The name 'Jehovah's Witnesses' was adopted in 1931 by a man named Joseph Franklin Rutherford, he was the second official president of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. 'Jehovah's Witness' is based on Isaiah 43:10-12.

Before then the followers of the Watchtower were known as the (International) Bible students. The Bible students were founded by a man named Charles Taze Russell, the first official president of the Watchtower and Tract Society, in 1881. But after Russell's death in 1917 there was a divide when Rutherford forced his way into presidency, and then began contradicting many of Russell's teachings. Between 1917 and 1931 around three-quarters of those who were associated with the Watchtower left. Today those that hold to the teachings of Russell and reject the teachings of Rutherford are known as 'Russellites' or 'The Bible Students' (a name which they kept). Several denominations later formed around, or adopted some style of, Russell's views incluings Worldwide Church of God, the Concordant Publishing Concern and the Assemblies of Yahweh. Off-shoot groups of the Bible Student movement include the Pastoral Bible Institute, the Free Bible Students and the Layman's Home Missionary Movement.

Russell got many of his teachings from Jonas Wendell an Adventist minister. His false prophecy of 1914 came from calculations from the Great Pyramid of Giza. And there is also strong evidence connecting Russell and his father with the Masons.

The modern day history of Jehovah's Witnesses started in 1870. Charles Taze Russell, raised as a Presybyterian who later associated with the Congregational Church, was searching for convincing answers to his questions. His frustration in not finding them in the established churches lead him to eventually undertake an independent study of the bible with some close associates from 1870 - 1875.

This small bible study group grew to about 30 individuals. He collaborated briefly with Nelson Homer Barbour, (1824-1908) a "Millerite" Adventist who agreed with him on the invisible nature of Christ's return to produce the journal "Herald of the Morning from 1876-1878.

Russell however was never an Adventist and voiced his disagreement with much of the Adventist teachings (notably in the physical return of Christ); that having been said, Russell's group found that there other individuals that had had similar views to theirs and publically acknowledged the value of the works of individuals such as Adventist Jonas Wendell, Henry Grew (1781-1862), Baptist Minister William Miller (1782-1849), Methodist-Episcopal minister George Storrs (1796-1879) and others.

Russell's study group of around 30 members merged with Barbours larger group in 1876 but due to a difference of opinion, the two groups split in May 22, 1879 and Russell withdrew support from Barbour and it was at this point that Russell undertook to produce his own journal "Zion's Watchtower". The first issue was in July 1979.

Charles Taze Russell disclaimed being a prophet a many times, and thus he never prophesied anything about 1914. Although Russell believed that the Great Pyramid was God's stone witness Egypt, and that it corroborated the date 1914, the date 1914 itself, however, was not based on measurements of the Great Pyramid but from study of the Bible time prophecy.

The readers of "The Watchtower" formed bible study groups all over the country and sought to share the things they were learning. Russell died in 1916 but the Bible Students continued.

It was not until after Russell died that the organization now known as "Jehovah's Witnesses" actually began to be formed. Russell did not believe in such human central authoritarianism. Joseph Rutherford was the one who actually formed the organization with centralized human authority, presenting it as God's visible organization (almost the opposite of what Russell taught). On the other hand, by 1930, most of the original Bible Students movement had rejected Rutherford's new organization, and Rutherford's new gospel (which was also almost the opposite of what Russell had taught). Rutherford adopted the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931 in order to distinguish his new organization from the old Bible Students movement.

The evidence connecting Russell with the Masons is actually imagined and assumed by those who make such claims. The tens of thousands of pages that have been produced from Russell's works give overwhelming evidence that Russell was not in support of the Freemason's organization, nor with the goals of the Freemasons.

For added details see RELATED LINKS below

Answer 1: No, Jehovah's Witnesses do not have pastors or any paid clergy class. The have a "body of elders" within each congregation that take the lead and organize the congregation based on uniform protocols. However, these individuals are volunteers and receive no financial compensation.

Another Answer from a Contributor with More Detail:

To be a true witness of Jehovah God one first needs to gain the "knowledge that leads to everlasting life" (John 17:3) by studying the Bible with a current member of the worldwide congregation. Bible history, scriptural laws and principles, and how the united body of Jehovah's Witnesses is organized, are some of the things one will learn.

