Posts by abbagail

13

Jaracz Witnesses

by messenger in

jw
friends

well it appears jaracz is alive and well and calling the shots.

the df article in the august km is typical of a new breed of "witnesses" that started back in the mid 1980s when tj started molding the organization into his image.

first it was dumbing down the talks with no illustrations or creativity, then came the canned scriptures with the over simplified sermons at the door.

abbagail

Yer soundin' a tad PO'd there msgr! ;)

The young king, yes, I remember that, I liked it, and it bugs me I can't think of his name...

Can we post a copy of that KM here, so everyone will know what you're raging about?

21

Lobby BBCAmerica To Air Panorama!!!

by AngryXJW in

bbcamerica has a page where one can submit requests for specific programs:______.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/about/contactus_email.jsp.

i have no clue whether this is intended for "other programs" aired by "other bbc affiliates", but it would seem to be worth 5 minutes for everyone to take the time to fill out a request that "suffer the little chidren" be aired on bbcamerica.

abbagail

I saw this info via Bill's Silent Lambs email list, so I had already submitted a request to BBC America when I saw your post here. I thought that was a GREAT idea about asking BBC to submit it to PBS here in USA. Wished I'd thought of that, I would have mentioned it in my request also. --- And, duh, I filled out all the blanks which had the * (name and zip code and... can't remember what else).

I thought they did a pretty good in-depth coverage of JWs (their history, who runs them, their beliefs, etc. all in addition to the pedophile issue). http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/audiovideo/programmes/panorama/newsid_2120000/2120863.stm

/GRITS

SilentLambs/Fla. Reporter Seeks Abuse Survivors

by abbagail in

anyone in florida have some first hand experiences?

please spread the word... this from the sl email list... thanks/grits.

from: "silentlambs" < [email protected]>.

abbagail

Anyone in Florida have some first hand experiences? Please spread the word... This from the SL email list... Thanks/GRITS
----------------------------------

From: "silentlambs" < [email protected]>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 11:52:50 -0500
To: < [email protected]>
Subject: Abuse survivors Flordia

I currently have a reporter who is looking to do a story and JWs and abuse in Florida. If you would like to be interviewed or know someone that would let me know.

Regards,
bill

20

U K ELDER JAILED 2 YRS, TODAY

by BluesBrother in

.

bbc central news have reported that james barrat , an elder in rugby congregation has received a two year sentence for abusing two teenage boys over a ten year period.. the abuse took place at bible studies .. the judge called him an "arch hypocrite".

the police said he is "extremely dangerous" and one of the victims , now in early 20's,gave an interview and said "do not bother with the elders, go straight to the police

abbagail

Sorry guys, I don't know how to paste the actual website in here like you old timers do (which is really cool, bw), but here's the email that just rolled in from SilentLambs (which had pictures in it of the perv and the victim), along with a little more detail.

I agree 2 years sounds like NOTHING compared to 10 years of abuse. What gives with that? Are their sentencing guidelines that lame?

Thanks for the inside opinion from the bro that knew this weasle Barratt.
Remember, pedophiles are the MOST CHARMING, FRIENDLY, OUTGOING types of people. I knew 2 very well (1 JW, 1 not), and they both were, like, WHO WOULD KNOW??? Certainly not from their personalities.

Cheers for bro Grant for taking the perv all the way to court and jail!

GRITS

-------------------------------------------------
From: "silentlambs" < [email protected]>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 22:00:12 -0500
To: < [email protected]>
Subject: Elder sent to prision

BBCi
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_2123000/2123546.stm

Thursday, 11 July, 2002, 20:28 GMT 21:28 UK

Jehovah's Witness jailed for abusing boys

James Barratt is led away to begin his sentence (pic)

An elder in the Jehovah's Witness church has been jailed for child abuse.
James Barratt, 45, of Rugby, Warwickshire, a married man with two children, was found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenagers entrusted to him for Bible studies and counseling. The court heard that Barratt, a church elder, had "systematically" abused two former members of his congregation over a 10-year period. Warwick Crown Court heard that Barratt, a trusted friend of the boys' families, had used Bible lessons and counselling sessions as an opportunity to indecently assault the teenagers.

Victim Gordon Grant
Throughout the four-day trial Barratt maintained that he had tried to be a father figure to the boys. Sentencing him, Judge James Pike said he had been entrusted with vulnerable young people. He was, he said, an arch-hypocrite. Barratt was jailed for two years with 12 months suspended. He will be put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years. Detective Inspector Jim Hill of Warwickshire Police: "I consider him to be an extremely dangerous individual. His approach to the victims was via the parents.

Go straight to police and get it dealt with by people who are experienced

Victim Gordon Grant (pic)
"He formed a very strong bond with the families and clearly he has gone on to abuse that trust." One of his victims, Gordon Grant, now 23 , said he had been disappointed by the church's reaction to the allegations. "If people have got this problem don't go to the elders or the leaders of the church. Don't bother with them. "Go straight to police and get it dealt with by people who are experienced and know what they are doing."

