I had a notion and followed up on it.
I asked Chat GPT4 what legal pressures might have prompted Jehovah's Witnesses to change their policy on reporting ministerial stats.
Insights from CHAT GPT4 on the JW policy changes:
" The increasing proliferation of child sexual abuse lawsuits within the Jehovah’s Witnesses has had a profound financial and reputation impact on the Church.
In both Civil and Criminal lawsuits filed against the Church and its members, attorneys for the Witnesses continually insist that their Elders and other appointed men are not “agents of Watchtower”.
By removing the requirement of all Witnesses to “turn in their hours,” the Church distances itself from the month-to-month routine of reporting to local Elders, who in turn report this raw data to the centralized databases maintained by the Watchtower Corporations.
This could potentially reduce the legal liability of the organization by creating a greater separation between individual members’ activities and official church policy."
___ Jehovah’s Witnesses previously offered their literature for a price determined by the branch office in each country, to cover printing costs. However, since 2000, Jehovah’s Witnesses have offered their publications free of charge globally. Printing is funded by voluntary donations from Witnesses and members of the public.
The change in policy was influenced by a Supreme Court ruling on January 17, 1990, against televangelist Jimmy Swaggart that sales of religious literature were subject to taxation. This ruling introduced ambiguity into the formerly tax-free practice of suggesting a specific amount in exchange for the magazines.
In response to this ruling, from March 1, 1990, the magazines were made available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis in the United States.
The stated purpose of this change was to simplify their Bible educational work and distinguish themselves from those who commercialize religion.
As for Jerry Falwell’s ministry, there have been several lawsuits involving Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of Jerry Falwell Sr., who was an American Baptist pastor and televangelist. Jerry Falwell Jr. has accused multiple past and current members of Liberty University’s senior leadership team of sexual misconduct and self-dealing in an amended lawsuit.
He also filed a lawsuit against Liberty University, claiming he’s owed $8.5 million in retirement funds.
Another lawsuit accuses the school of misappropriating “for itself” the name and image of Falwell Sr., the conservative Christian evangelist who co-founded the evangelical university in 1971.
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In both Civil and Criminal lawsuits filed against the Church and its members, attorneys for the Witnesses continually insist that their Elders and other appointed men are not “agents of Watchtower”.
By removing the requirement of all Witnesses to “turn in their hours,” the Church distances itself from the month-to-month routine of reporting to local Elders, who in turn report this raw data to the centralized databases maintained by the Watchtower Corporations.
This could potentially reduce the legal liability of the organization by creating a greater separation between individual members’ activities and official church policy."
___ Jehovah’s Witnesses previously offered their literature for a price determined by the branch office in each country, to cover printing costs. However, since 2000, Jehovah’s Witnesses have offered their publications free of charge globally. Printing is funded by voluntary donations from Witnesses and members of the public.
The change in policy was influenced by a Supreme Court ruling on January 17, 1990, against televangelist Jimmy Swaggart that sales of religious literature were subject to taxation. This ruling introduced ambiguity into the formerly tax-free practice of suggesting a specific amount in exchange for the magazines.
In response to this ruling, from March 1, 1990, the magazines were made available at no cost, on a freewill donation basis in the United States.
The stated purpose of this change was to simplify their Bible educational work and distinguish themselves from those who commercialize religion.
As for Jerry Falwell’s ministry, there have been several lawsuits involving Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of Jerry Falwell Sr., who was an American Baptist pastor and televangelist. Jerry Falwell Jr. has accused multiple past and current members of Liberty University’s senior leadership team of sexual misconduct and self-dealing in an amended lawsuit.
He also filed a lawsuit against Liberty University, claiming he’s owed $8.5 million in retirement funds.
Another lawsuit accuses the school of misappropriating “for itself” the name and image of Falwell Sr., the conservative Christian evangelist who co-founded the evangelical university in 1971.
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