After taking in knowledge, applying it in your life, repenting and turning around from past wrongful behavior, and attending meeting for a period of time, one may chose to join in the witnessing work as an unbaptized publisher (Matthew 24:14), and later may decide to become a member of this faith. Then one will make a personal prayer of dedication, becoming a servant of the true God, Jehovah, and a footstep follower of Jesus Christ by being baptized.

All dedicated and baptized members of Jehovah's Witnesses are ministers and spend their own personal time, money and energy to share the good news of God's Kingdom with others, just as Jesus instructed all Christians to do at Matthew 28:19,20.

However, only males who are good teachers and have proven themselves faithful for some time may become public teachers (pastors) at their Kingdom Halls, although these ones are not considered "clergy" and are simply referred to as elders or overseers. The scriptural qualifications for being appointed as one of such congregation shepherds may be found in the Bible at 1 Timothy 3:1-8.

So, no, we don't have typical pastors as such are known in most of Christendom's churches. What we have is a group of "fellow workers" called "elders" (in the Bible - "older men") who oversee the congregation. This body of elders is comprised only of dedicated, baptized, and faithful qualified males from within each congregation.

Witnesses do shun people. Watchtower 15th Apr '88 p27 says, '' Such shunning would be appropriate, too, for anyone who rejects the congregation''

It is always up to that person if they decide to leave and if Latoya Jackson was baptized (I am almost 100% positive she wasn't) and she did something that Jehovah despises and was not sorry for what she did, then she would be what we call disfellowshipped. Many may view this as mean, but it is really a protection so that other people don't follow their habits. So Witnesses shouldn't talk to them because this way they will hopefully learn that what they did was not right. But, after a while, if that person realizes what they did was wrong then they could be reinstated, which means the friends could talk to them again.

Currently (early 2014) there are almost 8million active witnesses of Jehovah in the world, preaching in almost 300 different lands, and offering literature, videos, and Bible studies in 100's of different spoken and signed languages.

They willingly do this in obedience to Jesus' command at Matthew 28:19,20, volunteering their own money, time and energy to contact as many people as possible with the good news of God's Kingdom and offering free home Bible studies.

In 2012 well over 7 and a half million members were actively witnessing worldwide about God's Kingdom and his righteousness. (Matthew 6:33, 24:14; 28:19,20)

I remember a friend asking me, on finding out I was going to a small Assembly, how many were going to be there. He thought about 150. He was a little surprised when I said the figure would be over 1,000 from ten different congregations. He had thought that, although we seem to be at people's doors frequently, to be very few in number. While that is true in some places, in other areas the Witnesses are well represented numerically.

In 2011, 7,659,019 publishers of the good news reported from 236 lands and islands. (In comparison, there were 205 countries represented at the Olympics recently.) All these Christians give willingly of their time and resources to try and help people from all backgrounds to hear the Bible's message. Literature is now available in 630 languages including for those who are blind or deaf.

In 2010 there were over 18 million worldwide in attendance at the annual observance of the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ.

As of September 2009, the exact number was 7,313,173.

When I first heard Bible truth from the witnesses in the year 1995, there were only 3 million active witnesses worldwide (if I remember correctly).

Jehovah's witnesses do not count in their totals the number of meeting attenders or visitors, but only those who are actively sharing the good news about God's Kingdom (ruled by Jesus Christ) and witnessing regularly about their Grand Creator and Instructor, Almighty Jehovah God. (Psalm 83:18)

Yes and if you choose to do so we should recall the apostle John's comment about "the showy display of one's means of life." He linked such showiness, not with Christians who manifest their faith in actions, but with 'the world that is passing away.' (1 John 2:16, 17) In view of John's inspired observation, should the newlyweds identify to all the giver of each gift? Christians from Macedonia and Achaia made contributions to brothers in Jerusalem, but there is no indication that their names were publicized. (Romans 15:26) Many Christians who give a wedding present would want to remain anonymous rather than attract undue attention to themselves. In this regard, review Jesus' counsel found at Matthew 6:1-4.

