Answering to a Jehovahs Witness, Former Catholic

[AlphaFoxtrotNW]

Hi,

I need some help here, as you might have read from the title. I was approached by two kind individuals from the local Kingdom Hall, and me being as young and inexperienced as I am, was in a state of confusion as I never had met any witnesses before. after coming out of the fog of confusion, I chimed in that I was a practicing Catholic when they asked if I was religious, only to find that one of the individuals was indeed a former catholic as well. I have no idea how to evangelize the person, and I come here to hopefully find some sort of answer to this interesting conundrum. God Bless,

Alpha

 

[AlphaFoxtrotNW]

Hi,

I need some help here, as you might have read from the title. I was approached by two kind individuals from the local Kingdom Hall, and me being as young and inexperienced as I am, was in a state of confusion as I never had met any witnesses before. after coming out of the fog of confusion, I chimed in that I was a practicing Catholic when they asked if I was religious, only to find that one of the individuals was indeed a former catholic as well. I have no idea how to evangelize the person, and I come here to hopefully find some sort of answer to this interesting conundrum. God Bless,

Alpha

 

[Petaro]

Hi,

I need some help here, as you might have read from the title. I was approached by two kind individuals from the local Kingdom Hall, and me being as young and inexperienced as I am, was in a state of confusion as I never had met any witnesses before. after coming out of the fog of confusion, I chimed in that I was a practicing Catholic when they asked if I was religious, only to find that one of the individuals was indeed a former catholic as well. I have no idea how to evangelize the person, and I come here to hopefully find some sort of answer to this interesting conundrum. God Bless,

Alpha

Whilst I admire your intentions, sometimes it is better not to engage others in an area you may yet be unprepared to battle. It may be better to withdraw from the field until you feel better resourced to take up argument or attempt to evangelize others whose only intention is not to debate but to convert. Far better for the moment, possibly, is to pray for these JWs so they may see the error of losing the true Faith and return to the Sacraments. May God bless your intentions and your decision.

 

[Memaw]

Whilst I admire your intentions, sometimes it is better not to engage others in an area you may yet be unprepared to battle. It may be better to withdraw from the field until you feel better resourced to take up argument or attempt to evangelize others whose only intention is not to debate but to convert. Far better for the moment, possibly, is to pray for these JWs so they may see the error of losing the true Faith and return to the Sacraments. May God bless your intentions and your decision.

After several visits of two JW ladies, one of them told me she used to be Catholic, made her first Communion, and Confirmation. And when I started to ask her how she could ever give up receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion, they got up and left suddenly and never came back. Not only that but I have NEVER had a JW at my door since and that was over 20 years ago. We have a Kingdom Hall not to far from where I live and I used to get them lots, before that happened. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Memaw’s can be a good ploy particularly since some of those people casually importune and it doesn’t matter to them if they want to put you on their ignore list.

As to a person “losing the true faith”, as God is notorious for writing straight with crooked lines, it’s right to pray. Maybe they will chuckle in later years, “God allowed me to make myself known to a Catholic as having been Catholic myself and that meant I got prayed for, with results you see”, or, “I was astounded to meet someone that had continued being Catholic!”

A great many of us who were semi-catechised and semi-believing, wandered for years and decades in sects, cults and worldliness, seemingly haphazardly exploring issues. That was God’s way of giving us time and space like the Israelites went through. It is urgent though so we must put it in His hands. If she comes back and you can’t think of anything else, perhaps tell her exactly those things.

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

After several visits of two JW ladies, one of them told me she used to be Catholic, made her first Communion, and Confirmation. And when I started to ask her how she could ever give up receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion, they got up and left suddenly …

Maybe she had secretly yearned for more catechesis and turned it against herself in shame . . .

You no doubt gave her an idea but she prefers to pursue it elsewhere.

 

[TARRAT]

It would help if you were more specific. Was there something in particular that was brought up that troubled you. Hopefully if they asked you questions that you were able to answer, something I found to be helpful would be to say to the former catholic “but of course you already knew that.”.

Specifics would help to get other responses.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Read John 6: 20-70

[Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, etc.]

Memorize and read up on that particular passage.

THAT is the essence of Catholic worship.

There is also a little booklet from Tan Books: “The Holy Eucharist: our all” by Father Lucas Etlin. On the front cover is an excellent photo of the Holy Eucharist in a Monstrance.

I keep a couple of these booklets by the front door and present them to visitors from the Jehovah Witnesses. [Also give them to Mormons.]

Just for my own information which helps me to discuss and debate, Karl Keating wrote an amazing book, “What Catholics Really Believe – 52 Answers to Common Misconceptions” [or some similar title]

But the best is John 6 and when I bring it up, I address it to the younger person who is along with the main JW person. A lot of these people are Catholics who have NO IDEA, so it is up to us to educate them. To give them a clue.

 

[AlphaFoxtrotNW]

Thank you all for answering, and I realize I made a small mistake due to server lag and now theres three of these posts in the forum insertfacepalmhere. Besides that, I have considered offering materials of my own, such as Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission or similar books as they were part of my parish’s Lenten Study Group, though I did not know how to bring it up in conversation. I also got to meet her husband in a recent visit and this made me more unsure about approaching this subject as I felt… intimidated? or something. Maybe I am really too meek to approach this subject with them:shrug:

 

[signit]

Thank you all for answering, and I realize I made a small mistake due to server lag and now theres three of these posts in the forum insertfacepalmhere. Besides that, I have considered offering materials of my own, such as Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission or similar books as they were part of my parish’s Lenten Study Group, though I did not know how to bring it up in conversation. I also got to meet her husband in a recent visit and this made me more unsure about approaching this subject as I felt… intimidated? or something. Maybe I am really too meek to approach this subject with them:shrug:

Good luck with this.

It’s my experience that they won’t read other people’s religious materials as they’re told not to do so by their leaders. My aunt in fact once told them “I’ll read that if you read this!” and asked them to read her Catholic literature, and they simply left and wouldn’t do it.

Whilst I admire your intentions, sometimes it is better not to engage others in an area you may yet be unprepared to battle. It may be better to withdraw from the field until you feel better resourced to take up argument or attempt to evangelize others whose only intention is not to debate but to convert. Far better for the moment, possibly, is to pray for these JWs so they may see the error of losing the true Faith and return to the Sacraments. May God bless your intentions and your decision.

I tend to agree.

It’s important to remember that the people coming to your door are highly sophisticated. They know the passages from the Bible that show what they want them to say; they know the passages that mainstream Christians use to support their beliefs and they have arguments to “explain them away.”