Chaserious

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Posts by Chaserious

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  24

  In Australia, A $3 Billion Jehovah’s Witnesses Class Action Over Child Abuse looms Large

  by Scott77 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  that's the approximate headline from steve unthank's website at www.jwnews.org.

  assuming those numberous victims of sexual abuse prevail in the court and ultimately, get awarded substantial amount of compasation, what do you think will happen to the watchtower we know it today?.

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  Chaserious

  Something to remember is that litigating at every opportunity, even when you have a losing case, is not always best for a cause. The only way that something big is going to happen to the WTS is if public opinion turns against them. When members of the public or the court system who don't have an interest one way or the other see outlandish claims, a flair for sensationalism, or a personal vendetta, they tend to think that the person or group making those claims is the problem.

  Historically, groups that have been successful fighting in court for rights that are unpopular or lack public support pick their battles very carefully. They are well-organized and resist the temptation to pick fights that could be damaging from a public relations standpoint. I think it's important to realize that even though someone might be fighting hard for your cause, they might be doing more damage than good to it.
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  81

  Julia's Inquisition - Two elders, the full version! I want you all to see this.

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  sorry it's gonna be long winded.

  i've done my best to reconstruct from memory.

  my husband was next to me the whole time.

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  Chaserious

  Very courageous of you, Julia. It's interesting how they ALWAYS trot out the "Do you believe the Governing Body is the FDS?" in every congregation around the earth when there is a hint of independent thinking, and relentlessly pursue it a hundred different ways to try to get an answer. Very inquisitorial, with no basis in scripture for that kind of questioning.

  Way to show them you're no fool, either. It reminds my of when I got DF'd, we had a long exchange that was very similar to yours, except instead of a university or the bank, the elder used the example of the army. It was a better example, to be honest, and a little harder to argue that disagreement was permitted. I told him changes are made in the army because people persist in disagreeing about something unfair, like allowing women into the army, or allowing homosexuals. Also once you leave the army you can still be friends with those who are still in. Anyway, great job on your part, and best of luck going ahead, since surely they won't leave you alone.

  If I had it to do over again, I would not meet with a judicial committee and acknowledge their authority. Although I suspect that with the elders as two witnesses to what you said, they might DF you anyway. I think attending the JC did help win my wife over, since she saw that I was just being sincere and honest and they DF'd me anyway. So consider how to expose them to your husband also when you decide how to proceed. Think about demanding that he sit in on the judicial committee if you decide to attend one.
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  72

  THIS NEEDS ITS OWN THREAD:: TODAY's WT Paragraph 16

  by Lied2NoMore in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is what got my spidey senses tingling: paragraph 16, reference to daniel p mannix book, was wondering if his statement was mis-quoted so i did my research.......but was even more shocked when i saw this: .

  from amazon dot com reviews................ probably the most provocative work of historical fiction published this century,"those who are about to die" is pure mannix at his best.

  a uncensured exploration of what likely took place in the circuses of ancient rome.

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  Chaserious

  Nothing surprises me anymore. So according to the WTS, actual scholarly work can be summarily dismissed (like, I don't know... 607 BCE, science) if it doesn't agree with Watchtower doctrine, yet historical fiction can be presented as reality.
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  21

  Candace Conti: WTS Notified Re Opening Appellate Brief

  by DNCall in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  according to the docket, wts was notified that their opening brief has not been timely filed.

  their appeal will be dismissed if there is no further activity by february 22, 2013.

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  Chaserious

  There was another extension - it was reported in this thread:

  http://jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/245801/1/Candace-Conti-Further-Extension
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  24

  In Australia, A $3 Billion Jehovah’s Witnesses Class Action Over Child Abuse looms Large

  by Scott77 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  that's the approximate headline from steve unthank's website at www.jwnews.org.

  assuming those numberous victims of sexual abuse prevail in the court and ultimately, get awarded substantial amount of compasation, what do you think will happen to the watchtower we know it today?.

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  Chaserious

  Scott - I read the article, and I believe that Unthank is using the term "victim" rather loosely. As I understand the lawsuit (and if others are more familiar, please correct me if I am mistaken), in Australia there is a law that requires people who work with children to get some type of background check. It would apply to people like teachers and those working in medical clinics where they see children. Unthank is charging that adult JWs who were involved in JW activities with children were required to get the background check. So if an adult JW went door-to-door, or cleaned the Kingdom Hall or even taught the Ministry School (it is called a "school" after all) in a group that included children, it is a violation. He also counted each violation separately, so if an adult JW went in field service 20 times with a child JW, he is counting that as 20 violations and calling for 20 fines to be levied. That is how he comes up with the $3 Billion figure.

