Resources for dealing with JWs

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dallas_r

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As someone who grew up in the Jehovah’s Witness faith, the topic of how to “witness” to the Witnesses is something I take very seriously. Sadly, most Christians are not strong enough in their faith nor do they know enough about Jehovah’s Witnesses to defend their faith. In order to fulfil our Christian duty, we must “evangelize” the JWs who come to our doors or to our places of work.

How do we do this? First, arguing theology with JWs is usually futile. They spend 5-6 hours per week going to their church called the “Kingdom Hall” where they learn to “evangelize” us. Often times, the JWs will argue in circles with you and you won’t accomplish a thing. The best way to reach them and to get them thinking is by showing flaws with the Watchtower Society, the JW HQ and home of the Governing Body of JWs, and showing them that they lie about the sources they use and that they don’t cite sources they use honestly.

You may be asking, “what is the governing body?” The GB of JWs is called “God’s organization” on Earth. It’s how the JWs come up with doctrine and theology. They claim that Jehovah speaks to them through this organization and this organization alone. If you can show weaknesses in this group, then the cards come tumbling down. To a JW, the Governing Body is everything.

How do we show weakness and the flaws in the Governing Body? The best way is to print off this critique of the JW pamphlet entitled “Should You Believe in the Trinity.” It’s truly astounding just how deceptive the writers of this pamphlet are!! The question to ask them is “if the Trinity is such a ridiculous and unbiblical notion, then why would God’s organization on Earth need to lie about the sources they quote and use deception?”

http://www.searchingthescriptures.n…amining-should_you_believe_in_the_trinity.htm

Secondly, here are some facts on the failed prophecies of JWs. Again, how would Jehovah get this wrong?

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/failed-1914-predictions.php

Flip-flop on doctrine dealing with blood transfusions:

http://www.bible.ca/jw-blood.htm

After you’ve shown that the organization are nothing but men and liars at that, then you can start to introduce theology and the basics of traditional Christianity. If anybody has any questions about JWs or about dealing with them, I’d be glad to help you in any way I can. 🙂

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”–Mark 16:15

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.–Matthew 28:19-20
 
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As an ex-JW, you know JWs are pretty intensely anti-Catholic.
 
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Tell me about it, I was one. My grandma is one too, engaging her in a debate is hard, it just goes in circles because she doesn’t respond after blowing up their doctrine with hardcore facts.
 
dallas_r said:
Tell me about it, I was one. My grandma is one too, engaging her in a debate is hard, it just goes in circles because she doesn’t respond after blowing up their doctrine with hardcore facts.
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I grew up in a JW family, and pretty much any literature revealing the failed prophecies or other foibles and dubious actions of the Governing Body and other groups within the sect as apostate literature. So right away, you’re at a disadvantage when showing the organization’s history of doctrinal changes and bad prophecies.

I left the sect entirely before I was baptized, and honestly the only history of failed prophecy I knew was the 1975 prediction, which saw quite a few drop away. I remember older family members talking about it in hushed tones. I was out of it for years before I learned a more complete history of the botched predictions and bizarre theological positions, much of stemming from the Judge Rutherford days. Prior to that, the JWs by and large seemed to be a well-meaning splinter group of Seventh Day Adventists with a propensity for doomsday predictions.
 
I have had a good relationship with our local JWs over many years. I often talk about how the churches are working together in our town, and it would be nice to include them also.

Our Churches Together Group do a lot of different initiatives helping the less fortunate people, and we do it better together.

Some of the JWs seem to recognise the advantage of what we do together, but I guess as an organisation, there is not the will to join in as yet.
 
dallas_r said:
Tell me about it, I was one. My grandma is one too, engaging her in a debate is hard, it just goes in circles because she doesn’t respond after blowing up their doctrine with hardcore facts.
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So do you have any real evidence that the information in the op works?

My latest encounter with a JW was when i got a random letter in the mail from an un known lady expressing her wish to sit down and discuss Gods kingdom and bible passages. I wrote her back a letter graciously accepting her invitation with one condition, that is, before we both start throwing scriptures around with the intention to defind our own beliefs, don’t you think we should establish who’s interpretation we will use to be the correct one and how will we know this interpretation is the correct one. I said dont you think this would save much time?

Her answer was - that sounds reasonable and i will get back to you

Weeks went by and i sent another letter expressing my concern that i hadn’t heard from her and worried if everything ok but no response. Many weeks later i sent yet another letter which i did get a response to.

