What if a person at the door is a apostate?

[Canyon_1985]

A few weeks ago I was out  in service and a elder had sent me and my friend to a home were a couple had moved in recently he knew because he had been working this neighborhood when the house was for sale. Anyways, the woman opened the door and started talking about false rumors about the organization the good thing was my friend backed me up but what do I do next time this happens 

[Dré]

The question you raised is about apostates we may meet in the preaching work. However, the comment is actually about a woman who was spreading false information about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Is the woman actually an apostate, or is she just repeating what she has heard from others?

[carlos]

The Bible says we don't talk with apostates, because they are very dangerous for our spirituality and want to cause us harm (2 John  9-11). So if you meet an apostate at the door or anywhere, what do you think the right reaction would be?

 

This applies to apostates, that is, former Witnesses who now try to stray others. It's different if you meet a person in service who is not a former Witness and simply has heard some lies about Witnesses. That person maybe can be helped to find the truth. That is not an apostate. Even then, we would rather avoid listening to rumors about anyone.

[TheKid23]

I’ve come up against apostates both on carts and house to house. Both times I’ve politely stopped the conversation and walked away. I can’t remember exactly what I said as it was a few years ago but when the person answered the door and started ranting how the org covers up child abuse I said something like “I’m not here to discuss that today, if you have genuine questions about that you can find information on our website” and I just walked away 

[Dré]

Protect Yourself From Apostasy https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=202023178&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=2

[Canyon_1985]

6 hours ago, Dré said:

The question you raised is about apostates we may meet in the preaching work. However, the comment is actually about a woman who was spreading false information about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Is the woman actually an apostate, or is she just repeating what she has heard from others?

She was also saying her own ideas

[Canyon_1985]

As well. When you look up are Jehovahs witnesses happy people? It shows that inside information and current members have happy lives vs former members and critics say otherwise because we can't celebrate holidays. So really there is a big difference between inside and out, it's like everyone is complaining and hating on a company for  " harsh work" but inside they know it's not harsh and they are looking forward to a million dollar payment coming any at anytime 

[Mike047]

Since apostates are not likely to wear badges, we can only go by what they say or how they react, unless we have come across them in different circumstances before. We used to get a number at the London District Assemblies (Regional Conventions) and, although we were told not to interact with them there always were some who would. On the litcart work in Bournemouth on the south coast, our brothers and sisters remain polite, but remove themselves physically.

[TheKid23]

4 hours ago, Mike047 said:

We used to get a number at the London District Assemblies (Regional Conventions)

Before Covid we had apostates outside protesting, they were particularly targeting young ones. In the Friday they tried getting into the building to cause trouble but the security staff and our attendants managed to keep them out.
 

By the Saturday it was discovered (not sure how) that there was a Facebook page and big event sent up for apostates and they had been plotting for months- the worst part for me was that my mum and I were warned by 1 of the brothers that my older sibling was 1 of the organisers 😭 

 

They persisted in protesting outside and had placard and banners and were attempting to speak to ones coming in and out of the Convention. Attendants and police managed to keep the peace and direct us away from them. We ended up having announcements basically saying to keep our heads down and not engage with them if we went outside. Was a very interesting experience! 

[Beggar for the Spirit]

What if a person at the door is an apostate?

 

We have to use discernment and insight at the door.

As Brother Mike @Mike047 said,

"apostates are not likely to wear badges"

 

Simply because a person at the door raises a controversial topic or their words/tone sound "apostate", does not make them a true former Witness who turned traitor.

 

Sometimes a householder(HH) who has never been a Witness has heard rumors or myths from relatives, friends, internet, about certain "hot" issues involving JWs, such as child abuse, the blood issue, etc. And their personal conscience or sense of justice may cause them to be frustrated or even angry at us!  And therefore they may act and speak "like" an apostate, but they are not. 

 

Jehovah understands that some unbelievers will hear rumors/myths/lies and become upset or angry with His people or even Him!  Yet Jehovah is compassionately reaching out to such ones through us in the ministry. 

 

So here are a few suggestions to help us try and determine if the HH is a real apostate or not:

 

If the HH raises a controversial topic or their words/tone sound "apostate".

And if you are concerned the HH might be an apostate, then...

•  ask kind but discerning questions like, "Have you ever been to a Kingdom Hall?", "Have you attended any meetings or assemblies of Jehovah's Witnesses?" 
• Questions similar to these might draw out the person to express how he/she used to go to meetings or that he/she used to be a JW.  We can gain insight from their answers.

If the HH is being evasive/suspicious in his/her answers, then we can...

• use a more penetrating question to expose the HH's motives
• Just as Jesus did with opposers in his day:  "...the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to (Jesus) while he was teaching and said: "By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?”  In reply Jesus said to them: “I will also ask you one thing. If you tell me, then I will also tell you..."
• If our penetrating questions reveals in some way that the HH used to be a former Witness, then we can politely end the conversation and leave like Sister Hannah @TheKid23 mentioned she did in 1 of her posts above. 

But If the HH's answers seem genuine and indicate that he/she has never been a Witness, then we can...

• decide how we want to respond to their "hot" questions.
• If we give a kind, gentle answer and the HH seems to be a little more responsive or at least calms down from their initial "attacking" words, then we may be able to continue giving a witness. 
• BUT if the person still seems agitated/upset/angry. we can use good judgement/discernment to determine whether it may be better to politely take our leave even though the HH is not an apostate, but to follow Jehovah's higher ways concerning any potential arguments, "Before the quarrel breaks out, take your leave" (Prov 17:14)  

Edited 48 minutes ago by Beggar for the Spirit