I too have noticed a paucity of witnesses with their trollies in London. Previously noted them regularly at Oxford Circus, Marble Arch, Egware Road, and Victoria Street. I also noted that they tended to funnel - that is stand at side of trolley with arms extended holding out literature. This means that pedestrians' space on pavements was reduced. I am reasonably sure complaints were made to Westminster City Council and that the municipality's response has meant that the Britain Branch has had to cool down their "Metropolitan Witnessing" as they call it. I'm pleased to note their substantial absence - see them as mere litter!
Nicholaus Kopernicus
JoinedPosts by Nicholaus Kopernicus
-
10
JW trolleys - London
by HB inthought you might like to know that during a visit to london yesterday, the jw's were conspicuous by their complete absence.
admittedly it was a tuesday in february, but myself and my ex jw friend thought we would see at least one or two trolleys in their usual haunts, but nothing.
we checked out the area around westminster station where we have talked to jws before, but there was no sign.
-
-
-
3
Perspective which the GBoJW should implement.
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inon 30th january 2019, the rt hon jeremy hunt mp (foreign & commonwealth office) launched an independent review into the persecution of christians world wide to be chaired by philip mountstephen - bushop of truro.
in his address to the audience, jeremeyhunt stated... .
"... freedom of worship is a fundamental human right... freedom of worship is the invisible line between open societies and closed societies.. where freedom of worship is hampered or prevented, then usually that’s a sign of lots of other things going wrong, and we wanted to make sure that the uk is doing everything to champion the values that we all believe in.".
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
DoC:
The WT tendency to shun, give "the cold shoulder" is deeply engrained. In my last three years attending meetings of JWs, I twice challenged an unannounced decision made by the local BoE which affected Bros having assignments behind the lectern. I cited and quoted WT literature and scripture forcefully. After the 2nd challenge I was approached by the CBoE who engaged in an ad hominem attack and didn't respond to the points I raised. My "friends" stopped talking to me. Despite reaching out to talk to them, they were visibly uncomfortable with my approaches. So I simply stopped attending. Stopped contributing money. Some months later I received a telephone call in the hope of the BoE paying a shepherding visit. I told him that "Jehovah is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing".
I mention this as empirical evidence of what you say in terms of their shunning practice being intrinsic to their worship. However, their shunning preference(s) and the ease with which they use it is demonstrative of a propensity to scatter rather than gather. Scatttering, is not a feature of Christianity. This, and other nihilistic behaviours are contributing to the shrinkage of the org in the developed world. GOOD!
-
3
Perspective which the GBoJW should implement.
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inon 30th january 2019, the rt hon jeremy hunt mp (foreign & commonwealth office) launched an independent review into the persecution of christians world wide to be chaired by philip mountstephen - bushop of truro.
in his address to the audience, jeremeyhunt stated... .
"... freedom of worship is a fundamental human right... freedom of worship is the invisible line between open societies and closed societies.. where freedom of worship is hampered or prevented, then usually that’s a sign of lots of other things going wrong, and we wanted to make sure that the uk is doing everything to champion the values that we all believe in.".
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
On 30th January 2019, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) launched an independent review into the persecution of Christians world wide to be chaired by Philip Mountstephen - Bushop of Truro. In his address to the audience, JeremeyHunt stated...
"... freedom of worship is a fundamental human right... freedom of worship is the invisible line between open societies and closed societies.
Where freedom of worship is hampered or prevented, then usually that’s a sign of lots of other things going wrong, and we wanted to make sure that the UK is doing everything to champion the values that we all believe in."
Whilst JWs wear their invisible persecutory victim badge with pride, nevertheless they are perpetrators of heinous acts themselves. You need only disagree with them to fall victim to their coldness. They are a closed society in many respects. Indeed, within their org, lots of other things are going wrong.
I thought even this simple benchmark / paradigm of the FCO shows how wanton the GBoJW is.
-
13
Wimbledon Kingdom Hall
by truthseeker ini just heard that wimbledon kingdom hall is being or about to be sold.
it is 60 years old and worth half a million pounds.. has anyone heard anything more about this?.
truthseeker.
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
Oh yes! The KH on Haydon's Rd is the one with the CO flat (previously anyway). The other KH may have been the one in which a tall and concentric Morley was the coordinator. Hitherto the recipient of a lawsuit by a Bro Otto if I recollect properly. I was told that Morley ran the cong like a business - rich in protocol and poor in love. I was also told that 30% or more moved away such was his cold and conceited paradigm. So strange tbat the GB wants JWs to harvest recruits then BoEs like those in Wimbledon just haemorrhage recruits. What a paradox!
