Posts by Incognito

19

Article: What Is The Clergy-Penitent Privilege And How Can It Protect Sex Offenders?

by AndersonsInfo in

https://www.oxygen.com/the-witnesses/crime-news/how-clergy-penitent-privilege-may-protect-sex-offenders.

how clergy-penitent privilege may protect sex offenders | crime news.

it’s a practice that is centuries old: confessing one’s sins to a trusted clergy member.

Incognito

Whether or not there is merit in the practice, a confessional is used by an individual to acknowledge and confess sin(s) they themselves have committed, to a single priest/minister, as a means to request absolution of the sin by God.

If the confessor and minister are known to each other, they may recognize each other's voice, but the practice is often performed anonymously and is to remain confidential between those two individuals only.

1) WT continually attempt to claim confidentiality of confession when a congregation member reports they are a victim of a crime. As a victim is not confessing a sin they themself committed (although elders often place blame on the victim), a report does not fit within the meaning or purpose of a religious 'confession'.

2) Once a JW Elder or Elders share details of a claimed 'confession' with the branch, legal dept, or other Elders that were not actually present when the 'confession' was given, then the sacred seal of confession is broken as it is no longer confidential between the confessor and their chosen religious representative(s).

58

Kh's will be gone in 5 years! Here's how it will work

by nowwhat? in

besides the media center they are going to build in n.y. it's been noted they are also building one and a studio in australia.

there is no way donations can cover these massive projects.

so the money will have to come from the sale of the remaining halls.

Incognito

LHG,

None of us know anything but are only speculating on what might/could happen.

Perhaps congregations will become virtual, continuing to be scheduled at specific times, with each attendee to login and be listed onscreen (similar to a webinar). The speaker and those making comments could be shown using their camera to everyone else in attendance. That may address your face-to-face concern.

While there have been various ideas given that some are quick to dismiss and claim could never happen, consider how many changes have been made over the past 15+ years, many of which were speculation but dismissed as not possible by members of this forum, before each was eventually announced/implemented.

58

Kh's will be gone in 5 years! Here's how it will work

by nowwhat? in

besides the media center they are going to build in n.y. it's been noted they are also building one and a studio in australia.

there is no way donations can cover these massive projects.

so the money will have to come from the sale of the remaining halls.

Incognito

WT are masters of double-speak so home groups could be 'suggested' without saying so directly, which then allows plausible deniability as to each group being an official requirement.

I think by not officially sanctioning 'home groups' will work to WT's benefit as they may then claim JW associates took it upon themselves to meet in small groups. As WT does not require such and as meetings are held in private homes which WT has no control over, then it has no liability for member actions occurring in a facility which WT does not own or control.

Many of the liability issues that have arisen have not necessarily been due to where an abuse occured, but more due to WT's lacking policies and how WT's agents (Elders) handled the situation once the matter was reported to them.

I anticipate to remain a JW in good standing, each family or individual JW will require a subscription to access WT's member areas. Again, double-speak will not use the word 'subscription' to convey a 'donation' so as to not create a taxable situation.

Perhaps WT will create an app or require its own browser or a browser plugin to access member pages. As videos and online information may be accessible 24/7, then individual JWs can access the relevant pages at their leisure. I expect each login and page visit duration will be recorded, while a list of questions will need to be answered at the end of each section to qualify as 'attendance'.

Since seeing other fellow believers acts to boost moral, group mentality and something to look forward to, maybe member only 'special assembly days' at WT owned assembly halls will become more frequent, perhaps 3-4 year. Of course, those functions will continue to generate additional donations due to overblown costs reported to attendees.

Those assigned will continually change to make it difficult for attendees to recognize who is missung (no longer a believer).

While JW member numbers will likely decline, I anticipate WT knows 25%+ of current attendees do not believe and are not contributing financially, so there will be no great loss if they loose them to retain the fully indoctrinated (and contributing) members.

5

My thoughts about Watchtower fully owned "independent" lawyer firm / Dutch case

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

friends,.

of course we have the vampire story, but this is what i'm thinking of now:.

in the current dutch jw.org law cases about child abuse and religion rights the jw.org is represented by shane brady, partner of w. glen how & associaties.

Incognito

Although operated from the Canadian Branch address, the law firm is registered independently as an LLP (Limited Liability Partnership). The law firm could claim it merely rents office space from WT and so it is only a tenant.

Even if actually owned and operated by WT in the background and the various lawyers and staff are considered and are 'paid' as bethelites, the fact that it is operated as an independent law firm, I anticipate, will qualify its clients to claim and be awarded legal costs from the losing party when its clients are successful in court.

28

How many here believe the WTS really has has 8.5 million followers / 8.5. million members

by Hotpepper in

i think it's closer to 5 million with all the selling of kingdom hells and branch bethel's all over the world.

it's even hard to get a hard copy of the lastest craptower or afake mag now in new york city..

