Will the government help with anything?
http://www.scholarships-ar-us.org/loans/direct.htm
Contact an advisor at your local university or community college. They are a wealth of information.
Justitia
Justitia Themis
JoinedPosts by Justitia Themis
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JW members are slowy Awakening!
by Gill insometimes you wonder if the wtbts will ever come to a dead end.
but, it is always encouraging when you hear of the gradual awakening of individuals who have been trapped in the cult their whole lives.. walking home from school yesterday i felt a tap on my shoulder and turned round to see a jw i have known since he was a little boy.
he has been a window cleaner since leaving school and is married with three children.. straight away he said to me: ' my wife has gone to university!
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FindLaw Article by Marci Hamilton on Child Abuse w/ JW Update
by Justitia Themis inhttp://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20070125.html.
clergy abuse developments, in denmark and california, regarding the jehovah's witnesses, the catholic church, and an oscar-nominated documentary.
by marci hamilton .
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Justitia Themis
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hamilton/20070125.html
Clergy Abuse Developments, in Denmark and California, Regarding the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Catholic Church, and an Oscar-Nominated Documentary
By MARCI HAMILTON ----Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007
The Jehovah's Witnesses religious organization is rightly credited with establishing important free speech precedent in the United States. Among other landmark cases, the organization secured decisions recognizing the right to avoid having the government force one to say the Pledge of Allegiance, in West Virginia Board of Ed. v. Barnette, and recognizing the right to peaceably proselytize in Cantwell v. Connecticut. The recent documentary "Knocking" focuses on their contributions in this arena.
It is extraordinarily ironic, then, that the Jehovah's Witnesses have recently, in Denmark, taken the position that speech, including speech by the press, should be punished and suppressed. It appears that when the topic is alleged clergy abuse within the organization, its position on freedom of speech makes a 180-degree turn. Apparently, the Jehovah's Witnesses support free speech for themselves, but not for their critics.
The Facts, Allegations, and Outcome in the Denmark Case
The case began when, in Fall 2004, one of Denmark's largest newspapers, Ekstra Bladet, ran a series of newspaper articles regarding credible allegations of sexual molestation within the Jehovah's Witnesses, and of a cover-up. The articles' titles (as translated) included "Jehovah-Leader Hides Child Molesting," "Keep Quiet About Sexual Molesting," and "Jehovah-Order: Keep Quiet About Child Molesting," as well as others.
The newspaper reported that those who very credibly claimed they were victims of childhood sexual abuse within the organization were compelled to keep their claims secret. Like the Boston Globe's series on the Boston Archdiocese's cover-up of clergy abuse within the Roman Catholic Church, which ran five years ago, this series focused not only on the actions of individuals, but on the organization-wide policies that led to institutional secrecy about child abuse allegations. The series focused, as well, on the impact of the policies, and the underlying alleged abuse, on victims and their families.
The local Jehovah's Witnesses Branch Office Committee, composed of seven members who govern the organization, sued the newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, and its Chief Editor, Bent Falbert, for slander. They demanded 350,000 kroner and that the Chief Editor be criminally charged with slander. Last December, Judge Anne Grethe Stockholm rejected all of their claims, and ordered them to pay the other side's legal fees, which amounted to 50,000 kroner.
The court reasoned that the topics addressed were newsworthy, and a matter of public interest, and that the stories discussing these topics contained legitimate legal analysis.
Rulings in the Proceedings Against the Witnesses and Others in California
Meanwhile, in California, the Jehovah's Witnesses there are facing lawsuits brought by alleged child sexual abuse victims, as well - and also losing on key issues. In an October 2006 ruling, for example, a Napa court ruled that the clergy-penitent privilege does not cover communications within the organization regarding alleged childhood sexual abuse.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in California has made the same argument, and has also lost. Rightly so: Discussions of crimes allegedly committed by organization members are hardly the kind of religious communications the priest-penitent privilege is meant to protect.
