Jehovah's Witnesses

[scottmaciver]

Has anyone had much dealings with the Jehovah's Witnesses?

I wrote this article (Here) after two of them knocked on my door a few weeks ago. They have a great zeal, but they are to be pitied. They have a church building a stones throw from my home. To my shame, I must admit that I often want to avoid them, as they are very difficult to reason with.

 

[ZackF]

They never come when I am home.

 

[Edward]

My father used to tell JWs that he'd be happy to listen to them when they brought a card showing that they had donated a pint of blood at the blood bank. They never came back with a card.

 

[jwithnell]

We haven't seen anyone in a while. Perhaps we're viewed as a lost cause? My youngest kids used to guess which heresy I was engaging based upon what they were hearing from my end of the conversation.

 

[dsanch1120]

I’ve heard that their strategy has changed posted-Covid. I’ve never had one knock at my door, however I have seen them set up a booth outside the library down the street from me. I wish I had spoken to them, though I imagine there will be more opportunities.

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

I've had quite a bit of interaction with them. When they are out witnessing, it only ever turns into a doctrinal debate. When they are out witnessing, I have never seen them let down their defense and be open and willing to listen. It's basically like a salesperson giving their spiel. They are basically trained in a few doctrines, and study their position on those doctrines like crazy.

On top of their heretical doctrines, what is really a shame is how they treat those in their family who join another faith. I've often heard of them shunning even their own family who leave the Jehovah's Witness faith.

Just like a true cult.

 

[MyCrows]

Has anyone had much dealings with the Jehovah's Witnesses?

I wrote this article (Here) after two of them knocked on my door a few weeks ago. They have a great zeal, but they are to be pitied. They have a church building a stones throw from my home. To my shame, I must admit that I often want to avoid them, as they are very difficult to reason with.

That's a well written article I think. A good primer and overview of the JWs beliefs, and easy to understand.

I’ve heard that their strategy has changed posted-Covid. I’ve never had one knock at my door, however I have seen them set up a booth outside the library down the street from me. I wish I had spoken to them, though I imagine there will be more opportunities.

Can confirm this in my area. They have not stopped by in person whatsoever that I know of, but rather send out written invitations to meet with them. I've actually never had any communication with them on a personal level.

 

[VictorBravo]

They pounced on us when we moved here 13 years ago. I wasn’t home, so the group of 4 encountered my wife…to their dismay.

Lauren had been reading Pilgrim’s Progress and adopted the greeting of “Welcome in the name of our Lord Jesus” when strangers came by. The lead JW said, “we come in the name of Jehovah.”

Lauren picked up on that and said, “if you seek to teach anti-trinitarian lies, leave now with your heresies. I am commanded by God to reject you!”

I wish I had been there to see it. There must now be an X on the local JW map because they’ve never come back.

 

[Deleted member 13126]

Has anyone had much dealings with the Jehovah's Witnesses?

I wrote this article (Here) after two of them knocked on my door a few weeks ago. They have a great zeal, but they are to be pitied. They have a church building a stones throw from my home. To my shame, I must admit that I often want to avoid them, as they are very difficult to reason with.

Many interactions in public. I routinely seek them out. They won’t take tracts per direction from HQ in Brooklyn. They speak of their past errors as a group as being remedied over time as “the light gets brighter” but in many instances the light is flickering. One key example is how the Watchtower has repeatedly flip-flopped on the question of whether Sodomites will be resurrected, having already experienced God’s judgment. There is a very inexpensive eBook on Kindle that is wonderful reference material, just search for a title along the lines of “Index of Watchtower Errors.” There is also a Bible called a “Doorstep Bible” which you can think of like a KJV Study Bible with Mornon/LDS and JW apologetics content in the margins.

Their heretical views also lead them to struggle with Thomas’s exclamation “my Lord and my God” as well as basically all of Hebrews. Jesus can’t be Michael the Archangel for many reasons, but in particular the qualifications for a High Priest require that he be human. The God-Man Jesus Christ meets this criteria, whereas an angel can’t. Their slave class (everyone in excess of the original 144,000) has no heavenly hope. Many, many grievous errors abound in their cult. Brooklyn lies.

May they all repent.

 

[Deleted member 13126]

On top of their heretical doctrines, what is really a shame is how they treat those in their family who join another faith. I've often heard of them shunning even their own family who leave the Jehovah's Witness faith.

This is one area where cults and anabaptists have shamefully one-upped many genuine believers. Biblically, we are commanded to separate from at least six different types of professing believers. Quoting Moritz in Be Ye Holy:

1. The sinning brother—Sin by one brother against another about which the sinning brother will not be reconciled (Matt. 18:15–17).

2. The immoral brother—Moral sins that the sinning brother continues to practice. These are fornication, covetousness, railing, drunkenness, and extortion (1 Cor. 5:11).

3. The unequally yoked brother—The doctrinal, or theological, error of idolatry, or being unequally yoked with unbelievers (1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Cor. 6:14).

4. The lazy brother—The sin of laziness in which the brother will not work for a living (2 Thess. 3:6–15).

5. The disobedient brother—Open disobedience to Scripture (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6–14).

6. The heretical brother—Heresy, or deviant doctrine, that is promoted out of self-willed divisiveness (Titus 3:10).

Yet the doctrine of separation or non-fellowship is so often practiced by cults rather than Christians. It’s disappointing that blood is so often thicker than theology.

Perhaps we’ve forgotten the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 12:52, Mark 10:29-30 and other such texts.

