Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. The Watchtower Society drills into the heads of all its followers that at some point in their door-to-door witnessing they will suffer persecution for proclaiming "Jehovah's message." The Watchtower points to Jesus' own words as proof of their claim: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Not only is this approach uncharitable, the Witnesses expect it. I have even had some of my high school students recount with pride such actions taken by their parents when Witnesses came knocking at their doors.
I find that a typical response to Jehovah's Witnesses who are canvassing a neighborhood is to be brusque with them and then slam the door in their faces. I say this because the difference between slamming the door or choosing to be cordial and speaking with them could mean the difference between affording the Witnesses a moment for God's grace to operate through you or losing that moment forever. Please stop for a moment and take this thought to heart. This simple point could mean the difference between the loss of the souls of your Witnesses or their salvation. They are intended for the average Catholic who has no formal theological training. You don't have to be a skilled apologist to practice these guidelines. Based on my experience, I would like to propose a list of five "no-no's" for a typical encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses.
Having engaged in dialogue with a number of Witnesses at my door, via e-mail, in Internet discussion groups, and even in their own Kingdom Halls (their equivalent of a church) I have learned some do's and don'ts of talking with them. And while most people consider a visit by a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses a nuisance at best and a rude intrusion at worst the experience need not prove distasteful. This scenario is played out untold times in the homes of average Americans across the country. You take a deep breath and reluctantly open the front door. So you consider pretending you're not home. If you are like most people, you feel ill-equipped to solve humanity's woes on your doorstep. They're nicely dressed and wielding attaches that you will discover later are loaded with publications form the Watchtower Society, the parent organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses.Įven though your mind is occupied with mundane thoughts of dirty laundry, overdue bills, and vacuuming, you will soon be thrust into a dialogue on a far higher plane a dialogue about world violence, the devil's control of all government systems, or a future earthly paradise. The two individuals turn down your walkway. Since you're not expecting anyone, you peer out from behind the curtains. You notice as you pass the front door that two people are coming down the street. It's Saturday afternoon, and you're going about your household chores.
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