Very sorry, my reply was to Listener, don't ask why I typed Joe, lol! Not well at the moment.
defender of truth
JoinedPosts by defender of truth
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2015-11-18-BOE--Credits to jwfacts!
by Atlantis inthanks to mr. jwfacts we now have a copy of this letter.
i would have posted it on his thread but there was already 2 pages of replies and i didn't think the link would be seen.. thank you again mr. facts!.
.. click the green download button.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/bbduxaa.
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2015-11-18-BOE--Credits to jwfacts!
by Atlantis inthanks to mr. jwfacts we now have a copy of this letter.
i would have posted it on his thread but there was already 2 pages of replies and i didn't think the link would be seen.. thank you again mr. facts!.
.. click the green download button.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/bbduxaa.
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defender of truth
Fair enough, Joe.
But I still think it would be worth posting or emailing the letter to the Australian Information Commission, and let THEM decide for themselves.
(i) the information relates to the activities of the organisation;
Look again at each bullet point on the letter..
Humility/ spirituality of the person and their families, meeting attendance and time spent in the ministry, action and speech regarding theocratic arrangements, along with marital status.. and the final bullet point mentions 'any additional comments' which could mean anything..
All very personal information that should not, IMHO, be necessary for them to know about those who are (we can only presume because they don't even state the reason behind their information request) to be used as accountants, solicitors and barristers.
Let the Watchtower defend themselves, it's worth a shot..
Please can someone send the Commission a copy of the letter?
It would be brilliant if someone could post them a copy, if you live in Australia..
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2015-11-18-BOE--Credits to jwfacts!
by Atlantis inthanks to mr. jwfacts we now have a copy of this letter.
i would have posted it on his thread but there was already 2 pages of replies and i didn't think the link would be seen.. thank you again mr. facts!.
.. click the green download button.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/bbduxaa.
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defender of truth
steve2
Good point joe. I'd only add that police have legislative backing for their information gathering and storing - even without individual's consent - for obvious reasons.
However, I wonder about the right of a religious organization to gather information on specified individuals without their even knowing it is being gathered and stored.
If you are still interested, maybe have a look at the APP's (Australian Privacy Principles)
www.oaic.gov.au/privacy-law/privacy-act/australian-privacy-principles
"APP 3 provides that an APP entity must collect personal information only by lawful and fair means, and must (where reasonable and practicable) collect personal information about an individual directly from that individual.
In addition, ‘sensitive information’ may generally only be collected if the individual about whom the information relates has consented to the collection.
‘Sensitive information’ means information about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin; political opinions; membership of a political association; religious beliefs or affiliations; philosophical beliefs; membership of a professional or trade association; membership of a trade union; sexual orientation or practices; criminal record; health information about an individual; genetic background, or biometric identification (such as fingerprints that is to be used for the purpose of automated biometric verification)."
Summary of the australian privacy principles"The biggest implication of these new laws is that bodies collecting and storing data (that’s potentially your company) can now be fined up to 1.7m per infringement.
The Privacy Amendment Act includes a set of new, harmonised privacy principles called Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). These APPs will regulate the handling of personal information by both businesses and Australian government agencies.
Sensitive information
3.3 An APP entity must not collect sensitive information about an individual unless:
(a) the individual consents to the collection of the information and:
(i) if the entity is an agency – the information is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, one or more of the entity’s functions or activities; or
(ii) if the entity is an organisation – the information is reasonably necessary for one or more of the entity’s functions or aactivities"
www.cohortglobal.com/changes-to-australian-privacy-laws-effective-march-2014/
"Further the principles make it mandatory for organisations to give the option of client-anonymity. Good practice for internet trading and other electronic data collection is to include an opt-out clause when gathering client information.
Failure to maintain data integrity or to ensure that information is collected through compliant methods, may present substantial financial and reputational risks.
The obligations of the Act and the Privacy Principles are enforceable by the Australian Information Commissioner (AIC). As part of the legislative amendment, the Commissioner’s regulatory powers have been expanded with powers to investigate perceived breaches.
The AIC is empowered to conduct privacy audits of any Australian government body or regulated private organisation; where serious breaches are found, the Commissioner can penalise APP entities up to $1.1 million."
Not for profit compliance essentials"There are no exemptions for Not-for-Profit or charitable entities."
(Some of the links wouldn't fit on the page, that's why they are posted in blue text)
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Can someone please send a copy of this letter to the Australian Information Commission, and ask if they think APP 3.3 may apply here? They might be very interested in this apparent breach of privacy..
