by loosie 25 Replies latest jw experiences
OMG, one of my friends who hasn't removed me from her list eventhough I shoot down all the JW propaganda she sends me, sent me an email about Phil Donahue visiting a kingdom hall, with pics and all.
THey claim he said that JW have done more for human rights during WW2 then any other group in america.
Is this true? Has anyone else heard about this?
I want to send Phil the letter where the JW's wrote to hilter to tell them they don't like the jews either.
Loosie
From what I can gather, it was last year, and had something to do with the flag salute issue. A woman who was expelled, and the case that was overturned. I seem to remember it being sited as a precedent on some case last year. Gay marriage possibly???
It is true that the Witnesses won a series of landmark Supreme Court cases dealing with the First Amendment, freedom of speech and religion. W.Virginia v. Barnette (not certain of the spelling) was the very big one. The blood issue raises freedom issues (one person's freedom is another person's unconscionable act). I can see Phil Donohue covering that angle. People regularly post about important cases involving freedom around the globe. I'm not stating that I agree with the Witnesses claim. Merely, that they do raise the issue. My "enter" key is not working for some reason. I grew up when WWII was still fresh. I'd say the French resistance, the Brits, the Americans the Free French, etc. did zillions more for freedom. Someone should have reminded Rutherford that Jesus was Jewish.
One thing I've noticed, in passing, with JW Supreme Court litigation is that other groups find its help their own cause to ally with the similar causes of others. The Witnesses seem to care only for the Witnesses. I don't believe they care about the First Amendment unless a challenge would directly benefit the Witnesses.
I happened upon a creepy law review article in a civil rights journal that had a catchy title about Jehovah's Witnesses and persecution during WWII. It was so interesting I decided to stop my work and skim the article. I never think of Japanese Witnesses. The story of how faithful and brave individual JWs faced severe persecution within a fascist society would have been fascinating. I've never read of Japanese dissidents. Well, the author, a female lawyer, wrote some thirty pages about every single piece of paper that crossed Rutherford's desk. It triggered me deeply and wrote to her that it was wonderful she was allowed to go to law school being a woman. I explained that I had to fight to stay in high school. College was a wild dream. I told her moving a story of the individual JWs could be, even with some commentary about the Society. Needless to say, there was no reply.
Indeed BotR. The Witnesses have helped with the more generalized "free speech" debate across the world. Where would we be if they hadn't existed? It might be far fetched to say that we'd be anywhere else but where we are right now, but they do deserve a hat tipping, nonetheless, for the work they have on that front.
-Sab
And now there are no more causes they are willing to fight for...
only those that protect their a$$et$.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
oz
If only they would allow free speech inside kingdom halls..
Yes, it is true, I even know the elder that talked with Phil Donahue in the Kingdom Hall.
I used to watch Phil. I remember him saying once that he was never prouder of his government as when they upheld the right of JW's not to salute the flag. I wasn't even a JW yet, but for some reason, I always remembered that. I think he has always had a favorable impression of them. Surely he only sees the good stuff.
NC
For sure the WTBTS doesn't believe in free speech for the rank and file.
I remember the same as NC. I remember watching him and the few times JW's came up, he was always postitive about them. Especially the flag salute issue.
