by Halcon 61 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
On a trip to Rome a few years ago I asked my friend (who is Roman and JW) what the Catholic faith thinks of JW. He simply stated that JW is tolerated by the church but that really not much thought is given to them.
Is there an official stance on JW by the catholics? As I understand it, JW is not really considered protestant per se, altho I'm not sure what else they could be.
The Catholic Church views Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) as a religious movement that diverges significantly from historic Christianity, both doctrinally and ecclesiologically. While there may not be a single authoritative magisterial document specifically dedicated solely to Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church’s general approach to such groups is consistent with her broader pastoral concern for all who have departed from, or never entered into, full communion with the Catholic faith. The Church does not label Jehovah’s Witnesses as Protestant in the traditional sense, because their theology is not a development from the Reformation, but rather a 19th-century innovation that departs sharply from both Catholic and classical Protestant teachings. Although it is an interesting question what we call "Protestant", it can also be interpreted as meaning that any self-proclaimed Christian is a Protestant who does not belong to any church that claims apostolic succession and holy tradition (Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) and believes in the 66-book biblical canon.
From a doctrinal standpoint, Jehovah’s Witnesses reject essential Christian beliefs, such as the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the immortality of the soul, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the sacramental life of the Church. These teachings are not regarded by the Catholic Church as minor theological disagreements but as fundamental errors about the nature of God, Christ, and salvation. As such, the Catholic Church does not consider the Watchtower Society’s teachings to be part of authentic Christianity. Their interpretation of Scripture, which relies on their own New World Translation—a version widely criticized for theological bias—is another major point of concern, as is their rejection of Church Tradition, which Catholics hold to be inseparable from the proper understanding of God’s Word.
Nevertheless, the Church does not approach Jehovah’s Witnesses with hostility or ridicule. Rather, the Catholic attitude is one of respectful engagement, grounded in charity and truth. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states (no. 818), even those communities that have separated from the Church can possess elements of truth and sanctification. In the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses, their moral seriousness, their dedication to evangelization, and their disciplined community life are often acknowledged. However, the Church also recognizes the spiritual harm caused by the Watchtower’s theological distortions and the psychological burdens sometimes experienced by former members.
Catholics are encouraged to respond to Jehovah’s Witnesses not with indifference, but with patient dialogue and firm understanding of the faith. In practical terms, the Church leaves pastoral decisions about how to address encounters with Jehovah’s Witnesses to local bishops, theologians, and apologists, many of whom have written extensively on how to defend the Catholic faith in these contexts. There are also converts from Jehovah’s Witness backgrounds who now help others make the journey into the fullness of the faith, offering resources that respectfully clarify misunderstandings and present the richness of Catholic doctrine.
In short, the Catholic Church does not ignore Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor does she treat them with hostility. While their theology is seen as gravely deficient and even dangerous to souls, the Church always seeks to engage such groups with truth, reason, and the hope of reconciliation. This is part of the broader mission to lead all people to the fullness of truth found in Christ and in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Why doesn’t the Catholic Church “take on” Jehovah’s Witnesses directly? From a Catholic perspective, the reason the Church hasn’t launched an official campaign or magisterial document explicitly refuting Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) isn’t due to fear or inability—but because the Church does not treat every loud voice on the religious landscape as if it were equally important. To use an analogy: imagine a world-class boxing champion being heckled by a loud amateur outside a bar. The champion doesn’t lace up his gloves to fight him. Why? Because the two aren't in the same league. Engaging him directly might give the impression that they are equals, or that the champion feels threatened—neither of which is true. This is precisely how the Catholic Church views Jehovah’s Witnesses: a noisy but theologically marginal group, whose teachings are already thoroughly answered in the broader scope of Catholic theology and Scripture. Engaging them in an official, top-level capacity might actually validate their self-perception as a persecuted minority doing battle with the "false Church." It would feed their internal narrative that they are the "faithful remnant" under siege from Satan’s system—which, ironically, includes all other Christians.
Why not publish an encyclical refuting them? Simple: it’s not needed. The theological errors of the Watchtower are already refuted in Catholic dogma, councils, and Scripture-based tradition. The Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the immortality of the soul, the existence of hell, and the visible, apostolic nature of the Church have all been taught and defended for two thousand years. The Church has answered more sophisticated heresies—Arianism, Sabellianism, Donatism—long before Jehovah’s Witnesses even existed. To single out the Watchtower would be like aiming a cannon at a soap bubble. It wouldn’t destroy the bubble—if anything, it would draw attention to it and allow them to claim they are a real threat to “Babylon the Great.”
Wouldn’t that help Catholics avoid being misled? It’s a fair question. But here’s the reality: today, in the digital age, any sincere Catholic has access to countless well-reasoned biblical and theological responses to Watchtower teachings. Catholic Answers, Trent Horn, Jimmy Akin, and dozens of reputable scholars have addressed their doctrines point by point. YouTube, podcasts, books, and online apologetics are overflowing with responses to every Watchtower claim. Moreover, in the modern West, people don’t join Jehovah’s Witnesses because of theology—they join because of emotional, social, or psychological needs. Many converts are drawn in by the community, the certainty, the structure. In that sense, the Watchtower offers a feeling of stability in a chaotic world. Most who “fall” into it aren’t convinced by Greek grammar or clever proof-texting—they're searching for belonging. And as many ex-Witnesses will tell you, they also leave not because of theological arguments, but because of human disappointment, control, and spiritual exhaustion.
