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Religious Authority | Bible - New World Translation | Bible - NIV, KJV, NRSV, etc. |
Bible Sections | "Hebrew Scriptures" and "Christian Greek Scriptures" | "Old Testament" and "New Testament" |
God | Jehovah | Trinitarian God |
Trinity | Rejected | Affirmed |
Identity of Jesus Christ | Son of God, Word of God, God's first creation, Archangel Michael (see Jesus Christ) | Son of God, Word of God, God, second Person of the Trinity (see Christology) |
Holy Spirit | God's active force (impersonal) | God, Third Person of the Trinity |
Results of Fall | Physical and spiritual death entered the world | Physical death, tendency to sin |
Free will | Free to do good or evil (see 10 Articles) | Free will to do good is seriously impaired |
Purpose of Christ's Incarnation | Teach about God, provide a model for right living, die sacrificially for human sin (see Jesus Christ) | Teach about God, provide a model for right living, die sacrificially for human sin, reveal God directly to humanity |
Means of Christ's Execution | Crucifixion on an upright stake (no crossbar) | Crucifixion on a cross |
Resurrection of Christ? | Yes | Yes |
Salvation | Both faith and works; works emphasized. | Both faith and works; faith emphasized (in most denominations) |
Second Chance After Death? | Yes | No |
Afterlife | Souls of wicked are annihilated, a select few Witnesses go to Heaven, other Witnesses enjoy a paradise earth for eternity (see Afterlife) | Souls of wicked sent to Hell, believers go to Heaven for eternity (see Afterlife) |
Hell | Exists in the sense of a place of the dead (Jesus went there), but hellfire does not exist; idea was invented by Satan to turn people from Jehovah. | Place (or state of being) of eternal torment and distance from God. |
Place of Worship | Kingdom Hall | Church |
Meaning of Sacraments | Symbolic acts commanded by Christ | Symbolic acts commanded by Christ (some Protestant); means of grace if received with faith (Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant). |
Number of Sacraments | Two: Baptism and Lord's Supper | Two: Baptism and Lord's Supper (seven in Catholicism) |
Symbols | The watchtower | Cross, fish & others |
Holidays | Memorial of Christ's Death only | Easter, Christmas, saint's days, several others |
Involvement in Politics | Minimal | Full |
Blood Transfusions | Rejected | Accepted |
http://www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs_witnesses/comparison.htm