Some of the ideas presented here are not ethical and hopefully were just presented in jest, for otherwise in the U.S. might well be deemed hate-crime material, e.g. the virus thing, and so I'm sure we denounce those - I for one certainly do. The informational ideas like billboards or bumpersticks are practical and cheap as would be letters-to-editors.
EX-JW Activism, anything new?
by Mindchild 25 Replies latest jw friends
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Mindchild
Anewperson...the Armageddon virus was just a joke but you can do e-bombing without any major hassle except from your ISP. The magazine subscription thing has actually been around for a long time. Back in college one of my friends was head of the American Athiests in our state and got constant hate mail and dirty tricks pulled on him by the local christian groups. He told me once that he had about 36 different subscriptions given to him of "Christian Life" and received dozens of Bibles shipped to him weekly, which he just threw away. I say what is good for the goose is good for the gander. lol
Skipper
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nimue
Mindchild, you raise a provocative question. Perhaps you all would be interested in a view from a never-been JW. I began searching the web for info about JWs, as I noted in an earlier post--wanted to learn because I have work colleages who have become friends... and employees who are members. I have bookmarked a number of web sites and I visit this forum frequently. I have also bought a number of books that I found recommended on the sites, and have read most of them (still working my way through COC and ISOCF).
What was a passing desire to learn a little about what might explain "interesting" behavior has become a bit of an obsession. What I am learning is shocking to me.
It is often difficult to follow the nuances of the Bible discussions. As a casual Catholic, I never had occasion to pick apart and extract (what seems to me as) obscure meaning from fragments of Bible passages. Intellectually I can understand the outrage that comes from learning the WT interpretations are skewed or outright manipulated for specific objectives, but emotionally it's tough to relate. I've even tried to read the Bible passages referenced in these posts and I find it a stretch to even see a remote connection with many of the ideas that the passages are supposed to support. That may be due to my own limitations and lack of familiarity with much of the material.
The child molestation issues are horrible... but as evidenced in the news, not unique to JWs. This is important work and should be exposed, but may not be enough to do what you want.
What kept me coming back... continuing the investigation... and shaking my head in disbelief were the control tactics... shunning, disfellowshipping, judicial committees,legal defense tactics, and language control. I had no idea. This is Christian? Not anywhere close. Do you have any idea how outrageous these activities seem? Downright evil in my view. But if my previous perceptions are any indication, anyone without a direct connection to this organization does not have any idea of the totality of the control. From afar, I though JWs were on the fundamentalist end of Christianity, rather patriarchal, and for some strange reason, did not celebrate holidays. Those were the extent of my thoughts about it, on the rare occasions I thought anything at all.
Now I find myself looking for the serious and thoughtful posts about experiences, getting out, getting "trapped" in the first place... Is this organization as dangerous as some of the more infamous cults? I don't know. But when I stand back and look at the whole system, the control, the secrecy... all of the things that made it so difficult for you to leave or to talk about your doubts... it's beyond unbelievable that all of this exists in the free world in the guise of a "legitimate" faith/religion.
You have a remarkable amount of info in the archives of this forum, and in the stories of your experiences--much like the one Amazing is telling in his series. I find that a really interesting and yes, shocking, story.
But mine is just one opinion. Ask your non JW friends... what would make them sit up and take notice? Find the common themes... you could make a plan...
Nimue
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anewperson
Another approach: articles by Steve Bates in the U.K. and those put out by silentlambs.org in the U.S. are getting to many in the public. Accelerate this. Talk Simon into posting their emails in a permanent prominent place on this board, not just the url for silentlambs which is often at the top. Also we can pass along leads and article ideas to those two, i.e. Bates and silentlambs.org including for example bleedings to death and suicides we know of. For the record, we are not destroying the Watchtower for it is doing that itself, but we are exposing its misdoings as an act of love to save others pain and in some cases even death from inadequate medical care.
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larc
Folks,
I tryed something last night. I did a search one churches in my city. A large number of them have web sites, with email addresses. I sent an email to one minister regarding the Silent Lambs issue. I also discussed briefly how the religion can disrupt families. I included my local phone number. I want to wait for a reply before I send this to other ministers. This is kind of a trial balloon to see if this approach will work.
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anewperson
Keep us posted on how it goes. I know that when I email a copy of a 2-paragraph "Liberator" to 100 JWs it is read. Some write back asking how I got their emails, a few write back something hateful, most simply seem to read it. When similar material has been regular mailed later I've heard that so-and-so left the Watchtower Society or became inactive etc. So that works too. But billboards & bumperstickers can inform more faster when displayed in city areas. (not cow pastures as Mad suggested).