A Brief Beginning: How the Jehovah’s Witness Movement Began
To understand how Jehovah’s Witnesses came to their present day position on cremation, it is helpful to first look briefly at the origins of the movement itself. The movement that eventually became known as Jehovah’s Witnesses began in the 1870’s in the United States, emerging from a Bible study movement in which Charles Taze Russell was a prominent figure and the “prime mover” of the early group, he and several associates. Russell began publishing Zion’s Watch Tower in 1879, and the organization that developed around the movement became known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in the 1880’s. The Jehovah’s Witnesses today do not describe Russell as the founder of a new religion (jw.org).
1880s- The Watch Tower Organization Develops
The movement expanded during the 1880s. According to the organizations own historical account, the Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society was formed in 1881 and incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1884, with Russell serving as president. At this point, it is important to remember that the organization had not yet adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses.
1916-1917- Leadership Changes
Charles Taze Russell died in 1916. The following year, Joseph F. Rutherford succeeded him as president of the Watch Tower Society. The organization underwent significant changes during Rutherford’s leadership.
This period is particularly important when examining historical changes in doctrine and practice because the movement’s organization, preaching methods, publications, and terminology continued to develop.
1931- The Name “Jehovah’s Witnesses”
In 1931, during Rutherford’s presidency, the Bible Students associated with the Watch Tower movement adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses. The organization says the name was based on Isaiah 43:10-12 (jw.org). This date provides an important dividing line for historical research. Earlier publications should not automatically be described as publications of the “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” because the movement was then known primarily as the Bible Students and the Watch Tower movement.
The Cremation Question
This brings us to the central question of this article:
What did the early Bible Students and Watch Tower publication teach about cremation? And more importantly: Did their position remain the same throughout the movement’s history, or did it develop over time?
The Watch Towers own publication index contains references to cremation dating back to 1935, as well as later discussions in 1947, 1956, 1965, 1976, and subsequent years. That makes it possible to examine the subject chronologically rather than relying solely on the position expressed by Jehovah’s Witnesses today.
False Prophets/Teachers of Christianity 
The thing is (In my own opinion) the Jw’s started out back in the day—– way back in the day before they were called Jehovah’s witnesses, legit. They followed the “old testament” and the religious Jews were their role models. The men and women dressed very modestly and just as their founders proclaimed, they brought back ancient Christianity (the ancient Christians were Jews). But, of course like any and every other man made religion the rules changed and things got weird. Someone with a revelation called into the watchtower program and pointed out that God didn’t command cremation or burial. Not only do they support cremation now, the dress code is no longer modest dress attire. You can see hips and booties where the JW women are wearing the dresses way too tight! And now they are wearing pants, which was never that way before with this group. I at least respected that they dressed classy and modest, not anymore. And now they refer to Jesus as the Messiah! Back in the day you would NEVER hear the name Jesus, much less him being a messiah! Sheesh! It’s a pity that these religions that were founded by man are all unreliable in that their rules are always changing! The standards are always being comprimised. God does not change! His standards have not changed! What was sin then is still sin today, I don’t understand why that’s so hard for Christians to understand. The founder Taze at least had enough sense to get buried, and he did it because he truly followed in the footsteps of the Jews and knew that God wants us all to be buried. At the end of the day, Christians do what they want to do and find some way to blame it on God. What a crying shame.
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I remember as a child whenever we saw the Jehovah witnesses coming our Mama would make us go inside and lock the door. She told us to never talk to them because they were a cult. As I grew older I learned that every sect of Christianity is a cult. Anyway, not to derail the post, some things just come natural- it’s built in us like a cat’s instinct to nurse it’s kittens- no one taught the cat to do it. That’s the way I see burial, you just KNOW that it’s the right thing to do! The deal is that everyone is following the masses even if they have doubts about that decision. How can anyone in their right mind think or believe that cremation is natural?! It’s not like there wasn’t fire during the time of Noah, and Abraham. Why say you “believe in God” when you’re not following the examples that he left behind for us to learn from? Christianity is a confused religion to say the least.
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