WTS reply brief due on 7/31. They've already been granted one extension. If they file on the 31st, the Court will set oral argument. The Court then will deliberate on the papers and arguments and issue its ruling.
DNCall
JoinedPosts by DNCall
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Thomas Jefferson - July 4th
by DNCall injuly 4th is not only the date americans celebrate independence, but it's the date of thomas jefferson's death.. i think it would be appropriate, not only for this day, but for this forum, to share a couple of thoughts contained in the virginia statute for religious freedom, drafted by thomas jefferson in 1777. this statute serves as a precurser to the first amendment of the u.s. constitution.
first regarding the nature of truth: ".
.truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:" (emphasis mine.).
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DNCall
Ding: Ironically, Adams' last words were "Jefferson lives!"
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Thomas Jefferson - July 4th
by DNCall injuly 4th is not only the date americans celebrate independence, but it's the date of thomas jefferson's death.. i think it would be appropriate, not only for this day, but for this forum, to share a couple of thoughts contained in the virginia statute for religious freedom, drafted by thomas jefferson in 1777. this statute serves as a precurser to the first amendment of the u.s. constitution.
first regarding the nature of truth: ".
.truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:" (emphasis mine.).
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DNCall
July 4th is not only the date Americans celebrate independence, but it's the date of Thomas Jefferson's death.
I think it would be appropriate, not only for this day, but for this forum, to share a couple of thoughts contained in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1777. This statute serves as a precurser to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
First regarding the nature of truth: ". . . Truth is great, and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:" (emphasis mine.)
Immediately following this statement, we read: " Be it enacted by General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities."
How eloquently this condemns the doctines of past truth/present truth, suppression of thought and speech, and shunning, practiced by the Witness religion.
Happy 4th!
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desperate or stupid - you decide
by finally awake injust ron has received a couple of phone calls in the last few days from the rbc brother wanting him to come roof a kingdom hall.
now, just ron hasn't been to a meeting since december 2011, and certainly hasn't got a current volunteer form on file.
so i ask, are they desperate or just stupid?.
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DNCall
This falls under the stupid category--they don't keep up-to-date records. I got a voice mail from a talk coordinator two weeks ago asking if I had anyone who could give a talk in his congregation the following Sunday. I became inactive in 2007 and was disfellowshipped in 2009.
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Candace Conti: Due date for WTS Reply Brief Extended
by DNCall inoriginally due this monday, the parties have stipulated to an extension of 30 days to july 31. .
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DNCall
Originally due this Monday, the parties have stipulated to an extension of 30 days to July 31.
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Former COs that Become Inactive
by Bob_NC insome long years ago a circuit overseer told me that the area he was from had several former cos that had "left the road" as they call it and were just sitting on their laurels.
he said that they don't pioneer and some were irregular publishers.
a different co made a remark to the effect of "you think that servants or pioneers live a restricted life, cos are under the supervision of the service dept.
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DNCall
CO from the 1950s became inactive, got into grandiose business schemes that never got off the ground. He was eventually diagnosed as extreme bipolar. In a fit of mania, he raised hundreds of thousands of dollars (something he could never do in his right mind) from doctors who invested in a business that existed only in his head. The episode ended when he drove a Lincoln up the stairs of the Beverly Hills City Hall. His loving wife stuck with him through all of that. This isn't hearsay or rumor. He told me this himself with his wife in the room. They struggled financially. Last I saw them, they were managing an apartment buidling and living on his disability checks and still associated. He was one of the kind ones, good speaker, played the piano, wrote songs, not a company man.
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Warwick project... I had no clue it was this big!!!
by sosoconfused inhttp://www.townofwarwick.org/wt_con/_appendix%20j.pdf.
of course i was aware that the new headquarters would be there but according to the above plans it is immense!.
253 acres???
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DNCall
Acres and acres of undeveloped property both at Patterson and Warwick. What I always found amusing is that the space devoted to education at the Patterson Educational Center is insignificant compared to the rest of the developed area.
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Fading ... and Feeling Lost
by What Now? inprior to that we had been in a new congregation for about 9 months, and we were just irregular.
my husband rarely went, and i would go occasionally with our toddler son just enough to show our faces and keep the elders off our backs, and for the sake of some friendships in our old hall.
all of the reasons i had for going were just no longer important.
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DNCall
Are there any ex-witnesses that left before you did that you enjoyed being with? There were quite a number of these in our case and it has been great reconnecting with them. I'm hoping you have some of those.
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Jehovahs Witnesses and the Curse of Music.
by donny injehovahs witnesses and the curse of music.. .
i was inspired to write this after listening to a recent podcast of the thinking atheist by seth andrews.
as many of you know, seth was a devout christian who not only loved contemporary christian music but was one of the hosts of a popular morning show on kxoj in tulsa, oklahoma in the 1990s.
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DNCall
I completely ignored anything written against any kind of music. I listened to whatever interested me or whatever I enjoyed listening to. While I had respect for the theology of the WTS (until I didn't) I had no respect for their opinions regarding music. I am a musician raised by a musician, Witness father who didn't respect the WTS's position on music.
For those of you who know me, you will appreciate the irony of this because of my involvement with WT music.
Yet another area of enjoyment of life/entertainment that the WTS seeks to stifle.
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Candace Conti v Watchtower Society | June 3, 2013 | Respondent's Brief - prepared by Rick Simons | A136641
by jwleaks injw leaks has published the respondent's brief prepared by rick simons in the case: candace conti v. watchtower bible and tract society of new york & fremont congregation of jehovah's witnesses.
(90 pages).
http://jwleaks.org/candace-conti/.
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DNCall
As with everything Rick Simons has written in this case, the Respondent's Brief is clear, straightforward and well-reasoned. I love how he thwarts the WTS attempt to bring in constitutional issues so as to open the door to future appeal to CA and/or US Supreme Court.
Data-Dog and Simon: You both comment on the disparity between the WTS legal arguments and their own teachings. I couldn't help but think that you have three departments: (1) writing; (2) service; and (3) legal, each with its own purpose and reason for existing. It is fundamental that, at times, there will be conflicts in the aims of these departments. Who has the responsibility to resolve these conflicts so as to avoid the kind of disparity we see here. On paper, it's the Governing Body. Do its members have have the education, the insight, the foresight and the wisdom to avoid what we now see playing out in the California courts? It's a self-answering question.
Gayle: The WTS Reply Brief is due next month. After that the Court will set a date for oral argument. Given what's at stake, I can't imagine either party waiving oral argument.
Once again, great brief Mr. Simons!