They may ask for a donation, but usually they will simply hand out the magazines. Few will try to talk. Why? Because under those magazines is a visit sheet that allows them to record how much they handed out that day. It is just part of the legalistic machine of the WATCHTOWER organization.

Like Mormonism and Unity and Christian Science, the JW's arose out of the 1800's period when religious unrest was high and new cults were flourishing. Unlike the others, however, the JW's did not try to add new "Scripture" to the Bible to support their new ideas, but what they did was perhaps worse.

God's Prophetic Organization?

The Watchtower has continually made the claim that they alone speak for God.

"people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself. We cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the "faithful and discreet slave" organization. It should be expected that the Lord would have a means of communication to his people on the earth, and he has clearly shown that the magazine called The Watchtower is used for that purpose." (Studies in the Scripture 1988 pg. 3 The Watchtower 1981 pg. 19 1939 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses 1939 pg. 85)

"to receive everlasting life in the earthly paradise we must identify that organization [the Watchtower] and serve God as a part of it." (The Watchtower, Feb 15, 1983, pg 12-13)

Beyond the dishonesty and poor scholarship of their "Bible," the Watchtower falls into the same trap set by God to catch false prophets (in this case their whole organization is considered to be a prophet) as do the Mormons and others. As will be shown, like other false prophets before and after them, they fail the critical tests for a prophet.

What are the tests for a prophet? They are in God's Word. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 states: "You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." Has the Watchtower Organization claimed to be a prophet? Have they prophesied falsely? Yes. (See Watchtower Prophecy ).

Further, Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says: "If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul." Has the Watchtower Organization led its followers to a false God? Yes. (See The Watchtower God).

Finally, Galatians 1:6-7 states: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  Has the Watchtower Organization taught a false Gospel? Yes. (See The Watchtower Gospel ).

The New World Translation

Boldly, when the current versions of the Bible did not substantiate their false claims, they did away with them all together. A new, poorly translated, "version" was created by unnamed authors. Insertions were made to the originals. An excellent example is found in Colossians chapter 1. This is a clear reference to the fact that Jesus is the Creator of all things (1:16,17). Because the Watchtower denies the deity of Jesus Christ, this verse could not be allowed to remain in its proper wording. So the word "other" was added although it does not appear in the original Greek, and completely changes the intended meaning. Now ,it is true that sometimes context demands additional english words to clarify the Greek syntax such as, "I and the men went outside," compared to, "I and the other men went outside." This is a perfectly legitimate word addition because it does not change the meaning. Adding "other" to "all things" however makes it mean the opposite of the original(see NWT Col. 1). In modern translations, as in the above example, itallics are used to show that a word has been inserted that is not in the original - but get copies of the NWT before 1950 and you will find a surprising thing - no itallics,and no [brackets]. Those deliberate and dishonest insertions of words completely changed the meaning of the passages they were in. They do something similar in John 1 (see NWT Jn. 1).

Does that sound like God's Organization to you?

Who are we to judge?

Judgment is proclaiming something we cannot really know objectively. For instance, if I say, "This writing is black." It would not be judgment. I am not judging it to be black, it just is! However, if I were to say, "This writing is ugly," then I would be judging it. When God says we are not to judge (others) lest we be judged, He is not saying that we are to become incapable of discerning right from wrong (if it is according to His Word), nor is He saying that we are to become stripped of rational thought processes. This is a very important truth to understand, we are to judge!!! We cannot judge another person's motives or standing with God, because we don't know. But we can and must judge what a person does or says.

Deut. 13:1-3 says, "That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God...; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you." Deut 18:19-21 says, "If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death..." And Galatians 1:8-9 says, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"

So you see, God takes this very seriously. The gospel is God's power to bring us to Him. He will not stand for those who would pervert it. He has given us the ability and the responsibility to discern whether or not this is happening. A man's reputation is not worth any person's eternal destiny being destroyed. We must investigate the claims of the Watchtower if we are to follow what God has commanded.