The Jehovah's Witnesses are breaking the law. They're keeping
data files on the houses they visit. They must be stopped.
There are many Christians and non-Christians that would agree
with these statements and yet there's an inconsistent bias at work.
Everyone hates the Watchtower Society. Sadly, even while they
have largely abandoned the gospel and its Christological essence, they have
nevertheless retained much of the spirit, ethic and ethos that shapes and governs
New Testament Christianity.
Rejecting worldly power, materialism and violence they focus
their lives on what they understand to be kingdom work. Viewed as fanatics,
they are held in contempt by most of society because they refuse to participate
in patriotic and nationalist endeavours. They will not collaborate with the
state and they certainly refuse to go along with narratives society creates in
the realms of history and war. They divide families because they break with
cultural traditions and to add insult to injury they are aggressive proselytisers.
They fundamentally err in their concept of Christ and the
gospel and they certainly hold to some odd beliefs in the realm of eschatology.
Their hermeneutics will sometimes take rather odd turns especially in the realm
of blood transfusions. I can't defend them and yet on another level I want to
come to their defense when they're attacked for both proselytising and this
charge of data collection.
Now if anyone is irked by data collection it certainly is me.
I am hostile to giving out my info at the grocery store, barber shop and just
about anywhere else. If I have to give up data, I am selective about it.
People are upset because the Jehovah's Witnesses come to
their door. Some people wish they could call the police on them. A lot of
people are really bothered by it.
I don't really like people coming to my door either but the
Witnesses don't really bother me. And literally, they don't bother me. In my
case their data collection has worked to my favour. They don't come back any
more and it's not because I was hostile. The last time they were here I talked
with them for well over an hour and the conversation ended on friendly terms...
but I could tell they were troubled and disturbed because I represented a real
threat to them. Our areas of agreement startled them but then when I came at
them with Scripture and defended not Church tradition and categories but
Scriptural ones, they were left stammering and being forced to backtrack. I
don't say this to put a feather in my cap. If I scored any points for the
Kingdom that day it wasn't because of my skills but because of the arms I
wielded. I quoted no creeds or confessions. I appealed to no traditions. In
fact I was openly critical of them. Instead I gave them Scripture and of course
God's Word speaks for itself. It is a sword like no other.
The Witnesses are being attacked for keeping data on the
people and houses they visit. I understand that some would find that
irritating. Are they running the data through algorithms? I don't think so and
I don't think anyone has suggested that. They are determined to talk to
everyone and get their message out. So are we. Maybe they're putting the rest
of us to shame?
They're keeping files to know which houses to re-visit and
which to stay away from. On a more pernicious and scheming level I suspect they
watch obituaries and will make a point of visiting houses where someone might
be grieving or vulnerable. It's calculated but again if you believe in what
you're doing, it's hard to find ethical fault.
But here's what irks me about this whole discussion. Why
aren't Facebook and Google being held to the same account? Why do they get to
keep files on everyone, files which include vast amounts of personal data and
yet this is okay?
I can already hear the response... user agreements. You click
'I accept' and then these organisations have the right to collect and use the
data.
Not so fast. Google and Facebook keep files on non-members. I
don't have a Facebook account and yet Mark Zuckerberg admits they probably have
information about me. Google keeps files on everyone whether they have Gmail or
not. How is that okay?
But there's more. If social media is being used as a means of
government proclamation, school closing info, utility and infrastructure
notices and the like, then it's functioning as a public service and people
shouldn't have to abandon their rights and protections by clicking 'I agree' at
the end of a user agreement. Access should be universal.
Instead we've abandoned our rights and our data and have let
private for-profit platforms take over society and collect our most personal
information and yet it's okay in many cases because a box was checked.
Why are they allowed to do this but a non-political
organisation like the Jehovah's Witnesses aren't? And again it's apples and
oranges because the Watchtower isn't filtering data, running it through
algorithms, let alone passing it on to the government. They're keeping track of
who they've talked to and what houses they want to re-visit and drop off
literature.
Your name and address are public information and as we all
know you can find out a lot more with little effort. If you want them to leave
you alone, politely tell them you aren't interested. They might show up again.
Be more firm and tell them that you don't want them to come back and guess
what? They'll leave you alone.
I am not endorsing their methods but I fail to see how
they're violating the law or how this ruling represents the application of
justice.
There are many advertisers that keep data on me and I am
constantly harassed by everything from junk mail to spam, to annoying pop-up
ads on the side of the screen. All of these electronic applications keep data
files on my IP address and sometimes it's pretty irritating. Do I have to
surrender my rights and personal information because I visit a news website?
Did I click a user agreement?
There's much that could be said about data collection.
Advertisers, social media platforms and the government are the worst offenders.
I'd like to see their sins addressed long before I'm going to worry about the
Jehovah's Witnesses writing down that the guy that lives on XYZ street knows a
lot and we should avoid sending neophytes to his door. Additionally unlike
social media, the Witnesses don't know all our names, ages, hobbies, reading habits
and interests because we don't tell them.
Google does know... whether we want them to or not. They are
the threat to data protection, not the Jehovah's Witnesses.
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