G.
TerryWalstrom
JoinedPosts by TerryWalstrom
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THIS IS A FUN QUIZ: Test your deep knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses
by TerryWalstrom inthis is a pop quiz.
this quiz will test your deep knowledge of jehovah's witnesses.. the question will be immediately followed by the source of the answer and the answer itself.. please test yourself by stopping after the question and thinking about how you would answer.
before reading the answer.
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THIS IS A FUN QUIZ: Test your deep knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses
by TerryWalstrom inthis is a pop quiz.
this quiz will test your deep knowledge of jehovah's witnesses.. the question will be immediately followed by the source of the answer and the answer itself.. please test yourself by stopping after the question and thinking about how you would answer.
before reading the answer.
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TerryWalstrom
This is a Pop Quiz
This quiz will test your DEEP knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Question will be immediately followed by the source of the answer and the answer itself.
Please test yourself by stopping after the question and thinking about how you would answer
before reading the answer. Or else--it isn't really a quiz, now is it? :)
Pencil ready? Put on your thinking cap.
When you finish, (you are on the honor system) report your correct vs. incorrect answers.
BEGIN!
A.
Question: This entity known as _____________ is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah’s Witnesses. It holds the copyrights of most literature published by JW’s.
Question: What year was the “Society” founded? Who was the first President? Who was secretary-treasurer?
______________________________________________________
A.
Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(Watchtower, 1993), p. 576.
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, United States. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses, often referred to as "The Society". It holds the copyrights of most literature published by Jehovah's Witnesses. The society was founded in 1881 with William Henry Conley, a Pittsburgh businessman, as the first president and Charles Taze Russell as secretary-treasurer.
B.
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. stated purposes are:
Choose any from the following list which apply
1. Charitable
2. benevolent
3. scientific
4. historical
5. literary
6. religious purposes
7. the moral and mental improvement of men and women
8. the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and for religious missionary work.
B.
"The Warning Work (1909-1914)", The Watchtower, March 1, 1955, page 141
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. is a corporation used by Jehovah's Witnesses, which is responsible for administrative matters, such as real estate, especially within the United States. This corporation is typically cited as the publisher of Jehovah's Witnesses publications, though other publishers are sometimes cited. The corporation's stated purposes are: “Charitable, benevolent, scientific, historical, literary and religious purposes; the moral and mental improvement of men and women, the dissemination of Bible truths in various languages by means of the publication of tracts, pamphlets, papers and other religious documents, and for religious missionary work.”
C.
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. directors need to be members of the Governing Body. True/ False?
C.
"How the Governing Body Differs From a Legal Corporation". The Watchtower: 29. 15 January 2001.
True: Until 2000, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses was president of both the Watch Tower (Pennsylvania) and Watchtower (New York) corporations, as well as Britain's International Bible Students Association corporation; in 2001, it was decided that the corporations' directors need not be members of the Governing Body
D. Jehovah’s Witnesses are controlled worldwide by non-profit corporations.
In the United States, as of 2001, does this religion report any annual revenue? Y/N?
___________________________________________________
D.
"Newsday.com article". Watchtowernews.org. 2001-09-17. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
In 2001 the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York was listed among the top forty revenue-generating companies in New York City, reporting an annual revenue of about 951 million US dollars.
E. Does the International Bible Students Association support and promote Jehovah’s Witnesses? Y/N?
____________________________________________________________________
E.
"Charity Commission (UK): International Bible Students Association.". Retrieved 2013-06-06.
YES: The International Bible Students Association (IBSA) is a corporate not-for-profit organizationused by Jehovah's Witnesses in the United Kingdom for the production and distribution of religious literature. Its stated purpose is "to promote the Christian religion by supporting congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses and others in connection with their spiritual and material welfare in Britain and abroad within the charitable purposes of the Association."
F. Is Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. and its subordinates required to file federal income tax returns? Y/N?
_________________________________________________________
F.
No: Your organization and its subordinates are not required to file federal income tax returns unless subject to the tax on unrelated business income under section 51 1 of the Code.
G. Jehovah’s Witness policy of prohibition of Alternate service acceptance in lieu of military service was changed in 1996 to a ‘matter of conscience’ because of what?
________________________________________________________
G.
H. Year designated by Pastor Russell as the year of Christ’s invisible return? Year predicted as the visible return of Christ?
_____________________________________________________________
H.
http://www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs_witnesses/timeline.htm
1874
Year designated by Charles Taze Russell as the year of Christ's invisible return (with the visible return to occur in 1914).
