Posts by OrphanCrow

24

Jehovah's Witnesses and racial prejudice by Werner Cohn

by slimboyfat in

race is asserting itself as a problematic issue united states once more.

i always thought jws had a relatively good track record on race.

they preach a world without prejudice after all.

OrphanCrow

rebelfighter: Which then leads to my next question if the WT eventually caved into societies view of equality of racial differences then why have they stood so firm on women being the under dog and staying in submission to men?

Because women being given power would mean that the less than 50% who hold power would be threatened. Women are not a minority. Giving them power would threaten the male only power base

The WTS men in power have a problem with their concept of masculinity - it is very fragile

14

Male Prostitutes in demand during RNC convention

by Coded Logic in

among those making cleveland extra gay this week are male prostitutes who are in high demand among older, allegedly heterosexual male republican delegates.. the new york post reports: .

i’ve seen 10 clients so far,” one male escort said.. “most of them were first-timers.

you could tell they were nervous, but once they became more comfortable, they seemed to be having a good time.”.

OrphanCrow

Doc: Why the sudden increase in exploring same sex curiosity? And why by this demographic?

Well...it isn't necessarily an increase, even tho the article claims that most are "first-timers" and most are married white men 40-50.

To claim that it is an "increase", you would have to have previous numbers to compare those to.

Heh...my brother, who is gay, says that the phenomena of married men who have gay boyfriends is not uncommon...there are far more married men, than most would think, who go to gay bars and have gay boyfriends. Far more.

38

What novels have you been reading recently? Recommend any?

by LoveUniHateExams in

i've always been a bit of a reader - but only reading about topics i find interesting, e.g.

natural history, dinosaurs, etc.. recently i've started to select, buy and read novels.. this year i've bought and read frankenstein (mary shelly), dracula (bram stoker), the hound of the baskervilles (a. conan doyle), 'salem's lot (stephen king), jurassic park (michael crichton) and the firm (john grisham).. i have an inclination towards horrors and thrillers.. what fiction have you been reading?.

could you recommend anything?.

OrphanCrow

LoveUni: I have an inclination towards horrors and thrillers

Ah...then you must get and read Imajica by Clive Barker. I have lost track of the number of times I have read the book and I wouldn't hesitate to read it again. Haha! I had never heard of Clive Barker (seriously) before I read Imajica and after the third reading, I looked the book up and found out that it was considered to be horror genre.

Another novel that I have read more than once is Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. The novel is set in New York City at the time that the Trade Towers were being built. Excellent story telling and all inspired by a single photograph taken of a man tightrope walking between the unfinished towers.

This next novel is not for the faint of heart - The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson. It took me a long time to get through this novel - it is brutal and absolutely mind shattering. The novel is set in North Korea. A very difficult read but excellently told.

I am currently reading a book - not really a novel - called The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan by Jenny Nordberg. A fascinating look inside Afghan culture and how some girls are raised as boys until they are of child bearing age.

Have fun reading, LoveUni...if you get bored with the fictional life of a novel, you can always revert to accounts of true crime.

13

Clickable Link Function

by cofty in

hi simon - the site seems to be stripping out links.. can work around it by pasting the url but it was neater to be able to embed the link in some text.

is it a temp glitch?.

OrphanCrow

kate:.... and I am not insinuating anything

And this is why I keep coming back...the humor on this board is great. Good for my morning laugh, as always! :)

44

What crime should elders report?

by kramer in

jw
friends

so, i am trying to get my head around what the right position of elders should be when they come across crime is.. i think i get the issuess around clergy confidentiality - and how that might potentially be breached when they talk about it to other elders, let alone the police.. but if people are saying that elders - or clergy of another faith should report crime to the police when it is confessed to the, then where are the boundaries.. so if someone says they should report to police on a confessed example of child abuse, that's one thing.. how about reporting to police consensual sex between a 19year old and 15 year old - which is statutory rape in the uk.

how about criminal fraud if they come across it.

assault on a congregant?.

