From: asiivo@cs.joensuu.fi (Antti Siivonen)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Andreas - Siperian Sirri Siberian Stint
Date: 16 Apr 92 09:00:09 GMT
Organization: University of Joensuu

smith_w@apollo.hp.com (Walter Smith) writes:
>What is of note is his reaction to Andreas' articles.   He says Andreas
>is a bit overly zealous, but the content of what he says is true.
>(except in obvious cases like "the booklet doesn't exist")  Things
>like 'all other religions are false and of Satan',  etc, he says
>are all true, the only problem is the bluntness with which Andreas
>says it.   So, in recent articles, when Andreas was hesitant to
>come out and list the "false" religions that teach children to
>lie, steal, etc; and used that "physics teacher vs child" analogy,
>he was practicing what the JW I work with had thought he should.

	Thank you, Walter. But in the 'obvious case' that the booklet doesn't 
	exist I checked the WTBTS publications index and it wasn't there, so 
	what else could I say that it doesn't exist ?

	What comes to the list of 'false religions', I didn't say it          
	immediately, but when the public wanted it, I finally mentioned some
	examples. So, first I wanted that people would consider themselves, 
	what was true and what was false, but when they insisted, I mentioned 
	some examples. 

	The reason why I act like I act is that here some people claim to know,
	what we believe better than we do ourselves. I have nothing against 
        good debate itself.

>Of course, that doesn't change Andreas' view, or the view taught by
>the JWs as a whole.  Eventually, Andreas must have gotten tired of
>holding his tongue, and gave a partial list of "false" religions;
>a list that every JW I've talked to would agree with 100%; they
>just wouldn't have the balls to post it publically like Andreas
>did.  In that respect, I have to give Andreas a little credit, at
>least he'd say in public what they are taught in private.

	Thank you, Walter, but I did it only for the reason I mentioned before.
	It's not good approach to say that your religion is false, but when 
	people insisted it, I finally said it. 

>Its also noteworthy that none of the other JWs here have disagreed
>with what Andreas said; the only correction I've seen is Mark
>Sornson saying the booklet "Child Custody Cases" really is put
>out by the WTBTS.   So it would seem that the JWs as a whole
>agree with Andreas' condemnation of all other religions besides
>the JWs.   And that has been my experience with JWs; they dont'
>like to be so blunt about it, but once you get past the veneer,
>they do blanketly condemn all other groups, and say that you
>must leave whatever group you are in and join them, or else
>you will be destroyed as an enemy of God.   JWs who _don't_
>hold such a view are a minority, who are in disagreement with
>the official position of the group.

	Oh, I haven't read his article. In that case I disagree: The booklet 
	doesn't exist. 

	We believe in God's guidance - this is his work, not ours. We don't 
	'force' anyone to leave his religion, we think that a person, who is a
	sheep will find us without any forcing. Our goal is not to be as  
	numerous as possible - if it were, how would we disfellowship so many
	people yearly ?

>The only reason I can see for the JWs not wanting to be so
>blunt is that it would make them look 'radical', which would
>cut into their ability to gain converts.

	No, I don't think so. The first JW-book I bought was Revelation, which
	used hard language, and I preferred the old books with even harder  
	language. We are radicals - we're radically against this Satanic 
	system. 
-- 

		Andreas - Siperian Sirri   Siberian Stint
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc