Posts by NotFormer

46

August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

august watchtower has finally been leaked.

disfellowshipping?

NotFormer

"Defamation essentially involves harm or injury to a person’s reputation.

"And reputation is a social concept: It refers to a person’s standing in some relevant audience, i.e., the group or community beyond the speaker and the person."

https://www.journaloffreespeechlaw.org/simons.pdf

On the above basis announcing a disfellowshipment could be considered defamatory. It is certainly going to harm a person's reputation within the JW circle.

Let's remember that the merest whiff of legal action will make the WT change policy.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/8367/disassociation-versus-disfellowshipping

Defamation is mentioned in the above thread. From that thread:

"A couple of years ago, I asked an elder I knew well about this and other matters that had "wording" changed. Such as, not announcing why a person had been df'd. At the time, I was still active and didn't even know of the term 'disassociation.'

"His response? "Because they kept being sued, that's why! Satan is after the Society in any way he can. It's just words - they have to protect themselves."

"So....it's ok to change "words" to stay out of court. Such as disfellowshipped to disassociated. "It's just words" - the locals know that no real change has taken place"

It seems that the 2005 change relates to the above mentioned lawsuits.

25

New instructions on not using sisters to manage KH computer ?

by fifth.column in

since covid in france, especially in the countryside with lack of brothers, it was quite common that some sisters were using the computer at the back of the kingdom hall to manage zoom session.. i heard a rumor that new instructions, maybe a july letter, stated that this was reserved for male only, even unbaptised publishers, but no sister if there is at least a male available.

that would be a steps back and disappointment for these sisters.

last week i heard at my mom’s house how they were happy that this service was available for them, a proof that the org was moving forward.

NotFormer

Sisters can't operate the machine that goes "Bing". 🙄

35

Re-activate me?

by punkofnice in

there was a knock at my door and i thought it was my take-away being delivered.. long story short, it was 2 elders calling to see me.

i guess to re-activate me.

once they said who they were i recognised them.

NotFormer

"There was a knock at my door and I thought it was my take-away being delivered."

Sounds like whatever they were delivering, you didn't want it.

"Then my kebabs arrived.

"I just wanted to share that"

I love shared kebabs!🥙

But seriously, Punky, it sounds like you handled it very well. And great to see that you've moved beyond them far enough that you displayed no bitterness.

Do you think that the timing is just to do with the recent changes?

46

August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

august watchtower has finally been leaked.

disfellowshipping?

NotFormer

It could be argued that announcing that someone has been disfellowshipped could be defamatory by nature. In this jurisdiction, defamation was* defined as anything communicated to a third party that could lower that person's reputation in the eyes of their peers. A disfellowshipment announcement could certainly be seen in that light.

The change in 2005 was probably to deflect a possible rise in defamation suits against elders and possibly the GB as heading up the whole defamatory machine.**

*Current law is different from when I learned it

** There are probably still plenty of jurisdictions that would allow defamation suits over a disfellowshipping announcement, even though the principle I "quote" above isn't the current defamation law. I might have a look at different regimes to see if the WT's caution in changing the announcement was prudent, at least in the face of defamation suits, when I have time.

83

Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

by Ron.W. in

a slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.

elder: 'yes.

i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!

NotFormer

"Armageddon DID come in 1975. It had to because they actually said it would"

It came "invisibly". 🙄

20

Greeting a person(who was removed from the congregation) at the Kingdom Hall now becomes a matter of conscience

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

the watchtower—study edition | august 2024. help for those who are removed from the congregation.

14 does what we have considered mean that we would completely ignore a person who has been removed from the congregation?

not necessarily.

NotFormer

'A more accurate statement would be, “…In the past, you would be forbidden from greeting such a person…”'

But the new kind and gentle WT never controlled or dictated behaviour within the congregations. 🙄 Those stoopid worldly governments keep trying to hold the leadership accountable! 😱

83

Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

by Ron.W. in

a slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.

elder: 'yes.

i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!

NotFormer

"What did Tony Morris do?"

46

August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

august watchtower has finally been leaked.

disfellowshipping?

NotFormer

"Being “ removed “ actually sounds worse. It is like they have a mob hitman on stand by ready to kill you."

Sort of like "dealt with" and other mob-like euphemisms.

"Marking" as a term gives me bad vibes. It reminds me of "pointing the bone":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdaitcha

2

Lines You Never Used To Hear From A JW (But You Can Now)

by NotFormer in

inspired by ron.w.

's thread:.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5992982038183936/lines-you-would-never-hear-from-jehovahs-witness.

NotFormer

Inspired by Ron.W.'s thread:

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5992982038183936/lines-you-would-never-hear-from-jehovahs-witness

In honour of the light getting ever brighter, post your examples of this thread's title.

I'll start:

"Nice beard, Elder Jones!"

"Those slacks look so very practical for field service, especially in this weather, Sister Smith!"

83

Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

by Ron.W. in

a slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.

elder: 'yes.

i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!

NotFormer

"What happens behind the bedroom door is none of our business". (Apologies if someone has said it already - the thread is getting rather long!)