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KNOCKING
 

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Independent Lens

KNOCKING
 

 Home and educational copies of KNOCKING are available from:
KNOCKING Documentary Project


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http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/video.html






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Two men in suits, one younger and one older, stand on a suburban block and read a book that the older man is holding
 
We hope that the film might act as a catalyst for more thoughtful dialogue between Witnesses and their non-Witness neighbors, family members, friends and colleagues. Making the film has enabled these alliances behind the camera. Hopefully watching it will too.
 —Tom Shepard
  


KNOCKING looks at how the strict adherence to doctrine espoused by a "fundamentalist" religion like the Jehovah’s Witnesses has served to protect American civil liberties and free choice.
Filmmaker Statements
Read statements from filmmakers Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard to find out why they made KNOCKING.
Read the Filmmaker Statements >>
Community Engagement
ITVS Community is proud to support KNOCKING with a variety of community outreach events and materials.
Download the viewers' discussion guide (PDF) >>
 (Adobe Acrobat required, 344k) 
Get facilitators' guides and additional resources at itvs.org >>
Get more information in Learn More >>

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Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/getinvolved.html







PBS

WKAR-TV


 

PBS.org




Video

Programs

TV Schedules

Shop

Donate
 .                  
 Mondays 10/9 Central Independent Lens 



..
EXPLORE FILMS

TV SCHEDULE

WATCH VIDEO

LOCAL SCREENINGS

CLASSROOM

BLOG

ABOUT
.
KNOCKING

preview
schedule
  
Get Involved
 
Two men in suits, one younger and one older, stand on a suburban block and read a book that the older man is holding
 
We hope that the film might act as a catalyst for more thoughtful dialogue between Witnesses and their non-Witness neighbors, family members, friends and colleagues. Making the film has enabled these alliances behind the camera. Hopefully watching it will too.
 —Tom Shepard
  


KNOCKING looks at how the strict adherence to doctrine espoused by a "fundamentalist" religion like the Jehovah’s Witnesses has served to protect American civil liberties and free choice.
Filmmaker Statements
Read statements from filmmakers Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard to find out why they made KNOCKING.
Read the Filmmaker Statements >>
Community Engagement
ITVS Community is proud to support KNOCKING with a variety of community outreach events and materials.
Download the viewers' discussion guide (PDF) >>
 (Adobe Acrobat required, 344k) 
Get facilitators' guides and additional resources at itvs.org >>
Get more information in Learn More >>

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
 Home
 Explore Films
 TV Schedule
 Watch Video
 Local Screenings
 Classroom
 Blog
 About
 Credits
 Contact
 Newsletter
 Pressroom
 
Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/getinvolved.html



They are moral conservatives who stay out of politics, but they won a record number of court cases
expanding freedom for everyone. They refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, but they embrace
the science behind bloodless surgery. In Nazi Germany, they could fight for Hitler or go to the concentration
camps. They chose the camps. Following two families who stand firm for their controversial and
misunderstood Christian faith, KNOCKING reveals how Jehovah's Witnesses have helped shape history
beyond the doorstep.
By Joel P. Engardio & Tom Shepard
Fundamentalism and freedom meet at the front door.
The untold story of Jehovah's Witnesses.
WWW.ITVS.ORG/OUTREACH
discussion guide

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


They are moral conservatives who stay out of politics, but they won a record number of court cases
expanding freedom for everyone. They refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, but they embrace
the science behind bloodless surgery. In Nazi Germany, they could fight for Hitler or go to the concentration
camps. They chose the camps. Following two families who stand firm for their controversial and
misunderstood Christian faith, KNOCKING reveals how Jehovah's Witnesses have helped shape history
beyond the doorstep.
By Joel P. Engardio & Tom Shepard
Fundamentalism and freedom meet at the front door.
The untold story of Jehovah's Witnesses.
WWW.ITVS.ORG/OUTREACH
discussion guide

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


I am drawn to documentary filmmaking as a vehicle for telling untold
stories and doing so in a way that won’t trivialize or sensationalize the
issues and subjects who appear on screen. There are few journalistic
outlets left in our fast-paced society which allow us to relax into
a story, meet engaging characters and be taken on a journey that
really challenges what we know and how we think about the world.
KNOCKING is one of those outlets and was a privilege to co-direct.
Most people have only a vague notion of who Jehovah’s Witnesses
are. Before making this film, I knew very little about them—their
beliefs, their history, their family life and their ways of congregating.
In KNOCKING, we tried to unpackage the stereotype of Jehovah’s
Witnesses as proselytizing zealots. By delving deeply and personally
into the lives of several Witnesses, watching them struggle with life’s
biggest challenges, watching them celebrate deeply held convictions
and watching them negotiate their faith in a world often at odds and
even hostile toward them, we begin to empathize and see Jehovah’s
Witnesses as real human beings, not just caricatures on our doorsteps.
Once this happens, our minds open to important and rarely
discussed information: how Witnesses paved legal precedents regarding
First Amendment rights, how they modeled resistance to totalitarian
authority in Nazi Europe and how their unconventional beliefs
prompted innovation in medicine that benefits all of us. Whether or
not you agree with Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, it is incumbent on you
to know their story, to learn their history, as it is part of your own history,
and to take note of all the important ways they have intersected
with society. I hope KNOCKING adds to this body of knowledge and
gives its viewers pause before avoiding the door next time a Witness
comes knocking.
Tom Shepard


From the FilmmakeRS

When my mom took me door-knocking on Saturday mornings to
deliver the Watchtower magazine and a Bible message to the neighborhoods
of Saginaw, Michigan, I didn’t realize I was a defender of
America’s essential freedoms: speech, religion and personal liberty. I
was just a kid who would rather be home watching cartoons on television
like the other kids. At that age, being raised as one of Jehovah’s
Witnesses was an embarrassment because it meant I was different.
Getting sent to the principal’s office for refusing to say the Pledge of
Allegiance was not a typical third-grade offense.
Now, as an adult who became a journalist but never joined the
religion, I can see why it’s important that Jehovah’s Witnesses are
different. That’s why I wanted to make KNOCKING. Our essential
freedoms are at war with each other—a culture war. We are divided
by the very principles that defined America. But when Jehovah’s
Witnesses knock, they are demonstrating that the freedoms of
speech, religion and personal liberty can exist in harmony. It is how
a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, an abortion clinic and a gay
married couple can peacefully co-exist on the same block.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are moral conservatives who only compete in
the marketplace of ideas. They attempt to persuade—not impose—
their beliefs at your door. If you say “no thanks,” they won’t go behind
your back and amend the Constitution to suit their worldview. The only
world they want to control is their own congregation, which is their
right, and joining it is a personal choice. Jehovah’s Witnesses keep
religion out of politics. Their separation of church and state is absolute:
they don’t vote, pledge allegiance to the flag or serve in the
military. Yet as otherwise law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, they remind
us that the America worth fighting for is an America that does not
force people to follow a single ideology with patriotic fervor. And as
a group with fundamental religious beliefs, they remind us that it
is possible to stand firm in your faith without feeling threatened by
those who choose a different path.
The knocking may be inconvenient, but it is a necessary annoyance
in a free society. And when their own First Amendment rights were
threatened, they went to the U.S. Supreme Court a record 62 times.
Jehovah’s Witnesses prevailed, winning 50 cases that expanded liberty
for everyone—even groups they disagree with. Now we can all
equally share our own message. Better we hear an idea we don’t like
than be forced to live by it.
Joel P. Engardio

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


I am drawn to documentary filmmaking as a vehicle for telling untold
stories and doing so in a way that won’t trivialize or sensationalize the
issues and subjects who appear on screen. There are few journalistic
outlets left in our fast-paced society which allow us to relax into
a story, meet engaging characters and be taken on a journey that
really challenges what we know and how we think about the world.
KNOCKING is one of those outlets and was a privilege to co-direct.
Most people have only a vague notion of who Jehovah’s Witnesses
are. Before making this film, I knew very little about them—their
beliefs, their history, their family life and their ways of congregating.
In KNOCKING, we tried to unpackage the stereotype of Jehovah’s
Witnesses as proselytizing zealots. By delving deeply and personally
into the lives of several Witnesses, watching them struggle with life’s
biggest challenges, watching them celebrate deeply held convictions
and watching them negotiate their faith in a world often at odds and
even hostile toward them, we begin to empathize and see Jehovah’s
Witnesses as real human beings, not just caricatures on our doorsteps.
Once this happens, our minds open to important and rarely
discussed information: how Witnesses paved legal precedents regarding
First Amendment rights, how they modeled resistance to totalitarian
authority in Nazi Europe and how their unconventional beliefs
prompted innovation in medicine that benefits all of us. Whether or
not you agree with Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, it is incumbent on you
to know their story, to learn their history, as it is part of your own history,
and to take note of all the important ways they have intersected
with society. I hope KNOCKING adds to this body of knowledge and
gives its viewers pause before avoiding the door next time a Witness
comes knocking.
Tom Shepard


From the FilmmakeRS


When my mom took me door-knocking on Saturday mornings to
deliver the Watchtower magazine and a Bible message to the neighborhoods
of Saginaw, Michigan, I didn’t realize I was a defender of
America’s essential freedoms: speech, religion and personal liberty. I
was just a kid who would rather be home watching cartoons on television
like the other kids. At that age, being raised as one of Jehovah’s
Witnesses was an embarrassment because it meant I was different.
Getting sent to the principal’s office for refusing to say the Pledge of
Allegiance was not a typical third-grade offense.
Now, as an adult who became a journalist but never joined the
religion, I can see why it’s important that Jehovah’s Witnesses are
different. That’s why I wanted to make KNOCKING. Our essential
freedoms are at war with each other—a culture war. We are divided
by the very principles that defined America. But when Jehovah’s
Witnesses knock, they are demonstrating that the freedoms of
speech, religion and personal liberty can exist in harmony. It is how
a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, an abortion clinic and a gay
married couple can peacefully co-exist on the same block.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are moral conservatives who only compete in
the marketplace of ideas. They attempt to persuade—not impose—
their beliefs at your door. If you say “no thanks,” they won’t go behind
your back and amend the Constitution to suit their worldview. The only
world they want to control is their own congregation, which is their
right, and joining it is a personal choice. Jehovah’s Witnesses keep
religion out of politics. Their separation of church and state is absolute:
they don’t vote, pledge allegiance to the flag or serve in the
military. Yet as otherwise law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, they remind
us that the America worth fighting for is an America that does not
force people to follow a single ideology with patriotic fervor. And as
a group with fundamental religious beliefs, they remind us that it
is possible to stand firm in your faith without feeling threatened by
those who choose a different path.
The knocking may be inconvenient, but it is a necessary annoyance
in a free society. And when their own First Amendment rights were
threatened, they went to the U.S. Supreme Court a record 62 times.
Jehovah’s Witnesses prevailed, winning 50 cases that expanded liberty
for everyone—even groups they disagree with. Now we can all
equally share our own message. Better we hear an idea we don’t like
than be forced to live by it.
Joel P. Engardio

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf

Selected People Featured in KNOCKI NG
Joel P. Engardio – filmmaker and narrator
Joseph Kempler – a survivor of Nazi death camps who, after the war,
converts from Judaism to become a Jehovah’s Witness
Seth Thomas – a 23-year-old whose need for a liver transplant seemingly
puts him at odds with Witness prohibitions on blood transfusions


KNOCKING, an hour-long documentary, is a portrait of contradictions.
It looks at how the rigid adherence to doctrine espoused by a fundamentalist
religion like the Jehovah’s Witnesses has served to protect
American civil liberties and free choice.
Though Jehovah’s Witnesses are best known for actively proselytizing
door-to-door, they make no attempts to legislate their conservative
morals at the ballot box. In the midst of America’s so-called culture
wars, KNOCKING asks viewers to consider whether or not Witnesses
provide a model for how people who disagree can peacefully share
the public square.
What makes this film particularly compelling is its focus on the
personal stories of individual Jehovah’s Witnesses. The story of
Seth Thomas, a 23-year-old in need of a liver transplant, highlights
important medical innovations sparked by religious refusal of blood
transfusions.
The life of Joseph Kempler reveals the under-publicized history of the
persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses by the Nazis. A Jewish survivor
of Nazi concentration camps, Kempler was so inspired by the strong
faith of his fellow prisoners who were Jehovah’s Witnesses that he
converted.
The personal portraits also point to controversies surrounding
Jehovah’s Witnesses, showing how religious differences can cause
schisms within families. Mostly, the film asks compelling questions and
invites viewers to reflect, making it an excellent tool for outreach.

the Film

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


Selected People Featured in KNOCKI NG
Joel P. Engardio – filmmaker and narrator
Joseph Kempler – a survivor of Nazi death camps who, after the war,
converts from Judaism to become a Jehovah’s Witness
Seth Thomas – a 23-year-old whose need for a liver transplant seemingly
puts him at odds with Witness prohibitions on blood transfusions

KNOCKING, an hour-long documentary, is a portrait of contradictions.
It looks at how the rigid adherence to doctrine espoused by a fundamentalist
religion like the Jehovah’s Witnesses has served to protect
American civil liberties and free choice.
Though Jehovah’s Witnesses are best known for actively proselytizing
door-to-door, they make no attempts to legislate their conservative
morals at the ballot box. In the midst of America’s so-called culture
wars, KNOCKING asks viewers to consider whether or not Witnesses
provide a model for how people who disagree can peacefully share
the public square.
What makes this film particularly compelling is its focus on the
personal stories of individual Jehovah’s Witnesses. The story of
Seth Thomas, a 23-year-old in need of a liver transplant, highlights
important medical innovations sparked by religious refusal of blood
transfusions.
The life of Joseph Kempler reveals the under-publicized history of the
persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses by the Nazis. A Jewish survivor
of Nazi concentration camps, Kempler was so inspired by the strong
faith of his fellow prisoners who were Jehovah’s Witnesses that he
converted.
The personal portraits also point to controversies surrounding
Jehovah’s Witnesses, showing how religious differences can cause
schisms within families. Mostly, the film asks compelling questions and
invites viewers to reflect, making it an excellent tool for outreach.

the Film


http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


BACKGRO UND INFORMATIO N
History
The Jehovah’s Witnesses began as late 19th-century followers of
Charles Taze Russell’s International Bible Student Association. After
Russell’s death in 1916, a split occurred over leadership and doctrine,
with some members supporting Joseph Franklin Rutherford’s Watch
Tower Society. These followers named themselves the Jehovah’s
Witnesses in 1931. Today, the group claims approximately seven million
followers worldwide.
Structure
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not hire clergy because they consider all
baptized Witnesses to be ordained ministers, and they expect all
Witnesses to provide religious instruction to others. However, individual
Witnesses are not free to interpret scripture for themselves.
The Witnesses are governered by a 10-member Governing Body.
The Governing Body directs the operation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
branches and is given the exclusive right to interpret scripture to form
Witness doctrine.
On the local level, congregations are run by unpaid elders and ministerial
servants (deacon-like positions). Elders are tasked with choosing
congregational activities and providing religious instruction and
spiritual counseling. They also serve on judicial committees that can
mete out discipline, including disfellowshipping (and calling for others
to shun) members who have transgressed against Jehovah’s Witness
doctrine.
Doctrine
The best-known Jehovah’s Witness publications are The Watchtower
(a journal), short Bible tracts (handed out as part of evangelical
efforts) and a Witness translation of the Bible entitled the New World
Translation. Witnesses believe that the Bible is the inspired word of
God and that Jesus was God’s son, but much of their doctrine is
unique. For example:
• Witnesses believe only 144,000 humans—chosen by Jehovah
God—actually go to heaven to assist Jehovah and his son, Jesus.
Everyone else (including nearly every Jehovah’s Witness) is meant to
live forever in paradise on Earth with no sickness, death, war, famine
or pollution. All races will live together in peace; even the animals
will be peaceful.
• Witnesses believe the Earth will be transformed into paradise after
Armageddon cleanses the world of human governments and evil. The
dead will be resurrected to this paradise to learn about God’s new
Kingdom and given a choice to live in it. In the meantime, Witnesses
believe the dead are unconscious. The soul goes nowhere other than
God’s memory for future resurrection back on Earth.
• Witnesses do not believe in Hell. The punishment for those
refusing God’s Kingdom is to simply cease to exist without any
consciousness.
• Witnesses believe that they owe allegiance only to God, not to
human governments, so they will not pledge allegiance to any flag or
country, or serve in the armed forces.
• Witnesses are moral conservatives on social issues like pre-marital
sex, homosexuality, abortion and gambling, but they do not act on
those beliefs politically.
• The death of Jesus is marked with a special observance, but
Witnesses reject any holidays that they consider to be an expression
of nationalism (e.g. Thanksgiving), or a practice of false religion. That
includes Christmas, because the Bible does not command the celebration
of Jesus’s birth.
• Transfusions of whole blood are refused because Witnesses believe
that the Book of Acts says that blood should not be shared.
• Witnesses believe that Jesus did not die on a cross but on a "torture
stake" without a cross-bar, so the crucifix is not used as a symbol.



BACKGRO UND INFORMATIO N
History
The Jehovah’s Witnesses began as late 19th-century followers of
Charles Taze Russell’s International Bible Student Association. After
Russell’s death in 1916, a split occurred over leadership and doctrine,
with some members supporting Joseph Franklin Rutherford’s Watch
Tower Society. These followers named themselves the Jehovah’s
Witnesses in 1931. Today, the group claims approximately seven million
followers worldwide.
Structure
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not hire clergy because they consider all
baptized Witnesses to be ordained ministers, and they expect all
Witnesses to provide religious instruction to others. However, individual
Witnesses are not free to interpret scripture for themselves.
The Witnesses are governered by a 10-member Governing Body.
The Governing Body directs the operation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
branches and is given the exclusive right to interpret scripture to form
Witness doctrine.
On the local level, congregations are run by unpaid elders and ministerial
servants (deacon-like positions). Elders are tasked with choosing
congregational activities and providing religious instruction and
spiritual counseling. They also serve on judicial committees that can
mete out discipline, including disfellowshipping (and calling for others
to shun) members who have transgressed against Jehovah’s Witness
doctrine.
Doctrine
The best-known Jehovah’s Witness publications are The Watchtower
(a journal), short Bible tracts (handed out as part of evangelical
efforts) and a Witness translation of the Bible entitled the New World
Translation. Witnesses believe that the Bible is the inspired word of
God and that Jesus was God’s son, but much of their doctrine is
unique. For example:
• Witnesses believe only 144,000 humans—chosen by Jehovah
God—actually go to heaven to assist Jehovah and his son, Jesus.
Everyone else (including nearly every Jehovah’s Witness) is meant to
live forever in paradise on Earth with no sickness, death, war, famine
or pollution. All races will live together in peace; even the animals
will be peaceful.
• Witnesses believe the Earth will be transformed into paradise after
Armageddon cleanses the world of human governments and evil. The
dead will be resurrected to this paradise to learn about God’s new
Kingdom and given a choice to live in it. In the meantime, Witnesses
believe the dead are unconscious. The soul goes nowhere other than
God’s memory for future resurrection back on Earth.
• Witnesses do not believe in Hell. The punishment for those
refusing God’s Kingdom is to simply cease to exist without any
consciousness.
• Witnesses believe that they owe allegiance only to God, not to
human governments, so they will not pledge allegiance to any flag or
country, or serve in the armed forces.
• Witnesses are moral conservatives on social issues like pre-marital
sex, homosexuality, abortion and gambling, but they do not act on
those beliefs politically.
• The death of Jesus is marked with a special observance, but
Witnesses reject any holidays that they consider to be an expression
of nationalism (e.g. Thanksgiving), or a practice of false religion. That
includes Christmas, because the Bible does not command the celebration
of Jesus’s birth.
• Transfusions of whole blood are refused because Witnesses believe
that the Book of Acts says that blood should not be shared.
• Witnesses believe that Jesus did not die on a cross but on a "torture
stake" without a cross-bar, so the crucifix is not used as a symbol.


http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


THI NKI NG MORE DEE PLY
General
• If you could ask anyone in the film a question, what would you ask,
of whom, and why?
• Before viewing the film, when someone said “Jehovah’s Witness,”
what images came to mind? What were the sources of those images?
Did the film confirm or challenge what you thought you knew
about Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Doctrinal Issues
• What adjective would you use to characterize proselytizing? How did
you feel watching the door-to-door efforts in the film and/or the last
time a Jehovah’s Witness approached you? Explain your feelings.
• Why do you think Dolores Rasmussen (Seth’s grandmother) thinks
of the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a cult? Is she right? How would you
deal with a family member whose religious beliefs prevented them
from participating in traditional family gatherings or events like birthday
celebrations or Christmas?
Political Issues
• Assessing the Jehovah’s Witness teaching that mixing religion with
politics is unchristian, the filmmaker asks, “Is it possible for a morally
conservative religion to stay out of the culture wars?” How would
you answer him?
• Would you consider the resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses to Hitler
heroic? Why or why not? Do you admire the choice to stay in the
camps rather than sign a paper renouncing one’s faith? Why or
why not?
• In your view, does protection of freedom of religion necessitate
granting citizens the right to choose obedience to religious principal
over obedience to government edict or law? What about exempting
citizens from civic or military involvement for religious reasons? If
not, why not? If so, under what circumstances?
• Towards the end of the film, Dr. Michael Berenbaum says, “Jehovah’s
Witnesses are fundamentalists who have an uncompromising faith.
The largest question in our world today is whether people of uncompromising
faith are going to see it is imperative to act out with
violence toward the other or to act out with decency and dignity
toward the other. So the question of our world may not be whether
we’re going to have fundamentalism or whether fundamentalism is
bad, but what type of fundamentalism we’re going to have.” What
type of fundamentalism is practiced by Jehovah’s Witnesses? In
your view, what are the benefits and drawbacks of that kind of fundamentalism?
What kinds of lessons can Jehovah’s Witnesses offer
to others in the context of today’s post-September-11 world.
• In light of American devotion to freedom of religion and freedom
of speech, why do you think the Witnesses have periodically been
targets of violence and arrest? What is the difference between
valuing freedom and valuing pluralism?
Medical Issues
• When it looked like no one would perform a transplant without the
possibility of a blood transfusion, how would you have counseled
Seth if he had asked you for advice? As specifically as you can,
identify the values on which you would base your opinion. Compare
the values you hold most dear with the values that Seth seems to
weigh the most in this situation.
• Doctors have sometimes forced Witnesses to have blood transfusions
in emergency situations, believing that no religion has a right
to let its members die when it is possible for doctors to save them.
Do you believe that emergency room physicians should respect the
wishes of people like the hockey players in the film, who do not
want blood transfusions? Why or why not?

