The 2015 “Imitate Jesus!” Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be held July 3-5 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. Organizers said the three-day convention will demonstrate how children and parents can follow Jesus’ example in order to build a more united family. The program will also include an examination of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

“Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount offers timeless advice that can help parents to better use their time and resources to build a more secure and loving family environment,” Convention spokesman Mike Funston said in a statement.

According to Funston, crowds of thousands are expected to attend each day due to people having time off from work for the long weekend.

The 2015 “Imitate Jesus!” Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses will begin at 9:20 a.m. all three days. Admission is free, and no collection will be taken. The Convention will also be held July 17-19 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

READER COMMENT:

Please be forewarned about this 'religion.' Some individual JWs may be nice people, but their organization hardly "imitates Jesus." For example, they baptize minor children into a contract with their organization, not with God. If a child later errs or decides they don’t want to be JWs anymore they will be FOREVER SHUNNED by their friends and family. Hear it from their own mouths as part of this convention:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ-kzaIK_UA)

Their doctrine teaches children to hate others by forcing an “us vs. them” mentality, they think they are elite and everyone on earth is going to die in a fiery Armageddon, including the child’s school mates and non-JW relatives. Anyone who is not one of JWs is considered “worldly” and controlled by Satan. Due to their draconian and unscriptural doctrines child and domestic abuse are rampant within that ‘religion’ (anyone can search “jehovah’s witnesses, child abuse [pedophiles, crime, domestic abuse, etc.].

18

Time Magazine Article: Now’s the Time To End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://time.com/3939143/nows-the-time-to-end-tax-exemptions-for-religious-institutions/?xid=newsletter-brief.

june 28, 2015 .

nows the time to end tax exemptions for religious institutions.

AndersonsInfo

http://time.com/3939143/nows-the-time-to-end-tax-exemptions-for-religious-institutions/?xid=newsletter-brief

June 28, 2015

Now’s the Time To End Tax Exemptions for Religious Institutions

une 28, 2015

Church Getty Images

Mark Oppenheimer writes the biweekly “Beliefs” column for The New York Times and is editor-at-large for Tablet. He also reports for The Atlantic, The Nation, This American Life, and elsewhere.

The Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage makes it clearer than ever that the government shouldn't be subsidizing religion and non-profits

Two weeks ago, with a decision in Obergefell v. Hodges on the way, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introduced the First Amendment Defense Act, which ensures that religious institutions won’t lose their tax exemptions if they don’t support same-sex marriage. Liberals tend to think Sen. Lee’s fears are unwarranted, and they can even point to Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion in Friday’s case, which promises “that religious organizations and persons [will be] given proper protection.”

But I don’t think Sen. Lee is crazy. In the 1983 Bob Jones University case, the court ruled that a school could lose tax-exempt status if its policies violated “fundamental national public policy.” So far, the Bob Jones reasoning hasn’t been extended to other kinds of discrimination, but someday it could be. I’m a gay-rights supporter who was elated by Friday’s Supreme Court decision — but I honor Sen. Lee’s fears.

I don’t, however, like his solution. And he’s not going to like mine. Rather than try to rescue tax-exempt status for organizations that dissent from settled public policy on matters of race or sexuality, we need to take a more radical step. It’s time to abolish, or greatly diminish, their tax-exempt statuses.

The federal revenue acts of 1909, 1913, and 1917 exempted nonprofits from the corporate excise and income taxes at the same time that they allowed people to deduct charitable contributions from their incomes. In other words, they gave tax-free status to the income of, and to the income donated to, nonprofits. Since then, state and local laws nearly everywhere have exempted nonprofits from all, or most, property tax and state income tax. This system of tax exemptions and deductions took shape partly during World War I, when it was feared that the new income tax, with top rates as high as 77%, might choke off charitable giving. But whatever its intentions, today it’s a mess, for several reasons.

First, the religious exemption has forced the IRS to decide what’s a religion, and thus has entangled church and state in the worst way. Since the world’s great religion scholars can’t agree on what a religion is, it’s absurd to ask a bunch of accountants, no matter how well-meaning. You can read part of the IRS’s guidelines for what’s a bona fide religion here; suffice it to say that it has an easier time saying what’s not a religion. The site gives the example of the rejection of an application from an “outgrowth of a supper club … whose primary activities were holding meetings before supper, sponsoring the supper club, and publishing a newsletter” but which professed a religious doctrine of “ethical egoism.”

On the other hand, the IRS famously caved and awarded the Church of Scientology tax-exempt status. Never mind that the Scientology is secretive, or that it charges for its courses; or that its leader, David Miscavige, lives like a pasha. Indeed, many clergy have mid-six-figure salaries — many university presidents, seven-figure salaries — and the IRS doesn’t trouble their tax-exempt status. And many churches and synagogues sit on exceedingly valuable tracts of land (walk up and down Fifth Avenue to see what I mean). The property taxes they aren’t paying have to be drawn from business owners and private citizens — in a real sense, you and I are subsidizing Mormon temples, Muslims mosques, Methodist churches.

