I thought some of you might enjoy some more email I have received as a result of my Quotes webpage.
From: TEENA TURNER [email address removed]
Subject: Interesting!!
I cannot believe how low some of you people will sink in order to slander Jehovah's name. I will report you to the organization and let them know that you are actually saying that you are from the Watchtower organization and trying to mislead people even going as far as saying this site is incorporated by the Watchtower society. So glad Jehovah gives me common sense to know that something was amiss on this site.
My email response:
Dear TEENA TURNER [email address removed]
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. It is always good to hear from visitors to our website.
We would like to humbly point out a few things that, perhaps, you have overlooked.
Our website does not slander Jehovah's name. It only contains quotes from the publications of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Nothing more, nothing less.
Please feel free to "report" us to whomever you wish. As for the Watchtower Society, they are already familiar with our website. Since our education/study/research website fully complies with copyright laws, they do not seem interested in us.
No where -- **NO WHERE** -- in our website do we say we are from the Watchtower. Rather, our site clearly indicates the nature of our site and who we are -- and also who we are not. Perhaps you missed this important information, so we sincerely ask that you please read the web pages at "About this Website" (http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/admin/about.htm) and "Frequently Asked Questions" (http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/admin/faq.htm).
Our site does not try and mislead anyone. In fact, the opinions of the webmasters are *NOT* expressed at our website. Rather, it contains *ONLY* quotes from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's publications.
Please, *PLEASE* tell us: where do you think our site says it is "incorporated by the Watchtower society"? We are certain that you have misunderstood something, and we know positively that this is neither said nor implied in anything in our site. However, in the spirit of humility, we would be happy to hear from you exactly where you think this is stated. Please let us know via return email.
We are all thankful to Jehovah for the many gifts He has given us, including the powers of perception.
Once again, for the record, our website contains *ONLY* direct, and fully referenced, quotes from Watchtower publications. We do *NOT* include any commentary or editorial. Having said that, if you did read something you did not like at our site, then perhaps you should contact the Watchtower Society, since they wrote *EVERYTHING* we have at our site.
[email protected]
http://Quotes.JehovahsWitnesses.com
P.S. We love your music, Ms Turner. When can we expect a new CD? ;)
Here is another letter from a few days ago from another person. It seems my website even upsets Anglicans:
From: Randy Lockyer [address removed]
Subject: you guys are pathetic I can't believe I just read the most hog wash I have ever read anywhere before. Your doctrines are from another planet, your concept of equality of men and women is discriminatory, your views on blood, trinity, Jesus, and so much more are wacky. man I can't believe you have brain washed so many people in the world and destroyed so many families with your distorted biblical and theological views. I am praying for the salvation of all the Jehovah's Witnesses (by the way did you know that Yahweh is the right Hebrew term and not Jehovah? Just another of your major slip ups in your interpretations) Every magazine left in my door is returned to where it came from. I am an Anglican Christian, and I truly believe that the doctrines and interpretation of scripture is spot on. Goodness me you people don't even believe the Lord's Prayer, its written there as plain as day for you to read in the NT. That prayer is so universal I don't know why you find it repulsive. Anyhow, I hope you come to see the error of your ways, and seek the real truth. Bye!
Concerned that this self described "Anglican Christian" was so, well, UNCHRISTIAN, I attempted to set the record straight:
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. It is always good to hear from visitors to our website.
Please note that your obvious anger and frustration with JWs is misplaced in an email to us.
We are not JWs. We do not condone or support JWs. Yes, JW "doctrines are from another planet" and we couldn't agree with you more. And that is exactly why we have created our website. To let people learn the truth about this dangerous cult that refers to itself as "The Truth".
By presenting JW beliefs in a non-confrontational manner, we hope that some JWs will dare to visit our site without fear of reading "apostasy" (as they call it) and maybe, in the process, arrive at the same conclusion you have -- that their faith is illogical, ridiculous, and based on revisionist history.
Please read the "About this Website" (http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/admin/about.htm) and "Frequently Asked Questions" (http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/admin/faq.htm) to get a better understanding of why your well deserved anger need not be directed at us.
Also, a humble suggestion. If your email was received by actual JWs, it would only serve to strengthen their resolve and validate their "persecution complex" -- which is so common to cults. A better strategy is one that involves compassion (as a Christian I shouldn't have to remind you of this) and treats rank-and-file JWs as they truly are: victims of a dangerous cult.
