DATELINE update - and reqeust for help

by Seeker4 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  Seeker4

  Hi everyone,

  My first post here, but many of you know me from H2O. Thought I'd spread this post around to a few boards.

  Just had a nice long talk with a producer at NBC's Dateline. He is 99 percent certain that they will be doing a segment on the Witnesses. He expects filming to start within a few weeks. So for those who have inquired here on-line or have emailed me inquiring about this, things look good. If it does film, it will be a few months before the segment airs, so we'll have something to look forward to this summer.

  Most of the people for the show are lined up, but the producer is looking to interview an expert on religion and ethics about this issue(JWs, sexual abuse and pedophilia), preferably an academic with a real understanding of the Jehovah's Witness culture, but not with an ax to grind.

  Does anyone know of an academic who has written about the Witnesses, who would know and understand the unusual dynamics of the Organization, but that is essentially neutral? That doesn't mean they haven't been critical or favorable about the Watchtower Society in their writings, but just that they've been fair.

  No one comes quickly to mind for me. But perhaps you know of someone who has done a paper about the Witnesses, perhaps a theologian, sociologist, philosopher, who would have some insight into the insular world of the Watchtower and would be able to put that into an overall context and perspective, comparing it to other groups and religions.

  If you have any suggestions, post them here or email me. The sooner the better. And don't hesitate to spread this post around to any other sites that might be helpful.

  Also, just received a packet from Peter Smith with copies of his Witness articles in the Louisville Courier-Journal. The online articles were great, but if you can get copies of the actual paper, it is truly outstanding. HUGE front page spread with photos, then TWO FULL PAGES inside with tons of pictures. Journalistically, this is as big as it gets in a paper.

  Thanks for all your help.
  S4
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  larc

  Seeker,

  I am an academic type, but not neutral. Plus, my TV presence is not that good. Gerry Berman is another acedemic, but I think his work is debatable. Jim Penton is the most knowledgable xJW overall and has a very good stage presence. However, I don't know how current he is on the issues of concern here. Trevor, who posts here, has a strong acedemic background and is a very good writer. Those are a few leads.

  Perhaps, someone who has written a book on the subject could give a good perspective, even if they don't know the Witness culture as well as we do. They can always be updated on that, and determine how it fits in with a broader perspective of the issue.
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  Seeker4

  Thanks, but I think they are very definitely looking for a non-Witness for this, and not an ex-JW. There's the challenge.

  S4
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  eyes_opened

  Hey there,

  I was reading about a book at Amazon.com called "Judging Jehovah's Witnesses : Religious Persecution and the Dawn of the Rights Revolution" By a man named Shawn Francis Peters. Never heard of him or the book before yesterday...but here is what one of the reviewers wrote who read the book:

  The author is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses nor is he sympathetic toward their beliefs. (Which he makes clear in various comments throughout the book.) However, he does support their legal right to have such beliefs, to proclaim them, and to act in harmony with them.

  What I liked about the book was the background the author gives to the legal cases. He doesn't just give you the legal facts but he gives you the story of the Witnesses, their persecutors, the police officers, and the judges. He tries to help you see why each group acted the way they did. He shows how the persecution affected the private lives of the Witnesses. I particularly enjoyed the behind the scenes look into the Supreme Court. What the Justices thought in private and how they wrangled with one another before making their decisions.

  Mr. Peters has done a good job in bringing back to public attention a momentous period in legal history that helped to shape in a significant way the legal environment of our present time. A time in which even hated minorities can look to the courts with a certain amount of confidence that their legal right to think, proclaim, and act in harmony with their beliefs will be protected

  Eyes

  "One Persons Heresy Is Anothers Truth"
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  SEAKEN2001

  The first name that came to my mind was James Penton. They may not want a former JW but he is a good lead. He may be able to hook them up with other leads in the academic circles.

  Sean