OrphanCrow

Landy: With the exception of crimes committed against minors it should be victim who reports the crime to the police.

In an ideal world, yes...that is what should happen.

I think the issue of reporting crime to authorities could be solved very simply: remove the elders from the equation. The elders shouldn't be involved until after the crime has been reported to the police by the victim(s). The elders should be there for the congregants in the role of support and counselling.

The WTS could fix this problem so very simply. All they have to do is announce that the congregation should consider going to the police first in the case of serious crime like child abuse. The congregants could easily be told to go to the police themselves....like the rest of the world does.

As far as the OP's question goes...which crime should elders report?...I think there is a problem when a person places serious violent crime, like the rape of a child, in the same category as pickpocketing. The one crime results in grievous bodily harm and the other is a minor property crime. Surely the elders and others can distinguish the difference between petty crime and crime that causes serious physical and mental harm. Surely to gawd they can...

But,...I suppose the WTS has a problem categorizing what they determine to be the "sin of fornication" in the same category as "grievous crime". After all...the bibble doesn't really speak out against raping children, does it? Or against beating up women, does it?

4

Editorial | Keep level heads when negotiating Jehovah's Witnesses contract

by OrphanCrow in

jw
friends

editorial | keep level heads when negotiating jehovah's witnesses contract.

the cambria county war memorial arena has ended its current fiscal year about $18,000 in the black.

that’s a far cry from the anticipated loss of $27,000 that had been projected for the authority.that’s fantastic news, considering some years the facility posted losses of $200,000 or more.“we’re showing a positive business model,” steve st. john, arena general manager, told our dave sutor.

OrphanCrow

Editorial | Keep level heads when negotiating Jehovah's Witnesses contract

The Cambria County War Memorial Arena has ended its current fiscal year about $18,000 in the black. That’s a far cry from the anticipated loss of $27,000 that had been projected for the authority.
That’s fantastic news, considering some years the facility posted losses of $200,000 or more.
“We’re showing a positive business model,” Steve St. John, arena general manager, told our Dave Sutor. “That’s our goal going forward.”
The manager noted that all debts have been paid and the cash flow is “very good.”
Those are positive signs that the arena may have finally stopped bleeding money and is booking attractions that are helping it turn a profit and signing moneymaking rental agreements.
One of the arena’s rental pacts is with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The religious organization has been holding its annual regional meetings during multiple weekends in June at the Johnstown facility for the past four years.
When the group wrapped up its 2016 meetings, its leadership met with St. John to ink next year’s dates.
But the manager wasn’t immediately moved to sign, saying he wanted to explore if the two sides can come to terms on a more lucrative agreement for the War Memorial.
“The reason I didn’t sign it is I asked them, ‘Do you have the ability to come to the table and help me make the arena’s situation better?’ ” he told his bosses, the Cambria County War Memorial Arena Authority, at a recent board meeting.
The current pact, he said, is a break-even situation.
Talking points with the group include costs incurred when the group requests rental chairs instead of the floor seats supplied by the arena and the high costs of janitorial supplies.
“I’m looking at working with the Jehovah’s Witnesses on ways that they can increase the amount of rent that they’re paying for the services they’re getting,” St. John told our Dave Sutor.
“We’ll see if they have any room to work.”
City leaders are urging the authority to proceed cautiously, and we agree. The economic boost the group’s yearly treks to the Greater Johnstown region is a positive.
“They’re spending money in the city,” Lisa Rager, executive director of the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. “They’re dining out. They’re visiting things.
“These are the exact types of guests we need to have here … it seems like they’ve been well received.”
Dean Gindlesperger, authority chairman, concurred.
“We love being part of bringing people into the area and spending their money at our hotels and our restaurants and everything,” he said. “That’s great.”
But he quickly curbed his enthusiasm.
“However, I think we have to be careful how much we pay out for everyone else to make money without getting anything back.”
Past agreements had the Jehovah’s Witnesses providing in-kind services. This year, the attendees helped remove the rink’s dasher boards in preparation for an upgrade to the arena’s floor and ice-making equipment.
St. John was very appreciative of the work the group has performed to date, but said his preferred method of doing business is cash in hand.
“Anytime that anybody does something for me on trade,” he said, “I always feel like I got the less of the deal.”
Given the specifics of the in-kind work, we can understand St. John’s position.
It appears as if St. John and the group’s leaders are walking a tight rope. Too high a price and the Jehovah’s Witnesses are likely to move their convention elsewhere.
Let’s hope both sides keep level heads.