We’re also subsidizing wealthy organizations sitting in the middle of poor towns. Yale University has an endowment of about $25 billion, yet it pays very little to the city of New Haven, which I (as a resident) can assure you needs the money. At the prep school I attended (current endowment: $175 million), faculty houses, owned by the school, were tax-exempt, on the theory that teachers sometimes had students over for dinner, where they talked about history or literature or swim practice.

Meanwhile, although nonprofits can’t endorse political candidates, they can be quite partisan and still thrive on the public dole, in the form of tax exemptions and deductions. Conservatives are footing the bill for taxes that Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit, doesn’t pay — while liberals are making up revenue lost from the National Rifle Association. I could go on. In short, the exemption-and-deduction regime has grown into a pointless, incoherent agglomeration of nonsensical loopholes, which can allow rich organizations to horde plentiful assets in the midst of poverty.

Defenders of tax exemptions and deductions argues that if we got rid of them charitable giving would drop. It surely would, although how much, we can’t say. But of course government revenue would go up, and that money could be used to, say, house the homeless and feed the hungry. We’d have fewer church soup kitchens — but countries that truly care about poverty don’t rely on churches to run soup kitchens.

Exemption advocates also point out that churches would be squeezed out of high-property-value areas. But if it’s important to the people of Fifth Avenue to have a synagogue like Emanu-El or an Episcopal church like St. Thomas in their midst, they should pay full freight for it. They can afford to, more than millions of poorer New Yorkers whose tax bills the synagogue and church exemptions are currently inflating.

So yes, the logic of gay-marriage rights could lead to a reexamination of conservative churches’ tax exemptions (although, as long as the IRS is afraid of challenging Scientology’s exemption, everyone else is probably safe). But when that day comes, it will be long overdue. I can see keeping some exemptions; hospitals, in particular, are an indispensable, and noncontroversial, public good. And localities could always carve out sensible property-tax exceptions for nonprofits their communities need. But it’s time for most nonprofits, like those of us who faithfully cut checks to them, to pay their fair share.

29

Royal Commission into Child Abuse - Australia

by biometrics in

saw this in the paper today:.

the jehovah's witnesses church in australia is the latest religious group to come to the attention of the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.. the child sex abuse royal commission will hold a public hearing into controversial christian group the jehovah's witnesses, next month.. the inquiry, to be held in sydney, will hear from people who were allegedly sexually abused within the jehovah's witnesses church in australia.. it will examine how the jehovah's witnesses church and its company, the watchtower bible and tract society of australia, responded to claims of child sexual abuse within the organisation.. a victorian inquiry into how churches handle child sex abuse claims has previously taken submissions from former jehovah's witnesses who alleged instances of paedophilia, sexual assault, blackmail and death threats.. the organisation has 64,000 active "disciples" in australia but has also been described as a cult.. jehovah's witnesses believe their church is the one true religion and all others are wrong.

they are among a number of religious groups which have been examined by the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse including the catholics, anglicans, australian christian churches and the salvation army.. the jehovah's witnesses australian headquarters has been contacted for comment about the inquiry which is scheduled to begin on july 27.. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/nsw/jehovahs-witnesses-to-appear-before-sex-abuse-royal-commission-20150622-ghue73.html.

AndersonsInfo

This opportunity for Australian victims of JW molesters to speak up is due to the never-ending and difficult work of Steven Unthank and a few other XJWs for more than seven years. Steven has been tireless in his fight for justice through countless government leaders and other authorities for those oppressed by arrogant JW leaders and their JW attorneys who refused to listen to cries for help from the machinations of some evil JWs.

Now that the Royal Commission will hold a public hearing, we can only hope that those who can will be at the hearing to tell their stories of the cover-up of their sexual abuse for the entire world to hear.

Many victims have lived in fear of disfellowshipping, or worse, for years if they spoke of their abuse to anyone. How wonderful that they are now given the opportunity to speak out without fear of retribution because the Australian government is listening and at this point, what the leaders of Watch Tower of Australia don't need are more complaints of their duplicity.

7

Church of God pastor writes what could be to some a helpful synopsis of Ray Franz "Crisis of Conscience."

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue92/crisiscn.html .

a 'crisis of conscience' opens eyes part 1.

he continues on page 346: .

AndersonsInfo

http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue92/crisiscn.html

A 'Crisis of Conscience' opens eyes
Part 1

By Dave Havir

The writer pastors the Church of God Big Sandy and is a regular columnist for The Journal.

BIG SANDY, Texas--Since I like to help people who have been traumatized by domineering religious organizations, I would like to recommend a particular book to readers of The Journal.

Crisis of Conscience Book Cover

Crisis of Conscience is a book about the struggle between loyalty to God and loyalty to one's religion. The author is Raymond Franz, a former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Although he wrote the first edition in 1983, I read the fourth edition from 2002.

This book has 408 pages with another 20 pages of appendixes. There are 13 chapters. If you are pressed for time, you can consider reading only the first three and last three chapters.

This book is advertised as a penetrating view of a religion's supreme council and its dramatic power over people's lives.

