by 5thGeneration 12 Replies latest jw friends
As much as you may be mad at the Society, the Brothers or family, do you think it is ethical to post their letters or e-mails?
I kind of feel that these things were written with the intent of confidentiality and it is kind of unethical. (Please, no disrespect to those who don't agree).
Any thoughts?
Added: To me it would be like if you wrote a letter to your parents about how you felt about the truth and they took it to the Kingdom Hall and read it to the congregation.
I don't think it is much different than telling someone about a conversation. I don't think ethics really apply to this situation. I understand if some people feel uncomfortable with reading those things....maybe it makes some feel intrusive, however, in my case...I wouldn't have been able to get the advise I did with mine without posting it here.
Sorry if anyone is offended.
It would depend on the content of the letter. Information that personally identifies a third party should be erased or masked. If the sender has stated, either explicitly in the letter or verbally, that the content is confidential, then it should not be repeated.
Generally, if someone sends you a letter, it becomes your property, however the author is the copyright owner of the content.
There could be other issues to, such as whether the letter contains legally sensitive information.
I believe in equality. They should be afforded the same respect that they would give to our innermost thoughts. Being the moral victor means nothing when they've shredded your good name. How many horror stories have we heard of doubtful dubs confiding in another dub, and then getting backstabbed?
No disrespect intended to you personally megsmomma.
My point was, for example (if you took the truth totally out of the equation) you e-mailed your stock broker a really dumb question and found out that he posted it on a huge online investment board and people started mocking you. I think you would have a legitimate beef!
But, at the same time, I understand the argument that no ones name is really being mentioned. So is it really intrusive?
Interesting!
I kind of feel that these things were written with the intent of confidentiality and it is kind of unethical. (Please, no disrespect to those who don't agree).
If they respected our confidential letters and emails to them as much as they expect us to respect theirs, I would definitely agree.
To me it would be like if you wrote a letter to your parents about how you felt about the truth and they took it to the Kingdom Hall and read it to the congregation.
We already know that there is no such thing as confidentiality when it comes to disclosing doubts about the WTS to JWs. There's also no such thing as confidentiality with respect to Judicial Committee™ meetings... why else would there be the necessity to have a Local Needs Talk™ to let people know what kind of activity received their scrutiny. Just because no names are mentioned, doesn't mean that the disciplined person's confidentiality is being respected.
^^^^^^ Vary good point!!! ^^^^^^
I don't feel comfortable with it. I can see why we do it though. It would be easy to forget how unnecessarily cruel some JWs can be unless we saw the evidence regularly.
Nonetheless, I don't think it is good manners to make private correspondance public, and I don't believe that good manners should depend on being reciprocated. I would certainly feel betrayed if something I had written in private was broadcast on the interweb.
The problem is, there are so many levels of communication now, from handwritten letters through e-mails, PMs, IMs, message board posts, chat rooms, blogs, and replies to blogs. It does seem to be common to abandon normal good manners when using new technology......
In my case, I used the Data Protection Act, to force the Branch Office to release a copy of a letter written by the elders in my cong. to the branch.
This was about a sister in the cong, the branch deleted any content about other people and sent it to the sister's address.
She has now given it to me; it is the most appalling letter I have ever read in my whole life.
Importantly though I have no intention of publishing it (at this time) but it proves what disgraceful liars elders are.
fokyc
Added: To me it would be like if you wrote a letter to your parents about how you felt about the truth and they took it to the Kingdom Hall and read it to the congregation.
5th Gen,
I appreciate your thoughts and perspective, however isn't that exactly what happens if someone writes a letter to their friends or family in the Organization wherin they describe their doubts or displeasure with the GB? A letter like that gets immediately shown to the elders, and in most cases to the Society, so that the elders can proceed judicially. While in the strict sense it is not read to the whole congregation, it essentially is when word gets around, and it does get around, as to why you were disfellowshipped after sending such a letter. Then, a letter is read to the entire congregation letting them know that you are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses. How is that confidential? I think as long as the parties remain anonymous that it is in the bounds of proper etiquette and I don't have a problem with it.
exjdub
