defender of truth
JoinedPosts by defender of truth
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Im wondering...maybe the GB are truly mentally damaged, not just deceivers.
by sowhatnow inhas anyone by chance read the latest issue of pshychology today?
april issue, article title' moment of impact'.. i havent fiished reading it yet, but it got me thinking, how likely is it that many born in jws [ teens in particular since thats the age these issues start to appear] will end up with these problems mentioned in the article?
i know of a few adults that have this problem, schizophrenia, bi polar, ect.
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Senator's last rites to church tax breaks
by defender of truth insenator's last rites to church tax breaks.
getting rid of tax breaks for churches and axing the school chaplaincy program could save the federal budget $250 million a year.. liberal democrats senator david leyonhjelm says the government should consider the move, which he has had costed by the parliamentary budget office, in this year's budget.. "this easter, the liberal democrats propose a $250 million annual boost to the budget by abolishing taxpayer support for religion," senator leyonhjelm told aap on thursday.. .
the christian church had made a "significant contribution to liberal democratic values" and had a right to impose religious tests for membership and employment, the senator said.. "however, we do not consider it appropriate for taxpayers to pick up the tab for what is fundamentally a private matter.".
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defender of truth
Deluded people can think it is persecution if they like.
How likely is this to happen, politically speaking?
The Australian budget is on May 3rd.
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Victoria, Australia: Steven Unthank's Press Release: JW's Hierarchy Formally Charged Today With Child Abuse
by AndersonsInfo injehovah's witnesses hierarchy charged.
immediate press release: 26 july 2011. link to this press release: http://wp.me/p1g1hc-4o.
worldwide church hierarchy charged with child abuse.
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defender of truth
(Talking now about the Victoria Inquiry into child abuse)
Sorry, when I said that, I should have explained I was referring to the bi-partisan parliamentary inquiry that was established in May 2012 in that state to seek information about the causes and effects of criminal abuse within religious and other non-government organisations;
There were two different inquiries.
But seeing as the date of the news article was 2013, you may have worked that out anyway. ;)
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Victoria, Australia: Steven Unthank's Press Release: JW's Hierarchy Formally Charged Today With Child Abuse
by AndersonsInfo injehovah's witnesses hierarchy charged.
immediate press release: 26 july 2011. link to this press release: http://wp.me/p1g1hc-4o.
worldwide church hierarchy charged with child abuse.
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defender of truth
For the benefit of WHATSGOINGON and anyone else who wants to know what happened and what Mr Unthank did afterwards...
(Forgive me for all the blue links, the links would be so long otherwise that the text doesn't all display. They all go to the right places ;))
Here is what happened to this case you were asking about:
"The four children launched their prosecution with a magistrate's permission on July 26, 2011. In October 2011 the church's Governing Body wrote to all Victorian congregations, telling them to get the checks.
At the final court hearing, on February 21, 2012, the Director of Public Prosecutions discontinued the case, saying it was not in the public interest."
"The child, 11, who is due to give evidence on Monday at the state inquiry into how the churches handled child sex abuse, wanted to force the church to comply with working with children laws. After four hearings, to which church leaders did not send a representative, the church began complying and the Office of Public Prosecutions intervened to discontinue the case.
(Talking now about the Victoria Inquiry into child abuse)
The inquiry will also hear from anti-Jehovah's Witness campaigner Steven Unthank, a former member of the church who says he and his family were ostracised and persecuted after he tried to tackle child abuse.
His submission alleges the church and its incorporated body, the Watchtower Society, covered up criminal child abuse, including rape, sexual assault, death threats, blackmail and assault, across four states by ordained ministers and officers of the church.''.
http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/child-in-jehovahs-witness-court-bid-20130217-2elcg.html
The Victorian Inquiry then basically led up to the ARC:
"In Victoria, in January 2011 the Protecting Victoria's Vulnerable Children Inquiry was launched to investigate Victoria's child protection system and make recommendations to strengthen and improve the protection and support of vulnerable young people...
A bi-partisan parliamentary inquiry was established in May 2012 in that state to seek information about the causes and effects of criminal abuse within religious and other non-government organisations;...
