silentWatcher

Joined

• started 8 topics
• posted 414 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by silentWatcher

• 
  33

  What is the Real Financial Cost of a Circuit Assembly?

  by FairMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my congregation along with about thirty others attends circuit assemblies at a facility that is owned by the organization (a converted school).

  this building also has a section that serves as a kh for three local congregations.

  i have noticed that when the financial reports are read at the assemblies that the expense (which is not detailed) is always around $4,000.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  Actually, I think the rent at the assembly halls is calculated using a "head-tax" of $X dollars per publisher per day.

  for henrietta, ny assembly hall it was something like $12 -15 per publisher per day. The place is literally a gold-mine!
• 
  11

  The Dateline piece...

  by OldSoul in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i just saw the dateline piece.

  i have been trying to avoid watching it because i already knew how hard proof of the allegations is to come by, and knew just as well what kinds of emotions it would bring up in me.. .

  if any jw has not seen it, try to find a copy to view.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  The part that scared me the most was near the end when Dateline had videotape of the CONVICTED pedophile going door-to-door.
• 
  30

  So how long has everyone been out?

  by tyler m in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i stopped all jw activity on june 12, 1996. my 18th birthday.

  i made arrangements to stay with some friends and they even lined me up a summer job.

  i snuck out in the middle of the night and left my parents a note.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  hey, we're the same age. started fading in fall 98. completely stopped going summer of 99. good times. expecially since I was finishing my Bachelor's in Computer Science.
  
  actually, h20, freeminds (randy), and kent's site really opened my eyes. It was like I had my own personal Matrix experience.
• 
  23

  A Dangerous Legal Precedent

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a jury in milwaukee awarded 17 million bucks to an 82 year old barber who got hit by a car.

  driven by a church volunteer.

  the archdiocese was held liable for the volunteers' actions.. (see wall street journal editorial page, march 17, 2005).. now, i'd like to see the watchtower crash and burn as much as anyone .... but i sincerely.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  Very interesting, and I agree with Metatron. Bad precident.

  IANAL, but I think the big differentiator is who owns the vehicle. Did the WT own the car the Bethelite was driving? If they did, then they likely insured the vehicle themselves. This could be a problem for COs and DOs getting into accidents, since their cars are (ultimately) provided by the Society, and they can be shown to be direct agents of the organization. Same for a truck driver driving a WT truck.

  Joe Publisher in field service in their own car is more of a stretch.

  The WT ultimately insures most of the KHs as well. I wonder about liability if someone trips and falls for example. Although in this case, it's not so bad. The congregations don't have much cash, and any judgement would result in a lien against the KH building. But, the WT holds primary liens against most KHs (since most are financed through the Society), so they cover their bases there.

  WHOOPS... guess ownership of the car doesn't matter. I can't imagine this holding up on appeal.

  From the WSJ article:

  "The latest casualty [of sue-for-anything justice] is volunteerism. Last
  month, a jury in Milwaukee found the Catholic Archdiocese liable because a
  volunteer for a Catholic lay organization, driving her own car, ran a red
  light and caused an accident while delivering a statue of the Virgin Mary
  to an invalid. Although the church does not direct the activities of this
  group, called the Legion of Mary, its meetings are held on church property.
  The jury decided the Archdiocese should pay $17 million to the paralyzed
  victim, an 82-year-old semi-retired barber."
• 
  30

  Dr Who ... revenge of the BBC !

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  .

  the latest episode of dr who really made me laugh - the bbc script writers made some quite subtle but pointed digs at the government wo had previously 'won' (unfairly) after appointing their own judge as to whether the bbc or the government lied about iraq.. the pm got killed.. downing street got destroyed because of aliens with .... weapons of mass destruction that could be launched in 45 minutes seconds (which in the end turned out not to exist).

  brilliant.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  Somehow only Tom Baker will ever work as Dr Who for me....
  
  He was "over the top" enough to make it all work...
  
  :-)
• 
  37

  Bethel Pictures.....

