OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...

by ARoarer 55 Replies latest social current

• 

  Farkel

  orangefatcat,

  I respectfully disagree. You said:

  : If the judical systems grants you what you want such as no disfellowsjipping of disassoction, it means squat to the organization, they will disfellowship you or disassociate you no matter what the laws says.

  From the evidence that I have, this depends upon the arrogance of the elders. They ALL call Cult Headquarters(tm) in Brooklyn before doing anything. The morons who don't do this get sued. Window-washers have a big financial burden when they get sued, and their mighty Watchtower Corportation(tm) are not and will not be there to defend them.

  The way I understand this (and please correct me if I'm wrong, folks) is like this:

  1) If a human is about to die and will die without blood, the mighty Watchtower Corporatio(tm) will do their best to make sure that person dies if it takes blood to save that person's life. It's Watchtower Policy, and God forbid, anyone who tries to save their life when Watchtower Policy(tm) is in force is also screwed. Forever.

  2) re disfellowshiping: Elders can do whatever they want to do. The WTS (hypocrites) has and is divorcing themselves from the window-washers who represent them. And unless a DFing is really aggregious, the WTS will not interfere. If it is really aggregious, the mighty WTS Cult has said one can make an appeal. Of course, people know that in most cases the defendant gets fucked in the appeal, too. We are dealing with Window Washers determining our eternal salvation here, and many of them are idiots, but most of them are still Window Washers. And drunks. Don't forget about dub drunks. I know this.

  Farkel
• 

  BeautifulGarbage

  "Using Legal letters with the WTBS means nothing to them at all. As far as the Society is concerned it is in the organization and the law of the land has no hold over the laws of God and his earthly organization."

  I'll bet that would be news to the legal department.

  I believe that the Org is all too painfully aware of the legal ramifications if they are found to be protecting child abusers.

  Andee
• 

  Amazing

  Great ARoarar: The Watchtower virtually ignored your attorney. They responded to me two years after my letter with nearly identical dismissing my letter and concerns ... very typical of them ... the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses simply do not care for any JW.

  At this stage, if you are willing, I hope you will go forward with your attorney and take legal action ... I hope that you have strong grounds for causde of action ... because winning would help provide precedant for good case law - at least in your state.
• 

  RR

  ARoar, you live in New Jersey? So do I!
• 

  SloBoy

  I was thinking.....
  How many times have we all heard the quote ' most people are disfellowshipped for immorality' and how pure that makes the WTBS look. It will be interesting to hear their spin on it when the majority of us have been terminated for 'apostasy'.
• 

  ARoarer

  For legal reasons I don't want to say too much more. Right now we are looking into all the options with our law firm as far as dealing with these bastards.
  Thankyou, all of you for the information and support. I am glad everything has come out about the Catholic Church and it's hiding pedophiles. When the media gets wind of WTS (the real apostates) the public will be knowledgeable and more sympathetic to the issues.
• 

  Pathofthorns

  I thought your letter was very good. I am interested in information that reveals to what extent the WT can arbitrarily disfellowship someone. The terms used in the "Flock" book regarding "apostasy" and "porneia" seem vague enough that they could be applied to anyone showing even a small measure of dissent.

  It seems extremely difficult to convince non-Witnesses why so many wish to continue to be a Witness in "name only" while knowing they are a wacko cult. The usual response seems to be "if you don't like it then leave" or "if you know they are a cult, why do you care if they kick you out".

  If you have been in contact with Dateline and your judicial committee centers around your outspokeness regarding concerns you have about child abuse and how it is handled in the organization, then perhaps this matter might add an interesting dimention for Dateline.

  I doubt the Society is as concerned over legal threats as it is over bad publicity and their inner workings being exposed. A Dateline camera crew filming you go into the judicial committee meeting with a hidden microphone on you during the committee meeting would make for some interesting television.

  Path
• 

  Seeker4

  Aroarer;

  Great letter from your lawyer, and I'm really surprised the WTS is allowing the elders to continue with the judicial hearing. You've received some good advice I'd like to reemphasize from my own experience, and that might help your lawyer.

