I just googled Gordon Leighton Newcastle Crown Court.
See for yourself how many news outlets are carrying this story.
Wayward Son
JoinedPosts by Wayward Son
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172
Britain | Jehovah's Witnesses hushed up child sex scandal | July 16, 2013
by jwleaks inchurch officials hushed up a child sex scandal in their ranks and refused to co-operate with police.. .
jehovah witness ministerial servant gordon leighton admitted sexually abusing a child when he was confronted by his church elders, a court heard.. but during the official police investigation, the 53-year-old who made headlines in the 1990s when wife yvonne, 28, died after refusing a blood transfusion after childbirth on religious grounds denied any illegal wrongdoing.. and when detectives asked elders simon preyser, harry logan and david scott to make statements about the confession, all three refused and said what they had heard was confidential.. for three years, the elders refused to co-operate with the criminal investigation and kept up that stance when the case was brought before newcastle crown court after the victim made a complaint to police.. each was issued with a witness summons which they fought to overturn before being ordered to testify by judge penny moreland citing public interest.. their barrister richard daniels said the men had a duty to god not to breach confidence.. he added: privileged communication between members of the congregation and ministers is an absolute right and duty and there is no power in law to breach such a confidence.. judge moreland said: it is apparent that the three elders who were present when this conversation took place are in possession of relevant evidence as to a point which is of real significance in this case.. they claim the right of confidentiality, they claim that what they heard said by the defendant during the course of that meeting ought to be subject to privilege, as ministers of religion.. judge moreland refused to withdraw the summonses and said: public interest is clearly in favour of this evidence being given.. what was said by the defendant on that occasion is of great significance in the trial.. despite the judges ruling, the men still refused to make statements to police until just hours before they were called before the jury.. leighton, who has since been expelled from the church at lambton kingdom hall in washington, denied two charges of indecency with a child and seven of indecent assault.. he was yesterday found guilty of two charges of indecency with a child and six of indecent assault.
he was found not guilty of one indecent assault charge, on the direction of the judge.. he was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month but warned he is facing a lengthy spell behind bars.. prosecutor katherine dunn told the court the victim, who is now an adult, broke her silence in 2009.. the court heard how at a special church meeting, leighton admitted sexual abuse and made excuses for his behaviour.. miss dunn said: the elders conducted their own investigation.
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When Is Armageddon? Really?
by Cold Steel inyeah, i know that it's been just around the corner for as long as there have been corners, but my question adds just a little different twist, and that twist is: is there anything (according to the gb) that needs to take place before armageddon?
or can it happen any moment?
and what will be the first signs of armageddon?
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Wayward Son
bookmarked
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I found something in Watchtower literature I can agree with.
by Indian Larry ini ran across this excerpt from studies in the scriptures vol iv.
in it russell rails on as to why you should not tie youreself to any organization.
in a way he unknowingly predicts how the watchtower would turn against real "truth seekers" in their own organization, (quite possible the only prediction he ever got correct) and then goes on to show how the deluded witness just can't see how they can have a relationship with christ without a earthly organization.. .
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Wayward Son
bookmarked
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My Jehovah's Witness broke up with me :(
by jws ina few months ago, the jws came knocking on my door (see thread).. this discussion continued and the next time she brought a man along with her.
i told them that i'd study with them if they could prove to me god exists and the bible was his book.
for our next visit, only the man showed up.
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Wayward Son
Thanks mp.
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My Jehovah's Witness broke up with me :(
by jws ina few months ago, the jws came knocking on my door (see thread).. this discussion continued and the next time she brought a man along with her.
i told them that i'd study with them if they could prove to me god exists and the bible was his book.
for our next visit, only the man showed up.
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Wayward Son
I had compiled a document over 50 pages long of contradictions and other silly stuff from the Bible. Places where it contradicted itself, places where it didn't match science, and places where there was just no logic to it.
Can you post this list or direct us to a link where it can be found?
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Critical Thinking
by Wayward Son inwe may not be able to get them into a university but perhaps we can at least introduce them to the skills that will help them.. .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6olpl5p0fmg.
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Wayward Son
We may not be able to get them into a university but perhaps we can at least introduce them to the skills that will help them.
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Tech49 on DC: Experiences are not truthful
by Tech49 ini was sent a link to a homemade video from our summer district convention, not the one i attended, but the next weekend.
it was a video of a local brother, relating his "experience" of "trusting in jehovah", and how he was blessed.. it was just about 1 short minute long.
ms harper showed it to me first, she wanted to get my comment on it before she said a word.. background: we both know this brother, he is about our age, so we know the "real" story.. anyways, his story goes like this: this experience goes back about 10 years (jeez, we must be really searching for the experiences now!).
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Wayward Son
I was sent a link to a homemade video from our summer District Convention
Not just any District Convention. The God's Word is Truth District Convention.
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Masterful Refutation Of The July 15 WT "New Light" Articles
by Room 215 indon't know whether anyone has made prior reference to this treatise by doug mason -- if so, i most have missed it; but it's an important document and "keeper" for anyone interested in throughly acquainting themselves with the logical and scriptural fallacies, not to mention the underlying intellectual dishonesty of this "gb = fds" change: http://www.jwstudies.com/the_truth_changes.pdf.
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Wayward Son
bookmarked
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About Anonymous they are working on things as we speak!
by life is to short insoldier 77 just posted this about two hours ago but i think his post got lost is the great debate and straw mans that another posters was throwing around.. anyway i hope soldier 77 does not mind if i make a thread from his insight.
soldier 77 "this seems to have missed in the tangent argument going on: http://pastebin.com/3nitctlf.
anonymous are needing some more people on the inside to help.
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Wayward Son
LITS said:
The police are well aware that JW's send their pedophiles out. It is not against the law where I live for child molesters to go door to door.
If an elder takes a known child molester to someone's home and that child molester goes back to harm the child the person who took the molester they could be held responsible.
Okay, I'm getting a headache.
So for all the liability being placed on those who do not curtail the activities of a known pedophile, the police will not act until after the pedophile has harmed a child.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
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JW hate group
by Wayward Son inaccording to wikipedias definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hate_group), a hate group is an organized group or movement whose primary purpose is to promote animosity, hatred, hostility or violence toward members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.... the southern poverty law center explains that inclusion of a group in the list does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity.. under the category of religious hate groups, westboro baptist church was cited for promoting hatred toward homosexuals.
creativity movement and aryan nation were mentioned as promoting racial hatred.. is it a stretch to categorize the watchtowers rhetoric toward apostates as that of a hate group?
keeping in mind that promoting or engaging in violence is not required to be identified as a hate group, does the constant degradation of other religious philosophies, organizations and adherents constitute hate speech?
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Wayward Son
According to Wikipedia’s definition ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_group), a hate group is an organized group or movement whose primary purpose is to promote animosity, hatred, hostility or violence toward members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.… The Southern Poverty Law Center explains that inclusion of a group in the list does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity.
Under the category of religious hate groups, Westboro Baptist Church was cited for promoting hatred toward homosexuals. Creativity Movement and Aryan Nation were mentioned as promoting racial hatred.
Is it a stretch to categorize the Watchtower’s rhetoric toward “apostates” as that of a hate group? Keeping in mind that promoting or engaging in violence is not required to be identified as a hate group, does the constant degradation of other religious philosophies, organizations and adherents constitute hate speech?