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've got all these bethel pics to share with you and i hope i can the good ones posted.

  i will only be posting ones of bethel... cause if you want to see nyc there are other places to do that.. .

  here is the entrance to walkill... another good use of those voluntary donations.. here's the boys doing some work on... bindery equipment i think (at this point i was still half asleep).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  Seriously Rich,
  
  you had better be careful posting pics and detailed info here. Bethel has a list of who visits each day. They also keep a list of who dines with the Gov Body. Cross-reference those lists, see who's fron North Carolina (possibly named Rich), make a few phone calls, and BOOM -- you're in deep doo doo.
• 
  31

  List options for my escape here.

  by tsunami_rid3r in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  problem: .

  want a normal life of going to college, freedom.

  in return will get kicked out of the house.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  hey dude,
  
  
  I feel for you, as I was in a similar situation not too long ago.
  
  
  My advice: Keep your head down, and throw yourself into your studies. Take a full load of classes every semester. You may be able to graduate in 3 years. I finished a Masters in 4 1/2 yrs (normally takes 6 yrs). My parents always let me skip meetings for school work. My field is Comp. Sci. What field are you interested in?
  
  
  Also, if applicable, try to find a co-op. It's like an internship, but long-term. You work for the company while going to school. Company pays your tuition and pays you a salary. Good gig if you can get one. Plus, you may end up with a full-time job.
  
  
  Make sure to find internships. good for extra money and work experience.
  
  
  Do you have any college credits from HS? Make sure to maximize them if you do. Also, it helps to plan your course of study (see above). If you start school focused, and knowing what you want major-wise, you will likely finish faster. I know people that aimlessly took classes for 2 - 3 years, and frankly wasted too much time.
  
  
  I'm emphasizing speed, because of your situation. It's tough, and you will miss out on the fun everyone else has. But, sometimes you got to deal with the hand you're dealt. Also, doing well in college will help you get a good job, or go to grad school if you decide too. Grad school is usually paid for and you get a stipend. That's my current gig.
  
  
  Good luck with your studies. :)
• 
  12

  Does WTBS believe in UFOs???

  by ShadowX in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i personally don't really believe in it, well certainly didn't see anything yet that would convince me otherwise.

  but browsing wtbs cd-rom i've come across quite deliberate reference about ancient ufo sightings which are intriguing.

  even though later article goes through usual wtbs reasoning that tries to put a lid on any inquiry by "faithful christians" i cannot but wonder if they are themselves actually believing it.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  Russell and Rutherford taught Jehovah was an astronaut from the Pleides.
  
  see http://www.premier1.net/~raines/jehovah.html for direct quotes from the publications
• 
  44

  Seeker4 Facing DFing - Seeks advice!! Lawyer??

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  some of you may remember me, seeker4, from several hundred posts 3 to 6 years ago.

  i recognize some of the names in today's forums, and maybe some of you remember me.

  don't confuse me with seeker - i'm s4.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  Hi Seeker,
  
  Sounds like a tough situation to be in.
  
  Threatening legal action would likely prevent a "de jure" ("in law") disfellowshiping. However, it cannot prevent a de facto ("in fact") one. I know disfellowshiped people whose families still interact with them, and I've known faders (no DF/DA) who get completely shunned.
  
  
  The point is if someone pushes your family to shun you, then your "official" status doesn't matter unfortunately. There is some "marking" principle that lets them shun non-DF/DA'd ones too. You'd likely be "marked" either way. I've known a few indivuals who threatened legal action against the elders if DF'd. They were never formally DF'd, but the family was quietly instructed to treat them as such or else they would be DF'd for "bad associations."
  
  
  I'm a fader, and my family is all still in. My family doesn't shun me, since no one has pushed them to shun me. If I were threatened with DA/DFing, I'd retain a lawyer to fire off a "cease-and-disist" order, and make it clear I'd take the Elders individually to court if any announcements were made. However, I would still brace myself to be shunned.
  
  
  -sw
• 
  11

  Was C.T. Russell a member of the annointed?

  by xjw_b12 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  did russell consider himself the first of the new generation of the "annointed"?

  if indeed he was, i was thinking there must be one hell of a power struggle going on in heaven.. .

  wwe smackdown.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  silentWatcher

  That's good, but I think "the Tazer" versus Rowdy Judge Rutherford, steel cage match would be the main event ... of course Rutherford would hit Russell with a liquor bottle when the ref had his back turned, while Russell would get DQed for throwing a handful of "magic wheat" in Rutherford's face in retaliation.