Posted on 05/04/2016 12:46:01 PM PDT by Zeneta
How should I talk about Religion with my Jehovah Witness sister?
I love my slightly older sister but I think/know she's gone nuts with her adherence to the Jehovah's Witnesses.
While I rarely talk or see her, we are deeply connected, most objective people would say we are estranged. I can't go that far. Regardless of circumstance, we have always been able to connect.
She has always been an "All or nothing" person, believing virtually anything and everything. While in school she excelled in math and computer programing but ran off to the Colorado Mountains to be a Ski Bunny and married my best friend. Had kids, got divorced and is now a Grandmother. She still spends hours on end standing on street corners handing out tracts for the Jehovah's Witnesses.
While I consider myself a Christian, I can't quote a single passage from the bible. I've read it, I understand it and I have accepted Christ as my Savior.
My Sister is coming to visit next week.
In a certain sense I want to undermine what I think is a cult.
At the same time I need to be respectful.
I have the feeling that any discussion that has me quoting passage's from the bible will be fruitless. There is no way I can win in a back and forth battle.
I don't know how I should handle this and I'm seeking advice.
No I didn’t argue with them at all. I merely took every scripture they showed me, and refuted it with scripture. I biblically showed them the errors in their beliefs. They became upset and stormed out. No arguing, just two very frustrated and confused JW’s that I corrected. Using their bible to do it.
Praying is great, but a lot of Christians use it as an excuse not to witness to others. Paul confronted the non-believers and argued his point with them. I don’t remember reading of Paul avoiding confrontation because he thought it would not bring them closer to God.
Be polite and respectful. Praise her desire to seek God and know Him. Pray with her and both of you ask God to reveal any errors about His nature.
I suggest referring to the following Bible passages about knowing God:
John 12:35-45 (NEW WORLD TRANSLATION 2013)
So Jesus said to them: “The light will be among you a little while longer. Walk while you still have the light, so that darkness does not overpower you; whoever walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
While you have the light, exercise faith in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”
Jesus said these things and went off and hid from them. Although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard from us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?” The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: “He has blinded their eyes and has made their hearts hard, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn around and I heal them.” Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. All the same, many even of the rulers actually put faith in him, but they would not acknowledge him because of the Pharisees, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men even more than the glory of God. However, Jesus called out and said: “Whoever puts faith in me puts faith not only in me but also in him who sent me; and whoever sees me sees also the One who sent me.”
Pay special attention to verse 41 which says, “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.” Exactly whom did Isaiah see in His glory? According to John, it was Jesus. But look at the passage being quoted. It is Isaiah 6. And according to Isaiah it is Jehovah whom Isaiah saw in His glory:
Isaiah 6:1-3, 9-10 (NEW WORLD TRANSLATION 2013)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw Jehovah sitting on a lofty and elevated throne, and the skirts of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were standing above him; each had six wings. Each covered his face with two and covered his feet with two, and each of them would fly about with two.
And one called to the other:
“Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of armies.
The whole earth is filled with his glory.”
...
And he replied, “Go, and say to this people:
‘You will hear again and again,
But you will not understand;
You will see again and again,
But you will not get any knowledge.’
Make the heart of this people unreceptive,
Make their ears unresponsive,
And paste their eyes together,
So that they may not see with their eyes
And hear with their ears,
So that their heart may not understand
And they may not turn back and be healed.”
The passages above are from the Jehovah Witness translation, which is a very poor translation, but in these passages it is still clear that, according to John’s Gospel, Isaiah prophesied that some Jews would have a hardened heart and would not believe in Jesus. John then says that Isaiah wrote these specific prophesies when Isaiah saw Him in His glory. Even in their translation, they admit that Isaiah saw Jesus in His glory. But ask them when this happened. And then look together in Isaiah 6. That is BOTH the chapter John quotes about the Jews being hardened, AND it is the chapter that records Isaiah seeing JEHOVAH in HIS glory.
When you read these two passages together it is very clear that John is saying Jesus is Jehovah.
The passage also makes it clear that coming to the Father is always through His Son Jesus.
I remember Johnny Carson telling about an illness he was getting over and had confined himself to his house, alone. He said that he was so desperate to actually see and talk to another person that he actually invited some Jehovah’s Witnesses into his home when they came calling. He claimed that was the first time they had ever seen the inside of a house.
thank you.
The thing that you posted as well as hints from others is that JW don’t or haven’t fully accepted Christ.
This is new to me and is something I need to understand.
Remember that the Witnesses have been brainwashed into believing you are of the devil and your opinions are just used to make them fall. The only way to be effective with them is to prove their teaching wrong through scripture. Your opinion means nothing to them. She will tell you Jesus is the first born, meaning first created. You can prove this wrong by taking her to Jeremiah 31;9 and Psalms 89:27 where the term “first born” was used of king David an Ephraim, both of who were not the firstborn. If you’re not comfortable doing it, don’t get into it with her. You’ll only strengthen her.
In all seriesness, just keep her in your prayersand be the brother she can always talk to
http://www.gotquestions.org/witnessing-Jehovahs-Witnesses.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6e5K8bUZsQ
You are dealing with a bible based cult. There are a few of them on this site actually. The Watchtower comes before everything to a JW including their family.
