They've given themselves a out for refusing to give you your data if you ask for it

by purrpurr 17 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Half banana

  Is it possible that this measure is a response to the correct accusation that JW HQ withholds information which is valuable to the police? Are they now making a registration to show that they comply?

  Or is it the thin end of another wedge?

  I remember an alarm going off in my head back in the seventies when they decided to 'enforce volunteer' in that way that the Watchtower does, that all congs should use the Org (it was called "the Society" back then) for the purpose of insuring kingdom halls with HQ. This gave them an extra income plus the details of the title deeds to all the properties worldwide. It paved the way in the next decade for a take-over of all the deeds to all the KHs--this audacious move was a financial coup worthy of the greediest capitalist who would take advantage of the innocent.

  Is a similar loss of freedom being plotted in the new registration? They already have the minds and hearts of their lobotomised followers, what more do they want?

  Possibly the information leading to harvesting the estates of members and ex members who die intestate?
• 

  FedUpJW

  For example, the religious organization has an interest in permanently maintaining data regarding an individual’s status as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Deleting such information would unduly infringe on the organization’s religious beliefs and practices.

  Really WT...REALLY? If you deleted information regarding MY status as JDubya exactly HOW would that infringe on YOUR beliefs and practices? Unless of course you want to make sure that someone DF'd is going to be actively shunned and you could not do THAT without maintaining a permanent record to trot that information out any time someone might say "Hello" to a DF'd person!
  
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  stuckinarut2

  They can CLAIM anything they want. They can STATE anything they want. BUT, it doesn't matter if it contravenes the laws of the country.

  I am going to call the Australian privacy commissioner today and share this information.
  
• 

  OrphanCrow

  HalfBanana: what more do they want?

  Well, in some European countries, churches can collect a tax from its membership:

  http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/22/in-some-european-countries-church-membership-means-paying-more-taxes/
  

  I think the way it works in some countries is that registered members of churches pay extra tax to the government and that in turn is disbursed to the churches/religions

  In parts of Europe, it seems to be advantageous to the org to have registered members - the more registered members they can show, the more government disbursement they are entitled to
• 

  steve2

  If you deleted information regarding MY status as JDubya exactly HOW would that infringe on YOUR beliefs and practices?

  Fair enough question FedUpJW.

  From the perspective of JW organization, it could argue that it has strict beliefs about the need for vigilance in keeping the organization spiritually clean and the main way it ensures that is by keeping a record of those who could threaten those beliefs, including those who have left and/or been disfellowshipped. If they can argue that their beliefs will be imperilled by deleting names and records, they could make a persuasive case for retaining those names and records because the organization could fear ex-members could re-present themselves with suspect motives.

  Of course, I would disagree with the organization's reasoning - but I can imagine it using that type of argument.
  
  
• 

  purrpurr

  Someone needs to flag this policy up to the ico !or to whatever authorities would be interested
• 

  OrphanCrow

  HalfBanana: what more do they want?

  Possibly the information leading to harvesting the estates of members and ex members who die intestate?
  

  A bit more about European church tax

  I don't know if 'they' want to or not, but....

  In Germany, the Org has the legal right to demand, from the government, the income tax returns of its members (if the org declares itself as collecting its own tax rather than going through the government to levy tax on its members)

  If a person declares themselves as a member of the Org, they give up their right to keep their income confidential from the Org

  No secrets in Germany - register with the Org as a JW and your income tax returns become accessible to the Org

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Germany#The_right_to_collect_church_tax
• 

  Xanthippe

  The GDPR, the General Data Protection Regulation that comes into force in the EU on May 25 is the biggest change in data collection and storage for many years. My experience in local government is that most organizations are shitting themselves about this because the fines for failing to hold data correctly are enormous.

  Really, I can't give you the details but it's getting beyond a joke the lengths we are going to in my department to prepare for this. It's about being fined an arm and a leg for failing spot inspections after May 25, 2018. I think this is all it's about with the WTS in Europe.