Welcome to the KNOCKING blog on AOL. I'm Joel Engardio, one of the filmmakers. I also wrote and narrated KNOCKING. Documentary films can often have a life of their own, beyond the concrete minutes between opening scene and closing credits. Films like KNOCKING seem to inspire thought and commentary. There is just so much to talk about. The issues are relevant to everyone today, not just Jehovah's Witnesses. So it is nice to see that the conversation continues as people exit the theaters where KNOCKING is shown at film festivals or community screenings. There are also conversations among Jehovah's Witnesses who watch KNOCKING on DVD at home gatherings and conversations among Jehovah's Witnesses and non-JWs who see KNOCKING to better understand their JW family members or co-workers. The conversation also continues on doorsteps across America when a Jehovah's Witness knocks on a door of someone with an interest in civil liberties, history or religion has seen KNOCKING at a film festival or on PBS. And the conversation continues further in online chat rooms and blogs. There is much to say, indeed. I only hope that the conversations remain constructive and respectful. We all have a right to free speech in America, but a free society must also be a civil society that respects a multitude of view points. What is remarkable about Jehovah's Witnesses is that they demonstrate how the right to free speech can work best in America, even as the country wages a destructive culture war with itself. Jehovah's Witnesses are social and moral conservatives. They speak their message door-to-door and you may not like what they have to say. But if you disagree with one of Jehovah's Witnesses, nothing else happens after you politely say "no thanks" and close the door. Jehovah's Witnesses are not working to create new laws or amend the Constitution to compel everyone to live their way. They only use the power of persuasion to find new members, and joining is a choice. Our nation was founded on the guarantee of both religious and personal liberty. We can have both without resorting to culture war. The fact that Jehovah's Witnesses are apolitical sets them apart from other socially and morally conservative religious groups that make it their agenda to politicize their beliefs. Everyone has a right to say what they want, but the notion of the separation of Church and State is one that would serve our country well if it were truly adhered to. Religions would always be protected by the Constitution to believe and worship as they see fit, and also have the right to freely speak about their beliefs in efforts to find new members in an open marketplace of ideas. But by keeping religion out of politics, the laws of our land could be equally applied to all people regardless of their faith. A right does not exist unless it is enjoyed by all. Jehovah's Witnesses seem to understand this. They stand firm for their beliefs and do not back down. Yet at the same time, they don't try to stop other groups they disagree with. A pair of Jehovah's Witnesses could be knocking on one side of the street with a Bible message and not be disturbed if another group is knocking on the other side of the street advocating an issue Jehovah's Witnesses don't agree with. When the KNOCKING crew was filming in Atlanta, we followed a group of Jehovah's Witnesses in the door-to-door ministry. It was election season, and as the Jehovah's Witnesses turned the corner, they ran into a group of people knocking on doors to ask residents to vote for a certain candidate. Jehovah's Witnesses do not vote. They believe that Christians should not put faith in human politicians to solve mankind's problems -- JWs say only God can do that. Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses respectfully shared the block with the political canvassers. The Atlanta neighborhood got a double-dose of the First Amendment in action that day, and it was a wonderful example of how the free flow of information and ideas should be able to reach citizens so they can choose which message they want to follow. This is the American way and the America I want to live in.