JWs teach that after the death of the apostles, a 'Great Apostasy' corrupted Christianity and true worship disappeared from the earth for nearly 1,800 years. In 1919, Jesus inspected all religious groups and selected the Bible Students (now JWs) as his 'faithful and discreet slave.' All other religions — Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and non- Christian — are part of 'Babylon the Great,' a world empire of false religion under Satan's control. Babylon the Great will be destroyed by the United Nations as the first phase of the Great Tribulation. No interfaith dialogue or ecumenical cooperation is permitted.
Why This Matters
Jesus promised, 'I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it' (). If a Great Apostasy eliminated true Christianity for 1,800 years, the gates of Hades DID prevail — and Jesus' promise failed. The 1919 'inspection' claim is unfalsifiable and self-serving: the Watchtower claims Jesus chose them but provides no external evidence. At the time of the supposed inspection (1918–1919), the Bible Students were teaching that Christ had returned in 1874, that Armageddon would come in 1914, and that the ancient patriarchs would be resurrected in 1925 — all false. If Jesus inspected their teachings and approved them, he approved error. The historical record shows an unbroken chain of Christian witness from the apostles through the patristic period to today — there was no gap requiring a 19th-century restoration.
Watchtower Sources
What Does the Bible Really Teach?, ch. 15
Reasoning From the Scriptures, pp. 323–328
The Watchtower, February 15, 2012, p. 22
Also Known As
only true religionBabylon the Greatgreat apostasytrue worshiptrue religionfalse religionapostate ChristianityChristendomworld empire of false religion1919 inspectionchosen in 1919restoration of true worshiponly JWs trueall other religions falseinterfaith forbiddenecumenismexclusive religionno salvation outside orgone true religion JWJehovah's Witnesses only true religionJW exclusivity claimis JW the only true faithonly true faith