Does threatening to sue the individual elders really work?

alfredjones100

Does threatening to sue the individual elders for deformation of character really work in preventing being disfellowshiped?

Any actual experiences?

new hope and happiness

Threatning may work but to actually sue, thats another question. I imagine if an elder is bothering you and you mention you will call the police, that can work...( they are cowards)

According to one of our new members it does. EDIT: I don't know for a certainty if they took the defamation angle. It's a calculated risk. Do the Eldubs REALLY want that extra stress in their lives??? Hold off a little while as the ORG get's nuttier and the C.O's start throwing their weight around with their newly granted powers from Jeehoober. Wait until their stress level is at it's peak, and then strike.

There is a certain Elddub in my Congo that I suspect of serious mental issues and possibly serious sins. I have been watching him for the last two years. He is getting thinner and more gray. It's sad. Still if he tries another witch-hunt, I will be forced to go on the offensive. I may try threatening the BOE as individuals if they defame my character.

DD

Beth Shan

Yes. Two personal experiences. Mine and my dads. I was an elders daughter. (he has since resigned)

My dad was threatened with a personal lawsuit, I don't know what the reason with, he never told me that. I can safely assume it has nothing to do with blood transfusions or child custody/abuse.

He called the Legal Help Desk at Georgetown Bethel in Canada and was pretty much told "good luck with that". They told him they don't get involved in personal lawsuits.

My experience was I came across the letter posted in the link below, I was pretty desperate and I tried it and it worked. It doesn't always work for everyone but it did for me. My dads experience "clicked" when I read this letter and I decided it was worth a shot, what did I have to lose? My goal was to ALSO try to get it to become a Human Rights Issue and have HR take on the WBTS, since they both have lots of money it would be fun to watch, and I knew I couldnt take on the WBTS myself. ( I was able to get a tribunal from the Canadian Human Rights Commission, basically they had a little hearing and discussed my suggestion that - It would be an infringement of my human rights to to have me enter into a contract with a the WBTS as a minor, therefore my baptism was null and void.) Anyways human rights denied that it was a human rights issue because of religious freedoms, here in Canada they bend over backwards to accomodate those rights to the extent they infringe on freedoms from religion. Human rights suggested a civil lawsuit and that I contact the police for criminal harassment. I kept giving my parents pleasant updates on everything I was doing, so that probably helped to intimidate them. My mom cried when I told her about the tribunal.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/re-mad-apostates-form-letter?page=2

I think it depends on your situation, the hall, the elders and of course your financial situation and theirs.

DATA-DOG

Hey!! Beth-Shan!! I was just thinking about you!!

DD

Beth Shan

Of course someone working at the Bethel Helpdesk would never say GOOD LUCK, but I hope you know what I meant.

Band on the Run

I believe you mean defamation of character. Every state and the federal government will define the elements necessary to sue for defamation of character. Altho some people swear it helped, any lawyer would throw it in the circular trash. I believe there is a difference between the general usage for defamation and legal usage. Are the elders likely to have their own lawyers? Will they call WT legal? Is your state's definition of defamation strict or liberal? Will the elders react negatively to their power being challenged.

It is certainly not classic defamation. Wikipedia has an article on defamation. So much of it depends on your reading of the elders.

Beth Shan

Also, someone once told me "You can sue anyone for any reason". I find that statement to be true.

Of course it doesn't mean you will win, or it won't be thrown out of court or you will actually get any compensation if the person does not have any money.

designs

Yes, at least in my case. I had three seperate JCs after me and threatening them with civil action stopped the witch hunt.

alfredjones100

Thanks for the replies so far. My reason for asking is that most of us will look down the barrel of that gun sooner or latter. It only needs another purge, a loyalty oath or activity test and we'd be against the firing squad wall. So knowning the angle of litigation (if there is one) may help when that day comes.

Does threatening to sue the individual elders really work?

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