Posts by Tahoe

osaka -- a former jehovah's witness, who spoke about her regrets over abusing her son in the name of religion, is among many people coming out about their experiences linked to children being raised as "second-generation followers" in the wake of the assassination of former prime minister shinzo abe.. the woman in her 50s, who goes by the pseudonym ryoko, lives in the western japan city of osaka.

even after 30 years, she still remembers her son crying and the pain she felt on her palm as she spanked her child over her lap as punishment for not sitting still at a religious meeting.. although she contemplated whether she should really spank her son, aged 2 at the time, she followed the teaching that "it's for the sake of the child to hit them.

Tahoe

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230119/p2a/00m/0na/033000c

OSAKA -- A former Jehovah's Witness, who spoke about her regrets over abusing her son in the name of religion, is among many people coming out about their experiences linked to children being raised as "second-generation followers" in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The woman in her 50s, who goes by the pseudonym Ryoko, lives in the western Japan city of Osaka. Even after 30 years, she still remembers her son crying and the pain she felt on her palm as she spanked her child over her lap as punishment for not sitting still at a religious meeting.

Although she contemplated whether she should really spank her son, aged 2 at the time, she followed the teaching that "it's for the sake of the child to hit them." The practice of "whipping" children based on biblical descriptions was rampant among some of the followers.

Ryoko, who did not have a religious upbringing, moved to Tokyo when she was 19 and married a man from her workplace. She was 21 years old when she gave birth to her son. Her husband, who she later divorced, became violent toward her after she got pregnant, and her body was covered in bruises. He also hit their newborn child for crying. As she struggled, wanting to leave her abusive relationship, a follower who lived nearby approached her and asked, "Why don't you come to a Bible study session?"

When the woman attended the meetings, all the followers were kind to her. Since she was lonely and didn't have anyone she could talk to about her family problems, she deepened her faith as if to fill a gap in her heart. "I wanted to be loved by someone. In religion, you have a one-on-one relationship with God. I felt fulfilled by being loved by God," she explained.

The meeting venue had a dark kitchenette the size of one tatami mat. There was a rubber whip in the sink drawer. Parents would use that room to whip their child when they would not sit still during Bible studies.

Back then, it was a common saying among followers that "there's not enough whips." Followers even got involved in other family's whippings, as if they were keeping an eye on each other.

At first, Ryoko was very hesitant about the practice, and questioned why she had to hit her child. When she asked, "Is this really for the children's sake?" the elder leading all the followers admonished her, saying, "Not whipping them would mean that you hate your child."

Urged by others to do so, she began to whip her son. She would cover her son's mouth to stop him from crying and screaming. She became numb after repeatedly hitting her son, and came to think that she "was doing the right thing."

The woman got divorced in her son's early elementary school years, and she lived alone with her son. She had her son baptized in his second year of junior high school to make him a full-fledged evangelist, but his faith only grew weaker.

When her son was in his third year of junior high school, Ryoko pulled his hand to force him to attend the meeting, but he stubbornly refused. She cried, feeling lonely at the venue, but her son treated her kindly when she came back home.

Little by little, Ryoko began to doubt the teachings. If a follower deviated from the doctrine, they would be ostracized. Even family members were hardly allowed to speak to each other, and relationships were severed.

"Is this what a loving God would do? There must be something wrong with their interpretation (of the Bible)," the woman recalled thinking. The teachings predicted that the world comes to an end, which didn't look like it would happen anytime soon.

Second-generation followers who had left the religious community had written about the abuse they suffered as children online, saying they were still emotionally scarred even after growing up. She realized that she had also inflicted the same kind of scars on her son. She became more and more unable to forgive herself for what she had done.

Many followers of Jehovah's Witnesses, who devote their lives to evangelism, do not go on to university. When her son entered high school, Ryoko told him, "If you want to go to university, I'll pay for it." She recalled thinking, "Since I can't leave any money for him. I at least want him to have a good education."

When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck on March 11, 2011, Ryoko called her son, who was attending a university in east Japan's Kanto region, and asked him, "Where are you? Are you safe?" She invited him to stay at her parents' house in Osaka, and they spent about a month living together in peace.

