hi all.. this is a reasonable question and would love to know what you think is having the biggest impact on watchtower.
there is a plethora of websites talking negatively of watchtower.
there are the never ending court cases regarding child abuse allegations.
I think I agree that the internet, the ability to 'check things out' so quickly has awoken & will help awaken many people.
So many people have phones that have internet now, and Facebook is so popular that people are bound to come across something that tweaks their interest into finding out what is really going on.
If the younger people, in their teens, 20's and 30's leave.... there goes the basis for WT's "next generation" of money, and no money means hasta la vista gold rings!
apologies if this has been posted already.... http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-10/uniting-church-in-australia-apologises-to-victims/8344496.
I watched the replies of the Uniting Church for about half an hour. They were sooooo very different from the WT. They had set about right away to change things after the hearing of the Royal Commission, and each time spoken to answered directly, with a 'yes' or a 'no' followed by an explanation....
Quite in contrast with the WT representatives who answered using subterfuge, acting as if they did not know the words "yes" or "no" existed.
The two WT reps were very legalistic, though both claimed not to be lawyers. However, the two women & one man that represented the UC had heart & compassion. The WT had rules.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5wn5hfmeas.
The reporter noted in an appalled voice, "Victims had to give evidence in front of their abuser!"
once again, the arc has brilliantly highlighted the reality that any witness who either fades or disassociates is subjected to active official shunning by the organization.. the "brothers" tried to state that it was the choice of the indiviual who steps away from the organization to shun them!
they actually tried to make it out to be the fault of the one who leaves!
then they tried to say that those who fade are not shunned!.
jwfacts... I was wondering if you have ever spoken to Angus about the "mental ingraining" that JWs have of "This is Jehovah's organization, we must protect the image of it" "We don't want Jehovah's name damaged"
(I can't even remember the exact way witnesses say this... I never did my self... I thought, "God can protect his own name, let people go down with their own wrongdoings")
I mean I was standing next to a close relative of an abuse victim, who one moment was calling the WT lawyers liars, and the next moment just about screaming that she had to protect Jehovah's name.
I do not understand how it is not something easily found written in any publications, but it is buried deep into many JW's brains, and pops out of their mouths so automatically.
Have you been able to help Angus become aware of this?
jehovah’s witnesses “child safeguarding policy” (great britain, ireland, uk) – 2017. analysis of the child safeguarding policy of jehovah’s witnesses in the united kingdom and the republic of ireland [2017].
by barbara anderson.
2013’s “watch tower bible and tract society of britain and congregations of jehovah’s witnesses in the united kingdom and ireland child safeguarding policy” (wtb&ts of britain’s csp) document was considered to be the official watch tower policy until the release on january 1 of the 2017 “child safeguarding policy of jehovah’s witnesses in the united kingdom, etc.,” (csp of jws in the uk).”.
I just finished watching the latest review by the ARC, and WT's two representatives, Spinks & O'Brian, just made it clearer and clearer to the panel of six judges, that the WT and the people in it have no heart.
Justice McClellan said, (basically) 'you realize that that is cruel..... just cruel... to take away someone's social structure and family when they decide they can no longer live in the JW organization.'
And the other judge, at the end wonders if they do any pastoral work now? like pay for these children's psychiatrist's bills.... The WT reps answered in legal terms again...
Why don't they "show love".... Why is love not one of the greatest commandments?
I think Barbara found the answer in their Body of Elder's letter Nov 1, 2016:
There was a reference to the matter of property damage to Kingdom Halls from “break-ins, thefts, incidents of arson, or other acts of vandalism.”
The rule is to “promptly report it to the local authorities.” There is no indication that elders may choose to report the damage to the authorities in those situations.
Apparently, for elders buildings are more important than children.
i was thinking today about the descriptions of the future "paradise" presented by the watchtower, and i was struck by something about it.
most of us are aware that the watchtower promotes an interpretation of the apocalypse that would result in the immediate execution of 99.9% of the population with no hope for resurrection.
additionally, we have been told about the large group of people that are supposed to side with satan at the end of the thousand year reign of christ.
OMG, ADD.... I never thought about it quite that way... No test, no worries... just go to heaven!
23 days ago, zeb posted this familiar but ever intriguing thread regarding 1914, the mother of all topics.. put youir [sic] thinking caps on.zeb 23 days ago this was sent to me from doug shields blog.
for those who like stats and numbers may find this of interest.1914 – recognizing the ”the elephant in the room”.
the problem with the date ”1914 ad” lays with the two calendars that are involved – jewish and gregorian.
Actually, I was just thinking about this last week... but I did not have the time to reaffirm all that "I knew."
Just like JW's cannot claim to "not be clergy" and then claim "clergy penitent rights" when they don't want to testify in court.... they should not be allowed to claim "we must use the Jewish calendar of 360 days to be accurate" and then switch to using the Gregorian calendar of 365 days in the same equation.
i was pondering the recent influx of lawsuits against wt, specifically in regards to the child abuse cases (ie.
conti, fessler, lopez, etc).. in each of these, wt has settled for an "undisclosed" amount, assumed to be in the millions of dollars each.
i know there are many many more cases, subject for a different thread i'm sure.. i was reading something completely unrelated a while back that mentioned the dangers of settlement agreements for a large corporation or business (not just wt).
I have wondered, like tor1500, are "they" just waiting for all the old guys to die?
We're some involved in the pedophilia?
Do some of those men have information that "The Watchtower" wants to die with them? Did those men hide information?
It seems like "The Org" always trys to hedge it's bets, to always comes out on top. WT always trys to minimize is losses, right?
partial, complete at link:.
i spent five years working in mexico.. i worked under a tourist visa for three months and could legally renew it for three more months.
after that you were working illegally.
If people do want to immigrate, become part of the U.S., they should do the same thing I have to do. Work, pay taxes, contribute. If the Mexican (or any other) people who work so hard were allowed to get green cards to pay taxes and contribute, even that would help solve the burden of "free" healthcare for non contributors.
It is not that fact that someone 'immigrates', it is whether they work, pay taxes and contribute like everyone else before expecting the benefits that everyone else has to work for, and even then... do not always receive.
partial, complete at link:.
i spent five years working in mexico.. i worked under a tourist visa for three months and could legally renew it for three more months.
after that you were working illegally.
Thank you, ILoveTTATT2 it seems as tho there are many circumstances, different situations for working, not working, green cards, citizenship, temporary residence, etc...
I was born in the U.S., and there have always been "immigration laws" .... People are suppose to follow them, Presidents, police, immigrants, we are all suppose to follow them.
That is why I am so surprised that there are all these crowds of protesters objecting to 'immigration laws.' When did I, as a U.S. citizen get to 'stop following the law'?
I wonder why all these protesters act as if "illegal" immigrants don't have to follow the law just like I have to? That is the part I do not get.
