Posts by umbertoecho

21

What are JWs saying about the Royal Commission?

by LexIsFree in

i am wondering if there are any pro-jw blogs/sites that any of you visit and whether or not jws are aware of what is going on in australia.

also, what is there reaction to it?

(i may already know the answer to that last question.

umbertoecho

I joined a pro JW website. I had refused to initially as I thought it might be way too self righteous for me to take.

I was wrong. This pro JW site is not about hiding facts and although there are some very strong witnesses on this site. This doesn't stop one of the moderators from being highly critical and angry at the practices and bullshit that has been seen on the part of the elders in the RC.

Perhaps I am being lured.........Maybe not. I have read a fair amount of their posts and it is mainly about doctrine and some good discussions happen, such as a loss of belief in the 1914 date.

There is concern about the revelations of the RC. I won't post anything on it in that regard as I am always suspicious. One of the moderators contacted me yesterday asking me about the RC, I said that I had no reason to trust anyone at the moment and therefore the website might be the best place to go for information. I know, a touch of paranoia. But I have been let down so often by people who "promised" to remain very discreet.....

16

Would this be any use to the Royal Commission?

by freddo in

i believe this shows how the org.

doesn't want to be held accountable to secular legal authorities.. in the 1991 green elders handbook (used between 1991 and 2010) there is a blank page (page 143) and at one elders school we were instructed to write six expressions that "should not be used on s77 + s79 forms (df and da forms)".. 1) anything alluding to or naming one of the society's legal advisers.. 2) any mention of the legal desk.. 3) any comments referring to direction from the society.. 4) any comments mentioning anyone other than the committee itself as a possible influence in the decision reached.. 5) any comment that might suggest someone with a critical eye that the committee did not reach its decision on its own but instead somehow yielded to the influence of an outside party.. 6) any comments indicating the elders mishandled the case or committed any error in the investigation or the judicial committee process.. i have in my possession two elders handbooks with these exact words written in each in different handwriting.

.

umbertoecho

Freddo,

This is such a good idea. I think it would be excellent for all who are inclined to save these types of documents. I know that I keep a nice fat file on research and documents that I have found. I also keep some of the old books in incase the WT tries to refute certain teachings.............Then out it comes and I thumb through to the page and give it to them.............I hate it when someone won't own up to being in the wrong or having some capacity to alter wrong actions...............I truly loath it when someone denies ever having said or written something.

16

Would this be any use to the Royal Commission?

by freddo in

i believe this shows how the org.

doesn't want to be held accountable to secular legal authorities.. in the 1991 green elders handbook (used between 1991 and 2010) there is a blank page (page 143) and at one elders school we were instructed to write six expressions that "should not be used on s77 + s79 forms (df and da forms)".. 1) anything alluding to or naming one of the society's legal advisers.. 2) any mention of the legal desk.. 3) any comments referring to direction from the society.. 4) any comments mentioning anyone other than the committee itself as a possible influence in the decision reached.. 5) any comment that might suggest someone with a critical eye that the committee did not reach its decision on its own but instead somehow yielded to the influence of an outside party.. 6) any comments indicating the elders mishandled the case or committed any error in the investigation or the judicial committee process.. i have in my possession two elders handbooks with these exact words written in each in different handwriting.

.

umbertoecho

freddo, I there some way of scanning those parts and emailing them? We all know that the GB or WTBTS is keen to distance itself from anything that could lead them to be accountable and cost them money.....And since the Commission will go on for quite a long time, it will be very valuable to have this sort of info to hand on.

Perhaps you could PM me. Of course if your' not comfortable with that I understand. Yet it's so important to have all the relevant documents to hand next time the RC has it's review of the WTBTS policies.

They will keep it on record you know.

15

New Catholic tribunal formed

by OrphanCrow in

this happened in the month prior to the jws giving testimony for the royal commission - the article was published june 10, 2015. it is interesting to note that this catholic tribunal is for addressing those priests who cover up child abuse.

pope francis makes catholic bishops who cover up for paedophile priests accountable for first time with new tribunal system.

pope francis has taken a major step towards stamping out paedophilia in the catholic church, approving a new system of tribunals designed to make bishops accountable for the priests under them.the new and unprecedented vatican legal mechanism will hear the cases against bishops accused of covering up paedophile priests who abuse children on their watch.the church has previously faced criticism for failing to hold those in higher positions accountable for what goes on in their bishoprics.the vatican said pope francis was presented with the tribunal proposals by cardinal sean omalley, who he appointed as head of a new sex abuse advisory commission in december 2013.francis and his cardinal advisers approved the plans and allocated funding for full-time personnel to staff the new office.the vatican spokesman, rev federico lombardi, said this means there is now a specific process by which the vatican can deal with bishops who are negligent in handling cases of abuse in their territories.canon law already does provide sanctions for bishops who are negligent in their duties, but the vatican has never been known to mete out punishment for a bishop who covered up for an abuser.previously, the closest francis had come was in april, when he accepted the resignation of a us bishop found to have failed to report a suspected child abuser.

umbertoecho

NONE

21

I wish Geoffrey Jackson wasn't being questioned at all vs a video link...

by thedepressedsoul in

i'd rather them not even question him at this point.

by allowing a video link, they put the ball 100% in his court.

i don't get what they expect to accomplish by having a video link only.. 2. he won't feel any pressure.

umbertoecho

I don't know what to think about this link up. I'm just going to sit back and watch. The one thing that keeps me ever hopeful is that this Royal Commission is going to continue on for over two years. This means going to every single person who is willing to give testimony before commissioners. So, don't worry that this is a one or two week wonder. It's not. I promise you this with complete knowledge.

