Now that most congregations in Britain are merged (or will be merged) with the Kingdom Hall Trust, each congregation becoming a branch of that charity, they are no longer charities in themselves. The elders in the congregation are no longer charity trustees of the congregation and so would not be answerable to the Charity Commission. The Kingdom Hall Trust would still come under the auspices of the Charity Commission but they can hardly be expected to know what is going on in each congregation until judicial action is taken. It seems to me that the Circuit Overseer and the elders in each congregation are responsible for appointments of elders and ministerial servants and so the body corporate cannot be held liable for compensation.
Earnest
JoinedPosts by Earnest
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IICSA hearings resume next week
by Corney inthe independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (iicsa) will hold additional virtual public hearings in the child protection in religious organisations and settings investigation next week.. the timetable was released today: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/20825/view/virtual-cpiros-timetable-week-3-10-august-2020.pdf .
five witnesses will testify on the jw issue next monday and tuesday, 10 and 11 august:.
- pr-a5, a victim abused by ministerial servant peter stewart;.
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Earnest
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The Guardian: Former Jehovah's Witness elders call for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse
by AndersonsInfo inhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/10/former-jehovahs-witness-elders-call-for-mandatory-reporting-of-child-sexual-abuse?fbclid=iwar13k3rzferkzvjj5lbxegzhjr1dkfw34gqchgms4gdmhjufcv24hpzjcco.
two former jehovah’s witness elders have called for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, saying the organisation believes it is “answerable only to god”.. duncan corbett, who was an elder for 18 years, told the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse that the protection of minors and the handling of abuse claims must be taken out of the church’s hands.
“let them deal with the sin and the authorities handle the crime,” he told a hearing in london.. lloyd evans, another former elder who now campaigns against religious fundamentalism, said: “this is a group that feels they are answerable only to god … they don’t feel as though they need to yield to any regulations that are imposed on them.”.
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Earnest
Mr Gillies did say that Jehovah's Witnesses would comply with whatever the terms are of a law requiring mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, that they would have a look at issuing an "edict" that field service should not take place where minors are separated from their parents, and that there is no religious objection for all elders and ministerial servants to be subject to enhanced DBS checks.
If the IICSA simply requires these three things to which Jehovah's Witnesses have no religious objection, that would go a long way to avoid situations that allow paedophiles opportunity within the congregations. It would also make it close to impossible for a paedophile with a criminal record to be appointed as an elder or ministerial servant no matter how much time has passed.
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"Burnt remains from 586 BCE Jerusalem may hold key to protecting planet."
by Doug Mason in"a new analysis of 1st temple-era artifacts, magnetized when babylonians torched the city, provides a way to chart the geomagnetic field – physics’ holy grail – and maybe save earth".
https://www.timesofisrael.com/burnt-remains-of-586-bce-destruction-of-jerusalem-help-map-physics-holy-grail/?utm_source=the+daily+edition&utm_campaign=daily-edition-2020-08-09&utm_medium=email#comments.
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Earnest
scholar : COJ must be very upset with Israeli archaeologists who consistently date the Fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE
Neil, I like your sense of humour. You and COJ are strange bed-fellows. It should be noted that the geomagnetic field is not being used to date the destruction of Jerusalem, but the destruction of Jerusalem is used to date the geomagnetic field as it existed at that time. That is why the PLOS ONE article is entitled The Earth’s magnetic field in Jerusalem during the Babylonian destruction: A unique reference for field behavior and an anchor for archaeomagnetic dating.
The dating of the destruction of Jerusalem to 586 BCE is based on the book The fall and rise of Jerusalem: Judah under Babylonian rule, 2005, by Oded Lipschits, who is also one of the editors of the article. In a review of his book in The Journal of Theological Studies, 2007, the reviewer wrote of the destruction of the Temple in 587 BCE so it just depends on what dating system you use (as you know).
The importance of this "anchor" for archaeomagnetic dating is that in this period the use of radiocarbon dating is very limited in its precision, with a variation of 200 years. The detailed biblical descriptions regarding the destruction of Jerusalem enable the dating of the paleomagnetism found in the ruins to less than a year. This can then be used as an anchor to help constrain the chronology of previous and future archaeomagnetic data from the same period and help validate suggested links between the Babylonian campaign and destruction layers in other sites.
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Transparency in Field Service Hours
by Earnest ini notice that in the recent instructions for new regular pioneers (2020-08-s-236-e) it lists a number of assignments for which a pioneer can be credited (up to 75) hours in a month.. these include:construction oversight, assembly hall oversight, assembly oversight, and convention oversight, as well as serving as temporary volunteers at bethel, commuter bethelites, remote volunteers, bethel consultants, hospital liaison committee members, patient visitation group members, disaster relief committee members, local design/construction department field representatives and maintenance trainers, and so forth.
approved assignments also include assisting with kingdom hall construction when such is done at the request of the branch office or its representatives overseeing the project, assisting with pre and post-assembly or convention work, assisting with work at assembly halls, conducting or participating in congregation meetings held in prison, as well as attendance at a theocratic school or class .
when i was pioneering and doing pre and post-assembly work i was told i could include the time spent working in my monthly report, which i did.
