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The Word on the street

>> Jehovah’s Witnesses PR man says Armageddon is coming, soon

by CHRIS BARRY

Photo by Jason Felker

Name: Léonce Crépeault

Occupation: Public Relations officer for the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Age: Senior

Salary: Zero

Bio: This gentle Rosemont resident and ex-accountant has been involved in the organizational workings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses for over 50 years. A masterful media manipulator, when not hustling up good press for the Witnesses, Léonce is busy trying to get the 700-page picture book, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, into public libraries. Apparently a popular lecturer on the high school circuit, he is also the guy to speak to if you want the Witnesses to stop coming to your door and leave you alone forever.

Does he encounter a lot of hostility going door-to-door preaching the Word: “At times. But most people are just indifferent.”

Has he ever been invited into some wild-eyed person’s home but declined for fear of winding up being carved into a dozen pieces and discarded into various dumpsters around the city? No.

The number of times he has had altercations with the police: “Not too many, maybe 10 times.”

The last time he was arrested: Not since the 1960s. “I was in the Beauce and they charged me with distributing literature from house to house. But they quickly dropped the charges. Back then there were only a few thousand of us in Quebec, and when you are a minority, well, you know, what can you do? Things have changed a lot in the past 20 years though.”

Do the Kingdom Halls in Quebec all have giant dartboards with Maurice Duplessis’ face on them? No.

Does he have the inside dirt as to when Armageddon is going to happen? No. “Only the Father knows the exact hour and the day. But I believe it is going to happen very soon. Please don’t forget though, that our message is positive. We are one of the only religions who believe that this planet will become a paradise. The planet will not be destroyed. God will only destroy the wicked.”

A few things to watch out for so Doomsday doesn’t sneak up and catch you by surprise: War, earthquakes, pestilence, famine and a general increase in overall nastiness.

Do his non-Witness buddies sometimes avoid him for fear that he could launch into a sermon at any given moment? No. “Most of my close friends are also Jehovah’s Witnesses. But I respect other people’s viewpoints. I don’t always want to impose my beliefs on everybody.”

Childhood ambition: To become a Catholic priest or a print journalist.

Hobbies: Power walking.

A recent film he thought was pretty cool: It’s a Beautiful Life.

Television preferences: News, nature shows and sports programming. “I’m a very big fan of the Expos.”

Last book read: Pay Attention to Daniel’s Prophecy, published by the Watchtower Society.

Musical preferences: Pavarotti, Celine Dion, Garou.

Words of wisdom: “I believe in tolerance and human rights. Have good relations with your neighbours, your workmates, with your spouse. Respect the rights of others and try to be empathetic. Be honest and just. Most of our social problems are because of a lack of justice. This is what I believe.” :

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