Posts by Corney

Update: the same Shia group is going to purchase the second Pioneer Place property for £1,450,000, with the combined sale price of the complex totalling £5,950,000.

https://www.hyderi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/SGM-16th-February.pdf

17

In Los Angeles today-Facebook LIVE at 11 am PST. The Zalkin Law Firm has big News Conference

by AndersonsInfo in

https://www.facebook.com/zalkinlawfirm/ - facebook live today at 11 am pst.

the zalkin law firm - in la today, big news conference about a childhood sexual abuse survivor filing a lawsuit against the jehovah's witnesses..

For the record, the case (complaint, press release) has apparently been settled last September, which makes it the second molestation lawsuit against Watchtower prosecuted by Zalkin Law Firm in California and settled in or about that month.

9

Mexico: 2020 Census results released; bad news for the org?

by Corney in

a decade ago, the 2010 census found there were 1,561,086 jehovah's witnesses in mexico (census page > tabular data > basic questionnaire > religion).

and according to the recently released 2020 census results, the number of mexicans identifying as such has declined by 2% to 1,530,909. both figures greatly outnumber those reported by the organization (e.g., peak publishers: 710 thousands and 874 thousands respectively), which means the former ones include children and free-riders.

for comparison, the total population has grown by 12%, the catholic, adventist (sda) and mormon (lds) populations - by 5%, 16% and 6% respectively.

Corney

JJ

There are links in my post, leading to the site of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico (INEGI). I'm aware that in countries such as the USA, France, China, Russia etc. etc., censuses don't collect information on religous affiliation, but that is not the case everywhere.

slimboyfat

Thank you for interesting observations. I wasn't aware the Mormons had specific instructions regarding recent censuses (1; 2). As to the wording or design of religious affiliation question, it doesn't seem to change at all (3, question 6; 4, q. 4).

Also, have you noticed this information? - https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/gku8os/interesting_statistics_from_finland/

9

Mexico: 2020 Census results released; bad news for the org?

by Corney in

a decade ago, the 2010 census found there were 1,561,086 jehovah's witnesses in mexico (census page > tabular data > basic questionnaire > religion).

and according to the recently released 2020 census results, the number of mexicans identifying as such has declined by 2% to 1,530,909. both figures greatly outnumber those reported by the organization (e.g., peak publishers: 710 thousands and 874 thousands respectively), which means the former ones include children and free-riders.

for comparison, the total population has grown by 12%, the catholic, adventist (sda) and mormon (lds) populations - by 5%, 16% and 6% respectively.

Corney

A decade ago, the 2010 Census found there were 1,561,086 Jehovah's Witnesses in Mexico (Census page > Tabular data > Basic questionnaire > Religion). And according to the recently released 2020 Census results, the number of Mexicans identifying as such has declined by 2% to 1,530,909. Both figures greatly outnumber those reported by the organization (e.g., peak publishers: 710 thousands and 874 thousands respectively), which means the former ones include children and free-riders.

For comparison, the total population has grown by 12%, the Catholic, Adventist (SDA) and Mormon (LDS) populations - by 5%, 16% and 6% respectively. Also, between 2000 and 2010 the number of JWs has grown by 36% (total - 18%, Catholic, SDA and LDS - 13%, 22% and 41%).

Some questions still remain. First, it is one of accuracy. The recent census was conducted in March 2020 so it was impacted by the pandemic: some people - more than previously - were reluctant to respond, and the verification process was significantly delayed. But it is unlikely that the undercount, if any, was significant.

Second, it's one of interpretation. It should be noted that in terms of people aged 15 and over, the JW population has grown by 7% (total - 20%, Catholic, SDA and LDS - 11%, 24% and 15%). The largest decrease was for age groups 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 (by 1/3, 2/7 and 1/5 respectively); among those aged 15-24, it was 18%, etc. Beginning with the age group 40-44, there is a significant growth, up to between 60% and 80% for those aged 60 and over, significantly outnumbering the growth among general population. Which probably means the Jehovah's Witnesses lost many young free-riders (and perhaps active members) while still being succesful in converting older people. It is also possible that parents (especially non-JW and inactive JW ones) became more reluctant to identify their children as JW. Whatever inperpretation is correct, the recent census has some bad news for Watchtower.

