Jehovah's Witnesses: Time Killers

This morning as I was on my way to work I spotted two Jehovah's Witnesses. On the seat next to me was several old Watchtower publications which contained prophecies that did not come true. I thought for a moment if I should approach the two JW's and talk to them. I decided to pull over and park across the street from where they were walking. I carefully selected two books, put them in a shopping bag, locked my vehicle and headed toward the Witnesses. As I was waiting to cross the street I wondered why they were walking in an area where there were no people. In fact all of the stores they were walking in front of were closed. Also, in the opposite direction from where they were headed was a trolley stop with two bus stops. Why were they walking away from the people? I crossed the street and walked towards them. They didn't seem to be in any sort of rush so it was easy to catch up. As I approached them from behind they stopped, slightly turned their backs towards me and continued talking. I thought it was so odd, were they really going to ignore the only person walking on the sidewalk?

I turned to them and with a smile said, "Good Morning!" I asked them if they were in fact Jehovah's Witnesses, which immediately became obvious when I saw the Watchtowers clutched in their hands, they said they were. One of them, who must have been in his 60's offered me something to read which I accepted. This man who I will call Manuel has been a Jehovah's Witness for 32 years. As Manuel reached into his satchel to get me a tract, the second Jehovah's Witness asked me, "Are you interested in Jehovah's Witnesses?" I told him I was interested with a smile.

Manuel handed me a Watchtower. On the cover it showed a picture of what looked like the aftermath of a hurricane or tsunami. There was a picture of man holding his two children sitting on top of a car which was floating in water. Above the distressed family was the question, "Is God Cruel?" Manuel began to explain to me how some will call a natural disaster an Act of God. He described to me how God's plan and will for the earth was that it be restored to its original state, a paradise. Manuel also mentioned how God's plan involved the establishment of a kingdom on earth which is actually a theocratic government. He quoted to me the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:10, "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". He told me that this is the Good News the Jehovah's Witnesses share with others.

Inside I was smiling, when I first saw the Jehovah's Witnesses I contemplated on whether to ask them about the Watchtower's false prophecies or the message that should be preached door to door, the Good News. I asked Manuel if what he just described was 'The Good News' of the Bible. He said it was, and without me even having to ask he pulled out his Bible and turned to Revelation 21:4

"And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall their be any more pain, for the former things are passed away."

I told Manuel that Revelation 21:4 sounded wonderful and asked him if there were other verses which talked about 'the Good News'. He quickly went to Psalm 37:3, 29

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." 

"The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever" 

I told them that I was confused because Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 described a different Good News. I asked them if they could explain these verses to me. After Manuel read the verses I asked both of them, "What was the Good News according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4?". The other Jehovah's Witnesses (who wouldn't tell me his name) asked me what I thought the Good News was according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 since it seemed I was familiar with the passage. I told him verses 3-4 say the Good News is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I asked them why did they describe a completely different Good News to me. Manuel said that in order for the Kingdom to come Christ had to die. I pointed out to Manuel he did not answer my question. I asked him again, "Why is he preaching a theocratic government/paradise earth  message as the Good News, when Paul says the Good News is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ?" The other Jehovah's Witness asked me, "Have you talked to Jehovah's Witnesses before?" I asked him in return, "Who hasn't talked to a Jehovah's Witness before? I mean how many Jehovah's Witnesses are there?" He smiled and said, "Well, plenty of people haven't talked to a Jehovah's Witness". 

Next Manuel took me to Matthew 28:19-20,

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

I pointed out to Manuel that the verse he showed me did not mention anything about a paradise earth or a theocratic government. Also, none of the verses he showed me said that that was the Good News or was an example of a someone preaching door to door. I told him that I cannot find one person in the Greek Scriptures who knocked on someones door and told them the message he had just told me.

The other Jehovah's Witness sharply asked Manuel, "Are you ready to go?" Manuel closed his Bible and said yes. I believe Manuel would have stayed if the other Jehovah's Witness wasn't there. The other JW told me that it seemed that I was satisfied in whatever it was I found and they were looking for people who were searching. I asked him if he believed there was only one way to God. He told me he did but everyone has their own relationship with Jehovah. I honestly cannot believe he said this, his words are very similar to Religious Pluralism. I was also shocked that after a few minutes they wanted to stop the conversation and leave.

Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters" (Luke 11:23).  A person is either with Christ or he isn't, there is no neutral ground and we both cannot be right. Either the Jehovah's Witnesses have the truth or they do not. If they really do have the truth wouldn't they want to reason with others who do not? I told the other Jehovah's Witness that it didn't matter if both of us were satisfied in our beliefs, just because we are satisfied doesn't mean we have the truth. This is when he disagreed and made the religious pluralism comment. I then asked him if he believed I could be saved if I wasn't a member of the Watchtower Society. He didn't answer me and proceeded to tell Manuel they needed to leave. I told him I didn't think his previous answer was the real reason why he wouldn't talk to me. He asked me what was the real reason then. I was going to say something about how the Watchtower calls anyone who disagrees with them mentally diseased and apostates, but instead what came out surprised me. I told him, "It is because you do not care about me". They both were taken aback and one laughed. Manuel asked me, "So you care?" I told him not only did I care but I loved them and that was the real reason why I walked up to them. I don't think they believed me. As they walked away I reminded them that no one preached the message they are preaching.

"I marvel that YOU are being so quickly removed from the One who called YOU with Christ's undeserved kindness over to another sort of good news. But it is not another; only there are certain ones who are causing YOU trouble and and wanting to pervert the good news about the Christ. However, even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to YOU a good news something beyond what we declared to YOU as the good news, let him be accursed. As we have said before, I also now say again, Whoever it is that is declaring to YOU as good news something beyond what YOU have accepted, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:6-9 
New World Translation 

They both turned around and headed in the opposite direction from where they were previously walking. I crossed the street, got into my vehicle, and ran a quick errand. I drove past them again and noticed that they were just standing together talking, away from the people, almost as if they were just killing time.

As they walked away 1 Peter 3:15 came to my mind. "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." Manuel and his friend failed to obey this command. They only talk to people who are Biblically ignorant and accuse those who know the Bible of not being a seeker of truth.

I must say that I honestly do care about them and I am concerned that the Watchtower Society has deceived them. If I did not care about the Jehovah's Witnesses I would never walk up to them. If I really didn't love them, then I would continue to drive past them knowing that when they die they would meet the God who they thought was a mere created being and they would be condemned to a place they didn't believe in.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of the Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." 
John 6:39-40