Posts by JeffT

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

JeffT

SilentLamb: thanks for the info about the law on the other side of the pond from me.

Simon, thanks for clarifying the rules at Patreon.

Some info about US tax laws. First, if you are running a non-profit you must have a legal entity to handle the money, and an independent board to decide how to spend it. Any funds paid to you must be authorized by that board. I assume Patreon's rules follow the guidelines. If they didn't that could be charged with money laundering and/or tax evasion. You can't take money for one thing and use it for something else.

I'm not sure how this applies to money sent overseas, I'm still doing some research. Has Evans ever said he's running a non-profit?

Edited to add: I agree with the many statements made above about potential damage to the XJW community. I'm sure we'll be seeing articles and talks about this.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

JeffT

For a number of years I have been of the opinion that people who want to bring down Watchtower organization are playing a fool's game. I believe that if the Watchtower folded completely a significant number of JW's would just go out and find somebody else to tell them what to do.

I think that current events demonstrate the validity of this position. There seems to be a goodly number of former witnesses that have jumped from the pot to the fire. In their book, Lloyd can do no wrong.

More thoughts on what the future holds. Keep in mind I'm not a lawyer, I'm a retired accountant working with incomplete information.

I don't know about Croatia or the UK, but in the United States its against the law (Title 18, section 2423 if anybody wants to check my homework) to travel to a foreign country to engage in sex practices illegal in the United States. It is possible that Evans' legal problems are just starting.

Some of his financial dealings would certainly get the attention of the IRS. Again, I don't know about the UK or Croatia. In my opinion, Lloyd Evans would be well served by engaging a good lawyer, shutting his mouth (the first piece of advice that lawyer will give him), and groveling for his wife, if she'll listen to it.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

JeffT

Correct me if I'm wrong: I'm under the impression from things he's said, that Evans regards anti-Watchtower activism as his job. To that end he solicited donations to support himself and his family. If that is the case, he should not be spending those funds on personal expenses like hookers.

If he was an American he would be running the risk of being charged with misuse of charitable donations and various other tax crimes. I don't know about where he is, I also don't know how the IRS views donations originating in the US and sent overseas.

Even if it isn't a crime, I find it morally and ethically reprehensible.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

JeffT

Wow, what a clusterfuck. I've been wary of "activists" who want to bring down the Watchtower for many years. I think "activism" is really another code word for fleecing whatever flock is following you around. I have no use for it, and shit storms like this just give the Witnesses ammunition to throw back at us.

He isnt holding himself up as a beacon of righteousness, or pretending to be gods channel. What he does in his personal life is his business- isnt it?

If he was doing this on his own dime sure, but when you solicit funding for your escapades it's wrong.

People who are genuinely considering suicide don't tell people they are suicidal.

Actually not true. When I was working in the rehab facility we had a class on suicide prevention. The counselor running the course said that suicidal people frequently talk about it first.

A final note. As Simon pointed out, prostitution isn't some career choice. The rehab outfit had a film of interviews with sex workers in Thailand. One young woman (I have no idea how old she was -- she looked about twelve) described the vicious circle she lived in: she needed to turn tricks to get money to pay for drugs so she could turn more tricks to get more drugs... Heart breaking. I'm glad I never gave him money to support that kind of abuse.

PS before I went to work in rehab, I was a patient. I went there to work on the problems that let to a botched suicide attempt. That was years ago, I would not be here if I had not gone to work on myself. You can change a lot about yourself, but you won't get very far if your plan is to air your dirty laundry in public. Just shut up, man up and face the fact that you have problems.

16

Correct usage referring to the organization?

by Vanderhoven7 in

which sentences are technically correct.

1 the watchtower keeps changing its doctrines.. 2. the watch tower keeps changing its doctrines.. 3. the watchtower society keeps changing its doctrines.. 4. watchtower keeps changing its doctrines.. 5. watch tower keeps changing its doctrines.. 6. the society keeps changing its doctrines.. 7. the watchtower organization keeps changing its doctrines.. 8. the watch tower organization keeps changing its doctrines..

