JeffT

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Posts by JeffT

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  32

  READ: Watchtower's SCOTUS petition

  by Corney in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  on june 25, 2019 watchtower ny filed petition for a writ of certiorari in the u.s. supreme court.

  the society asks to reconsider a $4 million judgment against it in a california child abuse case.

  docket: https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/19-40.html .

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  JeffT

  I think the WTBS has shot itself in the foot.

  I did some research on clergy-penitent privilige. The definition of "clergy" is up in the air, Watchtower elders may not qualify. If the Court takes this case this will likely be one of the arguments.

  The bigger problem is that the Watchtower has told elders to report child abuse in states where they are required to do so. This can be taken as evidence that they don't have any deep seated doctrinal problem about doing so. All, or almost all, states now have some version of mandatory reporting. I don't think the WTBS can now claim that doesn't apply to them, they've already admitted it does.
  
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  32

  READ: Watchtower's SCOTUS petition

  by Corney in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  on june 25, 2019 watchtower ny filed petition for a writ of certiorari in the u.s. supreme court.

  the society asks to reconsider a $4 million judgment against it in a california child abuse case.

  docket: https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/19-40.html .

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  JeffT

  Thanks, I suspected they were still playing with words. I don't think the early Disciples had any UNPAID clergy either. I"m going to try find out how the law defines "clergy."
  
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  44

  The idiots Hollyweird destroys the Bond Franchise

  by rockemsockem in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  99% of the people who go to bond films want a straight white english bond with a bit of light sexism and some bond girls thrown in.

  they do not want a tranny bond or a gay or lesbian bond.

  and they do not want a black woman bond.

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  JeffT

  I saw Dr. No when I was twelve. I think Diamonds Are Forever was the last one I went to. I stopped paying attention to the franchise after that, but I think that was the target audience: males between the ages of twelve and twenty-five. But you're right I went to those movies because I knew I'd see gunfire, explosions, car chases, and some scantily-clad women. By today's standards the sex and risque jokes were quaint.

  How many of these idiotic movies does Hollywierd have to lose money on before they figure it out?
  
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  32

  READ: Watchtower's SCOTUS petition

  by Corney in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  on june 25, 2019 watchtower ny filed petition for a writ of certiorari in the u.s. supreme court.

  the society asks to reconsider a $4 million judgment against it in a california child abuse case.

  docket: https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/19-40.html .

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  JeffT

  Blondie, I've been out since 1988. Have the Jehovah's Witnesses given up claiming they don't have a clergy? Back in the day, they used to cite that as part of their proof that they were the only True Christian religion.

  I'd think it would be hard to claim clergy-penitent privilege when you don't have a clergy.
  
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  32

  READ: Watchtower's SCOTUS petition

  by Corney in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  on june 25, 2019 watchtower ny filed petition for a writ of certiorari in the u.s. supreme court.

  the society asks to reconsider a $4 million judgment against it in a california child abuse case.

  docket: https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/19-40.html .

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  JeffT

  SCOTUS doesn't have to do anything for us to win. If they decline to hear the appeal the lower court ruling stands. I don't understand the Watchtower's argument. If they are saying that following the law violates their religious freedom, then they are arguing that being a criminal is part of their religious doctrine.

  I'll be surprised if SCOTUS takes the case.
  
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  36

  Smuggling

  by lastmanstanding in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the international assemblies are on... and the missionaries are coming home... and leaving richer.. i have, in all seriousness, been told by a co that the missionaries going home have large sums of money hidden in their luggage as they go back to their assignments.

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  he related how one couple was almost caught with the undeclared cash as they passed through customs.. this has been going on for quite some time, the watchtower using missionaries are mules.. i bet with all the kingdumb hall sales the pace has picked up..

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  JeffT

  OK, so what is the purpose of hauling suitcases of money around the world?
  
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  36

  Smuggling

  by lastmanstanding in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the international assemblies are on... and the missionaries are coming home... and leaving richer.. i have, in all seriousness, been told by a co that the missionaries going home have large sums of money hidden in their luggage as they go back to their assignments.

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  he related how one couple was almost caught with the undeclared cash as they passed through customs.. this has been going on for quite some time, the watchtower using missionaries are mules.. i bet with all the kingdumb hall sales the pace has picked up..

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  JeffT

  No I think its a false narrative because I'm a retired accountant and financial manager. I have no doubt some CO told you this story. I have lots of doubts that he knows what he's talking about.

  The described activities are not money laundering. Money laundering is used to disguise the fact that money is made illegally and/or to avoid taxes. What illegal activity is the WTBS engaged in that requires hiding the proceeds? Selling Kingdom halls is not illegal, its also impossible to hide the money since its a publically recorded transaction. The WTBS is a religious organization, as such it doesn't pay taxes on most activities, so they don't need to do that either.
  

  As I said, they could loose everything, why take the chance? I don't see a reward that justifies the risk of moving money around clandestinly. If I was on the GB and wanted to hide money earned from some nefarious activity (the definition of "money laundering", I'd just have somebody dump it in the donation boxes at a convention. It then becomes "cash donations" and its clean as a whistle.
  
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  36

  Smuggling

  by lastmanstanding in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the international assemblies are on... and the missionaries are coming home... and leaving richer.. i have, in all seriousness, been told by a co that the missionaries going home have large sums of money hidden in their luggage as they go back to their assignments.

  .

  he related how one couple was almost caught with the undeclared cash as they passed through customs.. this has been going on for quite some time, the watchtower using missionaries are mules.. i bet with all the kingdumb hall sales the pace has picked up..

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  JeffT

  I am disinclined to believe this for a simple reason: I can think of no good reason for the Watchtower to undertake this much risk. I know somebody is going to say they are laundering money from Kingdom Hall sales or hiding it from lawyers. Neither of those things are workable ideas. At some point the lawyers are going to start filing liens against Watchtower properties if they can't get their money any other way. And if they are laundering money, the government can seize Warwick through civil forfeiture.
  
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  21

  Anyone drop out of high school or not focus on grades becuase the end was near

  by rockemsockem in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i dropped out with 3 months left to go of the 12th grade.

  my uncle offed me a job and the end was only a few years away.

  my mother even though she was dyed in the wool at the time said she would only go along with it if i took a correspondence course out of american correspondence school out of chicago.

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  JeffT

  I became a witness about the time I was graduating from college. I was accepted at grad school and could have gotten a Master's degree in Education but passed it up because the end was two years away (1975). Nine years later I got smart and went back to school to study business. I was an XJW five years later.
  
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  30

  NBA Player Retires to Serve as Jehovah's Witness

  by 720Reddog in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27078092/collison-retires-nba-31-focus-faith .

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  JeffT

  And fifty years from now, he can die still waiting for Armageddon and wishing he'd taken the money.