The Ideas Thread - all are welcome!

cedars

Hi everyone

Sorry it's been a while since I posted anything. I've kind of had my hands full of late. There are some things I want to say, but I am saving some of it for a more appropriate time.

I thought I would start a simple "Ideas Thread" as a thread on which we can, well, share our ideas! No matter how far-fetched or wacky they may seem. Even if it's a hair-brained idea that you would never actually have the courage to go ahead and execute, I want to hear it. I know I've certainly benefited from getting feedback and assistance for my own ideas on JWN, most notably for the JW Survey with which I have been helped immensely by many of you. It may be that there are some of you out there with ideas that you don't feel confident enough to voice on your own thread, but you would just like to 'put out it there' anyway. Here (I hope) is the place to do it.

Here's a list of things you may have ideas about.

Simple but effective ways of reaching out to indoctrinated family members
Bold and dynamic strategies for getting the message out to as many Witnesses as possible
Concepts for new JW websites
Ideas for generating media publicity, viral campaigns etc
Plans for getting the ex-JW community together socially
Ideas on how to cope with life outside the 'Borg'
Ways in which we can pool our resources to achieve a common objective

As you might well imagine, my mind quite regularly wanders through some of the areas I've mentioned above. However, if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that no two people view things the same way. I'm fascinated to hear of ideas people may have come up with that nobody else may have considered before.

This thread might be a little ambitious, and I understand if nobody wants to participate. I just thought I would "put it out there" and see what comes back.

Wishing you all well,

Cedars

wobble

Dear Ceders, You are a mover and a shaker, and I admire you immensely, and wish your efforts well.

Just a simple idea I would like to see come to fruition, is for a small tract to be produced that all of us could "place" anywhere that would alert the public and JW's alike.

I have seen a number of efforts at this, but all seem to get mired in the particular problems that the writer feels are so important, and then spends too much time explaining it all.

Worthy though these efforts are, they amount to "striking the air with your blows", the public do not read more than half a sentence before binning a tract, the JW's have an even shorter attention span.

This means that some genius who could earn a fortune working for an AD agency is needed to produce something that would get through to both groups.

Perhapsthe collective talent we have on here could step up to the plate, and produce something we could deliver to people's houses, leave in any public place, and even on JW's cars, whatever.

It would need to be an in easily downloadable and printable format, but I believe could be very powerfull.

cedars

Hey Wobble - that's a great idea to set the ball rolling, nice one!

I've often thought how great it would be to put everything into a simple, succinct message that can be easily understood by all. I agree that explaining the falsehood of Witness beliefs can very very quickly become mired in lengthy references and doctrinal nuances that make the head spin. Maybe we can start putting something together on this thread - a simple challenge to explain why the Truth ISN'T the Truth in no more than 1000 words.

I'll get writing, who's with me?!

Keep those ideas coming in!

Cedars

cedars

One quick thought Wobble - surely you would need two PDFs. One for Witnesses, and one for non-Witnesses (relatives, etc). It would be very difficult to write to both audiences simultaneously. What do you think?

Cedars

iarts

If you want to get peoples attention, I think you need to discuss what they're interested in, more than what we're interested in.

I think the general public's main interest re: JW's is 'How can we stop them calling on us?'

My suggestion:

FED UP WITH JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CALLING ON YOU?

As a former Jehovah's Witness I regularly called on this and other homes in your vicinty. I am sorry to have troubled you in the past.

I would like to inform you of an arrangement that all Jehovah's Witnesses are aware of, but do not disclose to the general public.

If you would like Jehovah's Witnesses to NEVER call on your home again, simply ask them next time they come around to add you to their 'DO NOT CALL LIST'. They will know exactly what you're talking about and they will make arrangements not to call on your house again.

If you're interested in why my conscience no longer allows me to remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and why all people should avoid them, here are some of the reasons, some of which most Jehovah's Witnesses are not even aware of:

Blood
Shunning
UN - NGO
100% failed prophecy
Mexico Malawi
Rewrite their history
Characteristics of a cult
+ any others

Please keep this leaflet handy for next time Jehovah's Witnesses call on you, so you know what to say to them. You may even want to ask them about some of the bullet points listed.

