AAWA is here!! (The Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists)

by cedars 535 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  RayPublisher

  Full speed ahead on the AAWA Rocket!
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  EdenOne

  marked

  Edit: I think the name is a missed opportunity. It automatically alienates people who disagree on the watchtower's doctrine and practice, but who do not wish to see it "destroyed" and "burned", rather reformed. It fuels the Watchtower's discourse on the "enemies" of "Jehovah's people", the hated "apostates" that they so eagerly teach the Witnesses to hate and avoid like the plague. You think you're cornering the Watchtower, but in fact what you're doing with this name is cornering yourselves. Not a great choice IMHO.

  In any case, there are some people in the advisory board whose efforts I came to respect over the time I've been active on this forum, so I'll follow it with interest.

  Eden
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  Vidiot

  I also would have preferred "Association Against Watchtower Abuse", too, or maybe "Activists Against Watchtower Abuse"...

  ...the "Association of Anti-Watchtower Activists" seems like it would feed the rank-and-file's collective persecution complex a bit too much for my taste, and I hated anything that did that even when I was still in (LOL).

  That being said, there ain't much that doesn't feed the rank-and-file's collective persecution complex (which is probably why I hate anything that does, ironically), and it's damned honest, which in the long run may work in its favor like Cedars said...

  ...plus, like he also said, it has been democratically voted on, and stick-to-it-iveness is definately needed if you're in something for the long haul, so I guess we'll see how it goes.

  BTW, has anybody taken to calling it "the double-aay-double-you-aay", yet?

  cedars - "Don't judge us by our name, judge us by our mission statement and, most importantly, by our results."

  That's fair. Curious, though; had you guys considered fielding the JWN community for name suggestions?
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  Vidiot

  Scott77 - "I think this is going to give the Watchtower's GB sleepless nights."

  Doubtful; it'll probably just reinforce the belief that they're right.
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  cedars

  Vidiot

  That's fair. Curious, though; had you guys considered fielding the JWN community for name suggestions?

  JWN is great and we value its support. For this reason we approached Simon directly before posting about AAWA, just to make sure we weren't treading on any toes. However on the decision-making side we are essentially running a business - and businesses are run by small groups of committed individuals and not by hundreds or thousands of people with completely varying mindsets, objectives and agendas. In the case of setting up AAWA, we preferred weeks of careful thought and deliberation between a group of likeminded and established activists to open debate on an internet forum. I think, as time passes, this will prove to have been the most prudent approach, but we are happy to let time be the judge of that.

  Cedars
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  sir82

  This idea got lost pretty quickly on the Conti appeal thread:

  So, the basis of the WT’s argument is that normally, people don’t have any responsibility to warn other people of danger, if they did not directly create the danger and the danger is at the hands of someone else.

  Imagine if it were publicized, in a "non-apostate" setting, that this is the Watchtower's primary basis for appeal:

  "Well, who cares about our moral responsibility - we had no legal responsibility, so we should be free and clear!"

  What would be the response of the typical JW to seeing such a cold, cynical argument from the Watchtower?

  I would submit that dissemination of this information in a form and manner that would be non-threatrening to JWs would be at least as damaging as the news that the WTS lost a child abuse case and owes $millions.

  Sounds like a good first project for the newly formed AAWA!
• 

  EdenOne

  SARWA - Society for Awareness and Recovery from Watchtower Abuse

  My two cents as far as name goes. Less "intimidating radicalism" (anti; activist) and a little more focus on actually helping out those who wish to find some help.

  Eden
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  Phizzy

  A good suggestio Eden1, but,I don't think we will achieve a name change until hard figures come in, and they may prove that it is unecessary.

  I do think when it has been up and running for a while it makes sense to see how many active JW's have joined who were not all ready activist in some sense, i.e awake enough to be posting on forums such as this.

  If none of that category, i.e JW's newly, and perhaps fearfully, seeking help on the Net, are moved to join, I would think a change of name would make good business sense.

  A flurry of people joining and supporting now from the "converted", "awakened", is encouraging, but not necessarily sustaining for a venture such as AAWA.
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  *lost*

  Sir 82 - OMG, yes, I read that and I thought HOW TWO FACED OF THEM.

  They have been harping on for years under the ''false pretense'' of ''morality'' and ''love'' for ''mankind'' , which as I understand it is their major excuse for the preaching work.

  They use the ''blood guilt'' - in that if you do not warn your fellow man, you are then responsible to God for blood guilt. It is duty to warn everyone, isn't that what they have been saying for years ? or am I wrong on that ?

  CEDARS - I agree, sometimes you just have to forge on and see what happens. yes the anti is a bit controversial I guess, but then, It is a serious issue. No use pussy footing. Attack can be the best form of defence as they say.

  At the end of the day, there will be many jw's that will not move from their stance - they are responsible for their own lives. If the business is about awareness and tackling big issues, well then it is going to have to be a powerful force to drive it forwards, start as you mean to go on I guess.

  Also - what I have found with 'controversity' when working in communities, is that by and large people are very complacent and let things carry on without putting in any effort to do anything, they want others to do it all for them. But, one thing I noticed that got a reaction was CONTROVERSY.

  And reaction and global awareness is the name of the game. If every country gets saturated with TTATT, it won't be long before people sit up and start to take notice, that is how change is made. MADE. Then the authorities start to take notice.

  There is no such thing as 'bad news' in the game. anything that generates publicity is a win win.
• 

  Muddy Waters

  Cedars, regarding your reply to Vidiot:
  
  Vidiot: "... had you guys considered fielding the JWN community for name suggestions?"
  
  Cedars: "JWN is great and we value its support. For this reason we approached Simon directly before posting about AAWA, just to make sure we weren't treading on any toes. However on the decision-making side we are essentially running a business - and businesses are run by small groups of committed individuals and not by hundreds or thousands of people with completely varying mindsets, objectives and agendas. In the case of setting up AAWA, we preferred weeks of careful thought and deliberation between a group of likeminded and established activists to open debate on an internet forum. I think, as time passes, this will prove to have been the most prudent approach, but we are happy to let time be the judge of that."

  I appreciate that you're running a business, yet I feel a bit hurt by this statement. After all, you do manage a website called JW SURVEY, and you do know that there are many intelligent, thoughtful people here at JWN who could give you valuble insight and opinions. I appreciate the aims, goals, and mission statement of AAWA, yet only a very small community of people were actively involved (eight people) and you wished to spring your newly formed non-profit organization as a surprise to everybody here.
  
  You are asking for active support, contributions, volunteer help, donations, etc., yet you have excluded so much valuble input from so many esteemed and active people from this forum.
  
  I do not wish to sound complaining. But your answer to Vidiot lacks some validity especially given the years you have spent in compiling information from surveys and the valuble information you have been given through your surveys. At some point you do need to come to a decision and reach consensus, I understand that. It just feels like there was HASTE and secrecy in putting your new association together. But perhaps not, as I do not know anything that has happened behind the scenes and the many emails and private messages and correspondence, legal activity, etc., which must have been going on as you incorporated this new association.
  
  But when you run a website which very specifically asks for information through SURVEYS, it rather surprises me that there was no survey taken regarding a name for this association that you and a select few were putting together.
  
  I do wish you all the best and I do very much agree that you have a worthy mission and goals through AAWA.