Q: I am homebound and recently had two Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on my door. We spoke at the door for a while, and I agreed to have them come back later and discuss the Bible. I have been going through some difficult times, and I have prayed to God to bless me with someone with whom I could discuss some spiritual issues. I have tried to reach out to local Catholic parishes, but it hasn’t worked out. Is it a sin for me to accept the visit from the Jehovah’s Witnesses? I am not interested in seeking to join another church. I believe that the Catholic Church is the one and only true church. Thank you. — Elizabeth
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t been able to get help from any Catholic parish. It must be hard to struggle with issues while you are homebound and probably feeling isolated.
While it’s good that you were polite with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, it’s probably not a good idea to invite them back, no matter how friendly they seem.
Their aim ultimately is to persuade you to join their sect – at the price of abandoning your Catholic faith.
Unless you are deeply knowledgeable about the Bible and your faith, it’s not easy to take on two JW’s who are trained to promote their own interpretation of Scripture.
And make no mistake: some of their key beliefs are incompatible with Catholicism and Christianity in general.
For one thing, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe in the divinity of Jesus. They think he was a created being. But we know him to be God, the Second Person of the Trinity.
Nor do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in hell. You could learn more about their other faulty ideas at this Catholic Answers post.
It would be better to try to reach out to a parish again and see if a parishioner could visit you. You don’t want to jeopardize your faith through interactions with Jehovah’s Witnesses (for more pointers, see this post).
In the meantime, you might try looking at videos by Father Mike Schmitz and Bishop Robert Barron. They will offer more solid teaching. And stay close to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the rosary.
Count on my prayers.