(Maybe you could phone the enquiry line and ask if this applies, if you live in Australia)
www.oaic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us
Please let us know if you get any response, or at least PM me, as this post took a while to put together. ;)
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Matthew 24 - "This Generation": If you are a Jehovahs Witness that dares to study the Bible itself...
by defender of truth inrather than just rely on the watchtower's latest opinions... are you ready?.
1) please read this article:.
2) if you are offended by the article's title, read this page for an explanation of what the phrase means, then go back and read it:.
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defender of truth
Thank you to everyone for the positive feedback, and even a BTTT!
Really kind of you all, made me feel like it was worth the effort. Looking back on it now, I'm not sure how anyone could be bothered to read it, lol.
Life's good at the moment ;)
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Could the Independent Inquiry in England and Wales expose jw.org's child abuse failures? And how can we help?
by defender of truth inwith all the talk about the org's policies and failures regarding child sexual abuse being publically exposed in australia, i thought that it may be a good time to highlight this... i apologise if this has already been discussed, but on the 9th of july the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in england and wales was opened.
here is some information regarding it's aims.. "about the inquiry.
the inquiry offers an unprecedented opportunity to examine the extent to which institutions and organisations in england and wales have taken seriously their responsibility to protect children.. the inquiry will investigate a wide range of institutions including:.
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defender of truth
Don't give up hope yet...
Page 3 of the Independent Inquiry November statement reads as follows:
"10. Our fourth and fifth investigations will deal with failings by two major religious institutions in England and Wales, namely the Roman Catholic church and the Anglican church.
We will also be conducting research into child sexual abuse in other faith communities, which will lead to other investigations in time. "
And from page 1:
"Twelve investigations are proposed for this first phase.. They represent only the start of the Inquiry's investigations and are by no means the total of the work we intend to conduct; further investigations will be announced as the Inquiry progresses. "
Also, this is an important point from page 2:
"..We will not be limited to considering the particular institution that is the focus of the investigation, but will address the range of institutions responsible for child protection. And our recommendations will generally be made with the whole sector, rather than any specific institution, in mind."
This inquiry is ultimately all about highlighting institutional failures when it comes to protecting children from sexual abuse, then recommending ways that ALL religions (and all other sectors) can handle child sexual abuse differently.. Each of us wants the world to be a safer place for future generations to grow up in.
A potential exposure of harmful Watchtower policies would be great obviously...
But either way, whether Jw's are specifically investigated or not, the findings of this Inquiry are hopefully going to change the future with regards to institutional standards of dealing with abuse cases, and even getting proper support and compensation to victims (see page 7). I'll be keeping a close eye on it.
Please feel free to share any thoughts you have on the statement, it is well worth reading:
www.iicsa.org.uk/sites/default/files/update-statement-november-2015.pdf
Introductory video and updates are all here:
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CO just confirmed worldwide construction halt and possible JW.ORG news of it
by LevelThePlayingField injust had the co visit tonight.
i asked him if he had heard about the worldwide halt of construction besides warwick and to my surprise he said he heard the same thing.
then he went on and add that also some branches are closing and some bethelites going into pioneering but, "all because of the preaching work now.
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defender of truth
A quick google news search reveals..
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Could the Independent Inquiry in England and Wales expose jw.org's child abuse failures? And how can we help?
by defender of truth inwith all the talk about the org's policies and failures regarding child sexual abuse being publically exposed in australia, i thought that it may be a good time to highlight this... i apologise if this has already been discussed, but on the 9th of july the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in england and wales was opened.
here is some information regarding it's aims.. "about the inquiry.
the inquiry offers an unprecedented opportunity to examine the extent to which institutions and organisations in england and wales have taken seriously their responsibility to protect children.. the inquiry will investigate a wide range of institutions including:.
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defender of truth
Many religious organisations will find themselves being closely scrutinised in the national independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, chaired by New Zealand judge Lowell Goddard.
The survivors of such abuse hope that the inquiry will prove itself truly independent, and help ensure that abusers will not be able to rely on their own congregations or religious leaders to protect them - whatever their faith.
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Jamaican news - ‘SHUNNING’: A Cult-Like Practice Of Jehovah’s Witnesses
by defender of truth inwww.jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20150913/shunning-cult-practice-jehovahs-witnesses
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defender of truth
Not yet, that I have seen. They are rarely mentioned, from what I can make out.
Here is another article from Jamaica:
www.lifeofajamaican.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/close-your-doors-the-jehovahs-witnesses-are-coming/
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Lurker trying to gain clarity
by questioningmyfaith inhello all, i would like to first say that i am basically questioning my faith in god.
i am not negative towards the wt at all.
so honestly i am to concerned with more ad hominem attacks towards the wt because i still love the organization and the people in it.
