looking_glass

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Posts by looking_glass

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  12

  Disputing the Validity and Legality of the DF/DA Announcement

  by valkyrie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  points for consideration:.

  1. a. is the "organisation" (i.e., doctrines, teachings, practices, spirit) of 2006 the same organisation that you affiliated yourself with at your accession to unbaptised/baptised publisher status some 10 - 15 - 20 years ago?.

  1. b. if the organisation is substantially changed, and you abandoned your congregation before [many of ] those definitive changes were instituted, can the current "organisation" accurately be said to have the authority to disfellowship you from an entity which essentially no longer exists?

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  looking_glass

  Elsewhere - I agree with you, the title can be used and cannot be taken away. You can say whatever you want or call yourself whatever you want. You can change your legal name to become - first name Jehovah's and last name Witness. They would not be able to force you to change it.

  My confusion with respect to this thread is that it appears that people want to use the courts to pursue claims or actions against JWs for being df'd or da'd. That is impractical and would clog up the judicial system more then it already is clogged up. As for libel and slander, people have a tendency to throw those words around to freely. It is much harder to prove. I think the average person have an unrealistic view of the judicial system and how it works in the US.
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  2

  Laser or Electrolysis?

  by averyniceguy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i would like to know if any of you have had any permanent hair removal experience?

  i hate shaving, the only reason why i like to shave is i like to look good!

  i am not sure if i want laser or electrolysis.

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  looking_glass

  I had a friend who had laser done. It took a year of going once a month, but it is all gone with no returning.
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  49

  Pink slips at Bethel

  by beavis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone still have any friends at bethel?

  it seems that there is a massive layoff at bethel in all three american complexes.

  the layoff is supposed to affect everyone between the ages of 35-50 or maybe 60. i feel sorry for persons who chose to stay there, they gave up going to college, possible job offers or making a decent amount of money, having children, the list can go on and on.

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  looking_glass

  I agree with Willyloman, they usually do fine. Also, family members usually give them money to get on their feet as well.

  As for "worldly education", I remember specifically that one of the bethel meeting's I attended (you know the one during the assembly that they say 'hey if you want to go to bethel there is a meeting in the clubhouse, so be there at 12:30') and they essentially said, unless you are a guy from this age to this age or you are a woman who is a professional (i.e., lawyer, doctor, nurse, etc.) if you are a chick we don't wan' cha. So even 20 years ago, they did not say that if you were educated you were evil. What they were saying was, we need to bring in educated people because we don't encourge our own to become educated.

  And as an interesting side note - there was a study that came out years and years ago that said the most educated religious group were LDS and the least were ... you got it JWs. They could have saved money on that study, because ex-Jws could have told them that!
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  9

  Got a Visit Yesterday

  by Nosferatu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was at home last night, fixing some 8-track tapes, when i got a knock at the door.

  the wife is out of town, so i'm wondering who the hell is knocking on my door.. i opened it, and there was my mother and another lady from my old congregation.

  this lady is one of the few genuinely good people in the congregation.

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  looking_glass

  Sorry, I still am not able to get beyond the 8 track thing. For some reason I find this hysterical.
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  12

  Disputing the Validity and Legality of the DF/DA Announcement

  by valkyrie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  points for consideration:.

  1. a. is the "organisation" (i.e., doctrines, teachings, practices, spirit) of 2006 the same organisation that you affiliated yourself with at your accession to unbaptised/baptised publisher status some 10 - 15 - 20 years ago?.

  1. b. if the organisation is substantially changed, and you abandoned your congregation before [many of ] those definitive changes were instituted, can the current "organisation" accurately be said to have the authority to disfellowship you from an entity which essentially no longer exists?

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  looking_glass

  Elsewhere - based on the wording alone, they are not stating that you are denying the existence of God (Jah) or his son (Jesus). They use to say so and so is df'd or has da'd themselves from the cong. Now it sounds like they are saying so and so is no longer a JW. As for a court determining whether a church is saying you believe or don't believe in god/christ, that is another matter. They can announce from the stage that someone is not a JW because it is like a membership. As for belief or non belief and an accusation of same, you are discussing tangible and non-tangible things. The court is suppose to follow the letter of the law, not the emotions involved in the case. Only if it is a violation of a constitutional matter, state or federal law is it suppose to be determined by a court of law. Just because you pay the fee to file your law suit does not mean that it will stand after dispositive motions.