By June 2012, there was community and academic pressure for the establishment of a Royal Commission, most especially in Victoria... (Read the rest of the 'Background' section if you want to, I'm trying to make this quick to read)
Australian Royal Commission wiki page----------
This was his submission to the Victorian Inquiry:
Steven Unthank submission to Victoria InquiryHe also started Jwsurvivors:
"JW Survivors is a volunteer not-for-profit community based victim advocacy group for survivors of the Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses within Australia. The group was founded by Steven Unthank. The seeds of JW Survivors were planted by current and former members of the Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and their families, in response to the Victorian Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Organisations, and an extensive submission made in relation to the Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses and their administrative controlling corporation, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia."
www.atheistgeeknews.com/tag/candace-conti
November 26, 2012
JW Survivors lodged today a submission, written and prepared by Steven Unthank, in reply to the Australian government’s request for stakeholder consultation for the establishing of the “Terms of Reference” for the Child Abuse Royal Commission.
Among the 9 recommendations made to the Royal Commission by JW Survivors was that “the Royal Commission investigate religious and other organisations in relation to their response to working with children laws as legislated in various jurisdictions across Australia.” The submission explained that “working with children laws and child safety legislation are the frontline of physical and sexual protection for children within the community”, and that “a failure, or refusal to comply with working with children laws, by an organisation, religious or otherwise, may be an indicator of the systemic failure of such an organisation to view the physical and sexual safety of children, with whom they work with, as a priority.” The submission also cited the Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses as an example of one religious organisation engaging in the “wholesale” criminal breaching of working with children laws.
On 12 November 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that she will be recommending to the Governor-General the establishment of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse in Australia. Following this, the government requested the input of stakeholder organisations in making recommendations for the ‘Terms of Reference’ for the Child Abuse Royal Commission. JW Survivors was one of those organisations who made a submission.
Click on the below link to download a copy of JW Survivors 11 page Submission:
https://jwsurvivors.wordpress.com/
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Senator's last rites to church tax breaks
by defender of truth insenator's last rites to church tax breaks.
getting rid of tax breaks for churches and axing the school chaplaincy program could save the federal budget $250 million a year.. liberal democrats senator david leyonhjelm says the government should consider the move, which he has had costed by the parliamentary budget office, in this year's budget.. "this easter, the liberal democrats propose a $250 million annual boost to the budget by abolishing taxpayer support for religion," senator leyonhjelm told aap on thursday.. .
the christian church had made a "significant contribution to liberal democratic values" and had a right to impose religious tests for membership and employment, the senator said.. "however, we do not consider it appropriate for taxpayers to pick up the tab for what is fundamentally a private matter.".
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defender of truth
Senator's last rites to church tax breaks
Getting rid of tax breaks for churches and axing the school chaplaincy program could save the federal budget $250 million a year.
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm says the government should consider the move, which he has had costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, in this year's budget.
"This Easter, the Liberal Democrats propose a $250 million annual boost to the budget by abolishing taxpayer support for religion," Senator Leyonhjelm told AAP on Thursday.
The Christian church had made a "significant contribution to liberal democratic values" and had a right to impose religious tests for membership and employment, the senator said.
"However, we do not consider it appropriate for taxpayers to pick up the tab for what is fundamentally a private matter."
Here is some info about him:
David Leyonhjelm Senator for New South Wales
Running for the Australian Senate in New South Wales at the 2013 federal election, Leyonhjelm was elected to the fifth of six vacancies.
In the first sitting week, he successfully moved to have the government's Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates and Other Amendments) Bill considered by itself, instead of being grouped with other legislation.
In November 2014, Leyonhjelm introduced as a private member's bill a Freedom to Marry Bill, which would allow same-sex and other forms of non-heterosexual marriage.
In August 2015 Leyonhjelm negotiated a deal to include a 12 month sunset clause on the temporary ban on importing the Adler lever action shotgun. The Government imposed the ban in July, while it reviewed the technical specifications of weapons in the wake of the Martin Place Siege.
Along with seventeen other crossbenchers (including 10 Greens, independents and representatives from four other parties), the Liberal Democrats share the balance of power in the Senate.
Even if this attempt at removing tax exemption doesn't go anywhere, there seems to be another attempt in the pipeline, and indications that many Australian citizens would be all for it:
Any thoughts?
