Hi Farkel: Thanks for an excellent response to my rebuttal post. You raise a very good issue that I feel deserves a separate post. You said in your conclusion,
"But, this eerie thought keeps popping up: isn't that EXACTLY the same thing that the WTS does to all other religions and especially ex-members of their Cult?"
My response here is not a debate, but to address your question the way I see it.
Yes, the WTS does generally admit error, but then recoils into the good they have done. In that respect my 'Rebuttal' post for America could be taken in a similar way. But that is where the similarity ends.
I have to ask: What good has the Society Done?: While the USA admits its errors, it has done for more good. The difference is that the USA and many groups associated with it have the track record of good. We have hard evidence of good for many decades in the 20th century and continuing into the 21st century.
Examining the track record of the WTS we find some few contibutions:
* 3 Supreme Court decisions regarding freedom of speech. The result? So the JWs could freely sell magazines for the Judge, and not have to salute the flag that protects them. Fair enough, give them a point. Examining other Supreme court decisions and the blood spilled by people fighting for freedom, and I give the non-JWs 100 points.
* Help for the victims of disaster? They will help JW victims at times. How does this compare to the year end and year out, day in and day out efforts of many churches, non-religious, and government organizations that spend hundreds of millions and billions on helping the poor, of any faith or non-faith? Give the WTS a half point, and give the churches and non-chruches 100 points.
* Helping people get their lives together, giving up drugs and other harmful practices? The WTS has helped some in this regard. But the price is that these have to accept WTS dogma, attend meetings, and sell magazines. The churches, private non-religious and government groups build schools, teach, train, and educates, but do not require any strings attached to attend their meetings, or slaute their flags. Many more are helped to get off of drugs and get their lives together.
* What about contributing to meedical science? The WTS screams, or use to scream a lot about the dangers of blood and brought attention to the issue. Medical science, non-JW doctors solve the problem, and make blood safe, and find ways to recirculate blood, store a person's own blood, and use non-blood supplements, and the WTS still whine that this is not good enough. But the WTS make no serious contribution to science to find solutions. They do not provide the docters and researchers to lift a finger of help.
* Has not the WTS been most supportive of education? They certainly claim such. But they build no schools or universities like the churches, non-religious groups, and the governments. The only school ever built was Patterson - a monolith to help JWs in effect sell more magazines and books.
* Has the WTS provided any medical help to people? No. beside bitching about the no blood nonsense, they discourage education, and have really few doctors - mostly new converts who already had medical licenses. The churches, non-religious groups and governments build hospitals and find ways to provide low cost or free medical care. St. Vincents medical system in the Pacific Northwest is a Catholic Hospital system that provides free services to those who cannot afford it. I know, they treated me. The sisters of Mercy. Even the WTS cousin, The 7th Day Adventists build hospitals and serve all as do their colleges. Presbyterian, Methodists and many others do the same.
Yes, the USA and Americans use rhetoric to point to their track record of doing far more good than harm, and in this respect, the rhetoric may sound somewhat like something from the WTS propaganda manual. [b]The difference is that the WTS is mostly talk, while the rest of the nation that protects them has the real track record to support their rhetoric.
Thanks again for your good points and raising a valid issue.
Amazing