Why doesn’t the Church “train the faithful” to debate them door-to-door? Because Catholic preaching is not designed to create amateur theologians who can argue syntax with passing strangers. A homily is not a Greek grammar class. The Church equips her faithful primarily through the sacraments, the creed, and lifelong formation in virtue and love. That's a different mission than training people to win debates on porches. Of course, apologetics has its place—and more Catholic laypeople should learn to defend their faith—but this is best done broadly: defending Christ’s divinity, the sacraments, the communion of saints, Scripture and Tradition—not by narrowly obsessing over every minor sect.
So are Jehovah’s Witnesses dangerous? They’re loud, persistent, and sometimes persuasive—especially to the poorly catechized. But from the Church’s point of view, the real dangers today are secularism, relativism, and religious apathy. These erode the soul far more pervasively than any group of well-dressed door-knockers. The truth is, the Church doesn’t revolve around the Watchtower. Nor does the Pope stay up at night worrying about what's being printed in Warwick. The Catholic Church has the dignity of silence when needed. We don’t dignify every attack with equal attention—especially not when the attacker is already showing signs of cultural decline and internal division.
Final Thought: The Jehovah’s Witness movement thrives on the idea that they are under siege. If the Church responded with a formal condemnation, it would be a PR gift to them. It would confirm their "persecution complex" and be paraded in their literature as proof that they are the true faith, “opposed by Satan’s church.” Instead, the Church chooses a more strategic approach: truth calmly taught, not shouted; dignity over spectacle; and confidence over anxiety. The real task for us is to live the truth joyfully, defend it charitably, and never confuse theological noise with spiritual authority.
Let the flea jump. It doesn’t mean the lion is bothered.
Some resources:
What does the Church think of JWs?
simple, just another protesting church. 1 of 40k currently opposed to the Church that Jesus started.
Dont take my word on it, just rewalk Christianity from now all the way back 2000 years. Do it century by century and see for yourself.
TTWSYF
HALCON & AQWSED12345:
Being raised Roman Catholic, I can say the Witness religion was viewed suspiciously as crackpot.
I got involved anyway because the JWs misrepresented what they were. If I knew the real story I would never have set foot there. Luckily for me, I rejected the Witnesses attempts at ‘control’. I would not quit my job to do pioneering and housecleaning.
I ended up leaving after the 1995 Generation teaching…I wasted time but was just relieved it was over... I am Glad I trusted my instincts and didn’t listen to everything they said!
My first Bible study was Catholic and her mother was furious. She had to carry her literature with her out of the house every day or her mother would destroy the colorful books. Mom felt she would go to hell and was literally scared about that. In fact later, after my student became a JW, she was worried mom would take her kids to be baptized catholic.
Seems that they are tolerant unless a family member converted to JW.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it.
Dagney. What?
Italy is a country where JWs have done particularly well in spreading their message. JWs are the largest Christian religion in Italy outside of Catholicism so they probably do pay some attention to them. I remember when Ratzinger was elected pope there was some media interest in the fact that his cousin was a JW. I think she lived in Australia, if I remember correctly, and some journalists asked her for comment and she gave some very general statements.
Let's assess the claims for accuracy:
Assessment: Partially true.
Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) have a notable presence in Italy compared to other countries in Europe. Italy has one of the largest populations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Europe. According to the 2023 Jehovah’s Witnesses statistics, there are over 250,000 active Jehovah's Witnesses in Italy (including publishers and attendees), making it one of their stronger footholds in the region. That said, their numbers are small compared to the dominant Roman Catholic population, which still represents the overwhelming majority of Italians.
Assessment: False.
While Jehovah's Witnesses have a significant presence in Italy, they are not the largest Christian group outside of Catholicism. The largest Christian communities in Italy after Roman Catholics are typically Orthodox Christians (due to immigration from Eastern Europe, especially Romania) and Protestant groups such as Waldensians and Evangelicals. Jehovah's Witnesses, while prominent, are smaller in number compared to these groups.
Assessment: Unverified but plausible.
There are anecdotal reports and claims that Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) had a cousin who was a Jehovah's Witness and lived in Australia. However, there is no substantial evidence or reliable documentation to confirm this. Media interest in this topic, if it occurred, seems to have been minimal and likely not widely reported. Without further corroboration, this claim remains speculative.
Assessment: Unverified.
This detail about the cousin living in Australia and giving general media statements might stem from anecdotal reports but has not been substantiated by credible sources. There is no widely available documentation or media coverage to verify this story. It could be based on hearsay or misremembered information.
(GPT got some details wrong, specifically about the Waldensians having more members as a result of considering all Protestant denominations collectively. However, the Romanian Orthodox Church verifiably has more members in Italy than JWs do, even if counting all affiliated rather than just 'publishers'.)
The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967), Volume 7, pages 864-865 is fairly accurate about JWs. There is a statement that is occasionally cherry-picked by JW apologists as 'inaccurate' because it says JWs "are allowed no other books than the Bible and the society's own publications". This is sometimes falsely taken as an incorrect assertion that JWs can't read anything else, but the context of the statement is specifically regarding religious literature. The entry also specifically addresses the NWT's addition of "other" in Colossians along with comments about some other Bible verses. It describes the NWT as "excellent except when scientific knowledge comes into conflict with the accepted doctrines of the movement". It notes Jehovah's Witnesses as evolving out of being a sect into a denomination.
The 2nd Edition (2002), still in volume 7, addresses JWs on pages 751-752. Rather than add material to bring it more up to date, the section is briefer than the 1967 version, and notes that the JW growth rate has "slowed somewhat" since the rates seen in the 1930s and 1940s.
Halcon:
As I understand it, JW is not really considered protestant per se, altho I'm not sure what else they could be.
That is the official JW line, but they are fundamentally Protestant in origin, and routinely included in encyclopedias of religion as either Protestant or Adventist (which are also Protestant).
See also Thou Doth Protest Too Much (part of Pure Worship review).
