I am not registered to a party, I tend to vote Democratic, but I vote based on the individual and do not hesitate to vote republican if it's the better candidate.
LisaRose
JoinedPosts by LisaRose
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15
Those who vote, do you stay loyal to your party?
by EndofMysteries ini was ready to vote today but i found out i had to be registered 30 days in advance, i missed the mark by 4 days.
anyway, even though i selected a party, i was on quite a few votes going to vote for other parties.
here is why, i was looking up the websites of each candidate.
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300
ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION
by Watchtower-Free inhttp://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.
(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).
thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.
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LisaRose
I think BOTR is entitled to her opinion, as one of only a few attorneys here I am always interested in what she has to say, however she had admitted she hasn't really read up on the case, so her opinion is just that, one person's opinion. Obviously there are a lot of legal issues involved, ultimately it is the courts that will decide the outcome anyway. As with any case, being as fault and being able to prove liability are two different things.
What is important to me is that the practices of the Watchtower are being exposed. Even if this lawsuit does not ultimately prevail, it's letting others see how they operate. I doubt the Watchtower cares that much about the money, they have been happy to pay off victims before, as long as they could keep everything a secret. It's just the cost of doing business for them, so they are probably more worried about the publicity. Maybe that is why they wouldn't cooperate, they would rather pay up than provide what they requested, maybe they know those documents have information that would be even more damming and create even more publicity.
There have been numerous outlets carrying the story, so it's not just local news. I posted a comment on one of them, there were also JWs defending the Watchtower, I got one very irate response to my comment, which made me happy. It's nice to know that at least some JWs are finding out about it.
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Rick Simons vs Irwin Zalkin
by Calebs Airplane inthey're both doing an excellent job... but which lawyer do you believe is currently best equipped to expose the watchtower's child sex abuse scandals and cover-ups?.
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LisaRose
Of the two Zalkin seems more serious to me, you get the impression that he won't stop until he takes down the Watchtower. Nothing wrong with Simmons, but I don't get that from him.
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Undeniable proof the Organisation has Jehovahs Blessing and Direction
by wheelwithinwheel in.
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LisaRose
Evan a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.
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I'm done hiding who I am with my family
by cognac ini'm pissed that i got scared the other day and didn't just tell my mom i was celebrating halloween.
i was caught off-guard when she asked what i was doing and felt that fear they instill in you.
hate that i still feel that way when i shouldn't.
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LisaRose
It's a hard thing to tell those you are close to that you have rejected their beliefs. My elder brother just friended me on Facebook. While I was happy about it, I wondered whether to post pictures of me in my Halloween costume. I decided to post what I want, if he unfriends me, then so be it, I won't live a lie.
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Meeting for not paying assembly fees???!!!!
by Kool Jo inhey folks......has anyone else heard of, or experienced this before?.
i visited by parents over the weekend and accompanied them to their assembly....same rubbish spoken about since ive been born....obey the gb, donate your last penny, no education and be a pushover.. anyways, our assembly hall has lush vegetation and scenery, so i was more focused on that....i started dozing off after lunch, so got up and went walking, saw some older folks from the congregation i grew up with.. upon the conclusion of the assembly, wed normally leave out right after the prayer ends so as to avoid the traffic.
however, for this assembly he told me that hes gonna be a few minutes with the elders and branch representatives...so a few minutes turned into an hour..
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LisaRose
When I joined this religion in 1968 they were very proud of the fact that they never passed the plate for collections and didn't ask for donations in any way, no pledge drives, no monthly commitments, not like Chrisendom.
So what difference is there now between them and any other religion? They are worse, as churches I have been to never say that anyone is obligated for a certain amount. How long before they start sending bills out? It's disgusting.
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tough year
by GoUnion inhello everyone just wanted to give a litte update on my leaving jws.
i was an active ms up till the beginning of this year and things were going pretty good up till now.
my wife is active and that has been tough but we were managing.. two months ago my older brother passed of a sudden heart attack.
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LisaRose
I am sorry you are going through a tough time. I lost my brother this year also, so I totally understand what you are going through.
