Sorry if there are those apostates here that do this, but you were often the butt of a joke and nothing taken serious. I personally loved the ones who wore paper bags over their head, as they were often people still afraid of getting in trouble. It is not like a political rally with people saying "make love, not war." Instead it was just Bible debate of people wanting to argue their opinion on the Bible, against the Watchtowers. Yet for those driving by, it was seen as angry people. I know a non-Witness at work who saw this happening a few months ago, and was making fun of it. I know others did to. Personally, my own personal opinion on this is, "move on .... don't let them drag you down to what they expect of you." Of course, some might think it is the force that will change the world.
Apostates protesting conventions = Something I laughed at
by free2beme 37 Replies latest jw friends
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DevonMcBride
I'm not a JW, I'm not an ex-JW, I'm not an apostate (defined by the WT), and I'm not a convention protestor. There are some that protest these conventions not to reach the JW's but to reach the local news networks. It doesn't look good to the public that there are protestors at a Jehovah's Witness convention.
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free2beme
I hardly went to one that did not have one and only once did the media cover it, when one got hit by a car. Trust me, the media stays away from these small religions internal messes.
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DevonMcBride
I live in one of the top 10 largest cities in the US and the media covers it here. These conventions are not small. People come in from all over to attend. They are large enough that the newspapers write articles and the local news shows them.
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Spectre
I would never do the sign waving thing, thats just not me. But the internet is getting to be a whole lot more effective anyways.
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blondie
I suppose they feel that if they only reach one person it is worth it. I have seen people say that about their postings here on JWD. We don't know who lurks and what affect we have on them.
It takes a certain amount of courage to do such a thing. I do know of people who wrote down the phone number they had on their signs and received information that eventually started them down to the road to detaching from the WTS.
JWs laugh at the practical help that other groups give, such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, etc., as being of no real value.
I was never one of those JWs which is probably why I left. JWs embarrassed me.
Blondie
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TD
Back when I accompanied my wife to JW conventions, I wrote the protestors off as screwballs. I mean you get wierdos with placards outside of any large convention, (Even lab equipment trade shows of all things.)
One time though, the message on the sign did make at least some of them go, "Hmmm."
All It said was this:
Fact: Jerusalem Did Not Fall in 607
Don't Believe Me? Look It Up!
My wife's whole family looked it up. It didn't really phase them -- they made the usual glazed-eyed excuses. But it did make them think, which is something, I guess.
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free2beme
I suppose they feel that if they only reach one person it is worth it
I would bet though that if we did survey the reason most people leave. It would have little to do with these protest. I think most people turn to apostate information, after they exit, to make them feel more firm in their decision.
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RichieRich
I have a friend who just moved down from New York.
One day he spoke about how at many New York District Conventions there were scores of apostates standing there holding banners.
pushing the envelope but playing the fool, I asked him what the banners said.
he was able to name off the slogans on several signs.
The fact that he remembers what these signs say shows some hope.
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blondie
he was able to name off the slogans on several signs.
The fact that he remembers what these signs say shows some hope.
Good point, Richie.
Aunt Blondie