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf



THI NKI NG MORE DEE PLY
General
• If you could ask anyone in the film a question, what would you ask,
of whom, and why?
• Before viewing the film, when someone said “Jehovah’s Witness,”
what images came to mind? What were the sources of those images?
Did the film confirm or challenge what you thought you knew
about Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Doctrinal Issues
• What adjective would you use to characterize proselytizing? How did
you feel watching the door-to-door efforts in the film and/or the last
time a Jehovah’s Witness approached you? Explain your feelings.
• Why do you think Dolores Rasmussen (Seth’s grandmother) thinks
of the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a cult? Is she right? How would you
deal with a family member whose religious beliefs prevented them
from participating in traditional family gatherings or events like birthday
celebrations or Christmas?
Political Issues
• Assessing the Jehovah’s Witness teaching that mixing religion with
politics is unchristian, the filmmaker asks, “Is it possible for a morally
conservative religion to stay out of the culture wars?” How would
you answer him?
• Would you consider the resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses to Hitler
heroic? Why or why not? Do you admire the choice to stay in the
camps rather than sign a paper renouncing one’s faith? Why or
why not?
• In your view, does protection of freedom of religion necessitate
granting citizens the right to choose obedience to religious principal
over obedience to government edict or law? What about exempting
citizens from civic or military involvement for religious reasons? If
not, why not? If so, under what circumstances?
• Towards the end of the film, Dr. Michael Berenbaum says, “Jehovah’s
Witnesses are fundamentalists who have an uncompromising faith.
The largest question in our world today is whether people of uncompromising
faith are going to see it is imperative to act out with
violence toward the other or to act out with decency and dignity
toward the other. So the question of our world may not be whether
we’re going to have fundamentalism or whether fundamentalism is
bad, but what type of fundamentalism we’re going to have.” What
type of fundamentalism is practiced by Jehovah’s Witnesses? In
your view, what are the benefits and drawbacks of that kind of fundamentalism?
What kinds of lessons can Jehovah’s Witnesses offer
to others in the context of today’s post-September-11 world.
• In light of American devotion to freedom of religion and freedom
of speech, why do you think the Witnesses have periodically been
targets of violence and arrest? What is the difference between
valuing freedom and valuing pluralism?
Medical Issues
• When it looked like no one would perform a transplant without the
possibility of a blood transfusion, how would you have counseled
Seth if he had asked you for advice? As specifically as you can,
identify the values on which you would base your opinion. Compare
the values you hold most dear with the values that Seth seems to
weigh the most in this situation.
• Doctors have sometimes forced Witnesses to have blood transfusions
in emergency situations, believing that no religion has a right
to let its members die when it is possible for doctors to save them.
Do you believe that emergency room physicians should respect the
wishes of people like the hockey players in the film, who do not
want blood transfusions? Why or why not?


http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


SUGGESTIO NS FOR ACTIO N
Together with other audience members, brainstorm actions that you
might take as an individual and that people might do as a group. If
you need help getting started, you might begin your list with these
suggestions:
• Join in community observances of the Holocaust (e.g. Jewish
communal observances of Yom HaShoah). Include the history of
Jehovah’s Witnesses wartime experiences in the observance.
• Hold an informational workshop for medical professionals on treating
Jehovah’s Witnesses. Along with the film, use the American
Medical Association’s Principles of Medical Ethics [ http://www.
ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2512.html ] to guide a discussion
on the ethical aspects of treatment options.
• Hold a debate or mock trial on one or more of the key Constitutional
cases brought by Jehovah’s Witnesses (e.g. the right to evangelize
door-to-door without a permit, the right to refuse military service,
salute the flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.).
• The film ends by noting that 28 countries currently ban the
Jehovah’s Witnesses. Investigate which countries are on that list and
discuss their reasons for the ban. Find ways to protest instances
where you believe the ban is unjust.
For additional outreach ideas, visit itvs.org, the website of the
Independent Television Service. For local information, check the
website of your PBS station.
Before you leave this event, commit yourself to pursue one item from
the brainstorm list.
RE SOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY & ACTIO N
General
http://www.knocking.org - The official website of the film includes
background information on production as well as selected comments
from viewers.
Religious Beliefs
http://www.watchtower.org/ - The official website of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses provides comprehensive information on their beliefs
and work.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/witnesses/ - The BBC
“Religion & Ethics” site provides basic background information as well
as a timeline history of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and a radio debate
on ethical issues involved in treating Jehovah’s Witnesses (click on
the “ethics” tab and scroll to “medical ethics” section). A search of
the entire BBC site (www.bbc.co.uk) will provide links to dozens of
relevant news stories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovahs_Witnesses - Although not a
traditional fact-checked source, Wikipedia also provides a wide range
of general information about Jehovah’s Witnesses, including reports
of activities outside the U.S.
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Society/Jehovah_s_Witnesses_
PBS_Film_KNOCKING_Omits_the_Facts_33760.html - A critique of
the film and the religion by a former Jehovah’s Witness.
History of the Holocaust
http://www.ushmm.org/ - The website of the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum includes a significant collection of resources
recounting the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses before and during
World War II. For a complete list, search “Jehovah’s Witnesses” in ALL
Categories.
U.S. Constitution
http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/indexes/bl_l_JWIndex.
htm - Inexplicably hidden under the heading of Agnosticism/Atheism,
the website About.com includes “Jehovah’s Witness and Religious
Liberty: An Index of Court Cases.” The list includes summaries and
background information on major cases involving freedom of religion
and freedom of speech.
Medical Issues
http://www.ajwrb.org/index.shtml - The Associated Jehovah's
Witnesses for Reform on Blood is a diverse group of Witnesses who
oppose official Witness teaching on medical treatment involving blood.
http://www.nataonline.com – Network for the Advancement of
Transfusion Alternatives. A website primarily by and for the medical
community to share and discuss new treatment technology.
http://www.noblood.org – An independent website for both patients
and physicians interested in the advancement of transfusion-free
medicine and surgery.
KNOCKING WILL AIR NATIONALLY ON THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING PBS SERIES
INDEPENDENT LENS ON TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2007 AT 10 PM. CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS.
KNOCKING was produced in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS),
with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The Emmy
Award-winning series Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS and is funded
by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) with additional funding provided by
PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts.
ITVS COMMUNITY is the national community engagement program of the Independent
Television Service. ITVS Community works to leverage the unique and timely content of
the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens to build stronger connections
among leading organizations, local communities and public television stations around
key social issues and create more opportunities for civic engagement and positive social
change. To find out more about ITVS Community, visit www.itvs.org/outreach/.

http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf


SUGGESTIO NS FOR ACTIO N
Together with other audience members, brainstorm actions that you
might take as an individual and that people might do as a group. If
you need help getting started, you might begin your list with these
suggestions:
• Join in community observances of the Holocaust (e.g. Jewish
communal observances of Yom HaShoah). Include the history of
Jehovah’s Witnesses wartime experiences in the observance.
• Hold an informational workshop for medical professionals on treating
Jehovah’s Witnesses. Along with the film, use the American
Medical Association’s Principles of Medical Ethics [ http://www.
ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2512.html ] to guide a discussion
on the ethical aspects of treatment options.
• Hold a debate or mock trial on one or more of the key Constitutional
cases brought by Jehovah’s Witnesses (e.g. the right to evangelize
door-to-door without a permit, the right to refuse military service,
salute the flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.).
• The film ends by noting that 28 countries currently ban the
Jehovah’s Witnesses. Investigate which countries are on that list and
discuss their reasons for the ban. Find ways to protest instances
where you believe the ban is unjust.
For additional outreach ideas, visit itvs.org, the website of the
Independent Television Service. For local information, check the
website of your PBS station.
Before you leave this event, commit yourself to pursue one item from
the brainstorm list.
RE SOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY & ACTIO N
General
http://www.knocking.org - The official website of the film includes
background information on production as well as selected comments
from viewers.
Religious Beliefs
http://www.watchtower.org/ - The official website of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses provides comprehensive information on their beliefs
and work.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/witnesses/ - The BBC
“Religion & Ethics” site provides basic background information as well
as a timeline history of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and a radio debate
on ethical issues involved in treating Jehovah’s Witnesses (click on
the “ethics” tab and scroll to “medical ethics” section). A search of
the entire BBC site (www.bbc.co.uk) will provide links to dozens of
relevant news stories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovahs_Witnesses - Although not a
traditional fact-checked source, Wikipedia also provides a wide range
of general information about Jehovah’s Witnesses, including reports
of activities outside the U.S.
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Society/Jehovah_s_Witnesses_
PBS_Film_KNOCKING_Omits_the_Facts_33760.html - A critique of
the film and the religion by a former Jehovah’s Witness.
History of the Holocaust
http://www.ushmm.org/ - The website of the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum includes a significant collection of resources
recounting the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses before and during
World War II. For a complete list, search “Jehovah’s Witnesses” in ALL
Categories.
U.S. Constitution
http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/indexes/bl_l_JWIndex.
htm - Inexplicably hidden under the heading of Agnosticism/Atheism,
the website About.com includes “Jehovah’s Witness and Religious
Liberty: An Index of Court Cases.” The list includes summaries and
background information on major cases involving freedom of religion
and freedom of speech.
Medical Issues
http://www.ajwrb.org/index.shtml - The Associated Jehovah's
Witnesses for Reform on Blood is a diverse group of Witnesses who
oppose official Witness teaching on medical treatment involving blood.
http://www.nataonline.com – Network for the Advancement of
Transfusion Alternatives. A website primarily by and for the medical
community to share and discuss new treatment technology.
http://www.noblood.org – An independent website for both patients
and physicians interested in the advancement of transfusion-free
medicine and surgery.
KNOCKING WILL AIR NATIONALLY ON THE EMMY AWARD-WINNING PBS SERIES
INDEPENDENT LENS ON TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2007 AT 10 PM. CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS.
KNOCKING was produced in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS),
with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The Emmy
Award-winning series Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS and is funded
by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) with additional funding provided by
PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts.
ITVS COMMUNITY is the national community engagement program of the Independent
Television Service. ITVS Community works to leverage the unique and timely content of
the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens to build stronger connections
among leading organizations, local communities and public television stations around
key social issues and create more opportunities for civic engagement and positive social
change. To find out more about ITVS Community, visit www.itvs.org/outreach/.


http://www-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/knocking_discussion.pdf







PBS

WKAR-TV


 

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KNOCKING

preview
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Learn More
The Film | Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Beliefs | Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Court
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood | Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust
Ex-Witnesses and Witness Dissenters  | Sources
The Film 
KNOCKING Documentary Project
 The film site includes reviews, viewer comments and a screening schedule.
JoelEngardio.com
 Web site of filmmaker Joel Engardio, featuring his past and current work in print and video.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Beliefs
Watchtower Society Official Web SIte
 The official Jehovah’s Witnesses site contains articles in 310 languages on topics such as Witness beliefs, medical care and blood, the Bible, love, money and much more.
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information
 This official Witness newsroom includes information on human rights, health and medicine, people beliefs. View video news, and relevant news reports from around the globe.
top

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Court
FindLaw.com: Minersville School Dist. vs. Gobitis
 Read more about the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Witnesses and flag salute.
Introduction to the Court Opinion on the West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette Case
 Read the introduction to this 1943 court case that reversed the decision of Minersville School District v. Gobitis.
American Civil Liberties Union: Religion and Belief
 Learn more about freedom of religion in the United States and the ACLU’s work in defending the right of religious organizations and individuals to express their beliefs in public.
The Courage of Their Convictions
 By Peter Irons
 (Penguin, 1990)
 Read the stories of 16 individuals, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, involved in important U.S. Supreme Court issues.
State and Salvation—The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Fight for Civil Rights
 By William Kaplan
 (University of Toronto Press, 1989)
 An account of the court battles of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada.
top

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood
Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives
 This international network of medical practitioners, researchers and opinion leaders is dedicated to disseminating information about recent advances in blood conservation and transfusion alternatives.
NoBlood
 This site includes a community center and discussion forum about blood management and avoidance, the latest bloodless healthcare news and a bloodless knowledge base.
Society for the Advancement of Blood Management
 The SABM aims “to improve patient outcomes through optimal blood management; which includes the appropriate provision and use of blood and blood products, and strategies to reduce or avoid transfusion.”
top

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust
Standing Out—Standing Up: A Jehovah’s Witness Experience
 Presented by the Shoah Foundation and the Arnold-Liebster Foundation, this Web feature includes a downloadable lesson plan, handouts and video clips.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Holocaust Encyclopedia: Jehovah’s Witnesses
 Read personal stories and articles about Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust, and view photographs of related artifacts.
Study Guide for the Documentary Video Jehovah's Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault
 Download a PDF study guide for this documentary film, which includes a chronology, glossary and transcript.
A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust: Jehovah’s Witnesses
 This page from the University of South Florida includes links to book excerpts, personal stories and timelines.
Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe
 By Simone Arnold Liebster
 (Grammaton Press, 2000)
 The story of a young Witness victim of Nazi persecution.
top

Ex-Witnesses and Witness Dissenters
Watchman Fellowship
 The Watchman Fellowship is “an independent, nondenominational Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Watchers of the Watchtower World
 This non-profit organization aims to keep a critical eye on The Watchtower and Witnesses.
Associated Jehovah’s Witnesses for Reform on Blood
 The Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood is a diverse group of Witnesses that educates “Jehovah's Witnesses, their family members, friends and health care providers regarding the irrational aspects of the Watchtower Society's policy on the use of blood and blood products.”
top

Sources
The following served as information sources for this Web site:

Watchtower Office of Public Information, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Brooklyn, New York
To the Flag: The Unlikely History of the Pledge of Allegiance
 By Richard J. Ellis
 (University Press of Kansas, 2000)
The Courage of Their Convictions
 By Peter Irons
 (The Free Press, 1988)
State and Salvation—The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Fight for Civil Rights
 By William Kaplan
 (University of Toronto Press, 1989)
Judging Jehovah’s Witnesses: Religious Persecution and the Dawn of the Rights Revolution
 By Shawn F. Peters
 (University Press of Kansas, 2000)
Salute! The Case of The Bible vs. The Flag
 By Leonard A. Stevens
 (Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc., 1973)
U.S. Supreme Court Web site: Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York v. Village of Stratton
RJ&L Religious Liberty Archive
First Amendment Center: Establishment Clause
Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives
Bloodless.com
NoBlood
American Cancer Society: Alternatives to Blood Transfusions
PBS.org: Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood
Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses During the Nazi Regime 1933 - 1945
 By Hans Ed Hesse
 (Edition Temmen, 2000)
The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity
 By Christine E. King
 (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1982)
Crucible of Terror: Survival Through the Nazi Storm
 By Max Liebster
 (Grammaton Press, 2003)
Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe
 By Simone Arnold Liebster
 (Grammaton Press, 2000. Original and Abridged editions)
Unbroken Will: The Extraordinary Courage of an Ordinary Man
 By Bernhard Rammerstorfer
 (Grammaton Press, 2004)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Teaching about the Holocaust
University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (PDF)
The Trumpet of Prophecy. A Sociological Study of Jehovah’s Witnesses
 By James A. Beckford
 (John Wiley & Sons, 1975)
Exploring New Religions
 By George D. Chryssides
 (Cassell, 1999)
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement
 By Andrew Holden
 (New York: Routledge, 2002)
“Why the Jehovah’s Witnesses Grow so Rapidly: A Theoretical Application”
By Rodney Stark and Laurence R. Iannaccone
 Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. ( 997), No. 2, 134-57

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
 Home
 Explore Films
 TV Schedule
 Watch Video
 Local Screenings
 Classroom
 Blog
 About
 Credits
 Contact
 Newsletter
 Pressroom
 
Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/more.html








PBS

WKAR-TV


 

PBS.org




Video

Programs

TV Schedules

Shop

Donate
 .                  
 Mondays 10/9 Central Independent Lens 



..
EXPLORE FILMS

TV SCHEDULE

WATCH VIDEO

LOCAL SCREENINGS

CLASSROOM

BLOG

ABOUT
.
KNOCKING

preview
schedule
  
Learn More
The Film | Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Beliefs | Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Court
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood | Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust
Ex-Witnesses and Witness Dissenters  | Sources
The Film 
KNOCKING Documentary Project
 The film site includes reviews, viewer comments and a screening schedule.
JoelEngardio.com
 Web site of filmmaker Joel Engardio, featuring his past and current work in print and video.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Beliefs
Watchtower Society Official Web SIte
 The official Jehovah’s Witnesses site contains articles in 310 languages on topics such as Witness beliefs, medical care and blood, the Bible, love, money and much more.
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information
 This official Witness newsroom includes information on human rights, health and medicine, people beliefs. View video news, and relevant news reports from around the globe.
top

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Court
FindLaw.com: Minersville School Dist. vs. Gobitis
Read more about the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding Witnesses and flag salute.
Introduction to the Court Opinion on the West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette Case
 Read the introduction to this 1943 court case that reversed the decision of Minersville School District v. Gobitis.
American Civil Liberties Union: Religion and Belief
 Learn more about freedom of religion in the United States and the ACLU’s work in defending the right of religious organizations and individuals to express their beliefs in public.
The Courage of Their Convictions
 By Peter Irons
 (Penguin, 1990)
 Read the stories of 16 individuals, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, involved in important U.S. Supreme Court issues.
State and Salvation—The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Fight for Civil Rights
 By William Kaplan
 (University of Toronto Press, 1989)
 An account of the court battles of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada.
top

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood
Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives
 This international network of medical practitioners, researchers and opinion leaders is dedicated to disseminating information about recent advances in blood conservation and transfusion alternatives.
NoBlood
 This site includes a community center and discussion forum about blood management and avoidance, the latest bloodless healthcare news and a bloodless knowledge base.
Society for the Advancement of Blood Management
 The SABM aims “to improve patient outcomes through optimal blood management; which includes the appropriate provision and use of blood and blood products, and strategies to reduce or avoid transfusion.”
top

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust
Standing Out—Standing Up: A Jehovah’s Witness Experience
 Presented by the Shoah Foundation and the Arnold-Liebster Foundation, this Web feature includes a downloadable lesson plan, handouts and video clips.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Holocaust Encyclopedia: Jehovah’s Witnesses
 Read personal stories and articles about Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust, and view photographs of related artifacts.
Study Guide for the Documentary Video Jehovah's Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault
 Download a PDF study guide for this documentary film, which includes a chronology, glossary and transcript.
A Teacher’s Guide to the Holocaust: Jehovah’s Witnesses
 This page from the University of South Florida includes links to book excerpts, personal stories and timelines.
Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe
 By Simone Arnold Liebster
 (Grammaton Press, 2000)
 The story of a young Witness victim of Nazi persecution.
top

Ex-Witnesses and Witness Dissenters
Watchman Fellowship
 The Watchman Fellowship is “an independent, nondenominational Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Watchers of the Watchtower World
 This non-profit organization aims to keep a critical eye on The Watchtower and Witnesses.
Associated Jehovah’s Witnesses for Reform on Blood
 The Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood is a diverse group of Witnesses that educates “Jehovah's Witnesses, their family members, friends and health care providers regarding the irrational aspects of the Watchtower Society's policy on the use of blood and blood products.”
top

Sources
The following served as information sources for this Web site:

Watchtower Office of Public Information, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Brooklyn, New York
To the Flag: The Unlikely History of the Pledge of Allegiance
 By Richard J. Ellis
 (University Press of Kansas, 2000)
The Courage of Their Convictions
 By Peter Irons
 (The Free Press, 1988)
State and Salvation—The Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Fight for Civil Rights
 By William Kaplan
 (University of Toronto Press, 1989)
Judging Jehovah’s Witnesses: Religious Persecution and the Dawn of the Rights Revolution
 By Shawn F. Peters
 (University Press of Kansas, 2000)
Salute! The Case of The Bible vs. The Flag
 By Leonard A. Stevens
 (Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc., 1973)
U.S. Supreme Court Web site: Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York v. Village of Stratton
RJ&L Religious Liberty Archive
First Amendment Center: Establishment Clause
Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives
Bloodless.com
NoBlood
American Cancer Society: Alternatives to Blood Transfusions
PBS.org: Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood
Persecution and Resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses During the Nazi Regime 1933 - 1945
 By Hans Ed Hesse
 (Edition Temmen, 2000)
The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity
 By Christine E. King
 (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1982)
Crucible of Terror: Survival Through the Nazi Storm
 By Max Liebster
 (Grammaton Press, 2003)
Facing the Lion: Memoirs of a Young Girl in Nazi Europe
 By Simone Arnold Liebster
 (Grammaton Press, 2000. Original and Abridged editions)
Unbroken Will: The Extraordinary Courage of an Ordinary Man
 By Bernhard Rammerstorfer
 (Grammaton Press, 2004)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Teaching about the Holocaust
University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (PDF)
The Trumpet of Prophecy. A Sociological Study of Jehovah’s Witnesses
 By James A. Beckford
 (John Wiley & Sons, 1975)
Exploring New Religions
 By George D. Chryssides
 (Cassell, 1999)
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Portrait of a Contemporary Religious Movement
 By Andrew Holden
 (New York: Routledge, 2002)
“Why the Jehovah’s Witnesses Grow so Rapidly: A Theoretical Application”
By Rodney Stark and Laurence R. Iannaccone
 Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. ( 997), No. 2, 134-57

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
 Home
 Explore Films
 TV Schedule
 Watch Video
 Local Screenings
 Classroom
 Blog
 About
 Credits
 Contact
 Newsletter
 Pressroom
 
Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                


http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/more.html







PBS

WKAR-TV


 

PBS.org




Video

Programs

TV Schedules

Shop

Donate
 .                  
 Mondays 10/9 Central Independent Lens 



..
EXPLORE FILMS

TV SCHEDULE

WATCH VIDEO

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CLASSROOM

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ABOUT
.
KNOCKING

preview
schedule
  
Filmmaker Q&A
 
An older white man and woman wearing winter coats and walking arm in arm down a snowy suburban street
 

Filmmaker Joel P. Engardio shares his hopes for KNOCKING.
I hope that KNOCKING will allow people to see Jehovah’s Witnesses as something more than the one-dimensional caricature we think of them on our doorstep. Jehovah’s Witnesses are real people with something to contribute beyond their Bible message. Because we don’t understand them, we relegate Jehovah’s Witnesses to cheap jokes. Because we see them as a joke, they have no relevancy to us. And without relevancy, they are dismissed and ignored.
 My hope is that KNOCKING will have an impact on how we view “the other.” Sometimes we actually can benefit from what divides us.
Read the filmmaker statements »   


Co-directors/Co-producers Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard talk about how they met the families portrayed in their film, gained the trust of Jehovah’s Witnesses and how Joel’s mother reacted to KNOCKING.
What led you to make KNOCKING?
Joel P. Engardio: I made KNOCKING because there needs to be a discussion about religious and personal freedoms in this country that is framed in terms other than “us versus them.” The pursuit of these freedoms is what America was founded upon, yet they are what divide us most as a nation. We engage in a protracted culture war because we are unable to reconcile our religious heritage with the progress of personal liberties. Conservatives and liberals both feel equally threatened. Each sees the other as the enemy and downfall of our nation.
Enter Jehovah’s Witnesses: a case study in how "fundamentalist" religion can peacefully co-exist with civic society. Because Jehovah’s Witnesses are so unpopular and misunderstood, they had to fight for the right to live as they choose. The cases won by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the U.S. Supreme Court between the 1930s and 1950s set the precedent upon which others would litigate their own civil rights cases—groups Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t necessarily agree with. Yet Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t begrudge those who hold differing worldviews. They acknowledge that a right is not a right unless it belongs to everyone.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are religiously conservative for sure: if you are a member, you can’t be openly gay, you can’t get an abortion and women can’t serve as religious leaders. These doctrinal stands aren’t unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses—many religions take the same positions. But what makes Jehovah’s Witnesses different from other religions is that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t attempt to politically legislate their beliefs for everyone.
Allowing Jehovah’s Witnesses to come to your door may be annoying, but it is a necessary annoyance to live in a free society. In a multimedia age where it requires millions of dollars to mount a campaign, political or otherwise, it is important that everyone has the right to free access to their neighbors by simply knocking on a door and speaking face to face.
Personally, I don’t agree with the Jehovah’s Witness stand on various issues. So after listening to their message, I don’t join. No one has to be a Jehovah’s Witness, just as no one has to be Catholic or Mormon or Baptist. But we all have to be given the freedom to live our lives as we see fit—as long as we respect each other’s right to live differently and do no harm. Jehovah’s Witnesses offer a good example of how fundamentalist religion can remain true to itself while peacefully co-existing with a progressive society. It is how America is supposed to work.
What were some of the challenges you faced in making KNOCKING?
Tom Shepard: Early on, few broadcasters and supporters of documentary film took an interest in the film. Most knew very little about the real experiences of Jehovah’s Witnesses beyond knocking on doors. We had to knock on a lot of doors ourselves to find supporters and convince them there would be an audience for these important untold stories. Developing trust, also, with Jehovah’s Witnesses (both the subjects in our film and the national headquarters) took time. There has been little, if any, balanced coverage in the mainstream media about Jehovah’s Witnesses. We understood why Witnesses might not immediately trust our intentions to make a film about their lives.
Joel: This was a story that in the beginning no one was interested in being told. Public television funders weren't interested. Jehovah’s Witnesses weren’t interested. The general public wasn’t interested. Panelists that consider funding for PBS programs were skeptical about what value a fundamentalist religion could have in the important dialogue public television facilitates around issues of personal liberty. They had to be convinced that Jehovah’s Witnesses are subject to as many stereotypes and misunderstandings that plague lots of minority groups, and in fact, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a small slice of the pluralistic society in which we live and have contributed to it even if you don’t agree with everything they believe in. Likewise, the general public only knows of Jehovah’s Witnesses as one-dimensional characters knocking on their door. It is difficult to get the general public to see that Jehovah’s Witnesses have a relevant story. As for Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are used to being the punch line of late-night TV comedians. They are used to the mainstream media repeating stereotypes and misinformation that paints Jehovah’s Witnesses only in a negative light. So when approached to have a full documentary treatment broadcast on PBS, Jehovah’s Witnesses weren’t exactly embracing of the idea with open arms.
How did you meet the two families portrayed in the film? Why did you choose to interview them?
Joel: I met Joseph Kempler when I worked for the ABC News documentary program Turning Point. I was developing a story about Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust. Ultimately, Turning Point was cancelled as a series and I kept Joseph’s story in my files for a time when I could produce the story myself. The fact that Joseph experienced the horrors of the camps as a Jew, but heard about the incredible stand made by Jehovah’s Witnesses against Hitler and later converted because of it, was a very unique story. Also, the fact Joseph has family members who remain Jewish was even more interesting.
I met Seth Thomas by contacting every medical center in the U.S. that does liver transplants. I knew I wanted to feature the most complicated transfusion-free surgery possible and found that USC University Hospital was one of the first medical centers to successfully do the procedure. USC shared a number of cases with me before I settled on Seth’s case. The fact that Seth was so young, 23, with his entire life ahead of him, made his stand on faith more compelling. Also, the fact that Seth has family members who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, and who disagree with the stand against blood, offered for a nice balance to the story in seeing both points of view.
What didn’t get included in your film that you would have liked to?
Tom: Given what each family was going through, there were intensely emotional issues that came up as they wrestled with their circumstances. Time limitations kept us from exploring all of these. Additionally, Joel and I would have liked to flesh out better how Jehovah’s Witnesses play a different and surprising role in the so called “culture wars” in the United States. In other words, their neutrality in society and politics must be read differently than other conservative Christian groups who take overt political stands. These ideas were more difficult to present cinematically, especially in a character-driven documentary.
Joel: Most everything of importance got mentioned, but I would have liked to explore more of what the DVD extras are able to do: more in-depth coverage of the history and beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses and how their fight for First Amendment freedoms benefited all Americans. Also, to explore more how and why Jehovah’s Witnesses are apolitical and do not protest groups they disagree with or use the political process to limit the freedoms of other minority groups—even though many other religions are devoted to this. It interests me how Jehovah’s Witnesses are strong enough in their own faith, strong enough in their own definition of marriage, life and morality that someone else’s does not threaten them.
You have family members who are Witnesses. How have they reacted to KNOCKING?
Joel: My mother is the only member of my extended Italian Catholic family who is one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Throughout the making of the film she was not privy to what was being done, but only said, “Please don’t make me look bad.” She was happy with the final film, if not relieved.
Tom: I don’t have any family members who are Jehovah’s Witnesses but have friends who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Making this film has been a wonderful occasion to reconnect with these friends. They have been extremely excited to see the film and are helping me promote it.
How do you think the fact that you were raised as a Jehovah’s Witness impacted the making of your film?
Joel: The journalists’ creed is objectivity, but all journalists bring their own personal history to their reports. The fact I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness has two reactions. Either, 1) I never became a member so I can’t do a fair job. I must harbor some ill will or resentment and will do a negative “hit” piece. Or 2) My mother is still a Jehovah’s Witness, so I will do a promotional piece on Jehovah’s Witnesses to make my mother happy. I reject both scenarios. I bring to the film an insight and background that enables me to better understand Jehovah’s Witnesses, and portray that understanding in my work. At the same time, I show both sides organic to the story. Both Jehovah’s Witnesses families featured in KNOCKING have members who are opposed to the religion and who express their view on camera.
What has the audience response been so far?
Tom: At film festivals and community screenings, the response has been phenomenal, both Witnesses and non-Witnesses alike. I think for the first time, many Jehovah’s Witnesses are seeing a high profile, mainstream, non-Witness-produced film more fairly represent their lives and experiences. Their responses have been tear-filled and jubilant. Non-Witnesses have come out of the screening often saying, “Wow, I never knew that about Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
We hope that the film might act as a catalyst for more thoughtful dialogue between Witnesses and their non-Witness neighbors, family members, friends and colleagues. Making the film has enabled these alliances behind the camera. Hopefully watching it will too.
Joel: KNOCKING has played at 12 film festivals and it has been a sleeper hit at every one. The festival directors inevitably put KNOCKING in the smallest theater, not knowing how the audience will react. But time and again, the festivals are scrambling to move the schedule around, put KNOCKING in the largest theater and add more screenings to accommodate the crowds. The festivals draw curious Jehovah’s Witnesses and non-Witnesses alike. Both come away learning something about themselves and each other.
The independent film business is a difficult one. What keeps you motivated?
Joel: The ability to tell a story few have heard before, and to see how people react when asked to look at something in a different light. There’s no reason to be afraid of what we don't understand.
Tom: Finding and telling untold stories is incredibly inspiring work. Funding this process is incredibly challenging and filled with major hurdles. I hope to continue doing this work as it fulfills urges to create, direct, edit and craft stories but also as it fulfills urges to make change in the world and diminish barriers that exist between human beings.
Why did you choose to present your film on public television?
Joel: In an age of lowest common denominator reality television on the networks and cable, I can’t imagine anyone but PBS even considering showing a film like KNOCKING.
Tom: We chose PBS both because they saw fit to support our vision of this film and because it would introduce the stories to the widest possible audience. We felt it was really important for a general, well-educated audience to react and respond to our film.
What are your three favorite films?
Tom: The Times of Harvey Milk, First Person Plural, Billy Elliot
Joel: When Harry Met Sally, Roger & Me, It's a Wonderful Life
If you weren’t a filmmaker, what kind of work do you think you would be doing?
Tom: Teacher or community activist.
Joel: I don’t call myself a “filmmaker.” That’s just a fancy title. I’ve done all kinds of work, from reporting for a newspaper to waiting tables at a Red Lobster restaurant. I also drove a school bus. Some jobs you do because you need to pay the rent and there’s nothing else available. Other jobs are more fun and you’re grateful you have them. But “filmmaking” is just storytelling. We all have the potential to be filmmakers.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Tom: Be humble. Spend lots of time watching and listening to filmmakers whose work you admire. Have patience.
Joel: Don't go to film school. Get a history degree so you understand why humanity is the way it is (nothing's new, everything repeats) and learn how to interview, shoot and edit with a hands-on internship.
What sparks your creativity?
Joel: Ice cream.
Tom: Being in nature. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Read the filmmaker statements >>
Read about the myths and realities of Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs >>
modified 5/22/07

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Filmmaker Q&A
 
An older white man and woman wearing winter coats and walking arm in arm down a snowy suburban street
 

Filmmaker Joel P. Engardio shares his hopes for KNOCKING.
I hope that KNOCKING will allow people to see Jehovah’s Witnesses as something more than the one-dimensional caricature we think of them on our doorstep. Jehovah’s Witnesses are real people with something to contribute beyond their Bible message. Because we don’t understand them, we relegate Jehovah’s Witnesses to cheap jokes. Because we see them as a joke, they have no relevancy to us. And without relevancy, they are dismissed and ignored.
 My hope is that KNOCKING will have an impact on how we view “the other.” Sometimes we actually can benefit from what divides us.
Read the filmmaker statements »   


Co-directors/Co-producers Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard talk about how they met the families portrayed in their film, gained the trust of Jehovah’s Witnesses and how Joel’s mother reacted to KNOCKING.
What led you to make KNOCKING?
Joel P. Engardio: I made KNOCKING because there needs to be a discussion about religious and personal freedoms in this country that is framed in terms other than “us versus them.” The pursuit of these freedoms is what America was founded upon, yet they are what divide us most as a nation. We engage in a protracted culture war because we are unable to reconcile our religious heritage with the progress of personal liberties. Conservatives and liberals both feel equally threatened. Each sees the other as the enemy and downfall of our nation.
Enter Jehovah’s Witnesses: a case study in how "fundamentalist" religion can peacefully co-exist with civic society. Because Jehovah’s Witnesses are so unpopular and misunderstood, they had to fight for the right to live as they choose. The cases won by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the U.S. Supreme Court between the 1930s and 1950s set the precedent upon which others would litigate their own civil rights cases—groups Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t necessarily agree with. Yet Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t begrudge those who hold differing worldviews. They acknowledge that a right is not a right unless it belongs to everyone.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are religiously conservative for sure: if you are a member, you can’t be openly gay, you can’t get an abortion and women can’t serve as religious leaders. These doctrinal stands aren’t unique to Jehovah’s Witnesses—many religions take the same positions. But what makes Jehovah’s Witnesses different from other religions is that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t attempt to politically legislate their beliefs for everyone.
Allowing Jehovah’s Witnesses to come to your door may be annoying, but it is a necessary annoyance to live in a free society. In a multimedia age where it requires millions of dollars to mount a campaign, political or otherwise, it is important that everyone has the right to free access to their neighbors by simply knocking on a door and speaking face to face.
Personally, I don’t agree with the Jehovah’s Witness stand on various issues. So after listening to their message, I don’t join. No one has to be a Jehovah’s Witness, just as no one has to be Catholic or Mormon or Baptist. But we all have to be given the freedom to live our lives as we see fit—as long as we respect each other’s right to live differently and do no harm. Jehovah’s Witnesses offer a good example of how fundamentalist religion can remain true to itself while peacefully co-existing with a progressive society. It is how America is supposed to work.
What were some of the challenges you faced in making KNOCKING?
Tom Shepard: Early on, few broadcasters and supporters of documentary film took an interest in the film. Most knew very little about the real experiences of Jehovah’s Witnesses beyond knocking on doors. We had to knock on a lot of doors ourselves to find supporters and convince them there would be an audience for these important untold stories. Developing trust, also, with Jehovah’s Witnesses (both the subjects in our film and the national headquarters) took time. There has been little, if any, balanced coverage in the mainstream media about Jehovah’s Witnesses. We understood why Witnesses might not immediately trust our intentions to make a film about their lives.
Joel: This was a story that in the beginning no one was interested in being told. Public television funders weren't interested. Jehovah’s Witnesses weren’t interested. The general public wasn’t interested. Panelists that consider funding for PBS programs were skeptical about what value a fundamentalist religion could have in the important dialogue public television facilitates around issues of personal liberty. They had to be convinced that Jehovah’s Witnesses are subject to as many stereotypes and misunderstandings that plague lots of minority groups, and in fact, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a small slice of the pluralistic society in which we live and have contributed to it even if you don’t agree with everything they believe in. Likewise, the general public only knows of Jehovah’s Witnesses as one-dimensional characters knocking on their door. It is difficult to get the general public to see that Jehovah’s Witnesses have a relevant story. As for Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are used to being the punch line of late-night TV comedians. They are used to the mainstream media repeating stereotypes and misinformation that paints Jehovah’s Witnesses only in a negative light. So when approached to have a full documentary treatment broadcast on PBS, Jehovah’s Witnesses weren’t exactly embracing of the idea with open arms.
How did you meet the two families portrayed in the film? Why did you choose to interview them?
Joel: I met Joseph Kempler when I worked for the ABC News documentary program Turning Point. I was developing a story about Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust. Ultimately, Turning Point was cancelled as a series and I kept Joseph’s story in my files for a time when I could produce the story myself. The fact that Joseph experienced the horrors of the camps as a Jew, but heard about the incredible stand made by Jehovah’s Witnesses against Hitler and later converted because of it, was a very unique story. Also, the fact Joseph has family members who remain Jewish was even more interesting.
I met Seth Thomas by contacting every medical center in the U.S. that does liver transplants. I knew I wanted to feature the most complicated transfusion-free surgery possible and found that USC University Hospital was one of the first medical centers to successfully do the procedure. USC shared a number of cases with me before I settled on Seth’s case. The fact that Seth was so young, 23, with his entire life ahead of him, made his stand on faith more compelling. Also, the fact that Seth has family members who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, and who disagree with the stand against blood, offered for a nice balance to the story in seeing both points of view.
What didn’t get included in your film that you would have liked to?
Tom: Given what each family was going through, there were intensely emotional issues that came up as they wrestled with their circumstances. Time limitations kept us from exploring all of these. Additionally, Joel and I would have liked to flesh out better how Jehovah’s Witnesses play a different and surprising role in the so called “culture wars” in the United States. In other words, their neutrality in society and politics must be read differently than other conservative Christian groups who take overt political stands. These ideas were more difficult to present cinematically, especially in a character-driven documentary.
Joel: Most everything of importance got mentioned, but I would have liked to explore more of what the DVD extras are able to do: more in-depth coverage of the history and beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses and how their fight for First Amendment freedoms benefited all Americans. Also, to explore more how and why Jehovah’s Witnesses are apolitical and do not protest groups they disagree with or use the political process to limit the freedoms of other minority groups—even though many other religions are devoted to this. It interests me how Jehovah’s Witnesses are strong enough in their own faith, strong enough in their own definition of marriage, life and morality that someone else’s does not threaten them.
You have family members who are Witnesses. How have they reacted to KNOCKING?
Joel: My mother is the only member of my extended Italian Catholic family who is one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Throughout the making of the film she was not privy to what was being done, but only said, “Please don’t make me look bad.” She was happy with the final film, if not relieved.
Tom: I don’t have any family members who are Jehovah’s Witnesses but have friends who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Making this film has been a wonderful occasion to reconnect with these friends. They have been extremely excited to see the film and are helping me promote it.
How do you think the fact that you were raised as a Jehovah’s Witness impacted the making of your film?
Joel: The journalists’ creed is objectivity, but all journalists bring their own personal history to their reports. The fact I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness has two reactions. Either, 1) I never became a member so I can’t do a fair job. I must harbor some ill will or resentment and will do a negative “hit” piece. Or 2) My mother is still a Jehovah’s Witness, so I will do a promotional piece on Jehovah’s Witnesses to make my mother happy. I reject both scenarios. I bring to the film an insight and background that enables me to better understand Jehovah’s Witnesses, and portray that understanding in my work. At the same time, I show both sides organic to the story. Both Jehovah’s Witnesses families featured in KNOCKING have members who are opposed to the religion and who express their view on camera.
What has the audience response been so far?
Tom: At film festivals and community screenings, the response has been phenomenal, both Witnesses and non-Witnesses alike. I think for the first time, many Jehovah’s Witnesses are seeing a high profile, mainstream, non-Witness-produced film more fairly represent their lives and experiences. Their responses have been tear-filled and jubilant. Non-Witnesses have come out of the screening often saying, “Wow, I never knew that about Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
We hope that the film might act as a catalyst for more thoughtful dialogue between Witnesses and their non-Witness neighbors, family members, friends and colleagues. Making the film has enabled these alliances behind the camera. Hopefully watching it will too.
Joel: KNOCKING has played at 12 film festivals and it has been a sleeper hit at every one. The festival directors inevitably put KNOCKING in the smallest theater, not knowing how the audience will react. But time and again, the festivals are scrambling to move the schedule around, put KNOCKING in the largest theater and add more screenings to accommodate the crowds. The festivals draw curious Jehovah’s Witnesses and non-Witnesses alike. Both come away learning something about themselves and each other.
The independent film business is a difficult one. What keeps you motivated?
Joel: The ability to tell a story few have heard before, and to see how people react when asked to look at something in a different light. There’s no reason to be afraid of what we don't understand.
Tom: Finding and telling untold stories is incredibly inspiring work. Funding this process is incredibly challenging and filled with major hurdles. I hope to continue doing this work as it fulfills urges to create, direct, edit and craft stories but also as it fulfills urges to make change in the world and diminish barriers that exist between human beings.
Why did you choose to present your film on public television?
Joel: In an age of lowest common denominator reality television on the networks and cable, I can’t imagine anyone but PBS even considering showing a film like KNOCKING.
Tom: We chose PBS both because they saw fit to support our vision of this film and because it would introduce the stories to the widest possible audience. We felt it was really important for a general, well-educated audience to react and respond to our film.
What are your three favorite films?
Tom: The Times of Harvey Milk, First Person Plural, Billy Elliot
Joel: When Harry Met Sally, Roger & Me, It's a Wonderful Life
If you weren’t a filmmaker, what kind of work do you think you would be doing?
Tom: Teacher or community activist.
Joel: I don’t call myself a “filmmaker.” That’s just a fancy title. I’ve done all kinds of work, from reporting for a newspaper to waiting tables at a Red Lobster restaurant. I also drove a school bus. Some jobs you do because you need to pay the rent and there’s nothing else available. Other jobs are more fun and you’re grateful you have them. But “filmmaking” is just storytelling. We all have the potential to be filmmakers.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Tom: Be humble. Spend lots of time watching and listening to filmmakers whose work you admire. Have patience.
Joel: Don't go to film school. Get a history degree so you understand why humanity is the way it is (nothing's new, everything repeats) and learn how to interview, shoot and edit with a hands-on internship.
What sparks your creativity?
Joel: Ice cream.
Tom: Being in nature. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Read the filmmaker statements >>
Read about the myths and realities of Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs >>
modified 5/22/07

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
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Film Credits

In Loving Memory
 Mark Lim, MD
 (1969-2001)
Produced and Directed by
 Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard
Written and Narrated by
 Joel P. Engardio
Editors
 Jim Klein
 Nathaniel Dorsky
Director of Photography
 Howard Shack
Original Music
 Stephen Thomas Cavit
Executive Producers
 Lorenz Reibling
 D. Stuart Harrison
Additional Editing
 Jonathan Parra
 Ken Schneider
 Tom Shepard
 Alex Woolfson
Additional Camera
 Andrew Black
 Tina DiFeliciantonio
 John Ealer
 Chad Grochowski
 Will Perinello
 Tony Small
Sound Recording
 Jon Andrews
 Skip Frazee
 Chad Grochowski
 Harry Haese
 Trey Haney
 Ronny Katz
 Jaime Reyes
 Jeff Samuels
 Justin Schein
 Jane Wagner
 Dave Wendlinger
Associate Producers
 Jessica Dorfman
 Elisabeth Pozzi-Thanner
 Agnieszka Sadecka
Online Editor
 Heather Weaver
Sound Mixer
 Mark Escott
Legal Services
 Robert Freedman
 Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, New York
Archival Material
 Classic Images
 CNN ImageSource
 Footage Farm
 Gracie Films
 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 SabuCat Productions, Inc.
 Supreme Court of the United States
 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
 Worldwide Pants, Inc.
Public domain footage from Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria is used
to represent Jehovah’s Witness inmates and Joseph Kempler as a teenage prisoner.
Major funding provided by
 Walter Zaremba
 Gunther Reibling
 New York Community Trust
Additional funding provided by
 Dr. Henri and Barbara Enfroy
 Anders Mendell
 Alexander Mirrow
 Bob Nead
 Al and Mary Schaer
 Film Arts Foundation
 Fred and Donna Couper
 Samuel and Angelina Wang
 Douglas S. Frye
 Kim Ragnelli
Special Thanks
 James N. Pellechia
 Aaron Belkin
 Jolene Chu
 Anderson Cooper
 Don Dao
 Eunice L. Engardio
 Mary K. Engardio
 Clark J. Freshman
 Qris Fry
 Chris Weipert
 Lillian Gobitas-Klose
 Barb Gustafson
 Bryce Hemmelgarn
 Dr. Nicolas Jabbour
 Ling Lam
 New Day Films
 Dante Noto
 Patsy Procuro
 The Shepard Family
 Patrick-Henrie So
 Diane Weipert
 Jonathan Archer
 Betsy West
 Frisco, TX Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
 Saginaw, MI Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses (West and South)
 West Jonesboro, GA Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Executive producer for ITVS
 Sally Jo Fifer
KNOCKING is produced in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS)
This program was produced by Open Door Productions, LLC which is solely responsible for its content.
Copyright, 2006 Open Door Productions, LLC, All Rights Reserved

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Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                 

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/credits.html







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EXPLORE FILMS

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WATCH VIDEO

LOCAL SCREENINGS

CLASSROOM

BLOG

ABOUT
.
KNOCKING

preview
schedule
  
Film Credits

In Loving Memory
 Mark Lim, MD
 (1969-2001)
Produced and Directed by
 Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard
Written and Narrated by
 Joel P. Engardio
Editors
 Jim Klein
 Nathaniel Dorsky
Director of Photography
 Howard Shack
Original Music
 Stephen Thomas Cavit
Executive Producers
 Lorenz Reibling
 D. Stuart Harrison
Additional Editing
 Jonathan Parra
 Ken Schneider
 Tom Shepard
 Alex Woolfson
Additional Camera
 Andrew Black
 Tina DiFeliciantonio
 John Ealer
 Chad Grochowski
 Will Perinello
 Tony Small
Sound Recording
 Jon Andrews
 Skip Frazee
 Chad Grochowski
 Harry Haese
 Trey Haney
 Ronny Katz
 Jaime Reyes
 Jeff Samuels
 Justin Schein
 Jane Wagner
 Dave Wendlinger
Associate Producers
 Jessica Dorfman
 Elisabeth Pozzi-Thanner
 Agnieszka Sadecka
Online Editor
 Heather Weaver
Sound Mixer
 Mark Escott
Legal Services
 Robert Freedman
 Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, New York
Archival Material
 Classic Images
 CNN ImageSource
 Footage Farm
 Gracie Films
 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 SabuCat Productions, Inc.
 Supreme Court of the United States
 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
 Worldwide Pants, Inc.
Public domain footage from Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria is used
to represent Jehovah’s Witness inmates and Joseph Kempler as a teenage prisoner.
Major funding provided by
 Walter Zaremba
 Gunther Reibling
 New York Community Trust
Additional funding provided by
 Dr. Henri and Barbara Enfroy
 Anders Mendell
 Alexander Mirrow
 Bob Nead
 Al and Mary Schaer
 Film Arts Foundation
 Fred and Donna Couper
 Samuel and Angelina Wang
 Douglas S. Frye
 Kim Ragnelli
Special Thanks
 James N. Pellechia
Aaron Belkin
 Jolene Chu
 Anderson Cooper
 Don Dao
 Eunice L. Engardio
 Mary K. Engardio
 Clark J. Freshman
 Qris Fry
 Chris Weipert
 Lillian Gobitas-Klose
 Barb Gustafson
 Bryce Hemmelgarn
 Dr. Nicolas Jabbour
 Ling Lam
 New Day Films
 Dante Noto
 Patsy Procuro
 The Shepard Family
 Patrick-Henrie So
 Diane Weipert
 Jonathan Archer
 Betsy West
 Frisco, TX Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
 Saginaw, MI Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses (West and South)
 West Jonesboro, GA Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Executive producer for ITVS
 Sally Jo Fifer
KNOCKING is produced in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS)
This program was produced by Open Door Productions, LLC which is solely responsible for its content.
Copyright, 2006 Open Door Productions, LLC, All Rights Reserved

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 A headshot of Joel P. Engardio

Joel P. Engardio
 Co-Director/Co-Producer
Joel P. Engardio was the recipient of the 2000 National Press Foundation award for science writing. In 2003, the Society of Professional Journalists named him best opinion writer in Northern California. He was a finalist for the University of Missouri's 1999 national lifestyle writing awards in multicultural journalism. Engardio has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Weekly, Newsweek, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor and P.O.V. magazine. In television, he worked as an associate producer for ABC News at 20/20 and the network's documentary unit, Turning Point. Engardio also consults as a media and communications strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he majored in journalism and history. Engardio was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness in Saginaw, Michigan, but never joined the religion. His mother is the only Jehovah’s Witness in his mostly Catholic family. Engardio lives in San Francisco.
 A headshot of Tom Shepard

Tom Shepard
 Co-Director/Co-Producer
Tom Shepard produced and directed Scout’s Honor, an ITVS-funded documentary that won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and Freedom of Expression Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, as well as several other awards including Grand Prize at the 2001 USA Film Festival. Scout's Honor broadcast nationally on the PBS series P.O.V. Previously, Shepard worked as an editor at National Public Radio for Linda Wertheimer and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. At NPR, he co-produced Listening to America, an audio documentary on the history of public radio in America, based on Linda Wertheimer’s book by the same name. Shepard graduated from Stanford University, where he majored in biology and film. He is currently directing a new film about child geniuses and science education. Shepard lives in San Francisco.
View film credits >>
Read the Filmmaker Statements >>
Read the Filmmaker Q&A >>

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 A headshot of Joel P. Engardio

Joel P. Engardio
 Co-Director/Co-Producer
Joel P. Engardio was the recipient of the 2000 National Press Foundation award for science writing. In 2003, the Society of Professional Journalists named him best opinion writer in Northern California. He was a finalist for the University of Missouri's 1999 national lifestyle writing awards in multicultural journalism. Engardio has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Weekly, Newsweek, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor and P.O.V. magazine. In television, he worked as an associate producer for ABC News at 20/20 and the network's documentary unit, Turning Point. Engardio also consults as a media and communications strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he majored in journalism and history. Engardio was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness in Saginaw, Michigan, but never joined the religion. His mother is the only Jehovah’s Witness in his mostly Catholic family. Engardio lives in San Francisco.
 A headshot of Tom Shepard

Tom Shepard
 Co-Director/Co-Producer
Tom Shepard produced and directed Scout’s Honor, an ITVS-funded documentary that won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and Freedom of Expression Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, as well as several other awards including Grand Prize at the 2001 USA Film Festival. Scout's Honor broadcast nationally on the PBS series P.O.V. Previously, Shepard worked as an editor at National Public Radio for Linda Wertheimer and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. At NPR, he co-produced Listening to America, an audio documentary on the history of public radio in America, based on Linda Wertheimer’s book by the same name. Shepard graduated from Stanford University, where he majored in biology and film. He is currently directing a new film about child geniuses and science education. Shepard lives in San Francisco.
View film credits >>
Read the Filmmaker Statements >>
Read the Filmmaker Q&A >>

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Jehovah�s Witnesses and Their Beliefs
As visible as Jehovah’s Witnesses are on doorsteps and street corners, people know surprisingly little about what they believe and why. In some ways Witnesses follow mainstream Christian thought. But much of their doctrine is unique among Christian faiths. Like most religions, the Witness belief system has evolved over time, shaped by developing interpretations of the Bible and by world events.
Find out more about Witness perspectives and beliefs.
 A brown, nondescript building with large letters on the sign reading “READ GOD’S WORD THE HOLY BIBLE DAILY”
One of the office buildings at worldwide headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York

The Bible 
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible, including all 66 books of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (the Old and New Testaments), is the inspired, infallible word of God. The Bible contains “the truth”—everything humans need to know to please God and gain eternal life. Although Witnesses believe that everything in the Bible is true, they also believe it contains symbolism and that not all passages should be taken literally.
Jehovah God and Jesus Christ
According to Witness beliefs, Jehovah is God’s personal name, which appears 7,000 times in the Old Testament. Jehovah first created his son Jesus in heaven, and Jesus then helped Jehovah create the rest of the universe over a period of billions of years. Jesus is the messiah who came to Earth, died for mankind’s sins, was resurrected back to heaven and now sits at Jehovah’s right hand. Witnesses reject the Trinity doctrine of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost as an unscriptural idea. Because they do not believe that Jesus is God, some theologians do not consider the Witnesses to be Christians.
Satan and the Existence of Evil
Witnesses believe that Satan was once a perfect angel who rebelled against Jehovah and his rulership. Angels who joined Satan in the defection became demons. Satan also tempted the first two humans, Adam and Eve, to disobey God by taking fruit from a forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. Satan also claimed he could cause all creation to reject God. Until now, Jehovah has allowed Satan to rule the world temporarily, in order to give humans a basis for deciding whom they want to follow. Witnesses explain that all the suffering and evil in the world are a result of Satan’s rule.
 A blurry image of a flock of golden figures floating in the clouds, surrounded by sunbeams and a rainbow
Two women fleeing an apocalyptic scene of flames and a red-orange sky
Artistic depictions of heaven and Armageddon as seen in Jehovah's Witnesses publications, courtesy Watchtower Bible & Tract Society

Heaven and Earth
While most Christian religions teach that life in heaven is the ultimate reward, Witnesses believe that God will reward the righteous with eternal life on Earth as perfect humans. According to God’s original plan, he will restore Earth to a global Garden of Eden. There will be complete peace. Billions of humans, including Witnesses and non-Witnesses, will have the chance to live in Earthly paradise. Witnesses do not aspire to receive a heavenly calling, preferring to live forever on Earth.
Following Witness beliefs, Heaven is the invisible dwelling place of Jehovah God, Jesus, the angels and a chosen group of 144,000 humans—a number taken from the Bible book of Revelation. These “anointed” men and women are the only humans who go to heaven when they die, and work with Jesus to restore the Earth to a paradise for the rest of humanity. Individuals cannot ask or volunteer to be anointed, but are chosen by God. Out of nearly seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses, about 8,500 currently claim to have been anointed. No one knows for sure who ultimately goes to heaven or how many vacancies are left among the group of 144,000.
Life and Death
Witnesses believe that life is a sacred gift of God, who alone has the right to decide the requirements for its continuance or termination. Human life begins at conception, and suicide, euthanasia and deliberate abortions are considered sins. Witnesses will, however, risk their lives to uphold God’s law—for example, if they die while refusing a blood transfusion or facing violent persecution, Witnesses believe they will be resurrected to eternal life in Earthly paradise. In the meantime, they consider death to be a state of unconscious non-existence. There is no afterlife, and the soul goes nowhere other than God’s memory. The dead are unconscious until they are resurrected to life on Earth in new bodies that resemble their former appearance. Their memories and personality will then be restored.
Neutrality
As subjects of God’s government, or Kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they should “witness” about it to others. They should give its laws priority. For this reason, they do not take sides in political issues or military conflicts, nor can they give total allegiance to Earthly governments. Witnesses do not vote or run for political office because they believe it is futile to put faith in humans to fix the world’s problems. Only God has the solution.
 A poster displaying a young girl, dressed in a frilly white dress and a hat with a daisy, holding a stuffed rabbit and sitting next to an Easter basket full of eggs next to a lit-up Christmas tree. Text reads: “Christmas and Easter come from ancient false religions.”
Explanation of holidays, from Jehovah's Witness publication, courtesy Watchtower Bible & Tract Society

Birthdays and Holidays
The Witnesses’ main objection toward holiday celebrations is the non-biblical origin of traditions and rituals associated with them. Many holidays were incorporated into Christian practice by the Roman emperor Constantine as a political gesture.
For example, in the Bible, neither Jews nor Christians celebrated their own birthdays or those of important people, such as patriarchs and prophets. The ancients marked birthdays of their gods and believed that individuals born on those days would receive special protection from the gods. Cakes with candles and birthday wishes mirror these superstitious practices.
The Bible also does not state the date of Jesus’ birth. Jesus did not tell his followers to celebrate his birthday, nor does the Bible and early Christian history indicate that they did so. Witnesses believe that Jesus is offended by the non-Christian traditions and the commercialism associated with Christmas today.
Although the resurrection of Jesus is a major event in Christian history, modern Easter commemorations featuring eggs and rabbits more closely resemble ancient springtime festivals celebrating the fertility and renewal of the earth after winter. Witnesses feel it is inappropriate to connect these rituals to Jesus.
Learn about Jehovah's Witnesses' impact on civil liberties >>
sources

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Jehovah�s Witnesses and Their Beliefs
As visible as Jehovah’s Witnesses are on doorsteps and street corners, people know surprisingly little about what they believe and why. In some ways Witnesses follow mainstream Christian thought. But much of their doctrine is unique among Christian faiths. Like most religions, the Witness belief system has evolved over time, shaped by developing interpretations of the Bible and by world events.
Find out more about Witness perspectives and beliefs.
 A brown, nondescript building with large letters on the sign reading “READ GOD’S WORD THE HOLY BIBLE DAILY”
One of the office buildings at worldwide headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York

The Bible 
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible, including all 66 books of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (the Old and New Testaments), is the inspired, infallible word of God. The Bible contains “the truth”—everything humans need to know to please God and gain eternal life. Although Witnesses believe that everything in the Bible is true, they also believe it contains symbolism and that not all passages should be taken literally.
Jehovah God and Jesus Christ
According to Witness beliefs, Jehovah is God’s personal name, which appears 7,000 times in the Old Testament. Jehovah first created his son Jesus in heaven, and Jesus then helped Jehovah create the rest of the universe over a period of billions of years. Jesus is the messiah who came to Earth, died for mankind’s sins, was resurrected back to heaven and now sits at Jehovah’s right hand. Witnesses reject the Trinity doctrine of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost as an unscriptural idea. Because they do not believe that Jesus is God, some theologians do not consider the Witnesses to be Christians.
Satan and the Existence of Evil
Witnesses believe that Satan was once a perfect angel who rebelled against Jehovah and his rulership. Angels who joined Satan in the defection became demons. Satan also tempted the first two humans, Adam and Eve, to disobey God by taking fruit from a forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. Satan also claimed he could cause all creation to reject God. Until now, Jehovah has allowed Satan to rule the world temporarily, in order to give humans a basis for deciding whom they want to follow. Witnesses explain that all the suffering and evil in the world are a result of Satan’s rule.
 A blurry image of a flock of golden figures floating in the clouds, surrounded by sunbeams and a rainbow
Two women fleeing an apocalyptic scene of flames and a red-orange sky
Artistic depictions of heaven and Armageddon as seen in Jehovah's Witnesses publications, courtesy Watchtower Bible & Tract Society

