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11

Adhering to a Godly View of Marriage

by comment in

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excerpted from the watchtower of september 15, 2007:.

13. sadly, some christians today willfully ignore the apostle paul's inspired counsel to marry "only in the lord.

" (1 corinthians 7:39) how foolish!

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Excerpted from The Watchtower of September 15, 2007:

13. Sadly, some Christians today willfully ignore the apostle Paul's inspired counsel to marry "only in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 7:39) How foolish! Being guided by our bodily members or feelings of so-called "romantic love" cannot lead to success in such cases. Instead, broken homes and divided families are frequently the result.

14. A sister in Uzbekistan relates: "When I was 19, I thought I knew better than my parents. Yuri was so tall and handsome! He impressed me with his charm and manners, and he had a well-paying job at the local steel factory. But Yuri did not share my love for spiritual things. Instead, after our marriage, he tried to get me to attend a worldly institute of higher learning. I resisted with all my might, even screaming to Jehovah for help when he dragged me into the registrar's office. When it became clear that my relationship with God was absolutely endangered, a divorce was sought." The sister now finds happiness in serving as a regular pioneer in the Tashkent congregation. But how much heartache could have been avoided if she had only heeded repeated admonitions from family, fellow congregation members and God's Word!

15. It is instructive to consider the example of Nehemiah in this regard. The prophet boldly opposed the men of Jerusalem who, after returning from captivity in Babylon, had taken foreign wives. Did Nehemiah merely confine himself to a rebuke or two, thereby condoning this defiance of God's standards? Far from it! Listen as Nehemiah describes his forthright action in vivid terms: "And I began to find fault with them and call down evil upon them and strike some men of them and pull their hair and make them swear by God: 'You should not give your daughters to their sons, and you should not accept any of their daughters for your sons or yourselves.'" (Nehemiah 4:7)

16. The foreign wives spoke Ashdodite, apparently a form of the ancient Philistine language, which compounded the insult to Jehovah. Post-exilic Jews had no excuse for entering into such marriages. Thus, Nehemiah was fully justified in speaking out and demonstrating godly hatred for their behavior. Likewise today, Christians should not shrink from taking a firm stand for righteousness if it becomes known that a member of the congregation is deliberately seeking a worldly mate. If the situation escalated to the point of marriage, would it be appropriate for appointed elders to act as Nehemiah did? The Bible itself gives the answer: "We must obey God as ruler rather than men." (Acts 6:29) Prevailing social standards and worldly laws cannot serve as our guide in this matter. Jehovah rewards those who loyally adhere to a godly view of marriage.

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5

Sending Doubt Not-related emails

by comment in

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this is, i believe, the most comprehensive set of links to newspapers, magazines, and tv and radio stations around the world available on the internet:.

http://ajr.newslink.org/news.html.

feel free to bring it back up to the top as required.. comment

comment

up...

5

PRNewswire story on New Hampshire case

by comment in

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http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010807/cgtu052_2.html .

tuesday august 7, 6:11 pm eastern time.

press release.

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http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010807/cgtu052_2.html

Tuesday August 7, 6:11 pm Eastern Time

Press Release

SOURCE: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

Two Women Sue Jehovah's Witnesses Over Sexual Abuse

Charge That National Church Policies "Protect" Predators

New York Headquarters, Local Congregation and Convicted Molester Named As Defendants

MANCHESTER, N.H., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The official policies and practices of the Jehovah's Witnesses church violate New Hampshire's mandatory child abuse reporting laws and led to the sexual molestation of at least two girls, according to a civil lawsuit to be filed tomorrow in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester NH.

Holly and Heather Berry allege that their father sexually abused them for six years in the 1980s when they were between three and ten years old. Their mother, a devout Jehovah's Witness, brought her suspicions/concerns about the molestation to three church leaders, but was told to ``pray more about the situation'' and ``become a better wife,'' according to the lawsuit. No church official contacted state authorities about the allegation, in violation of New Hampshire's requirement that law enforcement agencies be notified of suspected child abuse.

Defendants in the litigation include the denomination itself (officially known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.), a local church (the Wilton Congregation in Wilton, NH), and the girls' father, Paul Berry, who was convicted of sexual abuse in October of last year and is currently serving a 56-year sentence at the Northern Correctional Facility in Berlin, NH.

``No organization, not even a religious one, is above the law,'' said David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a national support group. ``This is a potentially far-reaching case. Simply put, the question is whether society must tolerate so-called 'religious practices' that enable molesters to hurt kids, hamstring police, and violate our most sacred laws.''

``Like teachers, social workers and others in leadership positions, church figures must protect kids and help police stop predators,'' Clohessy maintained.

According to the lawsuit, official Jehovah's Witness ``policies and practices'' require that any accusations against church members be reported to church leaders, not civil authorities. In child abuse allegations, those policies also require two eyewitnesses. Yet, church elders ``have no experience or training in child abuse investigations,'' the suit contends. As a result, the suit alleges that Jehovah Witness leaders ``failed to take reasonable steps'' to protect the Berrys and other youngsters.

The suit blasts the denomination for its alleged ``minimizing, defending and tolerating abuse by (Jehovah's Witnesses)'' and claims that Witnesses accused of molestation ``are routinely given sanctuary, protection, sympathy and support from the organization.'' Church leaders and members, for example, spoke in support of Paul Berry at his criminal sentencing hearing.

In addition to ``failure to report suspected child abuse,'' the defendants are also charged with deceit, battery, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty. The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Three elders of the Wilton congregation, Bob Ward, Jim Hilton and Robert Michalowski, are mentioned in the legal complaint. Sarah Poisson, the Berry girls' mother, allegedly talked several times with the men, explaining her fears about her husband's abusive behavior. ``None of the elders reported the suspected abuse...to any designated authority,'' claims the lawsuit.

