Principles

Ask Questions:

Find facts, shift the burden of proof, and change the direction of conversation.

1. Ask questions to gather information. Ask questions to find out what the person actually believes.
2. Ask questions to put the burden of proof on the person. That is, ask questions to make the JW prove to you that his view is correct.
3. Ask questions to move the conversation in a particular direction. For example, ask questions designed to help the JW recognize that the doctrine of the Trinity is actually true.

Principles

1. We should not build our beliefs and doctrines on only part of the evidence; only SOME of the verses that pertain to a topic of interest and ignore or dismiss the rest. An extreme example would be to use only one verse as our key verse and ignore other verses that could add more information to the doctrine.
2. We should not expect and demand that our opponents have better evidence than we are willing to accept for our own doctrines. We should have the strongest evidence and reasoning and logic.
3. So, if WT doctrines are true and if we test JW doctrine it should always have an answer; it should be able to withstand any challenge.
4. Honest-hearted people deserve answers to honest-hearted questions.
5. Is the NWT different from other translations? Is it an accurate and objective translation or does it support specific doctrines through its translation?
6. In relation to 1Jn 5:7-8, JWs and the NWT follow a principle that if it doesn't exist in the oldest manuscripts, then it isn't in the original and it should therefore not be included in the Bible. Based on this principle we would expect that they would never add words into the translation to support their own doctrine, like those who added 1Jn 5:7-8.
7. Does God lie? Has he ever lied? Or misled us? Or deceived us? Do you think that he would ever do these things?
8. If a translation or an interpretation contradicts another passage then it should be considered a faulty translation or interpretation.
9. We should try to follow principles not allow ourselves to ignore them when they hurt us.
   A person of integrity would say: If X then Y, even if it hurts me.
   A person looking for excuses for not following a principle would say: If X then Y, except when it hurts me.
10. A belief or a doctrine should be tested with contrary evidence in order to be stronger. Just like when you calculate your net worth, you don't just add up your assets but you also have to include your liabilities and debts to come up with an accurate figure. Otherwise you're just fooling yourself. In the same way, look for any contrary evidence (honestly) to see if there is any contradicting evidence for the belief or doctrine.
11. Refutation is not merely denial. Dismissing something is not the same as refuting it. Believing or declaring something to be true is not the same as proving something to be true.

Changes That Disturb People

*** Watchtower Apr 22, 1970, p. 8 ***
One of the reasons is that people are disturbed by what is happening in their churches. Yes, millions of persons have been shocked to learn that things they were taught as being vital for salvation are now considered by their church to be wrong. Have you, too, felt discouragement, or even despair, because of what is happening in your church? A businessman in Medellín, Colombia, expressed the effect the changes have had on many.
“Tell me,” he asked, “how can I have confidence in anything? How can I believe in the Bible, in God, or have faith? Just ten years ago we Catholics had the absolute truth, we put all our faith in this. Now the pope and our priests are telling us this is not the way to believe any more, but we are to believe ‘new things.’ How do I know the ‘new things’ will be the truth in five years?”

Expectations

Let's briefly outline some of the things which Trinitarians expect to find in the Bible. In the table below, an ✖ in the Unitarian column means that a Unitarian would never write like this when referring to God.

Expectations of how God would be spoken about

Expectation	Trinitarians	Unitarians
We expect to find in the Bible that there is only one, true, living, eternal Being who is God by nature and Maker of heaven and earth. more 🕮	✔	✔
We expect to find in the Bible that the one true God is incomprehensible. more 🕮	✔	✔
We expect to find in the Bible that the one true God exists in three Persons called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God would be referred to as a compound or composite oneness. Both singular and plural words would be used at times to speak about God. Plural nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, etc.	✔	✖
We expect to find that when the triune God of the Bible is viewed in terms of Being, all three persons are co-equal in all things.	✔	✖
We expect to find in the Bible that when the triune God is viewed in terms of function, each member of the Trinity has His own specific task, office, and authority.	✔	✖
We expect to find in the Bible that the man called Jesus actually pre-existed His birth from all eternity and was never created or brought into existence.	✔	✖
We expect to find in the Bible that divine titles, attributes and works are attributed to Jesus.	✔	✖
We expect to find in the Bible that Jesus was called “God” and was worshiped as such by the first Christians.	✔	✖
We expect to find in the Bible that divine names, attributes, and works are applied to the Holy Spirit.	✔	✖
In short, we expect to find in the Bible all the essential elements which form the basis of the doctrine of the Trinity.	✔	✖

But what if we do not find what we expect to find? Or worse, what if we find the direct opposite of what we expect to find? Since the denial of the consequence is always valid in logic, the doctrine of the Trinity could not survive under those circumstances.