elderINewton

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Posts by elderINewton

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  12

  Judge questions whether confession privilege should extend to Jehovah's Witnesses

  by GodZoo in

  1. social
  2. current

  a us judge is considering whether it is constitutional to have a law that protects the clergy of just one religious denomination from disclosing what is said to them in confession.

  (including what's said in judicial confessions by peodophiles.

  )http://www.christiantoday.com/article/judge.questions.whether.confession.privilege.should.extend.to.jehovahs.witnesses/70169.htm

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  elderINewton

  With a good state lawyer the JW's should easily loose this case.

  1) At baptism they publicly declare all whom are baptized as ordained ministers.

  2) At baptism they offer no written proof that one has been received as an ordained minister. (WT policy in court is that these people are mere parishioners, and has sufficient case law to back that testimony up).
  

  3) When an elder is appointed they offer the elder no proof other than an elder book that the individual is now legally seen as an ordained minister.

  4) When an elder wishes to marry someone and needs proof that he is a minister for the state/province, etc. That person is to make a written request, and that request doesn't have to be fulfilled.

  5) Ignorance or lack of knowledge that the elder needs such proof is not a defense for the court.

  The WT - has also further shown that in some correspondence that they will/could be personally held accountable. If an individual was provided with such written proof, then they would not have needed such information as the WT would be held accountable first.

  If the WT wins today, I'd say the state was incompetent.
  
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  38

  Reason of financial problems WTS

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a non-witness insider told me this week that the wts has financial problems.

  that lead to halting down their building plans and lay off the special pioneers and.

  bethelites.. the reason of the financial stagnation is beside some bad investments,.

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  elderINewton

  http://www.watchtower.exposed/?p=847

  Top page of each tax return.
  
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  38

  Reason of financial problems WTS

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a non-witness insider told me this week that the wts has financial problems.

  that lead to halting down their building plans and lay off the special pioneers and.

  bethelites.. the reason of the financial stagnation is beside some bad investments,.

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  elderINewton

  In some ways, this would back up what those tax returns that were "released" a few days ago. (Top Left hand corner of page)

  They indicate the Book value of the assets at the end of year. (So this means the price they paid for assets less depreciation, and does NOT include financial gains or losses.).

  2009 it shows $965,800,000 in assets for FEIN 11-1857820

  2012 shows $1,119,118,000 - pretty big increase

  2013 shows $1,154,503,000 - small increase

  2014 - $1,020,441,000 - nothing like having your assets decrease 10% in a year.

  In 2014 - I personally would have expected a huge increase as they forgave loans, but essentially took over ownership of cash of many congregations, and then also spent it on Warwick so the assets should have gone up even more. Something is surely depleting the funds, and it not building.
  
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  20

  Does a brother have to be appointed an MS to be an account servant?

  by 4thgen in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as many of you know, my ex-husband was removed as an elder for child abuse.

  i was told at the time he would never be reappointed in any capacity.

  yet i heard today he was appointed as an account servant.

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  elderINewton

  Short answer is it is to be an exemplary brother that is either appointed or being tested as to fitness of being appointed.

  I've never seen a non-appointed brother in the 50+ halls I've been in that handles accounts. Cash is king, and its trust. I personally handled the accounts as an assistant before being appointed, then was put in charge for about two weeks before I was appointed a MS.

  I don't get how you could even use a pedo to do anything trustworthy.
  
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  45

  It's official - JWs have least common sense of any religious group in US

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  some fascinating results in the latest pew research.

  (how did i miss this before?

  ) including that jws rely on their religion the most of any group to tell right from wrong and rely on common sense the least.

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  elderINewton

  great find, thanks for sharing.

  The demographic stats really highlights why the organization is both needing money, and is getting older.

  This is really an old woman's club religion now.

  Income growth is really shrinking as well. Large immigrant shift as well. Wow
  
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  25

  Converts

  by Alive! in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've noticed there seems to be a higher percentage of born-ins here....who are the converted jws?.

  does anyone care to share how they got converted?.

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  elderINewton

  I was a convert.

  She found me finishing university, and well Girls can make you do anything. She still can.

  I still finished university, but non-science degrees.

  I'm going to sound like Steve H, but I had just broken up with a long-time G.F. and sure enough this pretty blonde enters my world, but I have to convert to date. Rest is history.
  
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  10

  How would you/did you categorize the elders in YOUR hall!

  by Truthexplorer in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i would consider some of the elders in my hall genuine shepherds ( though g men) there are a couple others i would consider robotic/wooden (boring) but ok. then of course there is the complete knob (pharisee wannabe) who grinds my wife and i's gears.

  every hall seems to have one!!!

  so how do/did you view the elders in your hall?

