How would YOU witness to a witness?

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Marilena

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Iam wondering how all of you witness to the witnesses? do you have a Bible in hand when they knock on your door? Do you have questions ready for them when they come?

Or do you just casually question them? My way of witnessing to a witness is casual. I mentally prepare myself for when the door gets the knock, or the doorbell rings.

We always start off on a casual topic. I save the serious stuff for when i know the witness better. Now that i have met a lady witness, iam ready to start questioning her on her beliefs, and yes iam fully prepared.

do some of you just hop right into the topic you want to speak with them about? or do you ask them to come back at another time?

i’d like to ask you to share your expiences here if you would like to do so:)
 
Marilena said:
Iam wondering how all of you witness to the witnesses? do you have a Bible in hand when they knock on your door? Do you have questions ready for them when they come?

Or do you just casually question them? My way of witnessing to a witness is casual. I mentally prepare myself for when the door gets the knock, or the doorbell rings.

We always start off on a casual topic. I save the serious stuff for when i know the witness better. Now that i have met a lady witness, iam ready to start questioning her on her beliefs, and yes iam fully prepared.

do some of you just hop right into the topic you want to speak with them about? or do you ask them to come back at another time?

i’d like to ask you to share your expiences here if you would like to do so:)
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Last time I encoutered one was when I was like 12?
Even then I outsmarted them 😉

If I met one these days, It’d be a fun conversation.
I wouldn’t really go into theology, but I’d throw little pokes like “when’s the end of the world this time?” 😃
 
eleonardo said:
Last time I encoutered one was when I was like 12?
Even then I outsmarted them 😉

If I met one these days, It’d be a fun conversation.
I wouldn’t really go into theology, but I’d throw little pokes like “when’s the end of the world this time?” 😃
Click to expand...
😃
 
We live in a gated community… so that’s one aspect we don’t have to deal with. Although I think I’d welcome the conversation…
With a copy of the Catechism and the Bible in hand, of course!
 
Em_in_FL said:
We live in a gated community… so that’s one aspect we don’t have to deal with. Although I think I’d welcome the conversation…
With a copy of the Catechism and the Bible in hand, of course!
Click to expand...
good choice! 👍
 
I’ve always found that telling them that we’re Catholic causes them to go away.
 
I’d like to suggest a little exercise before people witness to a Witness. Go to the bathroom mirror, look yourself in the eye, and tell yourself that everything you believe is wrong, that everything you’ve set your hopes and dreams on is wrong, that “reality as we know it” just ain’t so, and that you’ve got to start all over again, but you don’t know exactly where.

How’s it feel? That’s what you’re dealing with when you try to “prove” a Witness wrong. No matter that they’re trying to do it to you in the first place. That’s beside the point. I’m assuming that the question is how to try to help them.

Imagine telling Gollum that he shouldn’t like the ring, or telling Sam that he shouldn’t be loyal to Frodo, or telling Aragorn that he shouldn’t be brave and true. That’s what you’re dealing with.

I look back at my own experiences. Witnesses are convinced that they’ve got the upper hand, doctrinally, over all other religions. They want to get you in a debate over doctrine. They think that by proving to you that they are “true”, and you are “false”, they will convince you to join their religion.

They know that there is an argument against them, but they “don’t go there”. They’ve been told not to “go there”. And lets be honest - how many of us go around looking for oppurtunities to challenge everything that we hold dear? One thing I’ve learned in my experience is that people have an extraordinary ability to rationalize and compartmentalize uncomfortable information. And who of us is completely exempt from that?

I have to say that the people who made the biggest impression on me were individuals who seemed at peace and content with their lives, and radiated that. People who seemed loving and kind. And, yes, it turned out that many of them were Catholics. But that’s something you can’t fake. If you truly love your religion, and it gives you peace, that will show and it will speak louder than any doctrinal arguments you can make.

Many Witnesses are hungry, I’m convinced, for something that will give them more peace than they’re getting now. Sure, the doctrinal arguments have their place… and they will come, in time. But a Witness has to be ready for them. Demonstrate that your religion gives you peace, makes you a kinder, more genuine, open, honest, and loving person, and it will attract them.

My :twocents:
 
I always invite the JW’s and Mormons in and at a minimum offer them a drink (not Scotch; come on now :p), although I have not seen either group in several years.

Since I am disfellowshipped JW I find it only fair that when speaking to JW’s I tell them that fairly early in the conversation.

I figure just the act of offering a drink and an invite into my house is a start to any conversation that may follow.
 
The last time a JW came to my door, I invited them in and had a pleasant discussion about God. They left me some of their literature and I invited them back for another discussion after I had a chance to read it. They came back and I gave them feedback on their literature, especially with regard to their faulty Christology. I also told them what I thought of their poorly translated Bible (New World Translation), and how I could not put much trust in their conflicting Watchtower interpretations.

I gave them some literature of my own, courtesy of Catholic Answers …Are They Awake on the WatchtowerDistinctive Beliefs of the Jehovah’s WitnessesThe God of the Jehovah’s WitnessesHistory of the Jehovah’s WitnesessesMore Stumpers for the Jehovah’s WitnessesStumpers for Jehovah’s Witnesses… and invited them back again. When they came back a third time, they brought a more experienced JW. She was more confrontational than the others, but when she realized that she wasn’t going to change my beliefs, she seemed eager to leave.

Since they knew I was a military guy, they had one final question before departing: How could I be Christian and be in the military?

I talked to them about Cornelius the centurion, the first gentile convert to Christianity named in Scripture, and other centurions in the NT who were never asked to quit the military to follow Christ.

Afterall, Christ said regarding a soldier, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” (Matt 8:10). It seemed clear to me that faith and military service are not incompatible.

I also wished I could talk about this passage…

St. Paul (Rom 13:3-4) stated: “princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil… He beareth not the sword in vain: for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil”;

It seems St. Paul is explicitly describing the use of the sword for those given the authority of the sovereign to execute wrath against evil as a function of his ministry from God.

Nonetheless, they seemed stumped or perhaps they were just plain tired of listening ot me. :o

See also: Strategies of Jehovah’s Witness
 
From my experience with door to door evangelists, I don’t get the chance to say much of anything before they launch into their little prepared speech. I had a couple of ladies with Watchtower pamphlets who used one of their very young daughters as tool to hand me their reading material. I suppose they thought I couldn’t refuse it from a child, but they were wrong. I politely told the child I didn’t want it, and looked the women straight in the eye to inform them I was happily Catholic and would they like to talk to me about that. They didn’t and left.

Another time I had a man and a woman who were determined, especially the man, to defame the Catholic Church to me. We talked for about 20 minutes on the doorstep and they left after hearing their objections met and answered in ways they never had before, I’m sure. We never heard from either group again.

I’ve also noticed that they usually come in twos, with one being an experienced campaigner and the other a novice evangelist. As I speak the truth to the campaigner, who always takes the lead, I keep an eye on the face of the novice, seeing what effect my words are having on him or her. I’ve seen surprise and reflection more than once, which gives me hope that some word or other hit home and made them rethink what they believe, or more properly, what they think they believe.

And when they are gone I always say a prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide these poor, misguided souls to the truth. Especially that they will be able to leave their prejudices behind and see things as they really are instead of what they’re told by their leaders and handlers.
 
They have only been to my house once. I was dusting my crucifix which I have by the front door, with a rosary that belonged to my ggf from Prague. I had them in my hand when I answered the door, and they took one look, and literally ran back down the sidewalk. Did I witness!!
Guess they thought I was going to put a curse on them. That was five years ago.
Prague
 
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