What's the issue?

Let's go to the beginning of the book and identify Mr. Franz's main issue.

On page 1 he writes that the examples found in his book "may have little of the high drama found in the heresy trial of a John Wycliffe, the intrigue of the international hunt for an elusive William Tyndale, or the horror of the burning at the stake of a Michael Servetus."

From page 2:

"The people I write of are from among those I know most intimately, persons who have been members of the religious group known as Jehovah's Witnesses. I am sure, and there is evidence to show, that their experience is by no means unique, that there is a similar stirring of conscience among people of various faiths. They face the same issue that Peter and John and men and women of later centuries confronted: the struggle to hold true to personal conscience in the face of pressure from religious authority. [All emphasis is Mr. Franz's.]

"For many it is an emotional tug-of-war. On the one hand, they feel impelled to reject the interposing of human authority between themselves and their Creator; to reject religious dogmatism, legalism and authoritarianism, to hold true to the teaching that Christ Jesus, not any human religious body, is 'the head of every man.'

"On the other hand, they face the risk of losing lifelong friends, seeing family relationships traumatically affected, sacrificing a religious heritage that may reach back for generations. At that kind of crossroads, decisions do not come easy."

Mr. Franz continues by showing a remarkable contrast about conscience.

On page 6 he writes:

". . . They [Jehovah's Witnesses] have taken some fifty cases to the Supreme Court of the United States in defense of their freedom of conscience . . . In other countries they have experienced severe persecution, arrests, jailing, mobbing, beatings, and official bans prohibiting their literature and preaching.

"How, then, is it the case that today any person among their members who voices a personal difference of viewpoint as to the teachings of the organization is almost certain to face judicial proceedings and, unless willing to retract, is liable for disfellowship? . . ."

Mr. Franz expressed his understanding for the need of unity, of order, of protection from pernicious teaching and of a proper respect for authority.

But on page 7 he asks some good questions:

What is the effect when spiritual "guidance" becomes mental domination, even spiritual tyranny?

What happens when the desirable qualities of unity and order are substituted for by demands for institutionalized conformity and by legalistic regimentation?

What results when proper respect for authority is converted into servility, unquestioning submission, an abandonment of personal responsibility before God to make decisions based on individual conscience?

Hating sin, not sinners

At this time I want to cite for you some references to show that Mr. Franz's stated motivation is not bitterness. I believe his approach is to hate the sin but not the sinner.

Mr. Franz says on page 346 that his understanding of the root cause of the problems he has encountered

"enables me to be free from brooding or harboring bitterness toward the persons involved, either individually or collectively."

On pages 347 he writes:

"Bitterness is both self-defeating and destructive. I do not know any person among those men [who participated in his disfellowship] that I would not be willing to express hospitality to in my home, with no questions asked, no issue of apology raised . . ."

Let's look at the preceding page to see why he gives these people some slack concerning their actions. He claims to understand why the religious organization shields people from personal responsibility in hurting other people.

He describes how the organization seems to take on a life of its own that supersedes in importance the actions of any individual. "It was the organization that did it, not us," seems to be the thinking. People do not feel a keen sense of personal responsibility for whatever hurt might be caused.

He continues on page 346:

". . . And, believing that 'the organization' is God's chosen instrument, the responsibility is passed on to God. It was His will--even if later the particular decision or the particular authoritative teaching is found wrong and changed. People may have been disfellowshipped or otherwise hurt by the wrong decisions. But the individual member of the Governing Body feels absolved of personal responsibility."

Mr. Franz seeks not to condemn the people involved.

He continues: "I express the points above, not as a means of condemnation but as a means of explanation, an attempt to understand why certain men that I consider to be honest, basically kind individuals could be party to what I feel that they, in their own hearts, would normally have rejected."

Although Mr. Franz does not condemn the people involved, he still denounces their behavior.

He continues:

"I think the concept earlier described is tragically wrong, as pernicious as it is tragic. I believe the drastic actions taken toward those persons accused of 'apostasy' were, in almost all cases, not only unjustified but repugnant, unworthy not only of Christianity but of any free society of men. Yet this effort at comprehension enables me to be free from brooding or harboring bitterness toward the persons involved, either individually or collectively . . ."

Earlier in the book Mr. Franz gives some insight concerning why he has compassion for those who perpetuate certain myths.

On page 274 he writes:

". . . In a long-distance phone call, a former Witness said to me, 'We have been followers of followers.' Another said, 'We have been victims of victims.' I think both statements are true . . . In place of rancor, I feel only compassion for those men I know, for I too was such a 'victim of victims,' a 'follower of followers.' "

Not stuck in the past

Now let's go to the end of the book and see a glimpse of his conclusion. On the last page Mr. Franz recommends that mistreated people not stay in the past.

On page 408 he writes:

"Life is a journey, and we cannot make progress in it if our focus is mainly on where we have been; that could lead to emotional inertia or even spiritual decline. What is done is done. The past is beyond our changing, but the present and future are things we can work with, focus on. The journey inevitably contains challenge, but we can find encouragement in knowing that we are moving on, making at least some progress, and can feel confident that what lies ahead can be fulfilling."