-
13
Wimbledon Kingdom Hall
by truthseeker ini just heard that wimbledon kingdom hall is being or about to be sold.
it is 60 years old and worth half a million pounds.. has anyone heard anything more about this?.
truthseeker.
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
I have passed this Wimbledon KH several times recently. It's the one with (or did have) a CO flat. It still seems to be in use. No for sale signs on display.
The KH in Kingston on Thames had a for sale sign and it's still for sale to the best of my knowledge. Looked a real eye sore a couple of months ago when I last checked.
-
2
Lesson in tolerance and inclusion for GBoJW
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inon board his trip home from eire - the pope gave a 45 min on board press conference (26 aug 2018)..... "... the pope also highlighted the need for parents of gay children to have a dialogue with their offspring and not condemn them.
'your question is clear: what would i say to a father who sees that his son or daughter has that tendency?
i would say first to pray, don’t condemn, dialogue, understand, make space for them.
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
On board his trip home from Eire - the Pope gave a 45 min on board press conference (26 Aug 2018)....
"... The Pope also highlighted the need for parents of gay children to have a dialogue with their offspring and not condemn them.
'Your question is clear: what would I say to a father who sees that his son or daughter has that tendency? I would say first to pray, don’t condemn, dialogue, understand, make space for them. Let them express themselves,' he said.
'.... Another thing is when it shows itself after 20 years of age or so. But I’ll never say that silence is a remedy. To ignore a son or daughter with homosexual tendencies is a lack of paternity and maternity. You are my son or daughter, as you are, I’m your father, mother, let’s talk…don’t throw them out of the family.'"
His humanity, versatility, understanding, and spirituality comes across. He is the beneficiary of higher education!
The GBoJW have a lot to learn from him. However, learning anything by the GBoJW is difficult to put it mildly!
-
2
The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses wear Coloured Spectacles.
by Nicholaus Kopernicus ini have been reading a text called: “determined to believe” – by prof john c. lennox.
he discusses theological determinism.
it is a rather interesting text.
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
I have been reading a text called: “Determined to Believe” – by Prof John C. Lennox. He discusses theological determinism. It is a rather interesting text. Much deeper and more stimulating than anything published by the WTBTS publishing house. Prof Lennox does not consider nor mention Jehovah’s Witnesses but some of his observations can be directly related to their organisation which the governing body vaunts so readily. On page 82, he makes the following observation…
“… theological systems or paradigms can sometimes become so powerful that they end up defining what Scripture is or is not allowed to mean, so that ‘taking Scripture seriously’ means accepting a particular theological system and fitting all Scripture into it. It is therefore wise to recall that, just as science did not create the universe, systematic theology did not produce the Bible. Our ‘isms’ with their systems and paradigms are not infallible. Furthermore, although systems of theology can be of great help, the Bible itself was not in the main written in systematised form. So, just as we must be prepared to allow the universe to correct our scientific paradigms, we must also allow Scripture to control our theological systems. …We must, therefore, be prepared to ask ourselves: do I read the text in this way because of what it says, or because of the colour of the spectacles (the nature of the paradigm) through which I am looking at it?”
“Determined to Believe” – by Prof John C. Lennox
The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society aka The Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, aka The International Bible Students Association is a good example of an institution which has adopted a system / paradigm which determines what Scripture is or is not allowed to mean. The trouble is that the JW institution has a copious sprinkling of authors who aren’t terribly good at their job – I mean the governing body of JWs (GBoJW) and their helpers in the writing and teaching committees. An example is their trying to find Scriptural support for their doctrine that Jehovah has always, and indeed presently, works through an earthly organisation headed by a governing body. They claim that the God approved organisation is the one established by Jehovah’s Witnesses. They cite the Apostle Paul’s approach to the congregation in Jerusalem in the first century (circumcision dispute) as evidence of their assertion of an organisation (1st century governing body) being used. This in itself is quite a fallacious assertion and devoid of any evidence for the Bible doesn’t mention an organisation or a governing body . It was those individuals in Jerusalem (which the modern day GBoJW claim to be the governing body of the 1st century organisation) which insisted that individuals had to be circumcised. It was they who were corrected by the Apostle Paul who cited the authority of Scripture.
However, the GBoJW today ignore Scripture which directly impacts upon the assertion of God using an organisation. Such scriptures include….
Heb 1:1,2 – “God, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets, 2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things”.
