JW's visiting -- who is evangelizing whom?

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Mamamull

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Hi,
I have two women from the local Kingdom Hall who have been visiting me – thanks to my friendly son who led them to our door. 😉

They visit, I tell of the special needs adoptions, the trials we have faced with grace and our participation in Eucharistic Adoration – except I reworded that to be our parish’s 24/7 prayer vigil.
I was wearing my earrings with the head portion of Our Lady of Guadalupe, too. Wondered if they knew just whom the earrings were in honor of. :hmmm:

OK so saying our Eucharistic Adoration program is just a prayer vigil is majorly watering it down, but I wanted them to actually hear that Catholics pray and at less than popular times of the day (Me 2:00AM Friday and DH 3:00AM on Saturdays) It is quiet and this mom loves that time to really enter into the Presence of our Lord. 👍

I have finally let them leave me a book – I want to gently enter into apologetics with them. I know that they don’t believe in Jesus --except as St. Michael the Archangel. I happen to have a real fondness for good St. Michael so I would like to tell them of my love for him and how much I rely on his aid, but in no way is he the Savior of the world.

Now since they don’t have a Savior and their name for God is a corruption of Yahweh – may I speak of the Blessed Trinity as God and not be selling our concept too short?

They showed me a kids book – cool for me that is my level of apologetics probably – and the story of Lazarus being raised bodily and not spiritually. I would love to tell them about the glorious Assumption of the Blessed Mother. There major contention was that we will not be raised as mere spirits – but I didn’t take them on today. (the afore mentioned adopted sons were sparring – new kid wasn’t feeling, I think.)

So, aside from trying to not get too bogged down with our scriptures vs their take on the scriptures. Where would you suggest I start my defense or catechism?

So far, when they leave and tell me how much they look forward to visiting and what a spiritual lift they experience. I want to take that statement someday and tell them why they find me edifying – my devotions to Our Lady and her spouse, the Holy Spirit whom I ask to shine forth and compensate for this poor sinners faults. But I am sure that will be a hard concept to explain.
 
Oh where to even begin? I was a JW for many years so I know what they’re talking about when they back into their car & drive away. They are talking about how excited they are because you took their book & you opened up to them by sharing personal information. And no doubt you were very warm & friendly. Obviously there is something lacking in your spiritual life - you are searching & they’ve come to help you. That’s what they are thinking. I know that you want to help THEM - but honestly, you are way out of your league. And even if you did know more & were better at apologetics then they are, they’d recognize that right off & call in the big guns - somebody more experienced then them.

My honest advice to you is print up some of the information about JW’s from the CA website. The next time they come, try to ask specific questions about one topic. You aren’t going to get far - they will twist the converstation in their direction & avoid all controversy. They have spent countless hours practicing what to say - if you try to lead them in one direction, they know it & have practiced how to turn the conversation around.

They are going to try to get you to study that book. REFUSE. Have your husband hide it so you can honestly say you have no idea where it is. Remember, they are keeping track of their “time” and they get extra “credit” for studying the book with you.

I would avoid talking about Mary. They don’t even accept Jesus for who He is - there’s no way they are going to accept His Mother.

Other than the one topic suggestion, perhaps you could go into how happy being a Catholic makes you. How at peace you are with the Lord, knowing that you are a part of the Church He established. Tell them that NOTHING is lacking in your spiritual life - that you love Jesus with all of your heart & KNOW He loves you. Tell them how thankful you are that you have Jesus in your life. No doubt they will say, “Oh we are too…” And that’s when you can offer to pray with them. At that point they will high tail it back out to their car. They won’t be comfortable with you praying for them… (they think you are talking to Satan) So when they leave, that’s when YOU get on your knees & pray that God will touch their hearts & open their eyes. Through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit is the only way they are going to see the TRUTH.

If, after you best attempt they are unwilling to listen to YOU - I wouldn’t let them come back. They are NOT of God - plain & simple & do you really want that in your home?

God Bless,
CM
 
I am convert to Catholicism and I know that I am not an apologist and they are apologetic vultures – I want to rail at my son for bringing them to me.

They told me how delightful he was and what wonderful job I had done raising him. He was almost five years old and we had had him with us for about three weeks. I quickly dismissed much credit and maybe that was my first fault.

We hung out by our water garden today – it is looking nice with water lilies and lotus blossoms, etc. It is rather peaceful and I used for my soul whilst they opened their version of the Bible.

Well, I did save and print out several of the CA library about JW’s and some stuff from This Rock, too.

I thought I would prepare for the Jesus issue.

I did give them a copy of the book “Angel in the Waters” I have no idea if they believe in guardian angels, but the book is wonderful and I told them to try it as a conversation starter with their children. I will have to reread the book and see what they might twist it into.