	*LEFT: Raymond Franz in 1982 at age 59. TOP: Mr. Franz more recently. The writer of Crisis in Conscience* is now 81.**

Why write the book?

Someone could say: If Mr. Franz were really willing to move forward, why did he write about the past in his book?

We'll let him answer the question.

On page 33 he mentions that, after nine years on the "Governing Body" of the Jehovah's Witnesses, he resigned. For two years he maintained his silence about the reason and details of his decision.

On page 34 he writes:

"During those two years, the motives, character and conduct of persons who conscientiously disagreed with the organization were portrayed in the worst of terms. Their concern to put God's Word first was represented as the product of ambition, rebellion, pride, as sin against God and Christ. No allowance was made for the possibility that any of them acted out of sincerity, love of truth or integrity to God."

He was disappointed about the approach of the leadership toward people of conscience. He described their behavior in the following ways.

Any misconduct or wrong attitude on the part of some who had left the organization was attributed to all who have left.

For those who did display a wrong attitude, no effort was made to appreciate the part that frustration, disappointment and hurt may have played in that conduct.

An enormous amount of rumor and even gutter-level gossip circulated among Witnesses.

Still, on page 34 he writes:

"The only ones who could have restrained such talk . . . in reality contributed to the spread of rumor by what they published."

Mr. Franz shows some excerpts of what the church's headquarters said about people who left the Jehovah's Witnesses.

On page 35 he analyzes the official material this way:

"Thus, in one paragraph, persons are described as like Satan, independent, faultfinding, stubborn, reviling, haughty, apostate and lawless. What had they actually done to earn this array of charges? Among the 'wrongs' mentioned is that of disagreeing in some unspecified way with some unspecified part of the organization's teachings . . ."

Mr. Franz describes his motive. On pages 37-38:

"This feeling for others is, I believe, a decisive factor as to the genuineness of motive . . . I know many persons who clearly evidence such [conscientious] concern, yet who are labeled as 'apostates,' 'antichrists,' 'instruments of Satan.' In case after case after case, the sole basis for such condemnation is that they could not honestly agree with all organization's teachings or policies."

Mr. Franz describes how the practice of disfellowship was used.

On page 38 he writes:

". . . After the reading of that [disfellowship] announcement no Witness was supposed to talk with the persons disfellowshipped, thereby shutting down any possibility of their expressing themselves by way of an explanation to friends and associates. For them to have done so before the disfellowshipping would have been counted as 'proselytizing,' 'undermining the unity of the congregation,' 'sowing dissension,' 'forming a sect.' For anyone to talk to them afterward would jeopardize that person's own standing, make him liable for similar disfellowshipment."

Mr. Franz mentions how disfellowshipped people found out they did not have as many true friends as they thought they had.

On page 38:

"The Scriptures tell us that, 'A true companion is loving all the time, and is a brother that is born for when there is distress.' I once thought I had many, many such genuine friends. But when the crisis reached a decisive point, I found I had only a few. Still, I count those few precious, whether they said little or much on my behalf . . ."

Mr. Franz said he believes his discussion of the absurdities that marked his time on the Governing Body is more valuable than anything he might have accomplished while he was a member of the body.

On page 39 Mr. Franz writes:

"If my past prominence could now contribute in some way to the conscientious stand of such persons being considered with a more open mind and could aid others to revise their attitude toward persons of this kind, I feel that such prominence would thereby have served perhaps the only useful purpose it ever had."

Although Mr. Franz mentions that he did not intend his book to be some kind of expose, some of the material would be shocking to unsuspecting Jehovah's Witnesses.

On page 40 he writes that his presentations of certain details

"demonstrate the extremes to which 'loyalty to an organization' can lead, how it is that basically kind, well-intentioned, persons can be led to make decisions and take actions that are both unkind and unjust, even cruel . . ."

Mr. Franz shows that he understands the difference between condemning people and discussing their actions.

On page 41 he writes:

". . . Undeniably, He [God] alone can fully and finally right all wrongs committed . . . Does this, however, call for maintaining total silence about injustice? Does it require keeping silent when error is propagated in the name of God? Is, perhaps, the discussion thereof evidence of 'disrespect for divinely constituted authority'?"

On page 42 Mr. Franz reminds the reader that the apostles and disciples spoke up against

"the very authority structure of God's covenant people--its Sanhedrin, its elders, and the divinely constituted priestly authority."

He writes:

". . . Those publicizing the wrongs did so out of respect for, and obedience to, a higher authority, and in the interests of the people who needed to know."

Mr. Franz reiterates his desire to help other people.

On page 43 he writes:

". . . My hope is that what is presented in this book may be of help and I feel it is owed to them . . ."

Protecting the organization

In the past decade many people have been appalled to watch the Roman Catholic Church ignore the children wounded by their priests as they sought to protect the image of the church and the priesthood.

Mr. Franz describes this kind of justification among the Jehovah's Witnesses.

He describes the words of a leader in the organization that reflected the thinking of others.