Heaven and Earth
While most Christian religions teach that life in heaven is the ultimate reward, Witnesses believe that God will reward the righteous with eternal life on Earth as perfect humans. According to God’s original plan, he will restore Earth to a global Garden of Eden. There will be complete peace. Billions of humans, including Witnesses and non-Witnesses, will have the chance to live in Earthly paradise. Witnesses do not aspire to receive a heavenly calling, preferring to live forever on Earth.
Following Witness beliefs, Heaven is the invisible dwelling place of Jehovah God, Jesus, the angels and a chosen group of 144,000 humans—a number taken from the Bible book of Revelation. These “anointed” men and women are the only humans who go to heaven when they die, and work with Jesus to restore the Earth to a paradise for the rest of humanity. Individuals cannot ask or volunteer to be anointed, but are chosen by God. Out of nearly seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses, about 8,500 currently claim to have been anointed. No one knows for sure who ultimately goes to heaven or how many vacancies are left among the group of 144,000.
Life and Death
Witnesses believe that life is a sacred gift of God, who alone has the right to decide the requirements for its continuance or termination. Human life begins at conception, and suicide, euthanasia and deliberate abortions are considered sins. Witnesses will, however, risk their lives to uphold God’s law—for example, if they die while refusing a blood transfusion or facing violent persecution, Witnesses believe they will be resurrected to eternal life in Earthly paradise. In the meantime, they consider death to be a state of unconscious non-existence. There is no afterlife, and the soul goes nowhere other than God’s memory. The dead are unconscious until they are resurrected to life on Earth in new bodies that resemble their former appearance. Their memories and personality will then be restored.
Neutrality
As subjects of God’s government, or Kingdom, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they should “witness” about it to others. They should give its laws priority. For this reason, they do not take sides in political issues or military conflicts, nor can they give total allegiance to Earthly governments. Witnesses do not vote or run for political office because they believe it is futile to put faith in humans to fix the world’s problems. Only God has the solution.
 A poster displaying a young girl, dressed in a frilly white dress and a hat with a daisy, holding a stuffed rabbit and sitting next to an Easter basket full of eggs next to a lit-up Christmas tree. Text reads: “Christmas and Easter come from ancient false religions.”
Explanation of holidays, from Jehovah's Witness publication, courtesy Watchtower Bible & Tract Society

Birthdays and Holidays
The Witnesses’ main objection toward holiday celebrations is the non-biblical origin of traditions and rituals associated with them. Many holidays were incorporated into Christian practice by the Roman emperor Constantine as a political gesture.
For example, in the Bible, neither Jews nor Christians celebrated their own birthdays or those of important people, such as patriarchs and prophets. The ancients marked birthdays of their gods and believed that individuals born on those days would receive special protection from the gods. Cakes with candles and birthday wishes mirror these superstitious practices.
The Bible also does not state the date of Jesus’ birth. Jesus did not tell his followers to celebrate his birthday, nor does the Bible and early Christian history indicate that they did so. Witnesses believe that Jesus is offended by the non-Christian traditions and the commercialism associated with Christmas today.
Although the resurrection of Jesus is a major event in Christian history, modern Easter commemorations featuring eggs and rabbits more closely resemble ancient springtime festivals celebrating the fertility and renewal of the earth after winter. Witnesses feel it is inappropriate to connect these rituals to Jesus.
Learn about Jehovah's Witnesses' impact on civil liberties >>
sources

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Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Supreme Court
 A historic black-and-white image of nine U.S. Supreme Court judges in their black robes
The nine U.S. Supreme Court justices who ruled on the 1943 flag-salute case


 
Major U.S. Supreme Court Cases Involving Jehovah’s Witnesses
Lovell v. Griffin (1938)
Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940)
Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940)
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
Murdock v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1943)
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)
Estep v. United States (1946)
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York v. Village of Stratton (2002)
  

A historic black-and-white image of people marching down a store-lined street, holding signs reading “Serve God & Christ The King”
Jehovah's Witnesses on an "Information March"
A historic newspaper headline reading “Justice Department Probing Rockville Riot Against Sect: Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Meeting Hall Wrecked After Refusal to Salute Flag”
 The Evening Star, Washington D.C., c. 1940

Before the Jehovah’s Witnesses brought several dozen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1930s and 1940s, the Court had handled few cases contesting laws that restricted free speech and religion. Until then, the First Amendment had only been applied to Congress and the federal government. But the Witnesses forced the Court to consider a range of issues: mandatory flag salute, sedition, free speech, literature distribution and draft law. These cases proved to be pivotal moments in the formation of constitutional law. Jehovah’s Witnesses’ court victories have strengthened rights including the protection of religious conduct from federal and state interference, the right to abstain from patriotic rituals and military service and the right to engage in public discourse.
Landmark Cases
In 1935 in Lynn, Massachusetts, third-grader and Jehovah’s Witness Carleton Nichols refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and was expelled from school. This incident received widespread media attention, and other Witness students soon followed suit. Watchtower Society President J.F. Rutherford gave a radio address praising Nichols, and schools around the country began expelling Witness students and firing Witness teachers. Witnesses hired teachers and set up “Kingdom schools” to continue their children’s education.
A school board in Minersville, Pennsylvania expelled 12-year-old Lillian Gobitas and her 10-year-old brother Billy for not pledging allegiance in the fall of 1935. Two years later, a U.S. federal judge ruled that the expulsion had violated their rights. In 1939 an appeals court agreed, and the school board took the case to the Supreme Court. Violence against Witnesses gained momentum as tension mounted over the German invasion of Poland, launching World War II.
In June 1940, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Minersville could require the Gobitas children to salute the flag, triggering what Lillian Gobitas later called “open season on Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Angry mobs assaulted Witnesses, destroyed their property, boycotted their businesses and vandalized their houses of worship. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt appealed publicly for calm, while newspaper editorials and the American legal community condemned the Gobitas decision as a blow to liberty. Several justices signaled their belief that the case had been “wrongly decided.”
West Virginia v. Barnette finally reversed the decision of Minersville School District v. Gobitis (a court clerk misspelled Gobitas) in 1943. Argued by Witness attorney Hayden C. Covington, the case revisited the issue of mandatory flag salute. Justice Robert Jackson penned the majority opinion stating, in part, that, “Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.”
Learn about Jehovah's Witnesses' roles and resistance during the Holocaust >>
sources

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Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Supreme Court
 A historic black-and-white image of nine U.S. Supreme Court judges in their black robes
The nine U.S. Supreme Court justices who ruled on the 1943 flag-salute case


 
Major U.S. Supreme Court Cases Involving Jehovah’s Witnesses
Lovell v. Griffin (1938)
Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940)
Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940)
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
Murdock v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1943)
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)
Estep v. United States (1946)
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York v. Village of Stratton (2002)
  

A historic black-and-white image of people marching down a store-lined street, holding signs reading “Serve God & Christ The King”
Jehovah's Witnesses on an "Information March"
A historic newspaper headline reading “Justice Department Probing Rockville Riot Against Sect: Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Meeting Hall Wrecked After Refusal to Salute Flag”
 The Evening Star, Washington D.C., c. 1940

Before the Jehovah’s Witnesses brought several dozen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1930s and 1940s, the Court had handled few cases contesting laws that restricted free speech and religion. Until then, the First Amendment had only been applied to Congress and the federal government. But the Witnesses forced the Court to consider a range of issues: mandatory flag salute, sedition, free speech, literature distribution and draft law. These cases proved to be pivotal moments in the formation of constitutional law. Jehovah’s Witnesses’ court victories have strengthened rights including the protection of religious conduct from federal and state interference, the right to abstain from patriotic rituals and military service and the right to engage in public discourse.
Landmark Cases
In 1935 in Lynn, Massachusetts, third-grader and Jehovah’s Witness Carleton Nichols refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and was expelled from school. This incident received widespread media attention, and other Witness students soon followed suit. Watchtower Society President J.F. Rutherford gave a radio address praising Nichols, and schools around the country began expelling Witness students and firing Witness teachers. Witnesses hired teachers and set up “Kingdom schools” to continue their children’s education.
A school board in Minersville, Pennsylvania expelled 12-year-old Lillian Gobitas and her 10-year-old brother Billy for not pledging allegiance in the fall of 1935. Two years later, a U.S. federal judge ruled that the expulsion had violated their rights. In 1939 an appeals court agreed, and the school board took the case to the Supreme Court. Violence against Witnesses gained momentum as tension mounted over the German invasion of Poland, launching World War II.
In June 1940, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Minersville could require the Gobitas children to salute the flag, triggering what Lillian Gobitas later called “open season on Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Angry mobs assaulted Witnesses, destroyed their property, boycotted their businesses and vandalized their houses of worship. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt appealed publicly for calm, while newspaper editorials and the American legal community condemned the Gobitas decision as a blow to liberty. Several justices signaled their belief that the case had been “wrongly decided.”
West Virginia v. Barnette finally reversed the decision of Minersville School District v. Gobitis (a court clerk misspelled Gobitas) in 1943. Argued by Witness attorney Hayden C. Covington, the case revisited the issue of mandatory flag salute. Justice Robert Jackson penned the majority opinion stating, in part, that, “Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.”
Learn about Jehovah's Witnesses' roles and resistance during the Holocaust >>
sources

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust
 A historic black-and-white image of a group of prisoners of war, some dressed in striped uniforms
Post-war group of Jehovah's Witness prisoners held in Niederhagen-Wewelsburg camp
 A blue-and-white striped prisoner’s uniform with a badge reading “38641” and a purple triangle
Camp uniform with purple triangle on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.
A historic black-and-white image of a group of German soldiers, dressed in military uniforms
Nazi storm troopers occupy Witness headquarters, April 24, 1933

During the Nazi regime, about 35,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses lived in Germany and Nazi-occupied lands. As they had before Adolf Hitler assumed power, they attempted to keep a neutral position regarding politics, refusing to take part in Nazi rituals, elections and programs. Witnesses refused to join organizations such as the Hitler Youth and the Nazi Party. When military service became mandatory, Witness men refused to be inducted.
Hitler personally vowed to exterminate Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Nazis branded Witnesses a dangerous enemy, hounding them out of their homes, jobs and classrooms. Witness teachers and railroad clerks were fired simply for failing to give the “heil Hitler” salute. For the same reason, Witness children were beaten and expelled from school.
Under this ban, Witnesses held secret worship services. They ran underground printing operations, producing Watchtower magazines and pamphlets that exposed the criminal activity of the Nazi regime. In coordinated nighttime actions in 1936 and 1937, they left hundreds of thousands of copies of protest leaflets at German homes and offices, including Gestapo headquarters.
The Nazis arrested thousands of Witnesses, men and women. Many faced interrogations and torture. About 13,400 were sent to Nazi prisons and camps. Since Nazi officials regarded Witness parents as a corrupting influence, they took nearly 500 Witness children away and placed them in reformatories and Nazi foster homes.
By 1938, about 6,000 Witnesses had been sent to prisons and camps. They constituted five to 10 percent of the inmate population prior to the start of World War II. Jehovah’s Witness inmates were identified by purple triangles on their uniforms. The Nazis offered Witnesses their freedom if they would sign a document renouncing their faith, but most Witnesses refused. Witness prisoners banded together and helped each other to survive by sharing food and caring for the sick. Nearly 2,000 Witnesses died during the Hitler years, including 270 Witness men who were executed for refusing to join the German army.
Read about Witnesses' beliefs on blood transfusions >>
sources

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Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Holocaust
 A historic black-and-white image of a group of prisoners of war, some dressed in striped uniforms
Post-war group of Jehovah's Witness prisoners held in Niederhagen-Wewelsburg camp
 A blue-and-white striped prisoner’s uniform with a badge reading “38641” and a purple triangle
Camp uniform with purple triangle on display at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.
A historic black-and-white image of a group of German soldiers, dressed in military uniforms
Nazi storm troopers occupy Witness headquarters, April 24, 1933

During the Nazi regime, about 35,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses lived in Germany and Nazi-occupied lands. As they had before Adolf Hitler assumed power, they attempted to keep a neutral position regarding politics, refusing to take part in Nazi rituals, elections and programs. Witnesses refused to join organizations such as the Hitler Youth and the Nazi Party. When military service became mandatory, Witness men refused to be inducted.
Hitler personally vowed to exterminate Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Nazis branded Witnesses a dangerous enemy, hounding them out of their homes, jobs and classrooms. Witness teachers and railroad clerks were fired simply for failing to give the “heil Hitler” salute. For the same reason, Witness children were beaten and expelled from school.
Under this ban, Witnesses held secret worship services. They ran underground printing operations, producing Watchtower magazines and pamphlets that exposed the criminal activity of the Nazi regime. In coordinated nighttime actions in 1936 and 1937, they left hundreds of thousands of copies of protest leaflets at German homes and offices, including Gestapo headquarters.
The Nazis arrested thousands of Witnesses, men and women. Many faced interrogations and torture. About 13,400 were sent to Nazi prisons and camps. Since Nazi officials regarded Witness parents as a corrupting influence, they took nearly 500 Witness children away and placed them in reformatories and Nazi foster homes.
By 1938, about 6,000 Witnesses had been sent to prisons and camps. They constituted five to 10 percent of the inmate population prior to the start of World War II. Jehovah’s Witness inmates were identified by purple triangles on their uniforms. The Nazis offered Witnesses their freedom if they would sign a document renouncing their faith, but most Witnesses refused. Witness prisoners banded together and helped each other to survive by sharing food and caring for the sick. Nearly 2,000 Witnesses died during the Hitler years, including 270 Witness men who were executed for refusing to join the German army.
Read about Witnesses' beliefs on blood transfusions >>
sources

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Jehovah�s Witnesses and Blood
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to take in blood or its major components for religious reasons. They believe that blood is sacred and should only be used as God designates. Witnesses base their position on an interpretation of Biblical texts that prohibit the taking of blood into the body for the purpose of sustaining the body’s functions.
 A bag of blood, hanging in a hospital and ready for transfusion
A medical device consisting of a container attached to several tubes that are filled with blood
Critical situations still arise in which doctors consider blood an indispensable treatment.
A historical illustration of a doctor holding a blood transfusion bag over a patient, who is lying in bed and holding his hand up to shun the procedure
Jehovah's Witness publications encourage members to resist blood transfusions

The Witnesses argue that this prohibition includes intravenous transfusions, which may bypass the digestive system but still nourish the body. This includes use of the patient’s own pre-stored blood. The official Witness position rejects the taking in of whole blood or its four major components—red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets. Advancements in blood technology have enabled doctors to fractionate these components even further, extracting elements such as clotting factors, immune globulin and hemoglobin. In cases of treatments involving such blood derivatives, individual Jehovah’s Witnesses are allowed to decide for themselves which blood fractions, if any, are personally acceptable. This difference of opinion is tolerated within the congregation, and each Witness is encouraged at all times to carry a legally executed document stating his or her choices.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have often fought with the medical establishment over their right to determine medical treatment. Witnesses sought good medical care, but they flatly refused blood transfusions for themselves and their children on religious grounds, even if critically sick or injured. In cases of life-threatening illness or injuries, judges often issued emergency court orders, allowing doctors to override patient objections and transfuse if deemed necessary. Witnesses also went to court, arguing for patient autonomy and the patient’s right of informed consent. This tension between medical science and religious conviction created ethical dilemmas for medical professionals and Witness patients alike.
But in more recent years, as doctors have worked to cope with challenges such as tainted blood scandals, widespread fears about the integrity of the blood supply and transfusion matching errors, they have found unlikely partners in Jehovah’s Witnesses. Forced by the HIV epidemic and blood shortages to seek alternatives to transfusions of donated blood, doctors found the Witnesses willing to test new therapies and surgical techniques that would maximize the body’s own blood-producing capacity and minimize blood loss during surgery. Doctors have successfully performed a wide variety of treatments and surgical procedures without blood, including open-heart surgery and organ transplants, such as the one seen in KNOCKING. Research in 2006 shows that there are over 100,000 doctors in the United States that offer some version of bloodless treatment to all patients regardless of religious beliefs.
Read about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, starting in the late 1800s >>
sources

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Jehovah�s Witnesses and Blood
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to take in blood or its major components for religious reasons. They believe that blood is sacred and should only be used as God designates. Witnesses base their position on an interpretation of Biblical texts that prohibit the taking of blood into the body for the purpose of sustaining the body’s functions.
 A bag of blood, hanging in a hospital and ready for transfusion
A medical device consisting of a container attached to several tubes that are filled with blood
Critical situations still arise in which doctors consider blood an indispensable treatment.
A historical illustration of a doctor holding a blood transfusion bag over a patient, who is lying in bed and holding his hand up to shun the procedure
Jehovah's Witness publications encourage members to resist blood transfusions

The Witnesses argue that this prohibition includes intravenous transfusions, which may bypass the digestive system but still nourish the body. This includes use of the patient’s own pre-stored blood. The official Witness position rejects the taking in of whole blood or its four major components—red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets. Advancements in blood technology have enabled doctors to fractionate these components even further, extracting elements such as clotting factors, immune globulin and hemoglobin. In cases of treatments involving such blood derivatives, individual Jehovah’s Witnesses are allowed to decide for themselves which blood fractions, if any, are personally acceptable. This difference of opinion is tolerated within the congregation, and each Witness is encouraged at all times to carry a legally executed document stating his or her choices.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have often fought with the medical establishment over their right to determine medical treatment. Witnesses sought good medical care, but they flatly refused blood transfusions for themselves and their children on religious grounds, even if critically sick or injured. In cases of life-threatening illness or injuries, judges often issued emergency court orders, allowing doctors to override patient objections and transfuse if deemed necessary. Witnesses also went to court, arguing for patient autonomy and the patient’s right of informed consent. This tension between medical science and religious conviction created ethical dilemmas for medical professionals and Witness patients alike.
But in more recent years, as doctors have worked to cope with challenges such as tainted blood scandals, widespread fears about the integrity of the blood supply and transfusion matching errors, they have found unlikely partners in Jehovah’s Witnesses. Forced by the HIV epidemic and blood shortages to seek alternatives to transfusions of donated blood, doctors found the Witnesses willing to test new therapies and surgical techniques that would maximize the body’s own blood-producing capacity and minimize blood loss during surgery. Doctors have successfully performed a wide variety of treatments and surgical procedures without blood, including open-heart surgery and organ transplants, such as the one seen in KNOCKING. Research in 2006 shows that there are over 100,000 doctors in the United States that offer some version of bloodless treatment to all patients regardless of religious beliefs.
Read about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, starting in the late 1800s >>
sources

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Historical Overview of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
 A historic black-and-white photograph of Charles Taze Russell, with a goatee and bowtie
Charles Taze Russell in 1879 at age 27
A sepia image of the Watchtower magazine, featuring an illustration of a large tower with cross-shaped windows
1909 Watch Tower cover
A historic black-and-white photograph of an older Taze Russell, with a long black coat and a bushy beard
Russell c. 1909 in Brooklyn, NY

Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) is considered the founder of what would become modern-day Jehovah’s Witnesses. Russell did not intend to form a new religious movement, and he never claimed to have received a “special revelation” or divine inspiration. He was most deeply affected by his encounters with Millenarian movements, groups that believed Christ’s Second Coming would soon usher in the Millennium, a prophesied thousand-year reign. Although Russell initially avoided time prophecies that set dates on future events, his studies eventually convinced him that some of William Miller’s chronological ideas had merit.
Russell began authoring pamphlets and tracts to disseminate his findings. In 1879, he launched what is known today as the Watchtower magazine. The Watch Tower Society would become the legal and publishing corporation for Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. Traveling representatives of the Society fanned out throughout the northeastern United States, spreading the word. Rationality rather than revivalist fervor characterized their approach. Although Russell’s message appears to have been quite popular among the general population, clergy of various denominations quickly branded it as heretical and launched public attacks against him. Nevertheless, Russell became an internationally recognized figure on the religious scene, touring and speaking extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
In 1910, Russell established the International Bible Students Association (IBSA), creating the faint outlines of a distinct religious community. The IBSA would later become known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Later that year, this movement had spread to Europe and had moved Bethel, its headquarters operation, from Pittsburgh to Brooklyn, New York, in order to take advantage of the city’s shipping facilities. In January 1914, the IBSA announced an innovative moving picture and color-slide production entitled the Photodrama of Creation, which aimed to show the scientific basis of scripture. An estimated nine million people viewed the presentation in 1914.
Four decades earlier, Russell predicted 1914 was a marked year that would change the course of mankind. The Millennium he anticipated did not happen, but World War I started—which Russell said was a sign that the “last days” leading to Armageddon were underway. During the war, IBSA literature intimated that Christians ought to abstain from the bloodshed. IBSA students who were drafted generally chose non-combatant service or refused induction altogether, resulting in prison terms and even death sentences (later commuted to ten years). In 1916, Russell died while on a speaking tour.
Today Witnesses contend that 1914 is an important year, marking the start of the “last days.” But they no longer assign any timeline to the conclusion of the last days, preferring to say now that any generation that has lived since 1914 could be the one to see Armageddon.
Learn about the community structure of Jehovah's Witnesses >>

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KNOCKING

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Historical Overview of the Jehovah’s Witnesses
 A historic black-and-white photograph of Charles Taze Russell, with a goatee and bowtie
Charles Taze Russell in 1879 at age 27
A sepia image of the Watchtower magazine, featuring an illustration of a large tower with cross-shaped windows
1909 Watch Tower cover
A historic black-and-white photograph of an older Taze Russell, with a long black coat and a bushy beard
Russell c. 1909 in Brooklyn, NY

Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) is considered the founder of what would become modern-day Jehovah’s Witnesses. Russell did not intend to form a new religious movement, and he never claimed to have received a “special revelation” or divine inspiration. He was most deeply affected by his encounters with Millenarian movements, groups that believed Christ’s Second Coming would soon usher in the Millennium, a prophesied thousand-year reign. Although Russell initially avoided time prophecies that set dates on future events, his studies eventually convinced him that some of William Miller’s chronological ideas had merit.
Russell began authoring pamphlets and tracts to disseminate his findings. In 1879, he launched what is known today as the Watchtower magazine. The Watch Tower Society would become the legal and publishing corporation for Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. Traveling representatives of the Society fanned out throughout the northeastern United States, spreading the word. Rationality rather than revivalist fervor characterized their approach. Although Russell’s message appears to have been quite popular among the general population, clergy of various denominations quickly branded it as heretical and launched public attacks against him. Nevertheless, Russell became an internationally recognized figure on the religious scene, touring and speaking extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
In 1910, Russell established the International Bible Students Association (IBSA), creating the faint outlines of a distinct religious community. The IBSA would later become known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Later that year, this movement had spread to Europe and had moved Bethel, its headquarters operation, from Pittsburgh to Brooklyn, New York, in order to take advantage of the city’s shipping facilities. In January 1914, the IBSA announced an innovative moving picture and color-slide production entitled the Photodrama of Creation, which aimed to show the scientific basis of scripture. An estimated nine million people viewed the presentation in 1914.
Four decades earlier, Russell predicted 1914 was a marked year that would change the course of mankind. The Millennium he anticipated did not happen, but World War I started—which Russell said was a sign that the “last days” leading to Armageddon were underway. During the war, IBSA literature intimated that Christians ought to abstain from the bloodshed. IBSA students who were drafted generally chose non-combatant service or refused induction altogether, resulting in prison terms and even death sentences (later commuted to ten years). In 1916, Russell died while on a speaking tour.
Today Witnesses contend that 1914 is an important year, marking the start of the “last days.” But they no longer assign any timeline to the conclusion of the last days, preferring to say now that any generation that has lived since 1914 could be the one to see Armageddon.
Learn about the community structure of Jehovah's Witnesses >>

Tell a Friend top
  



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 Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Community Structure
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Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Community Structure
 Several wide high-rise buildings, one with a large WATCHTOWER sign on the roof, standing next to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline
Worldwide headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, NY
Men and women in suits and dresses, praying and singing from small books
Kingdom Hall services begin with song and prayer
Men and women, wearing white T-shirts, immersed in water inside a stadium with people sitting in bleachers
Jehovah's Witnesses join the faith by total water immersion

The congregation is the center of spiritual and social activity in the lives of most Jehovah’s Witnesses. A model of Witness leadership and community, there are more than 98,000 Jehovah’s Witness congregations worldwide.
Learn more about the congregations and community structures of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The Congregation
Jehovah’s Witnesses form congregations, which meet in Kingdom Halls. The Kingdom Hall is not called a church, and is a simple building with chairs, classroom-style lighting and a speaker’s platform. There are no images, special furnishings or religious rituals inside.
The size of a congregation is usually limited to fewer than 150 to 200 members in order to maintain a community atmosphere. Larger cities often have many congregations. Each congregation is assigned a territory within the city and its suburbs that they are responsible to cover and cultivate in the door-to-door ministry. There are no hourly requirements for door-to-door ministering, or “publishing,” but most Witnesses average about eight to ten hours per month.
Congregations meet three times weekly for a total of five hours of programming. Meetings consist of lectures, teaching models and audience discussions. Sessions are opened and closed with group song and prayer. In some ways, the meetings resemble a classroom setting more than a religious service. Several times a year, groups of congregations meet in larger gatherings called assemblies and conventions.
Water baptisms are performed at these conventions for people who have gone through an extensive course of Bible study—usually several months to several years. Candidates are not allowed to be baptized until they are ready to commit themselves to the rigorous life of a Witness. The Witnesses do not practice infant baptism, but children as young as their pre-teens can be baptized. Youth raised in the religion are typically baptized in their teens. Regardless of the age, baptism is considered a lifelong vow.
Finances and Leadership
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not practice tithing, and no collection plates are passed at congregation meetings. Members anonymously and voluntarily donate money in boxes at the back of the Kingdom Hall, specifying donations for local congregation expenses, the religion’s worldwide work or disaster relief for fellow congregants.
Witnesses accept donations from the public, which go to the headquarters of their worldwide operations. The headquarters pays for all the printing and shipping of literature (nearly 87 million copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines every month and millions more Bibles and other religious books). The annual operating expense is well over a billion U.S. dollars, voluntarily supported by nearly seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide.
 An aerial view of a large stadium full of people, with a giant stage with green curtains
District convention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cleveland, Ohio

Witnesses have no paid clergy. Everyone is addressed as “brother” and “sister.” Upstanding Witness men can qualify to serve as elders with specific pastoral and teaching responsibilities in the congregation. The current body of elders designates new elders. Women are not allowed to serve as elders.
Each congregation is part of a regional circuit, which may include multiple cities. Several circuits make up a district, and circuits and districts are supervised by a central branch committee. In the United States, the branch is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. All the branches, including the U.S. branch, are overseen by the international headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, also housed in Brooklyn. A governing body has the final say in all aspects of the religion’s organization and doctrine.
More than 5,000 volunteers live and work communally at the U.S. branch and international headquarters in New York. All expenses are paid by donations. About 5,000 volunteers operate the other branches around the world. The branches are called “Bethel,” meaning “house of God.” Young men and women from age 19 and up are invited to apply to work at Bethel branches.
Find out more about the people in the film >>
Learn about the myths and realities surrounding Jehovah’s Witnesses  >>
sources

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Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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 Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Community Structure
preview
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Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Community Structure
 Several wide high-rise buildings, one with a large WATCHTOWER sign on the roof, standing next to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline
Worldwide headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, NY
Men and women in suits and dresses, praying and singing from small books
Kingdom Hall services begin with song and prayer
Men and women, wearing white T-shirts, immersed in water inside a stadium with people sitting in bleachers
Jehovah's Witnesses join the faith by total water immersion

The congregation is the center of spiritual and social activity in the lives of most Jehovah’s Witnesses. A model of Witness leadership and community, there are more than 98,000 Jehovah’s Witness congregations worldwide.
Learn more about the congregations and community structures of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The Congregation
Jehovah’s Witnesses form congregations, which meet in Kingdom Halls. The Kingdom Hall is not called a church, and is a simple building with chairs, classroom-style lighting and a speaker’s platform. There are no images, special furnishings or religious rituals inside.
The size of a congregation is usually limited to fewer than 150 to 200 members in order to maintain a community atmosphere. Larger cities often have many congregations. Each congregation is assigned a territory within the city and its suburbs that they are responsible to cover and cultivate in the door-to-door ministry. There are no hourly requirements for door-to-door ministering, or “publishing,” but most Witnesses average about eight to ten hours per month.
Congregations meet three times weekly for a total of five hours of programming. Meetings consist of lectures, teaching models and audience discussions. Sessions are opened and closed with group song and prayer. In some ways, the meetings resemble a classroom setting more than a religious service. Several times a year, groups of congregations meet in larger gatherings called assemblies and conventions.
Water baptisms are performed at these conventions for people who have gone through an extensive course of Bible study—usually several months to several years. Candidates are not allowed to be baptized until they are ready to commit themselves to the rigorous life of a Witness. The Witnesses do not practice infant baptism, but children as young as their pre-teens can be baptized. Youth raised in the religion are typically baptized in their teens. Regardless of the age, baptism is considered a lifelong vow.
Finances and Leadership
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not practice tithing, and no collection plates are passed at congregation meetings. Members anonymously and voluntarily donate money in boxes at the back of the Kingdom Hall, specifying donations for local congregation expenses, the religion’s worldwide work or disaster relief for fellow congregants.
Witnesses accept donations from the public, which go to the headquarters of their worldwide operations. The headquarters pays for all the printing and shipping of literature (nearly 87 million copies of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines every month and millions more Bibles and other religious books). The annual operating expense is well over a billion U.S. dollars, voluntarily supported by nearly seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide.
 An aerial view of a large stadium full of people, with a giant stage with green curtains
District convention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cleveland, Ohio

Witnesses have no paid clergy. Everyone is addressed as “brother” and “sister.” Upstanding Witness men can qualify to serve as elders with specific pastoral and teaching responsibilities in the congregation. The current body of elders designates new elders. Women are not allowed to serve as elders.
Each congregation is part of a regional circuit, which may include multiple cities. Several circuits make up a district, and circuits and districts are supervised by a central branch committee. In the United States, the branch is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. All the branches, including the U.S. branch, are overseen by the international headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, also housed in Brooklyn. A governing body has the final say in all aspects of the religion’s organization and doctrine.
More than 5,000 volunteers live and work communally at the U.S. branch and international headquarters in New York. All expenses are paid by donations. About 5,000 volunteers operate the other branches around the world. The branches are called “Bethel,” meaning “house of God.” Young men and women from age 19 and up are invited to apply to work at Bethel branches.
Find out more about the people in the film >>
Learn about the myths and realities surrounding Jehovah’s Witnesses  >>
sources

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Jehovah's Witnesses
 A man in a white shirt and tie stands in the street talking to another man with shoulder length hair
A sign on a window that says “Jehovah’s Witnesses! STOP. Your request to visit is DENIED! LEAVE NOW!”

They won’t go to war or have abortions, following the conviction that life is sacred. Yet they will risk their own lives because they believe that refusing blood transfusions pleases God. They fight for their rights in courts, but they keep out of politics. They go knocking to talk about Jesus, but they won’t celebrate his birthday. Jehovah’s Witnesses are controversial, but also highly misunderstood.
Beliefs
 Learn more about the beliefs and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. What is their stance on Jesus, heaven and the Bible? And why don’t they celebrate birthdays? More >>
Supreme Court Cases
 How have Jehovah’s Witnesses helped to influence modern constitutional law and civil rights? Find out about landmark Supreme Court cases regarding Witnesses and the Pledge of Allegiance. More >>
The Holocaust
 Jehovah’s Witnesses’ staunch political neutrality has had profound historical costs. Read about the Witnesses and their roles and resistance during the Holocaust. More >>
Blood Beliefs
 Why are blood transfusions prohibited among Jehovah’s Witnesses? Learn about Witness beliefs regarding blood and their past and present relationships with the medical establishment. More >>
History
 Get a historical overview of the Witness religion, starting with founder Charles Taze Russell and his work in the late 1800s. More >>
Community Structure
 Read about the community structure of Jehovah’s Witnesses, from the size and scope of individual congregations to larger issues of finances and leadership. More >>

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Jehovah's Witnesses
 A man in a white shirt and tie stands in the street talking to another man with shoulder length hair
A sign on a window that says “Jehovah’s Witnesses! STOP. Your request to visit is DENIED! LEAVE NOW!”

They won’t go to war or have abortions, following the conviction that life is sacred. Yet they will risk their own lives because they believe that refusing blood transfusions pleases God. They fight for their rights in courts, but they keep out of politics. They go knocking to talk about Jesus, but they won’t celebrate his birthday. Jehovah’s Witnesses are controversial, but also highly misunderstood.
Beliefs
 Learn more about the beliefs and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. What is their stance on Jesus, heaven and the Bible? And why don’t they celebrate birthdays? More >>
Supreme Court Cases
 How have Jehovah’s Witnesses helped to influence modern constitutional law and civil rights? Find out about landmark Supreme Court cases regarding Witnesses and the Pledge of Allegiance. More >>
The Holocaust
 Jehovah’s Witnesses’ staunch political neutrality has had profound historical costs. Read about the Witnesses and their roles and resistance during the Holocaust. More >>
Blood Beliefs
 Why are blood transfusions prohibited among Jehovah’s Witnesses? Learn about Witness beliefs regarding blood and their past and present relationships with the medical establishment. More >>
History
 Get a historical overview of the Witness religion, starting with founder Charles Taze Russell and his work in the late 1800s. More >>
Community Structure
 Read about the community structure of Jehovah’s Witnesses, from the size and scope of individual congregations to larger issues of finances and leadership. More >>

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Myths and Realitites
Controversies and misunderstandings affect common perceptions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Are the following statements fact or fiction? Read on to learn more about the myths and realities regarding Witnesses, their practices and beliefs.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect and not a valid religion. 
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Jehovah's Witnesses have a 130-year history, are in 230 lands and have seven million members. The dictionary definition of sect is “a small group that has broken away from an established Church.” Jehovah's Witnesses are not small, nor have they broken away from another religion. “Sect” is often used as code to negatively imply the Witnesses are a cult. But Jehovah's Witnesses do not fit the definition of a cult, either.

Jehovah's Witnesses shun members who leave the faith.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
Jehovah's Witnesses shun (or "disfellowship") as many as 30,000 members each year who refuse to live by the religion's moral tenets. A baptized Witness who insistently promotes dissenting theological views can also be ousted from the congregation, as can anyone habitually fraternizing with the dissenter. Members who leave or "disassociate" from the faith by formally renouncing it are also subject to shunning. Witnesses say they shun with the intent to motivate erring members to restore their relationship with God and to preserve the moral environment of the congregation. Witnesses communicate with shunned family members who live in the same home and can choose to communicate important family matters with those outside the home. Shunned members are invited to attend meetings but are not to interact with congregation members. They are welcomed back in to the fold upon "repentance." Many shunned members eventually return to the faith. Many other baptized members decide to leave the congregation and Witness life by quietly ceasing their activities and becoming "inactive." The congregation does not shun inactive individuals for the life they lead if they no longer identify themselves publicly as Witnesses or participate in the door-to-door ministry.

Jehovah's Witnesses forbid blood transfusions.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
Witnesses believe that blood is sacred and should only be used as God designates, based on an interpretation of Biblical texts that prohibit the taking of blood into the body for the purpose of sustaining the body’s functions. This prohibition against whole blood still stands, although new technology that utilizes fractions of blood is now considered a matter of personal conscience among individual Witnesses, as are organ transplants which contain residual blood.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in drinking and dancing.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Jehovah’s Witnesses are not against parties, music, dancing and drinking of alcohol, as long as they are done in moderation. Witnesses are cautious about their entertainment choices, avoiding R-rated movies and music with immoral lyrics. They dance, but discourage sexually suggestive moves. Witnesses are expected to avoid recreational drug use, citing the scripture that says “let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit.” There is no restriction on caffeine and Witnesses can drink alcohol in moderation.

Jehovah's Witnesses made many erroneous predictions that the world was ending by a certain time, which financially ruined the lives of members who never sought college education or careers.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY 
  
Over the course of the Witnesses' 130-year history, there have been periods of Armageddon predictions. Witnesses felt their belief in the imminent end of this world and the start of God's Kingdom was not compatible with the need for a higher education leading to a lucrative career in a doomed, manmade system.
Also, the preaching work of Witnesses did not require a college degree, therefore the pursuit of higher education was discouraged. But in 1995, the Witnesses officially ended their belief that tied the coming of Armageddon to the lifespan of anyone alive today, saying instead it is coming "soon." Since then, more young Witnesses began to attend college classes and many still do. Recently, Witnesses have been strongly encouraged to replace higher education goals with ministry work. Witnesses whose circumstances allow are encouraged to do full-time ministry; about ten percent do so.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not permit divorce.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH

 
Monogamy between one man and one woman and sex only within marriage are requirements in the Witness religion. But Witnesses do permit divorce in certain cases, believing that the only valid ground for divorce and remarriage is adultery.

Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to celebrate birthdays and Christmas.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
Witnesses refrain from religious holiday celebrations, including Christmas and Easter. Their main objection toward holiday celebrations is the non-biblical origin of traditions and rituals associated with them. Many holidays were incorporated into Christian practice by the Roman emperor Constantine as a political gesture. Witnesses also refuse to celebrate birthdays and other popular holidays like Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in organ transplants.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Jehovah’s Witnesses considered organ transplants to be unscriptural until 1980, when the decision to accept an organ was re-defined as an individual’s choice. The organ unquestionably contains blood, which is why some Witnesses will refuse it. But other Witnesses rationalize that the intent is to receive the organ, not the residual blood that remains in it.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in heaven.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Witnesses do not aspire to receive a heavenly calling, preferring to live forever on Earth. They believe that God will reward the righteous with eternal life on Earth as perfect humans. Witnesses do believe that heaven exists as the invisible dwelling place of God, Jesus, the angels and a chosen group of 144,000 “anointed” humans.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are politically neutral.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
As subjects of God’s government, Jehovah’s Witnesses give God’s laws priority. For this reason, they do not take sides in political issues or military conflicts, nor can they give total allegiance to Earthly governments. Witnesses do not vote or run for political office because they believe it is futile to put faith in humans to fix the world’s problems.

Learn more about the beliefs, practices and history of Jehovah's Witnesses >>
Read the Filmmaker Statement  >>
sources

modified 8/27/07

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                

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Myths and Realitites
Controversies and misunderstandings affect common perceptions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Are the following statements fact or fiction? Read on to learn more about the myths and realities regarding Witnesses, their practices and beliefs.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a sect and not a valid religion. 
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Jehovah's Witnesses have a 130-year history, are in 230 lands and have seven million members. The dictionary definition of sect is “a small group that has broken away from an established Church.” Jehovah's Witnesses are not small, nor have they broken away from another religion. “Sect” is often used as code to negatively imply the Witnesses are a cult. But Jehovah's Witnesses do not fit the definition of a cult, either.

Jehovah's Witnesses shun members who leave the faith.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
Jehovah's Witnesses shun (or "disfellowship") as many as 30,000 members each year who refuse to live by the religion's moral tenets. A baptized Witness who insistently promotes dissenting theological views can also be ousted from the congregation, as can anyone habitually fraternizing with the dissenter. Members who leave or "disassociate" from the faith by formally renouncing it are also subject to shunning. Witnesses say they shun with the intent to motivate erring members to restore their relationship with God and to preserve the moral environment of the congregation. Witnesses communicate with shunned family members who live in the same home and can choose to communicate important family matters with those outside the home. Shunned members are invited to attend meetings but are not to interact with congregation members. They are welcomed back in to the fold upon "repentance." Many shunned members eventually return to the faith. Many other baptized members decide to leave the congregation and Witness life by quietly ceasing their activities and becoming "inactive." The congregation does not shun inactive individuals for the life they lead if they no longer identify themselves publicly as Witnesses or participate in the door-to-door ministry.

Jehovah's Witnesses forbid blood transfusions.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
Witnesses believe that blood is sacred and should only be used as God designates, based on an interpretation of Biblical texts that prohibit the taking of blood into the body for the purpose of sustaining the body’s functions. This prohibition against whole blood still stands, although new technology that utilizes fractions of blood is now considered a matter of personal conscience among individual Witnesses, as are organ transplants which contain residual blood.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in drinking and dancing.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Jehovah’s Witnesses are not against parties, music, dancing and drinking of alcohol, as long as they are done in moderation. Witnesses are cautious about their entertainment choices, avoiding R-rated movies and music with immoral lyrics. They dance, but discourage sexually suggestive moves. Witnesses are expected to avoid recreational drug use, citing the scripture that says “let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit.” There is no restriction on caffeine and Witnesses can drink alcohol in moderation.

Jehovah's Witnesses made many erroneous predictions that the world was ending by a certain time, which financially ruined the lives of members who never sought college education or careers.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY 
  
Over the course of the Witnesses' 130-year history, there have been periods of Armageddon predictions. Witnesses felt their belief in the imminent end of this world and the start of God's Kingdom was not compatible with the need for a higher education leading to a lucrative career in a doomed, manmade system.
Also, the preaching work of Witnesses did not require a college degree, therefore the pursuit of higher education was discouraged. But in 1995, the Witnesses officially ended their belief that tied the coming of Armageddon to the lifespan of anyone alive today, saying instead it is coming "soon." Since then, more young Witnesses began to attend college classes and many still do. Recently, Witnesses have been strongly encouraged to replace higher education goals with ministry work. Witnesses whose circumstances allow are encouraged to do full-time ministry; about ten percent do so.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not permit divorce.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH

 
Monogamy between one man and one woman and sex only within marriage are requirements in the Witness religion. But Witnesses do permit divorce in certain cases, believing that the only valid ground for divorce and remarriage is adultery.

Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to celebrate birthdays and Christmas.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
Witnesses refrain from religious holiday celebrations, including Christmas and Easter. Their main objection toward holiday celebrations is the non-biblical origin of traditions and rituals associated with them. Many holidays were incorporated into Christian practice by the Roman emperor Constantine as a political gesture. Witnesses also refuse to celebrate birthdays and other popular holidays like Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in organ transplants.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Jehovah’s Witnesses considered organ transplants to be unscriptural until 1980, when the decision to accept an organ was re-defined as an individual’s choice. The organ unquestionably contains blood, which is why some Witnesses will refuse it. But other Witnesses rationalize that the intent is to receive the organ, not the residual blood that remains in it.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in heaven.
Myth or Reality?

