Posted by Exactly [Aldurant] on October 29, 1999 at 06:25:09 {CAtoZJLIp2F1SfI4E1Nwt74NX2uzuA}:
In Reply to: *Liberal Elder posted by Amandita on October 29, 1999 at 05:14:41:
Yes- Anything done with respect to the Watchtower Society needs to be, in effect, a "smart bomb". This hate fueled activity attracts the criminal element who show up to do what they enjoy doing to people anyway. Take Malawi for example. The Society is at fault for it's irresponsible pontificating AND the individuals who decided to do the violence in Malawi were responsible. Hatred should not be the motive, nor should a mob spirit of irresponsible violence be encouraged.
The work that is being done by many of the tireless researchers such as Norm, Kent, Alan F., Jan, Shawn, the list goes on, and the simple passage of time will take care of things with the least worst damage. People who joined the Witnesses as adults were motivated by the desire to practice virtue and do the right thing. This motive, as appealed to by the many researchers, is what will pull most of their useful people out.
It is understood that the behavior and policies of many Witnesses is insulting, and very inappropriately smug, but this is how they are instructed to behave. I once said to a dissfellowshipped person, "Do you think I should just quit my religion because you want me to talk to you?". What they do IS their religion. We don't want them hurt, we don't want them killed. Any punishment that takes place should be by due process and within the principles of democracy at it's theoretical best. The mob mentality should not be encouraged. Our main point as people who have chosen to quit, or made an informed choice not to join, is that they do not promote virtue in the long run, that they get people killed, that they destroy lives. We, of course, are not interested in duplicating their errors.
Al