Phil

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Posts by Phil

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  158

  JW's BANNED IN RUSSIA - 04-01-04

  by 4JWY in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jehovah's witnesses banned from moscow by russian court.

  is the heading of the article in the religious section of our newspaper yesterday.

  moscow (ap) a moscow court has banned the religious activities of jehovah's witnesses from the russian capital in a move that critics called a step back for democracy and religious freedom.

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  Phil

  Scooby:

  I recently sent a message to the editor of our local newspaper and the crux of the letter was about the Russian Ban on the JWs. My basic question was "we should be defining the word religion or religious organization" before any legislation is passed to "Ban".

  As I see it the ban on the Watchtower and the Jehovahs Witnesses is not religion but a ban on effects that the organization's doctrines has on the members. In your outburst you failed to mention that the practices of the JW cult are the issue. Shunning members for exercising their freedom to reject their teachings and allowing innocent children to die because of these doctrines is the issue. Any "religious group" that follows these habits should be cause for governments to start defining religion and reject those that do not reenforce the family unit. Damaging the family unit through the practices of shunning and banning blood transfusions is cause for a government or people as a whole to not accept the Jehovahs Witnesses as a religion under the constitution. That should apply here in the good old USA.
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  15

  Sex abuse forum

  by Phil in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  .

  it appears that william bowen is starting procedings to take the watch tower to the courts.

  (desert sun 28 march,2004) he says that about 6000 sexually abused persons have contacted him in the past to express outrage at being silenced by the bad institutionsl policies.kimberly norris of fort worth texas is handling a case for 47 alleged abuse victims and she says that she has been contacted by 2000 individuals who have claimed to have been abused.. has anyone read about this?

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  Phil

  It appears that William Bowen is starting procedings to take the Watch Tower to the courts. (Desert Sun 28 March,2004) He says that about 6000 sexually abused persons have contacted him in the past to express outrage at being silenced by the bad institutionsl policies.Kimberly Norris of Fort Worth Texas is handling a case for 47 alleged abuse victims and she says that she has been contacted by 2000 individuals who have claimed to have been abused.

  Has anyone read about this?
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  66

  Moscow Bans JW's

  by HoChiMin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it must be satan?

  http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/r/russia_jehovahs_witnesses?site=apweb&section=home&template=default.

  mar 27, 12:26 pm est.

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  Phil

  I suppose the big question here is "What is a religion? Is the Watch Tower a religion or a cult? Without exception and among other things, cults do tend to interfere in the cohesiveness and welfare of the family unit. I would put the Jehovah's Witness group in the cult catagory as with Jones and other similar groups. Just condoning death in lieu of blood transfusions and shunning of persons including the biologic family puts the JWs in the cult catagory and should be removed from the list of "religions" that are acceptable in a orderly society. Freedom of religion does not include the destruction of other facets of our society. The founding fathers were not exposed to what is going on in the 21st century.
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  14

  Pregnancy

  by Phil in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  .

  has anyone have any information on can or will the wt forgive a girl that gets pregnant out of wedlock.. my daughter has just revealed that this happened to a girl she knows who went full term on the pregnancy and was forgiven by the wt.

  would such a person be given good treatment by the other members in kh.

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  Phil

  Has anyone have any information on can or will the WT forgive a girl that gets pregnant out of wedlock.

  My daughter has just revealed that this happened to a girl she knows who went full term on the pregnancy and was forgiven by the WT. Would such a person be given good treatment by the other members in KH.
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  35

  What Do Un-Believers Not Believe?

  by mensa163 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  one of the things that used to annoy me in the new testament was the "believe in jesus" message.

  any explainations seemed fuzzy at best so i decided to take a run at it from behind and find the definintion of an un-believer.here is what i came up with and i welcome other opinions.

  many of the people around jesus were jews, they walked with him, talked with him, listened to his teachings and witnessed his miracles.

