AndersonsInfo
JoinedPosts by AndersonsInfo
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Barbara Anderson's important interview with Aussie activist Steven Unthank on Six Screens Mar. 2nd
by AndersonsInfo in.
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Attorney Irwin Zalkin explains the article, Pa. courts weigh whether JW's elders must report confessed child abuse
by AndersonsInfo inthe pennsylvania supreme court memorandum opinion that i posted on this discussion board yesterday was confusing enough for me to ask attorney irwin zalkin to explain the issues.
he promptly replied and gave me permission to post here the following important information that he provided.. "the pennsylvania supreme court memorandum opinion raises the question of whether jehovah’s witnesses (“jw’s”) elders, who are volunteer clergy, fall under an exception to the mandatory reporting law of the state of pennsylvania.
jw’s members of the ivy hill congregation of jw’s sued the pa department of human services (dhs) and asked the court to issue a judgment that as a matter of law makes jw’s elders exempt from pa’s mandatory reporting of known or suspected child abuse, including child sexual abuse.
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AndersonsInfo
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court memorandum opinion that I posted on this discussion board yesterday was confusing enough for me to ask Attorney Irwin Zalkin to explain the issues. He promptly replied and gave me permission to post here the following important information that he provided.
"The Pennsylvania Supreme Court memorandum opinion raises the question of whether Jehovah’s Witnesses (“JW’s”) Elders, who are volunteer clergy, fall under an exception to the mandatory reporting law of the State of Pennsylvania. JW’s members of the Ivy Hill Congregation of JW’s sued the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) and asked the court to issue a judgment that as a matter of law makes JW’s elders exempt from PA’s mandatory reporting of known or suspected child abuse, including child sexual abuse. PA’s clergy mandatory reporting law has an exception when the clergy member learns of the child abuse under circumstances that require him or her to maintain the information secret or confidential. The Ivy Hill Congregation members argued that under the tenets of JW’s organization, elders are required to keep that information secret and therefore fall within this exception to the PA clergy mandatory reporting law. The lower court where this issue was first raised, dismissed the lawsuit holding that there was no actual controversy raised by the lawsuit since DHS has never brought any legal action against the JW’s related to mandatory reporting, and that DHS is not the proper enforcement agency to take legal action against the JW’s. In essence, the PA Supreme Court held that the Ivy Hill Congregation sued the wrong party.
"The PA Supreme Court did not decide the issue of whether JW’s elders are exempt from PA’s mandatory reporting law. It reinstated the Ivy Hill lawsuit on the basis that the judge’s dismissal was inconsistent with another Ivy Hill case where the court refused to dismiss that case at the request of DHS, on different legal grounds but in essence finding that a case against DHS is proper. PA’s Supreme Court sent the second Ivy Hill case, referred to as Ivy Hill II, back to the lower court for that lower court to rule on whether JW’s elders are exempt from PA’s clergy mandatory reporting law.
"The Zalkin Law Firm (“ZLF”) has been representing survivors of child sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization for over 20 years. In many of these cases JW’s have argued that their elders are exempt from various state mandatory reporting laws for the same reason they raised in the Ivy Hill Congregation cases. What PA’s DHS may not know, and what ZLF has learned through these years of litigation against JW’s is that congregation elders are not required to keep information they learn about child abuse, including sexual abuse secret. In fact, their requirements are the exact opposite. Congregation elders are required to disclose the information to the national organization’s Service Department and Legal Department. Further, records are maintained relating to disciplinary action taken against the alleged perpetrator. These records are available to other elders who may be new to the congregation at a future date. If the perpetrator moves to a new congregation, the elders of the new congregation are required to be advised of the information relating to the allegations of child abuse or child sexual abuse by that perpetrator. So, unlike other religious denominations where such information remains confidential between a priest, pastor or rabbi who cannot disclose such information to anyone else, JW’s require that many other individuals have access to the information. There is no reason that JW’s elders should be exempt from reporting child sexual abuse to the proper authorities. Given the long and known history of child sexual abuse within JW’s organization, mandatory reporting by the elders needs to be required and enforced."
Irwin Zalkin
Senior Partner
The Zalkin Law Firm, P.C.
