Posts by Zoos

13

Update on Royal Commission - "Child sex abuse inquiry hears 4000th testimony"

by OrphanCrow in

newcastle heraldchild sex abuse inquiry hears 4000th testimonyby joanne mccarthy sept. 10, 2015, 10:30 p.mthe royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse held its 4000th private hearing in a jail in august as britain followed australias lead in tackling child sexual abuse.the royal commission heard evidence on august 19 from a prisoner who had been sexually abused as a child.in britain, the head of its newly established independent inquiry into child sexual abuse praised the remarkable response to the australian commission.in a speech to australian church leaders on thursday, royal commissioner justice peter mcclellan said he was pleased the british inquiry would closely follow successful australian arrangements.more than 1500 people were waiting for a private hearing and about 40 people a week requested a private hearing, justice mcclellan said.the royal commission has received 16,361 allegations involving 3566 institutions since it was established in november 2012 following the newcastle heralds shine the light campaign for a royal commission into historic child sexual abuse.more than 7000 allegations relate to religious institutions, with 4418 against the catholic church, and more than 3600 against government institutions.allegations against other churches are: anglican, 871; uniting church, 411; presbyterian, 123; methodist, 69; salvation army, 519; jehovahs witnesses, 137; jewish, 80; baptist, 59; seventh day adventist, 56; australian christian churches, 50; lutheran, 32; brethren, 30; mormon, 18; coptic orthodox, 4; and greek orthodox, 2.justice mcclellan said the royal commission had referred 727 matters to police to investigate with a view to prosecuting alleged offenders.in the past few weeks, the royal commission had reported to the federal government on a national redress scheme for victims of abuse.it was clear that time limits presented a considerable, and sometimes an insurmountable, burden for survivors wishing to commence civil proceedings against child sex offenders and institutions, he said.the royal commission should also mark the end of the societal norm that children should be seen but not heard, he said.when the required silence of the child was accompanied by an unquestioning belief by adults in the integrity of the carer ... the power imbalance was entrenched to the inevitable detriment of many children, justice mcclellan said.we must ensure that in the future the institution does not silence the child.

Zoos

THE Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse held its 4000th private hearing...

Where do these people find the strength?

I remember when I was trying to decide which venue I wanted to get into for volunteer work, the idea of working at the local Shriners Hospital for Children was suggested. I rolled the idea around for awhile and then backed out because I didn't think I would be able to handle it emotionally.

These people who are capable of placing themselves in the middle of a storm like this possess a strength I will never have.

29

Need clarification from someone who speaks JW: What is an "apostate" ...or... an "apostate website?"

by Faithful Witness in

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/27/jehovahs-witnesses-destroyed-notes-about-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-told.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/27/us-australia-religion-sexcrimes-iduskcn0q10ih20150727.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/07/28/australia-jehovah-witness-sex-abuse-hannigan-lklv.cnn.

Zoos

DATA-DOG
The fact of the matter is that there was an official letter in the 80's that identified "apostates", and an Dub who does not believe current dogma is an "apostate."

Is this the letter you were referring to?

18

This week at the meeting elders call friend in the room.

by poopie in

jw
friends

ok heres latest at kh .i have a friend of mine who is df but trying to get reinstated i know you may ask why but its a free country anyway he is a frienldly chap and likes to say hello to old friends.

he does his hellos very discreetly not makeing a scene.

well the elders have noticed him saying hello to people at hall so they invited him in back room.

Zoos

I noticed when I was trying to get reinstated... people notice you. You try to disappear into the furniture but you are seen and commented on.

It took a long time for me to get reinstated and I often wondered what kind of effect this had on the brothers and sisters in the congregation. I KNEW one of the elders on my JC was viewed as a dick-head. I couldn't help but wonder if this had a negative effect on others who might have thought I was being treated harshly. Which I was.

Now that it's all over and I am awake and out... I often wish I had exploited that situation better - responding to an elder's invitation to the back room with a comment within earshot of others, "So you can just tell me again that you're not going to reinstate me. No thanks! My relationship with Jehovah is fine. I'll be fine."

OP, your friend is in a position to help others in a variety of ways by undermining the "stars" in the congregation.

16

my 2cents on the reason for keeping tabs on inactive

by poopie in

jw
friends

i think there is.

2 schools of thoght on the reasons why they want records on inactive school 1.round this loose ends up we have to many fadeing and getting amnesty we want to keep tabs on them because they have influence on those still active so tighten up no loopholes make them pay for leaving the organization, school2.these are sincerely.

intrested in helping those who hate our guts because we treated them in an unloveing way or they feel your just are a little stupid and let the loveing shepards help you so it is intresting i also think the circuit ovetseers and yes men have hoodwinked the gb into thinking everthing is just dandy in spirtual paradise these reasons why some ate inactive will be eye opening to some of the gb and hopefully they will see people as fellow humans and not stupid little chilldren that need a human master.