On page 118:

". . . In this particular session he [Ted Jaracz] acknowledged that 'the existing policy might work a measure of hardship on some individuals in the particular situation being discussed,' and said, 'It is not that we don't feel for them in the matter, but we have to always keep in mind that we are not dealing with just two or three persons--we have a large, worldwide organization to keep in view and we have to think of the effect on that worldwide organization.'

"This view, that what is good for the organization is what is good for the people in it, and that the interests of the individual are, in effect 'expendable' when the interests of the large organization appear to require it, seemed to be accepted as a valid position by many members."

His view changes

In his book Mr. Franz gives many informative details about the history of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Along the way he describes how he previously believed that the organization was the official channel of knowing God's will on the earth. Through time his belief changed.

Even though his view about government changed, notice that he was not opposed to authority, organization and teaching.

Not opposed to authority

On page 274 he writes:

"I was not opposed to authority. I was opposed to the extremes to which it was carried. I could not believe that God ever purposed for men to exercise such all-pervading authoritarian control over the lives of fellow members of the Christian congregation. My understanding was that Christ grants authority in His congregation only to serve, never to dominate."

Not opposed to organization

On pages 274 he continues:

"Similarly, I did not object to 'organization' in the sense of an orderly arrangement, for I understood the Christian congregation itself to involve such an orderly arrangement . . ."

On pages 274-275 Mr. Franz uses some interesting phrases to discuss organization.

The organizational structure "was only as an aid for the brothers; it was there to serve their interests, not the other way around."

"It was to build men and women up so that they would not be spiritual babes, dependent on men or on an institutionalized system, but able to act a full-grown, mature Christians."

"It is not to train them to be simply conformists to a set of organizational rules and regulations, but to help them to become persons 'having their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong.' "

"It must contribute toward a genuine sense of brotherhood, with the freeness of speech and mutual confidence true brotherhood brings--not a society composed of the few who are the governors and the many who are the governed."

It must not be "by 'making people feel the weight of one's authority' in the way the great men of the world do. It must be in the exaltation of Christ Jesus as the Head, never in the exaltation of an earthly authority structure and its officers."

Continuing on page 275 Mr. Franz writes:

". . . As it was, I felt that the role of Christ Jesus as active Head was overshadowed and virtually eclipsed by the authoritarian conduct and constant self-commendation and self-praise of the organization."

READ PART 2 OF ARTICLE

http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue92/crisicn2.html

4

Henry Carr, (a JW) Olympic Sprinter and a Football Giant, Dies at 73

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/sports/football/henry-carr-gold-medalist-and-then-a-giant-dies-at-73.html?_r=1.

by richard goldstein june 7, 2015 .

photo .

AndersonsInfo

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/sports/football/henry-carr-gold-medalist-and-then-a-giant-dies-at-73.html?_r=1

By RICHARD GOLDSTEIN JUNE 7, 2015

Photo

Henry Carr, right, winning the 200-meter final at the 1964 Tokyo Games. He also won gold with the 4x400-meter relay team. Credit Associated Press

Henry Carr, a sprinter who captured two gold medals in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and later played defensive back for the Giants, died on May 29 in Griffin, Ga. He was 73.

The cause was cancer, said his wife, Glenda.

Carr, one of the leading sprinters of his time, captured a gold medal in the 200 meters with an Olympic-record time of 20.3 seconds, winning by about a yard.

“I didn’t think it was that fast,” he told The Track and Field News. “This was the easiest of my races.”

He also propelled the United States 4x400-meter relay team to gold, running the final leg in 44.5 seconds, the team’s fastest split. He combined with Ollan Cassell, Mike Larrabee and Ulis Williams for a world-record time of 3 minutes 0.7 of a second.

Carr was selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 1965 N.F.L. draft. At 6 feet 3 inches and 185 pounds, he had a sturdy build to complement his speed and played at safety and cornerback.

His best season was 1966, when he had four interceptions and ran one back for a touchdown after picking off a pass by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel on the Giants’ goal line.

Photo

Carr in 1964 with his 200- meter gold medal. “I didn’t think it was that fast,” he said. Credit Associated Press

But he played only three seasons in pro football, all with the Giants. He was hampered by a knee injury in his final year.

Bob Hayes, who won two gold medals in the sprints at the Tokyo Games, also embarked on an N.F.L. career in 1965 and became a Hall of Fame receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.

Henry Carr was born on Nov. 27, 1941, in Montgomery Ala., the ninth of 11 children. The family moved to Detroit when he was a youngster, and he starred in track and field, football and basketball in high school. He played football for one season at Arizona State, then concentrated on track and field.

“Winning the Olympics was more of a personal, individual achievement,” Carr told The Associated Press in 1966, contrasting track and field with pro football. “I think football is even more of an achievement for me. I can do more concrete things for myself and use football as a steppingstone for the future, along with my Olympic connections.”

He had difficulty finding work after his football career ended, his wife said. He began using drugs, but turned his life around when he and his wife were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses in May 1973.