*I never know where to post things like this...is it in the 'right' category of "friends"??

9

I know longer want to cherry pick holes in the organisation.

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

instead i would rather spend my days picking fresh cherries from a tree, in fact i am having so much fun i have got the whole family involved, and the freezer is full of red berries, black currents, and today is more strawberry picking.

i have also gone to a farm and made my own yummy honey.. anyway have you been berry picking?

do you have any ideas how i can really enjoy my fresh goodies?

OrphanCrow

Fresh fruit? The ones you don't eat right from the tree are good to make into wine. Or something alcoholic :)

An easy liqueur: Pack a mason jar with raspberries (or whatever fruit) add a cup of sugar and fill with vodka. Turn the jar a few times a day to dissolve the sugar and wait several months...around Christmas you should have sweet berry liqueur to toast the season with.

*or you can just make juice from the berries, save the pulp and make fruit leather. Two for the price of one - juice and leather

44

Expanding number of DC/RC's

by DwainBowman in

according to my elder in law, by next year the number of dc/rc's will increase by 143. the size of conventions will get smaller.

the elder in law says the goal is to make them all have around 2,000 or so at each.

they are going to make more manuals detailing each job and it's responsibilities.

OrphanCrow

Sorry, Steve - I got it backwards...or upside down, or something :)

23

I have a favor to ask. I need to find a statement that was in one of the magazines, but I can't find it now. Can you help?

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

i have a favor to ask.

i need some information found in a watchtower that i can't seem to find in my library.

today, the watchtower teaches that the governing body is the faithful slave.

OrphanCrow

somebody: ...Jesus further said that his followers would not be left in doubt and darkness

Geez, all a person has to do is read this thread and know that the WTS has *beeped* that one up big time

Lol!

21

Why isn't the Boston Globe doing a better job?

by Londo111 in

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2016/06/29/who-are-jehovah-witnesses-who-live-among/z39a6dvdcp5lvufo7y7ozo/story.html.

why isn't the boston globe doing a better job covering this group?.

after all, the movie spotlight won an oscar about this paper and their groundbreaking journalism into the catholic church covering child abuse.

OrphanCrow

And some more about the numbers you posted, Mad Irishman.

You say that the RCC has 51,000 priests who offended. Well, compare that to the JWs who, it is claimed, have a list of pedophiles that they keep secret at the WTS headquarters. And then do the math.

51,000 priests out of a 1.2 billion membership

20,000+ JW pedophiles out of an 8 million membership

And we have no idea how many victims there are in the JW population.

It looks to me that the problem is really magnified in that little isolated cult of the JWs. Really magnified.

Another difference: the Catholic faith does not restrict their parishioners from reporting child abuse to the authorities. They are not stopped from doing so. The WTS says that parents can report...but they don't say they should report. And we also know that taking another congregation member to court is highly frowned on in the JWs. The WTS doesn't like it

On a related note, the WTS could so easily fix the reporting problem. So easily - they just have to tell their congregations that child abuse is a crime and to encourage all parents and others to first report to police and then go to the elders for support and counselling. So easy. You know...the way everybody else does it...police first, church second. The elders should be there for backup - not first line reporting. The JWs themselves have to step up to the plate and bypass the elder system by going to the police first