Radio Show About JWs - anyone have advice?

by Shepherd Book 15 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Gopher

  Hi SB. I'll be sure to tune in to AM 950 - can't wait to hear you and the other good folks at Atheists Talk.

  I think one good subject might be how they hide their actual nature by denial and deflection. The UN / NGO scandal of 2002 isn't over. The Watchtower still has representatives involved as NGO's -- and they tell their people they're non-political and the UN is from Satan. Here's a link showing Watchtower political involvement since 2002: http://jehovahsjudgmentexposed.blogspot.com/2010/04/watchtower-is-still-involved-in.html

  Their pedophile scandal is another example. They publish things making it look like they really care and they have their pedophile problem handled: http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article23.htm But their two-witness rule and procedures forcing the victim to confront an unrepentant molestor is designed to protect the organization and not children.
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  InterestedOne

  One issue that comes to my mind that the listeners may find interesting is the notion of phobia indoctrination and how it relates to JW culture. Consider this excerpt from Steven Hassan:

  In some cults, members are systematically made to be phobic about ever leaving the group. Today's cults know how to effectively implant vivid negative images deep within members' unconscious minds, making it impossible for members to even conceive of ever being happy and successful outside of the group (Combatting Cult Mind Control, page 45).

  I think the idea of phobic reactions, like a fear response to a dog barking, is interesting to consider in relation to WT imagery and language. I don't know how much treatment this idea has received in the scholarly community though.
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  Shepherd Book

  @Amelia:

  Thanks, I'll go to the link you provided to get the quotes.

  @JGNat:

  Very interesting. Yes, I will have to take the pluralism of our society into consideration. Especially since the atheists/agnostics who tune in are likely to feel that all faiths are equally wacky...

  @Gopher:

  Glad to hear you plan to tune in! Maybe you can call in and ask about the JWs policy on birthdays. :) Thanks for the links - I will check those out today and print out anything that's particularly insteresting/damning.

  Mad Sweeney brings up some good ideas. It really seems like shunning is the strongest topic; it's unique among JWs in its style and extent. It also seems to really embarress JWs. For example, I could talk about how they take Genesis as literal, but most JWs are proud of that and would call in to defend it (if they weren't afraid of calling in). Shunning, on the other hand, embarresses them.
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  nugget

  I think compare and contrast what they say to the public and what they preach in the halls.

  e.g. public everyone should be able to change their religion without losing friends and family.

  Private except baptised JWs who must be shunned if they leave.
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  Amelia Ashton

  A recent radio interview was aired over here and a phone call was made to Bethel London by the BBC regarding the Jehovah's Witness policy on shunning. This is the Bethel statement, verbatim:

  "Witnesses do not shun family members because of differences in religious beliefs.

  Many Witnesses have religiously mixed families and enjoy normal loving relationships together. If a family member who is a baptized Witness is disfellowshipped the spiritual ties he had with his family change, but blood ties remain. Accordingly, the marriage relationship and normal family affections and dealings can continue.

  As for disfellowshipped relatives not living in the same household we apply the counsel from the Bible at 1 Corinthians: "quit mixing with them." The scriptures are sacred to us and we therefore take this counsel seriously. The degree of family contact is a personal decision based on one's Bible trained conscience. If there are consequences, these relate primarily to one's relationship with God."

  Any-one not knowing any different and hearing that might wonder what all the fuss was about.
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  sjac