Joe Grundy

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Posts by Joe Grundy

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  43

  Assembly News Photo

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this photograph from a news site is a succinct summary of a life in wt's hands....... look at their faces, it says it all.. also, note the watchtower pr machine in action, explaining that it brings 4 million dollars to the location.

  (10,000 x 400 dollars) clearly a watchtower statistic, where is the care and interest for members who are struggling so much, with new videos encouraging less career activity, less work commitments, at an all time economic low for our generation.. http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/06/15/thousands-attend-watchtower-convention-in-cornwall.

  father: "i'm a wt 'yes' man and proud of it!

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  Joe Grundy

  Mom - 'I could have been someone. Where did it go wrong?'
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  43

  Assembly News Photo

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this photograph from a news site is a succinct summary of a life in wt's hands....... look at their faces, it says it all.. also, note the watchtower pr machine in action, explaining that it brings 4 million dollars to the location.

  (10,000 x 400 dollars) clearly a watchtower statistic, where is the care and interest for members who are struggling so much, with new videos encouraging less career activity, less work commitments, at an all time economic low for our generation.. http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/06/15/thousands-attend-watchtower-convention-in-cornwall.

  father: "i'm a wt 'yes' man and proud of it!

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  Joe Grundy

  These are real people, so it's not really fair to mock them - but I couldn't resist it either.

  Man - 'Wow! Look at me wearing a suit and a shirt and tie (wife chose them). And I've got books and papers and I think I'm doing a pretty good job of looking like I understand all this stuff. What a happy family we are! What a patriarch I am!'

  Woman - 'What a load of boring crap this is! Why do I have to be here? Why didn't I run away with that 'bad boy' all those years ago when I had the chance? I wish that just once - JUST ONCE - my husband would show a bit of spontaneity and rip my knickers off, give me some oral, and make me feel like a woman. Hmm, that big guy over there looks like he'd do that sort of thing ...'

  Kid - 'I feel like a complete prat. What is this rubbish? But at least while I'm here the other kids in school aren't sticking my head down the toilet again. And I've just seen a young sister over there who accidentally showed her thighs. I'll hold onto that image for when I rub one out later ...'
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  Old Harry's Game

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i don't know whether this link will be available to those outside the uk, but for a completely irreverent and funny listen, try this:.

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00c6jfr.

  .

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  Joe Grundy

  I don't know whether this link will be available to those outside the UK, but for a completely irreverent and funny listen, try this:

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00c6jfr
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  74

  Breaking News :Charity Commission takes Wathtower to Tribunal in Britain

  by raymond frantz in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  breaking news :charity commission takes watchtower to charity tribunal in britain.

  two weeks ago we run an article about the abuse case in moston manchester congregation .it would seem that the coverage from the main local newspaper manchester evening news and two national newspapers has alarmed the charity commission the official regulator for charities in england and wales and now for the first time !

  they opened an official investigation on both charities ,the local one ,moston congragation and the central one jehovah's witnesses of britain indicating that in their eyes these two are connected and liable for any misconduct .this is the time for a concentrated campaign from all of us to inform the charity commission why the watchtower should not be a called a charity .the article above has a link for the charity commission complaint page .follow it!.

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  Joe Grundy

  This is the text of my submission to the Charities Commission. I have made it clear that I never was a dub and have no connection with them.

  "I am a retired Detective Inspector, and a Fraud Squad commander with wide experience in child safeguarding issues. My research into WTBTS gives me grave concern re.
  
  1. Institutional policies regarding how allegations of abuse are dealt with as mandated by the organisation
  
  2. The control exercised by the organisation (WTBTS - 1077961) over local congregations (e.g. 1065201) in relation to this matter
  
  3. The obfuscation caused by the parent organisation as to the status of the leaders of the local organisations. It appears that 'deniable' instructions are issued by the parent organisation and that there is a substantial serious lack of transparent accountability in this area - which, in practice and effect, appears to me to go against recommended best practice.
  
  4. (This is not directly connected to PR 48/14 but may be associated). Very recent financial developments vis-a-vis the parent organisation and local organisations suggest a substantial movement of capital (or at least a transfer on balance sheets) which may substantially affect potential damages/compensation claims against the organisation.
  
  I would be happy to discuss this with you further if it would assist."

  I will report back if I am contacted for further information. These concerns are at least now officially recorded.

  I am happy to make a further submission - factually based, of course (emotions don't help here) - if I have overlooked something.
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  44

  New Financial Arrangements

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  dear friends.

  i never was a dub.

  i am not a qualified lawyer or accountant.

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  Joe Grundy

  I bow to superior Knowledge here and recognise that there are differences between jurisdictions.

  If WTBTS (and/or its tentacles) had formal loan agreements against KHs, they would have been assets on the WTBTS balance sheet, liabilities on the KH balance sheet. If that loan is ;forgiven' legally it reduces the WTBTS assets, reduces the KH liabilty. Replaced by a future (unenforcable?) donation payment by the KH, so WTBTS 'donation' income goes up.

  I am trying to think this through. No doubt WTBTS have already done so.

  Most times I am happy that I have retired. But just now I feel frustrated that I don't have the facility to get behind all this because there are shenanigans going on for sure.
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  173

  Atlanta Int Convention 2014:The Big Party. Does this look like WT believes Armageddon is coming "soon"?

  by AndDontCallMeShirley in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=potrr2qxhue.

