How Jehovah's Witnesses Respond

How Jehovah's Witnesses Respond

When confronted with irrefutable evidences from the Bible that expose one of their heresies, Jehovah's Witnesses who are sincerely seeking the truth simply stare in stunned silence at the Bible verse you showed them, verbally express shock and/or even ask you about Jehovah's Witnesses' other teachings about which they have doubts. But such cases are rare.

Below are four of the more typical responses from Jehovah's Witnesses, who tend to refuse to admit or can't afford to admit the truth, and how to rebut them when they try to obfuscate.

A.  Pivot elsewhere

Jehovah's Witness -  But this needs to be understood in the context of the whole Bible, so let's turn to this other verse.
Christian - Are you saying that the Bible has errors?

Jehovah's Witness - Of course not.
Christian - So you're not saying, "This verse has errors, so let's look at another verse." Both this verse and the verse you want to look at have no errors, right?

Jehovah's Witness - That's right.
Christian - I promise you that we will look next at the verse you want to look at. But let's not dismiss this verse. Do you acknowledge that this verse is saying ...?

B.  Fault intent

Jehovah's Witness - So it looks like your intent was to make a point about what you believe.
Christian - My intent is to understand and believe what the Bible says. Your intent isn't to defend your beliefs if they are untrue; your intent is also to understand and believe what the Bible says, isn't it?

Jehovah's Witness - Yes it is.
Christian - So let's focus on that. And your intent and mine don't change what the Bible is saying. Do you acknowledge that this verse is saying ...?

C.  Feign illiteracy (example)

Jehovah's Witness - It doesn't say that?

Christian - What doesn't say what?
Jehovah's Witness - Acts 5:3-4 doesn't say that the holy spirit is God.

Christian - Well, let's look again at what it says. Peter tells Ananias, "You have lied to the Holy Spirit," and then explains to him in the very next verse, "You have lied not to man but to God," so the "Holy Spirit" is "God."
Jehovah's Witness - No it isn't. The holy spirit is an active force.

Christian - I know that's what you've been told to believe and even say, but would you please look at the actual words in the the text?
Jehovah's Witness - No, that's not what it says.

Christian - Are you saying that that's not what you want it to say or that that actually is not what it says?
Jehovah's Witness - That's not what it says.

Christian - Are you saying what you are truly thinking or what you feel you need to say in the presence of your Jehovah's Witness brothers and sisters?
Jehovah's Witness - No, the holy spirit is an active force.

Christian - (Remain and keep talking if other people are nearby who may be the audience the Lord has appointed to hear the Gospel. Otherwise, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6) at this point, refer him to this page, and walk away.)

D.  Drown out

When they feel cornered and have nothing more to say, some Jehovah's Witnesses will cut you off and try to drown you out with a long monologue of unsubstantiated claims in a raised voice.

Christian - Do you want to have a discussion or are you talking because you can't bear hearing your heresies exposed?

Christian - (If the Jehovah's Witness doesn't stop, try one last time.) Are you a Jehovah's Witness because you believe its beliefs to be true, or are you a Jehovah's Witness, knowing that its beliefs are false, because you are afraid of losing your family and friends who are Jehovah's Witnesses more than you are afraid of burning in the fire of hell forever for having blasphemed the Creator God as a mere creature?

Christian - If he doesn't change, remain and keep talking if other people are nearby who may be the audience the Lord has appointed to hear the Gospel. Otherwise, refer him to this page, heed Matthew 7:6 above, and walk away.

If you get the impression early on that the Jehovah's Witness is focused on defending his beliefs at all cost, try this approach:

Christian - You adhere to your belief system because you believe it to be true, right?

Jehovah's Witness - Yes.

Christian - I also adhere to my belief system because I believe it to be true, so we are both after the same thing - the truth - aren't we?

Jehovah's Witness - Yes.

Christian - Glad we agree on that. Because I am after the truth, if someone showed me and I learned that my belief system is false, I am prepared to give up my belief system. Since you are also after the truth, if someone showed you and you realized that your belief system is false, will you give up your belief system?

Jehovah's Witness - But I know that what I believe is true.

Christian - I am asking a hypothetical question. IF you were shown proof that you have been taught lies at the Kingdom Hall and IF you realized that you have been taught lies, will you stop being a Jehovah's Witness?

Jehovah's Witness - But I know that I have been taught what is true.

Christian - By avoiding the question, you actually answered it. The truth is, even if you realized that you have been taught lies at the Kingdom Hall, you are not going stop believing those lies, so don't tell yourself that you are after the truth. You're not. And remember this: If you realized that you have been taught lies about God, continuing to believe those lies is to betray God, and that betrayal will have everlasting consequences for you.