Posts by Justitia Themis

I've experienced your situation twice now in the last five years. I still miss my dogs desperately, as does the rest of my family. The only solace we have is that they are no longer suffering. Like you, we were willing to pay whatever was necessary; sometimes money just isn't enough.

I saw the Golden Compass this weekend. The ending song speaks of how 'her soul walks beside her.' My husband and I both agree that we lost a little bit of our souls when we lost our dogs that no longer walk beside us.

Extending my sympathy,

Justitia

41

My cousin died yesterday.

by nicolaou in

he was 43, just a few months older than me.

his kidneys failed him when he was just 15 and he'd been on dialysis ever since.

a couple of transplants had failed in the early years and his body deteriorated after that.

Justitia Themis

I'm so sorry Nic.

Justitia

17

Kingdom Crunch in Vancouver area!

by cultswatter in

i was just notified that the kingdom hall in my area is doing a congregation split.

actually it is a merger of 5 congregations into 4 congregations.

the names of 4 of the former congos are:.

Justitia Themis

Vancouver Washington or B.C.?

2

Young Man's Murder Blamed On His Mother's Cult Activity

by Justitia Themis in

jw
friends

http://www.cnn.com/2007/us/12/04/kaye.murdersuicide/index.html.

new york (cnn) -- the suicide of a young man and the murder he committed before he killed himself are being blamed on a cult led by his mother.. ricky rodriguez made this video before killing his former nanny and then taking his own life.

1 of 3also disturbing, former members who spoke to cnn say they witnessed ricky rodriguez having sex with his mother, karen zerby, the leader of the sect now known as "the family international.".

Justitia Themis

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/04/kaye.murdersuicide/index.html

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The suicide of a young man and the murder he committed before he killed himself are being blamed on a cult led by his mother.

Ricky Rodriguez made this video before killing his former nanny and then taking his own life.

1 of 3 alt

Also disturbing, former members who spoke to CNN say they witnessed Ricky Rodriguez having sex with his mother, Karen Zerby, the leader of the sect now known as "The Family International."

The sect's activities and history are detailed in a newly released book, "Jesus Freaks." The sect was founded in California in the 1960s by David Berg, who referred to himself as "Mo," short for Moses. Berg was a self-proclaimed prophet.

Former sect members tell CNN Berg encouraged adult-child sex. More often than not, they say, the chosen child was Rodriguez, the son of Karen Zerby, who Berg called his queen. Zerby became the leader of the sect when Berg died in 1994.

"Jesus Freaks" author Don Lattin says Berg "wanted his child to embrace sexuality, to be a sexual being as an infant and growing up."

Former members say Berg and Zerby wrote about their beliefs in papers distributed to members. It was Berg's how-to guide for raising sexual children. The Family International now says all "questionable publications were officially renounced and expunged between the late 1980s and early 1990s."

In Berg and Zerby's manifesto, Rodriguez was the main character.

Former member Davida Kelley told CNN, "I actually witnessed Karen Zerby having intercourse with her own son, Rick Rodriguez, at age 11." Kelley says she, too, had been abused by Berg, starting at age 5. "You were only required to have actual intimate intercourse with David Berg once you were, like, the mature age of, like, 12," she says sarcastically.

Berg was apparently so obsessed with sex he used it to expand his group around the world. Lattin says Berg sent women out to seduce men and lure them in to accept his gospel of Jesus. Lattin says Berg called the practice "Flirty Fishing."

Tuesday 10 p.m. ET. see full schedule »

CNN made several attempts to interview The Family International, but it refused. In a statement, the group acknowledged Berg taught sexual liberty without "instituting safeguards for the protection of minors." But it says that was corrected in 1986 and any infractions are an "excommunicable offense." The group also told CNN all of Davida Kelley's allegations are false and Zerby never abused her son.

