Posts by AnnOMaly

32

BTTT / Marked topics

by Simon in

i've noticed a lot of topics being bumped recently with "bttt" (back to the top) comments or "marked" as the reply.. i'd appreciate if people think twice before doing this.

simply forcing topics back to the top even though there is nothing to say on them is not helpful and negates the usefulness of having an active topics view.

if everyone did this with every topic they want to push then things would quickly deteriorate so i don't believe some should be allowed to do it for whatever reason.. by all means post new and relevent comments to a topic but short esp single-word non-comments that are simply used to push certain topics back to the top are likely to be interpreted as spam and removed or blocked if necessary.. .

AnnOMaly

OK, 'marked' is overused, granted, but it's a darned sight easier and quicker just to go to 'Topics Posted On' and find a recent thread than trawling through pages of random threads. Often I can't remember the thread title or it's not where I thought it was or there are similar ones to sift through. The search facility can waste far more time than just 'marking' a thread and finding it in my 'Topics Posted On' section.

As for 'BTTT' or 'Bump,' perhaps a brief comment could be added as to why a thread is being bumped - especially long dead and buried ones?

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

AnnOMaly

Hmm.

This forum is NOT real life.

I don't know what that means. This is a forum where matters pertaining to real life are discussed.

I have no duty to read legal documents.

Nobody here has a 'duty' to read legal documents but reading at least one of them is helpful if we want to contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way.

The issue of notice to WTBTS is pending in the Conti appeal. I'm not checking but I believe both Conti and this case happened before CA's legislature enacted a mandatory reporting law for clergy. The WTBTS can argue that it had no notice that its behavior would subject it to liability. We don't pass laws in the United States making past conduct that was lawful at the time unlawful. Larger issues than the WTBTs are at stake.

You're not checking, so you are unaware that the mandatory reporting issue was not a factor in the judgment against Watchtower in the Conti case.

Unless the legal department had actual notice and counseled Witness elders to ignore the pedophile behavior, I feel it is unfair to impose liability on the WT.

You haven't checked, so you are unaware of what Watchtower and the elders were actually found liable for.

Fundamentally, I just don't see how you ignore a discovery order. ... The legal system cannot work unless you produce yourself and documents.

Precisely. That was what exasperated the court, and the Plaintiff argued the latter point. I'm glad you've now read the short UPI news report at least. However, may I respectfully suggest, BOTR, rather than spend lots of time reading this thread and typing posts saying how you have no time or duty to read legal documents but offering an opinion anyway, why not use a little of that time to scan through one of the documents so that any comments you wish to make about this case are more on the mark. Given your time constraints, I recommend THIS ONE. As I say, it's a respectful suggestion.

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

AnnOMaly

How much would you love to see a member of the GB on the stand being grilled by a tenacious lawyer?

Hell yeah!

I would also like to know the answer to JW GoneBad's question:

What committee does WT legal fall under? What GB or GBs oversee WT legal if it's not under any of the above mentioned committees?

I would like to know what the difference is between the "U.S. Service Department" that Lösch denies ever having "surpervised" or "worked for" and the "Service Committee" that he is part of. (Declaration of Gerrit Lösch- scroll about half way down.) Don't the Committees supervise the Departments?

I would like to know how long Lösch has been part of the Service Committee as a GB member.

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

AnnOMaly

And another thing that's jaw-dropping - Chaserious's post about why Watchtower thought Lösch shouldn't be called to give a deposition. After the 'Dalai Lama' comparision (WTH?), Copley says that Lösch is "not an officer," "not a director," "not an employee," "not a managing agent" and "not even part of the organization"! (Page 6 of THIS TRANSCRIPT.)

So Copley is trying to argue that Lösch is a nobody, a nothing, as far as Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower organization are concerned? Then how is it he has oversight of the Service Committee? How can Copley brazenly lie like that, in court, and still believe he has the God of Truth's approval?

*** w08 5/15 p. 29 How the Governing Body Is Organized ***

SERVICE COMMITTEE: Those on this committee have oversight of the preaching work and matters affecting congregations, pioneers, elders, and traveling overseers. It supervises the preparation of Our Kingdom Ministry and calls in Gilead School and Ministerial Training School students, later giving them postgraduate assignments.

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

AnnOMaly

I wonder if part of their rationale for stalling to the extent they did was that this is the exciting, momentous year of 2014 (centenary of the Messianic Kingdom) and if they can just buy more time, the GT and big A will be here and God can make it all go away.