“In time, I hit rock bottom morally as a man, coming into association with drug dealers and prostitutes,” Carr wrote in a 1976 article for the Jehovah’s Witnesses publication The Watchtower.

Mrs. Carr said in an interview on Sunday that her husband was raised Baptist and had not been a churchgoer, but that he joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses after he began reading the Bible to find spiritual comfort.

Carr was a Jehovah’s Witness elder, helping preside at church meetings. He also he did contracting work and owned a restaurant. He was living in Detroit when he became a Jehovah’s Witness, then moved to Griffin, Ga., when he was told that ministers were needed in that area. He later moved back to Detroit but had been living in Griffin for about 10 years when he died.

He was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1997.

In addition to his wife, Carr is survived by two daughters, Piper and Andrea Carr; a son, Peyton; four brothers, Emmitt, Linwood, Jasper and Ethan; three sisters, Flozell Coachman, Charity Harris and Escalita Jones; and five grandchildren.

Carr ultimately considered the fame he achieved as an athlete to be of little consequence.

“Stars are soon replaced and generally forgotten,” he wrote in The Watchtower. “Rather than competing with others to be best, helping and serving others is what brings true satisfaction.”

80

Parents under fire for failing to allow lifesaving blood transfusion to terminally ill son

by AndersonsInfo in

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/11/19/06/parents-under-fire-for-failing-to-allow-lifesaving-blood-transfusion-to-terminally-ill-son.

there is a video that can be seen at the above link that is worth watching.. the andersons.

7:10pm june 11, 2015 parents under fire for failing to allow lifesaving blood transfusion to terminally ill son.

AndersonsInfo

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/06/11/19/06/parents-under-fire-for-failing-to-allow-lifesaving-blood-transfusion-to-terminally-ill-son

There is a video that can be seen at the above link that is worth watching.

The Andersons

7:10pm June 11, 2015

Parents under fire for failing to allow lifesaving blood transfusion to terminally ill son

June 11, 2015: Parents around Australia are shocked with the heart-breaking determination of a devout Jehovah's Witness mother and father.

Jehovah's Witness parents in Queensland have come under fire for denying their terminally ill son a life-saving procedure.

Their seven-year-old boy has severe liver disease and doctors have said he will die without a transplant.

However, his religiously devout parents are refusing to consent to a blood transfusion - an essential part of the liver transplant procedure.

In an attempt to save the young boy's life, Brisbane's Lady Cilento Children's Hospital has launched a Supreme Court challenge to allow medical staff to administer the necessary blood transfusions during the operation.

Documents lodged as part of the court challenge state that the parents are aware their son will die within two years without the treatment.

Brisbane's Lady Cilento Children's Hospital has launched legal action to allow them to perform a lifesaving blood transfusion, as part of a liver transplant, on a seven-year-old Jehovah's Witness

Many of the doctors involved in the boy's treatment were unable to comment, as the matter is currently before the court.

But prominent Australian medical practitioner Dr Ross Walker believes religion has to stand aside when a child's life is at risk.

"It's my opinion religion should have no role in the operating theatre," Dr Walker said.

"We're talking about life and death situations, as opposed to someone's personal philosophy - especially when you're inflicting that personal philosophy on your child."

The boy's doctors are hoping for a positive and speedy outcome in the legal challenge.

The sicker the boy gets, the harder it will become to carry out the liver transplant at all.

In a court affidavit, one of the boy's doctors has given him a good chance of survival if the liver transplant and blood transfusion occur soon.

Dr Tom Aechtner, a lecturer in the history of religious thought at the University of Queensland, believe these parents possibly aren't looking at this as a case of life and death - but a case of god's will.

"For Jehovah’s Witnesses, essentially there are no exceptions for the acceptance of blood transfusions," Dr Aechtner said.

"Not accepting blood transfusions, perhaps even in a situation where it might be a case of life and death, is essentially considered a small price to pay for eternal life," he said.

There are many controversial cases relating to the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses and blood transfusions.

In Sydney this year, a pregnant Jehovah’s Witness and her baby died after the woman refused a blood transfusion.

Also in New South Wales, the Supreme Court overruled the wishes of a 17-year-old Jehovah’s Witness suffering from a lethal form of blood cancer in 2013.

The doctors were able to forcibly provide treatment to the boy until his eighteenth birthday – when he was given the option to refuse further treatment.

Overseas last year, a High Court Judge in London ruled that the son of two devout Jehovah's Witnesses could be given blood and a Dublin High Court judge ordered that a four-year-old girl undergo a lifesaving blood transfusion, despite objections from their parents.

3

Article: Family poisoned by disgruntled Jehovah’s Witness Brett Darren Mardon sues him for $100,000 over malicious, spiteful crime

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

don't know if this article was posted here recently.

but be mindful, if you're an elder, it could be dangerous to disfellowship someone.. the andersons.

perth - western australia , june 5, 2015. http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/family-poisoned-by-disgruntled-jehovahs-witness-brett-darren-mardon-sues-him-for-100000-over-malicious-spiteful-crime/story-fnii5yv8-1227385223087?sv=9dc7c522db1e83c6f7c6990365090aec.

