HELP.... kingdom hall to be erected in my community....town meeting!

by meljon 60 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  undercover

  Would you be as willing to go to these town meetings, spend time in creating a study of the impact of the use of land and otherwise help organize a movement against any other church that was going to be built on the same site?

  If you're against a KH being built there based on increased traffic, noise, etc and you would feel the same way if it was a Catholic or Baptist church, fine. But if you join this campaign against this building just because it's a KH, then you are biased and I find that a bit reprehensible.
• 

  Legolas

  Under...Damn straight...If I was her I would not want ANY church on that site..It is PRIME property and in NO WAY would a church fit into the setting especially a KH!

  And if I or she wants to be biased towards a cult well then thats our business!
• 

  undercover

  And if I or she wants to be biased towards a cult well then thats our business!

  Ah, but the rub is this: You're using the public forum and programs of the community to further your own agenda.

  I don't have a problem with anyone being biased against the cult/religion/government/organization of their choice. Surreptitiously using public means to wage a personal war against them is where I disagree.

  I've been in these town meetings and I've watched certain people get their panties all in a wad about some "thing" moving into their community. There would be a real "movement" to try to stop the "thing" and the group would come up with a good reason and viable plan to try to convince the city to not allow it. But then other people with an axe to grind would bring the whole thing down because they went off on some tangent that had nothing to do with the real issue.

  The issue here is whether a church building should be allowed to be built on a certain piece of property. The fact that it's a KH and that JWs are involved should have nothing to do with it. The issue is not about what JWs believe, preach or that some of them have committed moral atrocities. If you want to nitpick, any religion held to the same moral compass will fail.

  As I said before, if anyone is joining in the movement against the building based on the real issues, such as traffic, noise, etc. then that's fine, no problem. That's community involvement at it's best. If one is joing the movement based on the fact that they don't like JWs, but then wouldn't mind if a Baptist church was there, then that's not fair to the community effort that would be against any church there.
• 

  meljon

  Most churchs give something back into the community, volunteer work, charitable organizations support. The kingdom hall is not a church as we know it, gives NOTHING to the community and are very isolated, no one is welcome there without an invite, etcc,,,,, do you know anything about this cult? I do not want them in my community because they are jws --------- plain and simple! I would make the same stand against a topless or strip club or hells angels club, etc. I am using the rezoning and no tax facts to bring the attention to the people of the community, then they can find out the rest, it may make them want to look on boards like this,,,,,,,,
• 

  Legolas

  As I said before, if anyone is joining in the movement against the building based on the real issues, such as traffic, noise, etc. then that's fine, no problem. That's community involvement at it's best. If one is joing the movement based on the fact that they don't like JWs, but then wouldn't mind if a Baptist church was there, then that's not fair to the community effort that would be against any church there.

  Under you are missing the point that I and Mel brought out...That at least another church gives back to the community...the duds do not!
• 

  undercover

  That at least another church gives back to the community...the duds do not!

  That's a valid point, if looking at it from a certain viewpoint. I agree with it, to a point. But that's not an arugment that you can win very easily in an open forum in a town meeting. It doesn't help to go to a town meeting spouting off the negatives of the JW religion. As was brought out earlier, if you go to the town meetings expressing the cultishness of the religion, then you are going to hurt the community fight against the building instead of helping it.

  Usually, communities fight churches from moving in because of the noise, the traffic, property value issues, etc. It's not because the Catholics have a pedophile issue, it's not because the Baptists won't allow gays, it's not because JWs won't fight for their country. The freedom of religion is still a pretty strong ideal in the US and to come out blasting the religion as a cult, or to harp on their problems makes the complainer look a disgruntled, unreasonable heathen or heretic.

  My position is this: The JWs are a religion with the freedom to operate as such under the laws of the land, the same as any other religion, true, false, cultish or otherwise. If a Baptist church moving in wouldn't bother me, then why should a JW KH? Neither one should affect me any different than the other. Now if I'm against one because of traffic, noise, etc. then I would be against any religious church/building moving in, no matter what denomination. Just because I'm an ex-JW doesn't give me the right or the reason to try to turn a community effort to keep them out into my personal crusade against them.

  Just my opinion, for what it's worth.
• 

  Legolas

  The JWs are a religion with the freedom to operate as such under the laws of the land, the same as any other religion, true, false, cultish or otherwise.

  I agree.

  Like I said that though... IMO... no church should there..It is just not the right setting for it!

  And she brought out valid points at the meeting like taxes and giving back to the community and how many families are actually from the area..( There is only one older couple...so they want to move to the area and take away from the community the potential of a money making business that would benefit the community)
• 

  undercover

  no church should there..It is just not the right setting for it!

  Legolas, we're in agreement.

  meljon said:

  The kingdom hall is not a church as we know it, gives NOTHING to the community and are very isolated, no one is welcome there without an invite, etcc,,,,,

  The KH is open to the public, all are welcome. They'll try to convert you, but anyone is welcome to come to the meetings (unless they come to start trouble).

  Okay, so JWs don't have a soup kitchen or a day care, big deal. There's a church in my neigborhood, Presbyterian, and they don't do much themselves. They allow their church to be used for community meetings and they have a rummage sale a couple of times a year, but other than that they don't do anything...and they don't anything that assists me, and I don't care.

  To me that church and it's congregation are isolated, because I choose to not associate with them and they don't approach me to worship with them. Nothing wrong there and no big deal.

  I do not want them in my community because they are jws --------- plain and simple!

  And that's where I say that your prejudice clouds your judgement. How in the hell is a KH going to hurt you more than any other church? Ignore them and they won't bother you. If they come to your door, tell em to go away...how hard is that?

  I would make the same stand against a topless or strip club or hells angels club, etc. I am using the rezoning and no tax facts to bring the attention to the people of the community, then they can find out the rest,

  Comparing a church building to a strip club or a MC clubhouse shows that you're not thinking this through very well. Spout those sentiments at your town meeting and you're the one they're going to wonder about, not the JWs. Besides, what have the Hell's Angels ever done to you?

  Zoning issues, if any, and tax issues would apply to any religion looking to build there, not just JWs.

  JWs, whether you like them or not, have as much right to build there as any other religion. I disagree with your reasons and methods for trying to deny them to build there. If the community feels that a church, any church of any religion, shouldn't be built there, then that's a noble cause. To single out one religion from being allowed to build there is discriminatory and prejudiced. People with attitudes and actions like that are no better, maybe worse, than a lot of the JWs who would be going to that KH. Maybe I'd rather have them as a neighbor instead of someone who can't let go of a grudge and wants to make trouble.
• 

  meljon

  read somewhere that jws "hide" their members who have been reported as sexually assaulting children, and other members. Did you ever hear of this? Do they report an incident to the authorities such as sexual assault?
• 

  meljon

  Hey Undercover / are you a practicing jehovah witness>?