Watching "Knocking" Now, Sunday Night, on WGBH Boston...Some thoughts...

by Seeker4 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  Seeker4

  OK, first, this is NOT a film that would draw ANYONE to be a JW. The Witnesses come across as a really odd fundamentalist religion. They are called fundamentalists several times in the film, and certainly seem quite unappealing.

  It's not a film that favors JWs. It's pretty even-handed, despite what has been written about it on this site.

  My main complaints are that it ignores Rutherford's pro-Nazi early writings and plays up the JW Nazi concentration camp experience. It also presents the blood issue as voluntary, for the most part, when we know that the typical Witness shapes his or her view on the blood issue to fit the latest decree from the WTS.

  The whole Supreme Court thing is also one-sided, failing to acknowledge that many of these cases were created intentionally.

  Some observations:

  The Jewish man that was in Auswitzch: That had nothing to do with his becoming a JW. He was in the camp because he was a Jew. He became a JW later, and it came across almost as a psychological reaction to his Jewish experience, similar to why he abandoned his daughter.

  Jeff''s dad, Doug, giving his liver was awesome, and evidence that not every JW elder is a drunk, even if they are mostly braindead!! The non-JW grandmother was terrific, and nailed it right on the head. This is a cult for sure!

  OK, how did Jeff, diseased, 23 years old, living with his parents and sporting a totally gay mustache, get that babe as his girlfriend???? Oh, yeah, that's right - he's a male JW, where a #3 male can marry a #8 babe 20 years younger than he is!!! And he'd be hauled before most JW elders I know for playing that music, even if he was pretty good.

  Anyone else see this broadcast? What else should we do about it? I'm headed to bed!!

  S4
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  SirNose586

  Good. It seemed like it was just short of a Society-produced video...but I'm glad to hear that it won't be a recruiting video for them.
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  Odrade

  Exactly why I didn't personally join the campaign to keep it from being broadcast. I suspect there's no way to make JWs look mainstream, and still have major programming pick it up. In fact, I've been looking forward to the airing, since many people will get to see more detail about the fundamentalism of this "nicely dressed, polite" group of door-knockers.

  Around here, most people don't know any more about the JWs than "they dress nice" and they "have good manners," and sometimes "Are those the people who don't celebrate birthdays?"

  BTW, lmao @ the "3" and "8".
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  Seeker4

  The info presented about the JWs in the film did not seem very appealing. No holidays, no blood transfusions, the reactions at the door (and while witnessing in a parking lot!) were all pretty bleak.

  S4
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  garybuss

  S4, Do you think the film presented the Witnesses as the happy - happy spiritual paradise talked about in the publications?
  
  
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  Seeker4

  Gary,
  
  Not at all. They came across as zealous but not necessarily all that bright. The witnessing especially looked very unappealing. People just seemed annoyed.
  
  S4
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  Hoping4Change

  Does this documentary deal with the level of organizational submission required of members? With the attention that it has been getting (PBS, USA Today, Newsweek), it's too bad there's no way to also send these outlets copies of the most recently studied Watchtower to show the level of complete submission TO AN ORGANIZATION and MEN that is required of Jehovah's Witnesses. The simple facts will speak for themselves, no interpretation, comment, or opinion required. Any discussion/documentary/history on JW's that does not bring this point to the front leaves out one of the HUGEST tenets of this movement and perhaps the single MOST IMPORTANT piece of information that the public at large should know about being a member of this organization; forget the holiday thing, the birthday thing, the flag salute thing and the blood thing - the root of all the evils in this organization lye with this; IMHO.
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  Seeker4

  Hoping4:

  I remember when I was a JW, their main defense when called a cult, was that a cult was based around following a man, a human leader. They would point out that their is no leader among JWs, but that they follow Jesus.

  I knew somehow that this thinking was flawed, and it's pretty simple really. The Governing Body, as a group, are the leader that the cult follows. Individual members can come and go, but it is that committee of men that serves the same purpose as the charismatic cult leader does. A cult leader gets his or her power because of a special relationship with god, god giving them special insight, direction and understanding. No individual claims that among the JWs, but the GB does make that claim.

  You're right that strict, unquestioning obedience to that body is required of all JWs.

  S4
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  willyloman

  What else should we do about it?

  I don't think we need to do anything about it. The WTS is its own worst enemy. They hate it when you treat them as irrelevant, which they are to the world at large. Self-importance is all they have to hold on to, and all they have to sell.
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  observador

  If you're in the Boston area and want to see the show, it will air again on May 27th at 4:00 am. Yes, you heard it right: 4:00 in the morning; overnight between Saturday and Sunday.
  
  WGBH Boston, Channel 2 for those who have Comcast.