  This is not to say that there are no cases of JW child sexual abuse in Australia, but personally I would save the term "victim" for someone who was actually physically or sexually abused. When he says there were 6,160 victims, I believe the 6,160 is the number of every JW child in Victoria, so "victim" just means children JWs who did regular JW activities with adult JWs who didn't have the background check. Also, the government prosecutors have said they don't think the JWs are guilty, but Unthank can still bring the case privately, so that's what he's doing. So, that's why I originally said not to get hopes up about this. This is not to criticize Unthank. Getting the background checks is a good step toward preventing child abuse. But I suspect that awareness is about all that is going to come out of this lawsuit.
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  24

  In Australia, A $3 Billion Jehovah’s Witnesses Class Action Over Child Abuse looms Large

  by Scott77 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  that's the approximate headline from steve unthank's website at www.jwnews.org.

  assuming those numberous victims of sexual abuse prevail in the court and ultimately, get awarded substantial amount of compasation, what do you think will happen to the watchtower we know it today?.

  .

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  Chaserious

  I wouldn't get too excited about the Unthank lawsuit. Are there victims of sexual abuse involved in this lawsuit? You mentioned that, but as far as I know, this is basically about a bunch of JWs not getting background checks before working with children, which is required by Australian law.
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  10

  Should The Governing Body Seek Professional Teatment For: Narcissistic Personallity Disorder?

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is clearly evident that they are suffering from this disorder by all they say, cause to be written, and how they have interpeted scripture so illogically or so megalomaniacally.. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/pmh0001930/.

  narcissistic personality disorderlast reviewed: november 10, 2012.. narcissistic personality disorder is a condition in which people have an excessive sense of self-importance, an extreme preoccupation with themselves, and lack of empathy for others.. causes, incidence, and risk factorscause of this disorder is unknown.

  early life experiences, such as particularly insensitive parenting, are thought to play a role in the development of this disorder.. symptomsa person with narcissistic personality disorder may:.

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  Chaserious

  It doesn't stop at the GB. Anyone who has come into this religion in the past 75 years and decided they are "annointed" is either delusional, narcissitic, or something else. I mean, how can you be in a religion that teaches there are 144,000 who go to heaven and the number has already been filled, but then you decide that you are one of that number? You have to either be a baller or a whack job. If that's not a sense of self-importance and need for attention, I don't know what is.
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  41

  Menlo Park Legal Advisor Tells All

  by Juan Viejo2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  someone sent me a link to the anoninsurrection youtube page.

  i found eleven videos documenting an interview with the legal advisor for the former menlo park kingdom hall elders.

  you can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plszmu_qv0dgtco2wl5bnjdx12ny2_cmoo .. i've also published the entire set of eleven along with my comments on ex-jw.com.

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  Chaserious

  Has this court document been posted elsewhere on JWN? I couldn't find it.

  http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/california/candce/3:2012cv01372/254011/94/

  It is a 10/26/12 decision in federal court dismissing the claims of the removed Menlo Park elders who are still fighting. It made for a very interesting read. It appears that they filed a separate lawsuit alleging some kind of conspiracy involving the court staff, the police department accepting bribes, and JP Morgan and other financial institutions cooperating with the WT-loyal elders in perpetating financial frauds. I thought I would post it in this thread since it seems to relate to the same events that "John Steele" was claiming before the videos were removed. Although it was dismissed in the linked decision, it seems there may be an appeal with the federal appeals court.
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  9

  Ugh. Attended a funeral recently at the KH...

  by Muddy Waters in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i can't believe how horrid this experience was.

  first, the thought of going into a kh again filled me with total anxiety and even nausea.. .

  second, couldn't believe how much time it took to get ready to get there.

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  Chaserious

  My first funeral experience after leaving JWs was a Friends (Quaker) funeral. There was no sermon and anyone could stand up at their seat and say anything. The family spoke in the same format after friends and colleagues were finished. This went on for about two hours. I thought it was an excellent way to memorialize a loved one and much more personal and moving than the cookie cutter funeral talks I was used to. I decided that's the kind of funeral I'd like to have, provided my survivors can round up enough folks to attend.
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  75

  DFing....Human Rights Violation and DEFAMATION of character?

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  >>>>>>>>>no one can allow human rights to be violated--not even inside the insular confinement of relgious policy>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

  what are "rights" and where do the stem from?.

  human equality.

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  Chaserious

  Perhaps you are right, Pfizzy. I know far less about European law than about American law. Usually these human rights acts only apply to the actions of public bodies, however.