  .. if armageddon is "imminent", why is wt focused on sight-seeing, entertainment, travel, etc.

  instead of preaching and saving people??.

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  Joe Grundy

  i wonder if the mansion in Wales (Anglesey) is simply summer accomodation fir the GB member visiting......

  I'll be up that way next month. I'll call in and check it out and report back.
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  44

  New Financial Arrangements

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  dear friends.

  i never was a dub.

  i am not a qualified lawyer or accountant.

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  Joe Grundy

  James: Thank you. Appreciated. I feel sometimes that I am not so qualifird to comment here (as a never-was dub) but sometimes needs must.

  JeffT: Point taken. One of the differences between 'standard' audits and those undertaken under 'money laundering', RICO. and criminal investigation audits (I have some experience of this in both UK and US federal procedures) is that it is possible to get 'underneath' a lot of standard accounting stuff. I can only speculate but I assume that under current US Homeland Security legislation it is now possible to dig a lot deeper than ever before into accounts, etc.

  If, as I understand it, millions of dollars in loans to KHs have been 'forgiven' to be replaced by non-enforceable pledges then that will substantially alter the WTBTS balance sheet.

  I bow to your professional view on this. I am perturbed.

  Regards
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  44

  New Financial Arrangements

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  dear friends.

  i never was a dub.

  i am not a qualified lawyer or accountant.

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  Joe Grundy

  Dear Friends

  I never was a dub. I am not a qualified lawyer or accountant. I was a commander of a police fraud squad for ten years and arrested and took to trial many qualified lawyers and accountants, which often required knowing their 'professional' stuff better than they did. Just setting the background here.

  I have followed the new-light financial arrangements as disclosed here on JWN as best I can and (as a disinterested party) I have grave concerns. The 'new light' arrangements are NOT beneficient - there are substantial accounting implications and sure as eggs is eggs this has been fully thought through by WTBTS lawyers and accountants.

  The vast majority of dubs won't question things, of course, because they're conditioned not to. Regulatory authorities in various countries may, I suggest, look at WTBTS as just another inconsequential wacky religious sect and thus not worthy of a closer look.

  'Something is afoot' as they say. I would encourage any and all who come across financial information to continue to post it. Hopefully things may become clearer.

  My personal interest is that I have met and know ex-dubs who have suffered at the hands of the organisation. It is, in my opinion, wicked.
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  23

  Troll Accusations

  by Frazzled UBM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have noticed that some of us are a bit too eager to label new posters as trolls.

  while it is clear that there are some posters who just like to stir up trouble or are out and out apologists there are others who are witnesses starting to have genuine doubts and so ask questions but then when they see the responses the cognitive dissonance kicks in and they push back and argue with what they are being told.

  this can lead to very negative reactions from jwn members and accusations that the person is a troll.

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  Joe Grundy

  "What is awesome about JW.net is that anyone can join in the conversation."

  This is true, of course - I never was a dub - and is a sobering thought.

  In Real Life I rarely (and I always think first) challenge anyone's 'faith' just because that may be the only thing that keeps them 'hanging on'. My own family not excepted.

  JWN is a robust forum but it doesn't need to be harsh. Fine if someone appears with harshly-stated views about, for example, creation - they deserve to be challenged. But it can be done politely and rationally and that will probably be more effective than saying 'you're a dickhead, go and research'.

  I say this tentatively because I never was a dub and though I do my best to empathise it's not quite the same. But just speaking for myself I'm happy to waste some time pandering politely to potential trolls if the odd genuine poster looking for answers benefits.
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  30

  Big Time Hypocrite

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my dad told me this story long time ago.

  there was an long time elder that is never married.

  he got caught going to brothel one day after a brother followed him there.

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  Joe Grundy

  (I never was a dub.)

  Interesting thread and it shows just how religion can complicate things. I recently watched a programme on BBC iplayer about marriage in the Middle Ages. No need for anyone else involved, just the couple exchanging promises and that was that.

  It's a fact of life, I think, that people can change over the years and I no longer think that marriage must be for life. My first one was pretty good and lasted for 20+ years but we weren't the same people and divorced amicably and are still amicable. My second was short and bitter-sweet yo a knife-happy Filipina. (Incidentally, the Philippines and Vatican City are the last two countries in the world where there is no divorce).

  Interestingly, my fundie protestant brother-in-law told me after my divorce from ex-wife #1 that because I divorced her for adultery (sounds worse than it is - she found a new boyfriend before I found a new girlfriend) I was OK in the eyes of god to remarry. I thanked him for his observations.

  Marriage is important, of course, but mainly because it's a legal contract and affects all sorts of stuff. I can respect those with long marriages - but I know couples who live in misery because it would be 'wrong' to separate.

  Personally (but then I would say this, wouldn't I?) I don't think that the end of a marriage is a sign of failure, any more than I would say that moving on from long-held religious beliefs is a failure. People change, and we only get one shot at this life. Some gird their loins and move on, some decide to stay with what they know because they are uncomfortable moving into the unknown.

  (I have, unusually, restrained myself from mentioning BJs or working girls - 'whores' is pejorative.)