My sister wants to be a Jehovah Witnesses

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My sister’s best friend confided in me that my sister has been studying to convert to a Jehovah’s witness for a while. When I approached her I was calm and asked what she doubted and found great articles from this website. She just debates me and blocks out anything that will discredit JW. She won’t see a priest and she has a very influential JW friend that turns back any progress I’ve made. My family is a very strong catholic family and will be very hurt and angry when they find out. We have a very strong culture and my parents are very strict. When I do decide to tell them, they will be very hard on her and I fear that will only push her further away. Besides prayers, I don’t know what else to do. Is there anything else I should do or should I tell me family now before she officially converts?
 
Just ask her a few things…if Jesus is not God…how come no one knew for 1800 years until JW’s said it. Also, ask her what Jehovah is…if she says the name of God…check it out…the “biblical scholars” to got together to find the true religion and started JW’s…couldn’t even translate God’s name right…it is Yahweh…look for articles for proof of that. Even JW scholars now admit their name for God was mistranslated…but say “it is too late to change it now”… If they couldn’t evne get something like that right, what else did they get wrong? or if you get mad you can just say “well at least I will save alot of money not buying you presents” j/k
 
Arm yourself with full knowledge of your own Catholic faith… what we know, believe, etc.

Look at the 7 tracts on Catholic Answers about what JW’s believe.

catholic.com/library/noncatholic_groups.asp

Pray… pray… pray.

In all things, be charitable… kind… speak the Truth calmly and kindly.

Don’t get into a debate with her. Otherwise, you’ll find that you’re debating your Faith, rather than witnessing to it.

Call the folks at the apologetics phone number for Catholic Answers. I think it’s on the Website somewhere?

www.catholic.com

Praying for ya…

Um… how old are you two? How do you two get along otherwise? That can make a difference on how you handle this.
 
I really appreciate the replies. I am 26 years old married with a child. My sister is 23 and not married. There is 8 people in my family and I’m the closest to her even though she has a twin…that is why her friend only told me. I’ve read most of the articles in the library and showed her answers to all her questions including the trinity, eucharist, baptism at birth, statues, prayer to Mary and Saints. We plan on discussing them tomorrow. This has actually helped me to learn more of my religion which I’m enjoying but I’m really scared for her right now. I’m still trying to convince her to see a priest and go to a Theology class at my church., but at this time she’s saying she doesn’t want to. If continue talking to her doesn’t help and she won’t go see a priest, should I tell my family?
 
If she believes the JWs have the truth she should have no problem with people knowing how she feels and telling your family should be ok with her. Ask her how many times the JWs have predicted the end of the world. It’s a cult.
 
The Witnesses are offering her something that she feels she lacks or that she desperately craves. As any cult, they appeal to vulnerabilities.

You say you have a strong Catholic family–is she looking for a way to rebel? A way to “one-up” people who might have judged her? Is she enjoying the feeling of being able to judge others herself? Is it the sense of belonging to an elite that she longs for? Many have suggested a theological “point of attack” in disuading her from the Witnesses. I don’t think this is necessarily wrong, but having ex-Witnesses in my family, I think you need to start at a more simple, psychological level. You won’t be able to influence her unless you know what is motivating her to covert to the JW.

The Witnesses are much too legalistic to appeal to someone with a strong sense of autonomy or with an active, seeking intellect. Try to draw out and encourage these qualities in your sister so that she can judge the JW doctrine herself…

Best of luck.
 
My mother-in-law in a Jehovah’s Witness, I have a book by Walter Martin called Kingdom of the Cults, it was invaluable to me, he now has a website at www.waltermartin.org. He disputes the Witness’ teachings using a similar argument style that they use, which in my experience, they seem to listen to, as long as you appear to be genuinely enquiring about their teachings and not agressively refuting them. Also, before you speak with her be sure to pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you to plant the seeds of doubt in her mind which will lead her back to the true faith.
 
Just say, “Good, now we won’t have to buy you anymore Christmas or birthday presents”. Maybe that will shake her up. Sometimes it’s the little things that do the trick.
 
I have a brother who has converted to an independant church and now that me and my wife are in the Church, he has gone on the attack. This started when we decided to baptize our kids.
What I responded to him as he started on his diatribe is, that I was concerned about finding the truth. I let him know I have studied and I was willing to study with him in finding the truth. Since he is so far into it, it will take awhile so don’t delay!
Maybe you can make her show you why the Jehovahs Witnesses are right. As you listen it should be pretty easy to ask questions and lead her to the truth. Jehovah’s Witnesses’s doctrine is pretty thin and wont hold up under scrutiny. Charles Taze Russell is no match for Jesus Christ and his Church, as long as we are true to it.

