Combating the J w...

[Monoxide]

Often I debate with a good witness friend of mine on the topic of religion. Unfortunately there is one thing I cannot seem to argue well, as his doctored bible published by the watchtower society has nullified any real meaning. The problem:

This JW often describes to me how there is possibly no hell and no purgetory (I have safetly established that there is no purgetory because the Watchtower society™ has helpfully removed the book of Macabees.) but he kind of confuses me on his arguments on hell. He seems to believe that there is no hell but your body ceases to exist as do you if your not a priviliaged JW who drinks the blood or something. He says that the hell in the bible was a garbage dump outside of Jerewesalem (spelling). It isnt shattering my faith but I do wish to debate.

Also;
He tells me that we cannot possibly pray to the Saints or Mother Mary because they are not in Heaven. He says that they and everyone who has died remains in their bodies in the earth until judgement day, and he often tells me how he cannot wait for the day to come (hes kind of a nut as well as nutless).

Any input would be appreciated.

[Archangel]

Read up on the JW's here:

[url="http://phorum.phatmass.com/index.php?showtopic=8784"]http://phorum.phatmass.com/index.php?showtopic=8784[/url]

[phatcatholic]

it looks like he beleives in something called "soul sleep." these documents will be of great help to you:

--[url="http://web.globalserve.net/~bumblebee/ecclesia/soulslep.htm"]The Bible Disproves Soul Sleep[/url]
--[url="http://hometown.aol.com/philvaz/articles/num10.htm"]Examination of Conditional Immortality, "Soul Sleep" and "Annihilationism"[/url]
--[url="http://web.archive.org/web/20030612192317/http://home.global.co.za/~skorsman/sda/soulslp.html"]The State of the Dead: Alive in Christ, or Dead and Forgotten?[/url]
--[url="http://web.archive.org/web/20030112114350/http://www.catholicsource.net/articles/hell.htm"]What the Hell?: The Biblical Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment for the Wicked[/url]
--[url="http://www.ratzlaf.com/Dale%20Intro.pdf"]A Dead Doctrine?[/url] ([b]note:[/b] or [url="http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:faxNJPsOcsoJ:www.ratzlaf.com/Dale%2520Intro.pdf+&hl=en"][b]html[/b][/url]) *
--[url="http://www.ratzlaf.com/Saul%20%26%20Samuel%20Gladson.pdf"]Rethinking Life After Death[/url] *
--[url="http://www.ratzlaf.com/Streifling%20Death.pdf"]The Nature of Man and Death[/url] ([b]note:[/b] or [url="http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:fNyzxOC5zwYJ:www.ratzlaf.com/Streifling%2520Death.pdf+&hl=en"][b]html[/b][/url]) *
--[url="http://www.ratzlaf.com/Dale%202%20Cor.pdf"]Paul and the Afterlife in [b]2 Corinthians 5:1-9[/b][/url] ([b]note:[/b] or [url="http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:pyUyfgVvJUoJ:www.ratzlaf.com/Dale%25202%2520Cor.pdf+&hl=en"][b]html[/b][/url]) *
--[url="http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9705convsb.asp"]A Private Version of Hell[/url]
--[url="http://www.cathinsight.com/apologetics/adventism/hell.htm"]The Eternity of Hell[/url]
--[b]note:[/b] also see the "Heaven" and "Hell" sections of the [url="http://phorum.phatmass.com/index.php?showtopic=8020"][b][i]Last Things[/i] entry[/b][/url]

i don't know much about soul sleep off the top of my head, which is why i refer you to these articles. i hope they help.

pax christi,
phatcatholic