Kool-Aid Man, Is Your Army Ready For The Memorial? Where did you go?

by Bubblegum Apotheosis 43 Replies latest jw friends

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    Mouthy,

    I remember visiting Brooklyn Bethel in 1990 and it being surrounded by protestors and having to walk through them. Being a quite and mild young man, very shy and unassuming, these protests frightened me and it only was a reaffirmation to me that the Society had the 'truth'.

    I believe the percentage of people helped by protests to be low. By and large, quietly working and defying stereotypes is the best way to help Witnesses. I believe that Brother Franz had some great wisdom regarding this and his two books show a much way forward. I can only imagine him looking down from heaven and shaking his head at these loud and brash demonstrations. If those like Rick and others imitated his quite and mild example, they would help a greater number.

    Also, Rick played fast and loose with the facts--something I found quite distasteful. It was obvious that Johnny the Bethelite was a fraud and yet he was tolerated, even endorsed. If we want to help Witnesses, we must be spotless when it comes to honesty. One misstep in regard to this, will only affirm to them that the former Witnesses are all foaming at the mouth with lies, half-truths, and misrepresentations. Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees.

  • garyneal
    garyneal

    I get the anger people displayed toward Rick but sometimes I think people went too far in bashing him over his 'facts' and manner of protesting. While his behavior towards the members of this board should not be tolerated, I cannot help but to think that he must have just snapped and lashed out at that point. I guess like Mouthy said, it is probably for the best.

  • mouthy
    mouthy

    LONDO111 A question if you will please .Is your nose growing???? You LIE about our demonstrations...

    We never ever shouted at people, we held a very quite demo, we were about 70 people ,Not with Rick !
    We were VERY Respectful
    It was with Joan Cetnar. Bill & Joan had been residents in Bethel for years until they found out the lies that were taught.

    The Police were there also, Spoke to us on many occasions
    about how they agreed with us.... They told us the WT had complete control of all IN the Bethel, all the people who
    rented their apartments, But they also added they were great in keeping the roads clean around that area,
    They would loved to be able to charge them over something,but the WT used free labour to excercise all that work.
    I think you might be one of the JW kids that used to poke your tounge out at us or lift two fingers ????

    Dont be a Poccino~!!!!!!

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    Alas, lying is not my intention. My comment about loud and brash was directed to the Memorial demonstrations.

    In regard in the demonstration I witnessed in 1990, perhaps it was quite and peaceful from the participant's viewpoint. But to a Witness, it looked quite threatening. As I passed through the crowd, everyone started saying, "We love you!" Well, I thought that was quite creepy to have strangers saying that to me.

  • usualusername
    usualusername

    The one thing I liked about the truth was its tolerance of mentally ill, smelly and the dregs of society. I dont mean to judge its just a fact that some people were accepted in halls where nobody else wd accept them.

    On the other hand the tolerance was all a front.

    I like Simon for the forum and Rick for his wackiness.

    I can now sleep well tonight.

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    why are we still talking about that clown?

  • cedars
    cedars

    I'm with wha happened, please stop talking about him. Besides, what exactly is there to talk about?!

    Cedars

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    yea I think we are full up on cults that take advantage of it's members

  • Londo111
    Londo111

    I had to go to a meeting, therefore I did not give a well-thought out reply to Mouthy. I have tried rereading my post, for I feel it was heavily misconstrued to mean that the 1990 protest involved Rick and the people shouted at us, and so forth. I am not seeing that in the text, but I am only seeing what I intended to say and not the best judge.

    Of course, as I've said, it is a matter of viewpoint. If you identify with the protestor, what occurs might seem reasonable and respectful. If you identify with the one protested again, it is viewed as the very opposite. It invokes fear and fear colors perception. But, hopefully, you do see the conundrum? The protest did not win me over, but rather did just the opposite.

    I remember one Bethelite, who was a friend of the person who I came with, complained about the noise level. Therefore, it couldn't have been that quite. Of course, was this the Cetnar protest? Or perhaps I observed another group?

    Again, from your viewpoint it might have been quite and peaceful. However, to an 18-year-old shy kid from the country being in the Big City for the first time, it was rather frightful to see. And no, I certainly was not the disrespectful sort of person, who stuck my tongue out at people. I never have been.

    Now as regard to the Memorial protest, it seems like a carnival sideshow, especially done in the loud and brash sensationalism that seems to be the Six Screen's style. It will win nobody. In fact, I feel it will just scare Witnesses closer into the Organization. And anything that drives those I love further into the cult…well, I have a real problem with that.

    Again, what won me and others like me over? It was certainly the opposite of such protests.

  • ziddina
    ziddina

    Londo111, I apologize in advance, but one of your typos is really bugging me...

    You spelled "quietly" CORRECTLY, but cannot seem to spell "quiet", as well.

    "By and large, quietly working and defying stereotypes is the best way to help Witnesses. I believe that Brother Franz had some great wisdom regarding this and his two books show a much way forward. I can only imagine him looking down from heaven and shaking his head at these loud and brash demonstrations. If those like Rick and others imitated his quite and mild example, they would help a greater number. ..."

    Pleeeeeze fix it???

    Thanks!!

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