Learn your faith, pray and live your faith.
 
Nine years ago my niece had JWs come to her door and she was almost convinced by the stories that they had spun to her. However, she had the sense to write me a letter and to ask questions. As a result I went onto the Internet and discovered as much detail as I possibly could about the JWs that put her off. I sent a great wad of material to her. In the end she told them to get lost 😃 😉

There is plenty of material online concerning the JWs and some of the material has been written by those who had become high up in the organization until they finally realized that something was wrong.

If you think that abuse in the Catholic Church is bad, try searching under the subject heading spiritual abuse Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is an eye opener.

Maggie
 
Good luck with this one… My brother is a active druid?! Wiken?! (sp right??) He fell away at a young age when he was highly impressionable and rebellious to our parents. That was nearly 14 years ago. He is still prayed for all the time and we believe one day…
If your sister is anything like my brother ie needs to feel like she is right, then she will probably be very deffensive about her ‘new’ views. Try to remain calm and let her say her piece. Then say a prayer for guidence of words to the Holy Spirit and you will say what she needs to hear. Above all, don’t take what she says personally, she will probably feel invaded and be defensive. Be calm. The Spirit will help. 👍
 
Again, thank you for the replies. I’ve only told one of my sisters so far (her twin) because I need to start getting her prepared for some of the statements my sister will say to the family. So far, she’s willing to meet with me to discuss her concerns of Catholics and her new beliefs. One of her biggest problems is that she never really took the time to understand her Catholic faith otherwise she wouldn’t be arguing with me. I’ve been able to get such strong supported arguments against her, but she just blocks it out and finds another quote. I think the biggest problem is her JW guy friend. She claims that she has no interest in him that way, but I know she admires him so much and thinks he does no wrong. I wish she wouldn’t talk to him anymore because any progress I’ve made he gets her back to think the wrong way. If feel like even if she starts to doubt, she won’t admit it because she doesn’t want to let him down.
 
You might want to check out the detail on this site:

jwfiles.com/

There is a lot of information that you can use. Since you say that your sister does not seem to be very schooled in the Catholic faith might I suggest that you get a copy of the CCC plus have a Catholic Bible (if necessary also a Protestant Bible) on hand so that you can compare the differences.

There is a lot of information that is not being given to the people who go out door to door, and they do have a spiel that they use.

One of the things that has permanently got me set against the JWs and their teachings is the behaviour of a man who is probably an “elder” here in Sydney. He obviously does teaching especially on the matter of blood transfusions and blood substitutes, but he also has enough power that people were contacting him about what doctors they should be attending, and I know he spent work time organizing for sitters to be with a woman who had to go to hospital. As for the way he spoke to his wife… that was when my alarm bells went off…

Maggie
 
YIKES! :eek:

Keep praying for her; forget about arguing or trying to persuade her because it won’t work (I have some JW’s in the family so I have experience in this respect).

Just keep praying.
 
PS–Why is it up to YOU to tell the family?

Let her tell them; I assume she’s a grown-up person, right? If she’d old enough to become a JW, she’s old enough to tell the family and take the flack.
 
You may have a tough road ahead. I used to be a member of a Protestant denomination for 3 months (Church of Christ, Boston Movement) which had cult-like properties and did exert what I would consider “mind control”. I think that as long as she is attracted to this guy, although she will deny it, she is going to continue to feel a strong pull to the JW. I seem to recall acting quite defensive when challenged by family members about my membership in the C of C. It didn’t help that my family wasn’t particularly knowledgable either about the faith. I too had an interest in a girl in the congregation. What helped me was escaping the mileau of the local group when I went home for the summer from college. I wasn’t able to make the services regularly and I started reading on my own. It was, above all, an emotional tug that I had to get over. Once I got out, I felt a whole lot better.

I don’t know if getting your sister away from the group for a little bit is an option or not. Maybe she needs to take a vacation or something. Shower her with love and respect, and make sure that she continues to have a few flickers of doubt in her mind that need to be resolved. Encourage her to investigate an “outsider’s” view on her own. I know that Jason Evert has a book about the JW’s that CA publishes. Good luck! You’re going to need it. And prayer too!
 
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Mary1973:
Just say, “Good, now we won’t have to buy you anymore Christmas or birthday presents”. Maybe that will shake her up. Sometimes it’s the little things that do the trick.
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Maybe that’s why she is converting she won’t have to buy the family any more chistmas and b-day presents this might be pro-depending on her finances.🙂
 
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