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Loss of Tax exemption for Australian religious organizations
by defender of truth ini have no clue when it comes to australian politics, but these articles got my interest.could this be the start of something?...it would take too much space to quote them all, but please read each one in order.
it might make more sense, what i am getting at.it seems to me that the debate we no doubt all want to see happen: 'why do religions, those who don't do any community work except advancing their own religion, get tax exemption?
', could be coming soon.or maybe i am wrong?www.crikey.com.au/2016/04/05/essential-voters-want-to-dump-religious-tax-exemption/http://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/tax-exemption-for-religious-groups-should-end-poll/2994952/http://m.theage.com.au/comment/easter-is-a-good-time-to-revisit-taxexempt-status-of-religious-organisations-20160323-gnpzjj.html^^ note who wrote the article, it says at the end.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/australian_sex_party^^ yes, the above is actually a real political party.
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defender of truth
Not just a bump.. Sorry, I probably should have posted this earlier.
This is the maker of the petition:
"Meredith Doig
Dr Meredith Doig is president of the Rationalist Society of Australia. She is currently on the Council of Federation University Australia, and the board of Federation Training.
She is standing as the lead Senate candidate from Victoria for the Australian Sex Party in this year's federal election.
www.rationalist.com.au/about-us/committee/meredith-doig/ "
^^ Please have a look at the rationalist link above.
I hope that this thread will not be ignored or dismissed simply because of the name of her political party. This woman is no slouch. ;)
p.s It's OK if the thread is ignored because my writing is crap and unmotivational. :)
Please sign/pass on the petition if you like it. Over and out. ;)
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Loss of Tax exemption for Australian religious organizations
by defender of truth ini have no clue when it comes to australian politics, but these articles got my interest.could this be the start of something?...it would take too much space to quote them all, but please read each one in order.
it might make more sense, what i am getting at.it seems to me that the debate we no doubt all want to see happen: 'why do religions, those who don't do any community work except advancing their own religion, get tax exemption?
', could be coming soon.or maybe i am wrong?www.crikey.com.au/2016/04/05/essential-voters-want-to-dump-religious-tax-exemption/http://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/tax-exemption-for-religious-groups-should-end-poll/2994952/http://m.theage.com.au/comment/easter-is-a-good-time-to-revisit-taxexempt-status-of-religious-organisations-20160323-gnpzjj.html^^ note who wrote the article, it says at the end.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/australian_sex_party^^ yes, the above is actually a real political party.
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defender of truth
Here is Ms Patten's twitter feed:
www.twitter.com/fionapattenmlc
(maybe someone with a Twitter account could tell her about another org that should lose tax exempt status, ie the Watchtower, along with a link to a damning ARC report? The Australian Sex Party supported the ARC, according to their wiki page.)
Here is her email:
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Please sign the petition (or pass it on to any Australian folk you happen to know;) ). I haven't seen one written quite like this before, certainly not with so many signatures..
Currently, basic religious organisations like the ACL are entitled to tax-exempt status because advancing religion is presumed to be of public benefit...
The Charities Act should be reformed to exclude the advancement of religion from automatic tax exemption.
Basic religious organisations should be required to demonstrate the public benefit of their activities.
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Loss of Tax exemption for Australian religious organizations
by defender of truth ini have no clue when it comes to australian politics, but these articles got my interest.could this be the start of something?...it would take too much space to quote them all, but please read each one in order.
it might make more sense, what i am getting at.it seems to me that the debate we no doubt all want to see happen: 'why do religions, those who don't do any community work except advancing their own religion, get tax exemption?
', could be coming soon.or maybe i am wrong?www.crikey.com.au/2016/04/05/essential-voters-want-to-dump-religious-tax-exemption/http://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/tax-exemption-for-religious-groups-should-end-poll/2994952/http://m.theage.com.au/comment/easter-is-a-good-time-to-revisit-taxexempt-status-of-religious-organisations-20160323-gnpzjj.html^^ note who wrote the article, it says at the end.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/australian_sex_party^^ yes, the above is actually a real political party.
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defender of truth
Does anyone have a mature comment to make?...
Do you think this could go somewhere? Maybe affect Watchtower and other religious groups that don't do any valuable community work?
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Loss of Tax exemption for Australian religious organizations
by defender of truth ini have no clue when it comes to australian politics, but these articles got my interest.could this be the start of something?...it would take too much space to quote them all, but please read each one in order.
it might make more sense, what i am getting at.it seems to me that the debate we no doubt all want to see happen: 'why do religions, those who don't do any community work except advancing their own religion, get tax exemption?
