What is the power the Internet has against the WTS, and how best to use it?

by jwfacts 43 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  Fleur

  JW facts...I don't know if there is a way to get them looking before they're ready. I think that there is so much fear instilled in them of "apostates" that they have to be willing to make the first step or at least curious if others have gone through what they have.

  When I had my old website, which was up originally for about two years, I got more than 10,000 emails in that time. Yes, that is the correct number, not a typo. So many people, so many stories, it got to be so overwhelming for me that I had to step back. So many abused women especially contacted me after reading my story and said that they saw themselves in it.

  I think, at risk of repeating myself here, that the best thing we can show them is the fact that we are in a much better place now. We do lose people sometimes...I have found myself thinking a lot about Puternut lately :( but a lot of us make it out alive. We form new ties, have families of our own. The idea that our children can be free of the pain we suffered...that motivated me and I hope it motivates a lot of JW's who don't want their kids to carry the same baggage that we do.

  I think that making ourselves available, being honest and trying not to sugarcoat the journey but tell what positives we've discovered since leaving (and I don't mean stuff like freedom to drink as much as we want or party or whatever, but showing that most of us read very 'normal' lives with our families on a daily basis) does more to help those on the brink of leaving than trying to drag them out.

  Too much of a frontal assault and they go running back to Mother. You have to wait for them to take the first step. It can be incredibly frustrating. I had a dear old friend who made huge strides in leaving...then ran back in because of her family. She didn't talk to me for almost two years, and it really hurt. But I made sure that she knew I was there for her anyway, anytime.

  She's out now, and we saw each other recently and it was bliss. We're survivors. People just have to be ready or you can't pull them out with all your might.

  hugs

  essie
• 

  jwfacts

  Essie,

  It is certainly true that honesty is best. The WTS has enough baggage that there is no need to make up stories or sensationalise. Likewise, letting JWs know the pain of the journey out can invoke sympathy and confronts their idea that apostates are powerful evil people with the power of Satan behind them.

  No amount of reasoning had any affect on my family. But the simple acknowledgement that I was suffering Post Traumatic Shock Disorder has them wanting to talk to me and know more. Admiting to vunerability and trying to restart the JWs hearts can be very affective.

  Maybe that could be a theme for a banner campaign. Banners targetting exJWs may catch the eyes of JWs. Things like "Are you suffering Post Traumatic Shock Disorder from learning the WTS does not teach truth, visit www to learn how others have been able to move on with their lives".
• 

  jgnat

  How about bookmarks or address stickers to insert in Watchtowers and the Awake? Remember, prevention is much easier than the cure. I'm thinking a single theme per card, such as silentlambs, ajwrb, freeminds, and JWD. I think Rebel8 built handouts on her site.

  http://www.jwinfo.8m.com

  jwfacts, I suggest you take up the issue of copyright with reexaminer. Due to the nature of his site, he's been particularly careful.
• 

  Lady Lee

  Fatfreek	Re: What is the power the Internet has against the WTS, and how best to use
  Post 345 of 345 since 02-May-05 65 y 7 m 3 d	SlimBoyFat I just read your earlier 2004 post and find this puzzler at the bottom of it: 25-Oct-05 11:34 by slimboyfat: Correct formatting 25-Oct-05 11:40 by Lady Lee: Correct formatting 25-Oct-05 11:42 by slimboyfat: Correct formatting 25-Oct-05 11:46 by slimboyfat: Correct formatting

  Let me answer some of those questions

  My question to you is, why was Lady Lee somehow involved in the formatting of that original message?

  I can only think of a couple of reasons - the formatting may have scrolled off the page forcing people to scroll back and forth. And there may have been something posted that went against forum guidelines and needed to be edited out. If he had asked me to edit something I would have changed the reason for the edit to By Request.

  Does she live in the same household by chance?

  Just to be perfectly clear on this - ABSOLUTELY NOT I live alone and in Canada and prefer it that way.. Plenty of people here have met me in Canada.

  Is it possible that you are also Lady Lee?

  OK Now you are just getting silly

  Was Lady Lee a moderator at that time, assisting you?

  To edit a post I must have been a mod but there is no way I remember why.
• 

  Lady Lee

  NOW back on topic

  What is the best way to make use of this power?

  Should there be more websites or less?

  I really don't think it makes a difference. There are plenty out there for people to find

  Do discussion boards work best, or static sites?

  Both have their merits. Some people want the facts - solid well documented facts. They don't want to post something on the net that might be traced back to them

  Should we combine our efforts to create a supersite that contains a search engine to every Watchtower publication, doctrinal retorts, interactive topics, books and so forth?

  Google does that pretty well I find. Just type JW and see what comes up. Freeminds is a great source of info but there are plenty of places on the net to find what you are looking for. If it's somewhere on the net eventually you will find what you need

  How do we get people to these sites most effectively?

  Google

  Unlike the WTS that has to go to people and then manipulate them into becoming slaves we can sit here and they come. New people are posting all the time. Lurkers abound. How many here have started their first post by saying they have been lurking for months or even years.

  We need to do what we do. Be patient, caring, supportive, understanding and share what we know. I say it is working very well.