Identifying the givers of gifts could lead to "stirring up competition" as to which is the better or the more costly gift. Wise Christian newlyweds will refrain from publicly announcing the names of gift givers. Announcing the names of the givers might embarrass others who were perhaps unable to afford to give a gift. (Galatians 5:26; 6:10) Granted, it is not wrong for the bride and groom to know who gave a certain gift. They could possibly learn that from an appropriate card that accompanies the present but is not read publicly. When buying, giving, and receiving wedding gifts, we all have a chance to prove that even in such a private matter, our faith is affecting our actions.

Source: Watchtower Library 2008

There are several answers to that question:

According to Hebrews 11:4 & 12:1, Abel, son of Adam, was the very first faithful witness of Jehovah God.

Then, the nation of Israel were the first organized group of people referred to as Jehovah's Witnesses by none other than Jehovah himself in Isaiah 43:10-12: "Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; ... therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God." (ASV)

Next, after Israel proved unfaithful, the Christian Congregation became his Witnesses, with Jesus Christ, the "Faithful and True Witness," as the head of the congregation. (Revelation 1:5 & 3:14)

Much later, in the late 1800's, true Christianity began to be restored by a small group who called themselves "Bible Students." Later they formed the International Bible Students Association.

These ones realized that anyone, even non-Christians and Atheists, could be properly called "Bible students" if they actually did study the Bible, regardless of their motives. Also, there were many who were (and are) called Christians who have a great variety of differing and divisive beliefs and practices.

But this faithful group of Christians, wanting to serve Almighty God Jehovah under the headship of his Son Jesus Christ, would continue to be Christians, and needed to distinguish themselves from those nominal (in name only) "Christians" who did not actually practice true Christianity so, in 1931 they adopted the Scriptural name that honors the Universal Sovereign, and thereafter became known as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Additional Opinion

The group, Jehovah's Witnesses, were founded in 1879 in Pennsylvania USA by Charles Taze Russell who began publishing a monthly magazine of religious rhetoric to put forward his theological ideas (Arianism was discredited as a heresy way back in the early church). He was a prolific writer producing over 50,000 printed pages. Russell was a charismatic person, but he was also a self-confessed fraud - he claimed to be an expert in Biblical Greek but could not even recite the Greek alphabet when cross-examined in court during a case where he was accused of fraud in selling 'miracle wheat' at great profit.

In 1881, he founded The Watchtower Society for the purpose of selling more of his religious tracts but Russell's beliefs offended many Christians and he was branded a heretic. He called himself 'Pastor' Russell, but he had no training nor qualifications for the post, nor was he ever ordained as a minister, and large clouds hung over his life especially with regards to many incidences (not unfounded) of marital infidelity.

After many schisms and lots of infighting, Joseph Rutherford became the leader of the Watchtower society (despite many disputes and irregularities in the process that elected him) which by now was making huge profits from its sale of tract material. In 1931 the society changed its name to 'The Jehovah's Witnesses', the name by which we know this organisation today.

Answer 1: Jehovah's Witness have their own songs that they sing. They generally don't identify with the gospel music of other Christian religions because of differences in doctrine.

Another Answer by a Contributor: Probably for the same reason that Muslims, Hindus and Shintoists don't sing 'gospel' music. They have their own songs to sing. Witnesses use a song book provided by their Governing Body in New York.

These individuals endeavored to find Biblical truths independent of popular church dogma and in doing so realised the need to look back to the 'church' or congregational teachings of the first century Christians.

Joseph Rutherford was the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization itself - no such group existed explicitly in the days of Russell. After Russell died, Rutherford used the legal entity as a basis for form a new religious organization, claiming it to be the "God's visible organization on earth." By 1930, most of the earlier Bible Students movement had rejected Rutherford's new organization, and they rejected Rutherford's new doctrines that would deny their central doctrine of the "ransom for all." The Bible Students movement was existing and carrying on its affairs without Rutherford or Rutherford's new organization and teachings. In order to distinguish his organization from the Bible Students movement, in 1931, Rutherford had the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" adopted.

I have been one of Jehovah's Witness for over 30 years so I believe I can answer from experience.

Yes we do believe in Jesus and that he is the Son of God. JW's believe that the bible teaches that Jesus is the subservient Son of God, not God. It says that he is the son of God in John 3:16. If you look at accurate translations, you can see we follow what they say. If you were to look up the meaning of the word 'God', it is defined as anyone who is worshiped. While Jesus is a mighty god, he is not the almighty God.