This scripture doesn’t sound like God has or is working through an organisation. Rather, it paints a picture of God working through chosen individuals (prophets). The last such chosen individual was his Son Jesus. The Scripture states that he was appointed heir not of a few things, or some things, of many things, but rather, “of all things”. Thus, there is no scope for a sharing of authority or influence with an entity such as the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Similarly, another scripture which rules out the possibility of the position of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and it’s “organisation” being founded in Scripture is Matt 28:18 which states… “ Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: ‘All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.’ ” Again, notice that the statement is unequivocal. It leaves no space for the paradigm of the GBoJWs assertion of their being a chosen organisation which God is working through. Their assertion has to be erroneous as - not some authority, not much authority, but “all authority” has been vested in Jesus. That they abrogate Jesus’ authority de facto and annexe such for themselves is to infer that Jesus was somehow mistaken and that they know better! Jesus is not alone in being marginalised however in that the GBoJW seek to keep the authority and influence of the “superior authorities” at bay. Indeed, they are spending large sums of money in legal / court fees to that end when it comes to child abuse victims seeking redress.
One more example of the GBoJW wearing “coloured spectacles” is as follows….
You will note that in recent times, JWs behind the lectern are almost exclusively attired in a two or three piece suit. Gone are the days when one might be accepted behind the lectern wearing a dark blazer and grey trousers, even though this is still seen as sartorial. Nope – it must be a suit. Yet when it comes to what Scripture says about attire, one of the few references is at 1 Tim 2:9 wherein it is said…. “Likewise I desire the women to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress…” In the Awake of Aug 8th 1998 entitled – “The Bible’s Viewpoint Your Dress and Grooming – Does It Matter to God?” the following points are detailed…
“… the truths taught by Jesus were intended to liberate people from the oppressive burdens created tradition and false teachings. They were designed to refresh those ‘toiling and loaded down’. Neither Jesus nor his Father, Jehovah God, has any desire to control people’s lives to the extent that individuals can no longer take initiative and exercise their own reasoning on personal matters…. Within the Christian arrangement, dress and grooming are basically a matter of personal taste.”
What a nice balanced statement. What good example of deferring to scripture. Yet today, 20 years later, you must wear a suit behind the lectern. The trouser leg mustn’t be tight fitting (tight pants in the USA). So the advice and counsel from that Awake in 1998 and based on the Bible is now discarded in favour of the preferences of a highly directive elite in the suburbs of New York. What is also remarkable is that this requirement is being implemented universally and without dissent on the part of JW BoE all over.
Well, in the past I wrote on this blog site why I could never again be an elder in the JW organisation. (https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6049665497694208/one-reason-why-could-never-again-elder) Now however, I cannot even be an ordinary Jehovah’s Witness. I can’t bear it. Indeed that they refer to themselves still as Jehovah’s Witnesses is gross as they follow the teachings and edicts of the GBoJW. Any deference to scriptural authority is contingent upon what the GBoJW says on a given matter or scripture. I was approached by an elder in my congregation by telephone to arrange for me to benefit from a shepherding call. I thanked him for his interest but explained that “Jehovah is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing” (Ps 23:1 NWT). He then suggested we meet for a coffee and I thanked him again and that I would be pleased to contact him when I feel like a coffee. Haven’t heard from the BoE since. I rather think they know that they’d do well to leave me alone rather than arouse my ire!
So to conclude, I’m not at all keen on the “the colour of the spectacles” which the GBoJW are wearing to understand scripture. They show no evidence of adjusting their paradigm to Scripture. If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, you should be greatly troubled at the increasing and pervasive hegemony of the GBoJW over the congregations. Their self-promotion is surely an evidence of them thinking more of themselves than it is necessary to think. If you were to be accused of being a follower of man rather than a follower of Christ, how would you give a rebuttal when most JWs are so deferential and obsequious regarding the GBoJW? How would you defend yourself against the accusation of creature worship?
-
7
The WT and child safeguarding chasm
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inthe following are some notes from my recent level iii child safeguarding training.
i have tabulated the notes and then expressed my thoughts about the training and the paradigm of the wtbts / christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses...... .
course notes....... steps to take when one learns of / receives a complaint of child abuse.. uk level iii child safeguarding training (excerpt).. .
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
Diogenesister: please post on exjwreddit as you suggest. Tnx - NK.
-
7
The WT and child safeguarding chasm
by Nicholaus Kopernicus inthe following are some notes from my recent level iii child safeguarding training.
i have tabulated the notes and then expressed my thoughts about the training and the paradigm of the wtbts / christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses...... .
course notes....... steps to take when one learns of / receives a complaint of child abuse.. uk level iii child safeguarding training (excerpt).. .