A Well-Deserved Oscar Nomination Emphasizes the Role of Free Speech in Ending Clergy Abuse and Gaining Justice for the Victims
Meanwhile, California is currently important in the fight against clergy abuse in another way, as well: In Los Angeles, recently-announced Oscar nominations included a richly-deserved one for the stark and disturbing documentary, "Deliver Us from Evil." As I discussed in a previous column, the film features troubling interviews with a priest child-abuse perpetrator, one Fr. O'Grady -- who was under the watch of L.A.'s Cardinal Mahony. This film has so much power, it truly deserves to win the Award.
Free speech and a free press - as well as open civil discovery - are key to vanquishing clergy abuse and giving justice to victims. When the Boston Globe broke the Catholic Church scandal in the U.S. five years ago, very few even knew about clergy abuse outside the Church. Thus, it's unclear whether a shocking film like "Deliver Us from Evil" more likely would have been treated as an exception, rather than evidence of a deep, appalling institutional problem.
Now, not only has the Church proved to be incapable of keeping its ugliest secrets, but its public relations campaign has utterly failed. The long era when no one would have dared portray the Church in the light that "Deliver Us from Evil" casts upon it, is gone for good.
The Jehovah's Witness lawsuit in Denmark shows the same internal dynamic as in the Catholic Church, and based on the allegations, the institutions have adopted matching strategies: hide as much as possible and when exposed, go on the offensive. Somehow, these institutions came to believe that they have a right to an internal, secret sphere where they cannot be held accountable for their culpability in the suffering of children. Fortunately, both Danish and California courts, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are proving them to be very wrong
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Ad hominem experts
by KAYTEE inad hominem !!
in footballing terms kicking the player rather than the ball.. how many times when discussing a problem (serious or otherwise) with elders were you attacked rather than the point you were trying to make, you the innocent one would come away feeling quite guilty.
they are past masters at this technique, coupled with the fact that they attack you on your own.
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Justitia Themis
I agree wholeheartedly. By way of background, my ex-husband was not a JW; I was. He was violent, and hit me on several occasions. I would call the police. One time he pulled the phone out of the wall while I was on the line with 911. About 20 cops showed up, guns drawn.
The brothers came over to "encourage" me, intimated that I was not acting as a submissive wife or else this NEVER would have happened, and proceeded to read me the following scripture (emphasizing the underlined sentence...in fact they had me read it again for emphasis):
(Matthew 18:2-6) 2 So, calling a young child to him, he set it in their midst 3 and said: "Truly I say to YOU, Unless YOU turn around and become as young children, YOU will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Therefore, whoever will humble himself like this young child is the one that is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens; 5 and whoever receives one such young child on the basis of my name receives me [also]. 6 But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who put faith in me, it is more beneficial for him to have hung around his neck a millstone such as is turned by an ass and to be sunk in the wide, open sea.
It is soo nice to be in a position where those men no longer matter to me.
Justitia
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To active or questioning JWs: Are you rational?
by Confession infor those of us whove discovered the truth about the watchtower society, it is never surprising when a person who devotes him or herself to an examination of all the pertinent information soon sees theyve been misled.
of course this can only be true for those who, as was the case with me, believe that the watchtower society represents the sole channel of communication from god for rational reasons.
if you are among those who hold this belief for primarily emotional reasons, it is possible that nothingno matter how convincingwill allow you to use your mind on this subject.
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Justitia Themis
Roman SunGod (name escaps me!) who is so similar to Jesus , even down to coming down from heaven to cleanse us from sin, and having twelve disciples, now thats a little too close for comfort - surely when you study these, you are left with no doubt ????
...Dyonisius
And yes, I still believe the Bible. The general account/s of creation in Genesis coincide with the "eras" of evolution. No, one has ever explained to me how that accidentally happened. While I am still an active JW, I do not buy 1914, everyone else is going to die, and many other beliefs. In fact, when I took the religion questionnaire on Belief-o-Matic, I came up Universalist/Unitarian. But, I just do not want to go someplace where politics is mixed with religion.
