Jehovah’s Witnesses — An Organization?

by Marvin Shilmer 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  TD

  That's true, but whether someone has authority to show up at your door and ask questions about your sex life or whatever is purely based on church authority, not legal authority.

  No argument with that. Doesn't that ecclesiastical authority hinge on voluntary affliation though? Could the Baptist minister in the scenario make a legitimate claim of either pastoral interest or eccleisiastical authority after the fact when the police have at my request, contacted him and asked what business he had with me?

  Again, not an attorney, but doesn't a church that imposes sanctions which under normal circumstances might constitute viable torts need to be able to show that volutary affliation?
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  Chaserious

  TD: Those are good points. Anytime an action is alleged to be a tort that might be actionable in some circumstances but not others, any relevant information will be considered, which is what I was saying earlier about baptism being one thing that could be relevant.

  You are using the example of harrassment/ infliction of emotional distress. Being a member of the congregation might be a reasonable defense for a minister to show up at your door asking questions. But it's not the only defense. If you had shown up at the Baptist services the past two Sundays and spoken to the minister there, that might be a justification for the Baptist minister to call on you, even though not a member. On the other hand, even if you are a member and you tell the minister in no uncertain terms that you don't want him to do so, it could be a crime or a tort if he continues to call on you, member or not. So I was just pointing out that baptism, while relevant, is not a special talisman that gives elders additional secular legal rights.
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  TD

  Sincere question: if as TD comments, the relationship is basically between individual and their congregation, not parent organization, then would being df just apply to that congregation? Why would other congregations need a letter of introduction or enforce a decision made by another? Couldn't you just start over?

  Because even though JW's are legally structured along congregational lines and the parent organizations (usually) enjoy the protections a congregational church arrangement provides, doctrinally they are hierarchical and the parent organizations exercise authority on par with the leadership of a real hierarchical church like Catholicism. Authority without responsibility. The best of both worlds.