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

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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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  (#15) They Don't Serve In The Military

  The Jehovah's Witness mandate to avoid political action and association extends to military service, which presents in issue in countries with required armed service participation.

  South Korea, in particular, has faced problems of this nature in the past, as they historically considered conscientious objecting a crime; however, they legalized the position in November, 2018.
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  (#8) Door-To-Door Preaching Doesn't Stop On The Weekends

  Door-to-door evangelism, the act for which Jehovah's Witnesses are best known, is a full-time job, even for their youngest members. One former member of the group recalled preaching every single day of the week, even Saturdays and Sundays.

  "I barely got any sleep when I was a Witness... I needed the weekends to catch up on my sleep debt, but instead I had to get up at the crack of dawn to go out preaching...When you’re so exhausted you can barely stand up, it becomes absolute torture—both for you and the person you’re trying to recruit into a cult at 9AM on a Saturday."
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  (#9) They Require That A Chaperone Accompany Unmarried Couples On Dates

  In accordance with the Bible's doctrine, Jehovah's Witnesses abstain from premarital sex, and as an extension of that conviction, they also censure typical notions of dating. Instead, they generally engage in "courting," a more formal process which includes the attendance of a chaperone on all of a couple's outings prior to marriage.

  Even after marriage, Witnesses place several restrictions on sex, including the prohibition of anal and oral intercourse.
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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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  (#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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