Random Rules And Rituals Jehovah's Witnesses Must Follow (15 items)

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  (#4) They Believe Satan Wields Power Over The Earth

  Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the world is currently under the dominion of "someone evil," and that things such as patriotism are a direct affront to Jehovah, to whom they are trying to return power.  

  This is one reason why Witnesses are so dedicated to going door-to-door – they are recruiting people into their religion and away from the Devil. 
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  (#1) They Consider Saluting The American Flag To Be Idol Worship

  Among the many traditional "American" customs from which Jehovah's Witnesses refrain, one of the most noteworthy and controversial is their refusal to salute the American flag.

  Giving reverence to a flag when done in ceremony – which includes bowing, saluting, or pledging to it – is seen as idol worship, something strictly forbidden by their scripture.
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  (#3) They Can Die From Refusing Blood Transfusions

  In accordance with their religious law, Witnesses traditionally cannot accept any blood products, even when a blood transfusion could be life-saving. According to the Old and New Testaments, God's people are to abstain from consuming blood in any form, especially since they believe that blood represents life – to give blood would be to give life, a task they believe is always and only God's. 

  One woman passed away one week after giving birth because she refused a blood transfusion on religious grounds, despite her doctors' pleas that the treatment was her only option.
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  (#13) They're Not Allowed To Smoke

  While many non-Witnesses avoid smoking for health purposes, Jehovah's Witnesses are directly prohibited from smoking or consuming any tobacco and cannabis products. Rather than solely citing the physical risks of the habit, they claim that, because tobacco and similar products are addictive, they distract from a member's focus on God. 

  The main organizational branch offers multiple resources for how to quit smoking.
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  (#12) They Have To Fill Out Service Reports

  Every month, Jehovah's Witnesses are required to fill out service reports. These accounts include statistics on how many hours they spent on door-to-door ministry and how much paraphernalia they distributed. The Society's elders receive these reports, and take note of who is falling behind their national average, recorded at one point to be approximately 10 hours a month.
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  (#5) They Don't Celebrate Birthdays

  Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate any holidays, a category which they believe includes birthdays.

  The basis for this belief originates from several sources: primarily, they believe the celebration of birthdays stems from pagan rituals. Well-wishes made on a person's birthday were historically meant to ward off evil spirits that are non-canonical to the Witnesses' theology; secondarily, they believe celebrating a birth detracts from the significance of celebrating Jesus' death, an event which they believe enables their salvation and is integral to their holistic belief system.

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