It is a great example of the WT technique to try to "define away" any issues, "death by definition". In this case they were trying to strain out the gnat of "in care", because they don't actually provide care for anyone. 🙄 But the legal system saw through the ruse and told them to get knotted, because they do have a hierarchical system that allows adults to have charge over children who aren't their own. Insisting that children be always involved in activities with unrelated adults was always going to create a vulnerability.
NotFormer
JoinedPosts by NotFormer
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30
Jehovah's Witness' bid to be excluded from abuse inquiry dismissed
by Tahoe inlink to article.
a legal bid by the jehovah's witness church to get out of being part of the royal commission of inquiry into abuse in care has been dismissed by the high court in wellington.. after nearly three years of behind-the-scenes legal wrangling to avoid scrutiny from the inquiry, the church applied for a judicial review in june.. at a hearing, held earlier this month it argued it was beyond the inquiry's scope because it did not operate institutions that cared for children or vulnerable people and the inquiry had uncovered no evidence of abuse in that context.. lawyers representing the inquiry argued that jehovah's witness elders - equivalent to ministers or pastors - exercised a level of control over the congregation that allowed them access to children.. the inquiry informed abuse survivors who gave evidence to the inquiry in relation to the jehovah's witnesses of the news this afternoon.. "we have received advice from the high court that none of the causes of action brought by the jehovah's witnesses has succeeded and the application for judicial review has been dismissed.
the judge's reasons are not yet available, but are expected in the near future," the email to survivors, seen by rnz, said.. the church was the only faith-based institution in the country to legally challenge its involvement in the inquiry, although it had attempted to challenge its status in other countries where similar inquiries have also been carried out.. the inquiry said, in a statement, that the dismissal "means the royal commission can continue to investigate the jehovah's witnesses, and all other faiths, in accordance with the pastoral care approach we have been applying since 2019".. "reasons for the high court's judgment are not yet available but are expected in the near future.
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2023-10-13-Announcement (Reporting Field Service)
by Atlantis in2023-10-13-announcements (reporting field service).
page 1. https://imgbox.com/96lgsfw4 .
page 2. https://imgbox.com/zynoa02m .
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NotFormer
Vidiot, the decline is slower than most would like, but it is noticeable, even to outsiders like me who know what to look for. It may take decades to fade, but I doubt it will ever be the "mighty" org they were when they could point to all three of your points and say "See, this proves we're God's earthly organisation!"
I wonder if we'll ever see them down to a million members? Armstrong's Church of God used to have five million members. Now, as Grace Communion International, they "boast" of having fifty thousand members internationally! And they were a very similar beast to the WT. There are still Bible Students groups loyal to Russell (!), but their total number is estimated in the tens of thousands.
Perhaps we can dream of a day when jw.org is a patchy website that brags about its 100,000 followers worldwide...
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This caught my eye…
by Vidiot inhttps://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3a%2f%2fpreview.redd.it%2foctober-17-announcements-they-need-licensed-lawyers-and-v0-kt2zmsb6hyvb1.jpg%3fwidth%3d1080%26crop%3dsmart%26auto%3dwebp%26s%3d2c1aa3fdd41235734f8e1fc07431a670d53a2a9a.
even though the org reps would probably ask any attendees to temporarily relinquish any mobile-slash-recording devices, i can’t help but wonder if there are any pimos out there with the requisite legal experiences who could conceivably arrange to attend, and tell us exactly what it’s all about..
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NotFormer
Any leaks might help in outing a PIMO to the powers that be, unfortunately. It's a nice thought, though!
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TODAY is my 56th anniversary of GOING TO PRISON as a Jehovah's Witness Conscientious Objector
by Terry inwhat happened to jehovah’s witness young men and why did it happen?______in the 1960s men of draft age were called upon to either serve in the military (during the vietnam war) or to comply with the alternate service option: serving in a hospital or community in need.. non-jehovah’s witnesses were faced with only one refusal: military service.jw boys and young men were instructed (in private) to refuse the alternate civilian service as well.
the superior authorities had made this exemption for people of conscience.the law was clear on this.
if we worked in a hospital community we would be free to go about our witnessing ministry - if we double-refused: we would languish in prison.a no-brainer to them.
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NotFormer
The utter hypocrisy and lack of concern for others is saddening. Doesn't their own bible say (Luke 6:31) “Also, just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them"? But it seems more like "Do as we say, not as we do".
