Churches in Australia could lose millions in tax breaks under radical national faith register plan

by sherrie11 25 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  sherrie11

  Smiddy: Jehovah`s Witnesses consider baptized children 10 years and younger as ministers of religion . It would be interesting to see how that is viewed by the government."

  That was what i was thinking. They say they all baptised members are ordained mininsters so that would mean every publisher would have to get a License and be accredited. This would cost the publisher money and they would have to be subjected to 'worldly' people and attitudes during the courses.

  I found this interesting as well

  " And religious institutions would be required to employ only registered ministers or lose government funding."

  So technically even though they don't pay their members they can still be seen as employing them and with that is insurance and occupational health and saftey standards etc costs and procedures.

  It has to make them politically correct which will cause a lot cog dis moments for a lot of them.

  Jaidubdub the government will make a way to apply this law to them. If this comes into place it will also show them up as a religious institution that doesnt contribute to society in charitable ways. the Real Estate company and printing company they really are will become more obvious.

  I wonder if the name change of the minstry school has anything to do with this. because if they call it a school and schools educate then it does come under this proposal.
• 

  sir82

  When the new law affects other religions, JW response:

  "Ha ha ha! Divine justice! The old harlot is getting what she deserves! Praise Jah!"
  

  10 seconds later, when the same JW realizes that identical law will adversely affect JWs in an identical way:

  "Oh Jehovah! Persecution! Satan is whipping the nations into a frenzy to stop the preaching work! Oh this is most dreadful! Injustice! Persecution! Jehovah, strike them down with your mighty hand!"
  
• 

  Oubliette

  The proposals would see clergy accredited in the same way as lawyers, doctors and teachers by an independent federal statutory body charged with registering all clergy for practice in Australia. They would be subjected to government-specified training in Australian law, child sexual abuse, family violence, women’s rights, and children’s rights. They would also be forced to renew a “licence” to practice annually, which would require meeting ongoing educational training requirements.

  I love it. Make it so!

  
  
• 

  JWdaughter

  If JWs want to go around claiming to be "ordained ministers" based on what is basically a soapless bath, then they should have to deal with the ramifications of such a claim. And if that means 8 year olds, then that means 8 year olds.
• 

  Vidiot

  "They would be subjected to government-specified training in Australian law, child sexual abuse, family violence, women’s rights, and children’s rights."

  Presumably background checks, too, and that's where I suspect the problem will come in.

  x

  Allegations of past abuse will force many more potential JW ministers under tighter scrutiny, and if more and more fail to qualify as a result of that scrutiny, the WTS would be left with some very unfomfortable prospects...

  A) ...compliance with the statues and not permitting past offenders to serve in an administrative capacity, and thusly being left with a serious shortfall of officially ordained congregation administrators, therefore making it far more difficult for said individual congregations to function, or...

  B) ...non-compliance with said statutes, potentially resulting in loss of government assistance (i.e. tax-exempt status), spinning it as the patently ridiculous label of "persecution"*, which would result in more and more of the R&F wondering why the WTS is refusing, and inevitably suspecting that the Org has something to hide, and/or becoming further alienated from the loyalists, thus potentially dividing the rank-and-file...

  ...both scenarios which would be very difficult for the WTS to mitigate.

  x

  * How the hell do you spin compliance with perfectly reasonable laws (i.e. "being in subjection to the superior authorities"), and loss of tax-exemption (i.e. "paying back Caesar's things to Caesar") as "persecution"?
• 

  Iown Mylife

  Look at the training and licensing a professional hair stylist has to acquire, to work on something that grows back! How much more should a person have to be certified who can affect your entire way of thinking and making life decisions!

  Marina