CookieMonster

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Posts by CookieMonster

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  25

  Bethel layoff question

  by CookieMonster in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi,.

  with the layoffs of bethelites and special pioneers, does anyone know if they get some sort of "redundancy" payout?

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  CookieMonster

  I found this interesting but someone with more legal know how may be able to comment on the Legal Status of Volunteers in UK

  Would Bethelites and SPs meet the definition of employment even though they are no employees of WT? Can they take WT to tribunal?

  Legal status of volunteers

  While volunteers are not included in employment legislation, a small number of volunteers have in the past managed to demonstrate that they were in fact employed in the eyes of the law. This means that they would have access to some or all employment rights.

  This issue typically arises where a volunteer has felt that they were discriminated against or unfairly dismissed, and attempted to bring a case to an Employment Tribunal. Before hearing the case itself, the Tribunal has to decide whether the individual meets the definition of employment in the relevant legislation.

  Legal definitions of employment are based on the existence of a contract in place between the employer and employee. Although we tend to think of contracts as written documents, the contract is actually the relationship itself (the written document is in effect a description of the contract, not the contract itself). To simplify slightly, the Tribunal would be looking for two key elements in the relationship, ‘consideration’ and ‘intent’. Consideration means something of value is being exchanged (or at least offered and accepted). It doesn’t need to be of much value – that’s where the idea of a peppercorn rent comes from.

  Intent can be inferred from the relationship itself, even if neither party explicitly stated that they wanted to create a legal relationship. To put it simply, if it looks like someone is working in return for payment, a Tribunal may well decide that there was a contract in place. They would be looking to see if there were clear binding obligations in place.

  If a ‘volunteer’ is found to be in a contract to provide their services (ie their work), they will meet a broad definition of employment shared by the anti-discrimination legislation and the minimum wage act. The relationship could even meet the narrower definition used by the Employment Rights Act 1996, which gives individuals full employment rights. This is harder to pin down, but a clear distinction is that there is an obligation on the organisation to provide work (and therefore payment).
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  25

  Bethel layoff question

  by CookieMonster in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi,.

  with the layoffs of bethelites and special pioneers, does anyone know if they get some sort of "redundancy" payout?

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  CookieMonster

  Hi,

  With the layoffs of Bethelites and Special Pioneers, does anyone know if they get some sort of "redundancy" payout?
• 
  5

  Pretending Jesus existed and the Lord's Evening Meal is true... The Memorial is wrong...

  by HowTheBibleWasCreated in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jws celebrate jesus death according to 1 corinthains 11.. fine.

  once a year since it's on the jewish passover... fail... since thats tonight not last night but..... lets overlook that... jws from new zeland to london observed the memorial on april 2 by western clock... of course all in the western hemisphere did this on april 3rd wheevr the sun went down.

  thus a domino effect in the jw congregations took place starting at the date line going back to the same spot 24 hours later..... well this is pathetic in many ways... if the jws worshipped in spirt and truth according to john 4 (i'm an atheist ... i don't care) they would observe on jerusalem's time zone according to the gospels and 1 corinthians... but they dont....

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  CookieMonster

  This is exactly what I was thinking, if they want to stay true to the date it must be celebrated according to Jerusalem's time zone. If this is not necessary the it can be equally celebrated any time of the year, weekly too like Christendom.

  Also it seems that the talks are getting more and more direct, practically saying do not take the emblems. Why is it that the early Christians get to be anointed by default while after 1935 you have to have this "special calling" ? The whole thing didn't make much sense to me when I was regular I just brushed it aside. When I look back at it with an open and critical mind the whole thing falls apart.
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  12

  Zone Visit - Sri Lanka Governing Body member David Splane

  by Liyanage in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  last sunday (23rd february 2015) we had our zone visit ( visit headquarters representative).

  this time governing body member david splane and brother john ekrann came to sri lanka.

  and they spent almost one week in sri lanka.. .

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  CookieMonster

  On another note I find it infuriating when they discourage education and university in developing countries. I have travelled a lot in south-east asia and having a Batchelor's degree is a minimum if you are looking for professional employment. If you don't have a degree, that's the equivalent of not finishing high school in the UK.
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  5

  "The Second Last Marigold Hotel"

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well its a warm feel good movie with some very salient lessons to us older people.

  i warmly recommend it .. it made a reunion with the very fine caste and it was a wonderful (hey remember..wonderful?

  ) experience.

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  CookieMonster

  the girl is hot!
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  12

  Zone Visit - Sri Lanka Governing Body member David Splane

  by Liyanage in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  last sunday (23rd february 2015) we had our zone visit ( visit headquarters representative).

  this time governing body member david splane and brother john ekrann came to sri lanka.

  and they spent almost one week in sri lanka.. .