 

[timfost]

I normally use the opportunity to tell them about the Jesus who is God. I explain that the NWT is not a true translation since words/meanings are changed to support the doctrine against Jesus. I then offer Christ to them with the promise of salvation if they believe.

No one was ever converted on the spot, but I hope to plant seeds, or at least put a pebble in their shoe. I pity them and desire that they know the Jesus who can give true rest to their souls.

 

[Jake]

I’ve heard that their strategy has changed posted-Covid. I’ve never had one knock at my door, however I have seen them set up a booth outside the library down the street from me. I wish I had spoken to them, though I imagine there will be more opportunities.

I've seen more of this. JWs have booths with information out frequently in two town squares where I go to lunch. They look like they are waiting to be spoken to. I've even seen this elsewhere -- I was in San Diego for work. I took a long walk around the city on a Saturday afternoon and saw many JW booths setup all around town. There were also some orthodox street preachers.

That said, we did have a brief visit by some JWs recently to our house. They didn't seem too interested in engaging and just gave us some pamphlets.

 

[alexanderjames]

This is a very timely thread. I had a conversation with a work colleague the other day who is a professing Christian but has been significantly influenced by JWs recently. One of his main arguments for believing their doctrine is their apparent sincerity and kindness.

 

[Northern Crofter]

Has anyone had much dealings with the Jehovah's Witnesses?

I wrote this article (Here) after two of them knocked on my door a few weeks ago. They have a great zeal, but they are to be pitied. They have a church building a stones throw from my home. To my shame, I must admit that I often want to avoid them, as they are very difficult to reason with.

I haven't had a visit from JWs or Mormons in many years. I do believe this is probably true:

There must now be an X on the local JW map because they’ve never come back.

But, like others above, I do encounter them from time to time (they have a booth at our county fair, for example). I try to always talk to them as long as possible (at home or out in public) because it means they are not talking to someone else. Though there is a caution here - when I was young, my father, a minister, invited a pair that knocked on our door to come inside. While discussing a passage of Scripture that points to Christ's divinity, one of them said, "That's not what it says in the Greek." I remember my father responding by pulling his Greek text from his briefcase and saying, "Could you show me?" The false teacher could not even locate the epistle they were discussing. They promptly left. And then went to our neighbor and said, "We just had a wonderful conversation with the Rev. next door." After that, my father would not invite them in, sending them from our doorstep by quoting 2 John v.10: "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not to house, neither bid him Godspeed." I have somewhat learned from that and talk to them on our porch - I apologize that I can't invite them in but don't explain why (I think they must know because they never ask).

When I encounter them, I always begin by quoting Acts 16:30: "What must I do to be saved?" And they always say "Believe that Jesus died for you." And then I say, "But I thought you folks don't believe Christ is God?" And then we talk about Who Christ is. They are well-versed in responding to the common appeals to passages like the opening of John's epistle. So I start with the Law and ask if they agree that the penalty for sin is death (which they agree with) - I often quote Exodus 21.23: "But if death follow, then thou shalt pay life for life." So I ask them, which one of us did Jesus die for? And I go to Romans 5:7: "Doubtless one will scarce die for a righteous man: but yet for a good man it may be that one dare die." I am simply pointing out that, only God has the power to save so if Jesus is not God, He cannot save - if He is a created being, then He can only give His life for one other person. This is the discussion I had the last time the JWs/Mormons (I can't remember which it was - pretty sure it was the JWs) knocked on our door. Note that they come in pairs because one is a novice learning the ropes from the other - when I had this discussion about Christ, the novice turned to the other and asked him why she had never heard this before. He then thanked me for my time and asked if they could return with their bishop. I agreed and they returned a week later (the pair plus the bishop). We had the same discussion, though briefer, and I am pretty sure I was anathematized at the end by the perturbed bishop. That was years ago and no visits since. I think there is an X on a map somewhere in HQ. I always offered to end our discussion with prayer and they always decline (the bishop seemed very offended by this, but he was already worked up by not having an answer for my question about how Christ could die for more than one person if He was a created being - which I found odd because surely he knew that question was coming...).

They do seem to target people shortly after they first move in to a new home - I'm not sure how they know (realtors in their camp? public records?) but if you are moving, consider brushing up on your witness to our lost friends (I do try to address them as friends and remain friendly).

 

[toledomudhen]

Has anyone had much dealings with the Jehovah's Witnesses?

I wrote this article (Here) after two of them knocked on my door a few weeks ago. They have a great zeal, but they are to be pitied. They have a church building a stones throw from my home. To my shame, I must admit that I often want to avoid them, as they are very difficult to reason with.

I always try to engage them, but they don't come to my home anymore. I'm probably on their "apostate list". My grandfather was an elder, trained in their Brooklyn headquarters. My dad is still practicing. However, I was never baptized in their organization, so they are not required to shun me.

Generally, they are trained to avoid disputes. They have a pitch that they go over before they head out for the day. If you vary too much from that, you're likely to meet a dead end. So the way I deal with it is as follows...

Them: Have you ever wondered why there is so much death and suffering in this world?
Me: No. I read the Bible, and this started all the way back in the Garden of Eden. (This is my entry into the gospel, which I then deliver to them.)
Them: Thanks for your time. Have a good day.

 

[Deleted member 6112]

I had a visit from some last week. As usual one (a lady, in this case) was doing all the talking. I warned her that she was deceived. After some back-and-forth (during which I remained on the offensive, endeavoring to shake her confidence in the lies she's been indoctrinated with), I straightly warned her, "This cult will lead you to hell." Her response: "Well, the hell we believe in is temporary, anyway." She shrugged her shoulders and left. Very sad.