MYTH
  
Witnesses do not aspire to receive a heavenly calling, preferring to live forever on Earth. They believe that God will reward the righteous with eternal life on Earth as perfect humans. Witnesses do believe that heaven exists as the invisible dwelling place of God, Jesus, the angels and a chosen group of 144,000 “anointed” humans.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are politically neutral.
Myth or Reality?

REALITY
  
As subjects of God’s government, Jehovah’s Witnesses give God’s laws priority. For this reason, they do not take sides in political issues or military conflicts, nor can they give total allegiance to Earthly governments. Witnesses do not vote or run for political office because they believe it is futile to put faith in humans to fix the world’s problems.

Learn more about the beliefs, practices and history of Jehovah's Witnesses >>
Read the Filmmaker Statement  >>
sources

modified 8/27/07

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                


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Joseph Kempler
 Joseph Kempler in a gray sweater, sitting at a table with several copies of The Watchtower

Joseph Kempler, 76, survived six Nazi concentration camps as a Polish Jewish teenager and emerged from the experience with deep emotional scars. His parents and grandparents died in the Holocaust. Though he had been raised in a devout Jewish home, Joseph lost his faith and cursed God for allowing the Holocaust to happen. After Joseph immigrated to the United States, Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on his door. Through them, Joseph found a renewed faith in God and eventually converted. He is aware that some Jews consider him a traitor, while others are moved by his faith. Joseph still embraces his Jewish heritage, as part of his family remains religiously Jewish while the rest are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
In KNOCKING, he speaks to a group of high-school students, explaining that in one camp he observed Jehovah’s Witness inmates holding to their beliefs despite SS torture.
We caught up with Joseph and his wife Virginia in April 2007 to find out what he has been up to since the film finished shooting.
What have you been doing since filming wrapped up on KNOCKING?
We've enjoyed very much being at some of the screenings of KNOCKING. People really like the film. Everything we hear is positive. We're planning on attending our grandson Andrew's graduation from college in May. We'll be staying with Susie and Jeffrey [Joseph's daughter and her husband]. So we'll all be together on May 22 to watch the PBS broadcast of KNOCKING together. We're looking forward to that. We've also gone to other schools and talked to more students.
Virginia: And this last time at a high school auditorium in Orange County [California], I have to say that Joe was magnificent. I was really proud of him.
What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions regarding Jehovah's Witnesses?
Joseph: People think that Jehovah's Witnesses are sort of one-dimensional, that they focus only on religion.
In what ways do you feel KNOCKING will help clear these misunderstandings?
Joseph: I feel that KNOCKING really showed the human side of Jehovah's Witnesses. They face these universal problems—health issues, conscience issues, prejudice—and they react as humans. But at the same time, they react with courage. I think the film shows that very well.
Virginia: The film shows how the Witnesses tried to act like true Christians, refusing to harm people even though it cost some of them their lives. I think it's important that people see how the Witnesses were different.
What was your favorite part of being in the film?
Joseph: I thought it was very important that I could express what a transformation I experienced during and after the Holocaust. I went from being a God hater to a defender of God's name. This is still amazing to me, that I could make such a change. I'm glad I got to talk about that.
Your least favorite?
Virginia: When we were in Europe, we were wired for sound, even when we were traveling in separate vans. So even when the cameras weren't rolling, we didn't have private moments.
How have your family and friends reacted to the film?
Joseph: Recently excerpts of KNOCKING screened at a program on the Holocaust and Faith in California, where I took part on a panel discussion. There were many Jewish people in the audience, including survivors. Even though my becoming a Christian technically means that I became a traitor to my Jewish upbringing, they seem to react with understanding. We haven't heard negative reactions from anyone.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experiences?
Joseph: I was a little sorry that in KNOCKING my relationship with Susie came across as if there had been some kind of rift. It's true that after the Holocaust I have trouble getting close to anybody, including my children. But there is no rift. In fact, I think I can communicate with Susie better than anyone else. We understand each other, maybe because of her own upbringing by her stepmother [also a survivor].
Virginia: I love Susie very much, like a daughter. And she loves us. We spend time with Susie, Jeff and the kids. They came out to see us, and we've visited them. Part of the problem is that we live on opposite coasts. But we keep quite close. People sometimes assume that if a Witness family is not close to a non-Witness relatives, it's the Witnesses' choice. But it's often the case that the non-Witnesses choose to be distant and withdraw.
Joseph: Of course, I was hoping that in Europe when visiting the camps, there would be some kind of breakthrough. It remains hard to open up though. I'm constantly wrestling with that.
One other thing: in KNOCKING during the scene when we're on the plane to Austria, Andrew refuses a meal. That's because it's Yom Kippur. Andrew wishes the film had explained that he was fasting because of observing this Jewish holiday. And of course next to him, his mother had her meal. So I think that makes an interesting point: that even in one family, religious practices differ but people still get along.
Read a Q&A with Seth Thomas  >>
Explore myths and realities of Jehovah's Witnesses  >>

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
 Home
 Explore Films
 TV Schedule
 Watch Video
 Local Screenings
 Classroom
 Blog
 About
 Credits
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 Pressroom
 
Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                    

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/kempler.html






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KNOCKING

preview
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Joseph Kempler
 Joseph Kempler in a gray sweater, sitting at a table with several copies of The Watchtower

Joseph Kempler, 76, survived six Nazi concentration camps as a Polish Jewish teenager and emerged from the experience with deep emotional scars. His parents and grandparents died in the Holocaust. Though he had been raised in a devout Jewish home, Joseph lost his faith and cursed God for allowing the Holocaust to happen. After Joseph immigrated to the United States, Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked on his door. Through them, Joseph found a renewed faith in God and eventually converted. He is aware that some Jews consider him a traitor, while others are moved by his faith. Joseph still embraces his Jewish heritage, as part of his family remains religiously Jewish while the rest are Jehovah’s Witnesses.
In KNOCKING, he speaks to a group of high-school students, explaining that in one camp he observed Jehovah’s Witness inmates holding to their beliefs despite SS torture.
We caught up with Joseph and his wife Virginia in April 2007 to find out what he has been up to since the film finished shooting.
What have you been doing since filming wrapped up on KNOCKING?
We've enjoyed very much being at some of the screenings of KNOCKING. People really like the film. Everything we hear is positive. We're planning on attending our grandson Andrew's graduation from college in May. We'll be staying with Susie and Jeffrey [Joseph's daughter and her husband]. So we'll all be together on May 22 to watch the PBS broadcast of KNOCKING together. We're looking forward to that. We've also gone to other schools and talked to more students.
Virginia: And this last time at a high school auditorium in Orange County [California], I have to say that Joe was magnificent. I was really proud of him.
What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions regarding Jehovah's Witnesses?
Joseph: People think that Jehovah's Witnesses are sort of one-dimensional, that they focus only on religion.
In what ways do you feel KNOCKING will help clear these misunderstandings?
Joseph: I feel that KNOCKING really showed the human side of Jehovah's Witnesses. They face these universal problems—health issues, conscience issues, prejudice—and they react as humans. But at the same time, they react with courage. I think the film shows that very well.
Virginia: The film shows how the Witnesses tried to act like true Christians, refusing to harm people even though it cost some of them their lives. I think it's important that people see how the Witnesses were different.
What was your favorite part of being in the film?
Joseph: I thought it was very important that I could express what a transformation I experienced during and after the Holocaust. I went from being a God hater to a defender of God's name. This is still amazing to me, that I could make such a change. I'm glad I got to talk about that.
Your least favorite?
Virginia: When we were in Europe, we were wired for sound, even when we were traveling in separate vans. So even when the cameras weren't rolling, we didn't have private moments.
How have your family and friends reacted to the film?
Joseph: Recently excerpts of KNOCKING screened at a program on the Holocaust and Faith in California, where I took part on a panel discussion. There were many Jewish people in the audience, including survivors. Even though my becoming a Christian technically means that I became a traitor to my Jewish upbringing, they seem to react with understanding. We haven't heard negative reactions from anyone.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experiences?
Joseph: I was a little sorry that in KNOCKING my relationship with Susie came across as if there had been some kind of rift. It's true that after the Holocaust I have trouble getting close to anybody, including my children. But there is no rift. In fact, I think I can communicate with Susie better than anyone else. We understand each other, maybe because of her own upbringing by her stepmother [also a survivor].
Virginia: I love Susie very much, like a daughter. And she loves us. We spend time with Susie, Jeff and the kids. They came out to see us, and we've visited them. Part of the problem is that we live on opposite coasts. But we keep quite close. People sometimes assume that if a Witness family is not close to a non-Witness relatives, it's the Witnesses' choice. But it's often the case that the non-Witnesses choose to be distant and withdraw.
Joseph: Of course, I was hoping that in Europe when visiting the camps, there would be some kind of breakthrough. It remains hard to open up though. I'm constantly wrestling with that.
One other thing: in KNOCKING during the scene when we're on the plane to Austria, Andrew refuses a meal. That's because it's Yom Kippur. Andrew wishes the film had explained that he was fasting because of observing this Jewish holiday. And of course next to him, his mother had her meal. So I think that makes an interesting point: that even in one family, religious practices differ but people still get along.
Read a Q&A with Seth Thomas  >>
Explore myths and realities of Jehovah's Witnesses  >>

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
 Home
 Explore Films
 TV Schedule
 Watch Video
 Local Screenings
 Classroom
 Blog
 About
 Credits
 Contact
 Newsletter
 Pressroom
 
Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                    

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Seth Thomas
 Seth Thomas, wearing an Atari T-shirt, plays an electric guitar

Seth Thomas is a 23-year-old community college student who suffers from a life-threatening liver disease called sclerosing cholangitis. He lives with his parents in suburban Dallas.
Seth’s parents Ralph and Audrey and his girlfriend Halina ("Nina") are practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses. His maternal grandmother Dolores Rasmussen is not and is unhappy with the family’s conversion to the Witness faith. In KNOCKING, she voices her concern over Seth’s wish to have bloodless surgery.
We caught up with Seth in March 2007 to find out what he has been up to since the film ended.
What have you been doing since filming wrapped up on KNOCKING?
Life has been going great since wrapping up the filming. I got married on September 30, 2006. It was a great day. Halina [my wife] and I really enjoyed the wedding and especially enjoyed getting to meet up with the Kempler family who attended our marriage. It was wonderful to meet them and the others who were involved in the filming of the documentary. Everyone had a really good time that day, I believe. Since then Halina and I have both been working at T-Mobile. We both started there on October 9, 2006. I guess you can say we are inseparable. Wherever one of us works the other is almost sure to be there. We have been just keeping busy though with the normal things of life, managing day-to-day activities and making sure to keep things as stress-free as possible.
What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions regarding Jehovah's Witnesses?
Many people say we do not believe in Jesus Christ, that we are a cult, and all around boring people. No concept of having fun, such as dancing or just being social.
In what ways do you feel KNOCKING will help clear these misunderstandings?
The film more than demonstrates the love Jehovah's Witnesses have for their family members, whether or not they are Witnesses. There is no shunning of other family members due to religious preference. Also we know how to have a good time, as shown by the activities in the video [hockey, playing the guitar and dating].
What was your favorite part of being in the film?
The opportunity to demonstrate to the world the different sides of Jehovah's Witnesses. We face the same daily struggles regarding health, money and family. But when Bible principles are applied and followed things work out for the best.
What was your least favorite?
Getting used to having a camera crew follow you down the street while trying to preach door to door. Rather unnerving and uncomfortable. Also making sure not to make a fool of myself in front of millions of prospective viewers.
How have your family and friends reacted to the film?
They all have really enjoyed it. Everyone has found something in the film that helps to encourage them.
Read a Q&A with Joseph Kempler >>
Learn about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses >>

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Seth Thomas
 Seth Thomas, wearing an Atari T-shirt, plays an electric guitar

Seth Thomas is a 23-year-old community college student who suffers from a life-threatening liver disease called sclerosing cholangitis. He lives with his parents in suburban Dallas.
Seth’s parents Ralph and Audrey and his girlfriend Halina ("Nina") are practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses. His maternal grandmother Dolores Rasmussen is not and is unhappy with the family’s conversion to the Witness faith. In KNOCKING, she voices her concern over Seth’s wish to have bloodless surgery.
We caught up with Seth in March 2007 to find out what he has been up to since the film ended.
What have you been doing since filming wrapped up on KNOCKING?
Life has been going great since wrapping up the filming. I got married on September 30, 2006. It was a great day. Halina [my wife] and I really enjoyed the wedding and especially enjoyed getting to meet up with the Kempler family who attended our marriage. It was wonderful to meet them and the others who were involved in the filming of the documentary. Everyone had a really good time that day, I believe. Since then Halina and I have both been working at T-Mobile. We both started there on October 9, 2006. I guess you can say we are inseparable. Wherever one of us works the other is almost sure to be there. We have been just keeping busy though with the normal things of life, managing day-to-day activities and making sure to keep things as stress-free as possible.
What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions regarding Jehovah's Witnesses?
Many people say we do not believe in Jesus Christ, that we are a cult, and all around boring people. No concept of having fun, such as dancing or just being social.
In what ways do you feel KNOCKING will help clear these misunderstandings?
The film more than demonstrates the love Jehovah's Witnesses have for their family members, whether or not they are Witnesses. There is no shunning of other family members due to religious preference. Also we know how to have a good time, as shown by the activities in the video [hockey, playing the guitar and dating].
What was your favorite part of being in the film?
The opportunity to demonstrate to the world the different sides of Jehovah's Witnesses. We face the same daily struggles regarding health, money and family. But when Bible principles are applied and followed things work out for the best.
What was your least favorite?
Getting used to having a camera crew follow you down the street while trying to preach door to door. Rather unnerving and uncomfortable. Also making sure not to make a fool of myself in front of millions of prospective viewers.
How have your family and friends reacted to the film?
They all have really enjoyed it. Everyone has found something in the film that helps to encourage them.
Read a Q&A with Joseph Kempler >>
Learn about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses >>

Tell a Friend top
  



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Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Responding to Criticisms
Just as there are controversies and misconceptions surrounding the Jehovah's Witnesses faith, they also are surfacing about the documentary KNOCKING. Read on for the filmmakers’ responses to questions and criticisms that have arisen around the film.
Why doesn't KNOCKING challenge the theology and doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses? For example, Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be Christian but they won't say that Jesus is God.
KNOCKING is not a film about theology. It is a film about people who are Jehovah's Witnesses; people with feelings, personalities, problems and successes like anyone else. KNOCKING follows two Jehovah's Witness families who both have unbelieving and opposing members. KNOCKING chronicles the story behind the extraordinary circumstances these families face because of their religious beliefs and differences. What they believe is not chronicled as much as how they behave. KNOCKING simply states the basic beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses without dissecting whether the Trinity (as taught by Catholics and Protestants and rejected by Jehovah's Witnesses), earthly or heavenly paradise, a common grave or fiery hell or any number of variations on Christian beliefs are "true" or not. Given the time limit of the PBS broadcast, it would be impossible to compare Witness beliefs to every Christian and non-Christian belief. Therefore, KNOCKING focuses only on what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. It is up to viewers to take that information and compare it to the myriad other faiths and belief systems that exist.
Is director Joel Engardio a “former” or “ex” Jehovah’s Witness?
Joel Engardio’s mother is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She raised Joel in the religion as a child, but Joel never joined as an adult. So he is not a former or ex member. Joel’s mother is the only Jehovah’s Witness in his largely Catholic family.
Given Joel Engardio’s background how can he tell an objective story?
The journalists’ creed is objectivity, but all journalists bring their own personal history to their reports. The fact Joel Engardio was raised as a Jehovah's Witness prompts two common reactions. Either: He never became a member so he can’t do a fair job. He must harbor some ill will or resentment and will do a negative “hit” piece. Or: His mother is still a Jehovah’s Witness, so he will do a promotional piece on Jehovah’s Witnesses to make his mother happy. Engardio rejects both scenarios. He brings to the film an insight and background that enables him to better understand Jehovah’s Witnesses, and portray that understanding in his work. At the same time, he shows both sides organic to the story. The two Jehovah’s Witnesses families featured in KNOCKING have members who are opposed to the religion and who express their view on camera.
What about claims on the Internet that Jehovah's Witnesses are responsible for thousands of deaths over refused blood transfusions—many of them innocent children?
KNOCKING deals intimately with the issue of Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing blood transfusions, and the film explicitly outlines the risks involved in such a decision. KNOCKING also interviews non-Witnesses who strongly object to the stand on blood made by their Witness family members. It would be inaccurate for the film to take the position that Witnesses’ children are dying because of the religion's stand on blood. State law in the U.S. is clear that Witness parents cannot refuse blood for their minor children if a doctor or hospital deems a blood transfusion is necessary to save the child's life. The aim of KNOCKING is to show all sides of the issue, which includes the information that new medical technology developed for Witnesses now benefits all patients regardless of religious belief. More than 140 hospitals in the U.S. now offer some form of bloodless surgery to all patients. This is an issue that is bigger than Witnesses and it is an issue that is transforming the health care landscape, which is why it is important that KNOCKING discusses it.
Are there historical documents that prove Jehovah’s Witness leadership wrote anti-Semitic letters to Hitler trying to gain favor during the Nazi regime?
A letter and legal petition written by the Jehovah's Witness leadership to Hitler in 1933, just as Hitler first came to power, do exist. These were an attempt by Witnesses to inform the German government that they were apolitical and not a threat to the Nazi regime, which in its infancy in 1933 was not the killing machine it would soon become. The action of the Witnesses from 1934 onward was a complete reversal of the language in their 1933 appeal to Hitler. Rabbi Michael Berenbaum (former director of the Research Institute at the U.S. Holocaust Museum) speaks at length on the KNOCKING DVD about this issue. The conclusion by Berenbaum and other notable Holocaust scholars that the 1933 letters are inconsequential when compared to what the Witnesses did from1934 onward, gave the producers of KNOCKING the confidence that the letters need not be mentioned in the film. But because they are an historical footnote, they are mentioned and discussed at length in the DVD extras.
What about news reports that Jehovah's Witnesses have molested children?
While it is impossible to expect nothing bad would happen in such a longstanding and large group as Jehovah’s Witnesses, it would be unfair to highlight a crime common in general society as unique to Jehovah's Witnesses. Child sexual abuse is a horrible problem in our society, especially when it happens in the trusted confines of any religious or social group. But this is a subject that would warrant an entire documentary in itself.
Isn't it hypocritical to make a film that says anything positive about a religion that does not allow actively gay members, since the producers are gay?
The producers of KNOCKING respect the fact that the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution guarantees religions the right to hold any belief, including the belief that homosexuality is wrong. But the producers also respect the fact that despite the Jehovah's Witnesses’ belief on homosexuality, the Witnesses are apolitical and adhere to a strict separation of Church and State. Witnesses do not support anti-gay legislation and would never protest or try to thwart the efforts of gay people to secure their own equal rights. In fact, in seeking their rights, Witnesses have won First Amendment cases that benefit groups with whom they disagree, including gay people. The point of KNOCKING is that all groups have the right to speak freely about what they believe—and live in peace under equal protection under the law—without resorting to legislating or forcing everyone to follow the same beliefs. Even if the producers don’t subscribe to the same belief system as Jehovah’s Witnesses, KNOCKING has uncovered why it is important for non-believers to take note of all the ways in which Jehovah’s Witnesses have intersected with civic life, and even contributed to a society more committed to personal liberties.
Read the Filmmaker Statements >>
Learn more about the beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses >>

modified 5/17/07

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
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KNOCKING

