My take on Knocking (and PBS Mormon special)

by Dogpatch 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  Dogpatch

  My Take on Knocking Obviously a "puff piece" as Danny Haszard would say. No one could really accept this as a real documentary in my opinion, it is just too biased in their favor. Where is the dissent? It is a docudrama, with this poor boy Seth, who you have to feel sorry for as he really has no choice! What would he not do to keep the love of his parents? He is weak and vulnerable; he needs a support base and who will do it but for his parents who love him? Would they reject him if he took a transfusion? Yes, if judged the way 95% of the JWs would do. That would be a worse death than that of staying true to Gene Smalley and his pet blood doctrine: http://www.freeminds.org/doctrine/gene_smalley.htm

  You could teach most kids like Seth to STEAL if it meant keeping the love of both their parents. Kids aren’t dumb. They’re small and vulnerable, and they know that and act accordingly. I don’t think the producers misrepresented them- it was quite accurate (much to the surprise of the JWs who have seen it), again making it a Brooklyn-aided puff piece.

  The "extras" were the most boring thing of all. Snore! Very much set to an agenda, proving them to be a somewhat interesting yet quirky religion, but lordy it does bore you to death. Death by Watchtower.

  The Mormon special on the last two nights was more interesting, and I couldn’t even stomach that whole thing. Persecution turns foolish and gullible people into desirable martyrs. I know, I was one and loved the persecution, getting chased out of apartment buildings as I went door-to-door on a weekly basis. The extras on the film were awful.

  My MAIN MAN Gene Smalley was a hoot. What a charismatic personality! NOT. Perfect for teaching all the crazy nuances of Watchtower dogma. Floyd Kite (Stay Alive ‘Til ’75) should have been on this special, he would at least be funny and interesting! Or, maybe Fred Franz (wouldn’t that flip the viewers!). I watched Gene Smalley clips about 8 times. I was trying to figure out if he was a "true believer" or not.

  At least Philip Brumley seemed like a real person (see his rad music video on Danny’s site at: http://dannyhaszard.com/brumley/brumley.htm ) Anyone else’s take on Gene who has seen it? I lived alongside him for 6 years and yet never met him. I know he’s a real person and probably has friends, but I have nothing but contempt for a man who is largely responsible for the deaths of so many Witnesses.

  How would you feel about Seth (kid in film) nearly giving up his life because GENE says so?? Maybe he really believes he is God’s chosen man for the blood job. That’s scary. By the way, there’s a lot of good clips in the Mormon special that could be used against the Witnesses. Any one see the potential there? Randy

  [jgnat: Edited for my reading pleasure]
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  Odrade

  I thought the mormon special was very interesting. You could tell the difference between the historians that were documenting the history with a view to preserving it, and the "historians" who had the light of fanaticism in their eyes who were "documenting history" with a view to spinning it to their favor. I found it amusing how Woodruff's compromise/directive on plural marriage, was in later years turned into "revelation" by the church leaders, and for the most part it was unquestioned by the rank and file, even though it clearly was a direct contradiction of the "revelation" to Joseph Smith about plural marriage.

  I also found it fascinating that the change was due to financial and political pressure, which reminded me of various changes, most significantly the donation arrangement, made by Watchtower. I wonder if the "alternative service" changes fall under the same heading. Interestingly, as I was watching, it struck me that the JWs use of "new light" is simply a very subtle way of saying "revelation," and the two are really not that different, despite all the derision we (as JWs) pointed toward the LDS for their believe in personal revelation.

  I still haven't finished watching it, missed about 90 minutes all together and will be watching it online later.

  For people interested in seeing "Knocking," once it airs on a PBS station, it likely will be available online for up to a week afterwards.
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  DannyHaszard

  http://discussions.pbs.org/viewforum.pbs?f=203 PBS knocking discussion forum
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  Lioness

  I thought the Mormons show was interesting and well done. I wrote to the producer to see if she would consider doing a similar show on JWs, since I would like to see an indepth program made available to the public, showing the truth about the org, and their history, beliefs, practices, and dark secrets. I saw many similarities between the Mormons and JWs. Their teachings may differ, but they use many of the same techniques to keep people under their control, and to cover up any negative things that go on within. I was outraged about the Mountain Meadows massacre, and that they still try to cover up what really happened. I'm not even sure I will be able to watch Knocking.
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  Gayle

  My husband (never a JW) made me have a glass of wine before watching "Knocking", he was afraid I'd get really "*%#*" off! The film is pro-JW, the stories presented are so "and they lived happily ever after". Of course, poor Seth would have been shunned by his family and congregation if he took blood. As for Mr. Kempler (tho I have total, absolute sympathy of Jews living in Hitler's time), how could he have later boasted thereafter that he found God (via JWs) and then didn't early on, long ago feel compelled soon after to see/feel his God-given responsibility to have a basic close relationship with own Jewish daughter all those years (she & her husband obviously,rightfully had resentment). Gene's comments are so cold & rote (typical 'same-o-same-o', parrot comments for decades, brrrrrrrr!) I appreciate Randy's and Danny's zeal/passion for exposure of the WTS. With this "Knocking" documentary, hopefully people will internet search Randy's and Danny's sites and get the "rest of the story". I hope you get a lot of responses, Randy, Danny and others. At least hopefully it will create more exposure of JWs negative lives.
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  Nathan Natas

  I felt the Mormon special was done to inform the public about Mitt Romney's band of invisible friends so that they would see him as a viable "god-fearing" US Presidential candidate and not a damned atheist (like myself). The US electorate prefers that candidates conform to the standard delusions.

  [sarcasm:on] Certainly the end-time delusions of the Bush administration have served this country well. [sarcasm: off]
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  OnTheWayOut

  It is difficult to compare the two, although unavoidable. The Mormon piece was 4 hours long. Plenty
  of room to present their theology and crazy doctrines. It attacked without attacking. Job well done.

  KNOCKING was one hour long, made by an independent filmmaker who didn't have the backing of
  American Experience and Frontline. If they (AE and FL) did the 4 hour documentary, then we would
  have something.

  My take on KNOCKING was that it was about the people chosen, without much controversial subject
  matter. Yet it still sparked the controversy by allowing dissenting opinions in.

  A puff-piece? Somewhat, but any talk about JW's by the general public based on KNOCKING will only
  lead them to suggest a weird cult. People will say "I hate their calling on me on Saturday morning, and
  saying their stupid beliefs." I am happy that any of that discussion will take place.

  JW's just rang my bell this morning. Usually I answer, but as a fader, I don't want to take it out on them.
  I hope my neighbors hate it.