Ryoko saw her son off to the platform at Shin-Osaka Station on the day he returned to the Kanto region. Just before the shinkansen bullet train departed, she held her son's hand and said, "When you were little, I hit you many times. I did something that cannot be undone. I'm so sorry."

He gently squeezed her hand back and nodded with a smile. After the train departed, she received a text message from her son, which read: "Even if God and Christ won't forgive you, or you can't forgive yourself, I'll forgive you."

At that moment, Ryoko made up her mind to leave the religious community. She loved her son, but her son had shown her deeper affection. "The way I loved my son, which left him with no other choice than to forgive me, was wrong."

Ryoko still has dreams of her stopping herself from hitting her young child, and thinking, "I'm so glad I didn't hit him," before waking up with a sense of relief. She then looks at her palm and comes back to reality. She told the Mainichi Shimbun, "My son forgave me, but the fact that I abused him can't be erased. I will carry this guilt with me for the rest of my life."

18

Search Warrants Issued for KH & Residence, CSA Arrest

by Tahoe in

.

full article .

Tahoe

Full Article

6

Jehovah's Witness already suing Boston over Covid-19 policies files second suit

by Tahoe in

a boston police officer who is already part of a suit seeking millions of dollars in damages from boston over its rescinded indoor vaccination requirements today filed a separate suit seeking at least another $2 million because the city fired him last month after rejecting his request for a religious exemption from covid-19 vaccinations.. in his new suit, filed today in suffolk superior court, saviel colon said the city forced him into a "hobson's choice" even though it knew he was a jehovah's witness when it hired him and he began working as a police officer in december, 2019 - and even though he filed all the paperwork the department required for a religious exemption.

colon says the city rejected his exemption request and put him on an unpaid leave in october, 2021, and then fired him last month.. in addition to the "financial and emotional distress" - including headaches, exhaustion and sleeplessness_ - he says he's suffered, colon adds:.

defendant's decision on disciplinary action was embarrassing and was made publicly in front of all his colleagues at the police station.. .

Tahoe

A Boston Police officer who is already part of a suit seeking millions of dollars in damages from Boston over its rescinded indoor vaccination requirements today filed a separate suit seeking at least another $2 million because the city fired him last month after rejecting his request for a religious exemption from Covid-19 vaccinations.

In his new suit, filed today in Suffolk Superior Court, Saviel Colon said the city forced him into a "Hobson's choice" even though it knew he was a Jehovah's Witness when it hired him and he began working as a police officer in December, 2019 - and even though he filed all the paperwork the department required for a religious exemption.

Colon says the city rejected his exemption request and put him on an unpaid leave in October, 2021, and then fired him last month.

In addition to the "financial and emotional distress" - including headaches, exhaustion and sleeplessness_ - he says he's suffered, Colon adds:

Defendant's decision on disciplinary action was embarrassing and was made publicly in front of all his colleagues at the Police Station.

He says he also lost retirement payments because his firing came before he was fully vested in the department program.

In addition to the minimum of $2 million he is seeking, Colon also says he is entitled to additional damages for "emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, anxiety, sleeplessness, and emotional trauma" as well as costs and attorney's fees.

Although Colon raises his religion throughout his complaint, he did not make a violation of the First Amendment one of his formal counts, instead charging the city with such state-level violations as intentional misrepresentation and deceit, tortious interference with a business relationship, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault - the last because "the actions of the Defendant placed the Plaintiff in fear and apprehension of imminent bodily harm."

Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization do not oppose Covid-19 vaccinations:

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Opposed to Vaccination?
No. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not opposed to vaccination. We view vaccination as a personal decision for each Christian to make. Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses choose to get vaccinated.

Earlier this year, Colon joined another suit against Boston over its one-time requirements that people show proof of vaccination to get into most public indoor venues.

As part of that suit - brought in federal court by the same attorney handling his new state lawsuit - Colon raised the issue of his being put on unpaid leave despite his religious beliefs and further alleged that the requirement to show proof of vaccination, he was "unable to go to restaurants, museums and zoos with his family."