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Doctrine, Disfellowshipping and the IRS
by OrphanCrow ini watched an episode of "lie to me" on netflix that piqued my curiosity.. .
in the episode truth or consequences, a cult leader is investigated by the irs to determine if his cult has tax exemption or not.. one of the criteria that has to be met in order to be a legitimate 'church' or 'religion' in the eyes of the irs is that the members have to display "genuine belief'.. here is the portion of the script that speaks of this:.
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=lie-to-me&episode=s02e02.
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TerryWalstrom
I just saw this. Insightful, clever, ingenious, and persuasive!
Are you a physician, btw?
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Legal scholars: JW court cases before Supreme Court were "accidental wins."
by TerryWalstrom inthe outcomes of jehovah's witness court cases, to most first amendment scholars, the witness successes in court, especially the supreme court, were accidental.
legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the witnesses' methods for bringing about first amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching.
for example, legal scholar bernard schwartz noted that jehovah's witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only seeking to propagate their unpopular creed.
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TerryWalstrom
I am sorry if I didn't 'get' the title of your thread - when I read the thread title, it appeared like the thread is about legal scholars who say that the WTS legal strategies were accidental. Henderson's paper you quote from does not support this position.
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I don't disagree you--all of us--need to speak up when we see misrepresentations by anybody at any time. Since you brought this to my intention, I can see how you would form the impression you formed. No fault, no harm, no foul.
I could have given more prudent thought to my Subject title.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'll try to be more perspicacious in the future.
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American Sniper - courage or cowardice?
by Simon inthe movie american sniper is breaking box office records and of course there is some irony that a movie about a sniper is released on martin luther king day (who was shot by one).. but of course there is a world of difference between an assassin and a military sniper ... or is there?.
some are making a big stink about it and claiming that "snipers are cowards".
it seems unfair to me.
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TerryWalstrom
St. Augustine crafted something for Christians he called the JUST WAR THEORY.
The 'Just' part meant there was justice to waging that kind of war.
The Devil, of course, was in the details.
At best, self-defense on a national scale, is a Just War.
Push outward, the Slippery Slope quickly comes to view.
Pearl Harbor would give Augustine no problems, surely.
The war in Afghanistan might call for the Pope to convoke a counsel:)
As to my own personal opinion?
I remember the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and agree with Butch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5f5_KdLEw4
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Legal scholars: JW court cases before Supreme Court were "accidental wins."
by TerryWalstrom inthe outcomes of jehovah's witness court cases, to most first amendment scholars, the witness successes in court, especially the supreme court, were accidental.
legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the witnesses' methods for bringing about first amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching.
for example, legal scholar bernard schwartz noted that jehovah's witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only seeking to propagate their unpopular creed.
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TerryWalstrom
Well, let's face it--I CHOSE that course after being counseled to do so.
I trusted. I was loyal. I did not and could not understand the WTS' reasoning on neutrality in any meaningful way, although I could articulate specifically what I was given to say.
There is an actual term which applies to people like me.
"USEFUL IDIOT"
A useful idiot is someone who supports one side of an ideological debate, but who is manipulated and held in contempt by the leaders of their faction or is unaware of the ultimate agenda driving the ideology to which they subscribe.
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Legal scholars: JW court cases before Supreme Court were "accidental wins."
by TerryWalstrom inthe outcomes of jehovah's witness court cases, to most first amendment scholars, the witness successes in court, especially the supreme court, were accidental.
legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the witnesses' methods for bringing about first amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching.
for example, legal scholar bernard schwartz noted that jehovah's witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only seeking to propagate their unpopular creed.
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TerryWalstrom
OrphanCrow3 hours ago
Terry, I have read the article by Henderson and I think that your opening post misrepresents her paper and focus of research.
It appears, both from your title and your selection of text to use for quotes, that she is in agreement with the statements that you selected. The statements you selected from her paper were presented as opposing views to her thesis.
Henderson is not in agreement with the selected text - she is stating those things as pre-existing views in scholarly circles, and her paper is an attempt to correct those misconceptions.
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Let's not get too excited!
Ask yourself how you were able to determine the author was in agreement with the WT and you'll have to answer, "I read it for myself in the link provided by Terry."
Unlike Watchtower selected quotes which ignore context, I provided the means by which you and all others can read the ENTIRE context and reasoning of the author.
At the first of the above article, Henderson presents the view of legal scholars which is reflected in my Topic Subject Heading.
If you can suggest a better subject heading, maybe we can get one of the moderators to change it to your preferred suggestion.
Eh wot?
