TerryWalstrom

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Posts by TerryWalstrom

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  26

  Youth and Spiritual Goals in this week's WT study (Are you F-ing kidding me?)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i regret following the wrong goals when i was a young person.

  such as?such as spending a hundred hours a month of my precious youth rapping my unwrinkled knuckles on doors and waving soon-to-be-obsolete religious messages in front of aghast householders.such as spending my 20th, 21st, and part of my 22nd years in prison imagining anything useful was happening or that i was pleasing the big guy in the sky.such as taking a crappy job as a janitor and trying to support my family on beans and rice while i peddled cult materials, arguing with people who were better educated about fantasy scenarios i was brainwashed into parroting.such as making excuses for my depressing existence for my empty feeling of constant depression by consoling myself that soon billions of people would be annihilated--except for me and those i was able to convince to waste their time too.thanks, watchtower for twenty years of dry rot for my brain, a jehovah sized hole in my heart, and a great big "thank you" in the form of shunning from all my wonderful spiritual brothers and sisters for all my efforts.sure am i glad i didn't "waste" my youth on education, career, lifelong friends, and (gasp) fun!i was 12 years old when i was introduced to the watchtower and the kingdom hall.23 years later, i walked out a free man.the emotional damage took decades to reconcile.i'm 71 and i'd be thrilled to have those 23 years back!the watchtower is one of the most insidious time-devouring organizations on our planet.thanks for nothing!____________________the above is in answer to:.

  this week's wt-study:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  An analogy I've used goes like this.
  Here is an empty glass. That was me at age 12.
  That glass can be filled all the way to the top with something.
  Once the glass is filled, there isn't room for anything else.
  
  My glass was kept filled by Watchtower with busy, busy work, meetings, field service, book studies, Bible studies, meetings, etc.
  
  When I left, that glass was so full of WT thinking, ideas, morality, judgments, doctrines that there was still no room for anything else.
  I walked around as a non-JW but--for all practical purposes--still a propaganda machine.
  
  The ONLY WAY to change my beliefs, my processing, my attitude was to POUR OUT what was in that glass.
  How?
  I took a 3X5 card with me wherever I went each day. On the card was a simple vocabulary word which represented important IDEAS--but with correct definitions (to replace WT definitions.)
  
  It took about 5 years and 5 X 365 terms to UN-brainwash myself.
  Instead of plunging back into some "other" religion, I studied the art of reasoning as developed by civilizations through history.
  
  Philosophy's purpose was to answer the question: What do we know and how can we know it?
  I settled on Aristotle (the father of Logic) and worked my way through the developments of reasoning and the use of non-contradictory definitions.
  I started from scratch reading basic Science facts and how those facts were discovered, tested, and determined.
  
  Books I read?
  Mortimer J. Adler's 10 Philosophical Mistakes was an eye-opening book. It discloses how little mistakes here and there damaged mankind's ability to find the proper methodology for discovery and knowledge.
  
  I began reading about cults and how they were started, soon mutated and eventually endured: Mormons, Scientologists, Moonies, Hare Krishnas, each had similarities.
  
  Then, mainstream religion was next.
  Reading Karen Armstrong's books (The History of God, The Battle for God, the Great Transformation) on religion and god was an astounding education in itself.
  Richard E. Friedman's Who Wrote the Bible was and is an enlightening book.
  This led to a real deconstruction by "whistleblower" Bart Ehrman and his best-selling books: How Jesus Became God, Misquoting Jesus, God’s Problem, Jesus Interrupted and Forged.
  What a journey! Richard Carrier was hoot!
  _____
  
  Had I grown up in the computer era and the Worldwide Web, I would like to think it would be impossible to convince me of Jehovah's Witness "Truth."
  In fact, I don't know how it is possible today unless the people being converted aren't computer savvy or are simply intellectually dishonest and superstitious people.
  
  I spent a couple of years watching debates on many subjects with such people as late, great Christopher Hitchens and--wow! It's not easy to be naive about religion after that.
  
  I think most of us who leave the Jehovah's Witness cult behind go through necessary but time-wasting stages. It's impossible to avoid.
  Problem:
  We really begin by asking the wrong questions which lead to wrong answers and blind alleys.
  
  "Who has the true religion?" That is the wrong question.
  "What is the correct Bible interpretation?" That is the wrong question.
  
