by outnfree 27 Replies latest jw friends
I also as a young girl in the late 70's would go to our local university to find those "whose heart was complete for Jeh" Had some great convesations. Mostly the girls would look at me and say "why in the world do you come here all dressed up?" Don't you think this religion demeans women? Hmmmm 20 years later that is the exact reason why I left!!!! As one person said, smart kids.
Leslie
Yes, franklin, she has freedom of speech/religion, but then again, so do I. And that "religion" is a mind-control group that is destructive to its adherents and their families and thus to the fabric of American society. God Bless America!
That's exactly what I was gonna say! They can no longer harm me - but I do care that they can harm others. My deepest respect to you for taking action!!
There are plenty of lonely and scared young people on college campuses - that makes them vulnerable - Just how the JW's like 'em.
While a table has been set up at the university near me, over the last 40 years I have never seen anyone become a JW because of it. One was talked to by a JW co-worker and 5 others had gone to the KH as young people but weren't baptized but studied and were baptized while at the university. Only one is still in.
It is just a means for some JWs to get in easy time. I saw that when I was a regular pioneer. It is like the older JWs you see in NYC who stand like wooden statues holding up the magazines.
Blondie
OutnFree,
your attitude surprises me. Most university students are open minded about allowing different points of view. That is one of the most beautiful things about college, it is a time when young persons are somewhat free from the molding of their parents' household and begin to create their own thinking outside of that influence. Rather than trying to "shut it down" and thereby impose your own value judgements upon the freedom of other students who may want to listen to the Witnesses (whether or not they find what they hear palatable to their senses, it would be far better if you 1. engage the witness in a pleasant but pointed conversation, highlighting your disagreements and hopefully articulating good reasoning for this, 2. laugh and get to your next class or 3. set up your own table and compete in the marketplace of ideas.
As for your question, this is not a new thrust in the ministry, or at least the idea of college witnessing is neither new nor unique to witnesses. In fact you will find all sorts of groups that sponsor tables with all kinds of messages. This makes college great as I have already said.
As for the phenomenon, in my experience, the majority of Witnesses are somewhat intimidated at the prospect of witnessing on college campuses. They may feel socially inferior or may not be prepared for bright and articulate counter-responses that are much more probing and thoughtful than the average response they receive from someone they have just woken on a Saturday morning.
I was in association with the University Congregation here in Los Angeles for 10 years. Our's was "university" because our location was nearby to and our territory included the University of Southern California (my alma mater Fight On Trojans!). At USC the policy was/is for a commercial vendor they pay to set up a table/booth (something the brother's never would consider) or can set up for free if they are "sponsored" by a "student-group." The latter could have been arranged and there was a time when I would have been happy to do so but as I mentioned, the reaction was always one of reluctance on the part of the friends in my congregation. This was true even after some strong encouragement by the CO. At most some of the pioneers got into the habit of walking around the campus and talking to students as they passed. Even though this never posed any kind of problem, even this activity was not popular with the friends.
I personally found this amusing because for years the friends in my congregation would lament about how the English speaking people were moving out of the territory and being replaced with Spanish speaking folk. But I would always say to them that each year it is like thousands of new English speaking people arriving in the territory (USC) and would always be met with an expression of "Well Yes that is true but..."
anyway, I am only replying to your post because, personally, I find it surprising and somewhat disconcerting that your response to a Witness setting up a table would be to want to curtail freedom of speech. I believe that you may have a bit more maturing to do and I am glad that you are in a good environment to do it.
best of luck on your studies,
Eduardo Leaton Jr., Esq.
Well, if you're df'd then you can ask if you can set up your own table next to hers?
I think this is a great idea if she's dumb enough to come back. Have lots of flyers advertising Silent Lambs, Crisis of Conscience and any other materials you can think of. Yes university encourages people to think for themselves, but there have been cases in the past where normal young adults have joined religious groups that are even worse than the Witnesses, much to the dismay and heartbreak of their families.
I find it surprising and somewhat disconcerting that your response to a Witness setting up a table would be to want to curtail freedom of speech
Forgive me, but it's a bit of a dichotomy for an organization to complain about curtailing freedom of speech when they forbid their members to exercise that same freedom. Criticism of the organization is not allowed on pain of expulsion. Worse this same organization attempts to isolate former members by forbidding their current members their Constitutional right to exercise freedom of speech by communicating with former members even if they are family. Former members are not allowed to exercise their Constitutional right to freedom of speech in communicating with friends and family still in the organization.
For you, and this organization, to sit in judgment on others' actions, and then have the gall to lecture on political rights is, at best, hypocritical and at worst smacks of bullying. Your condescending attitude reminds me of the old Asian proverb: "Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it."
Big Tex: kudos
As for the phenomenon, in my experience, the majority of Witnesses are somewhat intimidated at the prospect of witnessing on college campuses. They may feel socially inferior or may not be prepared for bright and articulate counter-responses that are much more probing and thoughtful than the average response they receive from someone they have just woken on a Saturday morning.
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so true most jw are scared to death, since going house to house is the most dreaded thing about being a jw, and now that they are asked to do telephone, business and college preaching most know they are not qualified even by wt standards-
- the wt has encouraged this on college- not alot in print on this issue , but it has never really gotten off the ground, typically it falls under the CO who may be in a college town and sets this up,
the congo, leaving it to the local elders , it will never be done-
the wt in the past has told co and do when business territory or colleges are worked SELECT ONLY CERTAIN JW typically the "sharp" publishers
they typically target kids who are lonely and out of town and no nearby family- i have over the years heard so many exp on district conventions by college students with like 1 year left who QUIT TO BECOME A JW - of course now some 10-20yrs later they have no complete degree and no end of the world-- in sight
because college teaches folks to question the ablity to recuit from college is almost zero- now go to the Hood or were folks are suffering and need help, show them a picture of Hawaii and ask "Would you like to live in conditions like this"
then you have a possible audience-
trust me wt is not going to be pulling in 100's of students, the message doesn't appeal to folks who are being trained to questions and not just accept something because it is in a book
Set up a table to raise awareness of the dangers of cults. This way, it doesn't completely look like you're at war with the JWs. Print out your own flyers with website URLs.
I had a major snit when, several years ago, I discovered a packet (plain brown envelope with a label, information from Jehovah's Witnesses on the outside) in the material given to all incoming students--freshmen and transfers. No other specific information about religious groups was included in the orientation materials, although a list of "campus ministry" representatives was, which included the JW person. What I was told was that as long as there is a currently enrolled student who asks to include the information, then student affairs would allow it (I asked whether they were especially concerned with not appearing to support mainstream religions by refusing a cult--eye contact was suddenly lost). As far as I know, this has not happened again. There is often a JW table at various "involvement" fairs on campus--but my own experience is the JW is lonelier than the Maytag repair man. However, I do think that anticipating this and using it as an opportunity for anti-Witness witnessing is an excellent idea. (I just discovered that a staff member who I have great admiration for, who completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees while working her and is working on another, is a JW. I'm now, of course, wondering if she had anything to do with those packets--but it probably was a student.)