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Legal scholars: JW court cases before Supreme Court were "accidental wins."
by TerryWalstrom inthe outcomes of jehovah's witness court cases, to most first amendment scholars, the witness successes in court, especially the supreme court, were accidental.
legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the witnesses' methods for bringing about first amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching.
for example, legal scholar bernard schwartz noted that jehovah's witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only seeking to propagate their unpopular creed.
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TerryWalstrom
I have written the following letter and e-mailed it a minute ago.
Professor Henderson,I had the pleasure of reading the above attested article on the legal stratagems of the Watchtower Society in the 30's and 40's under J.F. Rutherford, Olin Moyle, Hayden C. Covington, et al. I am moved to bring three things to your attention to fill in some gray areas which are not mentioned in your well-researched paper.Beginning in 1929, Watchtower President J.F.Rutherford unilaterally changed the historically accepted interpretation of Romans 13: 1,2. This verse had, for over 2,000 years, been taken at face value; to wit: obedience to government was incumbent upon Christians because it was God who had appointed them in their authority. In the Watchtower magazine Judge Rutherford reversed the interpretation summarily! ("The Higher Powers", Watch Tower, June 1929, pages 163-169, 179-185)The official history of Jehovah's Witnesses, JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN THE DIVINE PURPOSE, says about this change," There were many false doctrines and practices that had not yet been cleaned outof the organization . Not all of them were recognized at once, but gradually over theyears that followed it became evident to what extent the brothers had been in Babylonish captivity at that time . With considerable misunderstanding they hadaccepted earthly political governments as the "superior authorities" that God hadordained according to Romans 13 :1 ; and as a result the Witnesses had been held infear of man, particularly the civil rulers ."(Chapter 14, Par. 1) As you can see, even in 1959, Jehovah's Witnesses were still convinced the governmental and civil authorities were not to be submitted to, nor feared.Why am I calling this to your attention? Because this capricious, arbitrary, and whimsical corruption of interpretation (measured by the fact it was later revoked in 1962) was solely instrumental in bringing enormous catastrophe into the lives of very trusting adherents to this faith who felt themselves bounden by Rutherford as the 'anointed' of God standing IN PLACE OF secular government.During the Nazi era, Rutherford instructed German Bible Students to ignore Hitler's curtailment of public distribution of printed materials.From the year 1922, the German branch of the Bible Students (called Earnest Bible Students) had been banned for their door-to-door peddling and preaching in the streets. 5,000 arrests were made. By 1932, charges were still pending in 2,300 cases.Rutherford insisted German Witnesses hold a high profile and engage in banned public preaching campaigns leading to their arrest. Watchtower articles practically encouraged martyrdom. In the November 1, 1933 issue, printed a month later in German, Rutherford wrote:“Some will say: ‘If in the face of so much persecution and opposition we continue to go out amongst the people and publicly tell these truths, then I fear we may be killed.’That is true; and probably many of the faithful will be killed because they continue to faithfully proclaim the truth which they have learned in the secret place of the Most High.”(Watchtower, November 1, 1933. p. 328)Additionally, in his Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 73, by George D. Chryssides states: "Of the 25,000 Witnesses and Earnest Bible Students in Germany, 13,400 spent at least some time serving prison sentences.According to Gestapo files, more than half recanted."13,400 German Witnesses spent time in prisons, often for years. 2,000 died. 270 were executed. (History of the Holocaust: A Handbook and Dictionary, pp. 218, 239, 266, 448, by Abraham J. Edelheit and Hershel Edelheit (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994)Why did this happen? Because the President of the Watchtower had reversed the traditional Christian understanding of Romans 13: 1,2 and substituted his own authority in its place.In your paper, Professor Henderson, your conclusions were affirming by my reading of it. I've sent this e-mail in hopes you might reflect up this additional information in moderating this affirmation of Jehovah's Witness legal tactics. Why? It was predicated upon fraudulent premise of authority.I'll make one further point in support of this thesis, if you'll kindly indulge me. On November 23, 1954 in Scotland, Douglas Walsh was selected to be a test case regarding conscripted Jehovah's Witnesses. In the course of this trial, Vice-president Frederick Franz, and attorney Hayden C. Covington testified under oath. Within the questioning and testimony, a definitive statement was made, to wit: Jehovah's Witnesses are required, upon penalty of disfellowship (excommunication), to accept, believe, and carry out as though true, teachings which they personally do not conscientiously accept as legitimate, even if those teachings are later changed, nullifying the original 'truth'. (Transcript of trial: https://archive.org/details/WalshTrial)I would argue, and you are free to differ, the actions of Jehovah's Witnesses against their own interests, and the interests of their local community, as well as nationally, were coerced by fear of excommunication at one extreme, or at least insidiously coaxed into their beliefs through loyalty and disinformation.I served time in Federal prison from 1967-69 as a 'neutral' Jehovah's Witness as a result of conviction for violation of the Universal Military Training and Service Act. I was privately counseled by my congregation leaders to not accept alternate civilian service. I was further counseled to not reveal I had been influenced in any way by other than my own conscience. This same influence was seen to be the case nationwide.During the Vietnam war 5,000 draft age men turned in their draft cards rather than be conscripted. These were protests. 