  1. Have your lawyer ask for the the DETAILS of the allegation of apostasy. I can hardly believe that this body of elders put that in a LETTER to you. Putting anything like that in writing has been a no-no for a long time, exactly due to the legal implications for the WTS. But your lawyer should proceed to contact them for more detals, with the idea being that you cannot prepare an adequate defense if you don't know the specifics of the allegations. If they do that, you may want to seek some help from the board here finding quotes from the Society's own literature defending you from the allegations. And demand to have the specific scriptures you have violated listed. The elders are supposed to only take judicial action on a scriptural basis.

  2. Get this latest development to RG at Dateline and to Peter Smith at the Lousiville Courier Journal, as I think he may have been in touch with you for his articles. You may already have done this.

  3. When you contact the elders, ask them to justify their continued harrassment of your family in the light of WTS policy. You say you have not attended JW meetings for a few years, (and if you have been inactive for some time as well, all the better) and if there has been some publicity around your case then it should be common knowledge in the community that you no longer consider yourselves JWs. If that is the case, then it's WTS policy to leave you alone. Others on this site may be able to provide you with more specific info on that, though I see there is the link to that comment on the official WTS site. Make the elders justify why they are going contrary to the stated policy of the WTS towards people who have walked away from the Witnesses.

  4. Make it clear that while you no longer consider yourself a Witness, being DA or DF is not an option, as these are DISCIPLINARY actions that result in the PUNISHMENT of shunning. Most non-Witnesses fail to recognize that. It is admitting you've done wrong when this is not the case. You've made it clear you want to be left alone, not punished and shunned because you accepted their "invitation" to disassociate yourself.

  5. STRESS that you will take legal action - even against the local body of elders. Contrary to some comments here, the WTS takes that VERY seriously. This is the reason that the legal department at Bethel is HUGE. Letters from your lawyer, despite what some have indicated here, WILL have an impact. And all threats of legal action are immediatly relayed to Bethel.

  6. You may be so high-profile that the WTS will take some real risks to get rid of you no matter what the cost to them. If so, make them pay. Publicity. A family being disfellowshipped because they stood up and spoke out against a pedophile who is still in the congregation - holy shit! That's a WTS nightmare. This isn't a preemptive strike against the Dateline program, this is a massive PR blunder.

  If this is the level of thinking at Bethel and among the local elders, it is simply a foolish, desperate measure. It can only make them look more guilty and reprehensible. How do they think that punishing the victims of a pedophile is going to protect them?? Certainly not from the disgust of the people whose doors they knock on everyday. My god, is there no one with any common sense left in the WTS??

  S4
• 

  plmkrzy

  That was a v e r y good letter! I would put that up on my web site, home page.
  As I was reading the response from the WT attorney, I could hear the smugness on his face as he was writing it, or having it drawn up.
  That's awfull.

  
  http://my.cybersoup.com/wierdchit
• 

  ARoarer

  Seeker, RG is well aware of this and all situation. I'm glad you mentioned Peter Smith. I know he will be interested in Watchtower stand. In regard to suing the elders in the local congregation, we verbally informed them when they tried to entrap us on the phone that if they do anything to tarnish our name in a public manor we would sue them individually and they should take this seriously because WT is not going to be eager to defend every elder who gets sued for defamation. It was so hurtful when we learned that the elder who was lurking on the phone as a "second witness" was a long time friend who we knew many years. Especially since we had always shown such kindness and generosity with them and all of our friends from the Hall. CO's would love coming to our home and having little vacations with us. I can't believe thise people could so turn on us like this. It is as if they have another cult personality that I never knew before. They should know however that my husband and I have never and don't intend to start now, to take any bullying without exposing them for what they really are.
  Path, I know it is difficult for non Witnesses to understand why we dont want to be df'd or da'd, but the consequences of being shunned is far reaching that affects others in the family and close friends who risk much if they remain in a relationship with us. AS Seeker says to be Punished or Disciplined is something that is not an option and we will not accept being punished for something we are not guilty of without a fight.