil governments, and all Church, in fact, all religious, political and commercial powers in this world organized before the new commercialized religion of Judge Rutherford are the work of Satan, and under the control of Satan. And day now -- and so soon that "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" -- God is going to smite all except those who accept Joseph Rutherford as their infallible guide and teacher. Of what authority is all this? Of none whatever. God neither invited Rutherford and his dupes to be His "Witnesses" nor did He dictate their "message."

Judge Rutherford was extremely opposed to "Christendom" because that was the peculiar form in which the religious fanaticism of Mr. Joseph Rutherford happens to manifest itself. no mania, whether it be religious or otherwise, has any real reason other than the fact that it does break out as it does. Lunacy follows no set laws. Financially, of course, Rutherford's lunacy is very profitable.

excerpts from Radio Replies, Volume 2, Fathers Rumble and Carty, 1940

Answer 2

Catholics believe in the Trinity, that The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are all God. Jehovah's Witnessesbelieve that Jesus is God's son.

Catholics believe that "good" people die and go to heaven. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that only a few (144,000) will go to heaven to rule over the earth (Revelation 5:9, 10; 20:4) but that the majority will inherit the earth, or be resurrected from the dead to a restored paradise on Earth. (Psalm 37:11, 29; Proverbs 2:21, 22)

Catholic creed calls for allowing the Pope to supersede scripture if it is in harmony with the "Tradition of the Church". Jehovah's Witnesses believe that The Bible is the final authority in all matters and cannot be over-ruled by any man.

Catholics teach that one should pray to saints & idols (images) who will intercede for Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses do not use any idols in their worship, only pray to Jehovah God through the name of Jesus Christ, the only approved mediator.

Catholics believe in the immortality of the soul. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that a person does not have a soul but IS a soul (Genesis 2:7) and that the soul dies at death. (Ezekiel 18:4, 20)

Catholics believe that bad people will be punished in a burning hellfire after death. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God is loving & merciful and would never do such a cruel thing to his creation. (1 John 4:8, 18; Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5; 32:35) However, if a person persists in doing wrong, although knowing what right, and does not change, then they will simply be destroyed, but not tortured as many churches believe. (Hebrews 10:26)

Catholics believe in infant baptism. Jehovah's Witnesses do not baptize infants or anyone who is too young to understand and believe what the Bible teaches. They understand that baptism is a personal decision and an act which signifies a giving of oneself to do God's will forever.

ANSWER N.B. - there is no Catholic creed that says that the pope supercedes scripture, he is merely its interpreter and he cannot interpret it outside of the Tradition of the Church, which means he practically acts only as its guardian. No policy can be made contrary to the Bible. As well, Catholics do not use idols, merely symbols and art that all lead back to God. The main difference between Catholics and Jehovah's Witnesses is the matter of authority. For the Catholic Church the Pope is the authority and the Church is responsible for interpreting Biblical questions. This is how the Nicean creed came about in the Fourth Century defining the Trinity when the Arians (who like Jehovah's Witnesses) did not believe in the Trinity. The Arans used the Bible and made some logical points to support their argument.Some Christians were confused, so the Pope convened the Council of Nicea to clarify what the Church actually believed. (By the way, most Protestant Churches accept the NiceanCreed since they began to emerge around the 15th Century as offshoots of the Catholic Church.) Catholics trace the authority of the Pope directly to Peter in the First Century Christian congregation. For Jehovah's Witnessses their final authority is the Watchtower organization. They believe it is made up of anointed men at the helm who interpret the Bible. They argue, like the Arians, that Jesus is not God--not part of the Trinity and that the Holy Spirit is not a person of the Trinity but God's active force. There are other doctrines unique to Jehovah's Witnesses as well, butmain difference is authority. Jehovah's Witnesses trace their authority back to the First Century congregation as well by arguing that soon as the apostles died the orignial Chriustian Church went into apostasy (something many Protestants also believe) and God raised up anointed men who perserved "true" Christianity in a more organized and unorthodox fashion until the "time of the end" (the end of the 19th Century to now) when he restored his "church"--the Watchtower Bible & Tract organization.

