PROTESTS AT WATCHTOWER CONVENTIONS (page 14)

For Quebec city : well, it was a fail protest. We were 5 only. There was supposed to be100 persons from facebook those who said yes and 100 more who said maybe and we were 5.... The weather forecast wasn't good : light rain. I guess that turned people off. There was a little rain on/off, some wind and cold. This is the last time I organize a protest, people are unreliable. If they don't want to come they just have to hit "will not participate" and then we'll know. We went because we thought we would be 100, if we knew we would have cancelled.

Momma-Tossed-Me

Protests will work but not within the JW community, and you are right your expectations of people in general are to high. Now if you had offered to pay them then they would have showed up. Try that next time and I bet they will all be there and more. You must pay in advance. That is how political organization groups do it.

Gotta have money. Not just ethical subjectivism.

MTM

Mad Sweeney

Yalbmert99, I spoke with your fellow organizer Jonathan Lavoie on Cult Free Radio Saturday night after the protest and he made some good points about why he felt showing up to protest was still successful, despite the low turnout. One of the things he mentioned was speaking personally to a couple who were studying with JWs and if I recall correctly attending their very first convention. He warned them about information control imposed by the Watchtower and just after he said it, a Borg "Attendant" came over and told the couple to stop speaking to Jonathan. As the couple walked away, one of them turned and met Jonathan's eyes and they shared a look as if to say, "See? THAT's Information Control."

I'm going from memory here, so forgive me if I have the details of the anecdote wrong. Check out the show for yourself for that, the rest of the interview, and your usual bi-weekly Mad Sweeney monologue:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cult-free-radio

or

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cult-Free-Radio/230771686936547?sk=app_196506863720166

Before speaking with Jonathan, I had some reservations about protests in general, and small protests in particular, as you can see from my previous posts on the subject. But I approached him with fair and even handed questions and asked him to address some of the criticisms of protests that stand out as the most common and I felt he answered them with honesty and integrity. I have a better respect and understanding of protesting now. It isn't about "bringing down" the Watchtower, it's about helping people. Maybe you guys helped that couple decide to rethink studying with the Witnesses. If so, the protest was a success.

On the note of Information Control and Attendants, I wonder whether holding a protest OFF of the convention site but where a lot of JWs tend to go (like near the McDonald's across the street or something) protesters might then be able to avoid the long arm of Borg Attendant authority and have more/longer conversations with people.

Band on the Run

You misstated the facts of your daughter's death and the WT liability. I don't know whether you are so hurt by her loss that you can not grasp them or whether you are posing. It is very sad to say. There are no winners here.

Pickets makes the Witnesses feel special, more decent, than us. Living life well is the antidote. I know that I left many decades ago and wonder why my rage is still so raw. Hatred is not the opposite of love. I dated a man more married in a bitter divorce and custoy battle than he was ever married legally. The opposite of love is indifference.

Your gripe should be with your daughter b/c she was a consenting adult if I recollect correctly. She chose death. You can value her autonomy as a person without endorsing her actual choice. Criminals can not go free b/c they were persauded to commit a crime. The entire world would be liable. Your choice for her would be different. Who are we to declare her a fool? We are not gods.

The hurt must be so keen. In fact, I can't even imagine it.

Violia

Lawrence has a right to feel anyway he wishes. It only takes one angry determined person to make changes. The man who started " America's most wanted" was a angry determined father. He has made a difference.
BTW, his daughter was under the influence of a cult and did not make an informed adult decision. She is was not a consenting adult and if you think she was , apply this to other areas where one must be a consenting adult to make decisions that stand legally.

Mad Sweeney

Bethany died at 17 and the fight was ongoing for some time before that. She was not a consenting adult. In fact, a court ruled that she not only was a minor, she could not make an informed decision because of Borg pressure and information control.

As for misrepresenting the facts of the death and the WT's liability, I don't know exactly what Mr. Hughes has claimed, but attacking him seems kind of callous. Give the dude a break.

yalbmert99

Thanks madsweeney, I've listened to the interview. Very good.

shamus100

Six screens of the Watchtower is about the stupidest goddamed "movement" I have ever seen in my life.

They videotape plays about the "watchtower" at churches. Churches based on negativity, sound familiar?

Now I can agree to disagree on most things, but this Rick character really got my goat when he was actively calling out to me to be on his radio shows where bethelites call in from closets, hiding and frightened from the establishment.

Um, yeah. Not in a million freaking years.

most people posting as you already know are moral cowards, they are hiding behind there cartoon avatars still scared to death of the Watchtower Org.

Incorrect. You are the only one hiding behind your kool-aid mad bullshit name calling us cowards. But then it's clear that your so far from reality that nobody in their right mind would take you seriously, or those that are so filled with hate they can't deal with it.

Oh GOD, I wish to satan whom I worship that his old website was up and running complete with the music. It's too bad you revamped it, it was a classic man, a total classic. ;D

koolaid-man

Shamus, go give Satan a great big kiss and tell him I am glad he kicked me out of his Organization.

It sure would be great if those who denounce me would tell the truth and stop fabricating falsehoods.

It would also speak volumes for the character of my criticizers if they would step out from their monkey costumes and cartoon avatars and have the courage to identify themselves.

It is easy to condenm in a clown suit.

PROTESTS AT WATCHTOWER CONVENTIONS

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