by Dogpatch 48 Replies latest jw friends
At last some good news from the courts.......................
Unfortunately 50,000 kroner isnt that much , its about £3,500 I dont know what that is in us dollars
But anyway the money isnt the point, its the winning that counts.
I think europe has a different approach to religious cases than the US seems to have. The Us seem to be very reluctant to get involved and always go on the religions side !!!!!!!!!!!
I don't know what the growth is in Denmark, but they are going to have a hard time with all those doors shut in their faces, if this isn't happening already
Growth in Denmark is zero, zilch, nada. Lets hope it enters the minus figures for next year
Great post Randy.
I'm still slightly confused by the Anderson ruling. I understand that no-one forced them to join the org and they understood the rules but the org has bent those rules to kick the Andersons out as there was no rule against speaking out for what's right (similar to what they did to Ray Franz in regard to DF rules and getting him kicked out)
Also 1st amendment or not slander is still slander and calling someone a thief or immoral when they are not is defamation of character. A previous poster on the subject said the lawsuit result came down to money and if the Andersons had lost out monetarily the case would have been stronger. Sad but I think they're right.
Their point is that you joined this religion on your own. I see what they mean to a degree, but I don't agree that slandering victims and those like Barbara Anderson should be allowed. Maybe they have the right to run the internal justice system as they see fit because no one made us join, but no one should have to suffer having their lives ruined.
Actually, I think a good majority of us here did not join the religion----we were born into it and had no choice.
The Jehovah’s Witness local Branch Office Committee in Denmark filed a 350,000 kroner, slander lawsuit against Ekstra Bladet and the editor of the newspaper.
Maybe I'm dreaming, but didn't the WTS say, in print even, that they don't resort to lawsuits over what people may say or print about the organization? It seems the point was that the organization exists to spread the 'good news of God's kingdom' and that chasing after people with sour grapes and an axe to grind is a waste of resourses that could be used to spread the 'good news'.
I'd love to find that quote (if it exists) and be able to show it side by side with any of their lawsuits to select JWs who need a good nudge to free thinking.
How does the WT see it as "slander" when a newspaper publishes FACTS about their child abuse atrocities? Hasn't the WT published hundreds of articles over the past 120 years calling false religion "whores of Babylon", "liars", "false religion" and other names? Where does this double standard come from??
I don't recall any religions suing the WT because of what was printed in the magazines. How can the WT sue a newspaper over FACTS? Calling the Catholic Church a "whore of Babylon" is purely a religious interpretation. It cannot be considered a "fact", since it's one religion's definition versus another's. But a newspaper reporting simple facts that can be verified is actually a community obligation, and a social one. Why don't the various media sources have the right to print the truth? Isn't the "truth" the very thing that the WT is so hyped up about in the first place?
I find a dangerous trend taking place here. Maybe US courts don't want to rule concerning internal disciplinary affairs inside religions (such as Barbara Anderson's case) but certainly it is wrong for the WT (JR Brown or whomever) to imply or state that the DF'd people were morally corrupt and were DF'd for those reasons. It's one thing if they DF'd me for "apostasy" (which we all know is a crock in the first place), claiming I agreed to be subject to their organizational rules. It's far different to announce or allow the rumor mill to spread something around that I committed fornication or some other sin or crime that affects my good name in the community. THAT should NOT be allowed.
And please, for the last time, I admit that many did not join voluntarily nor were they treated properly once they were members. I am well aware of children "born" into this cult. My own daughter is lost to me forever because this very thing happened in my family. I was merely commenting on why the courts don't wish to touch certain aspects of the internal workings of the disciplinary arrangements in various religions. I do NOT approve of "captive members" who are later psychologically "raped" or abused by the WT's policies. I believe that people should be able to "resign" or DA themselves without ANY letter being read, nor ANY reason being given, and if rumors are spread, then I feel the person should be allowed to sue the WT for slander and/or libel. No other religion is so insecure, narrow-minded, or intolerant of those who "wise up" to the WT's Gestapo tactics and choose to leave.
Thank you.
The Watchtower just loves to trumpet court losses as "persecution", "framing mischief by decree", blah blah blah (such as the French tax issue). Oftentimes they will headline it on JW-media.org as something like "such and such court rules against freedom of religion!" or whatever sensationalistic clap-trap they can come up with.
But, I've got a hunch that this is one case that they won't draw attention to...they're in quite a bind, as bringing this issue to light just draws further attention to their child abuse policies, which they'd of course prefer to sweep under the rug.
Right about now, in some board room in Brooklyn Heights, someone is making a comment along the lines of "Thank God it was just Denmark! Maybe no one else will hear about it."
I don't know if it specifically applies in this particular case, but; in many parts of Europe, a person or entity accused of libel or slander is considered Guilty until proved Innocent. This is quite a disadvantage over the American system of "Innocent" until proved "Guilty".
Further, the Watchtower Society has no shortage of funds for litigation. It is quite beneficial to represent themselves as extremely litigious to frighten the little guy (financially) into backing down and backing off.
The Church of Scientology has ruined many a person here in the U.S. with its battery of lawyers and litigious nature.
Thanks Randy and Terry
Terry----------- Good for you!! I hope it works....
In fact the number of witnesses in Denmark is on the same level today as it was some 25 years ago, so the number of ex-witnesses is rather large in that country. Extra Bladet is a tabloid, likened to the New York Post.