Breaking News

Jehovah's Witness found guilty of child abuse
An elder in the Jehovah's Witness church is tonight beginning a jail sentence for child abuse. James Barratt, a married man with two children, was accused in court of being an arch hypocrite.

A jury at Warwick Crown Court found 45-year-old James Barratt guilty of indecently assaulting two teenagers trusted to him for bible studies and counseling at a church in Rugby.

He has been jailed for two years with 12 months suspended, after denying eight charges of indecent assault dating back to the 1980s. He will be put on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Edited by - grits on 11 July 2002 23:54:23

23

Satanic symbol in the WT literature?

by Nordic in

try this site: http://digilander.libero.it/subliminale/t_geova1.htm

abbagail

Nordic seems rather upset about all of this...

Why not xerox the satanic symbols (or print them out) and circle them and send to your friendly CO/DO/GB member and ask for an explanation...

If I wasn't so lazy I'd go get out the Rev book and check out the eyeball and hand...

----

As for Plmkrzy, funny about the camels :)
Ever watch velvet wallpaper while on LSD?

Your post reminded me of being a kid, lying in the grass looking up at the clouds and seeing various faces/heads/animals in them... same while lying in bed and looking up at the popcorn ceiling. :)

37

SILENTLAMBS MARCH

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

[email protected]

if you need financial assistance to attend, please email as

[email protected]

abbagail

CONGRATS on the public announcement about the March on the WT!
Good reminder, Musto, about the Annual Meeting, etc.
And Grout, good idea about nametags to faces of all the people on these forums. That'd be a hoot!
I appreciate Bill's invitation to all, DF'd DA'd or whatever, it doesn't matter. I really like that.
Due to disability, I don't see how I could ever make such a trip, so I sure hope it will be on the TV news. Live-as-it-happens Coverage would be great! Wouldn't it also be great to have all the local NY TV-personalities down there at 2 pm with their camera crews, Katie & Matt, David Letterman, Babs Walters, etc.

Will the ex &/or current mayors of NY be invited? Rudy G. would probably have a definite opinion about this sex abuse coverup, would he not?

Thanks to Bill & Silent Lambs for steamrolling this along w/o letup.

Many blessings on your work.
Grits

9

Two Witnesses

by RR in

it's interesting that the society uses the "two witness" rule, the apostle paul interprets this differently in 2 corinthians 13:1. he says

"this will be the third time i am coming to you.

"by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.".

abbagail

This is excellent. Thanks for the enlightenment on that scripture. Surprising no one before now mentioned it anywhere that I've seen...

Btw, what's a "toadie"?

23

Satanic symbol in the WT literature?

by Nordic in

try this site: http://digilander.libero.it/subliminale/t_geova1.htm

abbagail

LOL on the "perm" comment! A/k/a "Big Hair" or "Mall Hair." :-) I remember that pic in the Fam book, and thinking,"Yeah, like women have time to sit around looking pretty until the old man gets home..." ;)

The translations by Robert, too funny. I especially liked, "You wake up yourselves!"

As for these goofy subliminal pics... I got bored and never finished. How many were there? Me Know No Italiano Either...

I'm curious: What is the significance of the "A" on the alligator? (Duhhh! I just GOT IT: "A" for Alligator!) ;)

Other than that, it looks to me like somebody has a wild imagination, or either some bro's in the art dept. were high on dope, playing games. I used to work in the paste-up/lay-out dept of a newspaper (before computer graphics) and the big joke was to paste-in a "third hand" or a "third foot" on people in the pics, and other such nonsense. Even as adults, who could resist the mischevious tricks? Anything to break up the doldrums at work. LOL! The boss would never know until after the paper was published, and we got the usual tongue-lashing after the fact, but it was worth the laughs. To this day Jay Leno expresses amazement when he sees such oddities in his "Headlines" segment; and I always think of the Last Laugh the paste-up/lay-out personnel are having in newspapers across the country.

I would venture to guess the same thing was happening in the art dept. at WT by some very demented -- or bored -- individuals.

:) Grits

17

My Saturday Experience @ NY District Convention

by Mister Biggs in

my congregation (soon to be 'ex'-congregation) is assigned to veteran's stadium (that will be held next week and then again on the last weekend of july.

i have made it my resolve to make this year, 2002, my final district convention.

since it will be my last one, i decided not to go to the hot-a$$ veteran's stadium!

abbagail

Funny stuff, yooz guys! ;)
-------
"The only thing that caught my attention from the platform was that one brother mentioned something about being okay to let the authorities to temporarily use the Kingdom Halls for their own use if they had to..."
-------
Hmmm... my first thought when I read that line was: When smallpox/anthrax/etc. are dumped on us by the terrorists (or whoever is REALLY behind it), then all the "windowless" K.Halls will be used by the gov't as neighborhood "safe-houses"/operations centers for dispensing vaccines or w-h-a-t-e-v-e-r...

Seriously, though, isn't that an ODD statement? It's like they are prepping the brethren for the "takeover" by the Wild Beast. Sounds to me like WTS has ALREADY made some sort of agreement with the "authorities" regarding this... Why else bring it up? -- There's GOT to be "more than meets the eye" behind THAT statement...

