I jotted down a draft for a flyer aimed at the general public who know next-to-nothing about the JW's. I've tried to be calm and rational in the feel of the text, to avoid giving the impression of having an axe to grind.
I think having suggested pro-forma letters on the back of the flyer would be good, perhaps with the addresses of the local congregation and branch office already filled in.
The flyer would need to be tweaked for different countries where, for instance, not-at-home slips are no longer used.
So, please let me know what you think. Be brutal!
Oh, and if anyone can think of a snappy title, please do.
Expatbrit.
You have probably been called upon by Jehovah's Witnesses many times. On the surface, these visits are nothing more than a frequent annoyance. However, there are reasons for you to be concerned, especially if you are parents of young children.This flyer has been prepared by a group of current and former Jehovah's Witnesses who are deeply concerned about certain practices and policies of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the official organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses). We urge you to spend a couple of minutes considering it's contents.
The Records Jehovah's Witnesses Keep On You
Jehovah's Witnesses conduct a highly organised proselytising campaign. This involves keeping detailed maps and records of their "territory". There are special forms in use for this purpose ("S8's"). On these forms Jehovah's Witnesses will record when you are or are not at home during one of their proselytising sessions. Because they work through their territories frequently, it is easily possible to build up a fairly detailed knowledge of regular times that you are not at home. This presents an obvious security risk, since these records are freely available to any person associating with Jehovah's Witnesses and engaging in their proselytising work. There are no background checks performed before a person is allowed to participate.
If the Witnesses manage to find a person at home and talk to them, the information recorded is even more extensive. Details recorded will include the name, sex, and approximate age of the person, the date and time of the call, what was discussed, and any other observations of the person or property made at the time.
Many people will find this intrusive and objectionable. However, even if you do not mind these records being kept on you, there is another important reason for you to be concerned.
Jehovah's Witnesses And The Problem Of Paedophiles
Over the past ten years, many religions have had to face the problem of dealing with child-abusers within their ranks. You have probably read reports of court cases in your newspaper.
Jehovah's Witnesses are not immune from this problem, and during the past year increasing evidence has accumulated of paedophile abuse within congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses (see "Further Information", below). Unfortunately, the internal policies of the Watchtower Society (such as requiring the testimony of two witnesses before disciplinary action is taken), together with the attitude common to most high-control groups of keeping negative aspects hidden from the general public, means that victims of abuse often suffer
intense pressure to remain silent. Watchtower policy is to automatically report abuse to secular authorities only if specifically required by the laws of the state in which it occurs. Most relevantly to you, suspected and known paedophiles are NOT prevented from engaging in the proselytising work. In fact, continuance in this activity is encouraged.When you consider the records kept that may be available to a known or suspected paedophile, including addresses where children are known to live and the times when people are or are not at home, you will no doubt begin to realise why many current and former Jehovah's Witnesses are deeply concerned over this issue. That the problem is significant is indicated by the fact that NBC's Dateline program, after conducting extensive investigations, will soon be airing an expose' of this issue.
What Can You Do?
Simply put, if Jehovah's Witnesses do not call upon you, there will be no records kept and very little risk.
It should be stated here that freedom of speech and religion are not the issues. We are concerned with your right to privacy and to protect your children from individuals who could abuse them.
It is not generally known that if you make a specific request, Jehovah's Witnesses will not call upon you. Thus, the simplest
thing you can do is to make an emphatic request to be put upon the Witnesses' "do not call" list.There are different ways of accomplishing this. One is to make a verbal request next time they call. However, it is quite possible that the individual you make the request of will either forget or simply refuse to honour your request, and you will have no evidence that a request was made. Therefore it will be far more effective if you make the request in writing and send it by registered mail to the local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Branch Office of the Watchtower Society in your country, and your lawyer or solicitor, should you have one.
It is of interest that in a court case in Pennsylvania, USA, a woman successfully sued the Jehovah's Witnesses and was awarded $632 because they called on her after she had made a specific request for them not to do so ( http://www.do-not-call.org/webs/trespass.htm).
We would urge you to consider spending a few minutes doing this. It will not only prevent further records being kept on you, but will also reduce risk to your family.
Further Information
Silent Lambs (www.silentlambs.org) is a not-for-profit organisation run by a former Jehovah's Witness elder (pastor), who resigned his position in protest at the Watchtower Society's policies on child-abuse. The website contains in-depth information on the issue, press coverage, and victim's testimonials. You may find some of the material disturbing.