Her response was that she didn’t know how to answer my question and if i needed answers to contact one of the elders in the congregation ant they could help. I wrote her back and told her i didnt need answers as she was the one who first contacted me. I said i thought if someone like yourself. was going out witnessing God’s word that this piece of information would seem valuable to that person first and formost.

Her response was - thank you for your continued intrest in religion however i cannot continue to answer all of your questions. I am writing you to end any further communications we have. Most of the questions you have can answered by reading the bible or going to our website jw.org. I cannot continue to answer your questions as i myself cannot have all of the answers.

I politely responded with one last letter wishing her a blessed life.

Peace
 
You can’t have a reasonable discussion with a JW.

When they are in the preaching mode their minds are protected from anything. They are not even allowed to engage in discussions. Only their Governing Body (about 7 men) can make them change their minds. It’s a cult…

They study how to stop a discussion, usually using these techniques:
  1. we don’t have too much time now.
  2. we will research about your doubt/point and return next week (they will never return).
 
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It works, but arguing with them seems a little pointless because it either goes in circles where you repeat yourself, or they just cut you off. I don’t understand why they don’t convert already after you exposing them, maybe they’re brainwashed? Just a theory lol.
 
AMEN

As a FYI, I accomplished the same thing by disectibg and refuting there WATCHTOWER magazine for 3 consecutive months.

They are well trained and count on Christians NOT to know their faith well enough to defend it.

God bless and thanks for sharing,
Patrick
 
I personally also prefer a Socratic examination of the foundation of their beliefs. Here are the questions I’ve found most effective:

How do members of the Jehovah’s Witness faith explain the selection of each individual book of the Bible, particularly in the New Testament? In other words, by what means can we know that individual books, such as Philemon and 3 John, were correctly included in Scripture, while writings such as The Didache and the Epistles of Clement were correctly excluded?

Why are there inconsistencies in the translation of the New World Bible? The same Greek words Kurios and proskune, appear to be translated, not according to a literal reading, but to fit a preconceived theology. The New World treatment of Philippians 2:10-11 is an excellent example of this.

When two Christians disagree on Scriptural interpretation, how should this conflict be resolved? This forces the missionaries to struggle with the Bible-alone problem, or to admit that they have no infallible interpretation to support their beliefs.

Why, if God desires us to know him by “Jehovah,” does the actual name “Jehovah” not appear even one time in the Greek original of the New Testament? The New Testament was written by individuals guided by the Holy Spirit. Surely the personal name of God would be the name by which they would have referred to the divine author.

What are the criteria for determining a false prophet? Would not the failed predictions from the Watchtower Society qualify it to be a false prophet?
 
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PJM said:
As a FYI, I accomplished the same thing by disectibg and refuting there WATCHTOWER magazine for 3 consecutive months.
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You can also buy back issues of the WT magazine, particularly those issues that promoted later-disproved predictions.
 
I usually just argue theology, lol. I also normally approach them. I have sections of Isaiah memorized verbatim just for when we have discussions.

They really are anti-catholic. They thought I was Catholic when defending the Trinity so they showed me Matthew 16:18 to tell me that the rock was Christ, so I hit em with Isaiah 44:8.

The greatest resource imo against Jehovah witnesses is the book of Isaiah. There are many passages that can be cross referenced with the new testament to prove that Jesus is God.
 
Re: Links in first post by Dallas_r

You are going about it totally the wrong way.
I will give you the inside scoop on how to convert one of us JW’s.

I looked up your links, and they are just amateur criticism of the JW’s.
You will have very little success pushing that info on a grown up JW. . - Only a pretty wishy-washy JW will be tripped up by that stuff. (The kind who isn’t going to last the distance anyway, and will quit the first time things get difficult)

We all know critics can find fault with anything. Bitter ex-JWs will always find excuses as to why they gave up or got kicked out.
People found fault with Jesus! The humblest, kindest, most genuine person ever, - who could do miracles - and critics dug through what he said and argued he was a criminal who needed to die!
It’s even easier to find fault with imperfect people who are trying to follow him.

If I may, can I tell you the secret of how to convert one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

The key is found in John 6. Jesus has just said some stuff that was pretty new and hard to understand. Lots following him said: “Who can listen to this guy?” and at John 6:66 “many of his disciples went off to the things behind.”
They found fault and ditched Jesus.
(If the internet had existed back then, I bet some would have gone and set up a “Jesusfacts” website and listed all the criticism they could find)

But then Jesus turned to the Apostles who had stayed and asked: “you don’t want to go also do you?”
(And here is the key!..)
“Peter answered him: ‘Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life. We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Nothing compared to what Jesus was telling them. There it is. That’s the key.

