OUTOFTHEORG
Thank you! That's what I was looking for.
tal
by Dogpatch 92 Replies latest jw friends
OUTOFTHEORG
Thank you! That's what I was looking for.
tal
Here's my reply to Joel Engardio's e-mail to me:
July 8, 2005
Dear Joel,
Thank you for your reply of July 1st acknowledging the important issues I raised, although you did not address any of the issues I raised. Unfortunately, it appears to me that KNOCKING will not “tackle” even one of the issues that I brought up which Jehovah’s Witnesses “grapple with,” although you said "...we are sensitive to the valid criticisms of Jehovah's Witnesses.” These valid criticisms, which you are sensitive about, must be the unreported and covered-up child molestation, the unfair disfellowshipping practices resulting in shunning, and the misrepresentations about the blood doctrine and the Holocaust. Apparently, you believe that these valid criticisms are too much “inside baseball” for the average viewer, so you will not touch them. Are you saying if the program was made for Witnesses or former Witnesses, you would discuss these valid criticisms? What is a documentary for but to inform the uninformed about critical issues. For the most part, Jehovah’s Witnesses and former Jehovah’s Witnesses know about the criticisms, but the general public does not. Accordingly, I believe you as a producer, who should be free from bias, must inform the public of the valid criticisms as well as “humanizing” those who are criticized.
If you are not a follower of Jehovah’s Witnesses you sure seem like a supporter when you encouraged Witnesses to buy, at a special introductory rate, KNOCKING DVDs to show others, and said that you imagined Witnesses "...will enjoy the film and will want their extended family, neighbors, co-workers and classmates to take a look as well." This does not sound to me like the film will take on the critical issues that we have pointed out to you, the ones that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not want non-Witnesses to know about. From other things you said as well, I believe that you will present a “feel good piece” about Jehovah’s Witnesses because the film will mainly show the “ups and downs” of Witness families, such as “what it is like to have unbelieving or opposing family members,” or how divided families can find “find common ground.” I think that these are interesting aspects to consider, but they are not the critical issues we believe it is imperative to address in the film which might keep people from converting to such deceit.
It was never my intention to ask you to re-do the Dateline program. And I’m happy that KNOCKING will not “denigrate” Jehovah’s Witnesses. All I ask is that KNOCKING does not “promote” Jehovah’s Witnesses. That would be unfair journalism especially since you are using “public funds” to independently produce this film for PBS.
I will watch KNOCKING with an open mind and hope that my expressed opinions above are unjustified. It is my sincere wish that along with a compassionate film, you will also make a provocative one showing the non-Witness world the truth about the Witnesses’ world as it really is, one based on frequently changed fantasy beliefs, unfair treatment of critics, a child abuse mess, and misrepresentation in the matter of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ blood doctrine and organizational history, just to name a few.
Thank you for listening.
Barbara Anderson
*Note to self, stay on barbara's good side*
Barbara, you rock, thank you for your passion, conviction, and heart.!!
You Go Barbara!!!!!!!!She sure don't take no:
$ugar honey ice tea!!!
~bump~
The program is not made for JWs or former JWs, that would be too much "inside baseball" for the average viewer. The program is for the public who only sees JWs on their doorstep from time to time, and might be curious about what is good and what is controversial about this group. KNOCKING takes a balanced approach. It does not promote nor does it denegrate.
I think people need to be aware that the a JW coming to your door and asking to do a bible study could very well be a child molestor.
I think a people need to understand that the JW coming to your door wants you to divorce yourself of all of your friends and your beliefs and take on these new beliefs to peddle magazines.
I think people need to understand that the JW coming to your door wants you to join the club and if you do join and you decide later to complain you will be shunned by family and friends in the cult.
I think people need to understand that the JW coming to your door has been manipulated into believing that a blood transfusion is bad for a variety of junk scientific reasons and not bible based beliefs (Maybe this producer should look at informed consent and the penal code with a lawyer).
I think people need to understand that the JW coming to your door may have kids under the age of 18 and may have been kicked them out the door and shunned them all because their kids refuse to believe in some guys in Brooklyn New York!
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