Scriptural Reasoning:

Jehovah's Witnesses often hear that some believe that Jehovah's Witnesses have an altered Bible translation that they use to support doctrine, however virtually any Bible can be consulted to clearly see the following, and Witnesses are willing to (and often do) use other translations.

Did Jesus say he was Almighty God or equal to Almighty God? No, he said quite the opposite. Review John 17:3, and John 20:17 for starters.

1. Common sense tells us that Jesus didn't pray to himself, but he prayed to his heavenly father, almighty God Jehovah. This was the same Almighty God that all Israelites/Jews prayed to.

2. Common sense as well as Bible prophecy tells us that for Jesus to have truly died for our sins, he would have had to be lifeless or actually dead for a time (3 days) for this to be true. If he didn't really die, then what sense do the scriptures make that speak of his dying for all mankind's sins? So, if he indeed actually died, who resurrected him? It would have had to be Almighty God, the Father Jehovah.

3. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus instructed his disciples how to pray. He told them to pray to the Father - never did he indicate that we should pray to him or to his mother or anyone else. He did say, however, to pray to the Father in his name - because it is by means of him (Jesus) that corrupt humans have any approach to Almighty God.

4. If Jesus were Almighty God, why would he say he couldn't do anything of his own accord? Read John 5:19, John 14:28 and John 10:36. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus quoted a scripture in Deuteronomy 6:13 which clearly indicates WHO is to be worshiped as Almighty God.

5. Why would Colossians 1:15-17 refer to Jesus Christ as the, "beginning of all creation" if he was the Almighty Creator?

So indeed, Jehovah's Witnesses believe in Jesus Christ and that he is the son of Almighty God, Jehovah (Yahweh or YHWH). Jehovah's Witnesses need no special or 'altered' bible to prove that - it's found throughout the bible and consistent with the Bible's message of Christ's kingdom.

While JW's do not view Jesus in exactly the same way as the Christian Church does, they do believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Jehovah) and that he (Jesus) is our Lord and Savior - that only by means of his shed blood does mankind have any possibility of redemption.

The Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God in the same way that every Christian church does. They re-define terms, which is deceptive and a trap to the unwary.

The Jehovah's Witnesses teach, by mis-translating John 1:1 that Jesus was 'a god', not the same as what the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was 100% equal with the Father. He is to them a lesser god and had a beginning. They regard jesus as 'a mighty god' (small 'g'), not 'The Almighty God'... in other words Jesus is a lesser 'god'. Yet they still believe that there is only one God. When cornered on this JWs will never give a satisfactory, theologically sound answer because they do not have one.

The Bible the Jehovah's Witnesses use is their own version, which is altered, mis-translated, or made deliberately vague to arrive at the conclusions they desire. So, if talking about their own bible, then it may be correct, although the copy of the NWT I have still demonstrates the trinity and Jesus Godhead - there are so many of these that it is difficult to remove or doctor them all. The Bible, where it is treated with due respect and not tampered with, clearly teaches that Jesus is God. Over 30 times this is stressed in the Gospel of John alone, by Jesus Himself. Jehovah's Witnesses deny this. Some individual witnesses may not be fully aware of what their church doctrine is. The position of the official doctrine of the JW's is clear.

Of course Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus is the Son of God... the JW above makes this quite clear. And there lies the problem. For not even Jesus himself claimed to be the Son of God in the sense that the JWs believe.

In the gospels, and especially in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus frequently refers to himself as the Son of Man, to emphasise his humanity, although on several occasions the disciples refer to him as the 'Son of God', and 'the Messiah'. But that is the name that the disciples gave him. In the other gospels Jesus still refers to himself as the Son of Man, but also as 'The Son'. He never refers to himself, in any of the gospels, as a subservient Son of God . However, he frequently refers to himself, in addition to the Son of Man, as God the Son - or 'the Son', and, reading the text in context, he places himself on the same level as the Father and the Holy Spirit (e.g. 'I am in the Father and the Father is in me', 'he who has seen me has seen the Father', 'my Father and I are one', I will send (note not the 'Father' will send...) the Holy Spirit..', 'before Abraham was I AM' - the term used by God to Moses from where we get Yah-Weh as God's name - or in modern language - Jehovah). There are numerous occasions where Jesus actually claims to be God. Yes, he has a different role to play from the Father, and from the Holy Spirit for that matter, and, within the Trinity, there will be aspects of the creation and maintenance of the universe that will be solely the responsibility of the Father, eg no one knows when the end will come only the Father. However, no one can reach the Father except through the Son. Although their may be some form of ranking system in the Trinity - this does not mean that Jesus is still not God. In the church of England, the archdeacon has a supervisory role over parish vicars. So in a sense there is a heirarchy there. But each is still ordained a priest and are equal in this respect.