  "How does man determine what is true?" That is the right question.
  
  We can't skip finding out what Logic is (the art of non-contradictory description.)
  We can't skip understanding Fallacies, Confirmation Bias, Propaganda and basic Science.
  
  All the above interest me and I've spent considerable time in discovery, contemplation, and dialogue with others.
  
  Note: personal debates are really counter-productive although I surely got into them with a real vengeance.
  I say arguments are counter-productive because neither party in a debate is humble and trying to learn. (It is anger and ego tinged with revenge.)
  
  The worst part of being a JW other than wasting your life is the time spent shutting out everything else: i.e. the art of living a happy life.
  
  Loving your life really is the first Art one should master.
• 
  26

  Youth and Spiritual Goals in this week's WT study (Are you F-ing kidding me?)

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i regret following the wrong goals when i was a young person.

  such as?such as spending a hundred hours a month of my precious youth rapping my unwrinkled knuckles on doors and waving soon-to-be-obsolete religious messages in front of aghast householders.such as spending my 20th, 21st, and part of my 22nd years in prison imagining anything useful was happening or that i was pleasing the big guy in the sky.such as taking a crappy job as a janitor and trying to support my family on beans and rice while i peddled cult materials, arguing with people who were better educated about fantasy scenarios i was brainwashed into parroting.such as making excuses for my depressing existence for my empty feeling of constant depression by consoling myself that soon billions of people would be annihilated--except for me and those i was able to convince to waste their time too.thanks, watchtower for twenty years of dry rot for my brain, a jehovah sized hole in my heart, and a great big "thank you" in the form of shunning from all my wonderful spiritual brothers and sisters for all my efforts.sure am i glad i didn't "waste" my youth on education, career, lifelong friends, and (gasp) fun!i was 12 years old when i was introduced to the watchtower and the kingdom hall.23 years later, i walked out a free man.the emotional damage took decades to reconcile.i'm 71 and i'd be thrilled to have those 23 years back!the watchtower is one of the most insidious time-devouring organizations on our planet.thanks for nothing!____________________the above is in answer to:.

  this week's wt-study:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I regret following the wrong goals when I was a young person.
  
  Such as?
  
  Such as spending a hundred hours a month of my precious youth rapping my unwrinkled knuckles on doors and waving soon-to-be-obsolete religious messages in front of aghast householders.
  
  Such as spending my 20th, 21st, and part of my 22nd years in prison imagining anything useful was happening or that I was pleasing the Big Guy in the sky.
  
  Such as taking a crappy job as a janitor and trying to support my family on beans and rice while I peddled cult materials, arguing with people who were better educated about fantasy scenarios I was brainwashed into parroting.
  
  Such as making excuses for my depressing existence for my empty feeling of constant depression by consoling myself that soon billions of people would be annihilated--EXCEPT for me and those I was able to convince to waste their time too.
  
  Thanks, Watchtower for twenty years of dry rot for my brain, a Jehovah sized hole in my heart, and a great big "thank you" in the form of shunning from all my wonderful spiritual Brothers and Sisters for all my efforts.
  
  Sure am I glad I didn't "waste" my Youth on education, career, lifelong friends, and (gasp) FUN!
  
  I was 12 years old when I was introduced to the Watchtower and the Kingdom Hall.
  23 years later, I walked out a free man.
  The emotional damage took decades to reconcile.
  I'm 71 and I'd be thrilled to have those 23 years back!
  The Watchtower is one of the most insidious time-devouring organizations on our planet.
  THANKS FOR NOTHING!
  ____________________
  The above is in answer to:
  

  This week's WT-study:

  The Watchtower - April 2018 - "Young People, Are You Focused on Spiritual Goals?"

  18 No one remains young for long. Young people quickly progress to adulthood. Sad to say, as adults, many then regret having followed the wrong goals when they were young or, just as frustrating, having had no goals at all. But youths who today keep focused on theocratic goals will well into adulthood be deeply satisfied with the choices they made.
• 
  118

  Do You Think President Trump Is Doing a Good Job?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think he is.

  if you don’t want to put reasons for your yes or no, it’s ok. .

  your vote,please?

