Posts by MadApostate

46

WTBTS Innocent in Swaggart Case?

by troubled in

jw
friends

awhile back, i saw information on another web site about the wtbts's involvement with the swaggart case.

the information was presented in a way that depicted the wtbts as involved with the swaggart case and, therefore, false religion.. at first, i was shocked.

however, i did some research on what an amicus curie is.

MadApostate

AlanF:

I really need that ten grand by the way.

Until then, if you can back up (as in hard copy documents) the allegations you make above that:

1. The WTS invoices Mag & Lit shipments, including monetary amounts.

2. The WTS states that Mags & Lit will be withheld unless the Cong's account is "kept current."

THEN such documents should be forwarded to California's (and other states) Revenue/Taxation agencies for review. If the above situations can be documented, then it is my opinion that a State would rule that "sales" are occurring regardless of the disguises that are being used.

Tax law is different from other branches of the law which often ride on interpretation. Tax law is more black and white, and less likely to allow people to get away with "technicalities". Remember who nailed Al Capone's ass, when no one else could. If one State could be convinced to go after the WTS, and they succeed, the rest of the states would follow suit.

DO YOU HAVE THE EVIDENCE?

133

BERRY LAWSUIT EVALUATED

by MadApostate in

jw
friends

i would like to preface my discussion of the recently filed berry lawsuit with several remarks.

first, i am not an attorney, and my only connection with the legal profession is that which occasionally arises out of my personal or business affairs.

second, i have no access to court records, opinions, etc., other than what is available via internet search engines.

MadApostate

Max:

Thanks for the "grin".

Are you saying that Rees is Alive or Dead?

As for the allegation that a Church can't be sued in Maine, but can be in adjoining states- that just doesn't even sound logical.

The obstacle to ANY lawsuit against a Church are the constitutional guarantees found in the US Constitution, and such obviously apply in every state. The only reason the US Supreme Court would have denied cert was because they were in total agreement with the way the Maine SC had ruled in the WTS's favor. This also tells you that the Maine SC's ruling can be used to evaluate the same arguments that arise in other states.

The only way that I can see that Rees could be "alive" in any sense is that Waxman is trying to sue the WTS on totally different grounds, which would really mean it would be a completely NEW LAWSUIT. Is that what you are implying? If that is the case, and there is "some" new angle, WHY would Jeffrey Anderson simply be repeating the original Rees arguments, which got nowhere in court?

I will agree with one thing. Anderson is one of the top (if not THE TOP) attorneys to take on the WTS. His credentials and case history is impressive. However, his online resume doesn't always tell the full story. I've found some online info which indicates that some of his mentioned "Victories" were reversed on Appeal, and some Damages were later reduced.

8

DF/DA people reinstated?

by Billygoat in

jw
friends

does anybody have a fairly accurate number of those that are dfed or daed, that have been reinstated?

i'm just curious as to how many that leave actually go back.

i was always led to believe from my parents that i was one of [italics]the few[/italics] that hasn't come back.

MadApostate

NY:

I know of one. The person DA'ed because the Elders were totally wrong and behaving like asses, so the person DA'ed just to get them off their back.

Person moved, and was reinstated later. I'm not sure how involved the original elders were in the Re decision?

133

BERRY LAWSUIT EVALUATED

by MadApostate in

jw
friends

i would like to preface my discussion of the recently filed berry lawsuit with several remarks.

first, i am not an attorney, and my only connection with the legal profession is that which occasionally arises out of my personal or business affairs.

second, i have no access to court records, opinions, etc., other than what is available via internet search engines.

MadApostate

UR:

I must beg to differ. The Rees case was a Maine state court case which was appealed to the USSC by Rees on the US Constitutional issues. A "Writ of Cert" is kinda like an application to join the Moose Club. If you are denied, you can't say I was once a member because they considered my application.

133

BERRY LAWSUIT EVALUATED

by MadApostate in

jw
friends

i would like to preface my discussion of the recently filed berry lawsuit with several remarks.

first, i am not an attorney, and my only connection with the legal profession is that which occasionally arises out of my personal or business affairs.

second, i have no access to court records, opinions, etc., other than what is available via internet search engines.

MadApostate

A few minutes ago, KrazyKent (in his "Circumstances" thread) posted an email from an "anonymous" source (which KK just so happens to know is totally credible) which states that the Bryan Rees v. Watchtower case is "still alive in the federal courts".

As I have indicated in posts above in this thread, the Rees case has been DEAD since February 2000, yet a certain "clique" of XJWs continue to misrepresent it to their fellow XJWs as a potential threat to the WTS.

Go to this link:

http://supreme.pub.findlaw.com/supreme_court/orders/1999/022800.html

Tab down to the "Certiorari Denied" section, then look for: Bryan R. v. Watchtower Bible et al.

