I was raised in the Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses) religion, was baptized in that religion when I was 16 and was a dedicated member for about 5 1/2 years.

As an ex-JW I would like to make a point: JWs do not do door-to-door visitation work because of any hatred for God. They are hoping to please God through their many hours of fruitless service. All too often an unkind word, an argument, unconcern ("I'm not interested"), or a slamming door is the reaction JWs receive from "Christians."

The JW at your door is someone who has lost his way in his search for God and needs to be directed to "the way." (John 14:6) Knowing what JWs and other cults believe is one thing, but knowing how to relate to cult members personally, and how to deal with cult members you meet in public places, social situations, and at your door step is quite another thing. Here are some suggestions:

-Be extremely patient and don't be expecting to convert anyone overnight. (Matthew 21:28-31)

-Remember that the object is to win hearts, not arguments.

-Look for opportunity to share your testimony. Tell him what the Lord Jesus Christ means to you and share your salvation experience. Then ask him to share his testimony, and keep insisting that he tell you about his personal experience with Jesus Christ. This will throw him off his track and force him to deal with spiritual realities. If he should try to give some sort of testimony, this is a good sign that you may be able to eventually reach him with the truth. If he should get angry or upset and leave, the Lord can use your testimony to work on his heart.

-Make sure you respect the Bible as the authority for your claims or statements. (Do not say: My pastor says..., I've always said..., etc.)

-Do not be hostile or argumentative. This will only convince him that he is right.

-Don't be afraid to say no. If you don't want him to think of you as a prospect and be that much more determined to win you over (instead of being receptive to the truth) then don't buy anything or accept anything free. You can give a polite refusal and still converse with him.

-Don't be intimidated by their attitude that they are more spiritual or knowledgeable than you are. Since they are the ones trying to sell you something, let them be the ones who have to prove themselves to you.

-Speak with conviction. (Acts 4:13) Why should someone consider your message if you don't sound convinced of it yourself?

-Avoid answering leading questions (What do you think about world conditions? Have you ever wondered...? What do you think about...[some news item]? Do you think there is a solution to the crime problem, or a way to feel secure? etc..), as they use these questions to discern how best to win you over.

-If he tries to quote a whole list of Bible passages out of context all at once, insist that you be allowed to pause and read each passage aloud in context (include perhaps about 4 or 5 verses preceding and maybe 4 or 5 verses following the passage.). This forces him to consider his proof texts in relation to immediate context, which he probably has never done before, and he just might start doing this on his own.

-Don't pretend to have all the answers.

-Don't put on a pretense. Remember that they are quick to spot hypocrisy.

-Since you do not already know all about his beliefs and his organization, don't pretend that you do.

-Since you don't like to be patronised or demeaned, give him the same courtesy you want from others.

-Show concern for him, buy him a cup of coffee, look for opportunity to demonstrate kindness to him, etc.. Show him that you love and care about him in spite of disagreeing with him. Most cult members were lured into the cult through love-bombing and need to see that there are caring people outside of the cult.

-Express your humanness. Many cults demand such a high standard of perfection that meeting someone who is secure in his faith in spite of being less than perfect makes a good impression.

-Appeal to their insecurity. While cult members appear assured and confident, inside they are troubled by questions and doubts and often feel trapped. You should try to steer the conversation beyond minor issues and debatable points and toward matters of the heart and spirit.

-JWs tend to feel obliged to respond to sincere questions with teaching and explanations, and using questions and asking for explanations can be more effective than confrontation or arguing over proof texts as a means of gradually helping them see the fallacies of the Watchtower Organization. Here are a few examples:

Where in the Bible did Jesus Christ ever deny His deity? If only the Father is God and Jesus is "a god," then just how many "gods" do JWs have? (John 1:1 NWT; Isaiah 43:10; 44:8)
Where does the Bible say that Jesus is Michael the Archangel?
Where does the Bible say that Jesus Christ was not bodily resurrected? (Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:39-41)
Where does the Bible say that in heaven today Jesus Christ does not have a glorified human body? (Colossians 2:9; I Timothy 2:5)
Where does the Bible say that the return of Christ will not be in visible human form? (Acts 1:9-11) Did Christ ascend into a literal or figurative cloud? (Acts 1:9)
While the Bible teaches much about the Old Covenant for Jews and the New Covenant for Christians, where does the Bible teach a third arrangement of a great crowd of "other sheep" who do not have a heavenly hope? (John 17:20,24; I Peter 1:3,4)
Where does the Bible forbid service in the armed forces, where in the Bible is any soldier told to resign from the military?
Where does the Bible forbid a medical blood transfusion to save a life? (Romans 4:15)
Where does the Bible say to shun or ostracize a relative or friend who conscientiously chooses to leave the Watchtower Organization or join another church or denomination? Etc..