  1. 
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• 

  TerryWalstrom

  Only a "crazy" person and a Narcissist would aspire to the Presidency.
  That's about as obvious a statement as I could write.
  The least crazy and the least Narcissistic among history's Presidents have been ineffective.
  Having said all the above, there are 3 things to consider, IMHO, about the election of Donald Trump.
  1. Bernie was deliberately undermined, cheated, and robbed of the Democratic nomination. This was because President Obama had cleaned out the finances of the party and left it bankrupt and that opened the way for Hillary Clinton's crew to completely take over the running of the Democrat organization in all her corrupt splendor.
  So, Bernie, though wildly popular and defeating Hillary over and over, got screwed.
  2. The Democrats had taken the blue-collar workers and minority voters totally for granted as far as their vote is concerned. Over a period of years, Democrat candidates were losing, losing, losing, over a 1,000 seats nationwide. (Hint: A TREND).
  3. Hillary disdained the intelligence and integrity of the blue-collar crowd just as Obama had done. "Basket of deplorables" and "They cling to their guns and God" are examples of that disdain.
  
  The ONLY thing that could make people vote for Trump was that Hillary was a KNOWN corrupt liar with decades of malfeasance on record working against her being at all sympathetic. She was treated as above the law by the F.B.I. and her contempt for abiding by the rules of handling secret documents astonished just about everybody.
  Trump was just as much a liar and a truly awful character--BUT--he had one big + working for him. He wasn't Hillary.
  He flipped the old saying, "The Devil you know is better than the Devil you don't know."
  Voters held their noses and pulled the lever the way a losing gambler drops his last quarter in a slot machine and whispers a prayer to Fate.
  _______
  
  The Russia-colluded-with-Trump storyline is total bullshit.
  All the stories published have turned out to be scuttlebutt, rumor, lies, fake unnamed sources, and malarky.
  Rachel Maddow told Santa Claus stories to irate Liberals and pumped up her ratings--but--she has no evidence--only imagination to back up her purple prose.
  The Muller investigation has had to move heaven and earth to rack up face-saving points by turning to attorneys and businessmen who were naughty and squeezing their nuts until they shook nickels out of their pants pockets.
  They can't afford to issue a final report until AFTER mid-term elections because there's no "there" there and all the hysteria will undermine the Democrats "We are the Opposition" nonsense.
  
  Trump is no better or worse than many of the U.S. Presidents of the past.
  He made the elite furious because they pumped up his chances by featuring him with extraordinary free access to public attention during the candidacy period (they were thinking he was so awful he'd make Hillary more saleable.) The Dems helped elect him! They can't accept it was THEIR BAD JUDGMENT cheating Bernie and running the Clinton crime family.
  So, what do I think of Trump?
  He's a horrible embarrassment, but no worse than George Bush in that regard.
  His peculiar approach to policies might work simply because nobody else has tried them.
  America's political system was designed by the Founding Fathers for the explicit purpose of neutering a man like Trump.
  Most of the damage done so far has mostly been by the hysteria and bad Faith over-reactions of his opposers suffering Trump Derangement Syndrome.
  His "fellow Republicans" pretty much hate his guts. He's destroyed the Republican Party.
  But...so have the Democrats destroyed their party as well.
  
  If Bernie runs again (despite many efforts by Democrats to castrate him) he will probably lead a Social Justice victory landslide.
  If Democrats run Maxine Waters, Oprah, Hillary or the usual gang of idiots...well, Trump will be back for another 4 more years.
• 

  Has Anyone Here read this book?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  anybody here read these books?

  if so, how do they differ from jw bait-n-switch debunking?joe kovacs is an acclaimed journalist who has spent 25 years in broadcast, print, and online media, receiving a host of awards for excellence in news coverage from both the associated press and united press international.

  he is currently the executive news editor for worldnetdaily.com.

• 

  TerryWalstrom

  Anybody here read these books? If so, how do they differ from JW bait-n-switch debunking?
  
  Joe Kovacs is an acclaimed journalist who has spent 25 years in broadcast, print, and online media, receiving a host of awards for excellence in news coverage from both the Associated Press and United Press International. He is currently the executive news editor for WorldNetDaily.com. Joe has written hundreds of news articles, many focusing on Bible matters.
  
  
  A reviewer on Amazon:
  In some ways his interpretations have echoes of Jehovah's Witness teachings about the Bible, but, for the most part, you'd have a hard time finding reputable scripture scholars who would agree with Kovacs' conclusions.
  