  I am going to give you a recent example. Our firm filed a federal law suit against a large publishing company stating a number of things including libel and slander. A year ago, defendant's won on summary judgment. The court kicked the case out and fined our firm $50K. Why? Because we read the law as that libel and slander were very broad terms. However, the court determined that federal law was specific as to its definition and thus, we were under a strict compliance to meet th criteria. Meaning, if you fail to meet the standards, your case does not fall under libel or slander or fraud. The court's determined that our firm filed a lawsuit all the while knowing it did not meet the criteria and we had to pay legal fines. Now you tell me, how quick are firms going to be to take on cases when there is a good chance that they will be fined in the process. Once burned twice shy.
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  12

  Disputing the Validity and Legality of the DF/DA Announcement

  by valkyrie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  points for consideration:.

  1. a. is the "organisation" (i.e., doctrines, teachings, practices, spirit) of 2006 the same organisation that you affiliated yourself with at your accession to unbaptised/baptised publisher status some 10 - 15 - 20 years ago?.

  1. b. if the organisation is substantially changed, and you abandoned your congregation before [many of ] those definitive changes were instituted, can the current "organisation" accurately be said to have the authority to disfellowship you from an entity which essentially no longer exists?

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  looking_glass

  Based on your country of origin, each governmental entity and/or legal system will look at the organizational structure of a religion differently. It is my understanding that in the US, religion (in particular organized churches/religions) is looked as private membership. When you join a club, the club has rules and if you fail to meet the rules of the club, you can be denied membership and/or kicked out as a member. You cannot be denied based on age or gender or race, things such as this. However, clubs can still discriminate based on sexual preference. Therefore, the chances that someone is going to be able to successfully go after the WTBTS in US courts regarding gettind df'd or da'd is a long shot. Considering the wording is starting to change with respect to the announcement, a claimant would not be able to claim a violation of the right to privacy and/or violation of the "priest/confessor" priv. Most court rulings that you can find (if you have access to pacer or other on-line court services) indicate that the courts are not inclined to get involved due to separation of church and state. Which we all know is a joke, but whatever.
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  23

  Making money off the dubs in the name of jehoobie!!!

  by kid-A in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes brothers, you too can look like a "hip" publisher of the "good news" with your brand new kingdom ministry "leather accessories!

  whoo--hooo!

  http://www.ministryideaz.com/.

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  looking_glass

  There was also some guy who ran a "shop" out of his house in Wisconsin. But for the life of me I cannot remember his name. Not that I want to build a book of business for the guy by advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his Kingdom - with their very trendy book bags. But I know at one time he was the stoops of the north.
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  5

  What do the Dubs Think When....

  by Honesty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  they hear an announcement at the beginning of the service meeting that "xxxxx is no longer one of jehovah's witnesses"?.

  i think most of them are so brainwashed that they actually believe that jehovah is "sifting and cleaning" his organization.. that's what i used to think until i discovered the truth about the watchtower bible and tract society.

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  looking_glass

  Well I think it depends on if you buy into the whole program. In my old hall, it was better to be df'd then da'd, because if you were da'd it meant that YOU wanted to leave so you must be evil. Where if you were df'd it was because you were sinful and poor John/Jane Doe publisher, he/she is just unable to control [fill in blank]. My family always thought it was a load of .... and they did what they wanted. Granted we were never looked at as an example w/i the cong, but we were a lot happier then a lot of self-righteous JWs. I would imagine that the pubs will continue to tow the party line, regardless of what it is.
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  23

  Making money off the dubs in the name of jehoobie!!!

  by kid-A in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes brothers, you too can look like a "hip" publisher of the "good news" with your brand new kingdom ministry "leather accessories!

  whoo--hooo!

  http://www.ministryideaz.com/.

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  looking_glass

  Was stoops the one Wisconsin or was that some other one? I know there was one in Cheesehead land as well.
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  23

  Making money off the dubs in the name of jehoobie!!!

  by kid-A in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes brothers, you too can look like a "hip" publisher of the "good news" with your brand new kingdom ministry "leather accessories!

  whoo--hooo!

  http://www.ministryideaz.com/.

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  looking_glass

  Limbogirl - I am in. We can get Rich, I say, Rich (insert evil laugh here). Granted we are chicks, so they would run us of as jezebels and probably stone us in the process.