Will the pro-JW "Knocking" movie backfire on the WT Society?

moshe

I think it might . Rather than being lots of great PR for the KH, it will bring former JW's who have remained silent out into the open. They will write and call PBS and their newspapers, too. They will get an earful and perhaps do the story that should have been done in the first place. This is a good opportunity for radio and TV talk shows to pick up on the knocking story and do a program about JW's, too. A look at the PBS knocking forum shows a few JW's are now opening up just a tiny bit about their confusion with current WT changes- and they get criticized for it by the pro-JW thugs who have moved in to run them off. If there could ever be an open discussion at a KH, the brothers would rapidly see how many in the KH are doubters.

ZazuWitts

Though I haven't seen the "Knocking" cd - I think 'most' Jw's will be thrilled with this sympathetic portrayal. But since it does sound like it is a biased presentation, it may well get a lot of negative reaction from ex-Jw's. BTW, I know there was a post re Anderson Cooper and his endorsement of "Knocking." I was telling a friend in ElCerrito, CA (SF area) about this program on the phone yesterday. Interestingly, her brother is gay and she said both Joel Engardio and Anderson Cooper are well-known for rallying for gay causes in the SF area -as both are gay. Anderson Cooper is the son of Gloria Vanderbuilt = money:) Furthermore, I noticed on the "knocking" website that Anderson Cooper is listed as a funding donor. It may be that Joel and Cooper have ties through both the gay movement as well as their journalistic contacts? Just food for thought, IMO.

moshe

I wouldn't be surprised to see local JW's trying to get some free newspaper coverage plugging the movie just before it airs on PBS.

OnTheWayOut

IMO, the tiniest fraction of potential recruits who are already going to meetings will be swayed
by this program to progress toward baptism into the organization. Perhaps as many as
100 will do this, and 85 of them would have progressed to baptism anyway.
(Yes, the numbers are made up, but I really don't think a positive video will sway too many studies.)
Perhaps the biggest damage will be to young ones who think the JW's might be nutty, but the
video makes them seem normal, so they get baptized. Potentially hundreds there, but again, most
would have progressed to baptism anyway. I doubt too many people outside of JW's, studies,
children of JW's, and anti-JW's will say much about the program. Mostly anti-JW's.

The rest- I think you are right. The free publicity will cause a backlash. Any talk about JW's will
start the "Cult" subject up. People will talk about how they hate being bothered on Saturday and Sunday
morning. "Okay, they believe in this stuff, but leave me alone." That's what they will say. "I don't want
my daughter joining them, knocking on doors." Many will look into internet sites if they are curious about
what they see, and they will look at the plethera of anti-JW sites.

vomit

I think it will backfire, in the way Jesus Camp backfired. The people protrayed in Jesus Camp look on themselves on being "normal" and to them were portrayed accurately. But people that are in fact normal see it straight away as those "crazy Christians"

Some exJWs my feel it is portraying JWs positively. But to people with no experience of JWs, just see them as being a cult. Every person I have met in their 30s, just sees them as a cult. Why do you think so many reject JWs at the door? This video will convert nobody but the nuts that would be converted in the first place.