10590 W. Ocean Air Drive #125
San Diego, CA 92130
(858) 259-3011 (800) 617-2622
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Article: Pa. courts weigh whether Jehovah's Witnesses elders must report confessed child abuse
by AndersonsInfo inhttps://pennrecord.com/stories/654791353-pa-courts-weigh-whether-jehovah-s-witnesses-elders-must-report-confessed-child-abuse.
harrisburg – after the commonwealth court of pennsylvania dismissed a petition from a group of jehovah’s witnesses nearly two years ago, which argued the confidentiality of their confessions shielded them from being mandatory reporters of child abuse, the supreme court of pennsylvania overruled their colleagues and decided the commonwealth court must re-examine the action.. in a 24-page memorandum opinion authored by state supreme court chief justice debra todd and handed down feb. 13, the court found that their commonwealth court contemporaries violated the coordinate jurisdiction rule – which states “judges of coordinate jurisdiction sitting in the same case should not overrule each other’s decisions” – by its initial pair of separate findings that ivy hill congregation of jehovah’s witnesses did not have proper standing against the commonwealth’s department of human services, and that a grant of declaratory relief would not terminate the legal controversy.. todd was joined in the opinion by supreme court of pennsylvania justices christine donohue, kevin m. dougherty, david n. wecht and sallie updyke mundy.
justices p. kevin brobson and daniel mccaffery did not participate in the consideration or decision of this matter.. “appellant is a congregation of approximately 140 individuals in philadelphia, pennsylvania, who follow the tenets of the jehovah’s witnesses religion.
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AndersonsInfo
HARRISBURG – After the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania dismissed a petition from a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses nearly two years ago, which argued the confidentiality of their confessions shielded them from being mandatory reporters of child abuse, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overruled their colleagues and decided the Commonwealth Court must re-examine the action.
In a 24-page memorandum opinion authored by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd and handed down Feb. 13, the Court found that their Commonwealth Court contemporaries violated the Coordinate Jurisdiction Rule – which states “judges of coordinate jurisdiction sitting in the same case should not overrule each other’s decisions” – by its initial pair of separate findings that Ivy Hill Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses did not have proper standing against the Commonwealth’s Department of Human Services, and that a grant of declaratory relief would not terminate the legal controversy.
Todd was joined in the opinion by Supreme Court of Pennsylvania justices Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty, David N. Wecht and Sallie Updyke Mundy. Justices P. Kevin Brobson and Daniel McCaffery did not participate in the consideration or decision of this matter.
“Appellant is a congregation of approximately 140 individuals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who follow the tenets of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion. Every Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation is led by a body of elders, which consists of a group of five to seven volunteers. The elders are authorized to hear and respond to a congregant’s confession of sin, and, under their beliefs, are obliged to maintain the confidentiality of confessions. According to appellant, its elders may receive confessions involving child abuse, which would implicate the mandatory reporting requirements of the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL),” Todd said.
“Specifically, the CPSL identifies certain individuals who are deemed to be ‘mandated reporters.’ Mandated reporters are required to make a report of suspected child abuse to the Commonwealth’s Department of Human Services if they have ‘reasonable cause’ to suspect that a child has been a victim of abuse. In addition to doctors and school employees, the list of mandated reporters includes ‘a clergyman, priest, rabbi, minister, Christian Science practitioner, religious healer or spiritual leader of any regularly established church or other religious organization.’ Under Section 6319 of the CPSL, mandated reporters who fail to report a case of suspected child abuse are subject to criminal penalties.” Read More
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A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024
by AndersonsInfo infyi, i posted this prediction on my facebook page last night and it has received 224 likes and there have been 83 comments made.
many of the comments are hilarious.. .
a beard prediction for 2024:.
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AndersonsInfo
ANOTHER PREDICTION FOR 2024Sisters begin questioning when will they be allowed to wear pants to the meetings, in field service, and when cart sitting, etc. They are counseled for rebellious thinking and loose talk. The C.O. has to get involved.Some sisters decide to stop shaving legs, underarms, etc. They announce that they should not be held to standards that men are not held to. The C.O. has to make a special visit to reign them in.A movement of sisters refusing to have sex with their husbands grows so large that the GB says it constitutes grounds for divorce. KHs are burned to the ground and it becomes the talk of mainstream media. Attendance drops to 5% of pre-pandemic numbers. WTC files for bankruptcy and half of the GB are forced to retire.All of this leads to the GB being forced to placate the sisters with a new edict that they can wear pants. -
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A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024
by AndersonsInfo infyi, i posted this prediction on my facebook page last night and it has received 224 likes and there have been 83 comments made.
many of the comments are hilarious.. .
a beard prediction for 2024:.
