https://youtu.be/t_MPDwSqpY0?si=Okf4BsfSqfed0SZP
Study article 27 under the title :"Help Bible Students to Take a Stand for the Truth" paragraph 1
*DID you have reservations about becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Perhaps you were afraid that your workmates, friends, or family would turn against you. Or maybe you felt that you would never be able to live up to God’s standards. If so, you can empathize with Bible students who seem reluctant to take a stand for the truth.*
Ah yes, the ever-persistent question in Watchtower literature: why, oh why, are so many Bible studies not turning into baptisms? Surely it must be that people are just riddled with fear, self-doubt, and personal inadequacy. They're simply intimidated by the high standards of God's organization, right? Or maybe they’re afraid their families will shun them for choosing “the truth.” That must be it—because there’s *no way* it could have anything to do with people doing their own research, asking legitimate questions, and discovering some rather uncomfortable truths about the organization itself. No, no. That would be far too rational.
Let’s break this down. According to this paragraph, the only plausible explanation for why people might be dragging their feet is that they’re scared or insecure. That’s it. No mention of other possibilities. None. Apparently, the thought that someone might look into the organization objectively and *decide against joining* simply doesn’t compute. It's not even a hypothetical worth mentioning. Because let’s be honest—once you've had a few “Bible studies” and heard the good news about paradise and pandas, why wouldn’t you want to jump into a pool and sign your spiritual life away?
Except here’s the thing: we live in 2025 now, and people aren’t living in a vacuum anymore. You can’t hand someone a publication like “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” and expect them not to also Google, “Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a cult?” Spoiler alert: that search leads to some very different answers than the ones in *The Watchtower*.
And that’s the real issue, isn’t it? The organization still seems to be operating as if we’re in the 1950s, a time when people didn’t have the resources to fact-check what they were being told. Back then, you could control the flow of information. If someone had a question about 1914, or the blood doctrine, or the dozens of failed Armageddon predictions, they’d be sent to their local elder for a vague explanation and maybe a couple of cherry-picked scriptures. But today, within seconds, you can read experiences from former Witnesses, check quotes from old Watchtower publications, and even find court documents and UN affiliations that the average Witness probably has never heard of—*and definitely won’t hear about during their study.*
But what really seals the deal for a lot of people? It’s not just the questionable teachings. It’s the way the organization reacts when someone asks a tough question. You’d think that an organization that claims to have “the truth” would be absolutely thrilled to engage in meaningful, respectful Bible discussion. You’d imagine they’d welcome the opportunity to explain their beliefs using scripture, logic, and historical context. But in reality? Ask a probing question—say, “Why did the organization flip-flop on the generation teaching so many times?”—and watch how quickly things get awkward. Or hostile. Or both.
Rather than engaging, Witnesses are trained to view such questions as dangerous, even spiritually deadly. You're not “just curious” or trying to understand—nope, you're being “critical,” “prideful,” or under the influence of “apostate thinking.” You might even get told to stop asking those questions altogether. Because let’s face it: the answers, if they even exist, aren’t exactly faith-strengthening.
So is it really that surprising that many Bible students decide to tap out before baptism? It’s not a lack of courage. It’s not fear of rejection. It’s not some spiritual inferiority complex. It's that they can smell the red flags from a mile away—and unlike the generations before them, they have the tools to confirm what they’re feeling.
And then there’s the whole issue of commitment. Baptism in the Jehovah’s Witnesses isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It’s a legal, spiritual, and social contract that comes with massive consequences. Once you’re in, you’re *in*. If you ever decide to leave or disagree with the organization, you're not just walking away from a set of beliefs—you’re potentially walking away from your entire community, your family, and every social connection you’ve made within the group. You don’t “disagree with the elders.” You “become spiritually weak.” You don’t “have doubts.” You “fall under Satan’s influence.” And if you get disfellowshipped, you’re dead to everyone still in.
So again, maybe—*just maybe*—Bible students aren’t “reluctant” because they fear they won’t measure up to God’s standards. Maybe they’re just observant enough to recognize when they’re being asked to join a system that punishes independent thought, discourages questions, and enforces conformity through emotional blackmail.
The irony is, the paragraph wants you to “empathize” with these poor, trembling students. But it offers no real empathy itself. No attempt to validate legitimate concerns. No encouragement to dig deeper or explore their doubts. Just a blanket assumption: they’re scared, they’re weak, and they need to muster the courage to take “a stand for the truth.”
But what if “the truth” they’re being asked to stand for doesn’t hold up under scrutiny? What if, after all the meetings, study sessions, and convention videos, someone simply realizes that they’re being fed a highly curated, inflexible worldview that doesn’t tolerate any critical analysis? Is that fear? Or is it just common sense?
If the organization really wants to see higher conversion rates, maybe it should start with a little honesty. Acknowledge that people today can—and will—do their research. Create an environment where questions are welcomed, not punished. Stop framing any hesitation as a sign of weakness and instead consider that maybe, just maybe, people are walking away *because they’re thinking clearly.*
Until then, no amount of emotional appeals, guilt-tripping, or glossy publications is going to convince the average critical thinker to go for that baptism. Not when they’ve seen behind the curtain. Not when they know what’s really at stake.
So next time you hear that someone didn’t go through with baptism, don’t assume they were “afraid of persecution” or “didn’t feel worthy.” Maybe they just asked the wrong question—and got the kind of answer that made everything suddenly, painfully clear.