  
  ____
  

  • God once put out a contract on Moses.
  • God once ran a lottery
  • God never said "Let me make man in my image"
  • Israeli underwear did not disintegrate for forty years
  • Jesus had more apostles than just “The Twelve”
  • Neither Noah, Abraham, Isaac nor Jacob were Jewish
  • The Bible celebrates women’s breasts
  • The Bible doesn't say Noah's Ark landed on "Mount Ararat"
  • The Bible once called someone a “dumb ass”
  • The Bible records the worst case of hemorrhoids in history
    
    ______
    
    
    _____
    
    
    
• 
  88

  Favourite female heroes in film ...

  by LoveUniHateExams in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  ... well, obviously not rey (daisy ridley) from the latest star wars films.

  she's a complete mary sue.

  but, before hollywood tried to force sjw propaganda down our throats, there were lots of powerful, legit female characters in film.. here are some of my favourites .... ripley (sigourney weaver): i though this character was great.

  1. 
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• 

  TerryWalstrom

  Jennifer Jones (Pearl) in DUEL IN THE SUN.
  Talk about an exciting and bloody revenge ending!
  Gregory Peck (Lute) has all but raped Jones' half-breed character (Pearl) but it turns into a bestial sensual awakening for her.
  She knows he's no good--but--he's hot!
  The moral fella who loves Pearl is shot by Lute and vows to finish him off.
  Peck (Lute) does everybody wrong and in the end, he sets up a trap to assassinate Pearl under pretext of a rendezvous.
  She arrives and they end up out in the hills shooting holes in each other. But wait--that's not all!
  As they are dying (each from the others' bullets) they crawl across the jagged rocks in the mid-day blazing heat and die in each others' arms.
  Yeah--amazing.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7qGqSto5Vg
• 
  12

  How the Watchtower and Big Tobacco conspired to propaganda techniques to survive the exposure of their dangers

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the tobacco industry held in thrall millions of addicted smokers for decades with an almost endless litany of false claims reinforced by propaganda and bad science.it is informative and eye-opening to examine this brilliant but insidious strategy.1.

  exploiting controversy the tobacco team focused on "conflicts of interest" to create a distraction and exploit mistrust so nicotine addicts own confirmation bias would work in their favor.

  this strategy of producing scientific uncertainty undercut public health efforts and regulatory interventions designed to reduce the harms of smoking.the watchtower easily did the same thing by exploiting the confusing doctrine of the trinity and pointing to the corrupt history of the catholic church.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  I have to say, as an old-time JW (attended the Kingdom Hall for the first time in 1959)
  when the JW dot Org thing happened, my jaw dropped. I can't get over it.
  After the era of Russell and Rutherford as charismatic leaders and the advent of boring old Nathan KNorr, these big-wigs were practically invisible and practically anonymous as far as rank and file members were aware. Sure, we might hear a talk at a major convention by a GB, but that was a singularity one-off. To behold the unveiling of a TV propaganda network and see these stuffed shirts with their wooden presentations and plaster sincerity simply gobsmacked me.
  Every suspicion I held about the religion being a facade suddenly came true.
  It's right there for all the old-timers to see. I'd love to interview one of them who'd speak on the record.
• 
  29

  Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..

  1. 
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  TerryWalstrom

  You turn up the volume on any "virtue" and it becomes destructive because of an impulse toward purity and compliance at all costs.
  Think of anti-abortionists who bomb clinics. That sort of thing.
  JW's are mostly a menace to their own kind. I don't know if this is a tainted blessing or what.
  
  
• 
  15

  The Forgery of an Antique God

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  in the world of antiquities, especially that of bronze art, specifically heads, would you be surprised or alarmed to discover that experts estimate about half of all the art sold at auction and donated to museums around the world.... consists of forgeries?while you're digesting the news of corrupt practice, let me raise a rather vexatious collateral issue for your consideration:.

  auction houses keep silent about this fraud.in fact, it has been asserted by investigators specializing in such fraud, it is largely the auction houses submitting these works at auction under fake identities so they cannot be directly held liable for illicit transactions.

  proving they've knowingly done so is too problematic to pass muster.one expert who exposed such a fraud was sued by the auction house and forced toward financial settlement out of court under the libel laws.now why mention all the above in the first place?for one reason only, the same thing occurs in the religious transactions of jehovah's witnesses.the auction house (watchtower corporation) represents its salvific theology as authentic and transacts with potential converts so's they pay for such art (ful fraud) by giving their lives, honor, and sacred service in exchange.when flaws are found, instead of owning up to the illicit enterprise, they seek legal redress or prosecute the accuser through coercive threats of disfellowship.now here is another insidious parallel.