Curious indeed.

GRITS

8

Top WTS Leader in Japan DF'd

by abbagail in

just saw this at silent lambs/grits.

remote user: .

date: 09 jul 2002. time: 18:36:56. comments.

abbagail

Just saw this at Silent Lambs/GRITS
-----------
Remote User:
Date: 09 Jul 2002
Time: 18:36:56

Comments

QUOTED FROM ANOTHER SOURCE -- Merely FYI -- Top WTS Leader in Japan DF'd ----- Hi, friends: Thought you might be interested: I have it on reliable source that one of the founding JWs in Japan, who has been serving as a branch coordinator, was recently disfellowshipped. According to the sources, Toshio Honma is a top-ranking JW at the Japanese branch. He may be highest ranking JW who has ever been disfellowshipped in Japan, except for Junzo Akashi who was DF'ed shortly after the World War II ended. We're trying to find out the reason for his DFing. It is noteworthy because Japan has been one of the WTS's stronghold's in the world in recent years. Numbers were soaring in Japan (and Russia) while they were dwindling elsewhere in the world. The question now is, will this former high-ranking JW speak out in Japan as Ray Franz did here and abroad? Quote from the 1998 Yearbook with reference to Toshio Honma's WT organization servitude in Japan: ==========================
*** yb98 112-3 Japan *** Native Brothers Take Heavier Responsibility In April 1975, Lloyd Barry, who had been the branch overseer since 1952, left Japan to serve as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. He had zealously shared in the work during the time that the theocratic organization grew from 8 publishers in 1949 to over 30,000 zealous Kingdom proclaimers. At his departure the oversight of the branch was entrusted to Toshio Honma, a native Japanese brother who was then serving as the factory overseer. Regarding Brother Honma's abilities, his assistant in the factory said: "Toshio wasn't one to sit back and wait for someone to tell him what to do every step along the way. You could give him a job and tell him, 'This is the direction we're going,' and then he could take the ball and run. He was a good organizer and got people motivated." Another organizational change took place in February 1976. In unison with all the other branches throughout the world, the branch oversight in Japan was put under a committee of brothers rather than under a single branch overseer. The five initially appointed were Toshio Honma, the coordinator, Masataro Oda, Shigeo Ikehata, Kiichiro Tanaka, and James Mantz. This new arrangement was readily accepted by the Japanese brothers, as they were very familiar with the concept of group approach and consensus seeking in the decision-making process. One of the committee members later observed: "With the Branch Committee arrangement, the brothers look to a group of mature brothers as the representatives of the organization. This has the effect of directing the brothers' attention to God's organization rather than to an individual." When a weighty decision must be made, this arrangement provides a group of spiritual men with varied backgrounds and abilities to consider it and to seek the direction of the holy spirit and of God's Word. In January 1983, Masataro Oda, who had served at Bethel since February 1960, became the coordinator. He replaced Brother Honma, who by this time had a two-year-old son to provide for. Others who have since served on the Branch Committee for varying periods of time include Ryosuke Fujimoto, Percy Iszlaub, Isamu Sugiura, Yoshihiro Nagasaki, Makoto Nakajima, Kenji Mimura, and Richard Bailey. Currently seven brothers serve on the Branch Committee. As the work has expanded, each of these brothers has humbly contributed his talents to the advancement of the interests of God's Kingdom in this part of the world field. ================================ End Yearbook quote. ------------

And another person replied to the above post as follows: Dear xxx, This is huge! I personally know Toshio Homna as he and I organized a xxx in Japan five years ago. In fact, it was that xxx which led to my official disfellowshipment. The "brother" with whom I had an agreement for x amount of dollars for five xxxx in Japan robbed me out of my money when it was pay time. Mr. Homna was totally honest and upright in the entire debacle and even took money out of is own pocket to reimburse me some funds. I was contracted the year after directly by Mr. Homna for a xxx, but had to pull out a week before my plane left for Japan due to my having been disfellowshipped. I wrote Mr. Homna and told him I would not insist on his respecting the contract and simply left off amicably - something which he appreciated immensely. He is a dear man to whom I mailed many letters and even a transcript of my judicial hearings. I'm overjoyed by this news. Do you know how I can contact him? Cordially, xxxx END OF QUOTED POSTS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remote User:
Date: 09 Jul 2002
Time: 18:42:10

Comments

Follow-Up to the Japan Post, this justin by the second poster, merely for clarification on his/her last comments at the end: QUOTE: "So as not to be misunderstood; I'm overjoyed if Mr. Homna's disfellowshipment is a result of his discovering the fallacious claims and teachings of the organization. His being disfellowshipped in and of itself does not provoke any felicity in me whatsoever. I know that his life will change significantly as he was a highly venerated figure in Japan and no doubt will be osctracized. I'm sure you understood my words in that manner, I just thought I should clarify for the other(s). When I re-read my post, it did seem worded in a way that could mislead. Cordially, xxxx ---- END QUOTE.