They're a terrible cult. SMH 😔
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Whatever happened to NewChapter?
by Etude init's been a while since i've been online here so, forgive me if i seem clueless.
i found a doc with a link newchapter posted several years ago.
she was writing about violence and abortion and gave quite a few stats.
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NotFormer
It's interesting to see people go from "politically neutral" to overtly political. It seems to happen in both directions. It can sometimes be hard to just agree to disagree. I guess the repression needs an outlet.
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2023-10-17 and 2023-10-20 Letters!
by Atlantis in2023-10-17-legal seminar.
page 1. https://imgbox.com/cm4qip9v .
page 2. https://imgbox.com/rvnapwrq .
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NotFormer
To be fair "emotional health" probably covers mental health.
The ridiculous intrusiveness of the A19 form is incredible, though. Are we sure that this"leak" isn't someone having a lend? Or a way for Bethel to track down leaks?
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TODAY is my 56th anniversary of GOING TO PRISON as a Jehovah's Witness Conscientious Objector
by Terry inwhat happened to jehovah’s witness young men and why did it happen?______in the 1960s men of draft age were called upon to either serve in the military (during the vietnam war) or to comply with the alternate service option: serving in a hospital or community in need.. non-jehovah’s witnesses were faced with only one refusal: military service.jw boys and young men were instructed (in private) to refuse the alternate civilian service as well.
the superior authorities had made this exemption for people of conscience.the law was clear on this.
if we worked in a hospital community we would be free to go about our witnessing ministry - if we double-refused: we would languish in prison.a no-brainer to them.
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NotFormer
They could always have allowed conscription, or at least civilian service in lieu, based on Matthew 5:41. Being compelled to carry a Roman soldier's pack for a mile was a form of conscription.
But the GB wanted martyrs. Just as in the 90s they gloated about the deaths of children who refused blood transfusions, they wanted loyalty to the point of being imprisoned by young, healthy adults. It was also apparently a great way to recruit Bethelites.
After people like Terry sacrificed their youth and gained criminal records for themselves, the WT never acknowledged them or rewarded them in any way for their faithfulness. Then they quietly changed the rules...
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Selena Vertolomo "The Mower" and her sister Sherrie call into The Six Screens TIME STAMP 2:53
by RESPECTFUL OBSERVER inselena vertolomo, former jehovah's witnesses who was sexually abused in watchtower, went to visit tony morris in north carolina.
selena and her sister call in and explain their position.
callers dial in from around the world and ask plenty of questions.
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NotFormer
BTW, I find it interesting that the blood doctrine came in not long after Rutherford's death from illness. Was he having blood transfusions as part of his treatment?
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Selena Vertolomo "The Mower" and her sister Sherrie call into The Six Screens TIME STAMP 2:53
by RESPECTFUL OBSERVER inselena vertolomo, former jehovah's witnesses who was sexually abused in watchtower, went to visit tony morris in north carolina.
selena and her sister call in and explain their position.
callers dial in from around the world and ask plenty of questions.
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NotFormer
I agree with Diogenesister that, metaphorically, the GB demands the sacrifice of babies. When this Selena first made that claim I thought, "Well, she's technically correct".
I think it was in the 90s that a bizarre issue of the Watchtower was published, featuring pictures of children on its cover. When you read the article, it turned out that these children had all died from refusing blood transfusions*, in obedience to the GB's blood doctrine. Those arrogant mofos were gloating over the deaths of children, sacrificed to the blood doctrine!
I don't for a minute believe that the GB holds satanic rites where they murder babies, if that's what's being asserted.
* It's possible that a few of those kids may have died anyway even if they had had transfusions, due to the severity of the illnesses which they had, but the GB were sure as shooting happy that those children had been obedient unto death, and lauding their own blood doctrine for it. They seemed pretty convinced of cause and effect in these deaths.
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Selena Vertolomo "The Mower" and her sister Sherrie call into The Six Screens TIME STAMP 2:53
by RESPECTFUL OBSERVER inselena vertolomo, former jehovah's witnesses who was sexually abused in watchtower, went to visit tony morris in north carolina.
selena and her sister call in and explain their position.
callers dial in from around the world and ask plenty of questions.
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NotFormer
Yeah, nothing I've heard about her passes "the sniff test", as far as I'm concerned.
The idea that there is a secret society operating within the organisation is a fun one, though 😸👍.