by Uzzah 144 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
I, too am disappointed by the small damages awarded.
I have a question - I thought that Canadian courts followed what we in the US call "the British system" which requires that LOSERS PAY court costs. Apparently this is not the case. Can someone explain?
Best wishes to Vicki and her family.We rejoice in your victory. This is no small thing.
What an excellent story to read on this Saturday afternoon! Congrats Vicki! GREAT JOB! Bring those bastards down!
WOW!
What good news to read upon waking up this beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon here in Toronto.
I am so relieved Vicki. I am sure you were on pins and needles for the last 30+ days.
I will give you a call in the next few days.
I'm so proud of you, for your bravery, integrity and dignity.
An inspiration for all!
Big Hug,
Rayzorblade
This is wonderful groundbreaking news. Your star is shining brightly to me, Vicki Boer. It is a shame, the small amount awarded to you.
I have to think the court will make the WT society pay legal fees (yes?), and if so, it makes this all the more damaging and punishing to the WT.
My gradtitude to the Judge.
My gratitude, as well. The punitive damages may be small. However, the victory is GREAT! I'm thinking....this decision could shatter the faith of yet more dubs, since they see that their gawd did not saveTM their book publishing company this time.
ESTEE
SHe had been forbidden to devlop relationships with anyone outside the faith and had been trained to obey the elders without question. Up until a few months before she had lived at home with her family in a rigidly religious household and within a small community in which everything in her life centered on her religion/ Refusal to follow the direction of the elders was not an option if she wished to stay within her religion; and abandoning her religion would also constitute an abandonment of her family, friends and community, at a time in her life when she was emotionally dependent and fragile. Disobeying the elders was literally inconceivable to the plaintiff at the time.
[171] As I have noted above, the relationship between Ms Boer and the Jehovah's Witness elders was not as dependent as was the case with the children in the residential school in FSM v Clarke supra. However, it was far closer to that sort of closed society than would be the case in the usual situation of a parishioner having regular contact with a clergyman but returning to home and the influence of others at other times. That is because of the pervasive nature of the Jehovah's Witness religion's presence in teh everyday lives of its adherents, the specific religious requirement of obedience, and the direction to avoid worldly ways and social interactions outside the faith.
[172] The plaintiff's dependence and powerlessness developed as a direct result of the teachings of the defendant Wath Tower. She was brought up in that faith to accept the word of the elders unquestioningly. Independent thought was not permitted. She was taught not to trust anyone outside the faith and she followed that direction. Thus when her employers noticed her distress in December 1989 and asked if they could help, she rebuffed their efforts, insisting that only somebody within her religion could help her. The elders were, therefore, not only aware of her dependence and vulnerability, they were responsible for it.
"...one of the problems of a court case against the WTBTS is that outsiders don't understand WT language..."
This is The Problem!! Not 'a' problem. Or one of 'the' problems.
It is The Obligation then of those who DO know, what the judges and leaders need to know, to inform and arm them with all of what has been discovered and uncovered and OFFER YOURSELVES UP TO THE COURTS.
Then The Problem will become a huge part of The Solution.
Is anyone else getting this yet? Besides johnny cip? (and a handful of others)
I love you baby!!
What part of what I'm laying down here is such a foreign concept?
Take your 'schtuff' (love you tom) and 'duly oblige' by 'offering 'it' up to those that must and need to know it.
Write articles for newspaper 'lifestyle/religions' sections, readers digest and/ or other magazines, copy your 'work' (essays) and distribute them. Surely you can email the Supreme Court, surely. So mail it in general.
DO MORE! It is time. To. Do. More. Get it off the net and out of your head and into the minds and hearts of our lawyers, judges and world leaders.
(But don't count on Bush).
sKally
Uzzah, thanks for the additional posts. This is great reading.
sf writes:
(But don't count on Bush).
I'm not a big fan of Dubya - not that this Canuck's opinion of the fellow matters one iota - but this national do-not-call registry that he launched yesterday is something that we can and SHOULD be using to our advantage vis-à-vis the JWs/the WTS.
If every householder in Canada, the US, the UK, Europe, Australia, etc. deluged Brooklyn and their respective Branch Offices with a Do-Not-Call letter, and then placed themselves on a Do-Not-Call registry like the one Mr. Bush has implemented, the WTS would pretty much shrivel up and die, because the only people JWs would be allowed to call on would be EACH OTHER.
It's all well and good for JWs to fight for their "freedom of religion" and "freedom of speech", but when We, the People stand up for our rights - for our "freedom FROM religion" - and tell the JWs to pack up their $h!t off our doorstep and take it where it's wanted (ie: nowhere) - they will get a clear message that their "preaching" work is done.
And you know what?? JWs will be grateful that we've relieved them of the burden the WTS dumps on them to waste every frikkin Saturday morning of their lives banging on people's doors and having those same doors slammed on them. We're doing them all a big favour.
Love, Scully
Cogratulations Vicki,
Im happy to hear that the Society is not perfect,I was at the Convention this weekend at the Olympic Stadium and you all ways hear these how great it is to be a JW,and how everyone who experiences the JW way is impressed and changed for life,but you never of course hear the negative.
Ron