In the same way on many occasions Jesus made it clear that he was God, as did the gospel writers (e.g. John 1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us - contrary to the JW Bible which changed the 'was God' statement to the incorrect 'was a god' with a small 'g', simply to fit in with their own beliefs. What on earth does ' a god' mean anyway? No JW has yet given me a satisfactory explanation of that as yet!

In addition, Jesus himself allowed others to worship him- the height of blasphemy if he wasn't who he said he was. He forgave sins - another blatant act of supreme blasphemy unless he was God. in fact, on one occasion the scribes and pharisees who were onlookers screamed - 'only God can forgive sins!' and attacked him physically for blasphemy. So Jesus claimed a great deal more than being merely the 'Son' of God. He claimed very much to be God incarnate, and together with the Spirit to be a part of a Trinitarian God.

On the Trinity, this doctrine was part of Christian belief right back in the first century when Policarp, a disciple of the apostle John, Jesus' closest disciple, taught it to Irenaeus, an early Church Father, who wrote extensively on the Trinity. The JW answer above which states that it was a later invention is not only misinformed by his elders, but has failed to research the history of the Church independently - something which is, of course, frowned upon by the Watchtower organisation, lest the researcher find out the truth.

Although the Jehovah's Witnesses quote line after linne of scripture, you might note that most of them come from their own altered translation of the Bible and almost all are taken out of context where, if you read the context of a particular verse, and compare it with corresponding verses in the other gospels, you frequently get a very different and truer meaning. JWs rarely, if ever, do this with translations other than their own or they would get a very different picture. The quotation of scripture out of context is not particularly helpful - if you read the story of Jesus' teptatiion in the wilderness you can see that even the devil himself can do this!

As for Jesus' total divinity, even at the end of Matthew's gospel he commands us to go out and baptise 'in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and, lo I will be with you until the end of the world' - Note he says I will be with you - not 'we' or 'they' or the Father and I - but I, immediately after his description of the Trinity. One God in three persons. Clear as crystal. So this nonsense about Jesus being subservient to the Father is totally non-Biblical. Jesus claimed to be God. He left no other option open to us. He never intended to.

Since 30th March 1980 the current understanding of Jehovah's Witnesses is that organ transplants are a matter for conscientious decision by each one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

From 15th November 1967 until 29th March 1980, the then current understanding was that organ transplants were viewed as being the same as cannibalism and so were not allowed.

The Watchtower 15th Nov 1967 pages 702-704 says

''Those who submit to such operations are thus living off the flesh of another human. That is cannibalistic.

God did not grant permission for humans to try to perpetuate their lives by cannibalistically taking into their bodies human flesh, whether chewed or in the form of whole organs or body parts taken from others''

Well, I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and yes, absolutely, we believe in the atoning power of Jesus' blood. It is central to our belief in the prospect of everlasting life. (John 3:16, 36; 17:3) Once a year we celebrate the memorial of Jesus Christ's death, the only celebration which Christians are actually commanded to celebrate. (Luke 22:19) At this event there is the passing of the bread and of the wine. The bread symbolizes his body and the wine his blood. (Mark 14:22-24)

Although only the anointed ones, those who are part of the 144,000 destined to go to heaven to be rulers over the earthly multitudes (Rev 5:9,10) eat the bread and drink the wine, all of Jehovah's Witnesses respectfully attend this special occasion. So to answer your question - Yes - we DEFINITELY believe in the blood of the Christ. And we thank Jehovah every single day for the ultimate blood sacrifice of his Son, which is the very reason we receive forgiveness for our sins and have the hope of living forever in heaven or on earth. (Psalm 37:11,29) In fact, the reason we take our witness work so seriously is also because of Jesus and the command he gave to all his Christian disciples at Matthew 28:19,20.