Posts by Mephis

9

Who would Jehovah Vote For In 2016?

by BashfulAshG in

we all know that jws don't vote, but hypothetically, who would jehovah or the gb vote for and why?.

Mephis

Someone like this here in Britain.

41

Need the hardest evidence possible that humans have lived for more than 6000 years

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

since coming out of the witnesses, i have gone through a transformation in thought and in mind.

i started with the usual: i thought that jesus was god.

then i investigated more about the bible and thought that the bible was not true, given the many contradictions, failed prophecies, etc.. then i investigated evolution and read lots and now i accept evolution and natural selection as things that are true.. now, i need to make my dad rethink everything.

Mephis

If anyone dating the pyramids to 15000 years ago is classed as a scholar, I'd like to be classed as a brain surgeon on the corresponding academic criteria that I once touched someone's head.

13

How does the WTS view 'ancient humans' (i.e. fossils assigned to the genus Homo)?

by LoveUniHateExams in

having read i love ttatt's thread about evidence for humans living more than 6,000 years ago, i responded by using neanderthals and homo ergaster as evidence.

.

this got me thinking about the wt's current view on 'cavemen' (), etc.. so, how does the wts view 'ancient humans'?

Mephis

They use selective quotations to imply that they're 'just' humans. They don't really address the DNA evidence from what I've seen. And of course, the Denisovan evidence is fairly recent so hasn't had to be addressed. Effectively they try to blur and misrepresent the evidence rather than deal with the real arguments. "These aren't ape men - look a scientist said so!". But crickets on the issue of how Neanderthals diverged from the common ancestor of anatomically modern humans.

31

Worldly charity helps Jehovah's Witness child with life-threatening heart defect after Watchtower Society 'charity' refuses help

by jwleaks in

program sponsors child's medical procedure .

indiana, usa.

http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/local_story/program-sponsors-children-s-me_1439338349.

Mephis

Did they not even help out a little? Not even under the (secret) provisions to help JWs with medical costs which only those with access to the branch manual should know about in case the provision should be 'abused' (ie someone ask)?

15

New Catholic tribunal formed

by OrphanCrow in

this happened in the month prior to the jws giving testimony for the royal commission - the article was published june 10, 2015. it is interesting to note that this catholic tribunal is for addressing those priests who cover up child abuse.

pope francis makes catholic bishops who cover up for paedophile priests accountable for first time with new tribunal system.

pope francis has taken a major step towards stamping out paedophilia in the catholic church, approving a new system of tribunals designed to make bishops accountable for the priests under them.the new and unprecedented vatican legal mechanism will hear the cases against bishops accused of covering up paedophile priests who abuse children on their watch.the church has previously faced criticism for failing to hold those in higher positions accountable for what goes on in their bishoprics.the vatican said pope francis was presented with the tribunal proposals by cardinal sean omalley, who he appointed as head of a new sex abuse advisory commission in december 2013.francis and his cardinal advisers approved the plans and allocated funding for full-time personnel to staff the new office.the vatican spokesman, rev federico lombardi, said this means there is now a specific process by which the vatican can deal with bishops who are negligent in handling cases of abuse in their territories.canon law already does provide sanctions for bishops who are negligent in their duties, but the vatican has never been known to mete out punishment for a bishop who covered up for an abuser.previously, the closest francis had come was in april, when he accepted the resignation of a us bishop found to have failed to report a suspected child abuser.

Mephis

Interesting.

Another recent one which comes to my mind are the Methodists here in Britain (nb: I'm not a Methodist, nor am I promoting their beliefs.)

The UK's Methodist church (roughly 200,000 members currently) commissioned an independent inquiry into itself, looking back to 1950 and which took 3 years to complete. That found 1885 alleged abusers, 914 of whom were alleged sexual abusers. 503 of the cases were followed up by their own safeguarding team, 61 involved the police, and 6 were still being pursued by the police as of May this year.

