JeffT

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Posts by JeffT

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  11530

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

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  JeffT

  Really most of the people who woke up in the last ten years learned everything from PAUL GRUNDY, Barb Anderson, Jim penton and others who wrote books or posted what they learned on this site.

  Lloyd just makes it easier for lazy People to access this information.

  This.

  My wife and I left in 1988, at that time there was no internet (at least not that we could access). We spent a year researching the Watchtower. We did most of it at the public library, which had a good selection of works on the Watchtower, starting with CofC. Others that stick out in my memory are "Apostles of Denial" by Edmond Gruss; "The Four Major Cults" by Anthony Hoekma, and Walter Martin's "Jehovah of the Watchtower."

  I'm quite sure that doing all the heavy lifting on our own was good for us. Our decision to leave the religion was grounded in our understanding of what was wrong with it. For some time I've held an opinion that if the WTBS disappeared a good number of witnesses would just go find somebody else to follow. I think we may be seeing something very like that in operation. It seems that a good number of witnesses may have traded the GB for Lloyd Evans, because they can't see the similarities, and they haven't trained themselves to properly address the issues.

  Because of all that work we did, my wife and I have a much better understanding of what is wrong with all cults, not just one.
  
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  11530

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

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  JeffT

  Something clicked for me last night, it may same inconsequential, but I think it's telling. I'm trying to be a professional writer, so I'm tuned in to how other professionals do things.

  In one of the posted video's Evans says that if some one sends him $150 he "might" put their name in the new book's acknowledgments. At the time I didn't think much of it, now I realize that screams "unprofessional amateur." The acknowledgments is where you thank your family for putting up with you; you editor and researchers for making your content accurate, well presented etc. Selling space in this part of your work is bad form.

  No, "unprofessional amateur" is not redundant, one can be an amateur at something and still act like a professional. This is especially important if you're trying to make something (say activism and sourcing information) your life's work. Given that he couldn't look or act like a professional in simple matters like combing his hair and hiring a competent editor to hack his bloated video's down to manageable size; why should we be surprised that his lack of professionalism shows up in other parts of his life?

  There's a lesson here for other XJW's who want to be activists. Learn the right way to do whatever you plan to do. Take classes, go to workshops, start slow as you're learning. Set realistic goals (No, I don't think you're going to "bring down the Watchtower"). Most especially don't try to make it a paying job. First of all, I don't think there's enough money in it. I also think it raises too many conflicts of interest.
  
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  11530

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

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  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.
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  11530

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

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  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.
  
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  11530

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

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  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.
  
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  11530

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

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  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.
  
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  16

  Correct usage referring to the organization?

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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..

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  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.
  
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  16

  Correct usage referring to the organization?

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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..

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  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.
  
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  61

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

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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.

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  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.
  
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  61

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

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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.

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  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\