EntertainmentHow Many Nba Players Are Jehovah's Witnesses

How Many Nba Players Are Jehovah’s Witnesses

The world is a wonderful place. Over 800 billion people, different countries, different cultures, different religions, and so on. When it comes to religion, we only know about the popular ones. However, there are so many religions that are still unexplored by the rest of the world.

Being a multicultural county, America also has different religions. Sure, most Americans follow popular religions. But, there is a certain percentage of citizens who follow less-known religions. In that case, we have to mention ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’.

Well, ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ is a unique religion that has an amazing history. The more interesting thing is there are some NBA and ex-NBA players who follow this particular belief. In this article, we will explore some unknown facts about ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’. Plus, we will also share the details of some ex-NBA players who follow this religion.

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What is Jehovah’s Witnesses?

As we noted above, Jehovah’s Witnesses is a unique belief that comes from Christianity. According to an official 2022 report, this religious group has around 8.5 million members worldwide. The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is the backbone of this group. 

If you are from the US, you might have noticed a group of people distributing religious materials. Well, they are probably Jehovah’s Witnesses. Yes, this Christian denomination is quite well-known for visiting door-to-door and providing religious books. 

Most Jehovah’s Witnesses members are quite active everywhere. According to an official report, the US has a total of 1.3 million members while Canada has 118,000 members. In fact, this group is very active in some parts of Europe, especially in Germany, Italy, Russia, and Poland.

There are so many unique factors about this group that differentiate it from other religions. For example, they don’t celebrate major holidays like Christmas or Easter. However, the history of this belief is quite unpopular among people.

History of Jehovah’s Witnesses

An initial group was formed in Pennsylvania in 1870. The key motive for founding that group was to study the Bible. Charles Taze Russell, the founder of this group, disputed various things in mainstream Christianity. 

Later, Russell met Nelson H. Barbour, a writer, in 1876 and published a book named Three Worlds. Barbour and Russell worked on various projects jointly. Slowly, many people joined them to study Bible and this is how the Watch Tower Tract Society was formed. 

Russell declared the society a non-profit organization and they started distributing Bibles and other religious materials. In a few years, the organization hosted thousands of full-time and part-time colporteurs. 

Development:

When Joseph Franklin Rutherford became the second president of the Watch Tower Society in 1917. However, there were some issues between his supporters and opponents. In 1931, Rutherford finally changed the name of this society to ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’. This group’s membership reached 113,624 by the death of Rutherford in 1942.

After Rutherford’s death, Nathan Knorr became the third president of this society. Baptism is the basic requirement for joining this society. However, they don’t support infant baptism. Most of the funds come from members. According to a report by Newsday, the Watch Tower Society was one of the richest corporations in New York with $950 million in revenue.

how many ex nba players are jehovah's witnesses

Interesting Facts to Know About Jehovah’s Witnesses

Being a less popular religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses has some interesting facts. If you are learning about this for the first time, you can explore these hidden facts as well. In the following list, let’s find out about these facts:

  • Not Believing in Military Service

When it comes to the interesting facts about Jehovah’s Witness, we have to mention this one first. Well, the members of this society don’t believe in military service. They don’t participate in wars or bear arms. 

That means the members don’t want any political or similar conflicts. According to the society, their allegiance only belongs to God. That’s the reason why they faced resentment from political parties in different countries including Turkey, Eritrea, and Armenia.

  • Don’t Celebrate Holidays

We all know that mainstream Christianity and other religions have several holidays. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses members don’t believe in celebrating any holidays. They don’t celebrate any events or holidays that honor other people rather than God.

Well, in that case, the society members also don’t celebrate any religious holidays including Easter and Christmas. According to the society, Christmas isn’t approved by Jesus and there’s no proof of the 25th of December being Jesus’s birthday.

  • Limited Contracts

Jehovah’s Witness followers mostly cut relationships with the outer world. That means they are discouraged to keep limited contracts who don’t follow the faith. In fact, the members think people of other religions or mainstream Christianity are ‘bad influences’.

These people are discouraged from joining social groups that have other ‘worldly’ people. That’s the reason why most people also don’t pursue higher education. The organization also shuns people who leave religion.  

  • They Believe Satan is Real

When we are talking about Jehovah’s Witnesses, we can’t exclude Satan. According to this religious organization, Satan is the one who controls the world. It’s only Satan who controls governments, religions, and commercial organizations to mislead people. 

As per them, ‘Heaven’ is God’s only country. Since the world doesn’t come under God’s authority, the members refuse to submit themselves to any organization including the government, police, or law.

  • Don’t Accept Blood Transfusions

Another interesting thing about Jehovah’s Witnesses is they don’t accept blood transfusions. The organization believes that blood transfusion is an act against the Bible. That’s why they don’t accept, donate, or store blood. 

According to their belief, blood is the representation of life and is sacred to God. However, there are so many controversies about this fact as it’s kind of a suicidal act.

how many nba players are jehovah's witnesses

Ex-NBA Jehovah’s Witnesses Players

Now, you know about the basics of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As we mentioned before, America has a decent population that follows this religion. In that case, there are some current and ex-NBA who practice this particular belief. In the following section, we will share the best ex-NBA players who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Let’s find out:

1. A.C Green

If you love watching NBA, you might know about A.C Green. He was a well-known player for the Lakers. His top-class performance made him an NBA legend. Green achieved a lot of things in his 16 year long career. A.C. Green is also known as a committed member of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

2. Danny Granger

Danny Granger is one of the most popular players in the NBA world. Granger played for the Pacers for nine seasons. However, he played last season for the Los Angeles Clippers. Besides his magnificent career, he was quite popular for his religious beliefs during his career. He was an active Jehovah’s Witnesses member throughout his long NBA career. 

3. Michael Adams

Many people don’t know that Micheal Adams is another popular name in the NBA world who follows this society. Adams earned a lot of things during his 11 year long NBA career. His long-range shooting skill was quite popular back then. And that’s the reason why he became a star player.

4. Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson had a long 17 year NBA career as he played for some popular teams including Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers. Besides being a legendary player, he established himself as a coach. Jackson baptized to Christianity in the late 1990s and became a committed member. However, he converted to Jehovah’s Witnesses recently. 

5. Antoine Carr

NBA lovers know Antonie Carr for his high-scoring skill. In fact, he played for various teams like Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks throughout his 16 season long career. However, he is well-known for his religious beliefs. Yes, Carr converted to Jehovah’s Witnesses during the early 1990s and has been an active member since then.

6. Jim McIlvaine

Jim Mcllvaine is a remarkable player in the NBA world. Even though he had a short career, he achieved a lot of things with Washington Bullets and Seattle SuperSonics. Fans used to love him because of his outstanding shot-blocking techniques. He has been an active Jehovah’s Witnesses follower since the conversation in the late 1990s.

7. Kevin Porter

Last but not least, Kevin Porter is another bright name in the basketball world. He was very popular for his lighting-quick skills. Porter had an amazing career with Detroit Pistons and Baltimore Bullets. Kevin became a follower of this religion in the early 1980s era.

Conclusion 

Jehovah’s Witnesses isn’t that popular yet but you can find members around the world. Many famous personalities in America follow this religion. We have already shared about some ex-NBA players. If you want more information regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses or these players, do some research online.

FAQs

Q: Which NBA player quits to become a Jehovah’s Witness?

Collison, a well-known NBA player, announced his retirement in 2019 for religious reasons.

Q: How many Jehovah’s Witnesses are in the US?

According to a report, there are over 1.3 million people in the US who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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