by cedars 45 Replies latest jw friends
You did the right thing, Cedars, without a doubt. You have a superb site, and every right to preserve and safeguard it and its reputation.
After all, who knows, it could very well...VERY well...have been posted by a minion of the Watchtower. Very likely.
irondork
But I agree with Besty in that allowing an opposing point of view on your site is very telling. It would set an example of what it is like NOT to be afraid of people who disagree with you.
I'm not afraid of them, I just don't have time for them.
That said, Besty makes a great point that is well taken. Part of the reason I posted this comment is to highlight the dilemma one faces when running a website intended to help people when people exploit the openness to post comments intended to sabotage and besmerch your efforts. There will always be the question of whether you are being hypocritical by complaining about the Society's "information control" whilst censoring your own visitors. I get that argument thrown at me a lot.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. I just know that I personally don't have the time to go toe-to-toe with every brainwashed looney who launches themselves at my website guns a'blazin'.
It's a fine line. I do my best.
Cedars
Why not think for yourselves?
Typical JW, sees the problems in everyone else but not their own flaws.
Sigh ...
Cedars.. it could be the basis for a great new article...
Cedars: There will always be the question of whether you are being hypocritical by complaining about the Society's "information control" whilst censoring your own visitors. I get that argument thrown at me a lot.
It's not like you'll ever see an opposing view printed in a WT or an Awake! or on the shiny, new jw.org website. Seriously!
At the risk of stating the obvious Cedars, it's YOUR website. You can allow whatever contrary comments you want or not.
As moderator of your website, you can choose to allow reasonable disagreement; likewise, you can choose to delete rambling rants that go nowhere, but only seek to inflame.
Let 'em watch Jerry Springer or Chris Matthews if they need controversy.
Think of traditional newspapers. They generally have an opinion page or a "Letters to the Editor" page. Do they print everything they get? Of course not. If the paper is good, they'll print a representative cross-section of views on a given topic. But they generally only print the ones that have at least a modicum of well thought out statements and have coherent prose. Also, papers reserve the right to edit the content of what they print, although hopefully doing so in a way that preserves the authors intent and doesn't distort their arguments.
I'm just sayin' is all!
00DAD
Tiktaalik , Cedars does say that he is a JW and I asked some questions that I would really like answering :-
why do witnesses only check out Watchtower info in Watchtower publications?
why do they not feel free to read, lets say early Church Father literature for themselves ?
Cedars says " you think JW'S have been brainwashed , you make me laugh " that sounds like a defensive stance .
HE also says"there are clearly many of YOU who don't question, don't look at both sides and just believe in any hype " I told my story to show that I had clearly looked at both sides FOR MYSELF , independantly and without bias .
Yes, if someone wants to hold a set of beliefs that is their right , but at least know everything about the people and organisation promoting those beliefs . I genuinely feel that most JW's do not realise the extent to which they are hoodwinked by the Watchtower . Pardon me for trying to open their eyes . If, knowing the whole truth about the Watchtower, they still choose to follow that is their perogotive.
If you were going to buy a car from someone that I knew to be less than honest would I not be derelict in giving you that information ?
Why is it o.k for the Watchtower to openly slag off the church that I love (read any of their study leaflets ) but no-one is allowed to make any comment , however well backed up , about them ?
is this better? I am sorry that I appeared to be paragraphist !!! I just got carried away
Awwww Ceaders,
Why are you keeping all the fun to yourself...... share! Smile
From what I know JWs are told to question everything and not blindly believe what they are told.
I remember feeling like I had "secret Knowlege" that the rest of the world was blinded to. "Ask questions, do research." Sure, that's encouraged, but only within the confines of WT publications.
In reality, the invisible Watchtower Filter Bubble colored everything I knew about myself, the world around me, and my future. If that isn't "brainwashing" or coerced thought reform, I don't know what is.
The comment quoted in the OP could have been written by my JW acquaintance. The wording and ideas are identical. I don't think it was written by her, but it shows how uniform their style is.
jhine, Cedars was reposting something that another person had posted on his website. He actually believes the opposite of that poster, he was showing how wrong they are. This board is mostly for people who are current or former Jehovah's Witnesses who do not now believe in what the Watchtower teaches. We know that they take things out of context and misquote things, You are preaching to the choir on that issue. Stick around and read more, you may find some useful information
Cedars, I know you can simply delete this post, but I think it is good to have an opposing viewpoint, It will make your website seem more valid. You could either respond to this poster, or leave it and let others respond. If a current Jehovah's Witness comes to your website, they might be more inclined to stay if they see that it is not all just "apostate" viewpoints. Of course it is your website, so it's your decision. I find that when pro JWs post in forums they usually do more harm than good, they just show how ignorant they are.
