Posts by slimboyfat

286

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

by Simon in

seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

slimboyfat

Can a business refuse to “apply their artistic talent” for a mixed race couple, if they oppose mixed race marriages?

Businesses can refuse customers who are descructive or offensive. They can’t refuse customers on the basis of race, gender, sexuality or relgion. If I owned a newspaper and JWs wanted to advertise I would need to base the decision on factors other than relgion, such as accuracy and space and commercial considerations. I couldn’t refuse on the basis of relgion, as I understand it. Which seems fair enough.

138

LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

by Fay Dehr in

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

slimboyfat

They are spending more than $1.2 billion a year and have done for many years. Their deficit has finally caught up with them.

138

LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

by Fay Dehr in

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

slimboyfat

Lett said donations increased by 15% for the months of June and July 2015 before returning to normal. This leak says there was an $30 million received. That would indicate that JWs collect something in the region of $100 million in donations per month, or $1.2 billion per year. That would mean each JW contributes around $150 per year on average. That may seem very low, but many JWs live in poor countries. So it might be about right.

For comparison the Seventh Day Adventist Church received $3.2 billion in donations in 2016. That works out at $160 per member - slightly more than JWs. Which is impressive when you consider that many Adventists live in Africa and other poor regions, while they are virtually absent from most of Europe. No doubt their belief in tithing and pro-education stance explains higher donations.

Edit: I didn’t think this message made it, hence the duplication. Or repetition for emphasis, TMS terminology.

138

LEAKED: WHQ Accounts: 2016-2020 Budget

by Fay Dehr in

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 1 of 5] https://youtu.be/g08tw2v3b4s.

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 2 of 5] https://youtu.be/rpceb5v0vbe.

leaked: whq accounts: 2016-2020 budget [part 3 of 5] https://youtu.be/2xa08ukc_6i.

slimboyfat

Lett stasted that contributions increased by 15% during June and July 2015 following his appeal in May 2015. This internal video says that an extra $30 million was donated as a result of the appeal. This would suggest that WT usually collects something in the region of $100 million per month in donations, or $1.2 billion per year. That would mean JWs only contribute $150 each on average per year. Which seems very little, but plausible considering many JWs live in poor countries.

For comparison Seventh Day Adventist collect $3.2 billion per year in donations, which works out at $160 per member. However it’s worth noting that Seventh Day Adeventist membership is much more skewed toward poor African countries than JWs. Adventists are largely absent from most of Europe, for example. So for them to contribute more per member than JWs is actually quite telling, and no doubt a result of their belief in tithing.

286

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

by Simon in

seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

slimboyfat

You seem confused. People are protected in law from discrimination on the basis of race, gender and sexuality. Racism and bigotry are not protected by law.

That’s why it’s illegal for a business to refuse a mixed race couple.

But not illegal for a business to refuse a racist.

Obviously. For crying out loud.

11

BOE letter 2018-06-01 Announcements

by Fay Dehr in

.

slimboyfat

Control freaks

286

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

by Simon in

seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

slimboyfat

Let me get this straight, you believe businesses should be allowed to refuse mixed race couples? Really? You are aware this is illegal? I don’t think even the BNP support such a policy these days.

You complain it would mean that people who don’t like gay marriage would need to make gay wedding cakes. So what? And people who don’t like black people need to serve black people too. Diddums. Get over it.

The polling shows only 14% of Americans support the “right” to refuse gay customers. I’d say that’s a minority, and out of touch.

But perhaps not surprising since JWs are the most homophobic religious group polled and that’s our background.

286

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

by Simon in

seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

slimboyfat

What about people in business who oppose mixed race marriages? Should they be allowed to refuse to make cakes for mixed race couples? If it’s against their “beliefs”?

Thank goodness such prejudice is supported by a vanishingly small segment of the population now - only 14% support prejudice against 72% on the side of customers doing nothing more offensive than getting married.

Amazing how out of touch this forum is.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-baker-poll/most-americans-oppose-businesses-refusing-to-serve-gay-people-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1J02WN

New research shows nearly 5% of people now identify as gay, rising to 8% among millennials - refutation of the nonsense on this forum a few months ago about gay population be “exaggerated” and only 2% or some such rubbish.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/05/23/same-sex-marriage-poll-americans/638587002/

2

Blood Directive

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

is there a new blood form to fill out?

maybe it's been mentioned here and i've missed it but when they were chasing me with the gdpr, they also mentioned they wanted to me to fill out a new blood directive.

not that they'll be chasing me for much longer ;).

slimboyfat

I’m glad to see his videos back up, but I don’t find Mark terribly lucid or analytical. I’d hold judgment on whether this form represents anything new.

286

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Bake Cake for Gay Couple

by Simon in

seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.

it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.

it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.

slimboyfat

Celebrating a wedding is not offensive. If a business owner thinks otherwise and wants to discriminate on the basis of his beliefs then he’s the one who’s got a problem. He can have those beliefs all he wants but he should not be allowed to use a business to project that prejudice in public. Why? Because it’s rightly against the law to discriminate in a public setting on the basis of race, gender or sexuality. You can’t refuse a service because someone is black and you can’t refuse a service because someone is gay. It’s really incredibly simple.

People comparing a wedding cake to asking someone to collaborate in making something offensive need to have a talk with themselves. It’s a wedding cake. Get a grip.

This forum may be a bastion for prejudiced views (down to 17%, quite a minority) but thank goodness society is headed is a completely different direction. Enjoy your Pyrrhic victory.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-baker-poll/most-americans-oppose-businesses-refusing-to-serve-gay-people-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1J02WN