Both suits were filed by Richard Chambers, a Lynnfield attorney.

Article here

43

Watchtower looses Norwegian Appeal

by Diogenesister in

watchtower has just lost its appeal in the norwegian courts over the withdrawal of the funding it receives from the government as an officially recognised religion.

the initial decision will now stand due to what the court termed 'exclusionary practices' which includes the witnesses barbaric practice of shunning minors, even by family members in their own homes.

the ministry of children and families have decided they are now no longer eligible for the state grant of 16 million norwegian kroner given to officially recognised religions.. the following is a statement has been issued, i have summarised if it isn't readable: .

Tahoe

Here is the article from Jan. 2022

57

What’s Wrong With President Biden?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i just watched excerpts from his cnn town hall event and something is seriously wrong with him.

he can’t put together a sentence without getting lost, tripping on his own words, forgetting what he is talking about.……this is embarrassing.

and it’s not because he has a stutter!

Tahoe

Welcome to Biden’s America

On July 26, 2021, a La Joya Police Department Officer was waved down by a concern citizen at the Whataburger located at 450 E. US-83, La Joya, TX 78560.

The citizen explained to the Officer that she had observed a family group who were not being observant of proper health guidelines. She stated that the family was coughing and sneezing without covering their mouths and were not wearing face masks.

The Officer was also told by Whataburger management that they wanted the people to leave the establishment due to their disregard to other people's health.

The Officer approached the family and was told by them that they had been apprehended by Border Patrol days prior and were released because they were sick with Covid-19.

It was also learned that the family was housed at the Texas Inn Hotel located at 612 E. Expressway 83 La Joya Tx. 78560, by a charity group.

Officers made contact with Hotel management who explained that Catholic Charities of The Rio Grande Valley had booked all the rooms in the hotel to house undocumented immigrants that were detained By Border Patrol.

Officers also observed that a group of 20 to 30 people staying at the hotel were out and about the majority with out face masks.

It was also learned that people being detained by Border Patrol that showed symptoms of illness or were positive for Covid -19 were being quarantined by the agency and then later they were given custody to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley to be placed in hotels in the McAllen area as well as La Joya.

Upon receiving all this information officers contacted Hidalgo County Health and Human Services for assistance. Officers were told that the agency would look into the matter.

We want to inform the public about the current situation we have encountered and ask that the citizens of La Joya to exercise social distancing measures and that they please use face masks in order to prevent the spread of Covid -19 or its variants.

La Joya Police Department has been assisting Border Patrol in the apprehension of hundreds of people crossing through the cities jurisdiction and the flow of undocumented immigrants does not show any signs of slowing down.

Border Patrol informed La Joya Police Department that on July 25, 2021 that they have surpassed 1 million apprehensions in the month of June.

We also want to add Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley did not inform the La Joya Police Department that people that had symptoms or were sick with Covid-19 were going to be placed in the Texas Inn Hotel.

Please exercise safe health practices.

https://www.facebook.com/La-Joya-Police-Department-103604225248764

1

Kanye West

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

kanye west has filed to trademark the phrase "west day ever", for the use on more than 100 different types of apparel.. thought it was funny.

.

Tahoe

Kanye West has filed to trademark the phrase "West Day Ever", for the use on more than 100 different types of apparel.

Thought it was funny.

13

Letter writing question

by carla in

so the jw's are no longer goind d2d but instead are writing letters- my question is what return address are they putting on the letters?

their own or the kh?

the kh's in our area have no mailbox and therefore no mail can be delivered or returned to a kh.. thanks in advance!.

Tahoe

18

dump google

by phoenixrising in

i have noticed as of late that google searches are heavily filtering searches and shopping.

i know they keep track and monitor your activity but when i can not find things or articles because they don't fit googles bs naritive its time to leave.

duck duck go is my replacement.

Tahoe

I have recently done away with google in favor of Duck Duck Go.

Love it!

Since I no longer use Gmail, I've gone to Proton Mail. Who wants to give out Tahoe@ProtonMail though?

Found they have a neat feature to set your email as pm.me which makes my address [email protected] (not my real account)