Hi ,
Years ago, I became friends with several Jehovah's Witnesses
who introduced me to quite a number of the members of their Kingdom Hall over the months. We had many discussions regarding "truth", and what the Bible teaches. I was able to learn from them that they were attempting to be one of 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses who will make it to heaven due to their works. I tried to show them that that is not how you get to Heaven. A person cannot get there by any works that we do. They disagreed.
In any event, they also told me that of those who don't make it to heaven, they will simply inherit a perfect earth for ever. I asked them what happens if neither winds up being true for a given individual. What happens, for example, if a person neither goes to heaven, nor inherits the perfect earth, as they claim. In other words, where does a person go who is
not "saved" when they die? They told me the person becomes as though they were never conceived. They do not believe in Hell, so the person simply dies and becomes nothing.
I responded by telling them that if they are correct, then I cannot possibly lose, no matter how I live my life. They were surprised, and asked me what I meant. I said to
them, "According to what you believe, I either go to heaven, or inherit a perfect earth, or become as though I was never conceived. Therefore, there's no punishment. Punishment always involves consciousness. If I am not consciously being punished, then I am not being punished at all. So, if you are right, I can't lose, no matter how I live my life, nor what I believe. BUT, what if there IS a hell? What if you CAN'T actually work your way to heaven? What if what you believe about Jesus makes ALL
the difference in where you go when you die?", etc.
One of the women seemed stunned. Her next question stunned me equally. She responded by asking, "What must I do to be saved?"(!) Does that question sound familiar?
