Questo articolo è disponibile anche in: Italian English Spanish Portuguese

Hi, Father Angelo,

For several months, Jehovah’s Witnesses had been leaving pamphlets in my mailbox. I always trashed them, then one day I started reading out of curiosity. I was astonished by the absurd things written in these pamphlets. The first was the rejection of the practice of transfusion, as they consider eating blood a sin because it contains life.

While reading that, I thought back to an episode in my life when I donated blood to a friend of mine who was undergoing an operation after a car accident. Personally, I believe that I absolutely did not sin because, also thanks to my blood, today my friend is alive .

They profess another strange thing about dressing. There was an article against jeans, considered work clothes and to be worn only for that purpose. Personally, I wear jeans in everyday life, I do not think I will become a better Christian if I wear trousers instead of jeans.

Besides, another thing shook me and not a bit: they always talk about the end of the world, as if their intent were to frighten and strike terror in people. On the contrary, my heart is full of joy and hope when I come back after Sunday Mass.

Finally, in all these pamphlets, what most bothers me is the partial quoting from the Bible to confirm their thesis. They always omit the full text.

Said that, Father, they gave me the impression they are a sect. What do you think?

Thank you for your time and may the Lord bless you.

The priest’s answer

Dear,

1. yes, so it is.

Their congregation gives the impression of being very formal.

Above all, it has no interiority.

Hence, no wonder if most of those who come out from the ranks of Jehovah’s Witnesses usually become atheists.

2. They generally entice those who do not have a mature religiosity.

As you point out, they are always caught up in the end of the world date, which they have consistently failed about.

Christians do not mind when the world will end. We could die even today.

Our being in God’s grace is essential, with the soul purified of sins. In fact, one cannot enter heaven nor does even go to purgatory without this garment.

3. Yes, blood is a symbol of life.

A great act of charity is donating blood to those in need and in danger of life.

Jesus said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

Jesus continually gives us His blood, His life, in the Eucharist.

He wants His divine life to become ours, now and for eternity.

4. About dressing: certainly, when you go to church you shall dress decently.

The dress has its part in recalling the sacredness of the place and the greatness of what is done.

For this reason, the Church asks sacred ministers to dress according to the liturgical rules.

However, the most beautiful dress we wear, which we are not pleasing to God without, is the wedding garment referred to by the Gospel of Matthew, 22:11-12.

The wedding garment is the image of sanctifying grace, which is infused into the substance of the soul and makes it pleasing to God.

5. Sanctifying grace is  compared to the flames, which penetrate wood or iron and make it incandescent, luminous, sharing the nature of fire.

Likewise, anybody in God’s grace is penetrated by divine light and splendor, which puts him or her in intimate and direct communion with God.

6. But, the most annoying thing among Jehovah’s Witnesses is the counterfeiting of the Holy Scriptures, both in translating the text and in interpreting it.

They do not even know which are the criteria early adopted, namely that we must interpret Sacred Scripture as always (a semper), everywhere (ubique) and as  everybody (ab omnibus)has  interpreted it .

Such free interpretation of theirs is one of the many fruits of Protestantism, which wanted to deny the importance of Tradition, to say that only Scripture matters. Precisely, Scripture interpreted according to a free examination.

7. However, the expression “Scripture alone” is not found in Sacred Scripture either.

Such a great statement should be found in the sacred text. But there is none.

Instead, we read: “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles, in opposition to the teaching that you learned; avoid them” (Rom 16:17).

St. Paul refers to Tradition when he says: “I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by (the) grace (of Christ) for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!” (Gal 1:6-9).

“Different” from what? That which was always announced, since the beginning, and everywhere.

8. What we read in Sacred Scripture applies to them: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him in your house or even greet him” (2Jn 1:10). So, it is not wrong to politely tell them to go away .

I wish you every good and I bless you.

Father Angelo