20

Profanity on Surrey Kingdom Hall

by lssjr in

if it is a non-jw who did this as a result of their pandemic campaign (letter-writing and telephone calls), jehovah’s witnesses really need to check themselves.

they have been directed by their new york headquarters (since last year shortly after the start of the pandemic) to send letters to only people they know.

people don’t like receiving unwanted, unrequested, unsolicited letters and phone calls, especially from jehovah’s witnesses.. if it is a former member who received a letter as a result letter-writing pandemic campaign- most former members do not like being harassed by active jehovah’s witnesses and have been directed by their new york headquarters to send letters to and call only people they know.. .

Corney

lssjr

Perhaps it would surprise you to learn that not every unsolicited, unwelcome or even annoying contact constitutes harassment.

And RCMP believes the same guy probably also vandalised a school; is it also guilty of harassing him?

4

In 4-3 judgment, Montana Supreme Court allows Nunez ($35M) case to be relitigated under another legal theory

by Corney in

as a reminder, the plaintiff in that case, alexis nunez, was abused by her step-grandfather, maximo reyes, who have been disfellowshipped for one year for abusing his children.

she sued the organization for failure to report the known abuse to police and was awarded $35 million by a jury while another plaintiff (her aunt) lost her case.

the supreme court of montana reversed the award, finding that congregation and bethel elders were exempt from duty to report.. the plaintiff then asked the district court to allow her to sue the org again under another legal theory - common law negligence - which has been voluntarily abandoned by her counsel before the trial.

Corney

As a reminder, the plaintiff in that case, Alexis Nunez, was abused by her step-grandfather, Maximo Reyes, who have been disfellowshipped for one year for abusing his children. She sued the organization for failure to report the known abuse to police and was awarded $35 million by a jury while another plaintiff (her aunt) lost her case. The Supreme Court of Montana reversed the award, finding that congregation and Bethel elders were exempt from duty to report.

The plaintiff then asked the district court to allow her to sue the org again under another legal theory - common law negligence - which has been voluntarily abandoned by her counsel before the trial. The district court granted the motion; Watchtower appealed.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Montana denied the appeal. The Court unanimously found the res judicata rule doesn't apply here; by four votes to three, it also found the district court didn't abused its discretion since a good cause existed for not prosecuting the common law negligence theory in the first trial. The majority's reasoning on this key issue is contained in a single (¶23) paragraph of the 25 paragraph opinion.

Three justices dissented, stating that "the factual and legal rationales asserted by the District Court and this Court for not holding Nunez to her purely tactical decision to abandon her alternative common law negligence claim are unsound and indefensible under the particular circumstances of this case." In concluding his dissent, Justice Sandefur wrote:

Empathy is not a legal basis upon which to disregard the governing Rules of Civil Procedure, universally adopted for the purpose of ensuring fair and equal treatment and protection to all civil litigants, plaintiffs and defendants alike. While understandable, the Court’s empathy-driven, result-oriented holding today is not only erroneous and indefensible under the circumstances of this case, but further establishes terrible precedent that will surely foster similar unfair civil trial practice until we are inevitably forced to reverse or limit it as anomalous in the future under a less emotionally-gripping fact pattern. This is a classic case of the old adage that bad facts make bad law.

It is for the district court now to deal with the case.

Judgment: https://juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTrackId?DocId=343605

Case documents: https://courts.mt.gov/Portals/189/orders/caseInfo.html?id=OP%2020-0417

10

Senior Judge to Revisit Case-Law on Authorizing Medical Treatment Against Wishes of Mature Minor

by Corney in

jw
friends

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/ewhc/fam/2020/3003.html.

nearly two weeks ago, sir james munby, a privy council member, formerly a law commission chairman, high court's family division president, and a lord justice of appeal, issued a short emergency order in a blood transfusion case closely resembling mcewan's the children act.. here are some excerpts:.

2. the case involves the deeply troubling question of whether a blood transfusion should be administered to a young woman who is almost, not quite, 16, against her profound religious beliefs.