Incognito

How many congregations have been discussed on this forum that have been amalgamated over the past 5 years? Do WT yearly reports truly represent the decrease in the number of congregations that were observed as being dissolved?

If reported congregation numbers are not accurate, what makes you believe the number turning in field service reports will be?

Even so, it's easy for the Report Elder hounder to call to convince a non-reporting publisher into claiming at least 15 minutes of preaching activity when they didn't do any.

Elder: 'Think hard. You don't want to become inactive. You must have spoken about The Truth to someone in the past month'

Pub: 'Weeelllll ... yah, I guess you're right. Put me down for 1 hour'

Elder: 'Great! Take care'

A person answering a census will often indicate the religion they were born into, even as they may not have been active in that or any religion for 50 years.

31

Watch Tower's Popularity

by dydeonwl in

watchtower has been named as world's most published and circulated magazine in us.

amazing.

source:.

Incognito

I guess all of those stacks of undistributed magazines my parents had in their basement did some good after all, even if they only were used to support WT's circulation claims.

No doubt the JWs who purchased Bound Volumes every year also increased the circulation numbers, even as those books were for members only and were a repurchase (before the donation arrangement) of the same magazines those members had already purchased through the previous year, many of which were sitting in stacks in their basements.

15

Why Are There So Many International Words to Poop and Pee?

by RubaDub in

jw
friends

here, in the us, we go to the "bathroom".

am i taking a bath?

we either poop or pee.. when we go to canada, we go to the "washroom".

Incognito

Along a similar line, why are two people having sex referred to as 'sleeping together'? There is usually no sleeping involved.

With regard to going to the 'Washroom', I hope you do at least wash your hands after you poop or pee.

72

Not invited to congregation “get togethers”. They finally said it

by solomon in

jw
friends

we don’t get many invitations to congregational social gatherings.

we don’t attend midweek meetings and miss about 1/3 of sunday meetings.

we go in service at least once a month.

Incognito

Family and money is involved. It’s complicated. That’s why we don’t leave the cult.

So, how long do you remain unsettled, unhappy and waiting for something to happen that other people decide and control?

Life is short. Live your life on your own terms, before the opportunity passes you by.

72

Not invited to congregation “get togethers”. They finally said it

by solomon in

jw
friends

we don’t get many invitations to congregational social gatherings.

we don’t attend midweek meetings and miss about 1/3 of sunday meetings.

we go in service at least once a month.

Incognito

Reliable meeting attendance and 'being seen' in field service is the price of admission to JW social functions.

As JW social functions are often lame, many PIMO JWs would be relieved to be excluded. Unfortunately, when JWs have few friends or opportunities for enjoyment, then any social function is better than nothing, even if it is lame.

You will likely benefit to make friends and persue interests independant from JWs before you leave, to make departing the religion less traumatic, and to provide things to enjoy and look forward to.

We attended a circuit assembly where the elder speaker stated he and his family ONLY associate with those that are stronger in the truth than they are. My thought was, he'd better hope the people he and his family associate with do not have that same attitude otherwise, they will not associate with that elder and his family since they will be the weaker ones.

So much for the flock being cared for by the Sheppard.

65

Would You Ever Go Back To The Witnesses??

by minimus in

jw
friends

every once in a while you hear people say they actually “miss” their old witness friends and or family.

some would have even stayed in the organization if they became a bit more liberal and open minded.

.

Incognito

Just because you may be related to someone, does not make them 'family'.

True friends remain such regardless of which religion you choose to practice ... or choose not to practice.

While you may have had a friendly relationship with a JW while you were also an active JW, if they choose to separate themselves from you only because you chose to no longer attend meetings, were they truly your friend? Of course, a choice to cutoff a relationship can work both ways, so it's not always the actions of the JW that ended the relationship.

One person rationalized the religion is beneficial because they personally gained an ability to speak with others and to groups which helped them in business. Could you not have gained those abilities through other means such as enrolling in a training course or joining a debate team, a service club or ... Amway?

With regard to joining this forum to obtain the background scoop on child sexual abuse lawsuits against the organization, obtaining info does not require posting. If you posted nothing, no one, at least human, would know you have been on this site.

A Watcher, you left or were kicked out 2X previously. I suspect the reasons for the previous 2 actions have not been addressed. While you may continue to rationalize the problem is 'You', I anticipate without the background problem being addressed, you will not remain satisfied as a JW.

Consider the reasons for the lawsuits. If this is truly Jehovah's choice of an earthly organization to represent his name to the nations, would that organization act in a manner to bring such reproach on that name? I expect any organization that was truly chosen by God, would be the greatest example to prevent abuse from happening, and for the odd situation that does arise, the greatest example to how such matters should be dealt with.