Has anyone heard anything about Elders being a separate entity and WTS not helping them in court cases legally?

by Newly Enlightened 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Chaserious

  Actually, the franchise analogy is about the size of things, but it's not an analogy they would actually welcome. They want to create a fiction to present to the outside world where everyone (not only elders) does everything, not because the parent company told them so, but because their "bible trained conscience" directs them to. They spin blood, DFing, you name it, in this light.

  As to legal defense of the elders, I am pretty sure that they have not been defending elders for quite some time where elders are sued as individuals, except in certain situations where they decide on a case-by-case basis that it's in their best interest to do so. They probably just made this more explicit in recent communications with elders.

  Someone mentioned agency, which it should be pointed out is a separate issue from defending elders in individual lawsuits. Agency is a theory where someone would seek to recover from the parent organization for the elders' actions, which is a situtation where they certainly would get their legal team involved since it is their checkbook that is being pursued.
• 

  return of parakeet

  Cagefighter: " Basically the WTBS considers it self a franchiser like McDonald's. "

  The nutritional value of their spiritual food is about the same as that of fast food, too. A good analogy indeed.
• 

  TD

  I just heard a rumor and trying to verify it. A current JW just told us that the Elder's are now a separate entity and that when brought into court hearings and they try to use the 'Clergy confidentiality clause' that the WTBT$ backs off and says the Elders are their own separate entity.

  Jehovah's Witnesses are legally organized in the U.S. along congregational lines. The individual congregations and bodies of Elders have always been separate entities from the larger organizational units up the chain and from JW parent organizations themselves.

  We had some discussion on the subject here

  That is a separate issue from clergy confidentiality.
• 

  jgnat

  I can't remember the issue, but I had speculated that the elders are hung out to dry. They should carry clergy insurance. Especially damning are the directives that include instructions to destroy after reading. If I were an elder, I'd keep a copy of every one of those letters.
• 

  88JM

  I must say a lot of this had never occured to me before, especially the legal implications.

  I had seen the change about Regular Pioneers being appointed by the congregation rather than the branch, but I assumed it was just to delegate the paperwork involved. (Giving Branches less to do, now that they are closing them down)

  It also had never occured to me that this is the reason C.O.'s delegate just about everything to elders. If you have a problem with something, all they do is tell your elders. Again, I thought it was just laziness or protocol, but hadn't considered the legal implications.
• 

  wha happened?

  I n Murrieta , CA., a judge shot throw the Clergy clause by teraing it down to what is a confession, and what isn't. A confession made to an individual without fear of any sanction is what the law allows. An individual testifying in front of 3 men who will determine the fate of the individual, and sending the results to NY and then making an announcement, does not qualify for this privacy priviledge. The elders were forced to testify or face jail time. No lawyer from from NY was in the courtroom representing them.

  Elders, you are on your own. If any elder proceeded over a judicial matter in a pedo case, you had better talk to an attorney now as the WT will just throw u under the bus and NOT defend u
• 

  cobaltcupcake

  Jeez, whatever happened to "mother?"
• 

  Honesty

  'Mother' is trying to distance herself away from her naughty children...

  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/former-jehovahs-elder-on-sex-assault-charge-20130218-2enhi.html
• 

  DATA-DOG

  If you go to a house in service that has a no trespassing sign, the WTBTS will not have your back. An Elder told me that in a meeting for service. I also believe that there is a letter that as a publisher, you have a personal ministry. You are not a representative of the WTBTS. I don't know if you are even considered an ordained minister anymore...

  I wonder if my CO refused to call me an apostate for legal reasons? Maybe he wanted the Elders to do that.... I think threatening legal action for defamation of character and slander ( mentally diseased, deserving of death ) is a great way to reason with the BOE. Especially as more pedo cases come to light.
• 

  Dismissing servant

  Yes, I have heared the sama, Data-Dog! JW's in service does not represent the organisation, it is a personal ministry.

  I wonder.........why do they have to report their service? And why do the borg publish total noumbers of hours /books /RV's etc..... service is only personal ministry.