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  Phil

  If one uses evidence for the existance of Jesus, one would should question the authenticity of the Bible. Using a "belief system" and "evidence " in the same argument is fruitless as they are not compatible ie., oil and water. Myths abound in both the New and Old Testaments. The major scholars are in doubt of the contents of the Bible. The does not make the Bible too holy.
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  21

  The Watchtower Society has lost the information war

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i almost wrote, "has the watchtower society lost the information war?

  ", but decided the war has been won by those who are determined to make known the truth about this organization.. when the internet became available to the public around late 1994, only a few jws/xjws had actually joined; just a tiny fraction of the xjw population.

  almost 10 years later, and we have a real information revolution, which was previously unimagined.. with various governments around the world all wanting every school, college and university connected to the internet, not to mention third-world countries to get access to government services and programs, it seemed inevitable that people would see the internet, not just as a tool, but a way of life.. consider when the telephone was invented.

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  Phil

  This is all well and good, but, most of the members are so brainwashed that they believe all the crap that they are being told. Namely, "they should not believe all the information that is being shown on the various wJW and other sites and all the literature that is written on the subject. I wonder what is the percentage of members that are leaving.
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  29

  Governing Buzzards - Part 7 - Did Rutherford have a Mistress?

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  governing buzzards ?

  changes in religious doctrine, dogma, cannon, practices, liturgy and ritual are common and almost all christians have witnessed this in their denominations ?

  including fringe groups like jehovah?s witnesses.

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  Phil

  
  There are TIME HONORED teachings in ALL religions that even Jehovah?s Witnesses accept and understand. Bible Students and their Jehovah?s Witness counterparts today have always condemned theft, lying, cheating, drunkenness, violence, adultery, and fornication to name a few. These acts are looked down on or totally condemned in all three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. While the reaction and discipline vary in dealing with these offenses, they almost universally result in some level of sanctions and disapproval. Among Jehovah?s Witnesses, engaging in these acts is grounds for Disfellowshipping if unrepentant, and even if repentant, it is grounds for removal from any position of responsibility and example. Certainly, an Anointed leader who is head of

  What happened to the Theocratic War Doctrine?
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  17

  IRS & Salary at Bethel

  by Phil in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the answer to your question is:.

  for more information, see publication 517, social security and other information for members of the clergy and religious workers.

  you ask the internal revenue service (irs) for an exemption from se tax for your services and the irs approves your request.

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  Phil

  As a result of the info in "Salary at Bethel" by JT (post #3871 dated 20 Dec'03), I contacted the IRS to see what the regulations are regarding the impact on Social Security and income taxes when a person gets a very small salary with compensation in the way of room and board. The following answer seems very complicated and convaluted. However I am interested in any comments you all have on the subject.A question I have is "Are all of the people in Patterson and Bethel ordained ministers of the WTBS? Is the manipulation of the salary figures legal?

  
  
  
  NOTE: Our response to your tax law question appears below. If you have a follow-up question or another general tax law question, please return to our web site at: (http://www.irs.gov/taxlaw) to submit it. Please do not use your "reply" button to respond to this message. More helpful information is provided at the end of this message.
  
  
  Your Question Was:
  What are the conditions where an employer can pay an employee a lower salary and provide benefits that include room and board as part of employment agreement and result in the employer to not be obliged to collect taxes because the salary is too low to be taxed? Can a religious organization do this?
  
  
  The Answer To Your Question Is:
  Thank you for using our e-mail service. We apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry. Your statement 'can a religious organization do this' is prompting me to respond to this question from a clergy point of view and yes they can.
  Special rules for housing apply to members of the clergy. Under these rules, you do not include in your income the rental value of a home (including utilities) or a designated housing allowance provided to you as part of your pay. However, the exclusion cannot be more than the reasonable pay for your service. The home or allowance must be provided as compensation for your services as an ordained, licensed, or commissioned minister. However, you must include the rental value of the home or the housing allowance as earnings from self-employment on Schedule SE (Form 1040) if you are subject to the self-employment tax. For more information, see Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers.
  The services you perform in the exercise of your ministry are covered by social security and Medicare under SECA. Your earnings for these services are subject to self-employment tax (SE tax) unless one of the following applies.
  