200,000 men were accused by the Federal Government of being Draft Offenders. 25,000 were indicted. Out of the 25,000, only 8,750 were convicted. Out of the 8,750 who were convicted, only 4,000 were imprisoned. Most of these, with some exceptions, were young men--Jehovah's Witnesses, like myself.Five years before my appearance before a draft board, the Watchtower Society had quietly and unceremoniously changed Romans 13: 1,2 rather quietly, back to the traditional interpretation Christendom had held for two thousand years! Ironically, the JW texts I was operating from had not been updated to include this change. I found out the hard way. The Watchtower headquarters would not provide me with a membership card nor a letter attesting to my ministerial status. I later found out this was only provided in special cases where a "special Pioneer" was involved who spent 100 to 150 hours monthly knocking doors.While in prison, I was sexually attacked by a non-JW inmate. I should not have been there in the first place. I had the legal right to serve alternate service working in a hospital--had it not been for the private counsel of my JW elders in strict accord with their covert (by this time) policies on Christian neutrality.This policy too, like the previous Romans 13: 1, 2 policy, was later reversed many years later.I hope I haven't taken up too much of your time. Whatever personal bias my own treatment may impart to this e-mail, I hope you'll consider the facts and revise your views of the brilliance of Watchtower legal strategy.I appreciate your time and wish you well in all future endeavors.Sincerely,Terry Edwin Walstrom -
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Legal scholars: JW court cases before Supreme Court were "accidental wins."
by TerryWalstrom inthe outcomes of jehovah's witness court cases, to most first amendment scholars, the witness successes in court, especially the supreme court, were accidental.
legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the witnesses' methods for bringing about first amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching.
for example, legal scholar bernard schwartz noted that jehovah's witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only seeking to propagate their unpopular creed.
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TerryWalstrom
By the time my court case came along in 1967, the Organization would not provide either membership card (to prove I was eligible for a IV-D minister exemption from the Selective Service) nor would they provide a letter attesting in any way to my defense.
Why the change?
In 1962, twenty years after Juge Rutherford's death, Knorr and Franz revoked the bogus interpretation of Romans 13: 1,2 (see above.)
Ironically, I wasn't given Covington's booklet by my congregation, DEFENDING and LEGALLY ESTABLISHING the GOOD NEWS. Had that been available to me, I would have fully realized the flip-flop had been perpetrated just in time to hang me out to dry in facing off against the Universal Military Training and Service Act.
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Legal scholars: JW court cases before Supreme Court were "accidental wins."
by TerryWalstrom inthe outcomes of jehovah's witness court cases, to most first amendment scholars, the witness successes in court, especially the supreme court, were accidental.
legal scholars have uniformly dismissed the witnesses' methods for bringing about first amendment cases, referring to their legal successes as mere unintended consequences of fanatical preaching.
for example, legal scholar bernard schwartz noted that jehovah's witnesses, "who became involved in trouble with the law were only seeking to propagate their unpopular creed.
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TerryWalstrom
"The Witnesses' reasons for refusing to obtain a permit were not always accepted as valid by the Supreme Court justices. Justice William O. Douglas recalled Justice James McReynolds's disgust with Judge Rutherford's argument for supporting his client's refusal to obtain a permit in Lovell v. Griffin. At one point in Rutherford's oral arguments, McReynolds interrupted, saying, "Instead of applying for a permit, which seems to me a reasonable requirement, this lady defied the law. Tell me, why did she do it?" Rutherford pointed his finger to the sky and in his booming voice replied, "This lady did not get a permit, because Jehovah God told her not to." (87) McReynolds left the bench for the remainder of that day's arguments."
In fact, it was because Rutherford had wilfully cancelled the instruction given in the Bible.
Romans 13:1Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
13 Let every soul to the higher authorities be subject, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities existing are appointed by God,
In effect, Rutherford WAS Jehovah.