Jehovah's Witnesses The Bible
It is God's infallible, inspired Word, upon which Jehovah's Witnesses base all their beliefs. Some portions of the Bible are to be understood figuratively, or symbolically.—2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Revelation 1:1.

God
Jehovah is the name of the only true God, the Creator of all things. As such, he is worthy of our worship and devotion. His outstanding qualities are love, justice, wisdom, and power.—Psalm 83:18; 1 John 4:8; Revelation 4:11.

Jesus
He is the Son of God. He came to earth from heaven and gave his perfect human life as a ransom sacrifice. His death and resurrection made salvation to eternal life possible for those exercising faith in him. He is now ruling as King of God's heavenly Kingdom, which will soon bring peace to the entire earth. Jesus never claimed equality with God and thus is not part of a Trinity.—John 3:16; 14:28; Revelation 11:15.

Sin and Death
Death is a result of sin inherited from the first man, Adam, who chose to disobey God. The original sin was not sex relations but was the deliberate disobedient act of eating of "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad." The dead are conscious of nothing. In the future, God through Jesus will resurrect the dead.—Genesis 2:17; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; John 11:25; Romans 5:12.

Worship
True worship emphasizes, not ritual and outward show, but spirit and truth. It is characterized by genuine love for God, obedience to his commandments, and love for one's fellowman. Jehovah's Witnesses do not use religious symbols, such as the cross, in their worship.—Matthew 22:37-39; John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 10:14.

God's Kingdom
It is the heavenly Kingdom for which Jesus taught all his followers to pray. Soon it will become the one government over all the earth and will solve mankind's pressing problems. The Bible does not give a date for these events, but it provides evidence to show that we are living in "the last days" of this troubled world.—2 Timothy 3:1-5; Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:9, 10; 24:3-8, 36.

Judgment
Jesus is God's appointed Judge who determines what each one's future will be. Those judged righteous will be given everlasting life on a paradise earth. Those judged unrighteous will not be tormented but will die and cease to exist. Humans are not responsible for this judgment, nor will they be involved when God takes action to remove all wickedness from the earth.—Proverbs 2:21, 22; John 5:22; Acts 17:30, 31; Revelation 21:3, 4.

Earth
The earth will never be destroyed or depopulated but will become a peaceful paradise.—Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 45:18; Luke 23:43.

Marriage
Jehovah's Witnesses view marriage as a serious, lifelong commitment. They look to the Bible for guidance in resolving marital problems in a loving and respectful way. Scripturally, divorce may be obtained on the grounds of marital unfaithfulness. Separation is acceptable in extreme situations, such as those involving willful nonsupport or physical abuse. Whether to separate or not is the personal decision of the wronged mate.—Matthew 19:6, 9; Ephesians 5:33.

Birth Control
This is a matter of personal choice.

Children
Parents are to love their children. They also have the primary responsibility of providing for the physical, emotional, recreational, and spiritual needs of their children. Parents should teach their children Scriptural values and provide loving discipline. The Bible does not condone harsh physical punishment.—Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Ephesians 6:4.

Interfaith Marriage
Marriage mates with different religions are encouraged to treat each other with tolerance and respect. Children should be given the opportunity to learn about the religious views of both parents.—1 Corinthians 7:12-14.

Respect for Authority
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it is their Christian responsibility to be model citizens. For this reason, they honor and respect governmental authority. Only on those rare occasions when a government demands what is in direct conflict with what God commands do Jehovah's Witnesses decline to comply. Their publications and public ministry encourage everyone to be law-abiding.—Matthew 22:17-21; Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-7.

Relationship to Society
Jehovah's Witnesses are found at all levels of society, and they do not physically separate themselves from those who do not share their beliefs. They live, work, and go to school with people of different religious beliefs, and they enjoy cordial relationships with them. Jehovah's Witnesses follow Jesus' example of being "no part of the world" by avoiding the unchristian prejudices and controversies that divide mankind today. Although not ascetics, they avoid being excessive in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or prominence.—John 17:15, 16; 1 John 2:15, 16.

Neutrality
Following the examples set by Jesus and first-century Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses do not share in the politics or wars of any nation. Their stand of Christian neutrality is well documented in history. They firmly believe that they must "beat their swords into plowshares" and not "learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4) At the same time, Jehovah's Witnesses recognize the authority of nations to raise armies and defend themselves, and they do not interfere with what others choose to do.—John 18:36.

Medical Care
Jehovah's Witnesses actively seek medical care when needed, and many work in the health-care field. They accept the vast majority of treatments available today.—Luke 5:31.

Abortion
Life begins at conception. Deliberately induced abortion is viewed as the willful taking of human life.—Exodus 21:22, 23.

Blood Transfusion
Christians are commanded to "abstain from . . . blood." Since the Bible makes no clear statement about the use of minor blood fractions or the immediate reinfusion of a patient's own blood during surgery, a medical process known as blood salvaging, the use of such treatments is a matter of personal choice. Jehovah's Witnesses accept reliable nonblood medical alternatives, which are increasingly recognized in the medical field.—Acts 15:19, 20, 28, 29; compare Genesis 9:3, 4; Leviticus 17:10-14.

Faith Healing
Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in faith healing as commonly practiced today. Jesus and his apostles performed miraculous healings, but the Bible makes it clear that these were first-century phenomena and not an ongoing feature of Christianity.—1 Corinthians 12:30; 13:8.

Organ Transplant
Agreeing to an organ transplant or organ donation is a personal decision.

Prolongation of Life
The Bible does not require that extraordinary, complicated, or distressing measures be taken to sustain a person if this would merely prolong the dying process. Any advance directives by the patient should be respected.

Vaccines
Jehovah's Witnesses have no objection to vaccines in general. Some vaccines contain minor blood fractions, and use of these is a matter of personal choice.

Baptism
This act symbolizes one's dedication to God and is taken by those of responsible age who have made an informed decision. Baptism is by complete water immersion.

Organization
Following the model of first-century Christianity, Jehovah's Witnesses have no clergy-laity division. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work. Witnesses are organized into congregations of up to 200 members. Spiritually mature men in each congregation serve as elders. A body of elders supervises each congregation. About 20 congregations form a circuit, and about 10 circuits are grouped into a district. Congregations receive periodic visits from traveling elders. Guidance and instructions are provided by a multinational governing body made up of longtime Witnesses who currently serve at the international offices of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York.—Acts 15:23-29; 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

Conscience
Jehovah's Witnesses avoid making rules and regulations beyond those provided in the Scriptures, and they do not follow traditions that contradict Bible teachings. Emphasis is placed on personal application of Bible principles and the value of a sound, Bible-based conscience.—Matthew 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:24.