Churches in Australia could lose millions in tax breaks under radical national faith register plan

by sherrie11 in

churches and religious organisations would lose millions of dollars in tax breaks, concessions and hand outs under a radical plan to force priests, rabbis and imams to sign up to a national faith register.

under the bold proposal clergy would for the first time be forced to undergo government-specified training and security checks and would be monitored by a national body, or risk losing government funding..

former premier ted baillieu has backed the plan that has been put to federal and state leaders including the prime ministers office, and premier daniel andrews..

Oubliette

The proposals would see clergy accredited in the same way as lawyers, doctors and teachers by an independent federal statutory body charged with registering all clergy for practice in Australia. They would be subjected to government-specified training in Australian law, child sexual abuse, family violence, women’s rights, and children’s rights. They would also be forced to renew a “licence” to practice annually, which would require meeting ongoing educational training requirements.

I love it. Make it so!

16

The Org Gets Worse!

by The Searcher in

how sick and sanctimonious can the scumbags at brooklyn get?.

in the very last kingdom ministry ever concocted, here is what is being presented to congregations as "spiritual food":.

week starting december 28.

Oubliette

Newsroom! Hahahahahaha.

It's not as if their "news" is balanced and unbiased.

I noticed there was nothing about the testimony of Geoffy Jackson down in Oz!

Let's review: It's a cult!

95

Template to dump Special Pioneers

by avaddohn94 in

"downsizing" has reached special pioneers.. this is the template mexico is using to get rid of many of its special pioneers.

see how cold and unloving is the language they use.

a translation attempt is as follows:.

Oubliette

If the Watchtower sent you to a special assignment do they have any responsibility to bring you home?

Don't they all get a One-way ticket?

95

Template to dump Special Pioneers

by avaddohn94 in

"downsizing" has reached special pioneers.. this is the template mexico is using to get rid of many of its special pioneers.

see how cold and unloving is the language they use.

a translation attempt is as follows:.

Oubliette

"... we hope that, if possible, you can stay in your current assignment."

So, essentially, this letter says: "We really want you to keep doing what your doing as a "Special Pioneer," but we're not going to be sending you any more money."

WTF?!?

Please be assured that Jehovah will continue using you to strengthen his people wherever you might serve in the future. Remember also that he has the power to do much more than anything we could ask or imagine.

Except, evidently, keep the dollars (or pesos, as the case may be) flowing.

37

I'm a coward.

by cappytan in

jw
friends

since the move, it has been so enjoyable to not have jw's breathing down our necks asking why we didn't make the meeting, or having to pretend to be "spiritual" in front of family all the time.. 90% of my week is virtually stress free.

then, my mom calls or texts wanting to talk to her grandkids.

every dang call, she asks about the new congregation, if we went to the meeting, etc.. why can't i tell her to fk off?

Oubliette

cappytan: My mom, on the other hand, plays the victim any time we give her any push back.

Let her "play the victim" ... all by herself.

Little children don't throw temper tantrums without an audience. They may sulk in their rooms by themselves, but unless they get what they want they usually come out and decide to join the human race and behave.

Unless your mother has real, serious emotional issues, (which she very well may) she will eventually get the message and change her behavior.

You can't control other people, nor should you try.

50

OMG JW Sea Org

by sherrie11 in

i found this picture and i just can't believe it?

.

http://www.jw-archive.org/post/130152768378/jw-booth-at-a-book-fair-in-brazil-photo-shared-by#.

Oubliette

This religion is beginning to look more and more like a cult!

49

I hope the letter about deleting the Theocratic school is true.

by John Aquila in

yesterday i was with a group of brothers that wanted my advice on re-roofing a home.

three of them were ministerial servants.

all of them are from the spanish congregation.

Oubliette

Well played.

But when it DOES happen, those brothers will almost certainly say, "This is just more proof of Jehovah's blessing!"

or, "That makes perfect sense!" or some other nonsense.

Doh, let's review: It's a cult!

21

Would Jesus have been disfellowshipped by the "Elders" of his day . . . . . .

by Dunedain in

i bet jesus would have been df'd by the "elders" in his day.

lets think about it, jesus hung out with "worldly" people.

his closest friends were known prostitutes, money collectors, men of "prominence" in the world of that day, non "beleivers" of the "faith" like samaritans, and many others that todays "elders" would have deemed "unworthy".. jesus spoke against the "organization" and "elders" of his day.

Oubliette

DOC beat me to it. Duh!

37

I'm a coward.

by cappytan in

jw
friends

since the move, it has been so enjoyable to not have jw's breathing down our necks asking why we didn't make the meeting, or having to pretend to be "spiritual" in front of family all the time.. 90% of my week is virtually stress free.

then, my mom calls or texts wanting to talk to her grandkids.

every dang call, she asks about the new congregation, if we went to the meeting, etc.. why can't i tell her to fk off?

Oubliette

DOC: Set boundaries. Be firm (not mean).

I'm with DOC on this one. You need to redefine your relationship.

Here's an older thread you may appreciate:

Relationship Issues: Boundaries, Freedom of Choice and Codependency

51

I went down in the first Round!

by John Aquila in

there is a visitor brother in town and from what ive been told, he has been a missionary for many years and they were having a get together for him.

i took my mom to that get-together yesterday and stayed for a few minutes.

i heard a group around a table with the visitor brother talking about how hard it was getting in the world with so many distractions and that many of the brothers were falling into the trap and leaving jehovahs organization.

Oubliette

John, you did lose that round. And the reason is that you fell into the trap of numbers of believers or lack thereof somehow being proof of the rightness or wrongness of beliefs.

At one point, everyone on Earth likely believed the planet was flat. They were all wrong.

It was a good response on his part.

A parry and thrust might have been, "You know, all of the heroes of the Bible--from the prophets up until Jesus--were noted for courageously speaking out about the religious hypocrisy of a nation dedicated to God but that had fallen away from true, pure worship. Where are these heroes today?"

If he tried to say, "We speak out against Christendom ..." the BIBLICAL response would be, "No, you don't get it. The heroes of the Bible didn't speak out against false beliefs and practices of OTHER nations. They spoke out against the religious hypocrisy and cowardice of their own leaders!"

Just remember, they killed Jesus for his outspokenness. Your mileage may vary.

Let's review: It's a cult!

Oubliette

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