AndersonsInfo

Don't know if this article was posted here recently. But be mindful, if you're an elder, it could be dangerous to disfellowship someone.

The Andersons

-------

Perth - Western Australia , June 5, 2015

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/national/family-poisoned-by-disgruntled-jehovahs-witness-brett-darren-mardon-sues-him-for-100000-over-malicious-spiteful-crime/story-fnii5yv8-1227385223087?sv=9dc7c522db1e83c6f7c6990365090aec

A DISGRUNTLED Jehovah’s Witness is being sued, by the family he poisoned, for $100,000 because his malicious, spiteful crime has left them feeling anguished and afraid.

The Advertiser can reveal Karen and Ben Anthonysz have filed civil action against Brett Darren Mardon, who was last month convicted of lacing their food and drink with weed killer.

In court documents, Mrs Anthonysz, 43, says her youngest child still asks his food be checked, while her bakery suffered because she could not ensure the purity of its ingredients.

She fears Mardon’s choice of toxin, glysophate, may cause the family hormonal disruption and “DNA damage”, or leave them susceptible to Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Mrs Athonysz says she and her husband — a church elder who excommunicated Mardon for infidelity — “struggled to comprehend” the bizarre offending to which they fell victim.

23

Article: Why More Young Women Are Leaving Church [65% of JW members are women]

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://national.deseretnews.com/article/4645/why-more-young-women-are-leaving-church.html.

stock photo a kulicki .

faith compiled by massarah mikati sunday, may 31, 2015 why more young women are leaving church.

AndersonsInfo

http://national.deseretnews.com/article/4645/why-more-young-women-are-leaving-church.html

Faith Compiled by Massarah Mikati Sunday, May 31, 2015

Why more young women are leaving church

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An increasing number of young women are leading the millennial generation in ditching church, according to a recent study.

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at the University of San Diego and author of "Generation Me," and fellow researchers examined data from the Monitoring the Future and American Freshman surveys.

They found that while the majority of adolescents and young adults remain religiously involved, the number of 12th graders and college students that have never attended religious services has doubled since the 1960s-'70s. In addition, the number of 8th and 10th graders who do not attend religious services has increased by 20 percent to 40 percent.

According to the study published by the Public Library of Science website PLOS One, the decline in religious orientation is greater among girls, as well as Northeasterners, whites and political liberals. While the number of 12th grade girls who reported never attending church increased 125 percent since the 1960s-'70s, the male increase was less at 83 percent.

“The rise in cultural individualism may have impacted some groups more than others,” the study said. “Given shifts away from traditional female roles, females may have been affected more than males.”

Individualism, they explain, is focusing on oneself rather than others and society in general. The study found a correlation — but not necessarily causation — between low religious involvement and high individualism, and vice versa.

Stemming from individualism — and what often clashes with religious affiliation — is lack of commitment (most religious organizations need some form of commitment), difference of opinion and resulting tension, the inability to submit to authority and the unwillingness to sacrifice oneself (often, religion urges helping others and serving God).

Hannah Hunt, a 24-year-old, told the Washington Post that the shift away from traditional female roles contributed to her dwindling religiosity.

Despite their greater generational decrease of religiosity, however, women still make up a majority of the religiously affiliated. A 2015 Pew Study reported that over half of nearly every Christian group constitutes women, with the largest in the Jehovah’s Witnesses church at 65 percent.

Email: [email protected]

50

Newspaper article: 'Rise of ISIS and earthquakes are WARNINGS before ARMAGEDDON destroys Earth'

by AndersonsInfo in

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/581439/rise-isis-earthquakes-warnings-before-armageddon-apocalypse-end-destroys-volcanoes-earth.

the "end" of mankind, which has been long predicted by jehovah's witnesses, could happen as soon as this year - according to latest announcement from the christian religion.. in the latest edition of jehovah's witnesses monthly publication watchtower, an article translated into 700 languages - urges people to join the religion or face certain death when god sends his forces from the heavens to "remove all world leaders," "exterminate his enemies" and "rid the world of satan".. critics have lambasted the warning of a coming armageddon as yet another "failed prediction" by the religion, which has previously delivered similar alerts such as a foretold apocalypse in 1975.. indeed, jehovah's witnesses have been warning people of the need to recognise jehovah or face certain death when the "end" comes for more than 100 years.. the christian-based religion was founded in the 1870s by charles taze russell in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, us, as an offshoot from the bible studies movement.. today, there are 8.2million jehovah's witness evangelists, while 19.9 million celebrated their annual memorial festival marking christ's death - worldwide in 2014.. followers do not believe in military service and will not accept blood transfusions.. in a new eight-page article, watchtower said jehovah's witness leaders are now "convinced" humans are in their "final days" before the armageddon.. they cite an increase in global armed conflict, such as the rise of the islamic state terror group, as well as natural disasters such as volcanoes and earthquakes.. the lengthy article, written by an unnamed author, said: "will god let humans continue to dominate one another and threaten the future of mankind?

no, as we have seen, he will step in and bring an end to centuries of misery and oppression.

