That is great news, MissFit! Its so funny. She must have been worrying about that for a long time.
You should give her this website and others to help make the mental break, too.
i have a sweet jw friend.
she is elderly and had heart problems and is hard of hearing.. she is a tiny thing and very loving.
she is a convert and had been "in" for around 20 years.. she came "in "after her divorce.. we started hanging out together a couple years ago when i called her for a ride to the meetings.. .
That is great news, MissFit! Its so funny. She must have been worrying about that for a long time.
You should give her this website and others to help make the mental break, too.
tl;dr: jw.org and jw library is not trademarked because the us patent office keeps refusing their application.
i don't think either will ever be trademarked, as their design currently stands.
jw rank & file can make all the cheap promotional crap they want and the watchtower can't do a thing about it (legally anyway.).
TL;DR: JW.ORG and JW LIBRARY is NOT trademarked because the US Patent office keeps refusing their application. I don't think either will ever be trademarked, as their design currently stands. JW Rank & File can make all the cheap promotional crap they want and the Watchtower can't do a thing about it (legally anyway.)
EDIT: FOR SOME REASON MY POST IS NOT FORMATTING CORRECTLY, KEEP SCROLLING TO SEE MORE.
Recently I have become interested in which symbols the Watchtower society has trademarked and currently own.
Here is a list of all applications for trademarks made by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Two symbols they have recently been trying to trademark are JW.ORG and JW LIBRARY. Both have been initially refused, but they are still trying to get it trademarked.
The application to trademark JW.ORG and JW LIBRARY was refused because they say it could be confused with trademarks of other companies. It was also refused because of minor errors in wording on the application that can be easily fixed.
What is interesting is that the JW.ORG symbol they are trying to trademark is NOT the same symbol they are using on their website and literature. The dot is in the wrong place. I wonder how long it will take for the bafoons in New York to realize they are trying to trademark the wrong symbol!
Here is the symbol they are trying to trademark along with the other trademarks that the US Patent Office says might cause confusion. Notice where the dot is:
This trademark is owned by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. They sell educational material. The Watchtower argued that this symbol would not cause confusion and won. The Patent office withdrew their refusal on their application based on this trademark (but not the other trademark you will see below!)
This symbol is trademarked by LongTail Ad Solutions, Inc. for downloadable computer software for playing, viewing and streaming audio and video files. The Watchtower argued against this causing confusion too, but they lost. The latest communication from the Patent office to the Watchtower stated that their refusal to trademark JW.ORG based on it being confused with the symbol below is final. The Watchtower has until September 12, 2014 to respond or the application will be abandoned.
The Watchtower's application to trademark JW LIBRARY has been refused for the same reason. Notice the similarity of JW PLAYER to JW LIBRARY:
The society has until August 26, 2014 to respond to the US Patent's office final refusal of their application or the application will be abadoned.
i was fascinated by a recent wt (aug.'14) article that illustrates how original bible accounts could change and transform over time, even with the best of motives.. stories can grow over time, gain 'new details' and be altered by well-intentioned people.
like catching a fish that seems to grow bigger in the retelling.. the august wt has a secondary article about joseph - which applies the story to modern day problems with "blended" families (so, similar in a way to ancient polygamous extended families).. the article asserts that jacob loved his son joseph in particular because his son was so faithful and righteous, perhaps giving him a special coat as a reward for his good behavior..... which is false because genesis 37 makes clear that he loved joseph because he was 'the son of his old age', in other words, a novelty or sign that the "old guy still had it and could get it up!".
understandable but not terribly noble.. however, that bit of history isn't good enough for the watchtower so they shift the information to fit their modern day narrative about stepfamilies.. now, i understand that the story of joseph has good counsel about forgiveness in a family.
The bible was written years after any of the actually events happened. Then, they were rewritten and rewritten and translated and retranslated. There is no telling what REALLY happened or who said what.
