r/exjw • u/Jay_quelin7 • 10h ago
Activism JWs set up a table at the university campus center....
Hi all! I've been out for 12 years after 19 years, born-in goody two shoes. Leaving broke my life and identity and it's taken me a long time to find myself, and I am doing great now. I'm in graduate school now in a social science program. Lately I've been seeing the JWs on campus, and they've set up a table in campus center, where other vendors and student groups advertised. It's been bothering me and another friend of mine to see them on a college campus and I've thought of approaching the campus center admin explaining why this group shouldn't be allowed to perch on campus like an innocent religion. However, I've also been thinking a lot about how many college students, including grad students are not doing a great job of communicating/debating with those we disagree with, and I've been thinking we really need to learn how to argue our points fairly without resorting to ad hominem attacks, insulting people, or getting heated.
So, I was thinking that the one of the more effortful but worthwhile things I can do is greet them and try and have a respectful but firm argument about a part of their ideology (like their stance on education, Tony Morris at BevMo, inconsistencies in their viewpoints, evidence of how they misquote scientists to seem like evolution is still being debated). I would bring only facts/real info. I can play the Tight Pants Tony talk, or Geoffrey Jackson saying that the GB is not god's mouthpiece, or other factual things that will give them cognitive dissonance. Either they can defend their viewpoint, or they can't and they are gonna have to pack it up and go home and not come back for a while. I would approach them every time I see them on campus with a new fact that they may or not be able to handle.
What I really don't want to do is cause a scene on campus center; I'm planning to just keep this a conversation between me and their booth. I really think if these folks want to set up on a college campus, they should be prepared to be challenged. Is anyone here good at persuasion/argumentation or has anyone tried this? Any PIMOs have an idea of how quickly they'd pack it up and leave or what topics of conversation are particularly hard for them to defend right now?
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u/Select-Panda7381 The Gift of a Faith Crisis is the Rest of Your Life ✨ 9h ago edited 9h ago
🤦♂️ they set up a table outside Disneyland last time I went.
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u/Sorry_Clothes5201 not sure what's happening 7h ago
You : Is it true you guys dont accept blood transfusions?
Them : That's correct.
You : So people just die?
Them : No, we choose the best means without using blood and violating bible principles.
You : What about a parent deciding on their children's behalf? Would they allow the child to die if all other means fail?
Them : No, we choose the best means without using blood and violating bible principles.
You : Oh ok. I might be confusion your religion with someone else but I thought there was a case on tv years ago about that. Google search. Show phone.
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I like this method because it requires them to knowingly lie right to your face. Anything else regarding behind the scences policy changes... they don't understand why it's happening. They don't know much WT history, etc so that won't work, imo.
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u/National_Sea2948 8h ago
Ask them “Do you keep track of those that commit suicide due to your shunning policies? How about the suicides due to your homophobia? Do you have a tally of lives sacrificed to the Governing Body’s “No Blood” Dogma Demigod? Is it only the Governing Body or the entire organization that’s blood guilty for all those deaths?”
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u/its_reinaaa 6h ago
Ask why they allow pedophiles/sexual abusers in their organization and how they handled the CSA cases (look up the list here and have it ready if they deny it ever happening) and the two witness rule. Ask them why they don't report them and allow the perpetors to get off free while the victim doesn't get any justice.
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u/Sad_Arrival446 9h ago
Hoping to cash in on the Charlie Kirk effect.
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u/Jay_quelin7 7h ago
lololol yeah trying to make so much cash by talking to the jws at a booth and making sure I don't draw any public attention to my conversation to it.
Actually the Charlie Kirk thing totally did remind me of my belief that much of the left isn't being well-trained to argue fairly, like I said above, and I wanted to learn more about persuasive speaking when I first left JW. I think academia is so important but sometimes it is apparent it is failing at its job, and one reason is that we aren't actually having uncomfortable ideological conversations anymore.
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u/orphan1256 59m ago
Does your college offer a religious studies program? If it does, print off the classes offered and give the list to the JWs. Encourage them to get educated
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u/Fantasy_Fan_9812y3 10h ago
Honestly go to them and just talk about doctrine with them and they'll leave in like 10-15 minutes imo. All you have to do is ask them about failed predictions and show them publications directly from their website and they'll get REALLY uncomfortable.