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Earnest
slimboyfat : I think the whole concept of “pioneer” is a bit of a throwback anyway. At one time pioneers were allowed to purchase the literature for a reduced price. This was the primary material benefit of being a pioneer, and in that context it made sense to ensure that publishers “qualified” to access this “provision”.
I believe the original reason for reporting field service was because colporteurs / pioneers were entitled to keep the income from the literature to defray expenses. In the article I Am Learning to Love the Colporteur Work More Each Day (Watchtower, May 15, 2012) it says :
By 1897, nearly one million Dawns had been distributed, largely by the colporteurs. Most of them lived on the small reimbursement they received for each Watch Tower subscription or book they placed.
In Zion's Watch Tower of April 1881 it first presents this idea of remuneration in the article "Wanted 1000 Preachers". It says (p.214) :
As few could afford to travel, pay their board and clothe themselves without some income, we propose to furnish the TRACTS and DAY DAWNS free, and to allow any such person to take subscriptions for the WATCH TOWER, using the money obtained from both of these sources, ("Day Dawn and Watch Tower," - the Tracts are free and must not be sold,) in defraying necessary expenses. Should your receipts be more than would be needed to pay expenses, (not at all probable,) you would be expected to make some returns to us.
It was only in 1943 that there was a time requirement and so a report was needed to show the number of hours spent in the ministry. In an article "Righteous Requirements" in The Watchtower July 1, 1943 it says (p.205):
[The Lord] says, 'Let us assign the field, the world, to special pioneers, regular pioneers and companies of Jehovah's witnesses in an orderly way,,,' He says the requirements for special pioneers shall be 175 hours and 50 back-calls per month ,,,; and for regular pioneers 150 hours and as many back-calls and studies as can be properly developed during that time. And for company publishers he says, 'Let us make a quota of 60 hours and 12 back-calls and at least one study a week for each publisher.'
Thereafter the number of hours spent became a measure of spirituality and a requirement for all of Jehovah's witnesses and not just pioneers.
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Transparency in Field Service Hours
by Earnest ini notice that in the recent instructions for new regular pioneers (2020-08-s-236-e) it lists a number of assignments for which a pioneer can be credited (up to 75) hours in a month.. these include:construction oversight, assembly hall oversight, assembly oversight, and convention oversight, as well as serving as temporary volunteers at bethel, commuter bethelites, remote volunteers, bethel consultants, hospital liaison committee members, patient visitation group members, disaster relief committee members, local design/construction department field representatives and maintenance trainers, and so forth.
approved assignments also include assisting with kingdom hall construction when such is done at the request of the branch office or its representatives overseeing the project, assisting with pre and post-assembly or convention work, assisting with work at assembly halls, conducting or participating in congregation meetings held in prison, as well as attendance at a theocratic school or class .
when i was pioneering and doing pre and post-assembly work i was told i could include the time spent working in my monthly report, which i did.
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Earnest
slimboyfat : The phrase “some time should be spent on the ministry each month” at the end gives the game away. It indicates there were some “pioneers” who were fulfilling their entire monthly quota using time spent on assignments and none on the ministry.
Thanks for your comment, slim. That thought entered my mind as well. You're right, it doesn't say these credited hours are not included in the annual report although that is what I inferred. I suppose we'll never know but I'm inclined to think the Society is so pedantic about what can be counted, these hours are more likely to be included in hours spent on charity work or similar.
Edited to thank Drearyweather for his clarification on credited hours.
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Transparency in Field Service Hours
by Earnest ini notice that in the recent instructions for new regular pioneers (2020-08-s-236-e) it lists a number of assignments for which a pioneer can be credited (up to 75) hours in a month.. these include:construction oversight, assembly hall oversight, assembly oversight, and convention oversight, as well as serving as temporary volunteers at bethel, commuter bethelites, remote volunteers, bethel consultants, hospital liaison committee members, patient visitation group members, disaster relief committee members, local design/construction department field representatives and maintenance trainers, and so forth.
approved assignments also include assisting with kingdom hall construction when such is done at the request of the branch office or its representatives overseeing the project, assisting with pre and post-assembly or convention work, assisting with work at assembly halls, conducting or participating in congregation meetings held in prison, as well as attendance at a theocratic school or class .
when i was pioneering and doing pre and post-assembly work i was told i could include the time spent working in my monthly report, which i did.
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Earnest
I notice that in the recent Instructions for New Regular Pioneers (2020-08-S-236-E) it lists a number of assignments for which a pioneer can be credited (up to 75) hours in a month.