  You are a member of a religious order who has taken a vow of poverty.
  You ask the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an exemption from SE tax for your services and the IRS approves your request. See Exemption From Self-Employment (SE) Tax, later.
  You are subject only to the social security laws of a foreign country under the provisions of a social security agreement between the United States and that country. For more information, see Binational Social Security (Totalization) Agreements in Publication 54.
  Your earnings that are not from the exercise of your ministry may be subject to social security tax under FICA or SECA according to the rules that apply to taxpayers in general. See Qualified Services, later.
  
  Ministers
  If you are a minister of a church, your earnings for the services you perform in your capacity as a minister are subject to SE tax unless you have requested and received an exemption. See Exemption From Self-Employment (SE) Tax, later. These earnings are subject to SE tax whether you are an employee of your church or a self-employed person under the common law rules. For the specific services covered, see Qualified Services, later.
  
  Ministers Defined
  Ministers are individuals who are duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed by a religious body constituting a church or church denomination. They are given the authority to conduct religious worship, perform sacerdotal functions, and administer ordinances or sacraments according to the prescribed tenets and practices of that church or denomination.
  
  If a church or denomination ordains some ministers and licenses or commissions others, anyone licensed or commissioned must be able to perform substantially all the religious functions of an ordained minister to be treated as a minister for social security purposes.
  
  Employment Status for Other Tax Purposes
  Even though you are considered a self-employed individual in performing your ministerial services for social security tax purposes, you may be considered an employee for income tax or retirement plan purposes. For income tax or retirement plan purposes, some of your income may be considered self-employment income and other income may be considered wages.
  
  Common-law employee. Under common law rules, you are considered either an employee or a self-employed person depending on all the facts and circumstances. Generally, you are an employee if your employer has the legal right to control both what you do and how you do it, even if you have considerable discretion and freedom of action. For more information about the common-law rules, get Publication 15-A, Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide.
  
  If you are employed by a congregation for a salary, you are generally a common-law employee and income from the exercise of your ministry is considered wages for income tax purposes. However, amounts received directly from members of the congregation, such as fees for performing marriages, baptisms, or other personal services, are considered self-employment income.
  
  Example. A church hires and pays you a salary to perform ministerial services subject to its control. Under the common-law rules, you are an employee of the church while performing those services.
  
  Form SS-8. If you are not certain whether you are an employee or a self-employed person, you can get a determination from the IRS by filing Form SS-8.
  
  Members of
  Religious Orders
  If you are a member of a religious order who has not taken a vow of poverty, your earnings for qualified services you performed as a member of the order are subject to SE tax. See Qualified Services, later. This does not apply if you have requested and received an exemption as discussed under Exemption From Self-Employment (SE) Tax, later.
  
  Vow of poverty. If you are a member of a religious order who has taken a vow of poverty, you are exempt from paying SE tax on your earnings for qualified services (defined later) you perform as an agent of your church or its agencies. For income tax purposes, the earnings are tax free to you. Your earnings are considered the income of the religious order.
  
  Services covered under FICA at the election of the order. Even if you have taken a vow of poverty, the services you perform for your church or its agencies may be covered under social security. Your services are covered if your order, or an autonomous subdivision of the order, elects social security coverage for its current and future vow-of-poverty members.
  
  The order or subdivision elects coverage by filing Form SS-16. It can elect coverage for certain vow-of-poverty members for a retroactive period of up to 20 calendar quarters before the quarter in which it files the certificate. If the election is made, the order or subdivision pays both the employer's and employee's share of the tax. You do not pay.
  
