The whole NGO thing. (page 4)

sd-7

This was one of the first groundbreaking issues for me at the beginning of my research 2 years ago. The main problem is that it looks bad. Even if it was just for a library card, Watchtower HQ is in NEW YORK. I'm sure there are plenty of other libraries you could go to if you wanted. The fact that I'd never heard of this showed that the Society felt no need to mention it to the rest of us. Which, if they wanted to avoid stumbling their own people, it would've made sense to do so, to be open about it and say, okay we're an NGO and this is what NGOs do and why this isn't a violation of our neutral stance. I mean, if you had a valid argument to make about that. That's what a sincere organization would do, have some transparency about your activities when it could upset some people.

Also, that Awake! article in '91, around the same time they applied to be an NGO, fulfills the requirements stated in that letter from the UN's website--informing the public about UN activities and accomplishments. The logic of JWs doing that is like them publishing an article informing the public of the Catholic Church's activities and accomplishments. It would be the height of wrongdoing to not only do that, but actually use ordinary JWs to disseminate that message, while keeping them in the dark about what's really behind it all.

Bottom line is, it looked very shady. And the Society's silence about it to the ordinary JWs was deafening. That letter from the UN combined with the Awake! article just said to me that this was more than coincidence and a clear act of treachery for the Society.

Even if we assume it was perfectly okay for them to do that, that's hardly even the tip of the iceberg. One could just move on to the dishonest scholarship, the abuse of scripture, and lying about their own history, which was my next big step in my research. Given the strength of the evidence regarding their tendency to lie or cover up vital information, it doesn't leave an awful lot of confidence that this NGO status was done in innocence. When you see a pattern of dishonesty, it leaves little room for accepting something like this.

--sd-7

Lady Lee

exactly SD Why lie? It begs the question: What else are you hiding that we don't know about?

Regardles sof why they did it we know that they will always put a spin on it that will seem rational and be accepted blindly by JWs.

Band on the Run

The more I think about a subway from Bethel would run towards the west side of Manhattan where the NY Public Library lions lives on the west side of town. The UN library would be on the far East Side, right off the East River.

The UN would only have governmental policy/programme books and documents. The public library has extensive recreational holdings. Its main reading room is world famous for its architecture and ambience. All these famous writers worked there, including me as a nonfamous one. In addition, the public library has superb museum holdings. One time I saw a large volume of bird paintings from the Middle Ages. It was all done by hand. The ambience is warm compared to the UN modern coolness.

The same problem pops everywhere on this forum. There is a small group of people who care. I know I could not tell my aunt this fact. She would become physically ill and near a breakdown to acknowledge that the Witnesses are not perfect. They were a very small group in the nY area when things were much more intimate so she knows plenty but could not acknowledge it. If some Witness cared, that Witness would be here already.

The default position has to be that we lied b/c the WTs would not. If this were the only element of pure hypocrisy maybe it would matter. A whole slew of problems are self-evident if you care to look. I recall fighting vehemently with a high teacher about evolution. My grade reflected the struggle. I just wanted my parents to be right.

rebel8

Someone please tell me the details of how this became public. A link or reference to an existing post would be great.

A JWN member brought it to the Guardian's attention. Check the "best of" folder here. You will see it happening blow by blow in the thread.

shakyground

Yup Knowsnothing. That is the pro JW site I was reading. I knew it had something uk in it.

willyloman

That letter from the UN combined with the Awake! article just said to me that this was more than coincidence and a clear act of treachery for the Society.

Good, concise summary, sd-7.

It's nice to see all this material reposted here; for too long, the apologists' viewpoint has succeeded in obfuscating this important piece of WT history to the point that over the past decade many have become confused about the United Nations/NGO scandal.

I was an elder and a serious dub back in 2001. The NGO thing shocked me and I began rethinking my position. This, and the subsequent NBC Dateline expose of WT coverups of child molesters in their ranks, prompted me to walk away from this organization after nearly 30 years of dedication. They taught me that the Bible demands we abhor hypocrisy and when I found myself steeped in it, there was no other choice for me. I planned and executed an exit strategy to protect family and business ties. I haven't been back since and have no regrets.

Willy Loman (of the conscientious objector class)

Aussie Oz

i was shocked that they even walked on the pavement out the front of the UN building, let alone go inside.

Then to sign up as an NGO!

What a huge huge hypocritical statement that was!

Oz

The whole NGO thing.