this article is behind a paywall: https://www.smh.com.au/national/punishment-and-control-the-secret-handbook-that-rules-a-religion-20231026-p5ef9z.html.
a herald investigation has uncovered disturbing practices within the jehovah’s witness church, including the systems for discipline, punishment and control in a secret rule book for church “elders”.. australian children in the jehovah’s witnesses religion are being trained to avoid life-saving blood transfusions and parents are being coached to thwart court processes that may prevent their children from dying, internal church documents reveal.. an investigation following an inquest into the death of jehovah’s witness heather winchester, who died in newcastle after refusing a blood transfusion, has uncovered disturbing practices within the australian church, including the systems for discipline, punishment and control contained in the secret rule book for church “elders”.. the church’s blood transfusion ban forces people to choose between risking death by refusing treatment or being “shunned” – cut off from family and friends under the church’s strict rules – according to 16 former and current members of the church interviewed and the testimony of many others.. .
some of them believe it has cost hundreds of lives in australia.. “i think it’s truly dangerous for children, who are not old enough to vote or drive, to be coached about how to convince a judge or doctors about a decision that is potentially life-threatening,” said fleur hawes, 32, a solicitor who escaped the religion and is speaking out for the first time.. in public, the jehovah’s witnesses’ leadership downplays the impacts of its ban on blood transfusions, which are based on interpretations of bible passages that say christians should not eat blood.. .
Thanks for the share Tahoe!
Quite the story. Well written and researched. It looks like Sydney has a population of well over 5 million. I imagine this paper is read throughout a much bigger area. It was the number one result today when I googled "Jehovah" this morning..in the USA. Watchtower is certainly "making Jehovah's name known........" and not in a good way.
i was a bethelite in london for many years then got reassigned to the field and then went on brd from the start of chelmsford right upto covid.. during my years at the branch i was sometimes asked to be on a team who went to homes donated to the branch when some older one died.. this happenes an awful lot, everything is left to the branch in the will.
the unbelieving family is furious they didn’t get left anything and sometimes they tried to get their elderly relatives possessions and there was a legal battle .
but in the end a team of us would go and empty the property and another team would clean it up and put it on the market to sell it for the worldwide work.. all the possessions were sorted into trash or possibly valuable .
I lived 3 doors down from the Sidlicks at Bethel. Every weekday morning he had a Wall Street Journal waiting outside his door.
Watchtower is on the shortlist for private seminars sponsored by Morgan Stanley in NYC.
I know of more than a few California families who willed Watchtower over one Million upon their death.
One retired Morgan Stanley VP stockbroker/ JW elder has been flying around the USA on Watctower's behalf, setting up trusts to weasel even more money for Watchtower from wealthy aging JWs.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!! Should be a new Watchtower song.
i haven't posted on here for years.
i also don't frequent this forum like i used to.. i have posted my story before, like 8 years ago.
i have been a baptized witness for the last 30+ years, but have not attended meetings in the last 15 years.
I hope you are feeling better!
TMI Too much information! :)
Your medical issues are no one's business. :)
You are no longer considered a JW so the local elders should not bother you...but why risk it?
i heard of a jw wedding that:.
(a)wasn’t done in a kh, and was performed by an elder.
(b)the ceremony was done on a sunday.. i find this surprising for 2 reasons.
Many prefer the Kingdom Hall because of the requirement that ALL of the wedding party is "in good standing".
Many do not care. Use of the Hall requires approval from ALL users of the hall (every congregation) that there will be no schedule conflict...a real pain if multiple congregations and languages use the Hall.
Many prefer a reception site where food & alcohol can be served, and that is located near where most of the attendees live (family and real friends). Having a wedding in the Kindom Hall guarantees a crowd of hungry judgemental acquaintances/locusts descending upon the reception and eating everything in site. $$$ :).
todays nyt.
fascinating read and background of new york state in the 1800s.
this community welcomes mediums, but first you have to prove yourself.
Todays NYT. Fascinating read and background of New York state in the 1800s. "
A lawsuit against the nonprofit that runs Lily Dale, a New York haven for Spiritualists, has put a spotlight on the hamlet where residents believe death does not exist." 3rd Gens family (College-educated school teachers) joined the Bible Students around 1900 after buying "Studies in the Scriptures" from a "Coal Porter". My grandparents joined in the 1930s and were former spirit mediums. If you have ever read Paster Russel's "Studies in the Scriptures", the Egyptology, and numerology stuff is pretty far out there, and I always wondered about the popular culture of the time that made this attractive to people. An uncle who served at Bethel in the 1930s told me some crazy stuff and beliefs gleaned from the Apocrypha at the time, especially regarding demonology.
Enjoy: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/27/realestate/mediums-lily-dale-ny.html?unlocked_article_code=1.50w.07EN.fkz9IQf4utpU&smid=url-share
jehovah's witnesses are not encouraging university education... but those who are lawyers already can apply to volunteer to help at bethel.. https://youtu.be/5d_-1lbg-oc?si=fsxeewic-fkczu9p.
A JW Attorney told me the hardest part of working for Watchtower was "His client lying to him". He said "Theocratic strategy" (lying) made him look like a fool in open court many times...and he hated it.
betty georges is listed as a helper to the governing body service committee, according to this page on the website: https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/governing-body-jw-helpers/.
anybody know anything about her?.
Judge Rutherford had TWO female "helpers". they went everywhere with him. lol.
I had a female book study conductor in our home in the 60s.
We had a Sister do the accounts in the 60s and compile the time reports.
One mentally slow elder in the 70s had his wife write all his talks.
hi does anybody know of any kingdom halls that are being sold off.
Try "Loopnet". Google "Kingdom Hall" for sale as well.
what the jw sect has become and is slowly becoming is far more near what i thought could be a good religion based on the bible.. no more counting hours and no more blindly following direction now they admit they are not inspired.. i would like to design a new sect inside the jws.
it has to be kept secret because the elders would not like it.. this new sect involves giving a tick every month or so saying you are still kindof active talking about the bible.. going to meetings occasionally and attending on zoom sometimes.
very rarely go to ministry groups but don’t ever do first call, just say you are doing street work and have a nice walk somewhere maybe the shops or the park.
I believe there are many existing adherents to your new religion already.
I have a PIMO JW friend who calls every week. He belongs to this group "https://beroeans.net/ " They have Zoom meetings and STILL attend JW meetings!!!! Everyone "partakes." Some are current JW elders.
If you look at the last few years of JW "Partakers", especially in the third-world countries, I believe there is possibly already a "Shadow JW Religion".
an announcement to all congregations those with legal experience please come and work for free to cover up child abusers.. i mean what else would it be for?.
the cheek of it.. so the direction was always don’t go for advanced education and careers but now they are looking for such ones to give if their time and education for free?.
I had a JW friend who was an Attorney. Watchtower almost drove him into bankruptcy asking for "favors" 24/7. He was happy to do it for free, but after a couple of years, it got really old. He closed his private practice, got a 9-5 job for a large corporation, and told Watchtower he could no longer help.
A family member who is a Para legal was asked to help as well. After two years of free labor. She left.
I imagine many professionals get tired of defending pedophiles for free.