Divorce is rough, but if all you had was the religion in common, then maybe it's for the best, as you say, you are young and can start over. I guess I understand why you want to help your wife financially, that's understandable, but make sure it has an end date, she could have stayed and make it work, that is what the religion tells her to do, so if she wanted a divorce, that is her choice, but she has to accept the consequences.
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Next time a JW tells you that you shouldn't let your children go to college ...
by EdenOne intell them this:.
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eden.
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Consider the "outcome" when elders apply the two-witness "rule"
by AndersonsInfo injehovahs witnesses two-witness rule is applied by elders when a witness member accuses another member of a sin, even if that sin is a criminal act.
if there arent two witnesses to the accusation, it goes nowhere, including not being reported to the authorities.
and in the case of an allegation of child abuse, the accused is free to molest again.. watchtower attorney, jim mccabe, recently stated this about jehovahs witnesses two-witness rule which he described as a bible-based belief :.
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LisaRose
This is the personal decision the parents, can make, and the local branch have no autority in these personal matters., and will not take action, against these parents...
This may be the official policy currently, but it's not like the Watchtower would ever publicly state they protect their own interests over that of the victims. The point is, what happens in actual practice? Do you have actual experience where the Watchtower reported to authorities where they weren't legally obligated to?
The call at the Branch is to inform them, they will give you advice how to handly in such cases with respect with the local laws, and who has experience in handle such cases...this is the interpretation here in Europe about this policy of sexual abuse of minors..
Yes, we know the Watchtower will want to give direction, but is it to really to protect the victim? Changes made after the Candace Conti verdict seem to be intended to protect their own legal interests, not the children involved.
if neccesary they could get help from elders with brains,
Who are these "elders with brains" ? I don't know about Europe, but here in the US most elders have no more than a high school education. Does the Watchtower have any one on staff with education and certification in these matters available for the elders to consult with? A licenced clinical social worker? A psychologist or anyone with training and experience in the field?
Most religions require anyone who directly gives counsel to have a education in the field and many require an advanced degree. Do you really think a few weeks training in elders school gives them the necessary training to deal with sex abuse? If the original interview with the victim is not handled correctly it can make it impossible to ever determine the truth. And we still have reports of victims being made to sit with the abuser in the same room to tell their experience. This is absurd, no child should have to go through that, it's just being abused again. I don't know if I could even do that.
But there is a difference between internal procedures thus a Congregational matter, and going to the local authorithies that can never be discussed, and is the most important thing for the savety, and the protection of the victim against the abuser..
Yes, they do require confidentiality, but from what I have seen, it's more to protect the Watchtower than the victim. I know personally of a case where an adult JW reported that her elder father abused her as a child. He denied it, nothing was done to him, but she was given council for talking about it to others and she was threatened with a JC if she continued.
I know most elders are well meaning and want to do what's right, but they are sometimes doing more harm than good. It's a very difficult thing to confront someone you know with an accusation like that, the average elder is just not qualified to determine the truth in these matters. They may feel an abuser is repentant and think the problem is solved, but even when they are repentant they are at high risk of abusing again, and the reality is most abusers are good at deception.
Years before this case the Watchtower said publicly that it would be very rare that a child abuser would ever be given privileges in the congregation again, but Campos was made an elder after being caught more than once. It's obvious that their official polcy is not always what actually happens. The two witness rule makes it almost impossible to prove abuse took place, and even with a confession, confidentiality rules ensures that others in the congregation may not know that there are predators in their so called "spiritual paradise".
This is not a case of individuals making mistakes, or an isolated incident here or there, this is a direct result of policies and practices that are there because the WTBTS and the governing body will protect themselves and their own interests above that of any victim. They have publicly berated the Cathoic church over their abuse issues, while they were paying off victims and insisting on confidentiality. They are hypocrites of the worse sort.
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Oh, the irony.
by disposable hero of hypocrisy intoday i was sat in a car full of jaydubs on the way home from the circuit assembly, and the discussion turned to halloween and how to avoid trick or treaters!.
seriously, there was talk of pulling curtains shut across front doors and how disgusting it was that parents let their children knock on doors , and how annoying it is to get a knock on the door knowing it's an uninvited person!
had to bite my tongue... .
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