Mass Shooting at Kingdom Hall in Hamburg, Germany

by EdenOne 171 Replies latest social current

  • vienne
    vienne

    I haven't read the insane man's book. I'm ambivalent. That aside, I think some of the speculations turned solid opinions are really out of place. He murdered people. No one forced him to do that.

    As far as the anonymous letter goes, the police wouldn't have acted if the letter was signed because their interview with him produced no verifiable result.

  • Diogenesister
    Diogenesister
    So far as the anonymous letter goes, the police wouldn't have acted if the letter was signed because their interview with him produced no verifiable result.
    I'm not sure it's that simple. Because the letter was unsigned all they could do was check his weapons were securely stored, which they were other than one bullet (Frankly I'm amazed they even did that with an anonymous allegation).However if someone had signed the letter they may have been to verify from the sender what exact issues (or boxes to tick, if you like) they require in order to take further steps.
  • jochie
    jochie

    English translation of a German article:

    Hitler as a tool of Christ - the crude theses of Philipp F.

    Hitler as a tool of Christ - the crude theses of Philipp F.

    Before he set out to kill, the Hamburg spree killer posted a reference to his book. It is the work of a Christian extremist, experts say.

    He praised Hitler and Putin. He even considered Hitler an instrument of Christ for his 1,000-year empire. And he declared the Corona pandemic a judgment of God. Philip F., the man who shot wildly and killed eight people in a Jehovah's Witness kingdom hall in Hamburg, left behind a crude body of work. It says a lot about the 35-year-old's thinking.

    The book was so important to the man that he dedicated his last message to it: 100 percent satisfaction rate there is in sales, he wrote on a network early Thursday evening. Perpetrators often want to leave a message, media do them a favor if they go too much into it. That's why t-online limits itself to a few statements.

    F. was considered a charismatic personality, the book testifies to a big ego or delusions of grandeur. Philipp F. considers it to be an epoch-making work that is compulsory reading for leaders and various sciences. He himself stated on his page that he charges a daily rate of 250,000 euros as a management consultant.

    The book would be translated into Portuguese, Spanish, French, Arabic and Mandarin. It is "The Truth About God, Jesus Christ and Satan" and the first attempt to make visible their influences on humanity, society and the individual. It also promises to reveal "the secret of Christ's 1,000-year kingdom."

    Hitler as an instrument of Christ

    If one looks for it in the book, Adolf Hitler is described there as a human tool of Jesus Christ. Hitler had his idea of a "millennial kingdom" from Jesus and wanted to implement it for him. The persecution of the Jews had been an "act of heaven".

    At another place he calls Hitler and Putin benevolently together: Both had or would have God's favor. Putin was also one of the few statesmen who publicly stood up for God's values.

    For Jehovah's Witnesses, that must be a slap in the face. "I can imagine that something like that is completely unacceptable there and must lead to conflict," says Islamic scholar Lamya Kaddor, spokeswoman on domestic and religious policy for the Green Party. "He writes that Putin is under God's protection, while at the same time Jehovah's Witnesses complain that the community is persecuted there." Elsewhere, however, his ideology naturally ties in with Jehovah's Witness positions with the notion of a 1,000-year kingdom after the return of Christ. F. himself wrote that no faith community is adequate for man's dealings with God.

    Kaddor got hold of the book and read it crosswise on Friday. Her conclusion: "There are most frightening things, crude anti-Semitic passages." The work shows a black-and-white thinking, as one knows from other references to fundamentalism, she said. She summarizes, "The book is the work of a religiously radicalized extremist. Even a cursory glance shows that." Therefore it is also incomprehensible, she says, if that was not perceived by the weapons authority after a tip-off about the man.

    "Christian-apocalyptic dualism"

    Michael Blume, religious and political scientist, also sees a "Christian-apocalyptic dualism": "The author means to proclaim all alone final truths about good and evil, God, Jesus and Satan." Philipp F. thus also contradicts the practice of Jehovah's Witnesses, who only proclaim new teachings collectively in the name of the Watchtower Society.

    Blume, who has also appeared as a court expert on the extremism of the so-called Islamic State, says, "without prejudging the investigation, that the author of this text has radicalized himself very widely also against Christian and other-faith groups and expected an end time." The way Hitler and Putin are praised as instruments of God, and the Holocaust and Corona pandemic are portrayed as divinely willed, "is really hard to bear."

    That is almost exactly the wording with which Michael Tsfidaris, regional representative of Jehovah's Witnesses for Hamburg and surrounding states, also comments on the passages. "This is not at all compatible with our convictions." t-online has confronted him with quotes, he himself had not known them until now and also learned of the book only after the terrible act.

