Baptism as one of Jehovah's
Witnesses is a significant step, as
it is a life time commitment to the
Watchtower Society. At Matthew
28:18, Jesus commanded that a
person be baptised in the name
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
However, baptism as a Jehovah's
Witness also stipulates becoming
part of the Watchtower
organization.
The second question for baptism
states:
"(2) Do you understand that your
dedication and baptism identify
you as one of Jehovah's
Witnesses in association with
God's spirit-directed
organization?" Watchtower 1985
Jun 1 p.30
Such a baptism binds you to all
Watchtower Society rules,
regardless of whether or not
they are from the Bible or you
agree with them. Deviation from
the rules or disagreeing with the
teachings can lead to a life time
of shunning by all your Witness
family and friends. As such, it is
important to be fully aware of
what being a Jehovah's Witness
entails, including its history and
teachings.
Here are questions that you
should ask your study conductor,
prior to becoming overly
involved. The aim of these
questions is not to have a
doctrinal debate, as the
conductor will question your
motives and will not accept your
reasoning. Rather, simply asking
thought provoking questions will
stimulate educated responses to
assist get a better understanding
of Watchtower doctrine. An
occasional comment may be
necessary to make sure the
answer is logical or correct. A
Witness will deflect to another
topic when you raise difficult
questions, so be vigilant in
preventing this from happening.
Before asking each question it is
worth reading the
corresponding section on this
site. Clicking on the heading will
take you to a discussion of the
question, with quotes showing
what the Watchtower teaching
is. The answer you are likely to
receive from a Witness appears
in red.
Salvation
Who will be saved?
Everyone in Jehovah's
organization.
Does that means only Jehovah's
Witnesses be saved?
It is not for us to judge, some
other people may yet come to
God's organization.
Does that mean billions of people
will not be saved?
Possibly.
Why do you think most people
are so bad God will destroy
them?
That is not how we look at it, but
the Bible does say that a person
needs to be part of Jehovah's
organization to be saved.
Does that mean you think I will
die at Armageddon if I don't
become a Jehovah's Witness?
Well, uhm.
Good news of the kingdom
Why do you preach door to
door?
Matthew 24:14 says this good
news of the kingdom will be
preached and then the end will
come.
What is the good news?
About paradise.
And what is the end?
Armageddon, when God destroys
the wicked.
So are you saying that the good
news Jesus was referring to is
that God is soon going to kill
billions of people if they don't
become Jehovah's Witnesses?
Mediator
Why does the Watchtower teach
that Jesus is not our mediator?
That's not right, Jesus is our
mediator.
I was researching and
Watchtower publications
definitely says that Jesus is only
the mediator for the 144,000, yet
the Bible says Jesus is mediator
for all mankind.
"Likewise, the Greater Moses,
Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator
between Jehovah God and all
mankind. He is the Mediator
between his heavenly Father,
Jehovah God, and the nation of
spiritual Israel, which is limited to
only 144,000 members."
Worldwide Security under the
Prince of Peace (1986) p.10
Last Days
Why do Jehovah's Witnesses say
Jesus returned in 1914?
The prophecy of the seven times
in Daniel shows the Gentile times
started in 607 B.C.E. and ended in
1914.
Why is 607 used when virtually
all historians and other religions
say it was 587 B.C.
A person should accept what (we
interpret) the Bible to say over
what historians say.
So the Watchtower requires
historians to arrive at 537 B.C as
the end of Jerusalem's
desolation, but rejects that same
history for calculating when it
started?
Jehovah
Why has the New World
Translation added the word
Jehovah to the New Testament
when it does not appear in a
single discovered document?
Since Jehovah appears in the Old
Testament of course Jesus must
have used it when quoting these
Scriptures, otherwise the Bible
would be inconsistent.
Then why doesn't it appear in
any existing manuscripts?
Because it was removed after
Jesus death.
If you are suggesting that God
did not prevent his name being
removed from the New
Testament without trace, how
can I trust anything else in the
Bible?
Blood
Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses
have blood transfusions?
Scriptures like Acts 15:28 show
blood must not be used but
poured out onto the ground.
What parts of blood can be used?
Minor fractions.
Don't fractions of blood come
from stored blood?
Well yes, ... but using them is a
conscience matter.
If you can take blood fractions
can you donate blood?
No.
Doesn't that seem like a double
standard?
Disfellowshipping
I have heard that Jehovah's
Witnesses disfellowship and
shun people. What are all the
reasons?
For gross sins like adultery and
apostasy
How about things not specifically
mentioned in the Bible, such as
for gambling, smoking,
drunkenness, Christmas and so
on? (Possibly print out the list of
over 30 reasons.)
What is the process?
Meet with 3 elders for a Judicial
committee.
How are people treated and for
how long?
Must not be talked to until they
repent.
What if they never repent?
Well they wouldn't be spoken to
again
What about family?
Family should only be spoken to
in emergencies.
Wow, that sounds a lot like a cult.
Trinity
Jehovah's Witnesses don't
worship the Trinity?
You are correct, we must only
worship Jehovah God.
But didn't Jehovah's Witnesses
worship Jesus until the 1950s?
No, they never worshipped Jesus.
I am quite certain that they did,
would you like me to find the old
references for you?
Prophecy
Haven't Jehovah's Witnesses had
a number of false time-of-the-
end prophecies?
They were not false, they were
just incomplete. You would have
to agree 1914 was a turning
point in history.
How about other years like
1925? Millions Now Living Will
Never Die p.89 said that "we may
confidently expect that 1925 will
mark the return of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and the faithful
prophets of old." The
Watchtower Society even built a
house called Beth Sarim for them.
Isn't that a false prophesy?
It was not a prophesy, it was an
interpretation
The Watchtower Society do call
themselves a prophet. (w72 4/1
p.197, w59 1/15 pp.39-41, w64
10/1 p.601, g86 6/8 p.9)
Wouldn't that make
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
applicable?
"However, the prophet who
presumes to speak in my name a
word that I have not
commanded him to speak or
who speaks in the name of other
gods, that prophet must die. And
in case you should say in your
heart: How shall we know the
word that Jehovah has not
spoken? When the prophet
speaks in the name of Jehovah
and the word does not occur or
come true, that is the word that
Jehovah did not speak."
History of the Slave
When did Jehovah's Witnesses
start?
There have always been
Jehovah's Witnesses.
I thought they were quite a new
religion?
Russell started the Watchtower
Society in the 1870s, but that
was prophesied by Jesus who
said the virgins would awaken in
the last days.
But you said there have always
been Jehovah's Witnesses. So
who were they before Russell?
We don't know, but there have
always been some worshippers
of Jehovah.
So which Jehovah's Witnesses
did Russell get his teachings
from?
Well no one really, God directed
him

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You are an apostate. Be-careful, cause you may be sinning against the holy spirit.