Justitia
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JW Site District/Circuit/Special Programs & Talks--Many MP3s--Wow!
by cabasilas ini just had this site pointed out to me.
a great resource for researchers.
follow the links to many district & circuit assembly programs and many mp3s of talks from them.
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Justitia Themis
I thought I recognized him. He also posts on the anti-e-watchman website.
Excaliber, did you not read what I wrote.
There is only one Jesus. Only one mediator of the new covenant. What happened or happens or will happen at Bethel is totally irrelevant to any of that.
Nothing that happens at Bethel has anything to do with whether JWs are God's spirit directed organization.
Our leader is Jesus, not the ones at Bethel. They are only the overseers of the worldwide congregation and are doing a fine job at that. The ones that focus on Bethel are the ones that are worshipping them. -
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JW Site District/Circuit/Special Programs & Talks--Many MP3s--Wow!
by cabasilas ini just had this site pointed out to me.
a great resource for researchers.
follow the links to many district & circuit assembly programs and many mp3s of talks from them.
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Justitia Themis
Grissom's posts from another website. donbodo Wrote: It's asking me for a username and password.
Right.
I did not set up the site and to put all of that work on it to be disrespected by opposers who do not appreciate spiritual things.
Only ones in the group can have access.Well, first off. I made the site for people who are anti-Witness because they have such a wrong ideas about who Jehovah's Witneses are and what we believe. People are too Watchtower and they convert that anti-Watchtower into Anti-JW.
And Yes, I am derogatory to Apostates who do not appreciate Jesus.
And do not appreciate the work that I have put forth on it the group and site.
And as far as "There was no encouragement in the talk to put our complete trust in our Lord Jesus." Well, why should there be when the talk that you are referring to is called "Obedience Brings Benefits to Worldwide Brotherhood". Where does one get 'put complete trust in Jesus' with a title like that?
I think that Jesus is being overplayed these days to where they do not look at the big picture of what he is doing with his followers on the earth today. -
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God's Organization Has Needed Adjusting
by The wanderer in<!-- .style1 { font-size: 18px; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; } .style3 { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; } .style5 { font-size: 16px; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-weight: bold; } --> gods organization has needed adjusting defending the watchtower, many jehovahs witnesses.
point-out the changes that have taken place are nothing more than .
adjustments in understanding.
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God's Organization Has Needed Adjusting
by The wanderer in<!-- .style1 { font-size: 18px; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; } .style3 { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; } .style5 { font-size: 16px; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-weight: bold; } --> gods organization has needed adjusting defending the watchtower, many jehovahs witnesses.
point-out the changes that have taken place are nothing more than .
adjustments in understanding.
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God's Organization Has Needed Adjusting
by The wanderer in<!-- .style1 { font-size: 18px; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; } .style3 { font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; } .style5 { font-size: 16px; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-weight: bold; } --> gods organization has needed adjusting defending the watchtower, many jehovahs witnesses.
point-out the changes that have taken place are nothing more than .
adjustments in understanding.
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Justitia Themis
You can not "talk" to a JW about this issue. At most, you can deliver a 30 second sound bite. I usually counter the "new light" dogma with something like this...Isn't the analogy of a "path" wonderful! I mean...if you saw footsteps in the snow leading from one destination to the other, you know the person who made those footsteps was walking with purpose. (JWs always heartily agree because they see the organization as "walking with purpose"). Of course, most of our new light is really old light...it seems we keep changing beliefs back and forth...back and forth. Unfortunately, our footsteps in the snow look more like those of someone who is lost and walking in circles!
Justitia
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Knorr Was He Married? Any Info?
by uwishufish ini was under the impression that he was married to a fairly attractive woman who was his younger by about 20+ years.
i heard this from an ex-bethelite.
just wondered if it was true?
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Justitia Themis
Sorry Blondie:
We were on the same mental path apparently.
Justitia