    But was the attitude in it perhaps the reason why Philipp F. broke with Jehovah's Witnesses in Hamburg? There is still no clarity as to why F. informed the congregation of his departure in a letter. Tsfidaris could not say anything about that on Friday either. "We also have other concerns right now. We are taking care of relatives and families who have been torn apart by the terrible act."

    source in German: https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/panorama/kriminalitaet/id_100142046/amoktat-in-hamburg-bei-zeugen-jehovas-buch-zeigt-extremismus-des-taeters.html

  • EdenOne
    EdenOne
    • However if someone had signed the letter they may have been to verify from the sender what exact issues (or boxes to tick, if you like) they require in order to take further steps.

    This is crucial. And here comes where the Watchtower policies and culture come to play. Probably the elders were more concerned with the "good name" of Jehovah's congregation/organization, that they didn't want to become public knowledge that such a dangerous person was ever associated with them. They also didn't want the police ask questions about disfellowshipping policies and details. So, rather than filing a formal complaint, which would allow the police to follow through a more in-depth investigation, and potentially protect the members of congregation, they chose to protect the reputation of the Watchtower Corporation and instead send an anonymous tip to the police, in hopes that the angels would keep watch for them. We now know how well that went.
  • was a new boy
    was a new boy
    But was the attitude in it perhaps the reason why Philipp F. broke with Jehovah's Witnesses in Hamburg? There is still no clarity as to why F. informed the congregation of his departure in a letter. Tsfidaris could not say anything about that on Friday either. "We also have other concerns right now. We are taking care of relatives and families who have been torn apart by the terrible act."

    So Philipp Fusz dissociated 11/2 year ago.

    Hamburg shooter left Jehovah's Witnesses 'not on good terms' | Watch (msn.com)

    So, rather than filing a formal complaint, which would allow the police to follow through a more in-depth investigation, and potentially protect the members of congregation, they chose to protect the reputation of the Watchtower Corporation and instead send an anonymous tip to the police,
    Did German Branch tell Elders to operate that way? Either way, we'll probably never know as Watchtower claims 'confidentially' on anything related to Elders.
    3:02 minute
    'And without being allowed to give any details about our pastoral work, of course must be treated confidentially'
  • peacefulpete
    peacefulpete

    Is there a way to know if he posted on forums? We have had many mentally compromised posters here. It seems he was functional and charismatic and may not have revealed the darkness brewing in his mind. Makes me think about my comments.

  • blondie
    blondie

    The WTS is still fighting in court regarding not reporting sexual abuse cases in their organization. The WTS says they fall under the "statutory clergy-penitent" even though the WTS avows they have no clergy class. That has not been settled legally yet that I know of.

  • Riley
    Riley

    I can almost guarantee that what happened was a couple half wit elders decided to flex with an inactive member. If a couple assholes showed up out of blue and decided to tell my friends and family to stop to stop talking to me, i might lose my shit too .

    Not making excuses for the shooter but i hold the WTS just as responsible as him.

  • Simon
    Simon
    It is very clear that this individual was an absolute nutcase with mental problems.
    This is not only clear from his previous comments that document his narcissism. Here is additional evidence.
    Please consider all of these statements from him

    Exactly. This wasn't someone created by the WTS. This is someone that likely latched on to them because of his delusions. I've seen tweets that show how desperate some exJWs are to use any tragedy to put some blame on the WTS but it appears they had the misfortune to attract one more nutcase but had the sense to kick the idiot out.

    Unfortunately, the police failed. He clearly had no business having a weapon. If only he'd committed a real crime such as misgendering someone or suggesting that Covid came from China, they may have saved some lives.

    Nothing the WTS does could ever justify firing a weapon into a crowd of strangers. Anyone suggesting there is somehow some reason that justifies such a thing is a vile idiot who needs to sit down and have a long think about how and why they have lost the plot. Don't be blinding by hatred or desire for petty revenge. Don't think that JWs are your enemy.

    Years ago it could have been YOU sat in that room. Would you deserve to be shot?

  • dropoffyourkeylee
    dropoffyourkeylee

    For one, I am in favor of the KHs having security at the doors nowadays. Likewise for all churches. It isn't just the JWs; it is a problem all across the spectrum, US and elsewhere. Guns easily obtained, fringe/extremist ideas accessible on the internet; lots of of angry and disenfranchised people out there. It's a societal problem that needs to be solved.

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