Jehovah’s Witnesses keep their beliefs in separate categories. Think of them as boxes. Each belief is in its own separate box. And this is key: They never compare or contrast boxes. Thus, when beliefs contradict each other, a JW will never notice. If you show them, cognitive dissonance takes place. You might notice this as silence or a frown as they attempt to process this information. This is a good sign.
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I remember the first scripture I learned and memorized when I was studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses. The New World Translation in 1977 read, “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the Only true God and the one you sent forth Jesus Christ.” John 17:3. I immediately thought, “Oh, okay, so to gain eternal life I must study. Study equals eternal life.” At the time I was studying in their little blue book, The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life. As I continued to study, I learned about the importance of attending meetings and going out door-to-door in field service. All of these things played a part in attaining eternal life. Being faithful to the end was stressed. Only by faithfully continuing to do these necessary things might I have a chance to gain eternal life.
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If you have ever studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses, you may be familiar with their idea of a “Bible study”, which is not a Bible study at all but rather a study of a Watchtower publication. Which is actually more of a study of how the Watchtower Organization interprets the Bible.
I recall being offered a free home Bible study by JWs back in the 1970s. The first thing they did was try to introduce their book. I said no, because the JW had offered to answer all my Bible questions. That was the purpose of the visit. So, I pulled out my list. A list of 80 questions based on Genesis and questions I had. I refused to study their little blue book, The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life, until she answered my questions. In those days, JWs were more willing to answer questions than they are today. Today, if you tried that, they would, in all likelihood, tell you they aren’t here to argue, they are looking for “sheep-like ones” (meaning people who will not object or raise too many questions to what’s being taught).
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Ever wonder what to say to a Jehovah’s Witness? Ever want to engage them in a conversation but they just say, “We are not here to argue”? Why not ask the question they love to be asked? Why not encourage them to do the talking, and just sit back and wait while they hang themselves? Warning: it will take a bit of patience to listen to their spiel first.
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The Watchtower was creating a lot of excitement leading up to the 1970’s, as can be seen from the cover of this Awake! magazine from October 8, 1968.
There are some topics Jehovah’s Witnesses would rather not discuss. One of them is 1975.
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This is the third question in the “Top Ten Questions to Ask Jehovah’s Witnesses” series. This series is based on twelve years of discussions with Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as recommendations from scholars, researchers, and authors. New to this series? Start with Part One and Part Two before continuing.
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Have you ever gotten into a discussion with Jehovah’s Witnesses only to have them deny what you thought they believed? You may have been a subject of “Theocratic War Strategy” without realizing it. When a Jehovah’s Witness feels cornered, they often resort to this to defend what they believe. They feel it is imperative to defend the Watchtower Organization because they have been taught that it is Jehovah God’s Organization.
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Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Really Disagree with the Bible?
If you have ever tried to have a Biblical discussion with a Jehovah’s Witness then I am sure you are aware of the often-endless go-rounds that can occur, otherwise known as the game of Bible ping-pong. One way I have found to avert this is by presenting a Bible verse and asking them how they understand it. I’ve found this method to be one of the simplest ways of engaging with them and have found they are far less likely to become combative. I ask a question, present a scripture, and then end with a follow-up question. This is the first of a series of articles entitled “Scriptures Jehovah’s Witnesses Disagree With”.
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This is part of a series on “The Top Ten Questions to Ask Jehovah’s Witnesses.” This series is based partly on what I have successfully used during the past twelve years in discussions with Jehovah’s Witnesses and partly on what scholars and researchers suggest. Each question will be fully explained for those unfamiliar with Watchtower teachings and who wish to learn more.
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What Is a Cult?
When most people hear the word cult, they picture a group of fanatics living on a remote compound somewhere, waiting for aliens to arrive or stockpiling weapons for the end of the world.
The reality is usually far less obvious.
Most cults don’t look like cults.
They have normal-looking people, normal jobs, normal families, and normal lives. Cult members shop at the same stores, live in the same neighborhoods, and work alongside everyone else. Many cult members are intelligent, sincere, and genuinely believe they are part of something good.
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JW Inform 