Why did Stephen Bates (write for The Guardian UK) call watchtower LIARS?

Question

Subject: from Stephen Bates, the Guardian
---------------------- Forwarded by Stephen Bates/Guardian/GNL on 25/10/2001 11:02 am ----------
Stephen Bates
25/10/2001 11:01 am
To: "Paul Gillies" < [e-mail]>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr Gillies

Thank you for your response. The Guardian will not publish your letter because it appears to us to be untruthful, or possibly part of your sect's ludicrously-entitled "theocratic war strategy"......In addition, your letter appears to be at a certain amount of variance with what your Portuguese colleague told a newspaper there, when a journalist followed up the story, that the NGO status was applied for to assist the WTBTS's humanitarian aid work in the Third World. Was it to do this or to apply much more mundanely for access to the library?

I have the entire correspondence between these two. These are excerpts that fit here.

As expected, "achtung_heiss" shows up right away to post a cut and paste, since he is living at the Watchtower Branch facilities and working for them.

"Ishvarlan" also seems to be a full time Watchtower troll, sitting at the ready hoping to write what may fool many.

Didn't work. Go back to the kingdom hall fella.

"Ishvarlan"... you call into question the existance of a 'person called Stephen Bates'. Did you do a search? It's quite easy to verify he is the religion write for The Guardian. You could even contact him for verification. But ALAS, your ONLY intention was to "raise doubt" in the readers here. You sir are a troll.

"Madame Grunty"... do you even know what a "troll' is? Seems not. Better do some reading over at wiki.

"Seasoned with salt" has done a cut and paste from Watchtower's propagana pages. Obviously this poster is working for the Watchtower. Most likely the same person as the other pro-Watchtower spinners here. If you contacts the United Nations directly, 760 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA to confirm whether or not Watchtower "knew" or "signed" you will get quite a different answer than the one one supplied by Watchotwer or her trolls here. As far as agreeing with the UN charter, on the UN website you find this information proving they did. http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/pdfs/watchtower.pdf

Answer 1

I am quite confused as to what your question is referring to..do you have a link?...thanx


I can only guess as to why He called them liars......They are...they have twisted and deceived and misused ...people who want to serve God for years and years...they are not getting a single minute of my life again.

Answer 2

1. The original application on file did not require a signature, which seems to indicate, or at least gives the perception, that the application for NGO status was merely a formality.

2. The registration papers filed with the UN contained no statements that conflict with our Christian beliefs.

3. NGO status was necessary to gain access to some facilities, documents, and publications.

4. NGOs are informed that "association of NGOs with the DPI does not constitute their incorporation into the UN system, nor does it entitle associated organizations or their staff to any kind of privileges, immunities or special status."

5. There was a changed relationship between the UN and NGOs. The applications, forms, and brochures of the UN also changed to reflect that fact.

6. When the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society realized that the revised document had language that said NGOs would support the UN, etc., they immediately withdrew membership.

There is no cover-up. The truth is that opposers are misrepresenting the facts of the matter.

Answer 3

You would have to ask the person in question, assuming he exists. Claiming you have correspondence, that is not even directed to you, isn't very conclusive evidence. Also, often when writing what one thinks is private letters, things can be said that one regrets later. Your best bet if you really want to know, and this really did happen is to ask the person who wrote it.

In regards to the answer by Jabbering Goat (no this isn't an insult, it is against rules to use the names of other Y!A members so I use synonyms for their IDs) If this person truly doesn't want to give us another minute, she might want to consider the hours she gives us on here. Just a thought.

Answer 4

Just curious, why do you suddenly call Jehovah's Witnesses a troll? For what reason?

Do you think it is appropriate to say that? I don't think so.
I don't call any religious a troll either. I respect them but I do not appreciate if people speak hatred against some certain religions. So please be nice to anyone if they have different faith than yours.

Answer 5

Perhaps Mr. Bates has some agenda concerning Jehovah's Witnesses and/or their legal and corporate entities.

The matter concerning "Watchtower" and its NGO status is discussed quite well with supporting document images at this website:
http://jehovahsjudgment.co.uk/watchtower-un-ngo/

Interestingly, the remarkable conspiracy theories of anti-Witness critics fail to explain any possible benefit to Jehovah's Witnesses from any NGO "alliance". Before, during, and since the supposed "alliance", Jehovah's Witnesses continued to publicly denounce the ungodly nature of the UN. Before, during, and since the supposed "alliance", Jehovah's Witnesses continued to be widely persecuted in dozens of countries. Before, during, and since the supposed "alliance", the UN continued to be consistently unsympathetic to religious persecution.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20010201/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011015/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_06.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_08.htm