Answer 3

There are many exceptions where Jehovah's Witnesses deviate from historical conservative Christianity:

• They do not believe in the Trinity.

• They reject the symbol of Christianity, the cross, because it is of pre-Christian, pagan origin.

• Christ's Second Coming was not a physical return to earth. It was an invisible event in 1914 in which Satan and Christ fought in a heavenly battle.

• In the near future, the battle of Armageddon will begin. Jesus, under Jehovah's divine rage, will execute vengeance on most followers of those other religious traditions which ignore the Bible or follow interpretations of the Bible that do not agree with the Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs.

• Humans do not have an immortal soul that continues on after death. When they die, they cease to exist. With the exception of those who have sinned against the Holy Spirit, and those who killed Jesus, and those who God has judged to receive eternal death, all are resurrected. God creates a new body for the resurrected one, similar to their former body, which for most had long since decomposed. The new body is mentally and physically healthy, with the original personality and memories intact. They will be judged according to their deeds.

• They deny the existence of the traditional Christian view of Hell.

Further

Catholics believe Jesus to be Almighty God while

JW believe Jesus to be the Son of God (Luke 3:21-22)

Catholics believe in a trinity (three Gods in one) while

JW believe there to be only One True God and Creator (Deut 6:4)

Catholics believe God tortures the wicked forever in hellfire

JW believe God is love and that eternal burning in hell is not a biblical teaching (Jer 7:21)

The Catholics have added an extra 7 books to their bible

The JW only recognise the 66 books of the Holy Scripture (Rev 22:19)

The Catholics have taken steps to remove the Divine name (Yawheh/Jehovah) from all their prayers and services

The JW believe that God's name should be Sanctified, honoured and praised (Math 6:9)

Catholics Generally do not preach the gospel

JW are well known for their public ministry (Math 28:19:20)

Catholics have a human leader (the pope)

JW only recognise Jesus as their leader (Mat 23:10)

Catholics follow human teaching (they reject "sola scriptura")

JWs believe the bible is the ONLY basis for truth (1 Tim 3:16)

Catholics use a lot of idols in their worship

JW reject the use of idols (1 Cor 1:14)

Catholics believe Mary (Jesus' mother) mediates prayer

JW only pray through Jesus (John 14:13)

Catholic ministers are forbidden to marry

JW recognise all their members as ministers and marriage is allowed (2 Tim 4:3a)

Answer 4

the difference between Jehovah witnesses and the other religions is that they show the truth and can prove it with the bible so next time they come to your door ask them questions they can respond it using the bible

Answer 5

Jehovah is the English translation of the name of Almighty God. - Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18. Roman Catholic is the name of the religion headquartered in Vatican City, Rome, Italy, and which recognizes the Pope as its leader.

Answer 6

While both profess to be Christians and to believe and follow the bible, there is a marked difference between both groups.

Catholics believe Jesus to be Almighty God while

JW believe Jesus to be the Son of God (Luke 3:21-22)

Catholics believe in a trinity (three Gods in one) while

JW believe there to be only One True God and Creator (Deut 6:4)

Catholics believe God tortures the wicked forever in hellfire

JW believe God is love and that eternal burning in hell is not a biblical teaching (Jer 7:21)

The Catholics have added an extra 7 books to their bible

The JW only recognise the 66 books of the Holy Scripture (Rev 22:19)

The Catholics have taken steps to remove the Divine name (Yawheh/Jehovah) from all their prayers and services

The JW believe that God's name should be Sanctified, honoured and praised (Math 6:9)

Catholics Generally do not preach the gospel

JW are well known for their public ministry (Math 28:19:20)

Catholics have a human leader (the pope)

