Is this a new change with the do not call list?

by DT 14 Replies latest jw friends

  • anewme
    anewme

    I was just wondering if a relative of mine already put me on the "do not call" list?
    Since I have lived here in this house no JWs have called here.

    I am here most mornings until 11.

    No note has ever been left here.

    I have never seen them on the streets of my town either.

    So I was wondering whats up?

    They always used to say someday they would cease the door to door work.

    Thats when you know God has in mind to start the tribulation and begin Armageddon.

    Whatever.

    I am too tired and busy working fulltime to worry much about it, trying to pay the rent on minimum wage in my 50s. Thankyou so much Watchtower.

  • DT
    DT

    Thanks Jim_TX for the suggestions. It might be worth looking into.

    I have a feeling that this do not call list is one little piece of information that could be really damaging to Jehovah's Witness. If Jehovah's Witnesses have the freedom to knock on peoples doors, then people should have the right to say stop. And they do, they just don't realise it. Many people actually think they can get them to stop by just saying that they aren't interested.

    I was in a hall once that had a lot of do not calls. It had a discouraging affect. It didn't make the ministry any easier because you had to keep checking the notes. If you went to one and got chewed out, you knew you were being persecuted for your mistake in failing to follow directions, not for something noble. It kept reminding you of how irritating the work was for the householders. There were so many, the elders couldn't keep up. Some would go for five years or more before they were updated.

  • Jim_TX
    Jim_TX
    "I was in a hall once that had a lot of do not calls. It had a discouraging affect. It didn't make the ministry any easier because you had to keep checking the notes. If you went to one and got chewed out, you knew you were being persecuted for your mistake in failing to follow directions, not for something noble. It kept reminding you of how irritating the work was for the householders. There were so many, the elders couldn't keep up. Some would go for five years or more before they were updated."

    I think that this may be the exception - rather than the rule (the conscientious JW who abided by the 'do not call' list).

    But - you may be onto something here. I know that there are some communities that are trying to get an ordinance passed that prevents unsolicited door-knockers. (If I remember correctly) There was a big court case about it a few years ago - the JWs won that one - but only by the skin of their teeth. Some vague wording in the ordinance allowed them to get it overturned.

    Your approach - may work - IF - the local JWs use the information correctly.

    I was in a congregation once where we had to 'share' the territory with the Spanish congregation. We allowed them to 'survey' the territories and locate all of those 'spanish-speaking' folks. We then put those addresses on a list and included it with the territory maps. (I questioned the reliability of their survey - when some anglo addresses appeared on the list - but was over-ruled by the 'elders'.)

    Here, we had maps and everything - and they had nothing. We'd be out door-knocking, and get irate folks telling us that we were just there! (We weren't - the Spanish folks were.) I'd pull everyone off the streets, and drive around - sure enuf - we'd meet up with the Spanish folks. They'd look surprised to see us - say something in Spanish - then high-tail it outta there.

    So - there are some JWs that don't pay attention to any 'lists'.

    Regards,

    Jim TX

  • DT
    DT
    Your approach - may work - IF - the local JWs use the information correctly.

    That's a big question. The witnesses I knew have usually taken the do not calls very seriously. Some are violent and many publishers are scared of do not calls. The problem I would see is that they would forget to check or the notes would fall out of the territory. Another thing is that some publishers would be reluctant to report requests to be put on the do not call list if they didn't think they were really serious.

    I think householders asking to be put on the list is a good thing either way. It's a headache for the Witnesses and if they do a bad job of handling it, they could get into legal trouble and or further damage public relations. If they are to continue to protect their right to wake up people on Saturday mornings, they have to show a willingness to protect the rights of others.

  • DT
    DT

    I said I was working on something to spread the message and I came up with this slideshow. http://www.slideshare.net/DeeeTeee/a-message-to-jehovahs-witnesses

    I started a new thread to discuss it. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/153711/1.ashx

    I believe we need a simple message to get the public on our side. They are already irritated about Witnesses knocking on their doors, so letting them know about the do not call list may be effective. If we can tie it in with JW scandals, that's even better.

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