Class Action Lawsuit based on misinformation*

by biblexaminer 31 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

deddaisy

on second thought, I better add that information provided at Mr. Hughe's website mentioned that the class action suit may very well be on a contingency basis. The $100.00 that each interested party is asked to submit is to be held in a trust fund handled by a Canadian law firm. After it can be determined how many interested parties there are, each party has the option of not proceeding and having their money returned. At least this is my understanding of the posted information.
But to state that there is no class action suit being pondered may alarm those that have sent money to this trust in good faith. LoveNorris is not pursing a class action, but that does not mean a class action is not being pondered.
D wiltshire

Daisy,
I hope that these lawyer are on the up and up. I would hate to see someone scammed out of money.
You see after being misled by the WT, it has taught me very well not to just trust people.
But we can't go around never trusting we just need to becareful and keep our eyes open for trickery.
deddaisy

DW-----I'm not familiar with the firms mentioned at Mr. Hughes site, only because there's no reason that I would be familiar with law firms in Texas or Canada. But I don't see any reason to believe that these firms would be anything other than on the level. But I agree with you, we have to trust up to a point, but ultimately we have to rely on trusting our own judgments. Just like we would get as much information as necessary before making a decision when purchasing a house, buying a car, or finding a daycare, its only reasonable that we would inform ourselves when contemplating a lawsuit and lawyer. Hopefully we make informed decisions. After that point I guess we have to trust that our judgment was good. If not, we'd never make a move in life.
blue-----how wild ! you should demand your "share!"
biblexaminer

There is another reason I chose my angle. There would be publicity, and we have learned well that even if a person loses when taking on the tower, the publicity is almost always a win!
Think of the articles about this angle. "Person sues tower becasue thay are liars".
The publicity would be a win, and people would certainly get a negative opinion of the TOWER.
Folks would see how the Tower lies to control members. Points would be mentioned in articles causing JWs to llok stuff up and ask questions.
Nobody want's to hear that they have been lied to. For many xJWs, being lied to and finding out, was the worst part.
Inviewing this stinking religion, people would then have a new perspective.
Pathofthorns

This is how the public thinks...
"This is a weird religion that you were dumb enough to join. The not celebrating holidays or forbidding of blood transfusions didn't tip you off? And now you want to sue them because you didn't know they were a cult?"
"And if you were raised in the religion, well lots of people had rough upbringings - alot worse than you. Get on with life and stop complaining about it. "
**One would have had to have been a Witness to truly understand the above comments are just not entirely practical to make. But I feel there is little basis to win in court on the basis you have described due to the mindset of the public. It would even be a costly gamble to proceed in the hopes of getting media coverage. So JW's are liars.. what else is new in the world?
Path
deddaisy

Path, I agree with you that the public isn't really all that interested in JWs being misled. It would be comparable to the people that are talking about suing the fast-food industries for making them fat........
Now it's a different story when minors are involved. If nothing else, at least the public is made aware of the fact that there are states that do not have sufficient laws to protect children. It's a shame that we have to depend on the government to protect children, but when children have crackheads for parents, or have religious fanatics for parents who can't figure out to go to the authorities, can't figure out to allow a child the chance to live, can't figure out much of anything except to seek counsel from other religious fanatics who also refuse to think for themselves and whom contact the top religious fanatics who proceed to tell them to follow the law of the land. Between the parents, the church, the church's leaders, and the government, you'd think one of them would figure out that ANY allegation of child molestation should be reported for the welfare of all involved. Bottom line is, if there is no law of the land to provide for a child, well tough luck for the kid that gets stuck with religious fanatics for parents. That's the reason for laws, for those unable to think for themselves. (As in minors, mentally handicapped, and religious fanatics.)

biblexaminer

A MINOR?

I was "brought up" in this religion. I HAD NO CHOICE.

I was "abused" as a minor by having my mind filled with crap.

I was, AS A MINOR, deceived into thinking that this religion had worth and could deliver on its promises.

How many good folks were deceived by JIM JONES?

Perhaps its easy to say, "TO BAD ALL THOSE PEOPLE DIED, BUT HEY THEY HAD A CHOICE."

Yeah, I guess brainwashing isn't recognized. BUT IT SOON WILL BE.

Heavens Gate, remember them??

Will society at large continue to just say "Too bad, they should have never gotten involved"?

I DON"T THINK SO.

Within a few years you are going to see a shift in peoples thinking. No longer will the attitude be "Too bad for them"

The FBI doesn't seem to think like that, and their mindset-shift will soon be reflected in society in general.

I am sorry, but people do not think "Too bad for the Heavens Gate people" or the Jim Jones dupes.

They expect that somewhere, there are authorites working to counter such things. And I believe there are.

I want to play on the future mindset, not the lame one prevalent today.