Zoos

Maybe they're doing it because God is a god of order, not disorder, and they are just trying to emulate His qualities by walking in the ways of... (*cough*.... "ack"... !ptooie!.... - snort-)

....sorry. I couldn't finish that.

23

I've decided to make a difference that REALLY matters

by Mrs. Eden in

hello friends!today is a sad day for me, as seven months have gone by since my mother passed away after a decades-long fight with breast cancer..

because the witnessing/preaching/teaching work doesn't make any sense to me anymore; because it's not about any "truth"; and because it's basically useless, i've decided to quit doing it.

instead, i've decided to do something that actually can make a real difference in other people's lives.

Zoos

Now THAT'S good news!

23

ELEVEN YEARS on this Discussion Group

by Terry in

jw
friends

i looked at my statistics this morning:.

terry.

joined 11 years ago.

Zoos

Terry, I don't often post but I'm always reading and have enjoyed your many threads. I was thinking about you the other day and your book that I purchased (and thoroughly enjoyed - difficult a story as it was to read).

I was wondering... most of us wake up with a desire to see the WT organization crumble. I'm sure you're no different. How have your thoughts on that possibility changed over the years since you awakened?

And:

Of all the things you have accomplished since you've been out, what do you feel was your finest moment, your biggest mistake, and what might you have done differently?

Don't mean to bombard you with a big homework assignment. We all respect your insights around here and would enjoy hearing what you think.

14

Three Elders with Same Victim - Is Poland Next?

by berrygerry in

from reddit:.

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/3iipt9/its_happening_a_big_news_story_in_one_of_the/.

Zoos

Mad Irishman
It's frequency is very low compared to every country they are in compared to the national average and it is by far not even close to be anything out of the ordinary. If anything their rates of child molestation are shockingly low.

MAD IRISHMAN, this is not about frequency. It's not about ordinary. It's not about statistics or rates or quantities or numbers of any kind.

IT ABOUT COVER-UPS!!!

Everyone knows child abuse/sexual molestation happens. It's disgusting... but we all know it happens. While we agree that even one event is too many, I don't get the sense that anyone is hung up on numbers. We're hung up on the cover-up... the lack of caring within the organization, the lip service paid to the problem while the broom is busily sweeping the entire problem under the rug for the sake of institutional reputation.

Big difference!

HUGE!

MASSIVE!!!

12

Just lost one more friend

by paradisebeauty in

i used to talk weekly on skype, with a sister from another country.

i didn't tell her much about my research and change of beliefs, until today ... in the conversations some doctrines came up and i told her i don't believe 1914, first, then i went on to tell her that i also don't believe there are 2 classes of christians, that i did not believe the government of the kingdom will be in heaven while the kingdom en earth, that i believe the whole kingdom will be on earth, and that from what i read, jesus was pretty clear that he will come back to earth, visibly.

the "god always had an organization" dogma was dropped and i told her it is not true, out of 9000 years of human history, it's not sure there were 1000 years when god had a loyal organization ..... i did not plan to tell her all this things, but it just happened, and things came up in the conversation... and once i dropped one bomb i dropped them all .... she said i do not sound like i am one of the jehovah's witnesses any more ... and even though we ended the call with "see ya" i have the feeling i will not hear from her any more ... .

Zoos

Awakening to the reality of this cult is a multi-faceted attack.

Losing those we care about is perhaps the most painful aspect. I've been having a bit of a go-'round with that part of it myself lately... and I've been out 5 years now.

Mostly it get better. But sometimes you just have to sit with the pain.

39

BBC interview about 1975 - never heard this before..

by defender of truth in

for any lurkers who don't believe the watchtower taught that the world would end in 1975... rare jehovah's witnesses 1968 interview "armageddon and 1975" london watchtower rep speaks to bbc.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=npmt-ml-m-g. --------.

but where will this system of things be by that time?

Zoos

Marked too!

19

Elder's Meeting about ARC? No. Really?

by punkofnice in

as you may or may not know (or care), i live in the uk.

a jw spy of mine told me that an elder had metioned that attendance at the kingdom hells had seemed to have dropped off after the australian royal comission expose of paedophilia within the watchtower organisation.. the elders were said to have had this as an item or the subject of a local elder's meeting.. i was surprised they'd even heard of the arc over here but at the same time was delighted.

delighted that meeting attendance had dropped possibly....and i say possibly...as a result of the arc.. even an older dyed in the wool jw i know is getting sick of the gb worship within the organisation and had heard of the arc.. has anyone heard similar?.

Zoos

From the WTBTS / JW perspective, it would be less damaging if the Gov Body would simply shut up......

Please, oh please, oh puh-leeeze don't shut up, governing body!