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robbie20
Guest
All you need to know is that I’m actually finding my way back to the mother churchI’ve never heard of “Independent Catholic”. What’s that?
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Little_Mary
Guest
OK thanks for the reply. Just wasn’t sure what it meant.All you need to know is that I’m actually finding my way back to the mother church
Peace
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sedonaman
Guest
The following are my observations as a result of encounters with JWs, but they can apply to other groups as well:
Some Catholics [moi included] figure that if you tell them you are Catholic, they will assume you are firm in your faith, thank you, and be on their way. However, this is not the case. JWs consider the Catholic Church a main target. One of them, upon hearing I was a Catholic, immediately said, “Oh, I used to be Catholic, too!” Quite the salesman!
There is a Catholic website that will give you an insight to JW, but in order to carry out the various strategies for countering their arguments, you have to be as practiced as they are. Few are ready to commit that much time preparing for an event that happens unexpectedly only once or twice a year. They seem to have a different question they open with each week. They rehearse these with fellow JWs and try to anticipate what the prospect will ask at different places in their pitch and develop a response.
Sample Openings
Five openings are given under the heading “Bible/God.” The first reads this way: “Hello. I’m making just a brief call to share an important message with you. Please note what it says here in the Bible. (Read Scripture, such as Revelation 21:3-4.) What do you think about that? Does it sound good to you?”
Notice the hook: “an important message.” It works for the advertising industry; why not in this context? Then come the Bible verses, followed by questions. The missionaries don’t tell their listener what to think – at least not at this point. Instead, they elicit his views. Once he gives them, it’s awkward for him to back out of the conversation. They can toss out a few more questions, then make their point.
Notice also in this example and in many of the ones which follow, JWs typically ask prospective converts for their own opinion or feeling on a theological matter. The advantage this approach has for JWs is that virtually everyone has some kind of opinion on the subject matter presented, so this approach practically guarantees that JWs can successfully engage a person in a dialogue. Once the dialogue has been established, the JW is then on his way to potentially making a convert. Fortunately for the JW, the average person fails to realize that theological or religious truth does not depend on one’s mere opinion or feeling.
Strategies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
catholic.com/library/Strategies_of_Jehovah_Witness.asp
History of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
catholic.com/library/History_of_the_Jehovah_Witnesesses.asp
Stumpers for the Jehovah’s Witnesses
catholic.com/library/Stumpers_for_Jehovah_Witnesse.asp
One approach I’ve tried with some success is to let them do all the talking, and I mean all of it. Don’t answer any questions, don’t agree or disagree, don’t even say “yes” or “no”. Whenever you even ask a question, you are giving them information. IOW, Let them make their case.Five openings are given under the heading “Bible/God.” The first reads this way: “Hello. I’m making just a brief call to share an important message with you. Please note what it says here in the Bible. (Read Scripture, such as Revelation 21:3-4.) What do you think about that? Does it sound good to you?”
Notice the hook: “an important message.” It works for the advertising industry; why not in this context? Then come the Bible verses, followed by questions. The missionaries don’t tell their listener what to think – at least not at this point. Instead, they elicit his views. Once he gives them, it’s awkward for him to back out of the conversation. They can toss out a few more questions, then make their point.
Notice also in this example and in many of the ones which follow, JWs typically ask prospective converts for their own opinion or feeling on a theological matter. The advantage this approach has for JWs is that virtually everyone has some kind of opinion on the subject matter presented, so this approach practically guarantees that JWs can successfully engage a person in a dialogue. Once the dialogue has been established, the JW is then on his way to potentially making a convert. Fortunately for the JW, the average person fails to realize that theological or religious truth does not depend on one’s mere opinion or feeling.
Strategies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
catholic.com/library/Strategies_of_Jehovah_Witness.asp
History of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
catholic.com/library/History_of_the_Jehovah_Witnesesses.asp
Stumpers for the Jehovah’s Witnesses
catholic.com/library/Stumpers_for_Jehovah_Witnesse.asp
Alternatively, if they bother you as much as it appears, don’t answer the door.
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Nicea325
Guest
I get rid of JW’s very quick. When they read from their perverted Bible, I usually ask them:
What makes you believe your interpretation is correct?