JeffT

The nature of the original request suggests he wants to write in a more formal setting somewhere else. Getting things correct for formal writing is not restricted only to lawyers.

True, which (I think) would make every one of those names correct within certain contexts. Certainly several of them are.

Edited to add the significance to lawyers: You have to make sure you're suing the right entity. Put "Watchtower" where it should be "Watch Tower" and you run the risk of having your suit dismissed and doing the paperwork all over again.

16

Correct usage referring to the organization?

by Vanderhoven7 in

which sentences are technically correct.

1 the watchtower keeps changing its doctrines.. 2. the watch tower keeps changing its doctrines.. 3. the watchtower society keeps changing its doctrines.. 4. watchtower keeps changing its doctrines.. 5. watch tower keeps changing its doctrines.. 6. the society keeps changing its doctrines.. 7. the watchtower organization keeps changing its doctrines.. 8. the watch tower organization keeps changing its doctrines..

JeffT

Unless you're a lawyer I don't see that it makes much difference. When speaking or writing in a more informal setting (like this board or a conversation with a non-JW) anything that is clearly understood to mean "the people who write this crap" will do.

61

Elders hounding members to quit their jobs due to missing too many meetings

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

how many times did you see elders hounding congregation members to quit their jobs due to missing meetings?.

my brother worked at a grocery store at 16 years old.

he would miss tuesday's ministry school due to his work schedule.

JeffT

Good for you. I firmly believe that you can't understand the world today if you don't understand how we got here. I minored in history, if I could do it over that would be my major. As it is, most of my fiction is history-based.

61

Elders hounding members to quit their jobs due to missing too many meetings

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

how many times did you see elders hounding congregation members to quit their jobs due to missing meetings?.

my brother worked at a grocery store at 16 years old.

he would miss tuesday's ministry school due to his work schedule.

JeffT

I graduated from college with a degree in English, and was baptized about six months later. This was in 1973, during the run up to 1975. Unable to find real work I was doing menial labor, with, of course, encouragement from the elders.

In 1982 against the advice of the elders, I went back to school to study something that people would pay me to do (accounting/business management). I turned that into a good career. I'm now retired, and the circle is closed as I'm writing novels, which seems to pay enough to be worth while.

In retrospect returning to school was the start of escape from the WTBS. So, I guess the elders were right about one thing.

In reading through the stories above I wondered how many young witnesses internalize the message that their job is unimportant, no matter what they're doing. The flip side to missing meetings to work is missing work to go to meeting. I've seen JW's fired because they put "kingdom interests first." \barf\

17

Ghislaine Maxwell on trial

by LoveUniHateExams in

ghislaine maxwell is on trial for grooming underage girls for sex and joining in, apparently.. her defence has recently finished, with maxwell declining to take the stand herself because she, in her words, 'doesn't need to as the prosecution haven't proved their case beyond reasonable doubt'.. that's for the jury to decide, ghislaine, lol.

.

doesn't it strike you as arrogant that she can't be arsed to stand up and speak in her own defence?.

JeffT

Doesn't it strike you as arrogant that she can't be arsed to stand up and speak in her own defence?

In this country you can't be forced to testify.

14

Films of the decade - 70s

by LoveUniHateExams in

well, i'm spoilt for choice for the seventies!.

so many good movies.

i own a few more films from this decade - 41 to be exact.. so many great films came out in this decade .... the godfather (1972).

JeffT

The Andromeda Strain - I thought this was a really good movie, I saw it at least three times the summer it came out.

M*A*S*H - This one has some flaws (that football game is way too long), but it came out at the height of the Vietnam War and this is a good anti-war film. Many people forget it was a movie before it was a TV show. Hardly anybody knows it was a book before it was a movie.

Woodstock!!! - Did a fantastic job capturing the 60's music scene.

Love Story - Yeah its sappy, but it's a great date movie.

Patton - I'm a history buff, George C Scott does a job with the title role.