If you want to convert a grown up Jehovah’s Witness - you will have to show them something better. Not just try to pick holes.

So your JW’s have got this united global brotherhood of nearly 10 million - united regardless of language, race, education or wealth. I’m talking: A JW you have never met will lend you his house when you are in another country because you are his brother.
They are active in the greatest education work in history. I’s Matthew 24:14 being fulfilled! After all - The most printed magazine in the world, the most translated website in the world - belong to them proclaiming God’s Kingdom.
They have come out smiling after being attacked by the most evil and powerful of regimes.
They have more spiritual food than they can eat - the Bible explained to them at their meetings and assemblies, their videos and books, - teaching them how Bible principles can improve their family life, overcome anxiety and stress, defeat addictions and personal problems - they are taught what the future holds, why this world is in a mess, how they can have this beautiful future… they are so convinced of this that they are motivated to go and knock on strangers doors to offer them the proof…

“Whom are we going to go away to?”

All you have to do is show them the religion that is superior on those points. If you can do that - Any reasonable person is going to say: “Wow. I want to join that!”
 
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Ask them about early Watchtower magazines that have a “pagan” cross on the cover. Then ask them why CT Russell has a “pagan” pyramid (with a cross on it, no less!) as a grave marker.
 
Hi Boomerang Too.

That’s because the JW’s change when they realize they are wrong. Charles Taze Russel thought crosses and pyramids were part of God’s plan. Not according to the Bible. So we dropped them.

The ridiculous alternative would be to continue to believe something after you realize its not correct.
Imagine a history teacher who tells his class a date, then when he discovers he has the date wrong he
continues teaching it anyway!
The only honest thing to do is to adjust what you preaching.

Other example are:
JW’s celebrated Christmas and birthdays until the 1920’s. When they realized the customs and even the date of Christmas was of pagan origin they stopped.

At the time the churches argued fiercely the JW’s were wrong and that Christmas was very Christian.
Now, any encyclopedia will confirm the customs and dates are of pagan origin. The JW’s were right.
The churches all know this now - but they opt for the ridiculous alternative: “Yes, we know it is false and pagan - but we are going to continue to teach it anyway.”

So my question to you is: "Why do the churches keep teaching stuff after they have realized it is false?"
 
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I once called on a house in our door to door ministry and a man invited us in and sat us down - then out came all this anti-Jehovah’s Witness info. He wanted to show us all the faults in our beliefs! 🤨

My friend interrupted him after a few minutes and said: “Sir, we have taken time out of our day, got dressed up and called on you because we want to tell you something very important. If you are have something important to tell me, you will have to call on my house.”

“Sure. I’ll do just that!” said the man, “Where do you live?”

“There is no need to tell you,” said my friend, “You will call on us eventually as you do your regular preaching work.” 😉

You should have seen the guys face. He could hardly say: “I don’t actually have enough faith to go out and preach to people - I just wait until Jehovah’s Witnesses call on me and then try to tear down their faith.”

Peter said it so well at John 6:68, “Whom shall we go away to?”
Show us something superior, don’t just find fault.
 
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@ Logically:

So your friend is implying that calling upon another’s house is the only valid way to evangelize? I don’t go door-to-door, but I spend a lot of time evangelizing with people in the normal context of life. But according to this, the only way he will meet with this individual is “regular preaching work”, which implies that preaching work is only regular if door-to-door? What percentage of the New Testament preaching is done door to door?

Second, it is perfectly valid to show faults in another’s belief system. And by asking the Socratic questions I do, when they cannot answer, I point out a religion that can. However, even if I were not able to do so, you are using a fallacy to say that one cannot point out foundational fault without an alternative.

Would you not point out the major problems with someone trying to cross a dangerous river using a dilapidated bridge, even if you didn’t have an alternate bridge to suggest?

Last, if someone approaches my house and asks to talk about the faith, we are going to have a real conversation, not a one-sided presentation. If I see logical flaws, I will point them out of respect for that individual’s pursuit of truth. To do otherwise is not an act of love.

Something is only “very important” if it is also true.
 
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Logically said:
So my question to you is: “Why do the churches keep teaching stuff after they have realized it is false?”
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Crosses and Christmas are not false. A cross is what Jesus died on. Christmas is our celebration of the birth of Jesus. Neither is false or pagan. A church that keeps altering it’s teachings should be looked at suspiciously. Haven’t they JW’s changed their teaching on blood transfusions? They predicted the end of the world many times. It hasn’t ended yet. The track record doesn’t look too good so far.
 
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