In a word--NO!
Consider the following perversion of justice and threat to civil liberties:
The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Canada brought suit against the owner/operator of the popular research website quotes.watchtower.ca, seeking to shut down the site, take the domain name for themselves, force the destructions of the files, and pocket $100,000 damages in addition to legal fees, claiming intent to embarrass and to divert traffic from the official Watchtower website. They also claimed copyright infringement, the site being made up of accurate quotations from the publications the WTBTS has published and distributed freely for the "education" of the public as well as their own membership (known as Jehovah's Witnesses) in Canada, America, and throughout the world.
These quotes were arranged topically, without prejudicial commentary, for those researching both the well-known as well as the lesser-known beliefs espoused by this proselytizing religious group throughout the 100+ years of their existance. This was considered by those who used the site to be of great personal benefit and a triumph for those who treasure the freedom of speech, freedom of information, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion the WTBTS has fought to gain for itself as an organization, but which it seeks to deny its own members and ex-members whenever it feels threatened by such.
Being a large and wealthy corporation, they have been successful in shutting down this small site and depriving its owner and patrons of the freedoms they had thereby enjoyed. Through their own words they were shown to be deceitful, arrogant, and frequently in error, only owning up to their mistakes when forced to do so by public knowledge of the facts, and then, rather than apologizing and seeking to make amends, they would justify their wrongs, even blaming their membership for believing them when they were wrong, although said members would have been disfellowshipped and shunned for refusing to believe those errant teachings in the first place.
So, what do they PREACH that they are, apparently, not PRACTICING?
Candor will keep us from being proud. To admit a mistake takes humility, and honesty will help us to accept the blame whenever we make a mistake....Appreciating how great the Creator, the Universal Sovereign, truly is will prevent us from taking ourselves too seriously....Faith in Jehovah will also help us when we feel we have suffered an injustice. Rather than fret over the matter, we will humbly wait upon Jehovah...."Do not avenge yourselves [not even in court?]... but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' says Jehovah."--Romans 12:19....If we are humble,we will not rebel when Jehovah permits us to suffer adversity. Humility will enable us to be content with our circumstances and to endure. A proud person is discontented, always wants more [like $100, 000 more?], and rebels at grievous circumstances. --December 1, 1993 Watchtower magazine, pp.19-24
Of course it's obvious why they would want their members to take this advice to heart while not doing so themselves. It's all about CONTROL...information control, thought control, volunteer labor control, property control, and financial control.
~Merry
P.S. Do you folks think this (or some portion thereof) would be alright as a "letter to the editor" of local papers?