She is programmed in “the truth” as the Watchtower calls it and she considers all others that are not part of the Watchtower to be part of the Devil. She is constantly having cogitative dissonance. It takes years and years to get a person out of it. Consider using a questioning style but whatever you do, don’t go after her hard as she has been programmed to believe everyone including you are against the JWs. You also have to let her bring it up and you have to practice your questioning style and again whatever you do, don’t push.
Randy Watters website and AJWRB.org can help. Of course Barb Anderson out of Tennessee has done well to expose the Governing Body in allowing all those elders who abused all those children over the years. You can google her. But, you really need to know what you are talking about before even trying to help her get out. Also remember, the Watchtower teaches shunning which also keeps a lot of those in this bible based cult.
I lost a friend to it and it took many years to bring her out of it. Along the way I managed to get a pile more out and I did a lot of what I call “inoculations” by getting a ton of press on their so-called partial blood ban and child abuse cover ups. I don’t do much anymore as I have little time.
Good luck.
Ummmmm...a protestant trying to tell another protestant that she was the wrong kind of a protestant....whatever!
Therefore, either there are two ways to be saved, or Jesus = Jehovah.
be honest and tell her your savior is Christ but you don’t believe in her brand of religion. I have a watchtower evangelist who comes over every other week or so, who I told at the out set that I was agnostic. I have weak spot for people with disabilities, and he is a bad stutterer. He appreciates my listening, and giving of my historical biblical era knowledge. Don’t get upset, be cheerful, calm and open.
Here is a historical point to redirect the conversation
The Temple mount (Jewish) was not the only contemporary Temple mount. 2-3 years ago a Samarian Temple mount was found. The Samarian bible ends with moses, and thus are proto-jews.
Much of the current evangelical conversation centers on end time issues, so if she’s going off on global warming ask how humans increased the temperature of planets as close as mars and as far as Pluto? How is it that the 4% of co2 per year produced by human activity could cause this problem.
Lately the terrorist issue has come up, just simply ask, so how do you get people who love death, more then their own family or life, to be good neighbors?
You’re nerves will likely be tried, just keep a smile and good cheer, and a few beers close at hand
A wise teacher of mine always said it is impossible to reason someone out of a position they have not reasoned themselves into. I've found that to be useful to remember whenever discussing deeply held personal beliefs with anyone.
Dear Zeneta, I just wanted to add a couple of things. You have a very good chance of helping your sister, but all you need to focus on in the beginning is to establish trust, be loving and caring, connect with her personally. The Watchtower organization teaches their people to put aside all personal interests and they discourage independent thinking. Every decision a Witness makes is filtered through the Watchtower literature—they are told what “God’s” viewpoint is and that if they love God (Jehovah) they will align their thinking with His. They are conditioned, over time, to stop thinking for themselves and just refer to the publications for all answers. Try to be non-confrontational, and don’t get into any Biblical debates. She will feel obligated to give you some literature at some point and a little talk on how world conditions are worsening and how bible study is the answer—just listen politely and accept the literature with some enthusiasm, then she will feel that her job is done and she will relax. Your sister sounds like she was quite a free spirit in her youth, she probably had a lot of interests and hobbies. Try to help her reconnect with her true personality in little ways, remind her who she was and still is. Have her make a few choices and ask her what her opinion is on things that are not controversial, just little things. It will help her to get those wheels moving in her mind that have gotten rusty over the years. The more of a free spirit a person is when they go into the Watchtower organization the harder it is to conform to the JW lifestyle. After a few years, when the “honeymoon period” is over, they will start using anti-depressants and or alcohol to cope. They will drink “moderately” but pushing the upper end of moderation. So, don’t be surprised or condemning if you observe these things, they are actually good things because they help release some of the pressure. I had two very good JW friends who killed themselves, and there have been many suicides at the Watchtower factory in New York due to the paces that they are put through and the constant “your best is never good enough—always do more” attitude. I’m not trying to scare you, but it is important that you use caution and show her a lot of love and acceptance. I can assure you that she is not receiving real love and real acceptance, or unconditional love from the JWs-—it’s all conditional. Also, don’t say the word cult to her or let her see any of the books or youtubers until after you have been through the books yourself and you feel confident about what to say and what to avoid. This whole visit may just be laying the foundation for communication later. Don’t try to rush things. And of course Pray, I wish you the best and I will be praying for you both.
Otherwise, your existence just goes away.Annihilation? Thank you, did not know that. I guess we can say that they'll never know what hit 'em.
First: Know what you are talking about.
Second: Create doubt. Show her; from JW sources; the unfulfilled 'prophecies', the high handed 'translating' of the Scriptures; the internal inconsistencies of her chosen Religious Organization.
Third: Play OFFENSE. Do NOT get tangled up playing DEFENSE!
It's really 144,000...
Tell her the FACT that there has ALREADY been more than 144,000 JW's who have died.
Find out where the Organization says SHE will be going.
Do this AFTER you've whacked her upside the head to get her attention!
Yeah; leave her alone to suffer ETERNAL 'discord'!
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