Thanks again for writing, and pass along our website to your friends so that they can see the hypocrisy of the Watchtower and JWs.
Finally, this type of email really warms my heart:
I'm doing bible studies with the JW. after having viewed this website. Doubts
have kicked in and i'm not sure what to say. How reliable are these quotes?
and why they are not in the CD- Roms?Best regards.
[name removed]
My response:
Thanks for writing to us. It is always good to get email from visitors to
our website.It is interesting, and in our opinion, significant, that after visiting our
site, "doubts have kicked in". Why do we say that? Because our site contains
only QUOTES from the Watchtower Society. We have not provided commentary or
forced our opinion on you. Rather, your doubts came entirely from your own
ability to think, study, and ponder.You asked, "how reliable are these quotes?" and that is a perfectly valid
question. Although we could go on at great length to explain to you that all
of these quotes are valid, untainted, and unchanged (all of which are true),
that would not be as effective as would you determining the reliability of
the quotes yourself. We strongly encourage you to do this, as we are totally
certain that you will find the quotes reliable, accurate, and contextually
correct.Your ability to study the reliability of the quotes leads us to your next
question: "why they are not in the CD-Roms?". An excellent question, but if
we may clarify it slightly: "Why are SOME not in the CD-Roms?". You see,
many of the quotes at our website ARE contained on the CD-ROMs (see the
:"Source Material" section of our site:
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/admin/source.htm). However, if you
scroll down that page you will discover that the Watchtower CD-ROM only
contains Watchtower magazines starting at 1950, and Awake! magazines,
yearbooks, and Kingdom Ministry starting at 1970. Any material from sources
earlier than that is not available.(As an interesting side note, when the very first Watchtower CD-ROM was
released in 1993, we complained to a JW friend that the older publications
were not included, to which he responded that it was simply a manpower
issue, and the next CD-ROM (1995) would have *ALL* the Watchtowers, right
back to the 1880s. Three CD-ROMs later -- the latest was just released --
and we still don't have that older material, and we suspect that it will
*NEVER* be included on the CD-ROM.)So to answer your question: only the Watchtower Society can explain why some
of the quotes at our website are not on the CD-ROM. They may claim that it
is because of limited space on the CD-ROM, but those claims are, in our
opinion, rather weak, and could easily be solved (e.g. a second CD-ROM with
only the older publications could be published by itself. Once complete, it
would never have to be changed, and the new CD-ROM releases would only have
to contain the latest publications). It is also interesting to note that in
at least one case, a relatively recent book is conspicuously absent from the
CD-ROM: "Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God" which was published
in 1966. Again, only the Watchtower Society can explain why this publication
is not included (although we have our own hypothesis). Many quotes from this
particular "missing" book can be found on our category "1975"
(http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/1975.htm).The fact that some of the quotes on our site are missing from the CD-ROM is
not meant as any sort of trick or deception on our part. Rather, we felt it
is important to explain to any visitors to our site if the quote is not on
the CD-ROM, so they won't waste time looking for it there. Instead, you will
have to use other means to verify the quotes (which we *STRONGLY*
encourage). Here are some ideas to get you started: Kingdom Hall library;
antique and used bookstores; online auctions sites (i.e. ebay); or simply
ask the JW person you are studying with.The last suggestion (ask the person studying with you) may prove to be a
waste of time. Although there is a slim chance that this person will help
you find & verify the material in question (and be perhaps surprised as you
are); you are just as likely to hear them dismiss your sincere desire to
research these matters as "a waste of time" or perhaps tell you that "you
have been confused by Apostate lies (on the internet) and there is no point
in further confusing you" or that "New Light has replaced Old Light and
there is no point in you looking at the Old Light, and you are fortunate
that you don't have to know about any of that silly Old Light". Of course,
these arguments are probably offered sincerely, but they don't really answer
anything and only serve to hide things. Furthermore, they do not agree with
the many statements that the Watchtower has written which encourage people
to verify their religion (see
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/verify.htm). It sometimes seems like the
admonition to verify and test one's religion applies to every other
religion, but not to JWs themselves (see
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/verify_not.htm).Again, thank you for writing, and please to make some effort to verify the
quotes at our site. Also, we would like to hear from you again, perhaps in a
few weeks or months, to see how your research is proceeding. Please do write
to us again and let us know how things are going. Also, if there is anything
else we can do, please email to us again.