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

AnnOMaly

Thank you, Barbara, for making those court documents available. The one you summarized ...

http://watchtowerdocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Lopez-16Plaintiff-Reply-to-Mtn-for-Sanctions-4-25-14.pdf

... is totally gobsmacking. How hard can it be to dig out a congregation's records about a certain individual between certain years on a computerized system? Necessary to close down the Service Department and divert its manpower to do it? Years and years to find the relevant ones? C'mon! What is the point of having a central computerized system to archive important congregation documents on judicial matters if they cannot be readily accessed? Did they really think the court would buy those excuses? What planet are they on?

80

Seen on Etsy - wtf!

by poopsiecakes in

.

AnnOMaly

"ADMIT IT ... WE ALL SNIFFED THE BIBLES WHEN WE GOT THEM."

True.

That'll be due,

To the binding glue.

32

Recent Update - Service Report

by Da.Furious in

on oct. 22, eight brothers were released from prison in turkmenistan by presidential amnesty.

(see 2014 yearbook, p. 31) the ninth brother is still imprisoned, but it is hoped that he will be released shortly.

some were already in prison for three or more years and had been severely mistreated.

AnnOMaly

The 2014 serve-us year was the big push for the Kingdom's 100th year birthday. Do not be surprised to see increases all over the place. More telling will be the figures in years to come.

6

Some Good Advice

by Coded Logic in

just found this and can't stop laughing.

really funny!.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynxo8nj-jpo.

AnnOMaly

Brilliant!

The voice-over has been done by Danmera/blond-moment. It sounds like her anyway.

82

Awake January 2015: How did life begin? - More misquotes

by Designer Stubble in

[quote]some might assume that a scientifically-minded person would pick evolution and that a religious person would pick creation.

but not always.. rama singh, professor of biology at canadas mcmaster university, says: the opposition to evolution goes beyond religious fundamentalism and includes a great many people from educated sections of the population.[/quote].

end-of-quote in awake.

AnnOMaly

How the hell do they keep getting away with it and how are people so easily manipulated is what I find particularly fascinating. Especially because so many truly (otherwise) intelligent people are taken in by it and continue to gobble it up. Just fascinating.

It comes down to TRUST.

The reader TRUSTS the writer has used sources carefully and honestly.

It is drilled into the JW's mind that the Org. is trustworthy and truthful in all things, while 'the world' should be treated with suspicion because it is dishonest and deceptive. The Org. depends on its adherents buying into that claim.

It is only when there is a chink in that trust of the Org. that a JW will scrutinize what the Org. says and begin to see how unscrupulous the Org's writers really are - not just once or twice, but over and over and over again.

*** yb11 p. 9, 13 Highlights of the Past Year ***

The Writing Department follows the pattern of ‘tracing all things with accuracy.’ ...

... In summary, the Writing Department insists on using only material that is accurate and truthful, even regarding seemingly insignificant details. As a result, “the faithful and discreet slave” can consistently supply spiritual food that brings honor to “the God of truth,” Jehovah.—Ps. 31:5.

*** km 12/93 p. 1 par. 2 Set Aside Time for Magazine Activity ***

The Watchtower and Awake! are products of careful research

*** sg study 21 p. 110 par. 9 Informative Material, Clearly Presented ***

Accuracy of statement. Jehovah’s witnesses are an organization of truth. We should want to speak the truth and be absolutely accurate in every detail at all times. This should be so not only as regards doctrine but also in our quotations, what we say about others or how we represent them, also in matters involving scientific data or news events.

*** w81 2/15 p. 18, 19 Do We Need Help to Understand the Bible? ***

How shall we view the spiritual food provided by this “faithful and discreet slave”? Should it be viewed critically—‘Oh, well, it might be true but then again it might not be and so we have to scrutinize it very critically’? Some apparently have felt that way about it. To support their way of thinking they have quoted Acts 17:11 ...

... But does this mean that those Beroeans were looking for flaws in the message they were hearing, or that their attitude was one of doubting? Does this set a precedent for regarding critically the publications brought forth by the “faithful and discreet slave,” with a view to finding fault? Not at all! ...

... We can benefit from this consideration. If we have once established what instrument God is using as his “slave” to dispense spiritual food to his people, surely Jehovah is not pleased if we receive that food as though it might contain something harmful. We should have confidence in the channel God is using.

*** w67 6/1 p. 338 par. 12 Move Ahead with Jehovah’s Organization ***

We may think of study as hard work, as involving heavy research. But in Jehovah’s organization it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and energy in research, for there are brothers in the organization who are assigned to do that very thing, to help you who do not have so much time for this, these preparing the good material in The Watchtower and other publications of the Society.