Jehovah’s Witnesses have a very low view of the Christian church, and especially the Roman Catholic Church. Together they are lumped into the general term “Christendom,” but they will single out particular denominations when convenient. The Church in general is a part of Satan’s organization in their view.
The ancient city of Babylon was founded by Nimrod upon rebellion against God. In later years it became a world power, the outstanding feature of which was religion. It suffered a fall to the Persian World Power in 539 B.C.E., though the city still remained. Its religion, which had already affected all pagan religions, survived and, in the fourth century C.E., maneuvered so as to get control of apostate Christianity.* This development has been especially marked in the Catholic section of Christendom. (Watchtower Magazine 5/15/66 p. 307)
Controlling all worldly religions and from the very beginning carrying out the will of its god, Satan the Devil, to fight the true worshipers of the Almighty God Jehovah, Babylon has been a religious empire. So Babylon the Great is bigger than the Catholic church or than all Christendom. It is the WORLD EMPIRE OF FALSE RELIGION. This includes all the religions of the world that have as a foundation the religious teachings and practices of ancient Babylon. It is, like Nimrod, “in opposition to Jehovah.” Although Babylon the Great is a religious empire, it has become commercial and political in itself and has formed alliances with the political and commercial elements of the Gentile world. As in an empire one section may try to gain the dominance, so in Babylon the Great one religious sect may try to gain the powerful position of domination over the whole realm of religion. Christendom has been the most aggressive part of Babylon the Great, Roman Catholicism taking the lead. (WT 5/15/66. p. 309)
All the Rulers of the earth, particularly of “Christendom”, so called, are spiritual fornicators. (Light, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1930, p. 325)
What an awe-striking end that prophecy portends for the modern-day “land of Edom,” namely, Christendom! It may strike the religionists with horror to think that Christendom, with her tremendous church population, her wealth and her religious buildings and institutions should come to such an end, with no hope of reconstruction. But just as certainly as the prophecy had its miniature fulfillment upon that now extinct people of Edom, just so surely will prophecy have a final and complete major fulfillment upon Edomitish Christendom. For, just as it is said with respect to the destruction of Babylonthe Great, “Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong.”—Revelation 18:8. (Man’s Salvation out of World Distress at Hand, WTBTS, 1975, p. 231, 232 also https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101975073?q=Babylon+Christendom&p=par)
Revelation 18:8 (ESV)
8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
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