Settling the Debate About Jehovah's Witnesses And Soliciting.
http://hillcrest.patch.com/articles/settling-the-debate-about-jehovahs-witnesses-and-soliciting
Bangalore
Settling the Debate About Jehovah's Witnesses And Soliciting
by Bangalore 10 Replies latest jw friends
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DT
They solicit donations, so I would say they are solicitors.
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wobble
Here in the U.K certain lawyers are known as Solicitors, which puts a whole different meaning on the phrase the "Lady solicitor dropped her briefs" than it would have in the U.S (Off topic I know, but I love puns)
Thanks for posting, some good comments on the article, some from some familiar names ! The more comments appear on blogs exposing the deviousness of the cult the better, this is another example of their playing with words and telling half truths.
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Finally-Free
When I put a sign on my door saying no agents, peddlers, or soliciters, it means I don't want anyone knocking uninvited. Period.
If JWs say they have a right, fine. I have an equal right to spit on my own property. It's not my problem if a JW is stupid enough to put his face in the way.
W
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Bangalore
Well they will just cry persecution I guess.
Bangalore
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Band on the Run
Why should I mar the look of my property with "no trespassing" signs? I've raised this point before. Certainly, the Witnesses had to address in service talks. Some sidewalks are public and some are private. There is no First Amendment protection on private property. I would measure the sidewalk by who is liable for slips and falls due to sidewalk defects. So the sidewalk is usually private, depending on how urban you are. The stairs are private property. Your front door is private property.
The Witnesses walk up private property stairs and knock on private doors all the time. Is there some loophole in the law that allows them to do so? Shouting from the sidewalk sounds like a First Amendment right but stepping on stairs, porch or portico must be some qausi area. If there is an exception, it seems as though it is pretty universal in common law states.
I am too busy to research it but I do wonder. I've been active in campaigns and posting signage. Certain areas are public-no problem posting a campaign sign and others are private. You need to look at maps to know the difference. Also, there are private understandings between the parties as to where neither will post but they could so citizens don't get freaked at by the disturbing clutter.
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MrDarkKnight
@BandontheRun...I did door to door sales for a national security company in my past. Some communities required a license. We could not go door to door in those communities without one. If the communities did not require a license the allowed us to go up to the door and knock provided there was not a "No Trespassing" sign.
The issue is whether the JW are soliciting. I always felt like we were. In fact, when we went to the donation arrangement I stopped asking for money. I made the donations out of my own pocket. I felt like a hypocrite saying we were not soliciting and then asking for a voluntary donation. If you have to ASK for a donation then it is NOT VOLUNTARY, it is SOLICITED. When Barack Obama asks me for a donation to his compaign it is SOLICITING. The same is true with JWs whether they accept it or not.
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PaintedToeNail
I've seen many more 'No Trespassing' signs here in Pennsylvania in the last few years, from rural driveways to in town homes. Now, these people just get a letter in the mail (most of the time).
CJ
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Ding
Try coming to your door with a copy of Crisis of Conscience in your hand and invite them in for a book study.
Tell them you are what the WTS calls an apostate and invite them in to learn the truth about "the truth."
That should result in a LOT fewer visits from JWs.
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WTWizard
If they are trying to get something from you, they are in fact soliciting. This is as true whether they are asking for donations in the name of religion as for salespeople. The witlesses are in fact trying to get you to start studying with the view of becoming one of them. To me, that is soliciting because you are eventually going to be asked to give up your time to do the same work they are.
Now, if I had a company that was engaged in door to door sales, I would respect people's right to not be in the market for my product. If the message was about the new Twelve Visions Party, same thing--people have the right to not be interested and not be bothered with it. It also goes for any other political party or candidate. Definitely, it applies with religion--people have the right to whatever religion they choose as long as they don't infringe on my right to religious neutrality. Going from door to door pushing your religion infringes on religious neutrality, and hence is soliciting.
On the other hand, if I join a forum, I volitionally accept whatever messages are on that forum. Here, I accept a variety of religious viewpoints and that I will be exposed to them. As long as I am here, whatever religious viewpoints others have to offer can be shared freely, since I can always go to another page, post my own religious viewpoint with as much right to it as others have to theirs, or leave the site altogether. This is the same if someone goes into a church, mosque, or Kingdumb Hell. If you do that, you are accepting that you will be exposed to the religion that they teach (as long as you are not dragged or tricked into it). But, bringing it to my door is without my accepting it--and I have the right to refuse to accept it. If someone continues pushing their religion on me at my door, after being informed that I am not interested, then it becomes an infringement on my religious neutrality.