Recently I had a Jehovah’s Witness come to my door offering the usual. The experience was rewarding, not because I won any arguments but because I was able to put to use many hours of training and study to be the best lay apologist possible. But before I tell you all about our conversation, I want to “set the stage.”
My family lives in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s not unusual in the summer months to have, at least weekly, a solicitor at our doors. Once storm season in underway or finished, businesses enjoy a wide open market for people who need siding repairs, new roofs, gutters, and lawn services. My brilliant wife, who has been mother to toddlers and infants for the past two years put a small 4×6 placard up next to our front door that basically reads, “I have infants sleeping. If you know what’s good for you, you will not knock, you will not ring the doorbell, and you will not offer me any services. Have a good day.” It’s quite poetic.
So on this occasion my wife was gone with our 6 month old son and I was at home with our 2-year-old boy. I was busy editing a book I’m writing and he was doing his best to throw every shoe in the house down the steps to the basement. All of a sudden I hear the rapid – bang, bang, bang, – and my fully grown 7lb toy poodle begins her routine of letting me know someone is at the door, which to her is really an attempt to say, “Someone’s here to kill us! I’ll hold them off!”
I run up the stairs, open the door, and I notice all in a matter of moments that he’s got a clipboard with a stack of pamphlets and there are about 3 others walking up to other doors on my street doing the same thing. At this point I’m positive it’s a contractor so I open the door and say, “Did you read the sign?”
“Yes, but-”
“Well then what can I do for you, what are you selling?”
“I don’t want to sell you anything.”
“Okay, you’re a missionary?” I’m guessing that’s the only thing left.
“Yes.”
“Are you Catholic?”
“No I’m a Jehovah’s Witness.” I felt stupid for asking if he was a Catholic. I got great advice when I was a Protestant that whenever I feel apprehensive about talking about my faith, to just assume that the person I’m talking to agrees with everything I’m saying, until I find out differently. It works – try it.
I responded, “You guys have come here before – you want me to be a Jehovah’s Witness…”
“No, that’s not why I’m here.”
“Really?” His answer did surprise me.
“Yes, I just wanted to get you interested in reading scripture every day.”
“Well that’s good, I already do that each day.”
“Great. I want to share a few verses with you.” I knew where this was going.
“But we don’t read the same scripture” I said.
“Yes we do.”
“Okay, when was your Bible translated?”
“Last time was about 50 years ago” I don’t know if that’s true but I’m going to play along.
“And what was it translated from?”
“A version about a century older than that.” That’s likely true because the JW got their start in the late 1800s.
“Alright, well I’m Catholic and I’m aware there are some differences in our translations, correct?”
“Well, there shouldn’t be. We use a version that was translated from the earliest manuscripts.”
“Well listen, I’m Catholic. I first, honestly, want to applaud you for your zeal for the scriptures and your willingness to go out and meet people. But I’m actually a convert to Catholicism. You can say I searched my way into this faith and there’s no way I’m going to be a Jehovah’s Witness. But I’ll make you an offer: if I take the stuff you want to give me, will you take home a book with you?”
He looked at me strangely, so I continued, “I have a huge library of books and would be happy to give you the one that best addresses your disagreements with the Catholic faith.”
“I would take a book but you have to come visit me.”
“Why?”
“Because I came here to you.” I didn’t see what that had to do with anything. I sensed he didn’t actually want to read anything at all.
“Okay, are you willing to read at all on my religion, on Catholicism?”
“No, there are differences between our faiths that I cannot accept.”
“Right, I understand. Primarily, you do not believe in a Triune God.”
“Yes.”
“See, I can help you to understand this.”
“I’ve already made my studies and my conclusions based on what the scriptures say and they say that you are wrong.” Okay, so we’re back to the Bible.
“What’s your authority?”
“What?”
“What’s your authority for your interpretation?”
“Well… the scriptures” he seemed puzzled.
“I mean, what ensures you that you are interpreting the scriptures correctly, drawing your doctrines as they really are.”
