Jehovah's Witnesses
The purpose of this page is to provide quick cut and paste answers to common objections against Christianity. Each answer has been boiled down to a maximum of 255 characters, including spaces, to allow it to be pasted on all chat systems -- at least all that I checked. If you know of other basic questions, please let me know.
1. Jehovah's Witness doctrines
A. There is no Trinity, (Let God be True, p. 100-101; Make Sure of All Things, p. 386); The Holy Spirit is God's impersonal active force, The Watchtower, June 1, 1952, p. 24); Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God, (The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197); They claim to be the only channel of God's truth, (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19).
B. Jehovah's first creation was his 'only-begotten Son'. . . was used by Jehovah in creating all other things," (Aid to Bible Understanding, pp. 390-391 ); Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man, (The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New World, 284); Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh, (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 306); Jesus did not rise from the dead in his physical body, (Awake! July 22, 1973 , p. 4).
C. Jesus was raised "not a human creature, but a spirit," (Let God be True, p. 276); Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake, (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 89-90); Jesus returned to earth, invisibly, in 1914, (The Truth Shall Make You Free, p. 300; Jesus' ransom sacrifice did not include Adam, (Let God be True, p. 119).
D. Only their church members will be saved, (The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30); Good works are necessary for salvation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150, 152); The soul ceases to exist after death, (Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67); There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished, (Let God be True, p. 79, 80)
E. The soul ceases to exist after death, (Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67); There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished, (Let God be True, p. 79, 80); Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven, (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121). Only the 144,000 Jehovah's Witness are born again," (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681).
2. Salvation according to the Jehovah's Witnesses
A. According to the Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1983 , p. 12, there are four requirements for salvation: "Many have found the second requirement more difficult. It is to obey God's laws, yes, to conform one's life to the moral requirements set out in the Bible. This includes refraining from a debauched, immoral way of life. ?1 Cor. 6:9,10; 1 Pet. 4:3,4."
i. See quote in context
ii. Ask the JW if he/she is doing what the WT says to do. Are you keeping God's laws?
iii. If the JW says he isn't, then why not? Is he disobeying the Watchtower?
iv. The Watchtower says you have to obey God's laws. Which laws are those you have to obey? Which moral requirements must you obey?
B."Yes, there are various things involved in getting saved. We must take in accurate knowledge of God's purposes and his way of salvation. Then we must exercise faith in the Chief Agent of salvation, Jesus Christ, and do God's will the rest of our lives. (John 3:16; Titus 2:14) (WT, Sept 15, 1989, p.7)
i. See quote in context - at end of page
C. When a person, on the basis of the Scriptural knowledge he has gained, has belief It would be a mistake for him [one who has belief in Christ] to think that he is now saved and cannot fall. He must show by his endurance in the Christian faith that he is worthy of salvation... Salvation from death is a gift from God to those that obey him, not to those that disobey. (WT, March 1, 1960, p. 134)
i. See quote in context.
3. Baptism is necessary for salvation
A. "It is evident from this [Rom. 10:9-10] that besides faith and baptism, public declaration? to the effect that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God raised him up from the dead is a requirement for salvation. (WT, May 1, 79, p. 15, Baptism's Christian Requirement)
B. "These foregoing scriptures [Dt. 27:9,10; 30:1-10] clearly show that obedience brings harmony and friendship with Jehovah, peace, salvation, testing for approval, release from oppression, and punishment upon the enemies of his own people..." ( WT, 9/15/52, p. 559)?
4. The Watchtower Organization is the Prophet of God
"This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses....Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it." (Watchtower 4/1/72 , pages 197)
i. Link: http://www.carm.org/jw/docs/watch_4_1_72_p197-198.htm
營f the WT Org. is a prophet of God, why has it made false prophecies?
A. 1897 "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874," Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, page 621.
B. 1899 "...the battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 16:14 ), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced." The Time Is at Hand, page 101 (1908 edition).
C. 1918 "Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection." Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 89.
D. 1922 "The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914." The Watchtower 9/1/22 , page 262.
E. 1923 "Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge." The Watchtower, page 106 4/1/23.
F. 1925 "The year 1925 is here. With great expectation Christians have looked forward to this year. Many have confidently expected that all members of the body of Christ will be changed to heavenly glory during this year. This may be accomplished. It may not be. In his own due time God will accomplish his purposes concerning his people. Christians should not be so deeply concerned about what may transpire this year." The Watchtower, 1/1/25 , page. 3.
G. 1931 "There was a measure of disappointment on the part of Jehovah's faithful ones on earth concerning the years 1917, 1918, and 1925, which disappointment lasted for a time...and they also learned to quit fixing dates." Vindication, page 338.
H. 1941 "Receiving the gift, the marching children clasped it to them, not a toy or plaything for idle pleasure, but the Lord's provided instrument for most effective work in the remaining months before Armageddon." The Watchtower, 9/15/41 , page 288.
I. 1968 "True, there have been those in times past who predicted an end to the world', even announcing a specific date. Yet nothing happened. The 'end' did not come. They were guilty of false prophesying. Why? What was missing?.. Missing from such people were God's truths and evidence that he was using and guiding them." Awake, 10/8/68 .
J. 1968 "Why are you looking forward to 1975?" The Watchtower, 8/15/68 , page 494.
5. Watchtower Control over its people.
i. "Only this organization functions for Jehovah's purpose and to his praise. To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book." (Watchtower; July 1, 1973, pp. 402.)
ii. Link: www.carm.org/jw/docs/watch7_1_73_p402.htm
A. "Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." (Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967. p. 587.)
B. Part A: "We should meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarification, rather than balk at the first mention of a thought unpalatable to us...(Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1952, pp. 79-80.)
C. Part B: Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord's visible organization and not be so foolish as to put against Jehovah's channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings." (Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1952, pp. 79-80.)
D. "We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the 慺aithful and discreet slave' organization." (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981.)
E. "We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his word and channel of communication." (Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967, p. 591.)
F. All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave. (Watchtower; 10/1/1994; p. 8.)
G. "From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 態ible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." The Watchtower, August 15, 1981 .
6.?Who is the Faithful and wise Servant?
A "Thousands of the readers of Pastor Russell's writings believe that he filled the office of "that faithful and wise servant," and that his great work was giving to the Household of Faith meat in due season. His modesty and humility precluded him from openly claiming this title, but he admitted as much in private conversation." (Watchtower 12/1/1919, page 357).
B. "Jesus foretold that among his people there would be a "faithful and discreet slave" class who would be providing the spiritual food to God's family...overseeing the carrying out of the Kingdom interests world wide. (Matt. 24:45-47). These anointed overseers serve as though being guided in their activities by the right hand of Christ." (WT, 1/15/1969, p. 51)
7. Jesus is present since 1874
A "But now we are in the end of this Gospel age, and the Kingdom is being established or set up. Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A.D., according to the testimony of the prophets, to those who have ears to hear; and the formal inauguration of his kingly office dates from April 1878 A.D." (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, page 621).
