On a macro level, the Witnesses are pretty harmless

by logansrun 61 Replies latest jw friends

  • Valis
    Valis

    logan when you boast to be a great defender of freedom of speech and even go to the Supremem Court only to turn around and threaten your detractors is worthy of note and a threat to a better society...FROM THIER OWN WEBSITE..

    Contributions to the Community

    In addition to promoting Bible education in the community, Jehovah's Witnesses contribute to its welfare in other ways, some of which are described below.

    Disaster Relief LIE!

    Since World War II, Jehovah's Witnesses have organized relief efforts to help fellow members and others who suffer the effects of war, natural disasters, or other calamities. Their experience in organizing and managing large numbers of people at their Kingdom Hall building projects and annual conventions contributes to their success in this regard. Often they are the first relief agency to appear on the scene.

    When Hurricane Andrew devastated a Florida, U.S.A., community in 1992, Jehovah's Witnesses quickly organized themselves to deal with the situation. "About 3,000 Witness volunteers from across the country have converged on the disaster area, first to help their own, then to help others," said an article in The Miami Herald. It also stated that "no one in Homestead is slamming doors on the Jehovah's Witnesses this week—even if they still have doors to slam."

    After the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan, non-Witnesses channeled relief supplies through congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses because this was the fastest way to get supplies to those in need. Following the 1994 tragedy in Rwanda, Witnesses in Belgium, France, and Switzerland contributed more than $1.6 million and sent 35 tons of supplies to both their Christian brothers and others—all within six days of receiving a call for help.

    Jehovah's Witnesses donate needed materials and volunteer their services without pay. They do so in response to the Bible's commands to love their neighbor and to have intense love for one another.—Matthew 22:39; 1 Peter 4:8.

    Literacy LOL

    For decades Jehovah's Witnesses have organized literacy programs throughout the world for people who have had little or no opportunity to receive formal schooling.

    In Nigeria about 26,000 adults were taught to read and write between 1962 and 1994. A recent survey showed that more than 90 percent of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nigeria were literate, compared with less than 50 percent for the rest of the population. In Mexico, Jehovah's Witnesses have helped more than 127,000 people to become literate, a contribution that one government official called "noble progressive work."

    Moral Values COUGH

    Evidence shows that learning and following the Bible's counsel is a good way to combat many social ills and to become better equipped to deal with the problems and pressures of life. For example, as a result of Bible education, many people have been helped to overcome such physically damaging practices as smoking, overdrinking, misuse of drugs, gambling, and sexual promiscuity. Similarly, through Bible education, family members learn mutual respect and effective communicationfactors that lower the rates of divorce and juvenile delinquency.

    After studying social life in Zambia for a year and a half, a researcher from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, concluded that "Jehovah's Witnesses experience greater success than members of other denominations in maintaining stable marital unions. . . . Husband and wife are encouraged to be individuals with integrity. . . . This overriding demand for integrity cements marriage."

    Jehovah's Witnesses teach honesty, good work habits, and the importance of having worthwhile goals in life—valued qualities in any society. After studying a community that included Jehovah's Witnesses, Dr. Norman Long wrote in his book Social Change and the Individual: "It appears that Jehovah's Witnesses commend a certain style of life. A Witness should be well dressed . . . and clean in his habits. He should be attentive to the needs of his family, both spiritually and materially. . . . This also implies a certain practical orientation towards life in this world. . . . Time and money are valued and should not be wasted; they should be spent improving oneself spiritually, socially and economically. Throughout there is an emphasis on individualism and industriousness, and church organization and discipline work to uphold the values of the group." NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEDOPHILES

    Racial and Ethnic Unity YEAH RIGHT!

    Jehovah's Witnesses, who come from all racial and ethnic groups, believe the Bible's teaching that all races are equal in the sight of God. Through Bible education, they have been successful in helping many to overcome deep-seated prejudices.—Acts 17:26.

    Even under extreme pressure, Jehovah's Witnesses will not support any movement motivated by racial or ethnic hatred. During the Nazi era, Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany and elsewhere refused to support Hitler's campaign of hatred. Thousands paid with their lives. Similarly, the Witnesses remained neutral during the 1994 massacre in Rwanda, even though some 400 of them perished as innocent victims of ethnic violence. At the risk of their own lives, Jehovah's Witnesses sought to protect fellow Christians, no matter what their ethnic background.

    Civil Liberties TALK TO QUOTES & KENT & JOURLES!

