In an article titled "Jehovah's Witnesses join interfaith efforts in U.S. and Europe" the last issue of Comments from the Friends reported on high-ranking Watch Tower Society representatives scheduled to share with Muslim and Scientology officials on a political panel in Washington, DC, and scheduled to share the speakers platform with other sects* at the CESNUR conference in Torino, Italy.

We had no objection to delegates from the Jehovah's Witness headquarters organization fellowshipping with their counterparts from these other sects. But rank-and-file JWs would object to it as sin against Jehovah.

The rank and file are taught that "Jehovah's witnesses have nothing in common with other religious groups and can never seek any affiliation with them."–Awake! Nov. 22, 1975 page 23

Besides studying new religions CESNUR defends sects against charges of "the brainwashing or mind control model of conversion" since "In the 1990s it became apparent that inaccurate information was being disseminated to the media and the public powers by activists associated with the international anti-cult movement."–http://www.cesnur.org/whatisit.htm


This aspect of sects getting together in a defense alliance explains why the Moonies, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses were so heavily represented by delegates who were attorneys, and why these attorneys decided to threaten Comments from the Friends.

It also explains why the Watch Tower representatives were afraid to do in the light what they had hoped to accomplish under cover of darkness. When our journalistic spotlight exposed their participation, the Watch Tower Society withdrew its delegates.