AAWA has caused divisions and has lost the opportunity to be effective

by NoRegrets 162 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • Witness My Fury
    Witness My Fury

    OK I'll bite:

    One thing I've noted is the lack of any negative comments on their website, so its looking like dissent will NOT be tolerated there.

    I cant understand why you'd have a comments box and then not allow people to express an opinion, (editing for offensive content etc would be the exception).

    If you cant take any criticism however valid and only allow positive comments to be posted you've already lost your moral position in my book.

    1 tweet since launch doesnt give much confidence either.

    There, I've said negative horrible demon inspired things against gods, Cedars, The, that organisation, now my family will have to shun me.

  • smiddy
    smiddy

    I totally agree with Marvin Shilmer`s comments

    smiddy

  • Witness My Fury
  • Black Sheep
    Black Sheep

    AAWA believes that the Watchtower promotes and enforces a range of damaging and overly-invasive teachings and practices that cannot be briefly summarized. However, in order to drive its message home more effectively and forcefully, AAWA chooses to focus on five key areas in which the Society must introduce urgent reforms. These are (in no particular order):

    1. The shunning of relatives
    2. The mishandling of cases of child abuse
    3. The mishandling of cases of domestic abuse
    4. The stigmatization of higher education
    5. The ban on certain forms of treatment with blood

    AAWA extends an open offer to the Governing Body of the Watch Tower Society (or their representatives) to meet with AAWA to discuss ways in which the organization can introduce much-needed reforms concerning the above core issues.

    http://jwactivists.org/who-are-we/

    Is changing a few policies that you don't like going to transform the Governing Body's sleazy little doomsday cult into something better?

    A person's having no desire to 'reform' the Watchtower and/or it's Head Honchos, doesn't mean they are not against the Watchtower, or that they are not doing their bit.

  • tim hooper
    tim hooper

    I've seen these sort of campaigns before and believe me they have little effect. They might make the R & F ex's feel good and re-inforce their convictions that they've done the right thing, but this sort of confrontation simply will not work any wonders in Brooklyn. We've seen how polarised political parties fail to convince their opposite numbers and just finish up dishing out claim and counter-claim. Except that the WT won't even bother to answer back but will just continue to trot out the party line about associating with apostates.

    Best thing an ex can do is to simply be happy and lead a fulfilling life. Witnesses are conditioned to believe that their ex-members are horrible people. When they see an ex who is actually a happy familly person or serving the community, that does more to take them out of their JW comfort zone than anything else. Anti-WT campaigns only serve to re-inforce their beliefs that ex-witnesses are a dangerous and disruptive people.

  • Witness My Fury
    Witness My Fury

    AAWA arent ever going to get to sit down and have meaningful discussions about doctrine and proceedures with anyone in any position to have any say about them, let alone sit down with the GB and discuss them. They sound pompous for even suggesting it.

    I understand changing those damaging points of interest would help average JWs lead a more "normal" less cult like life, but it would still be a damaging cult of a slightly lower order.

    I think change will only come about via government level intervention and pressure. Nothing exerts that sort of pressure like financial implications. Take away charity and tax free status from all the cults (my preference is ALL religions) Make discriminatory practices illegal (shunning). So in my book AWAAs (or similar) remit should be to make those agencies and governments and the press very much aware of the secret world of the Watchtower. We all know how the WTS loves persecution and can feed off it, so the results may not be as intended anyway and may in fact strengthen their grip on the JWs.

    No little group of apostates shouting at the WTS from the sidelines will every get WTS to change internally, only a government level body can force that change. The effort needs to be directed towards those who can make the changes happen.

    Unfortunately most of this stuff is covered by religous freedom laws anyway in many western lands so governments wont want to be seen to touch it with a 10 foot pole, but getting a group labelled under "damaging cult" instead of religion will at least give them more room to show interest in it.

  • LouBelle
    LouBelle

    My little opinion is that some people are making far too much of this whole thing. They have an idea and it takes a hell of a lot of work to put out well researched articles. They are only trying to tell TTATT, in my books that is great. I'm not doing anything! All I do is provide one on one discussions with people that seek me out - but that is my way.

  • ÁrbolesdeArabia
    ÁrbolesdeArabia

    WitnessMyFury, your not going to make friends pointing out the obvious. Everybody need's a project or cause to involve themselves in, I think we got bigger problems coming our way than the Tower and her followers. Today's Bombing will reinforce the fear the Tower thrieves off and uses as a Sign "Jesus is Here Now!". I would rather have the religious freedom we offer here in the United States reinforced than attacked because of our past. You think JWs are bad, how about we work on religions that blow our buildings up (9-11-2001) and blow up Christians and Jews in countries they have lived in for thousands of years? JWs are harmless when we compare them with the "enforced religion".

    We all need to remember there is going to be the individual with the personality who is going to clash and desire a greater hearing or voice, remember those kind from the KH? Where do you think the people who never got the praise they were looking for in the Kingdom Hall's Organization go? We are bound to run into the some of this personality type here, I alway's craved the praise of my fellow KH members and did anything to get my voice across :), that's why I left, I wanted more praise and fame and recognition of my brilliance the KH was unable to provide me! Mind it, we had a couple of pHDs and Master's in various fields who overshadowed me, how I hated those smarty people who shook their heads every time I spoke!

  • usualusername
    usualusername

    Yawn...

  • Witness My Fury
    Witness My Fury

    Dont get me wrong here at all, right from the start I've been hoping for good things from AAWA and still do.

    Mistakes have been made that have not helped, but this doesnt mean it's redundant. I'm hoping it can grow and develop in ability (i.e to start listening and a slight change of attitude) and actually start DOING stuff of value, we've made our concerns known and you can bet whatever is posted here makes its way to those in charge one way or another.

    I think it's missed some good opportunities along the way, keeping the launch quiet and not involving JWN for pre launch input being a major one.

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