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  TerryWalstrom

  I was in the Art Business for many years both at the atelier level, gallery sales, and as a rep. The naivete' of the buying public was rather heartbreaking.
  Accepting an easily forged "Certificate of Authenticity" as the guarantee of provenance was rather laughable. The thing I always said was: "Which is easier to fake: a complete work of art--or a little piece of paper assuring you it isn't fake?"
  
  Jehovah's Witnesses by the same measure, open their Silver Sword and see the fake references to governing body and feel reassured they're in the right religion.
  
  
• 
  12

  How the Watchtower and Big Tobacco conspired to propaganda techniques to survive the exposure of their dangers

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the tobacco industry held in thrall millions of addicted smokers for decades with an almost endless litany of false claims reinforced by propaganda and bad science.it is informative and eye-opening to examine this brilliant but insidious strategy.1.

  exploiting controversy the tobacco team focused on "conflicts of interest" to create a distraction and exploit mistrust so nicotine addicts own confirmation bias would work in their favor.

  this strategy of producing scientific uncertainty undercut public health efforts and regulatory interventions designed to reduce the harms of smoking.the watchtower easily did the same thing by exploiting the confusing doctrine of the trinity and pointing to the corrupt history of the catholic church.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  The young JW's I have contact with regularly actually have nightmares about Armageddon and a Trump Militia banging on their door.
  Yep, I am not kidding.
  If nothing else, FEAR is such a factor in real terms, present-day Dubs who risk leaving the Org "so close to the end" over-ride their own best interests in exploring what the world holds for them in a prospective better life.
  
  I had a heart-wrenching phone call with a 23-year old DF'd male JW today who started crying telling me how much he appreciated what my conversations with him had done to make his life better and give him a freedom to even have a chance at life.
  I thanked him for saying that--but he is the one who had the open heart and mind to listening and doing the heavy-lifting of research. Many of his friends (Brothers in the 'Truth) have great misgivings but way too much fear of losing their family support if they go rogue.
  The iron grip of the GB is much worse and more real today than when I was a JW.
• 
  12

  How the Watchtower and Big Tobacco conspired to propaganda techniques to survive the exposure of their dangers

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the tobacco industry held in thrall millions of addicted smokers for decades with an almost endless litany of false claims reinforced by propaganda and bad science.it is informative and eye-opening to examine this brilliant but insidious strategy.1.

  exploiting controversy the tobacco team focused on "conflicts of interest" to create a distraction and exploit mistrust so nicotine addicts own confirmation bias would work in their favor.

  this strategy of producing scientific uncertainty undercut public health efforts and regulatory interventions designed to reduce the harms of smoking.the watchtower easily did the same thing by exploiting the confusing doctrine of the trinity and pointing to the corrupt history of the catholic church.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  The Tobacco Industry held in thrall millions of addicted smokers for decades with an almost endless litany of false claims reinforced by propaganda and bad science.
  It is informative and eye-opening to examine this brilliant but insidious strategy.
  1. Exploiting controversy
  The Tobacco team focused on "Conflicts of Interest" to create a distraction and exploit mistrust so nicotine addicts own confirmation bias would work in their favor. This strategy of producing scientific uncertainty undercut public health efforts and regulatory interventions designed to reduce the harms of smoking.
  
  The Watchtower easily did the same thing by exploiting the confusing doctrine of The TRINITY and pointing to the corrupt history of the Catholic Church. The malfeasance of Christendom, the proliferation of sects and participation in wars were cited--as though this guaranteed the JW's
  were superior rather than merely different.
  
  
  
  2. Creating alternative facts
  This is more than "Is the glass-half-empty or half-full" which is a POV opinion. The Tobacco companies hired their OWN scientists and conducted their OWN experiments and represented the results of their biased endeavors as a counter-balance. The Watchtower religion built its own Bible, the New World Translation. By changing the wording of Bible passages in favor of quirky doctrinal teachings and declaring this to be superior to the other translations the JW's felt their decision to trust the GB was well-founded and safe.
  An alternative green Bible for only a dollar was a brilliant move, IMHO.
  