  Services performed outside the order. Even if you are a member of a religious order who has taken a vow of poverty and are required to turn over to the order amounts you earn, your earnings are subject to federal income tax withholding and employment (FICA) tax if you:
  
  Work for an organization outside your religious community, and
  Perform work that is not required by, or done on behalf of, the order.
  In this case, you are considered an employee of that outside organization. You may, however, be able to take a charitable deduction for the amount you turn over to the order. See Publication 526, Charitable Contributions.
  
  Lay employees. Lay employees generally are covered by social security. However, see Election To Exclude Church Employees From FICA Coverage, later, under Religious Workers.
  
  Rulings. Organizations and individuals may request rulings from the IRS on whether they are religious orders, or members of a religious order, respectively, for FICA tax, SE tax, and federal income tax withholding purposes. To request a ruling, follow the procedures in Revenue Procedure 2002-1, which is published in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2002-1.
  
  You can read this Revenue Procedure at most IRS offices or, if you have a personal computer, visit the IRS on the Internet at www.irs.gov/ind_info/bullet.html.
  
  To subscribe to the Bulletin, you can order it on the Internet at http://bookstore.gpo.
  gov/irs. You also can write to:
  
  Superintendent of Documents
  P.O. Box 371954
  Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954.
  Now,whether your salary is to low to be taxed depend on whether you have a filing requirement. If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, whether you must file a return depends on three factors:
  
  Your gross income,
  Your filing status, and
  Your age.
  To find out whether you must file, see Table 1-1, Table 1-2, and Table 1-3. Even if no table shows that you must file, you may need to file to get money back. (See Who Should File, later.) ref Pub 17.
  
  Gross income. This includes all income you receive in the form of money, goods, property, and services that is not exempt from tax. It also includes income from sources outside the United States (even if you may exclude all or part of it). Common types of income are discussed in Part Two of this publication. ref Pub 517 & 17.
  
  IRS forms and publications may be accessed on our web site at the following address: http://www.irs.gov/forms_pubs/index.html or ordered through our toll-free forms line at:
  800-829-3676
  which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with 7-10 days delivery time.
  
  Other useful toll-free numbers include:
  800-829-1040 IRS Tax Help Line for Individuals
  (NEW) 800-829-4933 Business and Specialty Tax Help Line
  (NEW) 800-829-1954 Refund Hotline
  
  We are interested in your opinion and providing the best possible service to you. Please take a moment to answer our survey at: http://www.irs.gov/help/page/0,,id=13155,00.html
  This answer is based on our understanding of the facts you presented in your question. Omission of facts may affect the answer given.
  
  Here's a tip for navigating the IRS web site. Use the "search" button at the left side of the web page. Enter key words or phrases for your topic in the entry box. It could help you find your answer immediately.
  
  
  EMPLOYEE ID: 5804896 Mr. Davis Tel.:(800)829-1040 msg#: 1598276
  
  
  
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  27

  Do you ever mention to anyone you were a JW ??? or keep it secret ???

  by run dont walk in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  workmates, friends, school friends etc,.

  do you ever mention it, or if someone asks you your religion, do you ever mention it, or keep it in your past ??

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  Phil

  If there is any activity that you are presently doing, including being a JW, that you are ashamed of, you should reevaluate that activity. If you feel you must hide it, get out of it or stop doing it. Aside from personal aspects of my life, which are nobody's business but my own, I will not hide from anything. It makes life a lot simpler.
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  4

  Fart, Fart

  by GinnyTosken in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the buddhists say there are eight winds.

  they are gain and loss, praise and ridicule, credit and blame, and suffering and joy.

  if you aren't aware of them, they will blow you away like dry leaves in an autumn breeze.

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  Phil

  I hope this is not too bad for this board. If it is forgive me.

  There are seven farts: Fizz, fuzz, fizzy fuzz, poop, anti-poop, tear arse, blow hole.

  I wonder if Buddha would agree.