At this point in my life, I am leaning toward the notion that Jesus was a simple human, like you and me. I think he was charasmatic and created a new cult following, who after many years, changed his story into a tall tale of sorts, like the tale of Paul Bunyan. There might be a shred of truth, but not much.
this week's study april 15th 2014 was called "do you see the one who is invisible?".
it was perhaps one of the most depressing, controlling, fear-mongering, stress inducing, doctrinally incorrect, hate-inspiring, judgemental, cult-like, irrational, hyped-up, critical, crazy, stretched out, fanciful, illogical, burdensome, inflated, coersive, manipulative, and brain-snappingly weird stuff i have read for some time.... (but i'm sure it was just a rehash and repeat of previous stuff...for the new masses....).
i had to keep up a sane appearance while in the hall, and even answer some garbage while this was being 'studied'... my cognitive disonance must be so strong now, because i found this one of the hardest ones to endure....now that i am home, i have poured a stiff drink and am trying to clear my head...... one paragraph was classic:.
I am soooo glad I don't have to endure listening to that garbage anymore.
It helps to hear about it second hand, though, because it helps me understand my family, and when they start acting weirder than normal.
i was looking at the universal declaration of human rights posted at un.org and also the description of what constitutes a violation of religious freedom at uslegal.com .. .
according to the declaration of human rights:.
article 18.. everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
The government can't force people to associate and talk to everyone, and thank goodness they can't!
just a quick thought.... we know that the org loves to paint all those who fade or leave as "negative, bitter and unhappy"...because of course "the truth is the happiest way to live".
so, never allow ourselves to be that way when talking with witnesses, or family members still in.. show them that we are happy, our lives are fulfilled and positive.. then they have no ammunition.
also, it helps other doubters to see that there is life in the world beyond the org..
Talesin ... you are absoltely right.
If we try to put on a front that we are happy and joyful all the time, we are no better than them, AND people will see right through it.
The best example for us to show them is to JUST BE OURSELVES! Happy, sad, indifferent ... it's all part of life.
Life cannot be lived with just one brushstroke.
i'm pretty sure it is, just wanted to confirm.
this would be someone who went once and only looked....
Just take some JW.ORG promotional material to pass out and you're all good! Perhaps pasties for the ladies with the logo in the middle?
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ny-court-of-appeals/1181065.html.
new york city gives religious buildings water exemptions if the building is entirely used for religious purposes and if there is a caretaker's apartment, there can be only one.
that assembly hall had 2. the water dept denied their application for exemption on that basis.
Good find, Rattigan! Interesting! They barely qualify as a religion anymore, anyway!
i use to hate when people who made goodbye posts on message boards.
why would they think that just because you no longer post on a chevy truck forum or a los angeles lakers forum the world would crumble around those still left there.
this place is definitely different.
confusedandalone ...
I first created my account here over 12 years ago. (My WildThing account says 11, but that's because I changed my mind about using my real name, so created a second account.) I still have to peek in every once in a while. I still have quite a bit of contact with my family that is still in, and so I still need a place to vent and marvel at the new stupidity I see on a regular basis. I have taken long breaks from this board ... sometimes very long breaks (years), but it is a good place to find some people who understand why you are STILL dealing with their dysfunction.
My point is ... move on. It's healthy. But give yourself permission to come back when you need to.
Good luck!
i think if there isnt one already, there should be a scholarship for ex-jws to get a college education.
i dont know exactly what would be the qualifications to win the scholarship or where the money would come from..
In theory I think it is such a great idea! But in reality, the only ones that would contribute would be ex-JWs, who overwhelmingly are "not rolling in it" and my $5 contribution will not get us very far.
The other problem is that whatever funds we could come up with could not possibly ever keep up with demand, even if there was a stinking rich philanthropist among us.
There are so many ex-JWs that come out of the organization that are uneducated and yearning for higher education, there would be thousands clamoring for whatever meager funds we raise.
I guess I am just pessimistic when it comes to bringing about any real change on that issue. Now if we could get our hands on the society's coffers ...