Should False Prophets be sued for fraud?

by Aussie Oz 10 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Aussie Oz

  Billions of dollars are generated and poured into ministries like Campings, people have again done what they did in Millers day, in 75, and again right now.

  believers sell belongings, donate their money and time to these sort of cons, basically bankrupt themselves for the prophet who later gets to cry 'no foul'.

  While we may mock (and rightly so) miller, Russell, Rutherford, the Wt, Camping and all the others of the same ilk, what about those suckered in? Some of them are now bust just like in the previous mentioned examples times as well.

  What massive culpability must these ones bare? And why are they not taken to court and sued by class action for massive fraud? Never once do they offer to repay the money taken, return the properties donated. Merely a squeek of some sort of consolation to the faithful hurt about how they too are hurting.

  Bloody vampires of the world. About time they were all rounded up, locked up and never released. And same goes for upstart prophets. Ruiners of the gullible them all.

  oz
• 

  ambersun

  believers sell belongings, donate their money and time to these sort of cons, basically bankrupt themselves for the prophet who later gets to cry 'no foul'.

  Bloody vampires of the world. About time they were all rounded up, locked up and never released. And same goes for upstart prophets. Ruiners of the gullible them all.

  I couldn't agree more, Aussie Oz!! Either lock 'em up or dump them all on some remote island far away so they can spend the rest of their days conning each other to their hearts content and leave the rest of us in peace!!!
• 

  cantleave

  It should be treated as International fraud.
• 

  sizemik

  When I worked for a few years as a Real Estate Agent . . . every word that came out of my mouth was a "representation" that had to be true and accurate. If someone suffered economic loss as a result of mis-representation by me . . . I'd get burned for it.

  I don't see a difference here . . . deception, misrepresentation, economic loss . . . they should be burnable.

  Religious freedom is an illusion . . . and an illusionists paradise.
• 

  Aussie Oz

  It should be treated as International fraud.

  Absolutely! And it should not be up to the common man to take action.

  The laws of most nations investigate and lock up defrauders all the time based on their own investigations.

  The law see's them as CRIMINALS aginst society

  and the same rules need to be applied to religion.

  oz
• 

  steve2

  God No - that would ensure their religious martyrdom for sure. Besides, you can bring in all the punishment in the world and still dopes the world over will gravitate to religious nutters. Just as a fool and his money are soon parted, the desperate cling like velcro to every street corner nutter who speaks for God.
• 

  sizemik

  Go easy on me Steve . . . I used to be desperate.
• 

  I quit!

  But is it fraud? What if the so called prophets really believed what they are saying? If I'm crazy enough to think that I have a direct line to God and he is telling me the world is going to end next week and you are messed up enough to believe me then who is to blame? In cases where you can prove outright deceiption then I think they should be held accountable. I don't believe we should go back to the old testament ways like stoning false prophets like Harold Camping to death but I think it should be ok for a large group of people to show up at his church and throw pies at him.
• 

  metatron

  Yes, absolutely. Fraud is fraud.

  Some of these discussions seem to be accepting the Watchtower line that 'it isn't fraud if it was sincere'. This is nonsense. Anyone can take people's money for some ridiculous venture and deceive themselves into thinking that some miracle will occur - like winning the lottery. Anyone who practices enough deceit eventually starts to believe their own lies - this is human nature.

  Should we allow parents to skip lifesaving medical treatment if they sincerely believe God will perform a miracle? Was Hitler to be forgiven because he sincerely believed Jews were evil vermin? Maybe murder should be OK if someone sincerely thought you were demon-possessed or going to commit some crime in the future. Anybody read Deuteronomy? You're a false prophet if your nonsense doesn't come true, period.

  I continue to marvel at how Wall Street has higher moral standards (believe it or not!) in this regard than religions like Camping or the Watchtower. If these frauds were judged by ordinary corporate standards, they would all be in prison.

  metatron
• 

  steve2

  Yes, absolutely. Fraud is fraud.

  Well, okay, then instead of hammering the false prophet alone, legislation needs to include making it mandatory for these assorted prophets to foreclose all previous false prophecies so that prospective members can give informed consent to membership. They should also be provided with steps they can take in the event that they have a complaint against their religious affiliation - pretty much like the consumer watchdog groups and health practitioners codes of practice. What you are talking about is making the nanny state even more invasive of everyday life.

  The bottom line is, regardless of legislation designed to protect vulnerable parties, the weak and the stupid continue to walk right into these religious honey traps. look at the seemingly intelligent and articulate idiots who joined up with Camping for examples. These were seemingly well educated people.