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  elderINewton

  I always said to my wife that when I was appointed in my early thirties that its weird knowing I'm the smartest guy in the room, so while some were genuine most were in my opinion dumber than a bag of hammers.

  To me there is only two types. Control freaks, and then followers.

  Shepherds never last, they can't take the power struggle. They are also likely to be too compassionate with the flock and thus will step down when the figure out how it really is.

  But there is also always one old grumpy ahole that has an axe to grind with everyone. Control freak ones also appear to be the biggest hypocrites as well. (Aka - sister needs to get her hours up, but I can't because....)

  Most are the biggest pussies as well. (Can't think of any other way to say it, sorry :))
  
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  80

  ANNOUNCEMENT CLIP ...2015 Annual meeting Sam Herd confirming what we knew a month ago about slow down and halt of worldwide construction

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_h68ktwpim&feature=youtu.be.

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  elderINewton

  It may sound weird, but my days in the banking world would tell me that they likely had a cash call at some point early this year. What that may be is pure speculation, from as jwfacts said legal cash reserves, to the rumors of the Ponzi schemes having a cash call is immense. Either way what we do know is that:

  1) In May - they said they needed funds to build KH's.

  2) Herd now says they will build if the funds are contributed by the friends. - At least I interpret this to mean that if you want a hall now you need to pony up.

  That tells us that either the contributions did not come in (which would be at odds with the July? broadcast), or that the money that came in earlier was spent on something. I clearly remember on the D&B that they had financing that was Secured (meaning debt to assets), but that was only 1 of like 13 affiliated companies. (I still wonder why they have a branch in San Dimas, CA? - like Bill & Ted's but that is a side note).

  Overall, it appears that all money taken is earmarked, and that money is an issue. So many pieces of the puzzle are missing here. Even if one was building a war chest, the reactions are showing desperation on the epic corporate levels.

  Maybe Cedars article on the money was closer than I thought. I guess I was wrong on that.
  
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  27

  Full 2015 Annual Meeting Program

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plrw9u-n1z2m8peenfmbdxmvbdkum0ce1n.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uppgsfl6o5k.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9j8ivkmkvk.

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  elderINewton

  thanks for the 04:05 link wifi - that is an amazing moment of admission.

  I'm just trying to figure out what it means that KH's will still be renovated or built based on what people can contribute? I thought the sheep already were told in May to contribute to the KH's. So at least we have vindication and proof of the drastic steps they are going to.

  I'm dying for some financial statements, particularly a cash flow statement these days.
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  44

  Need advice

  by Darkknight757 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi.i've been pouring over this site for the past few days looking for some advice and i hope there is someone here that can help a guy out.

  i'm desperate.....short bio: i came into the organization after high school and shortly after married a wonderful girl who was born-in.we have been happily married now for nearly 20 years and things were well until 2015 hit.

  by the way, i currently serve as an elder and have the ""privilege"" of being the "watchtower overseer".. either here nor there, we were told we would never have children but late last year my wife became prego!!

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  elderINewton

  Darkknight,

  I'm sorry for your losses, and can empathize with you and your wife. There is a large army of sisters and brothers that have lived with the loss of child through miscarriage. Its one of those terrible things that for some reason the expectation is for you and your wife to suffer in silence. When my sister lost her second, I berated the elder body for being so clueless and uncaring especially when her hours slipped. It was one of many things that woke me up.

  As you are the watchtower conductor it will likely be very difficult for you to step down as they view you as the best teacher, per the instructions in ks10 and the last CO visits. But you can do it. I was only the TMS conductor so it was a little easier this year to step down from it. I just told them it was too stressful and I needed some time away from the position. They won't complain too much if you say its just too much for a bit. Just remember its a private family matter that my wife and I need to work on.

  I too had a bit of a crisis of conscience, when the WT asked me to bend the rules I could feel my grandfather roll over in his grave and I knew I had to get out. It took two years to slowly wake up my wife's mind to critical thinking, and its a step many profess that works. I did not want to loose those 20 years together (we must have gotten married the same year). Once her mind was awake to thinking for itself at all worked out.

  For your sake, do the research you need to do at this stage. I'm not sure your ready yourself to take that next step of spirituality that many are not willing to take. jwfacts.com helped me reason with myself and understand the true history of watchtower. For me that was a first step. But take some advice from others as well about getting away and chilling. Good luck.