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defender of truth
questioningmyfaith said:
But, if you have any answers to my questions about the world getting worse and mankind destroying it I would be happy to hear.
Really? Then why have you not responded to any of the replies you have already had to your questions?
Even a simple thanks to those who took the time to reply to you, would be polite.
Saintbertholdt 4 days ago
"If there is no god, is there hope for mankind"
Definitely. If you look at the statistics, for example: Average human life expectancy, average available calories per day per human, infectious disease statistics and even population growth you'll notice that things overall are getting better over time for the entire planet.
Regarding climate change: The fact that it has been detected and debated is a very good thing. You can't fix something if you don't know its broken.
"Why do humans seem to be so unable to rule themselves."
Slowly but surely the world is democratizing. This is a good thing as it also goes hand in hand with free markets which is also a good thing.
Human kind can still drop the ball in a big way, but I think that we're on the right track.
Believing in God and the Watchtower does seem to give one comfort in that one supposedly knows the future, but this is an illusion. The future is an unknown country which makes it scary but also exhilarating at the same time.
OneEyedJoe 4 days ago
This reminds me of the Socrates quote from over 1600 years ago:
The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.
The fact is that every generation thinks the outgoing generation is old fashioned and that the next generation is doomed. You're focusing on the bad news which is often sensationalized and put forth more because it sells.
There's lots of good news out there too, though. There have been people in every generation for the last 2000 years that thought that "critical times hard to deal with will be here" was being fulfilled. Meanwhile the world has improved by just about every metric there is.
Billyblobber 4 days ago
Climate change isn't "hopeless." You're looking at this from a strictly human-centric perspective, first of all, which makes sense when you've been around a religion that makes humanity the center of the universe.
If humans are just another animal, then they don't matter to this planet any more than the dinosaurs, which were on the planet longer.
Even if they have an effect on the climate or blow themselves up in nuclear war, the earth will change as it has always been changing, and new life will appear or other life that survives will evolve and become the dominant species. So what humans do, only matters to humans themselves. And as such, we have the best chance of any species that ever existed on this planet to possibly outlive the planet itself (the planet will eventually die unless we can reignite the sun waaayyyy in the future - something that JWs assume God will do or something).
We are living in the best time in history. Life is safer, per capita, for people more than any time on this planet. Diseases are contained far better than they ever war. Wars are actually slowing down and have less of an impact on the average individual. People are living longer. People are getting closer towards cracking aging and other things.
The news, etc. is purposely centered around constantly scaring people so that they tune back in, but stats don't match that. Similarly, religions have to tell people everything is going badly to give their followers a reason to pour themselves into them. But, again, facts don't match this. Look these things up for yourself.
^^ Those were responses you received on this very thread.
Why do humans seem to be so unable to rule themselves.
My response to that specific question would be:
Why should mankind be expected to govern ourselves without 'getting it wrong', or taking actions that may later turn out to have negative consequences? (your question seems to imply that you may actually mean 'why does human government always have flaws and make mistakes?', otherwise it doesn't make much sense because humans clearly are able to govern themselves.. We have governments. )
In the absence of an Omniscient God who wants to sort all our problems out for us, which is like wishing Superman existed, human governments are the best we can do.. Unless you support total anarchy?
www.civilliberty.about.com/od/historyprofiles/f/why_government.htm
In future, when you start a topic, maybe just confine your remarks to the subject you wish to discuss? It was your OP and subsequent posts that brought up the very things you claim that you did not want to discuss..
To then just dismiss everything said in reply to YOUR comments without addressing what was said, really comes across as arrogant and rude.
I'll leave it there. I hope you find peace in your new belief system.
Once I embraced my atheism, rather than running from it.. everything became clearer. Perhaps because it was MY belief, not a set of beliefs imposed by a third party.
Good luck to you. ;)
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For me the worst thing is not having a helper anymore
by John Aquila inone of the things that gave me confidence in life was that i believed i had the almighty creator/god watching over me, directing me, guiding my every step, protecting me from harm, and answering my prayers.
i now know that is not the case anymore.
i finally stopped praying.
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defender of truth
For me, the best thing about becoming an atheist was realising I don't have a helper.. and that I never actually had one.
This means that everything I have ever achieved, every good deed I have done, every person I have helped along the way..
I did it myself.
;)
How's that for a different way of looking at things?
You clearly don't need an invisible helper...
You never had one in the first place.