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
The following are some notes from my recent Level III Child Safeguarding Training. I have tabulated the notes and then expressed my thoughts about the training and the paradigm of the WTBTS / Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.....
Course notes......
STEPS TO TAKE when one learns of / receives a complaint of child abuse.
UK Level III Child Safeguarding Training (excerpt).
Adults looking after children or young people should be aware of the risks of abuse (by adults or other young people), and take steps to reduce those risks.
Staff or volunteers in charge of children or young people should know what to do if they suspect that someone is being physically or sexually abused, or if someone tells them that this is happening.
The following key points give a guide on what to do and what not to do…..
· Never think abuse is impossible in your organisation or group, or that an accusation against someone you know well and trust is bound to be wrong.
· Children and young people often te3ll other young people, rather than staff or adults, about abuse – make sure that your senior young people know the poits on this sheet as well as the responsible adults.
Stop, Listen & Believe
Always stop and listen straight away to someone who wants to tell you about incidents or suspicions of abuse.
Write Brief Notes
If you can, write brief notes of what they are telling you while they are speaking (these may help later if you have to remember exactly what was said) and keep your original notes, howver rough and even if you wrote on the back of something else (it’s what you wrote at the time that may be important later – not a tidier and improved version you wrote up afterwards!). If you don’t have the means to write at the time, make notes of what was said or observed as soon as possible afterwards.
Never Make Promises
Never make a promise that you will keep what is said confidential or secret – if you are told about abuse you have a responsibility to tell the right people to get something done about it. If asked, explain that if you are going to be told something very important that needs to be sorted out, you will need to tell the people who can sort it out, but that you will only tell the people who absolutely have to know.
No Leading Questions
Do not ask leading questions that might give your own ideas of what might have happened (e.g. “did he do X to you?”) – just ask “what do you want to tell me?” or “is there anything else you want to say?”
Report Immediately
· Immediately report the abuse to a line manager
· Follow the correct workplace procedures for reporting abuse
Protection
Discuss with the person in charge whether any steps need to be taken to protect the person who has told you about the abuse (this may need to be discussed with the person who told you).
Do not carry out investigations
Never attempt to carry out an investigation of suspected or alleged abuse by interviewing people etc, - social services and police staff are the people trained to do this – you could cause more damage and spoil possible criminal proceedings. It is your duty to refer concerns on, not investigate.
Refer
· As soon as possible (and certainly the same day) the person in charge should refer the matter to the local social services department (helped by your notes).
· Follow their requests about what to do next.
· They will set up any necessary investigations and can advise you – that is their statutory job.
Notes /thoughts:
The training emphasises sharing with appropriate expertise to enable protection of the victim. The WT practice is to retain in house where expertise is minimal and the victim is thus not protected. Children deserve expertise. Parents are reassured at the availability of expertise. WT BoE have a paucity of expertise as the WT society’s philosophy is one which is inimical to higher education.
The guidance tabulated above is not rocket science. It is simple and straightforward. Yet there is a chasm between this guidance and the practice within the paradigm of the WT. That the WT society isolates itself from the “superior authorities” is quite telling, especially where vulnerable children and adolescents are concerned.
Part of the concept of love is that of protection. The above tabulated advice is protective of a victim. The WT paradigm is protective of itself and is demonstrably loveless towards victims. Indeed, the mal-experience of the victim is likely to be compounded by the practices of the WT society. The WT society uses the illustration of a shepherd rather generously. Yet by its actions, it demonstrates that it is a pseudo-shepherd in that a victim of child abuse is seen as adversarial, and thus an object to be scape-goated and marginalised.
If you are a JW and a ministerial servant or elder, and also a nurse, a doctor, a social worker, or other health / care professional, you could well be putting your professional status at risk by following the guidance of the WT society exclusively as you are required by them to do as its guidance is protective of the institution and not the victim. As a health / social care professional, you are required to protect the victim.
If you are a health professional JW but not a ministerial servant or elder, surely as a parent, you would prefer the above guidance founded on empirical expertise to be followed, rather than the WT society’s pseudo-guidance to be followed, which is focussed on containment within the organisation.
If you are a British JW, remember that quite recently, the WT Society of Britain sent its officers to Eire regarding several elders whose conscience directed them to disclose a case of abuse to the Garda (Irish Police). The outcome was that several of those elders were deleted as they were found by the WT society of Britain not to be of sound mind! But as a parent, wouldn’t you have found the elders’ approaching the Garda to be reassuring? This example of mal-conduct on the part of the WTBTS of Britain (aka Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses / aka IBSA – International Bible Students’ Association) evidences an especially bad record of protecting individuals who are victims of child abuse. This is a society which superficially extolls “lowliness of mind” and “reasonableness” and yet in practice puts itself (the institution) first, and is unreasonable in its aggressively litigious paradigm of having tried to obstruct the Charity Commission and deleting the small number of elders who decided to follow their consciences.