No doubt it will die down as a public "expose", but that's normal.............until they unearth increasing numbers of abused, shunned, disfellowshipped (for disagreeing) and any other damage that is done by this collective papacy.

Then the s99t will hit the fan. Australia once banned this religion in the forties.

I think that was just a particular thing with the then prime minister Menzies....who's to say it couldn't ever happen again...........Better still, they may lose tax exempt status due to lack of charitable actions in the broader community. Just speculation ............

5

WifiBandit.. Do you need any help with setting up a Roku channel?

by defender of truth in

jw
friends

.. if you are able to find time to do so?.

i only ask because he sounded like he might want to, on another thread.. apologies if i've got the wrong end of the stick, i just wanted to bring people together for brainstorming... wifibandit a day ago.

that is a great idea defender of truth!

umbertoecho

I do. I think it's a very good idea to bring any corruption to the fore. I don't want a hate fest though as it's counter productive. The RC was so good at their job because of such a clear respect for themselves in questioning. They had a pride in their approach that no witness will ever be able to attack as in "we are being persecuted" That was a great part of their success and appeal.

I wonder......Those live streamed videos of the RC are public domain aren't they? I mean, Barbara Anderson has all these links. I imagine that as long as there is no attempt made to make money from them, it should be no problem.

I'm interested..........

30

Hello!

by BeautifulMind in

jw
friends

i've been enjoying all of the discussions here for a good while now.

i found this site as i was researching things about this religion i've been in (finally after nagging curiosity and questions) but i wanted to figure things out more before coming on here and posting.

i'm glad to see that im not alone or crazy!

umbertoecho

Big Big welcome from me too. I am so glad you have decided not to raise your children in such a miserable religion. Wait! On no!! They will be "normal" they will have parents who will let them reach their full potential!!!!. Oh dear, what will they do with their educations and birthday celebrations.

Witnesses you once knew will hope that your' life will plummet out of control. And when you actually soar, they will suffer a grim form of envy for your "apparent happiness".

Oh, This is truly wonderful.

This site helped me. I started here two years ago. I was so afraid that at first I just posted something hideously vague expecting some elder to knock on my door any minute, or the guilt to show vividly on my face. I was just afraid and had no where to go. So convinced that this was the moral, spiritual end of me........But the sky did not fall in and my kids (who I never raised as witlesses) became very conscious of a change in my attitude. I actually went to birthday parties and sang the song. This year!!!!! Yay!

Recently I have posted about something very close to my heart and have never been treated in any way but with great kindness, some good humour and a lot of bloody good honesty. Nothing cruel.............But! There is a crazy factor here, a very funny mob who use irreverence to convey some interesting angles..............It's my favourite place.

18

Article in New Yorker magazine

by InquiryMan in

i guess this article will be appreciated within the jw community, being on the positive side when discussing blood transfusion.

it is the first of three articles to be published in that prestigious magazine.. http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-jehovahs-witnesses-are-changing-medicine.

umbertoecho

Steve2 Oh, I suppose you're right, it;s just that they crow and brag so much when things like this are printed. This makes me so angry. I would accept this if it didn't mean some magazine or a broadcast of some sort wasn't inevitably bound to come out of this.

I do accept in principle that this blood issue may have come as a result of JW beliefs, but I also know that the AIDs disease was also a factor in changing many policies. It made a huge change in so many areas of collecting storing and deciding how blood would be used.

232

Geoffrey Jackson Royal Commission update

by umbertoecho in

hello people.

the rc will still go ahead with it's live stream on friday 14th august.

however, it seem that it will be a video link.

umbertoecho

Come on then get to it. I think it's a very good idea to flood the Commission with good reasons allowing us to see his face. They are protecting this man.....O Tool or some other WTlawyer is deceiving them or using as much legal clout as they can legally get away with.

Let them know the GB are in complete control of 8 million Jehovah's Witnesses and that he is afraid of being tested a very real personal sense.

I have sent my email and hope you do too. However, don't think that this investigation is over, for they are going state to state taking testimony. Mine included. This is just the start and they will have a greater interest in the fiscal actions of WTBTS as a consequence. You do know that all monies are to leave Australia don't you? And all other sorts of monies taken in by various congregations and that they have been requested to mark these as"Donations". Odd behaviour for such and honest religion....

This is an attempt to disavow any scrutiny into the possible gains made through sales of property and god knows what else. The fear of losing tax exempt status is a very real one for WT and it's other incorporated bodies.

232

Geoffrey Jackson Royal Commission update

by umbertoecho in

hello people.

the rc will still go ahead with it's live stream on friday 14th august.

however, it seem that it will be a video link.

umbertoecho

Hello people. The RC will still go ahead with it's live stream on Friday 14th August. However, it seem that it will be a video link. I wonder why this is being done this way. Either he is sitting right next to his father as he is just about to die, or he is not in Australia, or this is the only way that he is willing, at this stage to give testimony. I am a bit disappointed as there is only so much a person can achieve when the "other" significant one is not actually present. It feels like they are trying to protect him. Damn it!!!!

Jehovah's Witness Geoffrey Jackson will give evidence on Friday 14 August via video linkbit.ly/1Kd5GdV

14 hours ago