  
  3. Reliance on massive advertising
  The Tobacco industry presented its product as beneficial, soothing, sophisticated, and smart in all Media available.
  
  ______
  By the same token, the Watchtower has utilized its FREE VOLUNTEER evangelizing and door to door distribution of printed propaganda through the use of clean-cut families at your doorstep smiling and chatting about Paradise on Earth.
  Watchtower KNEW THIS WAS ADVERTISEMENT from the very start!
  
  
  
  
  _______
  4. Exploiting CONFLICTS of INTEREST
  The basic tenet of the highly articulated public relations approaches the companies deployed centered on the notion that if the current cultural context was inhospitable to the product, one could—through shrewd and creative public relations interventions—change the culture to fit the product.

  Tobacco and Watchtower created an alternate universe of false choices and lifestyles out of thin air!
  In the course of this transformation, the tobacco companies successfully defined and exploited critical aspects of a new consumer culture. Within the industry, marketing experts had developed a powerful notion of social engineering, what early public relations theorist Edward Bernays had called the “engineering of consent.”
  HOW? Manufacturing and exploiting personal CONFLICTS of INTEREST.
  Jehovah's Witnesses were told they were "no part of this world" because the world was ending, was corrupt, and its treasures and rewards would
  soon vanish in a cataclysm called Armageddon. So--why bother pursuing a career or education?
  Risk VS. Reward is very powerful.
  
  5. Cherry picking quotations
  Tobacco industry hired Public Relations experts suggested cherry-picking "experts" who could disagree with Scientific Findings inimical to the
  product and its cancer prone effects.
  Watchtower writers did exactly the same thing in promoting 1975 as the END of 6,000 YEARS of HUMAN EXISTENCE by citing worldwide famine
  predictions, overpopulation of the globe, increased lawlessness, earthquake statistics, and an endless list of isolated passages in seemingly reputable
  scholar's published works.
  We now know how fraudulent these cherry-picked "facts" have been over the years.
  For Tobacco companies, identifying the most vocal and visible skeptics of the emerging science of smoking and disease. These scientists (many of whom turned out to be smokers themselves) would be central to the development of an industry scientific program in step with larger public relations goals.
  American Tobacco began to collect the public statements of scientists who had expressed skepticism about the research findings indicting5. tobacco. The company's own public relations counsel understood that it would be critical to create questions about the reliability of the new findings and to attack the notion that these studies constituted proof of the relationship of smoking to cancer
  
  
  6. Self-serving PR statements
  American Tobacco put on a sincere face of concern and used 400 newspapers and magazines to declare:
  We accept an interest in people's health as a basic responsibility, paramount to every other consideration in our business. We believe the products we make are not injurious to health. We always have and always will cooperate closely with those whose task it is to safeguard the public health..

  
  
  
  Watchtower Governing Body representatives are keen on self-serving announcements too.
  http://doctrinesoffaith.com/watchtower-governing-bodys-geoffrey-jackson-lies-under-oath/
  ___________________
  
  

  It is an obligation of the Tobacco Industry Research Committee at this time to remind the public of these essential points:

  1. There is no conclusive scientific proof of a link between smoking and cancer.
  2. Medical research points to many possible causes of cancer….
  3. The millions of people who derive pleasure and satisfaction from smoking can be reassured that every scientific means will be used to get all the facts as soon as possible.
     
     _____________
     7. WHISTLEBLOWER effect
     In 1995, a Tobacco company whistleblower named Jeffrey Wigand, spilled the beans on 60's Minutes broadcast.
     In 1983, Raymond Franz, Governing Body member, did the same thing exposing Watchtower corruption in his book
     CRISIS of CONSCIENCE
     _____________
     https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/smoke/smokescript.html
     _______
     
     
     
     
     _____________
     
     In view of the above parallels between The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's efforts and American Tobacco, this
     analogy reinforces a bold realization that it is quite possible to fool people by a conspiracy to cover your own ass
     through clever and resourceful advertising, publicity, false controversy, and labeling of your opponents as
     maleficent and evil.
     
     ___________
     
     How many at-risk cigarette smokers and how many delusional JW's are left in the world?
     However many there are, they are convinced they are persecuted unfairly.
  4.