Are Public Talks Really Public?

by Blueblades 24 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Room 215

  The WTBTS has long since abandoned any pretense that these Sunday harangues are for the public. Contrary to the admonitions I was given when starting out and while at Bethel, the so-called ``public talks" are laced with JW Theospeak, and speakers have no compunction to trot out Watchtower literature in lieu of scripture and read large segments verbatim.. both were no-no's way back when.

  Just another example of how the increasingly self-centered WTBTS has turned inward and circled the wagons in a time of unprecendented freeflow of one damning disclosure after another.
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  cyd0099

  They are public in the sense that the WTS wouldn't prohibit you your donation from coming in.
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  Bonnie_Clyde

  The WT do like 'interested ones' to attend, but it is not true that the door is open to all. Kingdom Halls are private places, not public, and the body of Elders can deny access to anyone they want. On occasion that's what they do.

  How can you say that a Kingdom Hall is private, not public? I've never heard of them being able to stop anyone from attending. I would think that they would even have to by law.
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  James Free

  Legally, a Kingdom Hall is private property. They are not 'public buildings' in the legal sense. If you are not wanted by the local elders, they are perfectly within their legal rights to ask you to leave. It's the same in a shopping mall or a theater. If the owners wants you to leave, you must, and you can be banned from returning. If you refuse, the police can remove you for trespass. That's the law, and even your local supermarket can turn you away if they want.
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  blondie

  As to being public places, even the mall, the theater, the library, etc., have certain expectations of conduct. If a person is disruptive, destructive, acting dangerously towards others, the owners have every right to call the police. While the "public" is invited, certain conduct is expected.

  The elders have been instructed not to physically try to make anyone leave but to call the police and let them do it. If a disruptive person hits someone, then they can protect themselves. But it is best to try and not be confrontative.

  If a person has visited a KH in the past and been disruptive, I can see why that "public" might not be let in.

  In 50 years, I have seen the police summoned 3 times, once for a drunk non-JW on the doorstep, once for a man yelling and screaming in the auditorium about his wife studying with JWs (twice).

  If these people had come to my place of work (which serves the public), the police would have been summoned as well.

  Now if the person(s) has always been well-behaved at the meetings and is barred, they probably have a right to be there, but why bother. Just go to another KH. (I understand that this does not cover every situation.)

  Blondie