Tag Archives: A Conversation With A Jehovah’s Witness Elder

My Jehovah’s Witness buddy ticked me off today. I can’t quite remember how we got on the topic, but he started denigrating faith based hospitals almost immediately upon my arrival. My buddy was sitting there with another Witness. I wasn’t happy about that, but at least it was someone he brought one other time and we got along fine then. The new guy has been a Jehovah’s Witness for only a matter of months so I like having the opportunity to connect with him to get him thinking. I’d rather it be one on one, but if I have to have another Witness there, then this is the guy I want there.

After the three of us finished our greetings, by buddy launched into an assault on faith based hospitals. I don’t know if he just had a bad experience at a hospital or if he was showing off to the other Witness, but he was very critical of hospitals started by religious denominations. In San Antonio there are a number of hospitals named after various denominations, Baptist, Methodist, etc. and even though these are not “Christian hospitals” they do have faith based mission statements. A person of any faith or no faith at all can be admitted as a patient or work there, but for some unknown reason, my buddy takes exception with that. Read More →

I had an unpleasant dream the night before our meeting and wondered if it might have something to do with my meeting with my Jehovah’s Witness friend. If you have been following this topic from the beginning, you know that I met a Jehovah’s Witness elder at the annual memorial. We have been meeting on a weekly basis since then. I dreamed that he had found out about our ministry and no longer wanted to meet. The odd thing is that my buddy has always texted me the evening before our meeting to make sure I was still able to meet, but this time, he didn’t. I texted him and received no reply. I began to wonder if my dream was coming true. Read More →

Manu hits the game winner.

Today’s meeting with my Jehovah’s Witnesses elder buddy was different than anything we have had thus far. It began in the parking lot of the restaurant. I drove in a little ahead of time and noticed that he was already parked. He was sitting in his vehicle, checking email on his phone. He got out once he noticed me, pointed to my shirt and exclaimed, “We were there Monday night!”

I am a San Antonio Spurs fan and was wearing a black, gray and white tie-dyed, Manu Ginobili t-shirt. If you don’t keep up with NBA basketball, the Spurs made what is now being called the greatest playoff comeback in history. They were down by 16 points with roughly four minutes to play and came back and won the game in double overtime. Manu hit the game winning three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left. Read More →

Our meeting started off with an apology. JW1 was not happy about how our last meeting went. He began by stating, “I know I cannot apologize for someone else, but I am sorry our meeting turned out the way it did last week.” He went on to say that what happened last week is not the way they are supposed to do things. He explained why he asked JW2 to come along at the last minute and said that he specifically told him not to be feisty. Do you know what JW2’s response was, “Then why did you ask me to come along?” At that point, it was too late because they were already in JW1’s vehicle on their way to our meeting. Like I said last week. The dude came in with an attitude to begin with.

Unfortunately, it had more of an effect on JW1 than I had anticipated. He wasn’t as patient as he usually is and interrupted me a number of times. I knew that I needed to take things very slow and low key or I was going to lose him. He wanted to launch into the Trinity again and this time he was trying to refute me and not understand me. He asked me how I define the Trinity and I gave a short definition I memorized from James White’s, The Forgotten Trinity. I highly recommend that book. (Check page two of our General Apologetics section in our web site store.) Read More →

I am so smart because you are stupid.

Arrogant. Presumptuous. Rude. Inconsiderate. I could go on, but you get the picture. My Jehovah’s Witness buddy brought another guy with him today. Last week he came alone which is sort of a no-no for Witnesses. I prayed that God would arrange it again for this week, but for some reason God said, “No.” I now know why.

Just about every time we have met with a Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon and they bring an unannounced friend, it tends to back fire on them. Some of the most impolite and condescending people I have met are JWs or Mormons brought into a conversation by someone I have been talking to previously. Such was the case today. Read More →