What is animism?
Animism is the belief that everything has a soul or spirit, an anima in Latin, including animals, plants, rocks, mountains, rivers, and stars. Animists believe each anima is a powerful spirit that can help or hurt them and are to be worshiped or feared or in some way attended to. Animism is a primitive religion…
Witnessing to Jehovah’s Witnesses – what is the key?
Jehovah’s Witnesses say they are the only true Christians, but they are neither Protestant nor Catholic. The fundamental doctrinal issue that distinguishes them from orthodox Christianity is the Trinity. They say the doctrine of the Trinity is a pagan teaching, but they misrepresent it, saying that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit must…
What do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about the end times and eternal state?
It is the view of Got Questions Ministries that 2 Peter 3:7–12 is describing a literal event in the future. “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. . . . That day will bring about the…
Who are the Three Nephites in Mormonism?
In Mormonism, the Three Nephites are three wise and kindly men who, from ancient times to today, have helped spread Mormon theology. Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, believe that, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, He came to the New World to spread the gospel message to the indigenous peoples. Mormons believe Jesus came to…
Who is the angel Moroni?
The angel Moroni does not appear in the Bible, but he is a featured character in the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), or Mormonism. According to LDS teaching, Moroni is the angel that appeared to Joseph Smith on several occasions, beginning in 1823. A bronze statue of the angel…
What is exaltation in Mormonism?
Mormonism, whose adherents are known as Mormons or Latter-day Saints (LDS), is a pseudo-Christian cult founded by Joseph Smith in the nineteenth century. One of their teachings is the doctrine of exaltation or theosis, the belief that man can become god. According to Smith’s testimony, God charged him with the task of restoring the true…
I am a Mormon. Why should I consider becoming a Christian?
Anyone from any religion—or no religion at all—who asks, “Why should I consider becoming a Christian?” should consider the claims of Christianity. For a Mormon asking this question, the differences between the tenets of biblical Christianity and LDS philosophy should be the primary area of inquiry. If the Bible is the Word of God (both…
Is the New World Translation a valid version of the Bible?
The New World Translation (NWT) is defined by the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ parent organization (the Watchtower Society) as “a translation of the Holy Scriptures made directly from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into modern-day English by a committee of anointed witnesses of Jehovah.” The NWT is the anonymous work of the “New World Bible Translation Committee.” Jehovah’s…
What is folk religion?
Answer Folk religion is basically made up of certain ethnic or regional religious traditions that practice under the guise of an established religion, but is outside the boundaries of official doctrine and practices. Folk religion’s indigenous or native beliefs are held all over the world, particularly in parts of South America, Africa, China, and Southeast…
Who was Charles Taze Russell?
Charles Taze Russell was the founder of a religion that eventually became the modern-day Jehovah’s Witnesses. His example demonstrates how untrained and un-discipled people can twist Scripture to fit their own preferences and spread those errors to others. Russell’s spirituality was marked by change, failed prophecy, and controversy. After his death, his followers split, with…