', could be coming soon.or maybe i am wrong?www.crikey.com.au/2016/04/05/essential-voters-want-to-dump-religious-tax-exemption/http://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/tax-exemption-for-religious-groups-should-end-poll/2994952/http://m.theage.com.au/comment/easter-is-a-good-time-to-revisit-taxexempt-status-of-religious-organisations-20160323-gnpzjj.html^^ note who wrote the article, it says at the end.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/australian_sex_party^^ yes, the above is actually a real political party.
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defender of truth
I have no clue when it comes to Australian politics, but these articles got my interest.
Could this be the start of something?...
It would take too much space to quote them all, but please read each one in order. It might make more sense, what I am getting at.
It seems to me that the debate we no doubt all want to see happen: 'Why do religions, those who don't do any community work except advancing their own religion, get tax exemption?', could be coming soon.
Or maybe I am wrong?
www.crikey.com.au/2016/04/05/essential-voters-want-to-dump-religious-tax-exemption/
http://m.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/tax-exemption-for-religious-groups-should-end-poll/2994952/
http://m.theage.com.au/comment/easter-is-a-good-time-to-revisit-taxexempt-status-of-religious-organisations-20160323-gnpzjj.html
^^ Note who wrote the article, it says at the end.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Sex_Party
^^ Yes, the above is actually a real political party. Read the page, trust me. Brief description:
Now for the good stuff...The Australian Sex Party is an Australian political party founded in 2009 in response to concerns over the increasing influence of religion in Australian politics.
The Sex Party is registered at state level in Victoria, where it has parliamentary representation, and in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory.
http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/time-to-end-tax-exemptions-for-religious-groups-sex-party-20160313-gnhp5n.htmlReligious institutions should pay more state-based taxes, the Sex Party says, as it pushes to overturn long-standing exemptions.
The party wants new laws to be introduced to force religious groups to take on an increased share of the tax burden.
...But the Sex Party hopes that publicly debating the proposal will generate publicity and attract public support. "It's time to have the debate," Ms Patten said.
The party is currently drawing up a bill that would result in greater taxes for religious groups.
Ms Patten said she may seek to change the definition of charities to remove promoting religion as a tax-exempt purpose.
[the Watchtower of Australia states on the Charities page that their purpose is 'advancing religion'. Same thing... See here:
www.acnc.gov.au/RN52B75Q?ID=91956EB4-F967-4486-8D20-89B6E9A28BCC&noleft=1 ]
She hopes to introduce a bill into Parliament later this year.
www.outinperth.com/sex-party-petition-repeal-acls-charitable-status/
http://m.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/who-are-the-australian-christian-lobby-20160218-gmy67y.html
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You can sign their petition here if you wish to do so:
www.change.org/p/to-the-house-of-representatives-and-the-minister-for-social-services-review-the-charitable-status-of-the-australian-christian-lobby
Here are some great parts of the petition letter >>The signatories of this petition call upon Christian Porter (Minister for Social Services) and Kelly O’Dwyer (Assistant Treasurer) to reform the laws governing the charitable status of basic religious organisations and to review the charitable status of the Australian Christian Lobby in particular.
The Australian Christian Lobby claims its primary purpose is advancing religion. Advancing religion means promoting “a belief in a supernatural being, thing or principle and acceptance of canons of conduct which give effect to that belief.”
Currently, basic religious organisations like the ACL are entitled to tax-exempt status because advancing religion is presumed to be of public benefit...
The Charities Act should be reformed to exclude the advancement of religion from automatic tax exemption.
Basic religious organisations should be required to demonstrate the public benefit of their activities. (The law currently deems "prayerful intervention by closed or contemplative religious orders" to be of public benefit!)
Currently, basic religious organisations are not only presumed to be of public benefit and given automatic tax exempt status, they also don’t have to submit financial statements to the Charities Commission and they don’t have to comply with the Charities Commission governance standards.
These exemptions should be reformed. All charities should be treated the same, with the same financial reporting requirements and the same governance standards.
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2015 Wt Library CD Rom 2015
by moggy lover indoes anyone know if the 2015 edition of the wt library is available on cd rom?
does anyone have it for download?.
cheers.
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