many of us have had our say (often) regarding Rick and six screens.
I don't know why, but i just need to say this...and it is only my opinion but i think its spot on or i wouldn't write it.
The problem is not Ricks story's, goodness knows we all like new story's, gossip, predictions, rumours or whatever regarding the Watchtower and Jehovah's witnesses.
Its the way its done. We all know there is not tangible proof of many things we like to talk about, we all speculate about what is or will go on. But we recognize that. We don't claim it's fact then refuse to give it. If we have the proof, we post it, if we can't verify it, we say so and it gets taken on board as 'merely interesting'.
Ricks big mistake is not the story's. Its the sensationalism he builds for them. Its the insistance that we believe incredibly unbelievable situations as fact, that we are fools for not believing. Sure he gets stroppy back, i can understand that, he is getting attacked, but he has dug a deep hole in the soil of credibility. Can he prove 'Johnny' is real? No of course not, even if he is real. But surely he realized at the start that the ex jw community would ask for proof. All the information about Mallawi/Mexico, NGO, or whatever is valueless with the documents that prove them right?
Now if he cannot give the proof because this person is real and would be in danger if outed, that's fair enough too, but he should not come back with non proofs as proof and insist that all doubt will be removed by calling in.
When i first came to this forum i saw plenty of proofs of things and spent much time looking at them before i would accept them. I was able to place in a way that satisfied myself, things in catagories such as 'fact/proven', 'unproven', 'possible', 'false' etc, and have a hard time understanding why others do not apply the same ideas to themselves and what they report.
When so called 'trolls' visit and make claims, refuse to back them up or answer questions we understandably get irate at them, it is just so damn frustrating. We give each other support over these ones yet get devided over another who does the very same because he is a fellow ex jw. I don't doubt he has some great qualities, so does truthseeker i am sure.
A visit to Ricks website reveals what i believe is the fundamental fact: "No frills shock radio". A personality dedicated to ratings and self promotion and using shock tactics to secure an audience. It's to push the boundaries of his genre of radio and subject. Sensationalism at its best, with no proof.
Nobody who listens in to shock jock radio expects the truth, infact the subject is mererly a vehicle to raise the profile of the jock or the station. We have one in Oz called Kyle Sandilands...most treat him with contempt yet still hang on all his crap. The station sanctions him, slaps him then puts him back on the air. Why? He's good for ratings! And so the more shocking the talkback of six screens is, the better. It serves a higher purpose, that of maybe some funding and some attention to his own church, perhaps shaking the faith of some caller in but overall it would more likely manage to scare JWs away from the ex witness community by being so 'out there' with its format.
Turning for a moment my thoughts to the Unthank case, much has been said by the man, but he has not offered proof of things he cannot prove. He plays his cards close to his chest. We want proof of somethings but are content to wait because we realize that now is not the time. Many doubted him and maybe some still do. He has an active case going on and understandably cannot say or publish certain things yet, maybe never. Many of his allegations are huge but never has he berated people who doubt him.
Rick would have done well to have taken a' leaf from his book'. Instead of sensationalizing this bethelite character he could have posted here or on his own site 'interesting leaks' that will not be substantiated for a while...''please be patient... i am reporting what i am told and hope as you do it will all be true''...
But i have observed enough in my short time here that that's not how Rick chooses to operate. Much promising and much disapointment, many fibs and no shows, always an announcement and never a discussion. Much like a spammer i am afraid, "come to my website ,come to my site".
I find that aproach hard to fathom, very hard. Enough to make me strongly suspicious of Ricks real motives, and whether he has the backing of a certain corporation. If not, that same corporation must chuckle into their collective cornflakes every moring as they check out the show.
Not that my opinion matters a damn, it's just my thoughts on why i cannot stand six screens.
So what's important to you? Proof or stories?
Oz