The secretary for the Methodist Conference had this to say when the report was published at the end of May this year:

"On behalf of the Methodist Church in Britain I want to express an unreserved apology for the failure of its current and earlier processes fully to protect children, young people and adults from physical and sexual abuse inflicted by some ministers in Full Connexion and members of the Methodist Church. That abuse has been inflicted by some Methodists on children, young people and adults is and will remain a deep source of grief and shame to the Church.

We have not always listened properly to those abused or cared for them, and this is deeply regrettable. In respect of these things we have, as a Christian Church, clearly failed to live in ways that glorify God and honour Christ.

I am certain that the Methodist Conference will want to resolve to do all in its power to improve its systems to protect children, young people and adults from abuse within the life of the Church and on Church premises, and to review them diligently on a regular basis"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32909444

http://www.methodist.org.uk/news-and-events/news-releases/church-issues-%E2%80%98full-and-unreserved-apology%E2%80%99-to-abuse-survivors

11

Questions for current and former elders re giving evidence

by Mickey mouse in

supposing you were called to give evidence by an inquiry.

how would you answer?

are you concerned that you may end up being called to give evidence for past involvement in judicial committees to future inquiries?

Mephis

Thanks Splash. That's what I suspected but wanted to be sure it hadn't changed.

18

Article in New Yorker magazine

by InquiryMan in

i guess this article will be appreciated within the jw community, being on the positive side when discussing blood transfusion.

it is the first of three articles to be published in that prestigious magazine.. http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-jehovahs-witnesses-are-changing-medicine.

Mephis

I went to give blood for the first time not so long ago. It pleased me to think that somewhere out there may be Jdub carrying around some of my apostate personality. If they're so convinced it works like that, I hope I get a thank you card for waking them up some day.

11

Questions for current and former elders re giving evidence

by Mickey mouse in

supposing you were called to give evidence by an inquiry.

how would you answer?

are you concerned that you may end up being called to give evidence for past involvement in judicial committees to future inquiries?

Mephis

If I may piggy back the OP, what are British elders and ministerial servants told when becoming trustees of a congregation? Is there any formal training or documentation provided to explain legal obligations/roles? Are you signposted to the Charity Commission to research for yourself?

16

Can JWs be police in Australia?

by Larrikin in

hi everyone, i'm new here, i've been following the rc reports, and i was hoping you could help, my question is are jw allowed to be police, i heard the jws saying in one report with enthusiasm that they had jw in the policeforce.

and would there be any conflict from the force with any of their teaching, that would be contrary to duties..

Mephis

I knew a couple of JWs in Britain who were police officers (I believe they were in the police force before becoming JWs). They are not required to carry firearms here, and there was no conflict with neutrality I can think of 20 years ago. Perhaps things have changed, but would appear not for Aussie JWs.

3

Would a Class Action Lawsuit against Watchtower work - Breach of Privacy?

by Tazemanian-devil in

the branch manual reveals the following:.

chapter 3., par 62 data protection policy, section c: if a data subject request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data or sensitive personal data about himself, the organization will fairly consider granting the request by balancing the interests of the individual in gaining access or correcting or deleting data against the legitimate religious interests of the organization, including whether granting the request would endanger the organization's right to religious freedom and practice."d.

"the organization has an interest in permanently maintaining data regarding an individual's status as one of jehovah's witnesses.

Mephis

I've been looking at this issue for the past couple of months, and the branch manual's data protection policies certainly seem at odds with British law on such things, especially so far as an implied consent for them to reveal highly private information to whoever they choose for all eternity is concerned. In Australia, it's probably worth noting that there is also evidence in the documentation handed over to the commission that the WBTS deliberately attempted to massage its accounts to avoid Australian data protection legislation applying to them.

Currently writing up a letter to the Information Commissioner's Office here in Britain. What may get more traction is a subject access request to WBTS here in London (not registered with the ICO) and seeing whether they provide the files requested. Intriguingly, IBSA is what is registered in Britain to handle data. My ability to subject access request them is severely limited by not having been through a JW judicial procedure nor done anything to generate a file at HQ.