Hi ESW1996. Here are a couple of "easy" contradictions you can bring up that are not too involved:
Thinking out loud - My belief is that jw follows a false gospel. That they got it wrong. Now, how to 'prove' that to a family member who is still jw?
1) The parable of the VINEYARD WORKERS. JWs identify themselves with the last-hour workers against whom the first-hour workers murmur. So they have superficially seen themselves as the late-comers in the preaching work and the first-hour workers as the Catholic Church who don't like them. This is their persecution complex working overtime. But the fact is, not only do the first-hour workers receive their penny, but if JWs think they are the only ones going to heaven, and the penny represents that hope, then where does that leave the third, sixth and ninth-hour workers? All of whom get the penny?
So this is a FUN one to bring up. I suggest you bring it up as a question since in that way the error will be obvious. You could ask: "Say, I was wondering about something. You know the WTS claims they are the 11th-hour workers in this parable. They get the penny. The penny represents heavenly life. So who are the third-hour workers who get the penny? And by the way, how can Christendom be the first-hour workers since they get the penny also and thus also go to heaven? I'm really confused!! ???"
It's a WRONG interpretation obviously. You don't even have to know the correct understanding either. Just knowing this is WRONG is enough, right?
2) Also very direct but a little more detailed. Again, this is just to show them WRONG without correcting anything, which is your goal. You can point out to them Jer. 52:30 which mentions the LAST DEPORTATION was year 23 of Nebuchadnezzar. That means 4 years after the fall of Jerusalem. The question is, of course, where did these last deportees come from? After all, the land was allegedly desolate by the 7th month after the fall of Jerusalem, right?
Here is what the WTS claims:
Some two months later, after the assassination of Gedaliah, the rest of the Jews left behind in Judah fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch along with them. (2Ki 25:8-12, 25, 26; Jer 43:5-7) Some of the Jews also may have fled to other nations round about. PROBABLY from among these nations were the 745 captives, as household heads, exiled five years later when Nebuchadnezzar, as Jehovah’s symbolic club, dashed to pieces the nations bordering Judah. (Jer 51:20; 52:30) Josephus says that five years after the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar overran Ammon and Moab and then went on down and took vengeance on Egypt.—JewishAntiquities, X, 181, 182 (ix, 7).
Problem is, Josephus is specific about who was deported in year 23 of Nebuchadnezzar. This is a blatant example of misquoting by the WTS! Note what this reference actually says:
...... he [Nebuchadnezzar] made war against the Ammonites and Moabites; and when he had brought all these nations under subjection, he fell upon Egypt, in order to overthrow it; and he slew the king that then reigned (16) and set up another; and he took those Jews that were there captives, and led them away to Babylon. And such was the end of the nation of the Hebrews,
Note how Josephus specifically tells us from where the Jews in year 23 were deported! They were deported from Egypt! So why is the WTS avoiding that reference? Why would they say "probably from among the nations" as if there is no direct historical reference where the Jews came from, particularly since they are quoting Josephus!!
The reason is, because if they let on that the Jews of the last deportation were from Egypt, then obviously it would be presumed they would have to trek back through Judea and thus the land would not have been desolate!!!
Fact is, the Bible specifically indicates that those who had "escaped the sword" of Nebuchadnezzar in Egypt would indeed return to Judah, apparently only for a short time, (a few months?), before returning to Babylon!
14 And there will come to be no escapee or survivor for the remnant of Judah who are entering in to reside there as aliens, in the land of Egypt, even to return to the land of Judah to which they are lifting up their soul[ful desire] to return in order to dwell; for they will not return, except some escaped ones.’”
28 And as for the ones escaping from the sword, they will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all those of the remnant of Judah, who are coming into the land of Egypt to reside there as aliens, will certainly know whose word comes true, that from me or that from them.”’”
So what we have here is Josephus telling us specifically where those deported in year 23 came from. You have the Bible merely noting that they would return to Judea, which does not contradict Josephus since Judea is on the way to Babylon. But the WTS inventing Jews scattered to the surrounding nations, and thus suggesting that those last deported were NOT deported from Egypt. But there is no Biblical basis for needing to presume any of the Jews scattered at this time after Gedaliah was killed, when you have such a direct account of precisely where those last remaining Jews as a group went. Which was to Egypt.
So you can NAIL THEM on this. Misquoting, misrepresenting Josephus. Not acknowledging that the last deportation was from Egypt, and not acknowleding that the Jews would go back through Judea on their way to Babylon.
Further linking these specific Jews as the ones of the last deportation is the fact that they are call the "ones who escaped from the sword" in various places in the Bible. Thus note 2 Chronicles 36:
20 Furthermore, he carried off those remaining from the sword captive to Babylon, and they came to be servants to him and his sons until the royalty of Persia began to reign; 21 to fulfill Jehovah’s word by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had paid off its sabbaths. All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
Those "remaining from the sword" would be those not killed down in Egypt. Therefore, this specifically identifies who were deported before these seventy years at the time of the last deportation. It was the last remaining ones from Egypt. Again, this contradicts the WTS trying to create the subliminal idea that the last deportation was from areas around Judea, specifically avoiding the reference to Egypt. And that is only because the truth, the final deportation of those from Egypt, contradicts their teaching that the land was desolate from the 18th year, when in fact there were still people there right up until the 23rd year per the Bible.
Now, again, it is IMPORTANT to note that Josephus says those deported were deported specifically from Egypt. So there is no reason for the WTS to have to guess and suppose and imagine where any of these Jews might have come from. So it's not simply inventing a lie about some scattered Jews, it's a lie invented because they do not want to claim the Jews came from Egypt. But obviously Jeremiah and Baruch didn't get killed, and they were down in Egypt.
So if you want, you can print this out and say you have proof the WTS are 'BIG LIARS!!" and are dishonest and do not represent what the Bible says, so you have no need to be in a lying religion. (smile)
Hope these two examples will turn out for you. These are the two easiests and simple contradictions I know of where you don't need so much discussion and detail.
JCanon