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AndersonsInfo
Hey, Ron W, we loved your Methuselah beard saga. Great take off from our posted 2024 prediction of the way events stackup in Watchtower land.
Barbara and Joe
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A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024
by AndersonsInfo infyi, i posted this prediction on my facebook page last night and it has received 224 likes and there have been 83 comments made.
many of the comments are hilarious.. .
a beard prediction for 2024:.
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AndersonsInfo
My FB page link:
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A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024
by AndersonsInfo infyi, i posted this prediction on my facebook page last night and it has received 224 likes and there have been 83 comments made.
many of the comments are hilarious.. .
a beard prediction for 2024:.
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AndersonsInfo
FYI, I posted this prediction on my Facebook page last night and it has received 224 likes and there have been 83 comments made. Many of the comments are hilarious.A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024:I wonder how long before the fighting starts?A Brother loses privileges because his beard looks scruffy, spotty. He is counseled that a beard may not be dignified FOR HIM. The C.O. has to get involved.A Brother is counseled that his beard looks like a Mullah. He loses privileges. The C.O. has to get involved.A Brother decides NOT to grow a beard because he does not agree that it is for Christians (he is 'Old School'). He lets it slip that he does not agree. He is called before a JC for disagreeing with the GB and DF'd. He is retained on appeal, but leaves anyway, writes a book, gains a significant following of JWs who leave the organization in protest. -
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Beards are now allowed - New Light
by Listener inlett has announced in the latest video update that jehovah has dignified the brothers by now letting them to choose for themselves whether they want to have a beard or not -.
https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/global/2023-governing-body-update-8/.
this applies worldwide and to all brothers in any position..
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AndersonsInfo
This is how Steven Lett looks with a beard thanks to AI (Artificial Intelligence). I think he looks much better and maybe he should really take the lead in beard growing among the GB.
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The rules and culture that keep child sex offenders hidden from followers of the JW's faith
by AndersonsInfo inhttps://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/495876/the-rules-and-culture-that-keep-child-sex-offenders-hidden-from-followers-of-the-jehovah-s-witness-faith.
rnz new zealand.
anusha bradley, investigative reporter.
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AndersonsInfo
RNZ New Zealand
Anusha Bradley, Investigative Reporter
August 15, 2023
Edward Narayan didn't know he'd had a child molester over for dinner until he became an elder of his Jehovah's Witness congregation in 2020.
"He was a very nice guy, I'm sure a lot of them are," Narayan says.
"Then, this other elder let it slip that he was a convicted paedophile."
The man, who has since died but can't be named, was convicted in 1990 for historical child sexual abuse.
But Narayan didn't know anything about his dinner guest's past until he was put in charge of his Chartwell congregation's confidential files. And that's when he realised there were others.
He discovered another active member of his congregation was a convicted paedophile and two other men had a history of serious child sexual abuse allegations made against them. The two alleged cases, including one that came to light as recently as 2012, were never reported to police while Narayan was in charge of the files.
Narayan admits he wasn't too concerned about his discoveries at the time because he implicitly trusted the other elders knew what they were doing. And as a new elder, he was keen to follow the rules.
"In the elder's handbook, 'Shepherd the Flock of God', [it says] you can't say a word unless the legal department of the local branch office tells you that you can."
Edward Narayan Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
An RNZ investigation has found 11 active Jehovah Witnesses have child sex abuse convictions or serious allegations made against them, apparently unbeknownst to most followers. A former elder has also claimed he was told to destroy evidence from the church's internal disciplinary proceedings, which could have included cases relating to child sex abuse. The Jehovah's Witnesses strongly deny any suggestion of criminal destruction of evidence.
The religion's policies and practices have kept members in the dark about child sex offending within the church for years, and while it appears to be trying to address this, some current and former members of the church say it is not enough.
All of the 19 former or current Jehovah's Witnesses spoken to for this story want to see the church change the way it deals with allegations of child sexual abuse and the perpetrators, saying the current policies still fail to keep children safe.
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YouTube Video: Protest against the Watchtower organization in Denmark 2023
by AndersonsInfo inhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvyo_w6r09a.
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