“The Bible is self-interpreting.”
“You think so? Then how come each of the Christian denominations claims the very same thing: that they are in the right and everyone else is in the wrong. So I ask you again, what authority do you have that ensures that you are reading the scriptures correctly?”
He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow. I continued, “Listen, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, which I know you don’t believe to be divine, but He said that that advocate would remind the apostles of everything He had taught them. The Holy Spirit is not a spirit of anarchy, it’s a spirit of unity. Why not just take this book home with you and you can just read it in your own time-”
He cut me off, “I’m not going to read it. I’ve already made my mind up.”
“Okay. Well I wish you all the grace of God on your journey to seek truth. Again, I want to applaud you for your bravery in going door to door.”
“Thank you” and he departed.
There’s some brief introductory stuff, exchanging names and what not that I didn’t include.
What you’ve got to know about JWs is that they do want you to convert. They believe that anyone who is not a Jehovah’s Witness will be annhialated in Armageddon at the end of the world. Let me let you in on the excellent tactic I used here, which I learned from Patrick Madrid’s book, On a Mission.
First, know how to win an argument without losing a soul. Many of us might be familiar with the first part of 1 Pet. 3:15, “Always be ready to make a defense to anyone who calls you to make an account for the hope that is in you.” But the second part of that verse continues, “Yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” If there’s any way to get people to quit listening to you, it’s being rude, prideful, and arrogant in how you talk to them. Always communicate apologetics with patience and charity.
Then, you’ve got to take control of the fight. I only say “fight” to illustrate this next point, because whatever you do, do not be aggressive. When two fighters go at one another in a ring, they’re throwing jabs at each other. When a punch is thrown though, a fighter has the chance to move to the side or to pivot in order to redirect the blow or have it completely miss him altogether. This is the time where he can then control the fight because his opponent is off-balance.
Making a defense for the faith is no different. Like a punch you didn’t see coming, when your opponent asks you a question and you don’t know how to answer it (or even if you do), redirect the questions back to them. In my case, this individual threw the rhetorical accusation that Catholics don’t read the Bible correctly. I could have told him how I know that we do, but I redirected the topic: “Okay, if that’s true, what’s your authority?” By doing this, I put him off-balance, causing him to have to rethink his lines, which gave me time to think things through as well.
Those are two keys to apologetics with the door-to-door types. I wish the young man took me up on my offer for a free book but that’s all I had to do. I don’t have to convert him. In fact, I can’t convert him; only God can. So that night I thanked God for the opportunity and for the courage of the young man, and asked God to begin directing his heart with some of the seeds that I planted in him, and to send someone else if needed to help him continue in his learning of the Catholic faith.
Great job and great share Shaun!
Thanks a lot brother.
My JW chats are about 3/4 the same as yours. Interesting.
I appreciate this so much, as so many Christians of all stripes make fun of or even hate on the JW’s. My mother was, similar to me, a Catholic who wandered into evangelicalism for years but then came back to Rome during her last 10 or so years on earth. During that earlier time she met and studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses for several months, never converting to them but becoming such a good friend of the local Kingdom Hall overseer’s wife that she came to her Catholic funeral visitation (she could not go to the actual funeral due to her beliefs but I am guessing she did not go to many Catholic visitations either). In short my mom made an impact on her that only eternity will reveal due to their mutual respect. Sounds like you did the same. God bless.
I had a somewhat similar experience when I met two JWs one day. The staggering thing was that they were completely unaware that Mark and Luke were not Apostles.
That’s pretty bad …. but I bet that over half of our Catholic CCD middle schoolers would be equally unaware.
I’m curious what book you had in mind to send home with him.
The Faith of Our Fathers by Cardinal James Gibbons. Or another… I’d let him pick
>>Excellent work of witnessing to a non-Christian Shaun McAfee…. All Catholics need to know our faith, which is taught by our Church. … Usually, the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormon missionaries are not open to someone else, explaining Christianity. … The witnesses and missionaries from other faiths, come calling on home visits, and try to feed poison to Christians; it’s a death for all Eternity.