Thank you for your honesty – and as a fellow convert – Welcome Home!
 
And Congratulations to you on your new son! What a wonderful Blessing!

🙂 CM
 
I know what you mean about explaining adoration to non-Catholics! I’m a college student and during the semester, I did my holy hour from 2 to 3am Friday mornings. Whenever someone in my dorm asked where I was going at such a late hour, I just explained “My church has a prayer chapel that is constantly open, and someone has to be there at all times. We take one hour shifts and I volunteered to watch it during this hour.”
It would take an hour to explain the Holy Eucharist to a non-Catholic and another hour to explain Eucharistic adoration.
I still don’t know how to describe what a monstrance is to someone who has never seen one.
 
You might be interested in listening to some radio or television programs that deal with this type of conversion and what moved these people to convert. Marcus Grodi’s program 'The Journey Home" is one show on EWTN that has interviewed several folks that were high up in the JW religion. A link to one of these programs that can be listened to with Real Player is as follows:

ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-6892289&T1=home

If this link doesn’t work, go to www.ewtn.com and then go to their library page and then search on “Journey Home”. You can also look at the radio progam archives on this very webpage and search for JW’s. There are several show that showcase discussions about their faith and conversions.

I too have these folks knocking on my door and I always gladly take their books. As soon as they leave I throw them away. I do not give them money to print more of their ****. I would not waste my money giving them anything that I paid for because I would assume that they will do the same as soon as they leave. I would not expect that they are going to be swayed by your arguments, and they will bring reinforcements if necessary. It should then be fair for you to have reinforcements available when they arrive (good night to invite Father Bob to dinner).

There is a book called “Beginning Apologetics 2: How to Answer Jehova’s Witnesses and Mormans” by Father Franck Chacon and Jim Burnham that is available on this site. This might give you some pointers…

ew ew… I just found this website (by listening to the above like on The Journey Home… catholicxjw.com/ This is a website of a former JW who converted to RCC and is full of good stuff.

Remember that they deny the divinity of Christ! Christ warned us of false prophets and they are them… Also, remember that they believe that only 144,000 are going to Heaven and that Heaven has been filled up for more than 50 years. Let them know that you are going, no question, no thinking about it at all, but YOU ARE GOING… When you tell them this, don’t even hesitate for a second, and you might invite them to follow you to your Church and they can go too.
 
Well, by knocking on my door, obviously, they believe they are going to evangelize me when I open it. NOT! Having once “studied” with them, many years ago, I am well informed about their religion. They always come with a Bible verse and want to discuss that verse. In my mind I think, “bring it on!” and then proceed to discuss the verse from only the RCC point of view. This always thows them because they are told in their kingdom halls that Catholics know nothing about the Bible. They usually leave after weakly trying to argue. I smile, wish them a good day and go back in my house hoping that I have planted a seed.
The same two never return.
 
Currently, I am having the same two women – they have made comments on how refreshed they feel in my presence or how holy they think I am – wow, if you and they only knew! – anyway, I am pleased that they return becuase I figure that by being kind and open about my faith life I can gently evangelize them.

I do intend to take Jeffrey’s advice from catholicxjw and ask the women how they came to be involved in the JW’s. It will keep our converstaions more real and I can discuss my path into Catholicism.

For whaterver it is worth, I am not going to let their souls perish without offering them the fullness of our faith.
 
I was visited by JW’s last year. I invited them in and we opened our Bilbles and began. Most of the meetings involved them asking me what I think about this particular Church teaching, then I would respond by giving them the real Church teaching. They would look surprised that I knew enough to knock down their accusations.

These were two very nice woman, and I think they were surprised how much we had in common. We had a fondness for Art, I jokingly mentioned a possible trip to the Balto Museum of Art, but that they weren’t allowed to hang out with me. The one woman looked sad, than I joked we could bring a Watchtower magazine along so it would look like they were “working.” I also told them how sorry I was for them that they couldn’t read some of our fine literary works, because they weren’t ALLOWED to. Then made a grateful comment of how our Church gives us the freedom to study and decide for ourselves what to read. That they have nothing to fear, because they KNOW they are the true Church of Christ, and that they want us to be there because we WANT to be, not because we HAVE to be.

They came for a long time, they were getting nowhere with me, but esp. with one of them, she looked like she was really enjoying hearing about our Church, but her partner would cut the conversation short or quickly change topic. They stopped coming.
 
Yes, the one woman does seem to be more into what she is learning from me – the other woman, well, she is much more constrained in her openness.

I am going to ask about their path to being JW’s – Jeffrey that has to be the most wonderful suggestion for keeping a conversation going and not having them too regimented in their apologetics. Especailly with women – we tend to be so much more emotional in our speech.