The Berry sisters ``continue to suffer extreme, permanent emotional distress and psychological harm with accompanying physical manifestations,'' their attorneys say. Because they felt ``shame, guilt, and depression'' and doubted whether they would be believed, the two were ``unable or unwilling'' to report their abuse sooner, according to the lawsuit.

Holly Berry, now 22, is a student in Berkeley, CA and Heather Berry, now 18, lives in Charlestown, NH.

Attorneys Janine Gawryl of Nashua, N.H. and Jeffrey Anderson of St. Paul, Minn., represent the sisters. Anderson has handled more than 400 cases of abuse by religious figures across the countries.

While virtually every faith group has experienced similar abuse litigation, this is believed to be one of only a handful against the Jehovah's Witnesses.

A support group for men and women victimized by Jehovah's Witness members and leaders is being formed and can be reached at silentlambs, inc, PO Box 311, Calvert City, Kentucky 42029 (Telephone: 270-527-5350 or 270-559-5345).

SOURCE: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

5

Sending Doubt Not-related emails

by comment in

jw
friends

this is, i believe, the most comprehensive set of links to newspapers, magazines, and tv and radio stations around the world available on the internet:.

http://ajr.newslink.org/news.html.

feel free to bring it back up to the top as required.. comment

comment

This is, I believe, the most comprehensive set of links to newspapers, magazines, and TV and radio stations around the world available on the Internet:

http://ajr.newslink.org/news.html

Feel free to bring it back up to the top as required.

comment

55

GB Split Over Bible vs. Policy

by Maximus in

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friends

please read the following brief paragraph carefully: .

"once again, the ruling ecclesiastical class suppressed efforts to make gods word available to their flock.

they violently silenced a voice that pointed to some of the errors of their non-biblical beliefs.

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When your typical Witness (including how many of us used to be) reads an article like this, he or she does not even think of applying the criticisms to the Society. After years of indoctrination that "Jehovah's Witnesses have the true religion" and "the faithful and discreet slave provides food at the proper time," why would they?

Instead, the target is (usually) assumed to be the Catholic Church (or some other particularly hierarchical church of Christendom).

comment

19

Disfellowshipping--The Christian View

by comment in

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excerpt from the watchtower, october 15, 2006: "disfellowshipping--the christian view".

12. likewise in modern times, the christian congregation is compelled to disfellowship unrepentant wrongdoers.

but what of those who sincerely regret the reproach they have brought upon jehovah's name, organization and people?

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Thanks, Maximus. Yes, "soon now" is one of those classic formulations. I don't think the Society uses it as much anymore, but maybe the irony would be too apparent.

The Kingdom Ministries often talked in recent years about "preparing in advance" for the meetings. That's a good redundant turn of phrase.

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5

Making the Word of His Servant Come True

by RationalWitness in

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isaiah 44:26 quotes jehovah as saying: "i am .

the one making the word of his servant come true, and the one that carries out completely the counsel of his own messengers.".

the 5/1/97 watchtower says of this: jehovah god is the grand identifier of his true messengers.

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Just about the quote from the 1997 WT: I always *hated* the Society's propensity for making up these silly epithets to describe Jehovah.

Such as the "Grand Identifier" or the "Great Exposer."

What other ones? Oh, the "Great Potmaker," or our "Heavenly Grandfather" (in some convoluted description of the role Jesus would take on at the end of the Thousand-Year Reign). Many more.

Is it really necessary to dress up the Creator of the Universe?

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13

Most influential branch offices?

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which are the most influential branch offices of jehovah's witnesses around the world?.

for some time i have been wondering whether there are tendencies toward either greater liberalism or greater conservatism among various branch committees, and whether any of this could have an impact on brooklyn's policies.. here are my guesses in order (although i can't claim any insider knowledge):.

1) united states (they've just set up their own branch committee, although presumably it will be in lockstep with...well, either the governing body or the legal department?).

comment

Thanks for the clarification, Maximus. Just an intriguing line of thought...no more. Ideas like these come up, because, when you're a Witness, you are basically conditioned to think of the Society as one homogenous unit, passing on the spiritual food straight from Jehovah. When you get out of that mindset, you start to analyze things in a more "human light" (i.e. what are the politics of this situation and who stands to gain what by making certain moves?).

A parallel example, then, might be the various Soviet republics during the USSR period. Even though some republics were more or less prosperous than others and had different cultures, they all took orders from Moscow.

comment

13

Most influential branch offices?

by comment in

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friends

which are the most influential branch offices of jehovah's witnesses around the world?.

for some time i have been wondering whether there are tendencies toward either greater liberalism or greater conservatism among various branch committees, and whether any of this could have an impact on brooklyn's policies.. here are my guesses in order (although i can't claim any insider knowledge):.

1) united states (they've just set up their own branch committee, although presumably it will be in lockstep with...well, either the governing body or the legal department?).

comment

Perhaps I should have phrased this question a little differently.

For instance: "Which branch offices are most likely to produce prospective members of the Governing Body?"

Or: "Which branch offices' questions or concerns are most likely to receive a timely or thought-out response from Brooklyn, due to the perceived importance of that branch in the overall scheme of things?"

comment

13

Most influential branch offices?

by comment in

jw
friends

which are the most influential branch offices of jehovah's witnesses around the world?.

for some time i have been wondering whether there are tendencies toward either greater liberalism or greater conservatism among various branch committees, and whether any of this could have an impact on brooklyn's policies.. here are my guesses in order (although i can't claim any insider knowledge):.

1) united states (they've just set up their own branch committee, although presumably it will be in lockstep with...well, either the governing body or the legal department?).

comment

Anyone else with some insight?