JW only recognise Jesus as their leader (Mat 23:10)

Catholics follow human teaching (they reject "sola scriptura")

JWs believe the bible is the ONLY basis for truth (1 Tim 3:16)

Catholics use a lot of idols in their worship

JW reject the use of idols (1 Cor 1:14)

Catholics believe Mary (Jesus' mother) mediates prayer

JW only pray through Jesus (John 14:13)

Catholic ministers are forbidden to marry

JW recognise all their members as ministers and marriage is allowed (2 Tim 4:3a)

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Catholic beliefs are a tad different from above, by couplet:

JW believe Jesus to be the Son of God

Catholics believe Jesus to be the Son of God

JW believe there to be only one True God and Creator

Catholics believe there to be only one True God and Creator

JW believe God is love and that eternal burning in hell is not a biblical teaching

Catholics believe that God is love, and that hell is being separated from Him for all eternity.

The JW only recognize the 66 books of the Holy Scripture (Rev 22:19)

-The verse reads "And if anyone shall take away from the word of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his portion from the tree of life, and from the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book.-

The seven disputed books are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesasticus (or Sirach), and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include an additional six chapters (107 verses ) in Esther and three chapters (174 verses in Daniel.

According to major Protestant scholars and historians , in the first four centuries Church leaders (e.g., t. Justin Martyr, Tertullian, St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Cyprian, St. Irenaeus) generally recognized these seven books as canonical and scriptural, following the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament, following the Council of Rome (382) and general consensus, finalized the New Testament canon while also including the deuterocanon, in lists that were identical to the Council of Trent (1545-1563). In other words is is the Protestants who have taken away books of the Bible, NOT the Catholics adding to them.

The JW believe that God's name should be Sanctified, honoured and praised.

No arguments here, Catholics do this.

JW are well know for their public ministry

Catholics have been sending missionaries around the world for twenty centuries.

JW only recognize Jesus as their leader

Catholics recognize Jesus as their leader, the Pope is only his Vicar.

JWs believe the bible is the ONLY basis for truth.

The Bible actually teaches that the authoritative Christian teaching comes through the Bible, the Church, and the apostolic "deposit" or Tradition.

Scripture certainly is a "standard of truth," even the preeminent one, but not in a sense that rules out the binding authority of apostolic Tradition and the Church. Catholics agree that every true doctrine can be found in the Bible, if only indirectly sometimes, and cannot contradict it. (2 Tim 3:16-17 does not teach "Bible Alone," but simple describes the virtues of Holy Scripture.

Biblical indications for the Catholic position are quite numerous. When Jesus condemns "tradition" He usually qualifies His rebuke by referring to corruptions or "traditions of men". The Apostle Paul refers positively to a Christian Tradition ("maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you"), contrasting it, as Jesus did, with bad tradition ("according to human tradition ... not according to Christ"). He also upholds the authority of oral Tradition, referring to "the word of God which you have hear from us" and "sound words which you have heard from me." The latter passage is very important because it is located in the context of the 2 Timothy passage that is the most common Protestant proof text against tradition. Clearly, then, one must interpret Paul by understanding his teaching in its totality.

JW reject the use of idols.

Since the days of the apostles, the Catholic Church has consistently condemned the sin of idolatry. The early Church Fathers warn against this sin, and Church councils also dealt with the issue. The Church absolutely recognizes and condemns the sin of idolatry. What anti-Catholics fail to recognize is the distinction between thinking a piece of stone or plaster is a god and desiring to visually remember Christ and the saints in heaven by making statues in their honor. The making and use of religious statues is a thoroughly Biblical practice. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know his Bible.

