This is however untrue because unlike cults, the denomination is neither secret nor does it practice elaborate and questionable rituals. Cults also have fanatic beliefs and like I have pointed out above, are ritualistic in nature. These characteristics of cults are not present in the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination.
A look into these wrongly conceived assumptions has led me to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses as a denomination is neither a cult nor a misguided religious grouping. I must say that my understanding of this religion prior to this particular research undertaking significantly differed from my current view of the same religion. Initially, I was convinced that Jehovah's Witnesses did not indeed believe in Jesus Christ. I was also convinced that they did not believe in the resurrection of Christ and life after death. However, after a scrutiny of their beliefs, I found out that the adherents of this denomination believe that Jesus is indeed the son of God. What they have a problem with is the reference made to Jesus as God. I also found out that they believe in Jesus' resurrection as well as that of Christians in the second coming of Christ. In addition to this, I also found out that Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a paradise that will be present on earth after the resurrection (Larry, 2010). In essence, I have come to the conclusion that the differences between Jehovah's Witnesses and mainstream Christians are largely ideological.
This particular highlight on misconceptions about Jehovah's Witnesses is a simple indicator that misconceptions about other people's religions are common. This can be proven via the exploration of various misconceptions that exist about other religions. For instance, Islam is one of the least understood religions in today's world. For starters, since the September 11 attacks, there are many who are now convinced that Islam encourages (and perhaps sponsors) violence. This is however a misconception that has in the past been disputed by Muslim clerics and scholars. Most people are also convinced that Muslims do not believe in Jesus Christ (Frater, 2009). Indeed,...
One cannot therefore be a Muslim without believing in the existence of Jesus Christ (Frater, 2009). Another common misconception with regard to the Islamic faith is that all Muslims are Arabs. The misconceived image of a Muslim as a dark turbaned Arab man is common in the minds of many. It should however be noted that Arabs who subscribe to Islamic faith make up only 15% percent of the total Muslim population (Frater, 2009). Another related misconception is that all Arabs are Muslims (Frater, 2009). It is often surprising for people with such misconceptions to find out that there are indeed Arabs that subscribe to Christian-based faiths.
The above misconceptions about other people's religions are common; and they are bound to persist unless steps are taken to curb them. It should be noted that many individuals tend to concentrate their religious awareness to that faith that they subscribe to. As a result, many people know very little about other religions. In order to overcome such deficiencies in awareness, there is a need for open mindedness in matters religion. It would also be prudent for different religions to introduce sessions or periods of comparative education where their adherents are educated about matters relating to those other religions that they do not subscribe to.
References
Bowman, M.R. (1994). Jehovah's Witnesses. Michigan: Zondervan Publishers
Frater, J. (2009). Top 10 Misconceptions about Islam. Retrieved June 13, 2013, from: http://listverse.com/2009/07/10/top-10-misconceptions-about-islam/
Holden, a. (2002). Jehovah's Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement. New York, NY: Routledge Publishers.
Larry, U. (2010). Religion Series: Jehovah's Witnesses Clarify Misconceptions. Retrieved June 14, 2013, from: http://trnwired.org/2010/11/jehovahs-witnesses-clarify-misconceptions/
Shaw, T. (2006). Truth about Jehovah's Witnesses: Misconceptions Revealed. Retrieved June 13, 2013,…