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sedonaman
Guest
Yeah. Before she could barely get it open, I once told a JW, “I don’t accept the authority of your Bible”. She never came back.I get rid of JW’s very quick. When they read from their perverted Bible, I usually ask them:
What makes you believe your interpretation is correct?
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Nicea325
Guest
Good for you. At times I ask him,her or them:
May I look at your Bible?
JW: Sure…not a problem.
I’ll open the Bible to section they have not “rehearsed” and ask him, her or them:
May you please tell me what this passage is referring to?
JW: :ehh:
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sedonaman
Guest
Good. There is one passage, in Revelation I believe, that is a real stumper for them, but I can’t remember which. I’ll keep looking.
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awantz
Guest
Challenge them. I’ve had a similar situation. As for your neighbors, you’ll just have to show your neighbors how wrong they are, by your actions.
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Angela77
Guest
Prepare a packet about Catholicism for her— reverse door to door evangelization.
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Loboto-Me
Guest
Actually, the school NEVER sends little ones to knock on door unattended. You know as well as I do that it’s the parents that send their young ones unattended because going door to door is not something that Catholic schools do. This is something that the parents allow as an after school thing, and it’s up to the parents to use due diligence on supervision. It’s an extra curricular thing.LOL, my Catholic school used to send use 1st-6th graders knocking on doors, unsupervised, selling chocolate door to door.
Is dropping literature any worse than selling candy?
Now as soon as I saw this post, I felt a need to make sure you’re being honest with what you said. Nothing like a little bit of truth interspersed with a twist or two eh? If someone already addressed this, my apologies, I did jump to it right away.
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Nicea325
Guest
Oh probably has to to do with the JW denial of the immortality of the soul.
In fact, the souls live past the death of the bodies, since John "saw . . . the souls of those slaughtered . . . and they cried with a loud voice, saying . . . and they were told . . . " (Rev. 6:9-11). Because the soul does not die with the flesh, those in heaven are able to offer our prayers to God (Rev. 5:8), and live in happiness (Rev. 14:13).
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JustaServant
Guest
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trizzlerox
Guest
Catholicism is a lie. Catholics take the bible too strictly. The only persOn you should pray to is god. Confession? The way a priest can get gossip. Screw this.
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ExplosiveOxygen
Guest
A priest is bound to keep your confession between you and God, not to talk about it like a tabloid…
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sallybutler
Guest
And I keep hearing that we don’t take the bible strictly enough. I keep getting asked “is that in the bible?” or “the bible is banned by the Catholic Church”
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Tony888
Guest
ROFL,
trizzlerox,
I beg you to stop reading J**ack Chick tracts **
They are not a source of truth on the Catholic Church.
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KathleenGee
Guest
I had some fellows come to my house from the local bible college. When they found out I was Catholic, they told me how the priesthood led to sex abuse .
Another of the same Bible college up in Seattle was teaching their students how the rosary is probably used like the Buddhist monks used theirs…to do impure acts with…
I slammed the door on their face.
Only in America do you see ‘Christianity’ like this.
Part of their foundation is anti-Catholicism, ignorance, bigotry.
I had two JW’s come to my parents’ house to visit with my mother. She had their Watchtower dropped off. My parents like to discuss things. Anyway, these two men came, were respectful…but I didn’t talk about the Bible. I asked them what they thought reality was. They couldn’t answer. I said you have to study the Bible in reality…how it is really meant. And I had to go…that was it.
Another of the same Bible college up in Seattle was teaching their students how the rosary is probably used like the Buddhist monks used theirs…to do impure acts with…
I slammed the door on their face.
Only in America do you see ‘Christianity’ like this.
Part of their foundation is anti-Catholicism, ignorance, bigotry.
I had two JW’s come to my parents’ house to visit with my mother. She had their Watchtower dropped off. My parents like to discuss things. Anyway, these two men came, were respectful…but I didn’t talk about the Bible. I asked them what they thought reality was. They couldn’t answer. I said you have to study the Bible in reality…how it is really meant. And I had to go…that was it.
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Darran
Guest
I would have thrown them out of the street howling. That is ridiculous.
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Izdaari
Guest
I’m from Seattle. I’d be really curious what Bible college they were from.
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KathleenGee
Guest
That happened some time in the early 80’s. Can’t remember for sure…there are several…but it was one of those non-academic sects…Seattle Pacific U has a relatively good theology department.
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