JW only pray through Jesus

The Bible teaches that those who die and are saved are fully alive, that they are aware of earthly affairs, and they they love us; therefore it makes perfect sense to ask for their intercession. If God desired to use Mary or anyone else as an intermediary for His saving grace, He could certainly do so; in fact there are many indications of such things in Scripture and nothing proving it's impossible. In becoming man and coming to earth, God chose to involve a human being: Mary. He didn't have to do so; He could have simply appeared as a grown man, as Adam had. But it pleased God to involve human "mediation" in the Incarnation, by enlisting the cooperation of Mary and human biology. So Mary is Mediatrix in that first sense -- she brought Jesus into the world, which in turn led to our salvation. ... She didn't cause the redemption any more than we cause our own redemption. It doesn't raise her to the level of God in any way, shape, or form. All it means it that God chose to use her in an extraordinary way for His will.

JW recognize all their members as ministers and marriage is allowed

The Bible teaches that there is such a thing as clergy, who are set apart from lay members of the Church, and it also gives indication of priestly function. Celibacy is a way of conforming one's priesthood more closely with our Blessed Savior.

answers taken from The One-Minute Apologist by Dave Armstrong, Radio Replies by Fathers Rumble and Carty, The Essential Catholic Survival Guide, by the staff of Catholic Answers, and The Holy Bible, Saint Joseph Edition.

Answer 7

Roman Catholics are a denomination (branch) of the Worldwide Christian Church that believes Jesus Christ is Lord, and God incarnate, and one of the three persons (with the Father and Holy Spirit) in a Trinitarian Godhead as taught by Christ himself, the apostles, and the early Church fathers. While Roman Catholicism has developed along slightly different lines than the protestant Church (for example, in beliefs about the Virgin Mary and purgatory, as well as beliefs within the church itself such as priestly celibacy) the basic beliefs - and most important doctrines - of the Roman Catholic Church are in accord with all other Christian denominations across the world, as set out in the earliest statements of beliefs - the creeds - from the Christian church from the earliest times.

English-speaking Roman Catholics use primarily the Jerusalem Bible from which they obtain their doctrine, in addition to the traditional teaching of the Church since the earliest times right back to the first century, the early Pauline Church and the Church founded on the apostles themselves. The Jerusalem Bible superceded the equally accurate Douay-Rheims version of the 17th Century and was translated by a team of eminent Bible scholars from the original Greek and Hebrew and has been hailed as a first-rate leyeral translation. However, most Roman Catholics do not simply use this Bible - they have a free choice to any Bible translation they prefer; these include excellent translations such as the New International Version, the New Revised Standard Version and some even use the King James Version, despite its history as being a translation that resulted from the split of the Church of England with Rome.

The Jehovah's Witness organisation is very different. Their founder, Charles Taize Russell had only a very basic education and had no education in the scriptures whatsoever, nor was he ever called to ministry. Yet this did not prevent him from declaring himself a 'pastor' and a 'Bible scholar' until found out in court where he could not even recite the Greek alphabet. Russell began the Watchtower society by selling thousands of tracts (making a great deal of money) supporting his own skewed version of the Bible. Russell reintroduced an Arian theology where Jesus is demoted to a 'demigod' and equated to the angel Michael, and any divinity of Jesus such as belief in the Trinity is regarded as the work of the devil. All those (which includes the Christian Church worldwide) who accept the Trinity is therefore, to the JW, in cahoots with satan. This belief system was utterly discredited in the early church and declared heretical as those who spoke out against it were either eyewitnesses to events surrounding Jesus themselves or were disciples of those who actually heard Jesus himself teach, and knew Arianism to be wrong. Yet Russell, not having the grounding in scripture necessary to prevent his error, still pursued this discredited cultic theology.

