Occupy Watchtower (page 2)

Bella15

COUNT ME IN ...

"But - as for the followers of the WTS, it will only reinforce the persecution complex. WT Occupiers won't be labeled as dirty, lazy hippies...they'll be labeled as evil, Satan loving apostates. A sure reason to hate them and avoid anything they have to do or say."

We shouldn't want to target the JWs, we want the public, the whole wide world to know what's behind the Watchtower Org - PEDOPHILES, FALSE PROPHECIES ... the works ...

No burning any stuff ... I like Silent Lamb Org's symbol - a lamb with tape over its mouth. So we should dress like that ...

undercover

We shouldn't want to target the JWs, we want the public, the whole wide world to know what's behind the Watchtower Org - PEDOPHILES, FALSE PROPHECIES ... the works ...

Reference Steve2's earlier comment about inadvertently generating support FOR the WTS.

Religion is such a protected thing in the US...to criticize it tends to bring out a segment of people who defend faith, God, Jesus, no matter the particular religion. They see protests as an attack on religion. And an attack against a religion is the same as an attack on God himself and so, without really studying up on it, they come to the defense of the religious group being "persecuted".

I admitted that some may actually be enlightened by a protest, but the odds are against saving any insiders and with the potential of a backlash causing wrongway support, I think it's a fart in the wind.

Just my personal thoughts as invited by the OP.

ABibleStudent

I would participate if the protest(s) was peaceful, legal, all protesters were unified by the same objectives, and all signs of protest showed love for JWs. What would be the objectives and goals for the protest? What would be acceptable signs for the protest?

To me signs like "Down with the Watchtower" or "The GB are False Teachers" would be counter productive. I feel that signs like "I love and miss my parents", "Empower JWs", "Follow Jesus Christ", etc. would be signs with a positive message.

To me a worthwhile objective would be to gain national media attention so that more people would learn that the WTBTS is a dangerous cult that enslaves JWs to work harder for the WTBTS leadership.

Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

Robert

blondie

Some years ago quite of number of jws and ex-jws crowded around the 25 Columbia Heights building with signs, etc., on the issue of child sexual abuse in the organization. The WTS padlocked the gate there (and I'm sure every other door).

rebel8

It's good timing--right on the heels of the Manhattan Project. Fuel for the warming barrels will be readily available.

insearchoftruth

Protests like this often draw the wrong sort of attention, in order to work it would need to be well organized, signs well thought out and hilighting the correct things, otherwise as an earlier posted had noted, there could be a sympathetic reaction.

I think that identification of things that the WTS teaches that are destructive, such as disfellowshipping, the blood policy (and the strange application of it) and the recent discussion about the article where the woman is struck by her mate and there seems to be no council on the incorrect behavior of the male would be more productive.

Nowadays the internet and social media are such powerful tools that can reach so many people, just don't want the message to be counterproductive.

Balaamsass

When I was at Bethel (70s) a number of Ex JWs & Ex Bethelites protested almost daily on Columbia Heights. The prefered location was on the street near the entrance for the dining rooms. One ex Elder/ex Bethelite " Apostle Jack" was out almost every day during his lunch with signs (spot -on scriptures). It had NO effect on me or any other Bethelites. Most brothers said the poor guy had a "nervous breakdown"( nut).

7 members of an "Apostate" group in California picketed the Kingdom Hall I was visiting to give a public talk at on a Sunday Morning in the 90s. I paid no attention, other than it made it hard for me to find a parking place. (I was running Late so I didn't even read the signs). I simply spoke a little louder into the mike the first five minutes to drown them out. I mentally dismissed them as "apostate nuts".

However, years after a relative asked me about Child Abuse, Google led me to Bill Bowens "Silent Lambs" site. After a brother asked me about Rutherford, Google led me to Barbra Andersons excellent "Watchtower Documents " site. After another brother asked about Kingdom Hall "take overs and the Menlo Park, Ca lawsuit", Google led my wife to this site. My wife read this site night and day for over a week and proclaimed to me JWs are a cult. Which led me to read posts here, and on Barbra's, Bill's, and Randy's sites non stop for weeks after some heated family discussions .

GOOGLE and S.E.O. IS powerful. USE IT. Set up google alerts. Get believing family & friends to set up gmail alerts. Use FULL names in headings.

P.S. My wife's family go back in the B ORG 111 years. ... undone in a few weeks by Google and independent web sites.

My 2 cents from a newbie

Occupy Watchtower