Rodriguez, who escaped from "The Family International" in 2001, apparently was so deeply scarred that he was making plans to kill his mother. CNN has obtained a copy of a videotape he made two years ago, in which he warned, "She's gonna pay dearly, one way or the other," while brandishing a knife and loading guns at his kitchen table.

Within hours of finishing the tape, in January 2005, Rodriguez tracked down his childhood nanny, Angela Smith. Former member Kelley says "she was one of the many female adults that had intercourse with Rick Rodriguez."

In his first bloody act of revenge, Rodriguez murdered his nanny. He cut her throat and left her body in his Arizona apartment. But he was still on the hunt for his mother. Lattin says Rodriguez felt the need to take justice into his own hands because "most of the abuse was, like, 20 years ago, so the statute of limitations had expired. Most of it happened outside the U.S., so it's very difficult to prosecute."

A spokesman for the group told CNN its "policy for the protection of minors was adopted in 1986. We regret that prior to the adoption of this policy, cases occurred where minors were exposed to sexually inappropriate behavior between 1978 and 1986."

Some of those exposed to the alleged abuse may have chosen suicide to escape the pain. A Web site set up by people who grew up as children in the cult says at least 30 of them have committed suicide, though CNN has no way of verifying that.

Rodriguez became a part of that group. He failed to find his mother, something his wife says he couldn't live with. Elixcia Munumel remembers their last phone call: "He's like 'Baby, I love you.' He said, 'Come die with me.' "

Rodriguez died alone at age 29 in January 2005 on a deserted road, four years after he fled the sect. A single shot to the head ended the misery he fought so hard to escape. His mother is still the leader of the family. She has not been charged with a crime and lives in seclusion

24

They screwed up my dogs treatment!

by Bumble Bee in

jw
friends

i posted way back in september that my dog had two bad cancers in her mouth.

we took her into the ontario vet college for available treatment options.

this is a world class, top notch veterinary teaching college.

Justitia Themis

You don't have to explain the "just a dog" thing. It is a family member. Besides that, you paid money for an expert opinion and expert treatment. You did not get what you paid for, and it is their responsibility.

5

JW.Org/ To Feature Watchtower Audio Files Jan. 2008?

by Justitia Themis in

this was on a pro-jw website:.

jw1983 - new wt site .

https://www.jw.org/.

Justitia Themis

This was on a pro-JW website:

JW1983 - NEW WT SITE

https://www.jw.org/

This WT site will have the Watchtower & Awake audio files starting in Jan. 2008.

Posted at 20:58 - 28/11/2007

JimSpace -

Yeah, this used to be ccjw.org. Currently it's for elders and ministerial servants involved with sending the WTS information and contributions. It certainly expedites sending literature orders and bank transfers!

I’m very glad to see that the GB has big plans for that website, opening it for magazine downloads in MP3 and iTunes format! Perhaps it will be used for audio-books later and maybe even videos!

7

GPS for Auto or Handheld - opinions / experiences

by UnConfused in

my son is driving across country and i think a gps for driving would be a good xmas present.

should i go with a magellan / tom tom / or the one that starts with g?.

needed for driving.

Justitia Themis

My husband loves the Garmin.

33

Kerry Louderback Wood will be interviewed...

by AndersonsInfo in

on a seattle radio station, regarding the death of the 14-year old jw boy, on monday, december 3rd at 6:05 a.m. pdt / 9:05 a.m. edt.

listen to kirby & company in seattle on 570 am or at http://www.kvi.com .

for those of you who don't know, kerry's essay, "jehovah's witnesses, blood transfusions and the tort of misrepresentation" appeared in the 2005 autumn issue of journal of church and state.

Justitia Themis

Like I said, KVI is vey right-wing. "They" are against government interference at any level. And the host is very argumentative, that's why I don't usually listen to this station. Ms. Louderback-Wood did a very good job of highlighting the Society's misrepresentation of medical information, which is the basis of her paper. Unfortunately, not much time was spent discussing whether or not the young man was under duress (threats of shunning) when making his decision.