JWs use primarily the New World Translation of the Bible which was commissioned by the Watchtower society to provide an 'accurate' translation. However, to almost all Christians, Bible scholars, theologians, textual critics and Bible historians worldwide, they see the NWT as a very poor translation that continues to lead gullible people astray from the true message of God's love for humanity into a cult-like organisation that regards scripture as its 'god', and which replaces love and forgiveness with a disregard for the sanctity of life (eg by refusing blood transfusions even to dying children) and the message of revenge and hatred (through the custom of disfellowhipping). Thus most Christians believe that the JW movement introduced the New World Translation of the Bible, not to help discern scripture and its true meaning, as do most modern translations, but to subtly (and not so subtly!) change scripture so that it now backed up their own Arian theology, and, as such, they see it as a travesty of what scripture, in its original Hebrew or Greek, was intended to convey.

Answer 8

The differences are vast. JWs do not celebrate holidays, go to war, accept blood transfusions. They adhere strictly to the bible, and do not accept any pagan practices (thus the reason why they don't celebrate xmas, bdays, etc) JWs believe in 1 God- who has a personal name- Jehovah, and his son Jesus Christ- who is the savior and Messiah, and God's holy spirit- which is his active force. This differs from Catholicism, which believes in a triune God. JW's- no trinity, hellfire, crosses- all of these spring from pagan roots. Probably the only similarity is that JW's and Catholics are both Christian. Hope this helps!

Other principle differences are as follows:

Catholics believe Jesus to be Almighty God while

JW believe Jesus to be the Son of God (Luke 3:21-22)

Catholics believe in a trinity (three Gods in one) while

JW believe there to be only One True God and Creator (Deut 6:4)

Catholics believe God tortures the wicked forever in hellfire

JW believe God is love and that eternal burning in hell is not a biblical teaching (Jer 7:21)

The Catholics have added an extra 7 books to their bible - also known as The Apocrypha

The JW only recognise the 66 books of the Holy Scripture (Rev 22:19)

The Catholics have taken steps to remove the Divine name (Yawheh/Jehovah) from all their prayers and services

The JW believe that God's name should be Sanctified, honoured and praised (Math 6:9)

Catholics Generally do not preach the gospel

JW are well known for their public ministry (Math 28:19:20)

Catholics have a human leader (the pope)

JW only recognise Jesus as their leader (Mat 23:10) but in reality would be disfellowshipped if they did not follow the teachings of the Governing Body - men

Catholics follow human teaching (they reject "sola scriptura")

JWs believe the bible is the ONLY basis for truth (1 Tim 3:16) but in reality would be disfellowshipped if they did not follow the teachings of the Governing Body - men

Catholics use a lot of idols in their worship

JW reject the use of idols (1 Cor 1:14)

Catholics believe Mary (Jesus' mother) mediates prayer

JW only pray through Jesus (John 14:13)

Catholic ministers are forbidden to marry

JW recognise all their members as ministers and marriage is allowed (2 Tim 4:3a)

Jehovah's Witnesses are non-trinitarians.

Answer 9

The substance of the Bible is essentially the same. That is why Jehovah's Witnesses use any Bible to help one to understand Blble principals. However there are some differences, for example many translations have Omitted God's name (Jehovah), and substituted "Lord" or "God" in it's place. The King James Version acknowledges this. Other than that the main difference between the Bible's is that it has been translated into modern day English.

Answer 10

For a complete discussion of the differences between Jehovah Witnesses and Catholics see History of the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Basically they are not Christians in the sense that orthodox Christianity understands itself.: The sect now known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses was started by Charles Taze Russell, who was born in 1852 and worked in Pittsburgh as a haberdasher. He was raised a Congregationalist, but at the age of seventeen he tried to convert an atheist to Christianity and ended up being converted instead—not to outright atheism, but to agnosticism. Some years later he went to an Adventist meeting, was told that Jesus would be back at any time, and got interested in the Bible.

Mr. Russell took a few verses from the Bible and built a religion out of it, claiming that the world would end in 1843. When it didn't he "discovered" an error in his calculations and said it would end in 1844.

The reason they are not Christians is they believe that only Jehovah is God, the Son is a manifestation of the Archangel Michael and that the end of the world will be soon. But they interpret the verse where only 144,000 are saved as literally instead of figurative.