maksutov

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Posts by maksutov

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  45

  Padron Case Settled. What happens to the fine?

  by Slidin Fast in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  it seems that irwin zalkin has obtained undisclosed settlement in the case.

  the $4000 a day fine then seems to be dead.

  the downside?

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  maksutov

  Some would say that covering up child abuse should be a crime. But it isn't.
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  45

  Padron Case Settled. What happens to the fine?

  by Slidin Fast in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  it seems that irwin zalkin has obtained undisclosed settlement in the case.

  the $4000 a day fine then seems to be dead.

  the downside?

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  maksutov

  Refusing to settle when offered a decent sum would be a huge risk. All of these child sex abuse cases so far have settled, because settling is the sensible thing to do, if the offer is sufficient. If Watchtower offers you millions, and you refuse to settle, what happens?

  Best case scenario is that Watchtower is found guilty and you receive an even larger amount in damages. But in the end, all that happens is that Watchtower pays out. The GB don't go to jail. It is a civil case, not a criminal one. There is bad publicity for them either way, so forcing them to finish the trial does not achieve a great deal more than settling would. Granted, there would be no gag order, but it is difficult to know how much difference that would make.
  

  Quite likely though, if you have a strong case, you win, and receive a lesser amount than you would have if you'd settled - is it worth the trauma? If your case is not watertight, and Watchtower somehow get off on a technicality, you have to foot the bill and are left completely and utterly destitute. For most people, it is simply not worth the risk. If sufficient people sue, and settle, it will bleed them dry, and the victims get their due compensation.
  
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  20

  Disfellowshipped in Absentia

  by HereIgo in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have heard of this happening before, but how often?

  its pretty rare it seems.

  i have often wondered if the elders would go this route with me since they knew i was actively sinning, but as far as i know, no jc was ever formed.

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  maksutov

  I was deemed to have disassociated myself by my actions (at least I assume so, as they never contacted me at all, but still made an announcement that I was no longer a JW). That was 5 years after I faded. You are never "safe".
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  13

  "Our Lord and Savior" . . . Seriously??

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  did anybody else notice in the convention drama when they went to the memorial the speaker called jesus "our lord and savior"?

  when have you ever heard jws use that phrase?

  christians, yes; jws, no..

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  maksutov

  Yes, I also heard this phrase sometimes used in prayers in the UK.
  
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  19

  How do you talk to a child that believes Jehovah/Armageddon is real

  by Anony Mous in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i'm having some serious issues with my child, she is now 5 and her mother is teaching her all sorts of things regards god, jehovah is real, in heaven, pray if you're scared, etc.

  the problem is the kid is scared of demons at night and also conflicted that i don't believe, she also figured out jehovah doesn't actually help her not to be scared.. i've tried explaining that i'm there for her, watching over at night.

  i've tried introducing her to various churches and beliefs so she understands there is a difference in believes and she likes those churches better than kingdom hall.

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  maksutov

  My daughter also believed the nonsense at that age. If I tried to reason with her about it, she would become very upset and defensive, so I didn't push it, just said that although her mum and Gran believed those things, most people, including me, don't, and that she would have to decide for herself when she is old enough to understand, but that I would love her either way. She is now 10, and just a few months ago (after a C.O. put some pressure on her to set 'theocratic goals'), she reasoned on the fact that if she became a JW, she would have to shun me, and if she changed her mind later, her mum would have to shun her. She decided then that she no longer believed and no longer wanted to be a JW. Good luck!
  
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  58

  Just a quick Poll...Do you think the GB is sincere?

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been thinking about this the past few days and curious what the honest consensus is here just for fun.. show of hands,.

  is the governing body.... a: completely sincere.

  they really do believe what they teach.. b: somewhat sincere.

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  maksutov

  I think they are both sincere and insincere simultaneously. They are intellectually dishonest, and knowingly use falsehoods to convince themselves and others to believe. Thought stoppers and logical fallacies keep the cognitive dissonance in check enough for them to perform the mental gymnastics needed to keep the plates spinning. Being honest would be very uncomfortable, so they just block out the doubts by any means necessary and blame Satan - they are too invested to do anything else.
  
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  43

  2520-607 = 1913

  by schnell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i love math, i love calendars, and somehow, this always gets me.. 2520 - 607 = 1913. not 1914.. 2520 - 606 = 1914. from what i understand, russell realized this.

  he had previously used 606 bc, of course, but then he switched it to 607 bc.

  i know there was something about no zero year, so it actually should be less one, correct?.

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  maksutov

  CORRECTION:
  607 - 607 = 0

  1914 - 1 = 1913

  1913 + 607 = 2520

  There we go, that's better. Now we still have it leading to... 1913.

  No, it does lead to 1914 (albeit, using solar years instead of the lunar years that the so-called prophecy is made up of). 1913 years after 1 CE was 1914, not 1913.
  
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  18

  JW.org as a Prank Tool

  by schnell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the moment i saw the "request a study" form on the site, i thought, "umm, that could be a bad thing.".

  but to date, i have heard of only one case where it was used for less than genuine purposes.

  that was in the case of a "game developer" who was selling crappy asset-flips on steam.

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  maksutov

  Does it track personal data of the person that does they request for the study? Like i.p. address, etc. ?
  

  Almost certainly, yes, but it is trivial to use a proxy or VPN to hide your IP address (just search for free web proxy, or install a VPN plugin for your browser, such as Hola).
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  28

  Bro Knorrs Notes RE Disfellowshipping & Two Witness Rule

  by pale.emperor in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  hi guys.

  a fellow ex jw shared this with me.

  haven't time to read them yet (i'm using my phone to go on internet).

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  maksutov

  It was around 1947 when they published an article saying that excommunication was pagan and not supported by scripture.
  
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  17

  the future for the borg

  by pepperheart in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  it look very possible that the borg could lose their charity status in both the uk and oz if this happens the jw will not have all the tax breaks for the buildings that they have now.and that the headquarters will have to start finding extra money.and as they have done so much cost cutting anyway these past years i think they will have to start selling kingdom halls off.

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  maksutov

  Their UK charity status is not under threat. They are under investigation, but losing their charitable status is not on the cards at all. The former lead investigator confirmed (in a phone call to Lloyd Evans, as reported by him) that they have neither the will nor the power to remove charitable status. The most they can do is replace trustees with those of their own choosing. They will undoubtedly put pressure on the org, and I am hopeful that there will be plenty of publicity, but the charity commission has no teeth.