Witnesses believe it is necessary to take this action to preserve the moral integrity and cleanliness of their faith. The punishment is based on 1 Corinthians 5, which directs believers to "remove the wicked from among yourselves". It is reserved for deliberate apostasy or unrepentantly practising serious sins such as drunkenness, stealing or adultery. If they are found guilty they can be punished by spiritual restrictions, public reproofs or expulsion from the congregation, which is called 'disfellowshipping'.ĭisfellowshipping is the Witnesses' highest form of discipline. When someone either confesses to or is accused of a sin or spiritual transgression, he or she is questioned by elders. Serious transgressions are dealt with by quasi-judicial local hearings. If they act in a way that is incompatible with such beliefs and practices, they may be disciplined.īut for an allegation to be proved against someone, that person must confess or, in line with the Bible's teaching, there must be two witnesses: Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to accept the movement's core beliefs and practices. Witnesses believe that missionary work should take priority over career, so many will choose lower-paid jobs with limited hours so as to have more time to devote to their faith. Witnesses do this work without pay and some, called pioneers, spend 70 hours a month in door-to-door witnessing. True conversion is a slow intellectual process which gradually convinces a non-believer that Witness beliefs are true and rational, and that they should commit themselves to a spiritually rewarding life that will bring eternal benefits. Witnesses place little emphasis on sudden, dramatic conversion experiences. The aim is to persuade a non-believer of the rightness of their cause so that they eventually become a Witness themselves. A successful discussion will lead to return trips, and possibly to home Bible studies. Much missionary work involves visiting door-to-door to discuss scripture with people they meet. All Witnesses who are physically capable of it engage in missionary work. In 2005 Jehovah's Witnesses around the world spent over 1.2 billion hours on missionary work. The time spent on missionary work to non-believers prevents Witnesses from becoming significantly separated from the rest of the community. Certain civic obligations, such as jury service, are seen as a matter for individual decision according to the dictates of conscience. In countries with compulsory national service most Witnesses will accept civilian service as an alternative to military service. They also refuse military service, voting in elections, and taking part in most religious festivals and secular celebrations like birthdays.
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