This was posted at H20, I think your response might help.
Grunt
Posted by Osarsif [osarsif] on January 12, 2001 at 18:02:53 {bkofpB3ypszinTML2JvMHWDmSKGzPQ}:
Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to shut down the brazilian newsgroup:
uol.religiao.testemunhas_de_jeova
This newsgroup is sort of a Brazilian equivalent of alt.religion.jehovahs-witn and was established in November 3, 2000 by the ISP UOL (sort of the Brazilian equivalent of AOL).
The newsgroup has an average of 10 messages per day and in these 2 months since November has attracted both Jehovah's Witnesses apologists and critics, since it is a newsgroup open for all (just like alt.religion.jehovahs-witn).
First the Jehovah's Witnesses apologists in that Brazilian newsgroup complained to UOL about the posts of the "apostates", perhaps hoping the critics would be banned.
When that didn't work, they threatened all critics and sent v1rus and e-mail-bombings to 6 participants who criticized Jehovah's Witnesses.
When that also failed to keep the critics away from the newsgroup, they complained again to UOL, saying the newsgroup had been diverted from it's initial purpose.
What a ridiculous excuse! UOL maintains 14 newsgroups about religion, take a look:
uol.religiao 12469 messages
uol.religiao.adventista 415 messages
uol.religiao.budista 1146 messages
uol.religiao.candomble 372 messages
uol.religiao.catolica 6832 messages
uol.religiao.comvc 459 messages
uol.religiao.espirita 3817 messages
uol.religiao.evangelica 20877 messages
uol.religiao.hinduista 236 messages
uol.religiao.islamica 271 messages
uol.religiao.judaica 1298 messages
uol.religiao.protestante 406 messages
uol.religiao.testemunhas_de_jeova 667 messages
uol.religiao.umbanda 270 messages
In ALL of these 14 newsgroups, there are dozens of participants for and against each one of those religions. In ALL of those newsgroups there are apologists and critics of the respective religions (and no doubt the Jehovah's Witnesses also participate in some of those newsgroups dedicated to Evangelics, Catholics, etc., to criticize those religions!). Those are ALL forums open for everyone who wants to participate (just like alt.religion.jehovahs-witn or any other usenet newsgroup).
But now Jehovah's Witnesses have mailed the man from UOL responsible for the creation and maintenance of those newsgroups, mr. Sérgio Seabra, and today this man has posted in the newsgroup uol.religiao.testemunhas_de_jeova a message saying the Jehovah's Witnesses have complained and the newsgroup will close by the end of January if no one steps forward and pronounces himself in favor of the continuation of the newsgroup.
What I ask you is this: e-mail mr. Sérgio Seabra (his e-mail address is [email protected]), and tell him the real reason why Jehovah's Witnesses want to shut down that newsgroup. Tell him about Jehovah's Witnesses efforts to keep their members away from the Internet. Tell him about the Jehovah's Witnesses efforts to censor and silence the critics. Tell him to maintain the newsgroup and defend freedom of expression.
According to the latest Watchtower statistics, Brazil is presently the country where Jehovah's Witnesses have the greatest number of baptisms in all the world! Even more baptisms per year than the United States! A newsgroup about this religion is absolutely necessary. Please help us maintain the newsgroup, by writing to mr. Sérgio Seabra: [email protected]
Thanks!
Osarsif