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Responding to Criticisms
Just as there are controversies and misconceptions surrounding the Jehovah's Witnesses faith, they also are surfacing about the documentary KNOCKING. Read on for the filmmakers’ responses to questions and criticisms that have arisen around the film.
Why doesn't KNOCKING challenge the theology and doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses? For example, Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be Christian but they won't say that Jesus is God.
KNOCKING is not a film about theology. It is a film about people who are Jehovah's Witnesses; people with feelings, personalities, problems and successes like anyone else. KNOCKING follows two Jehovah's Witness families who both have unbelieving and opposing members. KNOCKING chronicles the story behind the extraordinary circumstances these families face because of their religious beliefs and differences. What they believe is not chronicled as much as how they behave. KNOCKING simply states the basic beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses without dissecting whether the Trinity (as taught by Catholics and Protestants and rejected by Jehovah's Witnesses), earthly or heavenly paradise, a common grave or fiery hell or any number of variations on Christian beliefs are "true" or not. Given the time limit of the PBS broadcast, it would be impossible to compare Witness beliefs to every Christian and non-Christian belief. Therefore, KNOCKING focuses only on what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. It is up to viewers to take that information and compare it to the myriad other faiths and belief systems that exist.
Is director Joel Engardio a “former” or “ex” Jehovah’s Witness?
Joel Engardio’s mother is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She raised Joel in the religion as a child, but Joel never joined as an adult. So he is not a former or ex member. Joel’s mother is the only Jehovah’s Witness in his largely Catholic family.
Given Joel Engardio’s background how can he tell an objective story?
The journalists’ creed is objectivity, but all journalists bring their own personal history to their reports. The fact Joel Engardio was raised as a Jehovah's Witness prompts two common reactions. Either: He never became a member so he can’t do a fair job. He must harbor some ill will or resentment and will do a negative “hit” piece. Or: His mother is still a Jehovah’s Witness, so he will do a promotional piece on Jehovah’s Witnesses to make his mother happy. Engardio rejects both scenarios. He brings to the film an insight and background that enables him to better understand Jehovah’s Witnesses, and portray that understanding in his work. At the same time, he shows both sides organic to the story. The two Jehovah’s Witnesses families featured in KNOCKING have members who are opposed to the religion and who express their view on camera.
What about claims on the Internet that Jehovah's Witnesses are responsible for thousands of deaths over refused blood transfusions—many of them innocent children?
KNOCKING deals intimately with the issue of Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing blood transfusions, and the film explicitly outlines the risks involved in such a decision. KNOCKING also interviews non-Witnesses who strongly object to the stand on blood made by their Witness family members. It would be inaccurate for the film to take the position that Witnesses’ children are dying because of the religion's stand on blood. State law in the U.S. is clear that Witness parents cannot refuse blood for their minor children if a doctor or hospital deems a blood transfusion is necessary to save the child's life. The aim of KNOCKING is to show all sides of the issue, which includes the information that new medical technology developed for Witnesses now benefits all patients regardless of religious belief. More than 140 hospitals in the U.S. now offer some form of bloodless surgery to all patients. This is an issue that is bigger than Witnesses and it is an issue that is transforming the health care landscape, which is why it is important that KNOCKING discusses it.
Are there historical documents that prove Jehovah’s Witness leadership wrote anti-Semitic letters to Hitler trying to gain favor during the Nazi regime?
A letter and legal petition written by the Jehovah's Witness leadership to Hitler in 1933, just as Hitler first came to power, do exist. These were an attempt by Witnesses to inform the German government that they were apolitical and not a threat to the Nazi regime, which in its infancy in 1933 was not the killing machine it would soon become. The action of the Witnesses from 1934 onward was a complete reversal of the language in their 1933 appeal to Hitler. Rabbi Michael Berenbaum (former director of the Research Institute at the U.S. Holocaust Museum) speaks at length on the KNOCKING DVD about this issue. The conclusion by Berenbaum and other notable Holocaust scholars that the 1933 letters are inconsequential when compared to what the Witnesses did from1934 onward, gave the producers of KNOCKING the confidence that the letters need not be mentioned in the film. But because they are an historical footnote, they are mentioned and discussed at length in the DVD extras.
What about news reports that Jehovah's Witnesses have molested children?
While it is impossible to expect nothing bad would happen in such a longstanding and large group as Jehovah’s Witnesses, it would be unfair to highlight a crime common in general society as unique to Jehovah's Witnesses. Child sexual abuse is a horrible problem in our society, especially when it happens in the trusted confines of any religious or social group. But this is a subject that would warrant an entire documentary in itself.
Isn't it hypocritical to make a film that says anything positive about a religion that does not allow actively gay members, since the producers are gay?
The producers of KNOCKING respect the fact that the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution guarantees religions the right to hold any belief, including the belief that homosexuality is wrong. But the producers also respect the fact that despite the Jehovah's Witnesses’ belief on homosexuality, the Witnesses are apolitical and adhere to a strict separation of Church and State. Witnesses do not support anti-gay legislation and would never protest or try to thwart the efforts of gay people to secure their own equal rights. In fact, in seeking their rights, Witnesses have won First Amendment cases that benefit groups with whom they disagree, including gay people. The point of KNOCKING is that all groups have the right to speak freely about what they believe—and live in peace under equal protection under the law—without resorting to legislating or forcing everyone to follow the same beliefs. Even if the producers don’t subscribe to the same belief system as Jehovah’s Witnesses, KNOCKING has uncovered why it is important for non-believers to take note of all the ways in which Jehovah’s Witnesses have intersected with civic life, and even contributed to a society more committed to personal liberties.
Read the Filmmaker Statements >>
Learn more about the beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses >>

modified 5/17/07

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Filmmaker Statements
 An older man and woman in black coats stand in front of a large brown door with windows, the woman holding a book and the man knocking on the door


 
Read the AOL True Stories KNOCKING blog for more from the filmmakers and film subjects.
Visit the blog »
  


Read statements from filmmakers Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard to find out why they made KNOCKING.
From Joel P. Engardio:
When my mom took me door-knocking on Saturday mornings to deliver the Watchtower magazine and a Bible message to the neighborhoods of Saginaw, Michigan, I didn’t realize I was a defender of America’s essential freedoms: speech, religion and personal liberty. I was just a kid, who would rather be home watching cartoons on television like the other kids. At that age, being raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses was an embarrassment because it meant I was different. Getting sent to the principal’s office for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance was not a typical third-grade offense.
Now, as an adult who became a journalist but never joined the religion, I can see why it’s important that Jehovah’s Witnesses are different. That’s why I wanted to make KNOCKING. Our essential freedoms are at war with each other—a culture war. We are divided by the very principles that defined America. But when Jehovah’s Witnesses knock, they are demonstrating that the freedoms of speech, religion and personal liberty can exist in harmony. It is how a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, an abortion clinic and a gay married couple can peacefully co-exist on the same block. Jehovah’s Witnesses are moral conservatives who only compete in the marketplace of ideas. They attempt to persuade—not impose—their beliefs at your door. If you say, “No thanks,” they won’t go behind your back and amend the Constitution to suit their worldview. The only world they want to control is their own congregation, which is their right, and joining it is a personal choice. Jehovah’s Witnesses keep religion out of politics. Their separation of church and state is absolute: they don’t vote, pledge allegiance to the flag or serve in the military. Yet as otherwise law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, they remind us that the America worth fighting for is an America that does not force people to follow a single ideology with patriotic fervor. And as a group with fundamental religious beliefs, they remind us that it is possible to stand firm in your faith without feeling threatened by those who choose a different path.
The knocking may be inconvenient, but it is a necessary annoyance in a free society. And when their own First Amendment rights were threatened, they went to the U.S. Supreme Court a record 62 times. Jehovah’s Witnesses prevailed, winning 50 cases that expanded liberty for everyone—even groups they disagree with. Now we can all equally share our own message. Better we hear an idea we don’t like than be forced to live by it.
 A middle-aged white man in a gray suit and a younger white man in a black suit walk down a tree-lined suburban sidewalk, carrying black briefcases
From Tom Shepard:
I am drawn to documentary filmmaking as a vehicle for telling untold stories and doing so in a way that won’t trivialize or sensationalize the issues and subjects who appear on screen. There are few journalistic outlets left in our fast-paced society which allow us to relax into a story, meet engaging characters and be taken on a journey that really challenges what we know and how we think about the world. KNOCKING is one of those outlets and was a privilege to co-direct.
Most people have only a vague notion of who Jehovah’s Witnesses are. Before making this film, I knew very little about them—their beliefs, their history, their family life and their ways of congregating. In KNOCKING, we tried to unpackage the stereotype of Jehovah’s Witnesses as proselytizing zealots. By delving deeply and personally into the lives of several Witnesses, watching them struggle with life’s biggest challenges, watching them celebrate deeply-held convictions and watching them negotiate their faith in a world often at odds, even hostile, toward them, we begin to empathize and see Jehovah’s Witnesses as real human beings, not just caricatures on our doorsteps. Once this happens, our minds open to important and rarely discussed information: how Witnesses paved legal precedents regarding First Amendment rights, how they modeled resistance to totalitarian authority in Nazi Europe and how their unconventional beliefs prompted innovation in medicine that benefits all of us.
Whether or not you agree with Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, it is incumbent on you to know their story, to learn their history, as it is part of your own history, and to take note of all the important ways they have intersected with society. I hope KNOCKING adds to this body of knowledge and gives its viewers pause before avoiding the door next time a Witness comes knocking.
Find out more about Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs >>
Read the Filmmaker Q&A >>

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Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                    

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KNOCKING

preview
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Filmmaker Statements
 An older man and woman in black coats stand in front of a large brown door with windows, the woman holding a book and the man knocking on the door


 
Read the AOL True Stories KNOCKING blog for more from the filmmakers and film subjects.
Visit the blog »
  


Read statements from filmmakers Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard to find out why they made KNOCKING.
From Joel P. Engardio:
When my mom took me door-knocking on Saturday mornings to deliver the Watchtower magazine and a Bible message to the neighborhoods of Saginaw, Michigan, I didn’t realize I was a defender of America’s essential freedoms: speech, religion and personal liberty. I was just a kid, who would rather be home watching cartoons on television like the other kids. At that age, being raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses was an embarrassment because it meant I was different. Getting sent to the principal’s office for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance was not a typical third-grade offense.
Now, as an adult who became a journalist but never joined the religion, I can see why it’s important that Jehovah’s Witnesses are different. That’s why I wanted to make KNOCKING. Our essential freedoms are at war with each other—a culture war. We are divided by the very principles that defined America. But when Jehovah’s Witnesses knock, they are demonstrating that the freedoms of speech, religion and personal liberty can exist in harmony. It is how a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, an abortion clinic and a gay married couple can peacefully co-exist on the same block. Jehovah’s Witnesses are moral conservatives who only compete in the marketplace of ideas. They attempt to persuade—not impose—their beliefs at your door. If you say, “No thanks,” they won’t go behind your back and amend the Constitution to suit their worldview. The only world they want to control is their own congregation, which is their right, and joining it is a personal choice. Jehovah’s Witnesses keep religion out of politics. Their separation of church and state is absolute: they don’t vote, pledge allegiance to the flag or serve in the military. Yet as otherwise law-abiding, tax-paying citizens, they remind us that the America worth fighting for is an America that does not force people to follow a single ideology with patriotic fervor. And as a group with fundamental religious beliefs, they remind us that it is possible to stand firm in your faith without feeling threatened by those who choose a different path.
The knocking may be inconvenient, but it is a necessary annoyance in a free society. And when their own First Amendment rights were threatened, they went to the U.S. Supreme Court a record 62 times. Jehovah’s Witnesses prevailed, winning 50 cases that expanded liberty for everyone—even groups they disagree with. Now we can all equally share our own message. Better we hear an idea we don’t like than be forced to live by it.
 A middle-aged white man in a gray suit and a younger white man in a black suit walk down a tree-lined suburban sidewalk, carrying black briefcases
From Tom Shepard:
I am drawn to documentary filmmaking as a vehicle for telling untold stories and doing so in a way that won’t trivialize or sensationalize the issues and subjects who appear on screen. There are few journalistic outlets left in our fast-paced society which allow us to relax into a story, meet engaging characters and be taken on a journey that really challenges what we know and how we think about the world. KNOCKING is one of those outlets and was a privilege to co-direct.
Most people have only a vague notion of who Jehovah’s Witnesses are. Before making this film, I knew very little about them—their beliefs, their history, their family life and their ways of congregating. In KNOCKING, we tried to unpackage the stereotype of Jehovah’s Witnesses as proselytizing zealots. By delving deeply and personally into the lives of several Witnesses, watching them struggle with life’s biggest challenges, watching them celebrate deeply-held convictions and watching them negotiate their faith in a world often at odds, even hostile, toward them, we begin to empathize and see Jehovah’s Witnesses as real human beings, not just caricatures on our doorsteps. Once this happens, our minds open to important and rarely discussed information: how Witnesses paved legal precedents regarding First Amendment rights, how they modeled resistance to totalitarian authority in Nazi Europe and how their unconventional beliefs prompted innovation in medicine that benefits all of us.
Whether or not you agree with Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, it is incumbent on you to know their story, to learn their history, as it is part of your own history, and to take note of all the important ways they have intersected with society. I hope KNOCKING adds to this body of knowledge and gives its viewers pause before avoiding the door next time a Witness comes knocking.
Find out more about Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs >>
Read the Filmmaker Q&A >>

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A man in a dark suit and tie talks and holds up a pamphlet. Inset: Video icon link
"Witnesses won’t protest or impose their beliefs on groups with whom they disagree, but people who choose to join must give up some personal freedoms." (1:12)
Watch video
A historical, black-and-white image of several women, a man and children, standing in a group wearing placards reading “PEACE.” Inset: Video icon link
"You could say that they don’t fight, you could say that they don’t vote, but what they have done is litigate, and in a way they have contributed more to American democracy than a lot of people have with their votes." (3:59) Watch video
A hand holding an open wallet displaying a card that reads, “Medical Directive: NO BLOOD.” Inset: Video icon link
"This is something that hopefully will protect me if I’m unconscious and not able to make the stand that I’ve already prepared myself to make." (1:33) Watch video 
 




 
Read interviews with Seth Thomas and Joseph Kempler, Jehovah's Witnesses featured in KNOCKING.
  


Two white men in suits, one older and one younger, stand in the middle of a suburban block holding black briefcases
 Ralph Thomas and his son Seth, Jehovah's Witnesses featured in KNOCKING 
There are seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses in 230 countries worldwide. They spend 1.3 billion hours a year ministering door-to-door, making them one of America’s favorite punch lines. Despite their 130-plus-year history, this Christian group is still often derided and misunderstood. KNOCKING opens the door on Jehovah's Witnesses, revealing how they have impacted society in ways far greater and more surprising than the spreading of their faith.
While protecting their own rights, Jehovah’s Witnesses have won a record number of U.S. Supreme Court cases, expanding freedoms for all Americans. In Nazi Germany, they chose non-violence, landing them in the concentration camps rather than fighting for Hitler. They refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, yet support the science of bloodless medicine. They are moral conservatives who stay out of politics. They attempt to persuade, but not impose their beliefs.
KNOCKING follows two Jehovah’s Witness families who stand firm for their controversial faith. Joseph Kempler was born a Polish Jew, but has been a Jehovah’s Witness for nearly half a century. As the survivor of six concentration camps, he cursed God for allowing the Holocaust. After Joseph immigrated to the United States as a young man, a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on his door. He found a renewed purpose for God in their teachings and eventually converted. Joseph still embraces his Jewish heritage, and part of his family remains religiously Jewish while the rest follow the tenets of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In KNOCKING, both sides of Joseph's family accompany him to Austria and Poland to visit the concentration camps where Joseph was imprisoned as a teenager.
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Seth Thomas lives in suburban Dallas. A genetic disorder has ravaged his liver and at 23, he requires a transplant to survive. He has found a live-donor match with his father, who can give half of his liver to Seth. But neither will accept a blood transfusion, which goes against their beliefs. Surgeons at Baylor Medical Center in Texas turned the Thomas family down for treatment. But the University of Southern California Hospital in Los Angeles is willing to operate. Some members of the Thomas family are not Jehovah’s Witnesses and oppose the religion’s stand on blood, agreeing with the doctors who say this procedure is too risky.
Narrated by filmmaker Joel P. Engardio, who was raised in a Witness household but chose not to join the religion, KNOCKING offers Jehovah’s Witnesses as one example of how groups with increasingly polarizing religious and social views can peacefully coexist.
Explore myths and realities of Jehovah's Witnesses  >>

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Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                    
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/film.html







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KNOCKING

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The Film
 

 
A man in a dark suit and tie talks and holds up a pamphlet. Inset: Video icon link
"Witnesses won’t protest or impose their beliefs on groups with whom they disagree, but people who choose to join must give up some personal freedoms." (1:12)
Watch video
A historical, black-and-white image of several women, a man and children, standing in a group wearing placards reading “PEACE.” Inset: Video icon link
"You could say that they don’t fight, you could say that they don’t vote, but what they have done is litigate, and in a way they have contributed more to American democracy than a lot of people have with their votes." (3:59) Watch video
A hand holding an open wallet displaying a card that reads, “Medical Directive: NO BLOOD.” Inset: Video icon link
"This is something that hopefully will protect me if I’m unconscious and not able to make the stand that I’ve already prepared myself to make." (1:33) Watch video 
 




 
Read interviews with Seth Thomas and Joseph Kempler, Jehovah's Witnesses featured in KNOCKING.
  


Two white men in suits, one older and one younger, stand in the middle of a suburban block holding black briefcases
 Ralph Thomas and his son Seth, Jehovah's Witnesses featured in KNOCKING 
There are seven million Jehovah’s Witnesses in 230 countries worldwide. They spend 1.3 billion hours a year ministering door-to-door, making them one of America’s favorite punch lines. Despite their 130-plus-year history, this Christian group is still often derided and misunderstood. KNOCKING opens the door on Jehovah's Witnesses, revealing how they have impacted society in ways far greater and more surprising than the spreading of their faith.
While protecting their own rights, Jehovah’s Witnesses have won a record number of U.S. Supreme Court cases, expanding freedoms for all Americans. In Nazi Germany, they chose non-violence, landing them in the concentration camps rather than fighting for Hitler. They refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds, yet support the science of bloodless medicine. They are moral conservatives who stay out of politics. They attempt to persuade, but not impose their beliefs.
KNOCKING follows two Jehovah’s Witness families who stand firm for their controversial faith. Joseph Kempler was born a Polish Jew, but has been a Jehovah’s Witness for nearly half a century. As the survivor of six concentration camps, he cursed God for allowing the Holocaust. After Joseph immigrated to the United States as a young man, a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on his door. He found a renewed purpose for God in their teachings and eventually converted. Joseph still embraces his Jewish heritage, and part of his family remains religiously Jewish while the rest follow the tenets of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In KNOCKING, both sides of Joseph's family accompany him to Austria and Poland to visit the concentration camps where Joseph was imprisoned as a teenager.
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Seth Thomas lives in suburban Dallas. A genetic disorder has ravaged his liver and at 23, he requires a transplant to survive. He has found a live-donor match with his father, who can give half of his liver to Seth. But neither will accept a blood transfusion, which goes against their beliefs. Surgeons at Baylor Medical Center in Texas turned the Thomas family down for treatment. But the University of Southern California Hospital in Los Angeles is willing to operate. Some members of the Thomas family are not Jehovah’s Witnesses and oppose the religion’s stand on blood, agreeing with the doctors who say this procedure is too risky.
Narrated by filmmaker Joel P. Engardio, who was raised in a Witness household but chose not to join the religion, KNOCKING offers Jehovah’s Witnesses as one example of how groups with increasingly polarizing religious and social views can peacefully coexist.
Explore myths and realities of Jehovah's Witnesses  >>

Tell a Friend top
  



Home | The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
                    
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  Two men in suits, carrying black briefcases, walk down a suburban sidewalk in front of a house with a large American flag flying in front Two men in suits, one holding a pamphlet, are standing on a front porch, as seen from the point of view of a third man opening his door  
Fundamentalism and freedom meet at the front door… Following two families who stand firm for their controversial and misunderstood Christian faith, KNOCKING reveals how Jehovah's Witnesses have helped to shape history beyond the doorstep. 



The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
presented by ITVS   funded by The Corporation For Public Broadcasting Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with additional support from Macarthur Foundation and Wyncote Foundation
                
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/index.html






PBS

WKAR-TV


 

PBS.org




Video

Programs

TV Schedules

Shop

Donate
 .                  
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..
EXPLORE FILMS

TV SCHEDULE

WATCH VIDEO

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BLOG

ABOUT
.
KNOCKING

preview
schedule
  Two men in suits, carrying black briefcases, walk down a suburban sidewalk in front of a house with a large American flag flying in front Two men in suits, one holding a pamphlet, are standing on a front porch, as seen from the point of view of a third man opening his door  
Fundamentalism and freedom meet at the front door… Following two families who stand firm for their controversial and misunderstood Christian faith, KNOCKING reveals how Jehovah's Witnesses have helped to shape history beyond the doorstep. 



The Film | Myths & Realities | Jehovah's Witnesses | Filmmaker Bios
Filmmaker Q&A | Learn More | Get Involved | Talkback | Site Credits
 


Independent Lens:
 Home
 Explore Films
 TV Schedule
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Posted 4/18/07  © 2015 Independent Television Service (ITVS). All rights reserved.  |  PBS Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
presented by ITVS   funded by The Corporation For Public Broadcasting Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with additional support from Macarthur Foundation and Wyncote Foundation
                

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/knocking/index.html