If you are a JW ministerial servant or elder, I hope you realise one day soon, that your Britain Branch isn’t providing you with the child safeguarding training you need. Their omission of training is wanton. That you acquiesce with their paradigm of protecting the org above the child can get you into trouble. The best thing you can do is to resign as an elder or ministerial servant. If you can’t do that then at least quit as a charitable trustee if you are an elder. If you can’t resign as an elder nor quit as a charitable trustee, then at least search around for third party liability insurance to cover yourself for following the woeful advice of the WTBTS of Britain.
Just look at what’s happened to the charity in the UK which sought to conceal that some of its employees abused children in Haiti and elsewhere. Their receipt of donations is significantly down such that they are having to shed employees, sell property, and curtail their charitable activity. The difference which sticks out in my mind is that they have acknowledged the problem, apologised, and are putting procedures in place which will mitigate the risk of the situation being repeated. There is no such reflection on the part of the WTBTS of Britain. It remains, cold, conceited, controlling and cagey.
You might think I’m exaggerating by labelling the WTBTS of Britain as “cagey”. However, I remember a time in the UK when direction went out to all the congregation BoE to have “a capable brother” nominated to deal with the press and media. The Britain Branch of the WTBTS also had a press and media individual to portray the organisation. I think it was Paul Gillies – an individual rich in his knowledge, experience, and application of WT protocols. He appeared on British TV only once or twice. The countenance of the TV interviewer conveyed incredulity at his coldness. That neither he nor others are available for interview / scrutiny in more recent times is demonstrative of their failure to meet their own objective of positively portraying the org; is demonstrative of their incompetence as communicators, and reflects their modern day decision to opt for a paradigm of being comprehensively taciturn (cagey).
I am so pleased that their contributions are diminishing; so pleased that their numbers are shrinking. From the influences of the WT society in the UK and elsewhere, may “angels and ministers of grace defend us” as Hamlet said!
-
1
Prayers for survivors of child abuse
by Nicholaus Kopernicus ini no longer attend jw meetings.
i can't read jw literature either.
it's so difficult now to contemplate opening the pages of a watchtower magazine knowing that the organisation which publishes it is steadfast in refusing to engage in child safeguarding.
-
-
Nicholaus Kopernicus
I no longer attend JW meetings. I can't read JW literature either. It's so difficult now to contemplate opening the pages of a watchtower magazine knowing that the organisation which publishes it is steadfast in refusing to engage in child safeguarding.
If you are a JW still, you know that if a wrong is perpetrated and the individual is not repentant, s(he) will likely be disfellowshipped by the congregation sentinels. To avoid this outcone, s(he) needs to demonstrate repentence. The sentinels will likely convey that one such indicator of repentence is prayer. Public prayer is engaged in at JW meeting regularly - at the beginning and end of each meeting. Yet when does the brother saying the prayer address the needs of survivors of child abuse?
Here are examples of two prayers which should be, could be said at JW meetings, but never ever will be....
"Prayer I for the victims and survivors of sexual abuse
FATHER
Since your mercy has been revealed
In the tenderness of your Son Jesus Christ, who said to his disciples:
"Suffer the little children to come unto me”,
we pray that Chrustian congregations may be a secure home where all children and vulnerable adults are brought closer to your Beloved Son.
May all those who have been abused physically, emotionally and sexually by your ministers be respected and accompanied by tangible gestures of justice and reparation so that they may feel healed with the balm of your compassion.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen
Prayer II for the victims and survivors of sexual abuse
Heavenly Father,
who loves and cares for all of your children, especially the smallest and most vulnerable, we entrust to you the lives of the many children and vulnerable adults, who have been sexually abused, and whose trust and innocence have been destroyed. Help us to hear their cries of pain and to take responsibility for so many broken lives.
We pray that within their communities and families they may find understanding and support so that with the help of your grace their wounds may be healed, and they may again know peace.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who shared our weakness in all things but sin, and lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
Amen."
Nope! It is unthinkable for such prayerful sentiments to be expressed in a kingdom hall. That such an organisation dares to suggest that others should repent of error is just so sickening. This organisation is guilty of great wrong and merely brushes it aside via legalisms.
If you are a JW and reading this, should prayerful sentiments like those above be conveyed at your meetings?