These include:
construction oversight, Assembly Hall oversight, assembly oversight, and convention oversight, as well as serving as temporary volunteers at Bethel, commuter Bethelites, remote volunteers, Bethel consultants, Hospital Liaison Committee members, Patient Visitation Group members, Disaster Relief Committee members, Local Design/Construction Department field representatives and maintenance trainers, and so forth. Approved assignments also include assisting with Kingdom Hall construction when such is done at the request of the branch office or its representatives overseeing the project, assisting with pre and post-assembly or convention work, assisting with work at Assembly Halls, conducting or participating in congregation meetings held in prison, as well as attendance at a theocratic school or classWhen I was pioneering and doing pre and post-assembly work I was told I could include the time spent working in my monthly report, which I did. After all, it was all sacred service. However, I notice the instructions now given to pioneers is that they
should report this activity to the congregation in the 'Comments' section of your Field Service Report (S-4). The hours spent working on an approved assignment should not be combined with the hours spent in field service.you should keep a record of all the hours spent working on the assignment during the month. You should report this activity to the congregation in the “Comments” section of your Field Service Report (S-4). The hours spent working on an approved assignment should not be combined with the hours spent in field service. Although your theocratic assignment is part of your sacred service, some time should be spent in the ministry each month.
I occasionally read on this forum the suggestion that the amount of field service is exaggerated, so while I personally don't see this record keeping as a scriptural requirement I do applaud their transparency.
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No, They Will Never Notice!
by Atlantis insince the watchtower has already made this bible public, i can put a link out here.. no, the rank & file will never notice the words "governing body" have been inserted into acts 15: 1-35 in the 2019 new world translation, matthew to acts.. click the image to make it larger if need be.. https://postimg.cc/sqvdl10w petra!
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Earnest
jp1692 : Does the NWT actually have the phrase “governing body” in the text of the Bible or is it just in that index?
Good point, jp1692. "governing body" is only included in the overview, it is not part of the translation. Acts 15:22 (NWT Study Edition) reads:
Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole congregation, decided to send chosen men from among them to Antioch, along with Paul and Barʹna·bas; they sent Judas who was called Barʹsab·bas and Silas, who were leading men among the brothers..
Compare this with the Gideon bible here:
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers
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Using gods name
by Gorbatchov ini've never thought about it before, but isn't it some sort of blasphemy and extremism to use a god's name in the official name of your religion?.
g..
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Earnest
Lots of Jews included God's name in their personal names (e.g. Joshua/Jesus) so it can hardly be blasphemous or extremist.
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Some notes on early Christianity - its evolution and "sacred text"
by Half banana inin the scope of this site, it’s not possible to go too deeply into historical research in a single post but we can give the flavour of things formerly hidden from us when we were jws.. like most things, christianity evolved.. it has unseen roots but many visible branches, 40,000 is the often quoted number!
there never was a moment when it arrived fully formed in the middle of the first century.
its roots in folk mysteries were deliberately concealed by fourth and fifth century christian leaders.
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Earnest
Half banana : It is most telling from critical-textual examination that ... the idea of “Christ” which in all the earliest copies of texts, later incorporated into the Bible, used instead the term chrest not christ which meant “good”.... There are Koine Greek Bible texts extant which show the spelling alterations from chrest to christ, these have been known for a couple of centuries but so far have received little publicity.
Interesting. Do you happen to know of any papyri or manuscripts that support this?
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Unbelievable Freddie Franz Admissions
by Vanderhoven7 inunbelievable admissions.. freddie confesses he fell for his own propaganda.. https://youtu.be/fkjw-r9oitk.
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Earnest
In Fred Franz's life account in The Watchtower, May 1, 1987, he recounts (p.24,25):
A high point in my academic life was when Dr Lyon, the [University of Cincinnati's] president, announced to an assembly of students in the auditorium that I had been chosen to go to Ohio State University to take competitive examinations with others to win the prize of the Cecil Rhodes Scholarship, qualifying me for admission to Oxford University in England. One of the contestants outranked me with regard to field athletics, but because of my comparable grades, they wanted to send me, along with him, to Oxford University. I appreciated that I had measured up to the requirements for gaining the scholarship, and, normally, this would have been very gratifying.
He then writes about his learning of and conviction that the Bible Students had the truth, and his baptism on April 5, 1914. He then writes:
I have never regretted that, shortly before the announcements by the educational authorities regarding the outcome of the examinations for the Cecil Rhodes Scholarship, I wrote a letter to the authorities and advised them I had lost interest in the Oxford University scholarship and that they should drop me from the list of contestants. This I did even though my professor in Greek at the university, Dr. Joseph Harry, informed me that I had been chosen to receive it....With my father's permission, I had left the University of Cincinnati in May 1914, just a couple of weeks before the end of my third term there as a junior classman. I immediately arranged with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society to become a colporteur, or pioneer, as such a full-time minister is called today.