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  CookieMonster

  If you think Sri Lankan bethel is luxury, you should see how they live in London and New York bethel
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  54

  Premarital sex--how prevalent?

  by wafflesandpancakes in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  in my old congregation, everyone seems clean.

  mostly chaste courtship, kingdom hall wedding, blah blah.. well there are lots of cases of fondling but they were soon forgotton.

  when my husband and i confessed to sex before marriage, the elders were disgusted.

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  CookieMonster

  It was terrible growing up as a teen. As a boy of 16 your hormones go wild especially in the summer - must be the heat and scantily clad ladies! But it was drilled down into you how terrible sexual sins are one felt guilty everyday, for every erotic thought. It was very hard to stop "erotic thoughts" or "buffing the bishop" to the point it depressed you that you are a bad person. The only way was was to mentally condition myself to see sex as "dirty" and "abnormal" to stay clean. Well, I did manage to stay off premarital sex while dating, however to this day the guilt and indoctrination has left me inhibited when it comes to sex.
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  18

  Need advice, really wanna play COD

  by DuvanMuvan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well my ps3 is downstairs because i had no idea how good games looked on tvs that weren't older than you are and i've run into a problem.

  my mum doesn't know that i have "bad" games like cod, gta 5, legend of zelda and final fantasy (yeah ik last two aren't that bad but loads of religious stuff and magic) and it's getting harder to keep it a secret.. i was just wondering if anyone had any ideas on how i should go about this.

  should i just wait a while and slowly introduce the idea to my mum that i play these games or should i just come out and play them and act like it'a nothing?.

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  CookieMonster

  Mate, first of all you should be 18 to play COD and GTA even by worldly standards, though I think COD multiplayer is OK for 15. Your mum will be shocked if she finds out so best not to do it.

  When I was a teener I loved playing Street Fighter 2 (showing my age) but was told off by an elder. But frankly there was so much gross violence in my daily bible reading, throwing hadoukens in street figheter was so tame! I still find it funny the double standards that exists.

  By the way, I'm more disappointed you are a COD fan, BattleField > COD all the way baby!
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  9

  Blood, what is the spirit behind the law?

  by CookieMonster in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  during the years when i was an active jw i never questioned the ban on blood transfusion.

  i have been inactive now for a number of years and even during those early years i reasoned i will never accept a blood transfusion.

  however, thinking about it with an open mind, i question the current teaching of jw's on banning blood transfusion on any account even if it means saving a life.

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  CookieMonster

  During the years when I was an active JW I never questioned the ban on blood transfusion. I have been inactive now for a number of years and even during those early years I reasoned I will never accept a blood transfusion. However, thinking about it with an open mind, I question the current teaching of JW's on banning blood transfusion on any account even if it means saving a life. So I've been thinking what was the spirit behind the original law on abstaining from blood? After the flood, Noah and his family are allowed to consume animal meat protein to supplement their dietary needs. This was perhaps due to the lack of vegetation after the flood. This would involve hunting, killing and consuming the animal. The exception was to pour out the blood as a sign of respect for the sanctity of life. This act would also discourage the wanton slaughter of animals for the thrill of the game. We can see how this was cast negatively in the case of Nimrod who the bible describes as a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah. His blood lust for killing animals also translated into hunting down and killing fellow humans. So again, what is the spirit behind the law? Wasn't it about respect and sanctity of life, so precious it should not be taken for granted. How is this compatible with the JW teaching of refusing a life-saving medical treatment as in the case of a blood transfusion? How can letting a child die by misapplying a law which in spirit is saying the opposite be justified?
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  40

  Your own mortality, how do you cope with it?

  by CookieMonster in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been a lurker here and an inactive jw for a number of years.

  i've always had some annoying doubts but brushed it aside but over the last few years i've had time to "think" away from the wt.

  perhaps there is no paradise, maybe no god and this life is all there is.

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  CookieMonster

  Thank you all for your practical & useful comments, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry its such a morbid topic. Realising this for me is like going through denial, anger and acceptance. I'm somewhere between 2-3, I'm angry that I could have better spent those years of my life. I turned down going to Uni because it was "bad", I turned down jobs because of meetings, turned down sports clubs because of field service, turned down contact with my non-jw friends, work mates and relatives because they were "bad association" etc etc. I'm angry that I could have spent more quality time with my grand parents, than just at meetings and field service, now they are gone. I'm angry that I did and say things that a typical JW would.

  Probably the best thing I did was not to become a pioneer or go to Bethel, but managed to carve out a career which affords me a comfortable life now. There was tremendous pressure though at every assembly & convention. The talks for young ones made you feel worthless & guilty if you weren't in full time service. I completely agree I've got to live a day at a time, no point in being bitter and accept the eventuality that befalls us all. I'm learning to appreciate things a lot more now, happy to be just alive and make the best of it. Thanks all once again.