Once again, sorry for any disturbance caused on my previous visits.

I've only put basic bullet points for now - they would need to presented in neat concise sentences.

If a leaflet drop of a couple of hundred was done in a street that had JW's living in it, not only would the public get it, but it would come to the attention of the local congregation.

The public would hear what they want to hear, and it could put the frighteners on the local JW's. It may prompt any that find about out it through the cong grapevine to look for themselves (or ask questions of elders). If there were streets that had even 50% DNC's, I reckon this could affect the local congs attitude to field service. Copies could also be sent to the news media.

Just an idea....

(Excuse me while I go off and have sleepless night over daring to suggest this on here ... I'm a bit new to all this)

Mickey mouse

I thought this idea from Terry had merit.

zengalileo

Fly swatters made of fly paper - the ultimate weapon against flies.

cofty

Don't lose any sleep iarts, your idea of promoting the Do Not Call list is excellent. Wouldn't it be frustrating to them if that became general knowledge among the public?

extractor

I sent this to my local newspaper so I could buy at ad space for it...

J e h o v a h ’ s W i t n e s s e s

Their leaders have recently said that anyone who leaves their group is “mentally diseased” (Watchtower, July 15, 2011). The sect enforces a strict shunning policy against anyone who decides to leave the group. Once you join, there is no honorable way out of the Witnesses. People have lost their entire families for not following the Watchtower’s rules. “The disfellowshiped relative should be made to appreciate that his status has changed, that he is no longer welcome in the home ." (WT, June 1, 1970) www.jwfacts.com

After I emailed it in I couldn't get any response. Finally, I emailed the editor and she said, "Due to the contraversial nature of the ad, we refuse

to run it." I was not happy. They can ruin people's lives in our community but warning people about it ahead of time is "contraversial"!

How much is TV advertising? I see the Mormons are running commercials.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

AGuest

While the issues you mention are worthy, dear iarts (peace to you!), the WTBTS has already anticipated most of them and supplied responses. Indeed, active JWs are constantly [re]indoctrinated with such responses (there's even a handy book, "Reasoning from the Scriptures"). To make a difference among JWs you have to get to the ONE thing the WTBTS uses to hold their attention: fear. To get to and alleviate some of that fear, you have to use what the WTBTS uses: the Bible. And not just any Bible - the NWT.

You have to SHOW them, IN THE NWT, where what the WTBTS Bible teaches... about THREE things... is absolutely, totally, and undeniably incorrect. Those three things are:

1. The "Anointed" - who they are, how they're chosen, and why

2. Partaking - Who all SHOULD partake (based on what CHRIST stated, NOT the WTBTS)... and why; and

3. Armageddon - what is it and when

If you can show a JW... FROM THEIR BIBLE... how utterly wrong and false the WTBTS teachings on these matters are... you will start a "movement." The other matters (those you raised) will work for those who already have doubts, those who know "something" is wrong... and are looking to find it. Most, however, are NOT looking to find something wrong; to the contrary, they literally close their eyes... and ears... to anything that might even remotely suggest something may be wrong.

Why? Because... they THINK they are following God and Christ... by following the WTBTS. Thus, no matter WHAT you and others SAY... unless you show them the truth about the WTBTS' false teachings... you will have NO audience with these. And, again, you MUST use the NWT. Because just like many won't look at the Bible version because they believe it to be a WTBTS-unique and self-serving translation... they (JWs) believe all OTHER versions to contain significant errors with the NWT being the ONLY version that is accurate.

So, it has to be from THAT version that they "see" where the WTBTS is false. In its teachings... and in its existence.

If you want to change the mind of a "believer"... you HAVE to SHOW them the ERROR... of what it is they believe IN.* If you can't DO that... then YOU cannot change their minds.

I hope this helps and, again, peace to you!

A slave of Christ,

SA, for whom no one has ever shown the error of THAT service...

The Ideas Thread - all are welcome!

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