Mailing Campaign Fallout
Recently, Kingdom Halls of Jehovahs Witnesses were the largest group of intended recipients of an international mailing campaign, spanning all fifty states of the United States and including the countries of Canada and England.
The results in the US have been interesting, and could have far-reaching effects on our legal system and on the preaching practices of Jehovahs Witnesses.
Over a hundred years ago, a group of evangelical apocryphical persons calling themselves "Bible Students" began a campaign to sell Bible-based literature at homes throughout the United States. From time to time, their effeorts faced legal challenges, some were won and some were lost, but in general the door-to-door campaigns have continued unabated, with varying degrees of success. (Some years the Witnesses reported growth, some years not).
In late 1979, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society issued in its members-only bulletin "Our Kingdom Ministry" (KM) that: "
At times mail addressed to the Kingdom Hall is returned to the Society or to others who write. It is marked as being undeliverable for various reasons, usually because there is no mailbox for receiving mail. We recommend that at the next elders meeting the presiding overseer discuss with the body of elders how this can be remedied. If there is a problem at the local post office, this can be discussed with an official at the post office in an effort to clear it up."
Now why, one may ask, have Jehovahs Witnesses suddenly removed mailboxes from their Kingdom Halls, to the point where their parent organization has to make a public announcement?
"Perhaps the answer can be found in the December 1982 issue of the KM: "Occasionally we meet householders in our territory who are very opposed to our work and message. Some have even threatened us. If some adamantly request that none of Jehovahs Witnesses call at their homes again, such requests should be respected. A note with the name and address of such a person should be given to the brother assigned to care for the territory. He should also date the note and state on it the specific nature of the difficulty. Thereafter, each publisher who is asked to work this territory should be especially careful to avoid irritating the householder and not call at his home.Review Kingdom Ministry of June 1974, Question Box."
The June 1974 KM says in part: "When we meet persons who are very much opposed and who request that we not call at their home again, we will respect their wishes in the matter.." But then it goes on to say:
"If one is not certain about the householders still living there in time a tactful inquiry can be made." It goes on to say:
"Where there are signs saying "No Peddlers or Solicitors," and so forth, it may be best to identify yourselves as one of Jehovahs witnesses, taking the viewpoint that such signs do not apply to our work. Where signs specifically state that no religious calls be made or that Jehovahs witnesses not call, it may be well to talk personally to the householder," This 1974 statement may explain why, by 1979, the parent organization has to contend in writing with its own returned mail!!!
So how do you get Jehovahs Witnesses NOT to come to your door? Put up a NO JW sign? They will come to your door ANYWAY. Put up a No Peddlers/Solicitors sign? They will come to your door ANYWAY! Politely ask them to to return? They will only respect your wishes if you are "adamant" or "very much opposed" and even then, only for some indeterminent length of time.
So the alternative is to write your Kingdom Hall a letter demanding no more visits.
Which must have been what some householders had tried to do. The local response? NO MAILBOXES!!! Your letter will just be returned. There is no way to ensure respect for your privacy and property rights.
The situation has not improved with time. Since 1967, Watchtower has been sending known and even in some cases criminally convicted child molesters and rapists to peoples doors. In 2002, an episode of the television show "Dateline" showed two child molesters (one a convicted rapist) going door to door.
A few years ago, a member of the group known as "Associated Jehovahs Witnesses for Reform on Blood" began a Kingdom Hall mailing campaign, but it had to be stopped because of the many letters returned, most of which were marked as undeliverable because of no mailboxes.
There is no doubt that these conflicts can and will erupt into confrontations. In May of 2001, it was reported that a Cleona PA woman won a $600.00 plus judgement against two Witnesses who "drove down a 300 foot lane past 8 no trespassing signs and 3 dog warning signs."
On the website
http://www.do-not-call.org/ there is related a story A MOTHER of three children became so fed up with Jehovahs Witnesses calling at her home that she interrupted their Sunday service by banging on their church door and offering them free magazines. She is related as saying that it wasnt the religion that she was upset with, but their persistant proseltizing at her door.
The posting of a no-trespassing sign will not solve the problem of the Witnesses calling at your door anyway, but in addition some property owners WANT the Girl Scouts and Greenpeace and organizations like this to come to their doors. Should their desire for privacy be an all-or-nothing affair?
Is it only the non-Witness public that is not safe from unsolicited visits from Witnesses?
Apparently not; consider this statement from the attorney for William H. Bowen, a Jehovahs Witness and former elder of his congregation, in a letter to his former colleagues: "It is also noted that on Friday, May 24, 2002 you contacted my client by telephone, to which you were verbally informed to only contact his attorney for any type of communication. Mr. Bowen has clearly made his request known in a letter written on October 31, 2001, where he stated 1.Any further communication must be in writing and sent to my attorney.:.Any verbal communication from this point forward will be considered harassment as you have repeatedly disregarded my request for answers in writing.3.I am formally requesting that no Jehovahs Witness elder or member trespass on my property at anytime..
In February of 2002 two Jehovahs Witnesses were sent to my clients home. My client respectfully asked them to leave. Then on another occasion George Bandarra who is well familiar with all correspondence as chairman of the judicial committee chose to ignore my clients request by calling him over the telephone on 5-24-02. My client instructed Mr. Bandarra very clearly all communication must go through his attorney. Yet again, Mr. Bandarra and Jeff Stein ignored my clients request by trespassing on his property June 01, 2002. Mr. Bandarra and Mr. Stein approached the property in a covert fashion coming to the back door and pounding quite loudly, thus frightening children in the home. My client again informed Mr. Bandara and Mr. Stein of his request of all communication going through his attorney and shut the door, at which Mr. Bandarra again disregarded my clients request by throwing a letter on a chair in my clients back yard. This now makes three occasions Jehovahs Witnesses have chosen to disregard clear and explicit instructions to not trespass and harass my client. Any further infractions will result in criminal charges being leveled at your lack of respect for my clients wishes ( http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=29568&site=3)
Or this communication from Barbara Anderson, a Jehovahs Witness, to her elders in Tennessee: "I further request that all communication be conducted with my attorney, The telephone call to me from Larry Seely did not honor previous demands for all communications to go through my attorney only." (
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=29637&site=3 ) The elders response? "We note that you letter said that you prefer to communicate with the committee through your attorney. We fail to see why this is necessary or even needed. ..We trust this explains why the involvement of an attorney is unnecessary and why we are communicating with you directly rather than through an attorney".
One of the results of this most recent mailing campaign is a large number of letters marked "return to sender" usually as a result of there being no delivery receptacle. This basically brings to a screeching halt almost any attempts by homeowners to be undisturbed by Jehovahs Witnersses.
The pulling of the Kingdom Hall mailboxes and the unwillingness of Jehovahs Witnesses to respect the privacy and property rights not only of the non-Witness public but also their own Witness members only exacerbates an already out-of-control situation. The residents of Stratton Ohio recently tried to wrest back some control of door-to-door solicitation, but the Supreme Court held that portions of the statute was too broadly worded and they were struck down. Stratton Ohio has vowed not to give up.
The gauntlet has been thrown down; who will pick it up next?