For those who don't know what it means for "certiorari" to be denied by the US Supreme Court, there is a dictionary in the yellow bar at the top of that page.

As for KrazyKent's "expert source", who said this case was "still alive in the federal courts", one should note that this case was NEVER IN THE FEDERAL COURTS to begin with. If KK had the slightest bit of knowledge with that which he wants us to accept his authority on, he would have spotted his sources error to start with.

8

DF/DA people reinstated?

by Billygoat in

jw
friends

does anybody have a fairly accurate number of those that are dfed or daed, that have been reinstated?

i'm just curious as to how many that leave actually go back.

i was always led to believe from my parents that i was one of [italics]the few[/italics] that hasn't come back.

MadApostate

Simply guessing (no proof), but I would say there are probably more DF/DA in the US than there are "actives"- 1,000,000.

11

Disfellowshipped Counted?

by YHWHWho in

jw
friends

my brother was just here and of course since we are both disfellowshipped we have nothing better to talk about than jw bs.

so as he understands it those of us that are disfellowshipped are still counted as jw's by the society.

on one hand i could understand the math.

MadApostate

As Mulan indicates, my recollection is that "erroneous Memorial partakers" are reported as such, and Are Not Counted by the WTS.

My guess is that there are more "erroneous" paratakers each year than the 8XXX "professed" partakers. My basis for such is my own past experience. I can't even remember/count all the Memorials that I attended where one or more "invitees" took one or both of the emblems.

133

BERRY LAWSUIT EVALUATED

by MadApostate in

jw
friends

i would like to preface my discussion of the recently filed berry lawsuit with several remarks.

first, i am not an attorney, and my only connection with the legal profession is that which occasionally arises out of my personal or business affairs.

second, i have no access to court records, opinions, etc., other than what is available via internet search engines.

MadApostate

I'm still waiting on someone to answer the qustions that I have posted above.

Until then, I believe everyone should find the following magazine article extremely interesting.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shielding Pedophile Priests?

"Some dioceses still shield priests accused of pedophilia," ran a recent headline in the U.S. newspaper National Catholic Reporter. The newspaper interviewed Jeffrey Anderson, a lawyer who specializes in cases of sexual abuse. He estimates that since 1985, when priestly pedophilia came under increased public scrutiny, there have been over a thousand cases in which priests molested children. Anderson had some harsh words for the church's response to the ongoing crisis: "It is a continuing saga of avoiding responsibility," he charges, decrying the church's focus on protecting the accused clerics. "As a general rule, the institutional response of the church has been willfully inadequate both in tending to victims and dealing with risks." --AWAKE 8/22/91 p.29

133

BERRY LAWSUIT EVALUATED

by MadApostate in

jw
friends

i would like to preface my discussion of the recently filed berry lawsuit with several remarks.

first, i am not an attorney, and my only connection with the legal profession is that which occasionally arises out of my personal or business affairs.

second, i have no access to court records, opinions, etc., other than what is available via internet search engines.

MadApostate

Since E.H. isn't gonna answer my questions, maybe someone else would like to try.

It would be nice if the answers are "legally" based!

22

Should you write to the society?

by sleepy in

jw
friends

when someone comes across something in the "truth" that disterbs them should they write to the society or is this pointless?.

i think they should write for several reasons.. 1.you must give them at least a chance to present their side of the story.it is no good just relying for others for your information you can not be shure what the society really belive until you hear it from them yourself.. wasn't just relying on the judgement of others part of what got you in in the first place.. its good for us to try and advance in our way of thinking during life and part of this involves doing our own research which is not complete until we go to the source of our conflict.. also if you bring up the point with someone it gives more weight to your argument if mention you wrote to the society and this was their answer.. 2. the more poeple that write in with the same points the more difficult it will be for them to hold to an erroneous stand.. the more different people that write the more ways of expresing the point will be heared different ways will make sence to different people.. remember its not just the same person answering all letters but different people who will have to do research an answer your point, which could make them think.. (this assumes that the society is genuinely mistaken and not corupt, although it could be a bit of both).

of cource if you do not want hassle off your elders dont tell the society you are a brother/sister or just give a different name ,prehaps you could give the address of your place of work or somewhere else if you don't want to be traced easily.. in my case i just made it sound like i was an intrested person.. or you could make out that you need some help in presenting the societies case to an intrested person who has quetions.

MadApostate

Troubled:

I don't know what your current circumstances are with respect to your association with the Borg, but sounds like you are inactive(?) and questioning.

IMHO, writing the WTS with concerns/questions is the BEST way to uncover their true nature.

No matter how respectful, tactful, etc your letter is, IF you question a teaching you will receive retribution from the local cong in some way or another. It may be later than sooner, depending on how much groveling you do in the letter, but they WILL GET YOU!!!