Posts by Mephis

8

Daily Legal News: 9th District partially reverses Jehovah’s Witnesses molestation suit - (Zalkin case. Decision mostly in Plaintiff's favor)

by AndersonsInfo in

9th district partially reverses jehovah’s witnesses molestation suit.

tracey blairlegal news reporter published: september 20, 2016. a lorain county trial court erred when it ordered the west congregation of jehovah’s witnesses to produce certain documents for discovery in a child molestation case.. however, the trial court was correct in concluding the majority of documents that were compelled are not protected from disclosure via the clergy-penitent privilege or the first amendment, according to a recent decision by the 9th district court of appeals.. former west congregation member elizabeth mcfarland sued the lorain-based church in 2013 for negligence, ratification and fraud by omission/concealment.. according to case summary, mcfarland was a member of west congregation from 1997 to 2001, when she was 10 to 14 years old.

mcfarland’s parents told church elders that scott silvasy, a fellow member, had molested their daughter for several years.. silvasy died in 2003. mcfarland claimed elders never disciplined him or reported the issue to their superiors, and discouraged her parents from doing so.. in her suit, mcfarland said church elders were aware silvasy had previously molested a minor and was a danger to her.

Mephis

So the WBTS believe that every letter sent to and from the service desk, regardless of content, is protected by privilege, Judge Whitmore's judgement there has already demolished that comprehensively. She's taken the view that WBTS can do that if someone requests and then receives spiritual guidance, but just quoting a few scriptures in a letter and claiming everyone on the service desk is an attorney really, really doesn't meet that requirement.

Hope the survivor is eventually able to hold them to account for knowing that the man who abused her was a pedophile.

9

J.W.'s Interfaith Hypocrisy

by The Searcher in

w02 10/15 p. 27 questions from readers - "would it be a form of interfaith to purchase a building from another religious group and convert it into a kingdom hall?

"generally, jehovah’s witnesses avoid such dealings with other religions.

except when cash clarifies their thinking!.

Mephis

Temple Farm most likely derives from the Hanningfield Temple Manor, which was land once owned by the Knights Templar. I'm not sure that really counts.

(History of Temple Farm: http://planning.chelmsford.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj?DocNo=5405301&content=obj.pdf )

9

J.W.'s Interfaith Hypocrisy

by The Searcher in

w02 10/15 p. 27 questions from readers - "would it be a form of interfaith to purchase a building from another religious group and convert it into a kingdom hall?

"generally, jehovah’s witnesses avoid such dealings with other religions.

except when cash clarifies their thinking!.

Mephis

One that was not listed, in Penygraig, was converted many years ago into a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses for the flourishing Rhondda Congregation.

Holywell congregation, also in Wales, has (had?) a converted chapel too. Purchased in the late 80s or early 90s I believe. Amusingly, considering the pagan foundations quote, that congregation wanted to retain elements of the chapel's interior decoration but were ordered to have a suspended ceiling so that the gold Hebrew lettering of YHWH couldn't be seen. Wonder if it's still there or if they've whitewashed that wall since.

Oh, found a listing for the historic chapel Holywell congregation has: http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/8168/details/tabernacle-calvinistic-methodist-chapeljehovahs-witnesses-bagillt

31

Big news from Kim and Mikey, they state in thier latest video proof the WT invested in the Nazi war machine!!

by Crazyguy in

this is big!

according to what they say if i'm correct an investigation was done back in 1998 in concerning what american companies invested money in to germany.

mike and kim state that a document they have attained shows a list of american firms that had invested into germany as late as 1943. on this list is non other then watchtower !!

Mephis

Agree with Slimboyfat. I know different things appeal to different people but playing to JW stereotypes of apostates doesn't seem helpful to me.

30

I need to know more on why its a problem for me dating a JW girl.

by seekinghelpp in

ok not to throw no shade or no disrespect to the jw religion.

which i truly do respect because my girlfriend is part of but i just don't understand, i have researched so much about it.

so much about how its discouraged for her to be with me just cause of different religion.

Mephis

This board doesn't have many active JWs on it, but there are a lot of us who've been JWs or are going through the motions.

Totally agree with you, you should be able to date someone not of your own religion. But JWs divide everyone into 'us' and 'them'. You're 'them' - an unbeliever (I know you said you're Catholic - to a JW that's an unbeliever, they've spent over 100 years slating Catholics and Catholicism), so you're considered to be dubious in character and nature (you're probably a really great guy - but all unbelievers are dubious to JWs) and their first thought will be that you're only there to pull your girl away from being a JW. Which then leads to all the shunning stuff for her.

That's the brass tacks of it I'm afraid. You may get suggestions to become a JW to make it easier on her. I'd personally suggest not doing that even if you were inclined to.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

Mephis

In that mythological example, New life was not created from rocks, merely modified and passed on.

My contention is that JW theology on this would allow them to argue that life created by humans is of the same order of angels collecting dust (or whichever inanimate materials are supposedly required) and making their own bodies to impregnate women.

There is nothing really in their teachings which dictates how life should be transmitted. Do 'test tube' babies have 'spirit' in JW theology? But sperm isn't 'alive' (every sperm is not sacred), nor are eggs.

Cofty, and others, obviously disagree. But as we're dealing in hypotheticals based on utter gibberish masquerading as teachings there's little point me pursuing this. :)

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

Mephis

Appreciate that Cofty. Long thread. I think doctors bringing someone back to life really would hit the button you're wanting to hit there. That's definitely not possible under JW theology. Although there's some obvious get outs you know they'd use.

Just personally, I think there's sufficient noose there for them to dangle on 'creating life' without it causing too many theological issues. We both know that they've done it with other stuff. I'm not even certain it requires too much shifting here on their part. But we obviously are going to differ so no point pushing further for me :)

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

Mephis

I know what you're saying Cofty. But if only God can give spirit, explain the Angel babies pre-Flood. It's not a slam dunk like you think. Their teachings are an unholy globular mess because they're trying to duck the 'soul'.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

Mephis

Correct. Where would you like to pretend there's a contradiction?

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

Mephis

The quotes I gave you above say otherwise.

You'll find I summarised the direct quote very correctly.