Posts by AndersonsInfo

2

Article: Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses in Brazil Fight Against Social Ostracism and Seek Dialogue

by AndersonsInfo in

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/brazil/ex-jehovahs-witnesses-in-brazil-fight-against-social-ostracism-and-seek-dialogue.

discover the stories of jefferson alexandrino de lima and fabiano de amo, who challenge the practice of shunning in religious communities.

their experiences shed light on the need for dialogue, respect, and inclusivity.. in 2008, jefferson alexandrino de lima's life took a significant turn after joining the jehovah's witnesses in pernambuco, brazil.

AndersonsInfo

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/brazil/ex-jehovahs-witnesses-in-brazil-fight-against-social-ostracism-and-seek-dialogue

Discover the stories of Jefferson Alexandrino de Lima and Fabiano de Amo, who challenge the practice of shunning in religious communities. Their experiences shed light on the need for dialogue, respect, and inclusivity.

In 2008, Jefferson Alexandrino de Lima's life took a significant turn after joining the Jehovah's Witnesses in Pernambuco, Brazil. Embracing the faith fully, he ascended to roles of responsibility within the community, dedicating years to its service. Yet, by 2020, questioning internal guidelines led to a drastic change, marking the beginning of his social ostracization. This experience of being treated as deceased by friends, family, and community leaders pushed Lima, now a psychology graduate, to explore the depths of 'Religious ostracism and depression' in his academic thesis. Concurrently, Fabiano de Amo, sharing a similar journey of faith and exit, initiated a virtual petition advocating for the rights and respectful treatment of disaffiliated members.

1

Article: Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses in Brazil Fight Against Social Ostracism and Seek Dialogue

by AndersonsInfo in

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/brazil/ex-jehovahs-witnesses-in-brazil-fight-against-social-.

february 28, 2024. discover the stories of jefferson alexandrino de lima and fabiano de amo, who challenge the practice of shunning in religious communities.

their experiences shed light on the need for dialogue, respect, and inclusivity.

AndersonsInfo

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/brazil/ex-jehovahs-witnesses-in-brazil-fight-against-social-

ostracism-and-seek-dialogue

February 28, 2024

Discover the stories of Jefferson Alexandrino de Lima and Fabiano de Amo, who challenge the practice of shunning in religious communities. Their experiences shed light on the need for dialogue, respect, and inclusivity.

In 2008, Jefferson Alexandrino de Lima's life took a significant turn after joining the Jehovah's Witnesses in Pernambuco, Brazil. Embracing the faith fully, he ascended to roles of responsibility within the community, dedicating years to its service. Yet, by 2020, questioning internal guidelines led to a drastic change, marking the beginning of his social ostracization. This experience of being treated as deceased by friends, family, and community leaders pushed Lima, now a psychology graduate, to explore the depths of 'Religious ostracism and depression' in his academic thesis. Concurrently, Fabiano de Amo, sharing a similar journey of faith and exit, initiated a virtual petition advocating for the rights and respectful treatment of disaffiliated members.

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ARTICLE: Jehovah’s Witnesses investing more than $50M on Woodbury project

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

https://libn.com/2024/03/04/jehovahs-witnesses-investing-more-than-50m-on-woodbury-project/.

long island business news.

march 4, 2024. the christian congregation of jehovah’s witnesses, which bought the former geico property in woodbury for $27 million in dec. 2022, plans to spend at least another $23 million to build an assembly hall and two support buildings on about half of the site.

AndersonsInfo

https://libn.com/2024/03/04/jehovahs-witnesses-investing-more-than-50m-on-woodbury-project/

LONG ISLAND BUSINESS NEWS

March 4, 2024

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which bought the former GEICO property in Woodbury for $27 million in Dec. 2022, plans to spend at least another $23 million to build an assembly hall and two support buildings on about half of the site.

The development plans include construction of a 52,400-square-foot assembly hall, a 3,900-square-foot maintenance building and a 2,500-square-foot residence on about 9.74 acres on the southern portion of the 20-acre property at 750 Woodbury Road, according to the organization’s site plan application to the town.

The Wallkill, N.Y.-based religious organization is also selling a 10.23-acre parcel of the site that fronts Woodbury Road. The group plans to eventually demolish the existing 235,635-square-foot office building, which GEICO had occupied for half a century, but the office building will remain in place during construction of the three new buildings to serve as an administrative hub, a place to feed volunteers at the site, and obscure construction activity to limit any disruption to the community, according to Jehovah’s Witnesses spokesman Robert Hendriks. READ MORE:

https://libn.com/2024/03/04/jehovahs-witnesses-investing-more-than-50m-on-woodbury-project/

11

Barbara Anderson's important interview with Aussie activist Steven Unthank on Six Screens Mar. 2nd

by AndersonsInfo in

.

AndersonsInfo

Usually, I don't advertise on this discussion board any interviews I'm going to have with fascinating former JWs. However, tomorrow's interview with activist, Steven Unthank in Australia, and his associate activist in England, Samantha Radford, will be so special that I decided to let you all know about it. I don't think you will be sorry spending time to hear what these folks dedicated to exposing the wrongdoing of the Watchtower have to say. If you miss the program, it will be saved on Six Screens for future viewing.

I'm going to repeat the date and time: Saturday, March 2nd at 4:30 pm CST or 5:30 pm EST.

Barbara

11

Barbara Anderson's important interview with Aussie activist Steven Unthank on Six Screens Mar. 2nd

by AndersonsInfo in

.

AndersonsInfo

No description available.

6

Attorney Irwin Zalkin explains the article, Pa. courts weigh whether JW's elders must report confessed child abuse

by AndersonsInfo in

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.

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 in

https://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.

AndersonsInfo

https://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. 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

https://pennrecord.com/stories/654791353-pa-courts-weigh-whether-jehovah-s-witnesses-elders-must-report-confessed-child-abuse

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A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

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:.

AndersonsInfo

ANOTHER PREDICTION FOR 2024

Sisters 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.

70

A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

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:.

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

70

A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

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:.

AndersonsInfo

My FB page link:

https://www.facebook.com/barbara.anderson.56863221