If nothing else, I hope that they will remember that Catholic lady who was so pleasant to talk with.

If they are sizing up my humble adode for living in, maybe that particular woman would return to ask me more about my faith.
 
Mamamull. Why not gain their friendship then slowly lead them into the Church, be blunt but tactful, decide what doctrines to share what to wait until later with. WHy not go from Jesus divinity, baptism, eucharist, church history then down to the focus, they should turn Catholic…Just an idea, goodluck 👍
 
Anima Christi:
I did my holy hour from 2 to 3am Friday mornings. Whenever someone in my dorm asked where I was going at such a late hour, I just explained “My church has a prayer chapel that is constantly open, and someone has to be there at all times. We take one hour shifts and I volunteered to watch it during this hour.”
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Wow! That really touched something in me! 🙂
 
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Mamamull:
If nothing else, I hope that they will remember that Catholic lady who was so pleasant to talk with.
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That’s great, I think you’re wonderful! I always take these events as an opportunity given to us by God to touch someone’s life!
 
Thanks Fighting Fat – hope you are winning that war better than I am.😛

I do adore at 2:00 in the morning too. It is something that takes the hectic out of my life and puts all the stuff in perspective. I don’t run several companies, but I try to be a good mom to two boys.

We have a new son – yes, I am glad most of the time – who has reactive attachment disorder (www.thelittleprince.org) and challenges me daily to keep loving him while he tries to be rejected by our family. I had to tell him that we knew he was a good kid – he is out to prove me wrong and he is only five years old. We also finalized his adoption and he is just trying so hard to push our buttons and get rejected now.

So, I love my adoration time. The JW’s just know that we have 24/7 prayer ministry – how to explain adoration to a non-believer?

Good to hear from you – from all the way across the pond.
 
twiztedseraph, thanks for the suggestion. I hope to evangelize them. I hoping and praying that we can get a friendship going – even though as an apostate – I know I am not suitable. However, I appreciate your suggestion.

I am reading about the Watchtower tract and whatever society and learning what I can so that I can interact with them in a life-changing way.

I don’t know why these women were put in my life, but I am accepting God’s gift of their visits to convert them.
 
About 3 years ago I had the JWs make about 5 visits to my apartment. Each time I held to Catholic doctrine on both the Trinity and the Eucharist. I never got angry and tried to invite them in to show them their translations support of Catholic beliefs but they refused to come in. If my older roommate had seen them he would have frightened them away. I was trying to convert them to the Catholic faith. I’ll never know if I was successful but I planted the seed and maybe God will bring the growth.🙂
 
I always have a small copy of the Gospel of John around(I pick them up at the Bible store for about a buck) I also purchased copies of Pillar of Fire, pillar of faith. Whenever a JW knocks on my door and asks if I would take a copy of their Watchtower, I say “sure, as long as you take a copy of mine.” and hand them to them. But they never come back:hmmm:
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goofyjim:
About 3 years ago I had the JWs make about 5 visits to my apartment. Each time I held to Catholic doctrine on both the Trinity and the Eucharist. I never got angry and tried to invite them in to show them their translations support of Catholic beliefs but they refused to come in. If my older roommate had seen them he would have frightened them away. I was trying to convert them to the Catholic faith. I’ll never know if I was successful but I planted the seed and maybe God will bring the growth.🙂
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Well when one JW called to my door I bought her in. I brought her to my prayer room where there was a Crucifix, a large statue of the Sacred Heart, a large statue of Our Blessed Lady of Fatima and my prie dieu with Rosary beads hanging from the corner. Now you can’t get more Catholic than that eh? I continued to bring her to this room by the way. At no time did she seem uncomfortable and listened patiently just as I did.

At times she brigs a friend and each time I have told them of my cure from cancer through the Holy Eucharist and again they listened very intently.

This kind lady still calls in as a friend and leaves her Watchtower. I have passed on Catholic tracts to her on the Assumption, which she has read in my presence and found it interesting. Now, mind you, she has never actually taken one with her but she has read them.

There is no animosity between us and she comes to see the kids and chat to them and sees how they are getting on in school etc. She even called in with a beautiful gift for our new baby when the baby was born oh… 2 years ago.

I have noticeed in her last few visits that she has refrained from talking about her beliefs and the JW’s. She may say that she has been away at a conference but thats about it.

She calls maybe 4 times a year and we have a good old natter. Yes she leaves the watchtower each time but it is always placed ‘away’ when she leaves. After I realised it carried anti-catholic stuff I bined it.

I do however feel that the time is coming when I reach out my hand and invite her ‘home’. I just need to pary more and ask god to point out to me the time to act.
 
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