John 15: 5, “I am the vine, you are branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”
“I would take a book but you have to come visit me.”
“Why?”
“Because I came here to you.”
I might be mistaken but I think JWs are not allowed to receive anything when they go door-to-door.
Great work and excellent points regarding 1Pt 3:15.
Good job,Shaun! I too live in Omaha, NE and have had similar encounters with JWs. Hegesippus is correct, they ordinarily are not allowed to accept any “written” material that contradicts their erroneous beliefs, but some may accept DVDs or tapes. Just a thought. As a member of the Legion, we knocked on a JWs door and she accepted a book. That is not usual. Ever thought of the Legion of Mary, Shaun?
Another Omahaan! I’m actually a ways into becoming a Lay Dominican.
God bless you in your studies. I am a Secular Franciscan myself. So you are attending St Peter’s Catholic Church?
St. Robert’s.
St. Robert’s! Alright! St. Robert’s is great! I was there when the (replica) Shroud of Turin was put up for display – actually, I helped set it up! Who will be coming to do a presentation at St Roberts? Prof. Hahn or Mr. Cavins? I thought you attended St Peter’s because the last I knew the Lay Dominican group met there with Fr. Cook. That was a while ago. Anyway, at the next event at St Robert’s, I’ll keep a look out for you. BTW, I attend St Pius X. We just celebrated 60 years as a parish. Pax et bonum, Shaun.
Oh awesome. Either of those two are coming to St Roberts? Cool! I actually attend the Lay Doms in Kansas City. Yes, keep your eyes out for me I’d be happy to meet
Actually, I was asking you if you had some inside intelligence on any upcoming events. At St Peters, there are Lay Carmelites not Lay Dominicans. So I was mistaken, “mia culpa!”
I live down in Bellevue and two weekends ago we had two JWs show up at our door. One looked like he was about 14 and the other looked about 18. I answered the door and the younger one (wearing a suit with a bow tie by the way) without any introduction or hello, handed me a pamphlet an very timidly said, “I just want to give this to you.” I looked at him incredulously and asked, “That’s it?” He said yes and nothing else. I asked if they were JWs and he said yes. We stood there for about 5-10 seconds looking at each other, I was waiting for some kind if statement or something. Nothing followed so I said “Ooo K, right then, have a great day. God Bless.” I shook his hand and shut the door. It was the oddest JW exchange I’ve ever encountered.
My guess is that that was a training session. They got to start sometime in their lives. I wish we had more people in our faith community doing the same thing. After all, we were the FIRST ONES going door to door – actually, it was more like to communities. Think the early Catholic missionaries and Catholic Evidence Guilds. Joe, I know you have a Legion of Mary in Bellevue – consider joining and then or your parishes evangelizing group polishing your skills and go (in pairs) door to door. It is not as hard as it seems – you just has a 14 y/o show you it isn’t. It is funny when the person asks, “Are you JW?” and you respond “No Catholic!”
I invite JWs to pray the rosary with me before they tell me anything or give me their pamphlets. I tell them that’s my policy. I haven’t had any takers yet. They just leave really quickly.
Great tactic … too bad they don’t take you up on your offer!
Why is that a great tactic? Unless your goal is to simply get rid of them you just blew an evangelizing opportunity.
Loved this post Shaun! You had me laughing. Loved Jessica’s note on the door, loved your responses to the JW at your door, loved that your son was throwing every shoe in the house down the stairs!
I really like your sharing it is very inspiring. I Have a friend who is a Jehowa Witness and whenever we have to discuss faith related issues she feels unease but I have to make my points. I enjoy reading their pamphlets for general knowledge but once we had a chat on the Holy Trinity and it was not easy for her to agree though I know I cant convince her to believe in the Triune God I concluded the chat but since then she has not brought any discussion regarding our faith or the Word of God