Well thanks to one of the members here at JWD, I was sent a copy of Knocking. I watched it last night with the exception of a small segment that I will finish out today.
The actual film itself was a puff piece meant to instill sympathy, and it did that well. What ticked me off was the "extras" and "lecture series". The Jewish guys comments seemed sorta balanced, but that mealy mouthed ACLU lawyer heaped praises upon praises for the JW's, I believe he even called them true American patriots. I would love to debate that guy in person.
I liked the fact that they talked about the Stratton Ohio court case, and they showed clips of the town, and interviewed townspeople, these people did not want to be bothered by the JW's. The town itself looked like it was mostly trailers. They even interviewed the mayor.
The JW's claimed they were being harassed on going to return visits, but what I remember from the few online articles I read during that time period, the main issue was that traveling overseers and visiting JW's found it to be too inconvenient to get the permits.
Oh, I like the way the Grandmother said "I hate to refer to them as a cult,but they are cultlike" My general impression was that she proabably loves calling them a cult.
This film is definitely a puff piece, and even though PBS market core may be liberal types, this is probably the type of film that could attract them.
By the way, nothing at all was mentioned about the pedophilia issue, as far as I can remember.
I will watch the rest of it today, and finish my review here.
Dave
I saw "knocking"last night--my review
by Junction-Guy 8 Replies latest jw friends
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Junction-Guy
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Bumble Bee
Thanks for that review Dave.
BB
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ithinkisee
The "liberal" types will give them a voice, but any liberal types who give them more than a passing glance will quickly identify them as a cult and not join them.
I don't see this as a great marketing piece. I see it more as a way for existing JWs to solidify their faith and tell themselves they are "really just like everyone else" and nothing more.
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Cicatrix
The problem with trying to explain to outsiders what the JWs are like is similar to what it is like for someone who is in a controlling relationship with another person. The control is usually aimed at a specific person, and is concealed from outsiders.Often, the controlling person is very personable to everyone else, so if the victim does dare to break the silence, they are often not believed.They even have the ability to turn things around and make it appear that THEY are the victim.Threats and silence tactics are the rule of the day in controlling relationships. For example,notice that the WTS negotiated for a gag rule on the victims who sued them over abuse. The victims in essence had to capitulate to what the WTS had wanted when they were disciplined to begin with (silence to maintain "face" for the society),to receive their settlements.BUT some of us are not taking them to court, and tell anyone who care to listen about our own experience and the WTS tactics.
The only people I've encountered who have even an inkling of what former JWs have gone through are those who have been involved with high control groups, those who have been in abusive or controlling personal relationships, and those who have educated themselves on the issue, such as advocates for the victims.Most others hardly give JWs a passing thought. They usually view them as just a little odd, or as pleasant neighbors they don't know a lot about.
BTW-this isn't just an ex-JW problem. It is a societal one also.
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yucca
I wonder how many people from the ACLU are witnesses? After all if you become a witness you lose your liberties.
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HadEnuf
They're showing it tonight on our local PMS...err...PBS station, channel 8, central WI. I keep telling myself...don't watch it...it'll only make your blood pressure go through the roof. Then again, I would like to be informed in case anyone I come upon has seen it and I can set them straight about anything (which is most likely a lot of it) that is not THE TRUTH. I have challenged the director and producer to do a documentary on the "other side of the story", the X-JW one. Always nice to hear both sides of the story. Haven't heard from them yet. Go figure. Have a great memorial day weekend everyone...Gary and I are spending it with our newlywed son (May 5) and his wife and her parents. ta ta...mumsy
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Junction-Guy
Hadenuf, the actual film (1 hour) will not necessarily get your blood pressure up, but its the extras and the interviews that are in the DVD that really pissed me off.
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Gopher
This program was an inconsequential puff piece -- and the primary audience seems to be JW's and JW sympathizers. It does not really educate the public about the overall effect of JW's on society. It just gives a narrow view regarding a couple of JW men who had remarkable survival experiences (concentration camp. liver transplant surgery) and the effects on their immediate family.
This program will have a very tiny effect on the public, when all is said and done. I believe the 2002 NBC Dateline program on covered-up pedophilia among JW's had 1000 times the effect (in the opposite direction) that this unremarkable program will ever have.
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Honesty
KNOCKING was developed to stroke the JW's egos and to scare the bejesus out of their 'worldly' families.