Edited by - biblexaminer on 2 October 2002 14:48:36

deddaisy

Examiner, I also was raised in the so-called "truth." When I got old enough that I could see how the organization was attempting to chart the course of the lives of its members, and felt they had no business making plans for the lives of others, I told my father that I no longer wanted to attend meetings. Well this went over really well, the elders convinced my father that this was proof that I had too many "wordly" associates. I was then sheltered even more from school activities and friends that I had known most of my life. I'll never forget the response I got from a Witness when I contemplated going, GASP, to a Homecoming Dance: "Well you know what will happen to you if Armageddon comes while you're at a wordly function!" Jesus, and people wonder why so many raised in this moronic cult end up neurotic?
So I do understand where you're coming from Examiner, there is no doubt in my mind that the bullshit of my childhood AND adulthood, while watching my father being shunned by his children for da'ing himself, AND all the other Unnecessary JW Bullshit in this short enough life, was due to the teachings of this moronic organization. The bottom line is, the organization did not FORCE our parents to become members of their organization. And freedom of religion allows freedom of thought, no matter how moronic the thought. It is an ACTION that will get them nailed.
I was just agreeing with Path, the public does not particularly care what adult JWs do, unless there's sex and murder involved. But the public DOES take notice when children are not being protected.....and this is the way it should be.
Have you checked out Mr. Hughes site ? You don't even have to be a former JW to be part of the class action. If you feel you've been harmed by the WTS, you can join the class in suing the WTS.
biblexaminer

Mr Smith goes to the door of Mrs Elderly.
Mr Elderly is dead and gone, so Mrs Elderly is left on her own.
Mr Smith tells Mrs elderly that he is from the gas company. He say she should give him 100 bucks.
Mrs Elderly complains.
Mr Smith reiterates her debt and adds that he will take swift "action" if she refuses.
Mrs Elderly gets her purse and gives Mr Smith 100 bucks.
Now, where does the law stand on this? Does the law say "Buyer Beware", it's a free country?
=====================================================================
Merrill Lynch says "Buy company X because they are good".
So, hoards of investors buy company X
Company X goes broke.
Investors a,b,c and d do their own research and find out Merrill Lynch lied.
Where does the Securities ans Exchange Commision stand on this?
I can tell you where the stand. Merrill Lynch has to pay $5,000,000.oo (true story this year)
Do you see the point yet?
==================================================================
Religious CORPORATION WTS says "Invest your life with us, for we are righteous as all get out" and here's the proof (providing lots of false history)
So, people do.
People then find out that CORPORATION WTS lied.
CORPORATION WTS then makes threat of swift "action" against those who have done their own "research" in hopes of surpressing the information that they are BANKRUPT
And you say the law says "Buyer Beware"
Going back th Mrs Elderly and Merril Lynch, tell me the difference?
Is the issue not yet painfully clear?
deddaisy

good god examiner, I hope you're not actually getting irritated ! Who is anyone here to tell you if you have a case or not! To hell with what anyone here says, its a judge/jury that has to be convinced, not posters on a board. The issue has always been clear, and I know little regarding the law other than excessively reading cases and opinions in my uncle's law books as a teenager, but my VERY UNPROFESSIONAL opinion still tends to believe that legally, religious organizations are able to HIDE behind the Constitution more so than the persons set forth in your scenarios. For entertainment purposes only.
Mr Smith tells Mrs elderly that he is from the gas company. He say she should give him 100 bucks.
This, I believe, is a criminal offense, not a civil matter. The state itself will attempt to prosecute. There will certainly be physical evidence, paper work, etc. which confirms that Mr. Smith is not an employee of the gas company. There will certainly be a statute in Mrs Elderly's state confirming that Mr. Smith's action of coercing $100.00 from Mrs. Elderly is a criminal offense. Of course Mrs. Elderly could also file a civil suit against Mr. Smith but it would most likely be a waste of her time.
Investors a,b,c and d do their own research and find out Merrill Lynch lied.
This scenario has unclear facts, but I would guess that Merrill Lynch is federally regulated and the investors were clients who paid Merrill Lynch for its services. In this case, Merrill Lynch OWES a duty to the investors. The SEC is there to protect investors and to attempt to maintain the integrity of the securities markets, so to get BUSTED lying to investors, especially for profit, is a big no-no. (Notice how Merrill Lynch can "predict" on CNN what markets or companies look good without getting sued? They owe viewers no duty.)
_______Now my scenario:_____________________________________________________
I'm born and raised Lutheran and led to believe that if I'm bad I'm going to burn in hell eternally.. I sincerely believe this and live with constant nightmares as a child. I am almost neurotic over the thought of burning in hell on and off for eighteen years. That's when I finally talk to some JWs at the door, begin a study and learn that I'm not going to burn in hell after all. I am FINALLY free of my neurotic tendencies ! Now I am pissed over all those childhood years that I wasted in fear ! I've decided to sue the Lutheran Church for lying to me and ruining my childhood ! Do I have a case?

Class Action Lawsuit based on misinformation*

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