OrphanCrow
JoinedTopics Started by OrphanCrow
-
15
Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?
by OrphanCrow init has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the wts is implementing recently.
from reading recent threads, it appears like 'they' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of christendoom".
i am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift.
-
1
Is VVRP a Cult?
by OrphanCrow inshiamak davar, bollywood star, defends spiritual group after assault allegations.. the vrrp spiritual learning group follows the teachings of khorshed bhavnagri and her book the laws of the spirit world, written, she claimed, through messages she received from her dead sons, who were killed in a car accident in india in 1980.vrrp stands for vispi, ratoo, rumi and popsie the names of bhavnagri's two deceased sons, their father and their grandfather, respectively.. bhavnagri's book predicts a catastrophic shift in the earth's axis that will wipe out "all negative energies" and kill 75 per cent of the world's population.
"cataclysmic earthquakes will cause this major imbalance which will be followed by floods, tidal waves, fires, more earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and so on," wrote bhavnagri.but her book assures members of her group that people "at higher realms will be saved.
""ufos will send down levitation beams to evacuate good souls who are trapped in dangerous places," wrote bhavnagri.. dr. michael elterman, a forensic and clinical psychologist who has studied cults, said the difference between a spiritual group and a cult is whether other aspects of members' lives are controlled by the group.
-
2
Insurance Policies, Churches and Child Sex Abuse Claims
by OrphanCrow inin 2011, the vienna presbyterian church in vienna, virginia, chose to apologize to the victims of abuse at the hands of a church employee.
the story was spoke about here on a past thread.. the church chose to apologize in spite of that decision affecting whether or not the insurance policy would cover the abuse payout.. the following pdf discusses how that church's decision would have been influenced by the insurance company:.
the cost of being a shepherdhow vienna presbyterian church chose between its sexualabuse victims and a potential loss of insurance coverage:.
-
1
A Denomination Confronts Child Sex Abuse: a positive step forward
by OrphanCrow inthere are some churches that are acknowledging the rampant problem of child abuse within their congregations.. from the article a denomination confronts child sex abuse: a positive step forward:.
there are some days when i am thrilled to report positive developments within the protestant world about the slow but steady shift taking place on issues relating to child sexual abuse.
just a few years ago, there was very little private or public discourse within most protestant circles about abuse within the church.
-
34
'Clergy' and 'Ordained Ministers'
by OrphanCrow inwhat i can't seem reconcile are the concepts of 'clergy' and 'ordained minister'.. the wts has consistently won legal battles, specifically in cases involving military exemption, by making the claim that each and every baptized jw is an 'ordained minister'.
and, they bolstered this label with the assertion that 'we do not have a clergy class'.
so, why is that different now in the sex abuse trials that happening right now?
-
7
Clergy as Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
by OrphanCrow inin the united states, the statutes governing mandatory reporting of child abuse are determined at the state level with variances occurring between states.
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/clergymandated.pdf.
the statutes outlined in the above pdf are the statutes by which jw elders are accountable to according to the state in which they live.. candace conti's court case was filed in california and the reporting laws that apply to clergy in that state are as follows:.
-
8
"Gerson Therapy" in Tijuana, Mexico
by OrphanCrow insince at least back to the 1960s in canada, jws have been travelling to mexico for cancer treatment.
and, i believe, other medical treatments.
because i watched my uncle die of cancer back in 1962, unable to receive treatment because the doctors couldn't operate without blood, i have always been curious as to why the jws with cancer were going to mexico.
-
1
Nahuatl among Jehovah's Witnesses of Hueyapan, Morelos: A case of spontaneous revitalization
by OrphanCrow innahuatl among jehovahs witnesses of hueyapan, morelos: a case of spontaneous revitalization.
by - magnus pharao hansen.
abstract.
-
4
Trademark?
by OrphanCrow ina while back, there was some controversy over whether or not jw .org qualified for registered trademark status.. yesterday, i was given one of the 2015 memorial invitations and there is a small tm next to the jw logo.. did the wts get the logo approved for trademark?.
or, am i looking at an invitation to the janitor world's jesus celebrations?.
-
9
Measles, Cults and Vaccinations
by OrphanCrow inhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-rushes-to-vaccinate-against-measles-in-joliette-1.2991904.
a member of the esprit-saint mission told cbc news reporter thomas daigle that vaccinations are against the community's beliefs and that their prophet warns them vaccines result in illness.
the member confirmed the first cases of measles in the region originated with the community.the esprit-saint eugenics group was founded by eugene richer dit lafleche in 1913. the community purports to live by and work toward spreading the message of the third member of the trinity, the holy spirit.a former member of the community said it believes vaccines compromise people's immune systems, and that they feel protected by the spirit of dit la fleche, who died in 1925.public health officials said wednesday they believe the number of infections will continue to climb.. this article sounded interesting - i was reminded of how similar this cult's views on vaccinations are to the jws view, especially back in the 1920s to the 1950s.