Many years ago when I was still a Jehovah’s Witness, I was going door to door with my mother offering literature. At one door, an older lady asked us to come into her house. I thought I was going to have a chance to give her my presentation, but she stopped me and said she didn’t want to hear it. What she really wanted to do was to tell me about a few of the many encounters she’d had with the Lord. She told me story after story of having her prayers answered in obvious and spectacular ways.
As JWs, we had been taught that members of “Christendom” (Christians) were deceived by the devil. Even so, I could not get this lady’s stories out of my head. I had a very hard time believing that she had been lying. My only option other than questioning my indoctrination, which I could not do, was to make myself believe that demons had been answering her prayers.
That encounter lived rent free in my mind for a long time. Actually, I never forgot it, and when I eventually began to question my allegiance to the Watchtower organization, like a dormant seed, it started to grow. I wish I could thank that lady now. She didn’t have to invite us in and tell us her stories. She could have simply ignored our knock or told us she wasn’t interested. Instead, she cared enough to make an attempt to reach our hearts.
In case you didn’t know, the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses is considered by many to be a dangerous, pseudo-Christian cult. The reason for that is two-fold. The first reason is that the level of control exerted over the faithful is extreme and, in some cases, even dangerous. The second reason is exclusive to Christianity. Jehovah’s Witnesses teach unscriptural doctrines that are so far outside what could be considered orthodox Christianity that it cannot be called Christian. They teach what most Christians would call “another gospel.” (Galatians 1:8) Many question whether or not JWs are even saved.
For JWs, waking up is dangerous. Depending on how long they have been associated, they stand to lose what to them may feel like everything they hold dear – their worldview, their family, and possibly all or nearly all of their friends. They are taught that dissidents, called “apostates”, are spiritual poison and must be completely shunned, which is why, if they have any doubts, they will often hide them at all costs. I remember feeling like I was bound and gagged. Once a JW is either expelled from the organization, called “disfellowshipping”, or formally disassociates themself, they are treated as if they had died, or worse, as if they had never even existed in the first place. This is unimaginably painful, often leading to severe mental illness or even suicide.
My Christian friends often ask me how they can talk to JWs in a way that might help them to wake up. First, remember what they stand to lose and be gentle and kind. Second, they probably won’t listen to you unless they are already questioning. If they are not ready to be intellectually honest, any effort at waking them up will probably prove fruitless. In that case, pray for them.
If you think your JW friend might be open to hearing you, try giving your testimony. (Revelation 12:11) Very rarely does arguing doctrine help, but it does happen. (I will write a future post on how to discuss doctrine with JWs.) Most JWs are well-trained to frustrate the average Christian with their labyrinthine eisegesis of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. A die-hard JW will reject even the most biblically sound, well-thought-out argument because they are conditioned to believe that no one can understand the Bible except for the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But it is much harder for them to reject or explain away your encounters with God.
The above approach is my favorite because it bolsters faith in God. If a JW loses faith in the Watchtower organization before they have had a genuine encounter with God, they almost inevitably become atheist or agnostic. In fact, it has been estimated by some that up to 90 percent of ex JWs are unbelievers. So, if you decide to use any approach other than giving your testimony or discussing the Bible, do everything you can to help them hang on to their faith in God.
What kicked my own awakening into high gear was the Covid lockdowns. The emotional manipulation and spiritual abuse perpetrated by the leadership became so painfully obvious during that time that I finally felt that I had to question my beloved organization. Most JWs will not be able to question their indoctrination until they can clearly see that the organization is suspect and may not deserve their trust. They will defend the interpretations of the organization to their dying breath unless they at some point are able to see the humbug behind the curtain, the flawed, imperfect, and even devious men behind the impeccable facade.
If you decide to try to show a JW the truth about the organization, make sure that you stick to the facts. There is a lot of unprovable conjecture on the internet about the Watchtower organization. But hard, verifiable facts are available. JWs are extremely suspicious of outside information about the organization and will almost inevitably dismiss any negative information as “apostate lies” unless you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that what you are presenting is true. Even then, they may either claim you are lying or that your source is biased and unreliable. And again, emphasize that just because the Watchtower organization is untrustworthy does not mean that God is.
Making JWs aware of their own history can also be a good way to wake them up. If the foundation is rotten, the building cannot stand. For many, all it took was to read some of Charles T. Russell’s original works and the scales fell from their eyes. Russell, the founder of the Watchtower organization who fancied himself a prophet of God, was very fond of setting dates for the second coming of Christ, and every date that he set was wrong. This made him a false prophet. For more on the history of the Watchtower organization’s many bizarre teachings and doctrinal flip flops, see jwfacts.org. In fact, that website is a treasure trove of information, not only on Watchtower history, but on all things JW.
Can you imagine being immersed in a reality that is really a mirage? Can you imagine then waking up to that fact? Can you imagine the disorientation and pain? The movie The Truman Show was an amazingly applicable parable about just that. There is a quote from that film that I find especially apt for helping people to understand JWs, especially those who were brought up in the organization. It is this: “We accept the reality with which we are presented.” That is true. But what happens when that reality starts to crumble? It can be both exhilarating and terrifying.
My Christian brothers and sisters, next time the JWs come knocking, maybe think twice about hiding in the back room or telling them to get lost. They are precious to God, and they need what you have. They are trapped and silenced in a cruelly seductive and demanding system of psychological control from which it is very difficult to escape. Many of them are genuinely seeking God, and what they have been taught by the organization really seems true to them. They deserve your love and compassion, not rejection or cruelty. “It is for freedom that you were set free.” (Galatians 5:1) JWs need the freedom that you probably take for granted. The most loving thing you can do is to learn how to speak to them effectively. And if your efforts are rejected, pray, pray, pray. Give them time. Give them grace. It could literally mean their lives.
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