    Court cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses make up a significant portion of U.S. and Canadian law relating to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. These cases have done much to preserve the liberties not only of Jehovah's Witnesses but also of people in general. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court case Lovell v. City of Griffin (1938) protected freedom of the press from licensing and censorship. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses in 47 cases.

    "Like it or not," observed American author and editor Irving Dilliard, "Jehovah's Witnesses have done more to help preserve our freedoms than any other religious group." Today, Jehovah's Witnesses continue to defend freedom of religion and freedom of conscience in many countries around the world. They have successfully appealed to the European Court of Human Rights eight times since 1993.

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    now that made me what to puke

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    That just about sums it up!

    Seems to me that's on a macro level.

  • AllAlongTheWatchtower
    AllAlongTheWatchtower

    logansrun: By and large, I agree with you. However, I think you vastly understate or even mistate the level of danger of JWs when it comes to medicine:

    "Hell, if the doctor said it didn't matter one way or the other whether I had surgury with a blood transfusion or bloodless surgury I would choose the latter. You have to admit, the JWs have helped to promote better medicinal practices."

    1) IF the doctor said it didn't matter; that's a big if. 2) Being able to CHOOSE means you have the freedom to do so. Most JWs feel duty bound to do whatever the WTS says. 3) What in the heck have JWs done to promote better medicine?

    By the way, I'm a big sci-fi fan, does your sn come from the movie?

  • Big Tex
    Big Tex

    Perhaps it only appears that way on a superficial examination because Jehovah's Witnesses are such an insignificantly small sect. Similar in some ways to the National Socialists in 1920's Germany whose small size at the time limited the damage they caused.

    However expand Jehovah's Witnesses to the size of say Roman Catholicism or Islam, would these same behaviors, teachings and actions be viewed as harmless if they impacted hundreds of millions of people instead of hundreds of thousands?

  • ezekiel3
    ezekiel3
    the reason the organizations is so dangerous, is BECAUSE at a macro level people think it's harmless.



    Couldn't say it better myself.

    You might compare JWs to the military, EXCEPT

    • The military will still talk to you if you quit.
    • They tell you in advance that they are going to de/reprogram you, no deception there.
    • The military does not sign up 11 year-olds to do life service.
  • Honesty
    Honesty

    I have WT battle scars that say you are wrong.

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee
    It's only on the micro-level -- on current JWs and ex-JWs -- that the Watcthower can have a negative effect.

    Nope Not buying it

    A family has 1 member who joins the JW. Due to their newfound religion they stop celebrating holidays with the family. They slowly reduce the amount of time they spend with the family choosing instead to socialize exclusively with other JWs. RESULT: family feels abandoned

    Happy couple living a reasonable life. Wife starts studying with the JWs. Hubby is not amused but can't stop her. She insists on teaching their children the WT propaganda against her husbands wishes. RESULT: Happy family is torn apart. Hubby is labeled as an opposed. Discord prevails.

    JW has a job that sometimes requires working at times of the meetings. Since the JW refuses and the boss appreciates the JWs hard work the boss rearranges the work schedule to accommodate the needs of the JW. Nice. But the other workers then have to pick up the slack.

    JW at work refuses to participate in office celebrations. Team spirit goes down the tubes.

    I could go on and on.

    It isn't just the JWs and those who have left that are affected. Everyone who is related to, or works with winds up being adversely affected.

    I won't even get into the effect on medical staff who have to watch a person die because they are refusing treatment on religious grounds.

  • chrissy
    chrissy

    Ok, sure, I would agree that the witnesses are harmless. If by "harmless" you mean either, "do not contribute to elections of infantile-like fascists...or, incapable of taking over the world with their crazy ideologies." Yes, in said matters...they still remain harmless.

    Valis-

    Was that really from their website? I couldn't locate those particular "contributions to the community." And believe me, I looked. What is the deal with them always trying to toot their own horn with these insane tidbits? Deatils that do not even add up? Actually, I'm glad they do this sort of thing because with closer examination you can see patterns of exaggeration with everything that comes out of the wts in all of its hilariousness. I mean, a "literacy campaign"? "Teaching 26,000 Nigerians how to read"...ya, over the course of thirty years! That's like two people per month! that is some campaign.

    Also noteworthy is that they even mention mass genocides from Rwanda or Nazi Germany...do I read this correct? Are they like basically saying, "listen, the fact that we refused to get involved in these bloody massacres involving millions of innocent lives, is it not thus clear, friends, that we only promote racial and ethnic unity?"

    Ha, I could go on, but no, really I can't.

  • Valis
    Valis

    Yes they spout all that crap at the following URL..

    http://www.jw-media.org/people/contribute.htm

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