Corney

A good summary of the recent judgment: https://www.hilldickinson.com/insights/articles/conventional-wisdom-prevails-refusal-consent-medical-treatment-gillick-competent

10

Senior Judge to Revisit Case-Law on Authorizing Medical Treatment Against Wishes of Mature Minor

by Corney in

jw
friends

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/ewhc/fam/2020/3003.html.

nearly two weeks ago, sir james munby, a privy council member, formerly a law commission chairman, high court's family division president, and a lord justice of appeal, issued a short emergency order in a blood transfusion case closely resembling mcewan's the children act.. here are some excerpts:.

2. the case involves the deeply troubling question of whether a blood transfusion should be administered to a young woman who is almost, not quite, 16, against her profound religious beliefs.

Corney

Sir Judge Munby issued a further judgment on that case: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2021/65.html

After lengthy analysis, he affirmed "the continued validity" of the rules established in the early 1990s, rejecting the challenges raised by Shane Brady, including those relating to alleged incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights:

2 It is conventional wisdom that no child (that is, someone who has not reached the age of 18) has such an absolute right, and that even if the child is Gillick competent (see Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority [1986] AC 112) or, having reached the age of 16, comes within the ambit of section 8 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969, the court, in the exercise of its inherent parens patriae or wardship jurisdiction, can in an appropriate case – typically thought of as being a case where the consequence of the child's decision is likely to be serious risk to health or death – overrule the child's decision, either, as the case may be, vetoing some procedure to which the child has consented or directing that the child should undergo some procedure to which the child is objecting. That conventional wisdom is founded on the decisions of the Court of Appeal in In re R (A Minor) (Wardship: Consent to Treatment) [1992] Fam 11 and in In re W (A Minor) (Medical Treatment: Courts Jurisdiction) [1993] Fam 64.
3 In the present case that conventional wisdom has been challenged and put to the test. It is said that, whatever was or was not decided in those two cases, this is not the law. Times have changed, it is said. Views as to the proper balance between medical paternalism and patient autonomy have altered, with the balance, it is said, continuing to move against the former and in favour of the latter. The Human Rights Act 1998 has fundamentally changed the legal landscape as also, in this particular context, it is said, has the Mental Capacity Act 2005. And there have been other developments in the law; especial reliance is placed upon what is, on any footing, the very important decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in AC and Others v Manitoba (Director of Child and Family Services) 2009 SCC 30, [2009] 2 SCR 181, [2009] 5 LRC 557. These are important arguments that require the most careful consideration, not just because of the consequences for X, the child with whom I am concerned, but because of their potential impact on the law generally.
162 At the end of this lengthy analysis, my clear and firm conclusion is that the learning in In re R (A Minor) (Wardship: Consent to Treatment) [1992] Fam 11 and In re W (A Minor) (Medical Treatment: Courts Jurisdiction) [1993] Fam 64 emerges unscathed from Mr Brady's attack. The change for which he contends is a matter for Parliament, not the courts.

In the same time, the court refused to issue a "rolling order" covering future medical crises over the next two years until the child, who suffers from sickle cell syndrome, reaches the age of 18.

8

European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) dismissed numerous JW tax cases against Armenia

by Corney in

jw
friends

by three decisions handed down over the last year, the strasbourg court has declared 12 complaints, all named "christian religious organization of jehovah's witnesses against armenia", inadmissible.

the cases concerned imposition of value-added tax (vat) on imported literature - on 67 shipments received between 2007 and 2015, to be exact.

in short, the organization claimed that, first, the shipments should be tax-free pursuant to article 12 of the freedom of conscience act ("monetary and other gifts received by religious organisations, as well as income received from citizens shall not be subject to taxation"); secondly, the customs authorities arbitrarily determined the customs value of the imports based on, for example, the prices the bible society of armenia (affiliated with the dominant armenian apostolic church) sold imported religious literature.. up until march 2007, there were constant problems receiving regular shipments of religious literature, which should be tax-free but which customs arbitrarily reassessed at unpredictable higher values and then imposed a value-added tax of 20 percent.

Corney

Documents cited in the Decision mention "monetary and other gifts" received by religious organizations. Monetary. And. Other. Which means the provisions in question applied to non-monetary gifts as well.