Material Dimension
The designated sacred space for the Jehovah’s Witnesses is the Kingdom Hall which they believe to be a representation of God’s Kingdom (Heyns, 2002). Simple design, lack of the altars, no sitting pews and images, are the main characteristics of the Kingdom Hall, the sacred places of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The theme of the day is displayed in all the Kingdom Halls during the day of worship and guides all the members of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the elders on preaching (Osman, 2011). Within the kingdom hall, there is a library, contribution boxes, and the literature counter used for dispensing, storing, and displaying publications.
The Kingdom hall is built by selected builders in a standard design making all the kingdom halls equal in design and simplicity worldwide. The builders in a quick build ensure the structural design and structure of the buildings is followed to the later. Congregational members ensure the maintenance of the Kingdom halls at scheduled times, and the choice of members ensuring the cleanliness of the buildings happens regularly.
Social/Institutional
The main authoritative figure is the Governing body which determines the policies and guidelines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Heyns, 2002). The congregation is expected to attend weekly meetings at the nearest Kingdom Hall where each study the scriptures and teachings from the Watchtower. High Morality standards are expected of the members where premarital sex, abortion, adultery, smoking, drug abuse are prohibited. Congregational elders ensure to maintain discipline and aided by the tribunal in times of serious sin by a baptized member (Osman, 2011). The main disciplinary measures taken include marking, reproof, or disfellowshipping the guilty member.
Elders and ministerial servants are only of the male gender and are given responsibility after baptism (Osman, 2011). They preside over weddings, funerals, and baptisms while all accepted to practice official evangelism are regarded as ministers. When baptized they believe they have been ordained and allowed to evangelize; therefore, there is no specific training or clergy.
Legal/Ethical
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not use the cross as a symbol of worship, and regular attendance to meetings, political involvement is not accepted and premarital and extramarital sex is not allowed. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not also accept a blood transfusion, three times attendance to services is mandatory; they further believe that God is not a trinity. Other rules also include not serving in the military not attending churches, following all teachings in the Watchtower, not giving to charities among other rules.
The main rules followed by the congregation come from the watchtower, their conscience, and the scripture. Jehovah Witness believes that the Governing body in Brooklyn, New York is the supreme body and guide all their actions including the setting of more than 100 rules for members to adhere to as Jehovah Witnesses (Kevane, 2008).
Doctrinal/Philosophical
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was created as Michael, the archangel (Kevane, 2008). They also believe in one God, no trinity, that Jesus died in a pole, not across, that Jesus became the savior upon baptism, not at birth and that there is no hell nor life after death. They also believe that blood transfusion and organ transplant is a sin. They believe that God is neither omnipresent nor omniscient and that Jesus’ death acted as a ransom for Adam’s sin (Kevane, 2008).
Further, the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the authority of the bible. The creed used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses is total belief on the Watchtower, which interprets the bible and has total authority. They also believe that Jesus is not the trinity, that the Holy Spirit is God’s active force. The conveyance of the doctrines happens through publications of the Watchtower by the Governing body in Brooklyn, New York the Jehovah’s Witness headquarters (Kevane, 2008).
References
Heyns C., Edge P. & Vilijoen F. (2002). Legal Responses to Religious Difference. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
Kevane B. (2008). Profane & Sacred: Latino/a American Writers Reveal the Interplay of the Secular and the Religious. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Osman S. (2011). The Invention of Brownstone Brooklyn: Gentrification and the Search for Authenticity in Postwar New York: Gentrification and the Search for Authenticity in Postwar New York. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.