AndersonsInfo

http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/581439/Rise-ISIS-earthquakes-warnings-before-ARMAGEDDON-apocalypse-end-destroys-volcanoes-Earth

The "End" of mankind, which has been long predicted by Jehovah's Witnesses, could happen as soon as THIS YEAR - according to latest announcement from the Christian religion.

In the latest edition of Jehovah's Witnesses monthly publication Watchtower, an article – translated into 700 languages - urges people to join the religion or face certain death when God sends his forces from the heavens to "remove all world leaders," "exterminate his enemies" and "rid the world of Satan".

Critics have lambasted the warning of a coming Armageddon as yet another "failed prediction" by the religion, which has previously delivered similar alerts such as a foretold apocalypse in 1975.

Indeed, Jehovah's Witnesses have been warning people of the need to recognise Jehovah or face certain death when the "End" comes for more than 100 years.

The Christian-based religion was founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, as an offshoot from the Bible Studies movement.

Today, there are 8.2million Jehovah's Witness evangelists, while 19.9 million celebrated their annual Memorial festival – marking Christ's death - worldwide in 2014.

Followers do not believe in military service and will not accept blood transfusions.

In a new eight-page article, Watchtower said Jehovah's Witness leaders are now "convinced" humans are in their "final days" before the Armageddon.

They cite an increase in global armed conflict, such as the rise of the Islamic State terror group, as well as natural disasters such as volcanoes and earthquakes.

The lengthy article, written by an unnamed author, said: "Will God let humans continue to dominate one another and threaten the future of mankind? No, as we have seen, he will step in and bring an end to centuries of misery and oppression. "The Creator of humans and the Earth wants you to know that his time to take action is approaching.

The end is nigh according to watchtower WATCHTOWER

The end is nigh according to watchtower

Front cover of the latest Watchtower magazine WATCHTOWER

Front cover of the latest Watchtower magazine

"God has given us his Word, which describes striking global trends. As we see those landmark events unfolding, we become convinced that we are in the time period leading up to the end.

"The publishers of this magazine and many of its readers have no doubt that this unique period really is the last days and that the end is near.

It adds: "We can readily discern this much: God will send an army of angelic creatures to exterminate his enemies."

The article also claims that, although the "End" will be horrific and involve "destruction not seen since the world was formed", there is a way for humans to survive.

But, it is not through stockpiling resources such as tinned food.

The article states: "Clearly, if we were to stockpile material goods, that would not save us from such a destruction. Really, our survival involves being devoted to Jehovah God and learning about the kind of conduct and deeds that please him.

"Rather than following the majority today and ignoring the clear signals that we are living in such important times, we need to 'keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah.'

"Jehovah’s Witnesses can show you from the Bible how you can be a survivor of this upcoming day."

Gerrit Losch of the Jehovah's Witness governing body based in New York TV.JW.ORG

Gerrit Losch of the Jehovah's Witness governing body based in New York

The publishers of this magazine and many of its readers have no doubt that this unique period really is the last days and that the end is near.
Jehovah's Witness magazine Watchtower

However, according to a group that publishes research about Jehovah's Witnesses, which is a religion practiced in 240 countries, the creed has a history of prematurely warning of the "End" - before trying to erase such pronouncements from its history.

Monitors point to several previous predictions, such as a forewarning of Armageddon in 1914 – although Jehovah's Witnesses later claimed they had foreseen the outbreak of the First World War, which began in the same year.

A spokesman for website jwfacts.com said: "One of the most misleading statements in Watchtower publications is that they accurately foretold 1914 to be the 'start' of the conclusion of this system of things.

"Rather, 1914 was predicted to be the 'End' of the system of things, the conclusion of Armageddon and the start of the Earthly paradise."

"From 1966 to 1975, the Watchtower regularly implied that Armageddon would arrive in 1975. However, ask one of Jehovah's Witnesses about this date and they will invariably deny there ever being such statements."

The chosen few being led to the new earth paradise with world destruction behind them WATCHTOWER

The chosen few being led to the new earth paradise with world destruction behind them

How the Watchtower article explains the Armageddon occurring:

•Earth as we know it will be destroyed, but the planet will survive forever with a select few beings.

•A scheduled event set by God will occur, who already knows the date of it.

•Armageddon will not be triggered by nuclear war or by an Earth-destroying meteorite, but by God sending in his angelic warriors to slay rivals and non believers.

•It will herald the end of "failing world governments" and the setting up of a permanent government ruled by God forever.

•The apocalypse will bring an end to all war, violence and injustice and all other religions.

•Anyone who supports or takes part in the current global leadership system will perish.

•The Armageddon precedes a 1,000-year 'judgement day' when all dead people will rise to see if they should due let into a new kingdom.

AndersonsInfo

Posts by AndersonsInfo

The Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage makes it clearer than ever that the government shouldn't be subsidizing religion and non-profits

Parents under fire for failing to allow lifesaving blood transfusion to terminally ill son

Why more young women are leaving church