  If it ain't broke don't fix it.
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  under_believer

  As to the faithful Witness slimboyfat's wishful thinking about the internet being good for the Society, I can only point to the non-scientific, highly anecdotal, but overwhelming number of people who testify that the Internet was key to freeing their minds and getting them out of the Org. EDITED TO ADD: I fall into this category. Studying evolution online was key to my finally breaking free from the Org.
  As far as there being less apostate meetups: this is probably true. This is because they are now superfluous, with the internet. It's GOOD that apostates can communicate so freely and cheaply now, without long distance phone bills, postage costs, or air fare. This SPEEDS UP the work, not slows it down.
• 

  jgnat

  ..not to mention allowing us to keep a semblance of anonymity.
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  under_believer

  I don't know if anybody's read this or if it's been posted here before, but here is an excellent article from the magazine Liberty.. It's all about how the Internet has impacted Jehovah's Witnesses. It's called The Truth vs. the truth and it's written by Stephen Cox. I suspect many here have read it--I doubt it could have been prepared without a lot of help from the H2O community.

  It's an excellent read and it shows, for me, that yes, the Internet is definitely having a huge effect, and that really, nothing more needs to be done. The forums and websites that already exist are doing the job.
• 

  DannyHaszard

  Lillian your up thank you so much! TOP ranked JW/WT news as they sail into the summer District conventions ( just below is a how to on composing an ignorant,uneducated,alienate everybody dumbass dub rebuttal) Jehovah's Witnesses less dangerous than a hand grenade
  Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands - 24 minutes ago
  From what I understand, the writer of the comments ("Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs and who are they?") was one of Jehovah's Witnesses for over 39 years before he ...

  LETTER TO THE EDITOR

  Jehovah's Witnesses less dangerous than a hand grenade

  Friday, June 9, 2006 Dear Sir: From what I understand, the writer of the comments ("Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs and who are they?") Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs and who are they? was one of Jehovah's Witnesses for over 39 years before he figured out he had been duped, if he were correct about his new-found revelations, how many people did he maim over 39 years?
  
  If in fact he is correct in his assessment of the Witnesses, he should be on his knees begging for forgiveness, not out giving advice he is ill-equipped to provide. Perhaps he will figure that out in another 39 years!
  
  Another thought, if in fact the Witnesses are in fact some cult, we Christians ought to be concerned. As is often pointed to by the members of Islam and other non-Christian faiths, we Christians have been slaughtering each other for over two thousand years, making deals with any leader willing to sign on, including Hitler and Stalin, and we stand ready to make even more deals with the Devil as need arises. Those who are members of these so called Christian religions are covered in the blood of innocent men, women and children.
  
  Jesus Christ never gave permission to kill anyone, saying that we should love our enemy.
  
  If we think his statement is not practical for our times, so be it, but we should leave him out of these affairs. And we should not think we are Christians if we remain in those organizations that are involved in these conflicts; we share in the sin if we do.
  
  Not so with the so-called cult Jehovah's Witnesses, they are known around the world for doing just as the early Christians did, we can rest assured, our sons and daughters may be killed by or Christian brothers, but not by the Witnesses, oh we may have to duck when they come by the house our when they try to engage us in the street, that however is much less dangerous and difficult than dodging a hand grenade!
  
  Monte C. Willis ----------------------- There is much truth in article about Jehovah's Witnesses
  Cayman Net News, Cayman Islands - 28 minutes ago
  There is much truth in the article you wrote about Jehovah's Witnesses and I know because I was one for more than 12 years. The ...

  LETTER TO THE EDITOR

  There is much truth in article about Jehovah's Witnesses

  Friday, June 9, 2006 Dear Sir: There is much truth in the article you wrote about Jehovah's Witnesses and I know because I was one for more than 12 years.
  
  The truth be told is that they do not know who Jesus Christ really is. He is not their Lord or Master and they see him as merely a servant of their God Jehovah and not as the Divine Son he really is (John 1:1).
  
  That is why they believe he is a Christian which is ludicrous as he cannot be a follower of himself and that is what a Christian is - a follower of Christ.
  
  I hope and pray that one day, they will be free from their slavery to an organization and learn the real truth about the Christ who has authority over all including his church. And that this is the arrangement that God allows for his Son.
  
  Thanks again for that article and Lord bless you,
  
  Your sister in Christ,
  
  Lillian Cruz OUR Heroine!
• 

  drew sagan

  I think we just need to keep doing what we are doing. This website is great for helping people. Sharing information, files, referances, this is bigger than ever when it comes to the exposure of the WTS. It's going to continue, and they arn't going to be able to do anything about it.
  ONE BIG SUGGESTION TO ALL YOU WEBSITE OWNERS OUT THERE:
  A big thing for me was finding commentary on NEW Watchtower publications. They are making them more and more general, but are still full of lies and misconceptions. Let's not forget that we need to keep up with all their latest garbage. Blondie is doing a great job with this. What I want to know is how come we don't have the new release up yet?
  But seriously, I think everything is going great. The internet is a monster the WTS can't fight and can only try to hide.