inbetween

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Posts by inbetween

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  172

  Britain | Jehovah's Witnesses hushed up child sex scandal | July 16, 2013

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  church officials hushed up a child sex scandal in their ranks and refused to co-operate with police.. .

  jehovah witness ministerial servant gordon leighton admitted sexually abusing a child when he was confronted by his church elders, a court heard.. but during the official police investigation, the 53-year-old who made headlines in the 1990s when wife yvonne, 28, died after refusing a blood transfusion after childbirth on religious grounds denied any illegal wrongdoing.. and when detectives asked elders simon preyser, harry logan and david scott to make statements about the confession, all three refused and said what they had heard was confidential.. for three years, the elders refused to co-operate with the criminal investigation and kept up that stance when the case was brought before newcastle crown court after the victim made a complaint to police.. each was issued with a witness summons which they fought to overturn before being ordered to testify by judge penny moreland citing public interest.. their barrister richard daniels said the men had a duty to god not to breach confidence.. he added: privileged communication between members of the congregation and ministers is an absolute right and duty and there is no power in law to breach such a confidence.. judge moreland said: it is apparent that the three elders who were present when this conversation took place are in possession of relevant evidence as to a point which is of real significance in this case.. they claim the right of confidentiality, they claim that what they heard said by the defendant during the course of that meeting ought to be subject to privilege, as ministers of religion.. judge moreland refused to withdraw the summonses and said: public interest is clearly in favour of this evidence being given.. what was said by the defendant on that occasion is of great significance in the trial.. despite the judges ruling, the men still refused to make statements to police until just hours before they were called before the jury.. leighton, who has since been expelled from the church at lambton kingdom hall in washington, denied two charges of indecency with a child and seven of indecent assault.. he was yesterday found guilty of two charges of indecency with a child and six of indecent assault.

  he was found not guilty of one indecent assault charge, on the direction of the judge.. he was remanded in custody until he is sentenced next month but warned he is facing a lengthy spell behind bars.. prosecutor katherine dunn told the court the victim, who is now an adult, broke her silence in 2009.. the court heard how at a special church meeting, leighton admitted sexual abuse and made excuses for his behaviour.. miss dunn said: the elders conducted their own investigation.

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  inbetween

  JW like to hide behind the clergy privilege of churches. I dont know how the law is in the UK, but in my country, what is said in a confession to a clergyman (eg catholic priest), cannot by law be forced to reveal.

  JW like to use the same law for themselves, however, there is one big difference: What is confessed to a catholic priest stays with him. What is confessed to 1 or 2 elders, if its serious, will be made known to the whole BOE, in some more difficult cases to the CO, the branch, and if the wrongdoer moves to another congregation, they will inform the BOE there as well.

  But when it comes to a seroius crime, the authorities will not be informed, because of their confidentiality rights ? Does not make sense, as soo much of the WTS.
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  5

  You people are poisoning my mind!

  by stillin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, i'm sitting there in the kingdom hall.

  the watchtower study is what's going on.

  lots of re-hashing the paragraph that we just read, so lots of time for my mind to wander.

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  inbetween

  totally agree, once you woke up from this nonsnese, its a real pain sometimes to sit through the meetings.

  I always try to remember though, that before this, I would have said the same thing. This helps me not to get angry on the one commenting, but only on the concept promoted by the org.
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  6

  New Video "Stop the Shunning!"

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  new video by jwstruggle "stop the shunning!

  jw.org says we don't shun but we know otherwise".

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s72cews3_cq.

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  inbetween

  good video, what I found very interesting, that tax collectors back then were called apostates, is there a source for this information ? Would be extremely helpful.
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  19

  Why the "New Light" in the July 15 Watchtower?

  by Indian Larry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  it seems to me that in the past large flashes of "new light" have come when the governing body was backed into a corner.

  for example the multiple re-defining of what a generation is until it ended up the ridiculous "overlapping" meaning.. what is the reason this time?

  are they worried because the number of partakers has been going up?

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  inbetween

  personally I think its the growing number of participants at the memorial, which became embarrassing for the cult, since they claimed, that the dwindling number in the past is proof of the nearness of Armageddon.

  by pushing "normal" annointed to the same level as the great crowd, they take away some importance of being anointed. Their being somehow special is then really pushed to the future "kingship in heaven". Maybe they hope, this will prevent some from joining the anointed rank, or even not paying any attention to the numbers anymore, since they are pointless. Who cares how many are anointed, since the FDS is not made up of them anymore.
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  21

  another problem with the new FDS doctrine

  by inbetween in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the issue july 15th 2013 changes the understanding of the fds dramatically, and it was broiught out here and on other places this creates numerous problems.. here is another one:.

  jesus is supposed to be the head of the congregation.

  when something goes wrong, he is often portrayed as the one having control over his congregation and also that in time he will act, clean the congo and direct elders (being the stars in his hand).

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  inbetween

  The issue July 15th 2013 changes the understanding of the FDS dramatically, and it was broiught out here and on other places this creates numerous problems.

  Here is another one:

  Jesus is supposed to be the head of the congregation. When something goes wrong, he is often portrayed as the one having control over his congregation and also that in time he will act, clean the congo and direct elders (being the stars in his hand)

  But now, he is portrayed as being actually absent from the congregation, since he appointed a slave to provide proper food. The reason in the parable, why the master appointed a slave, was not to keep the slave busy, or because the master became lazy, no it was simple, because the master left the country, therefore could not take care of this by himself.

  But if he is absent, how can he direct congregational matters ? What point is there in entrusting somebody else with such an important task, like providing "spirtual" food, but still watching the whole thing and meddling in the affairs anyway at anytime ? It simply does not make sense.
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  8

  Is "Old Light" really called independent thinking?

  by I_love_Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when "old light" becomes "new light" sometime down the line the "new light" will eventually become old.

  i do realize the superiors use passages (aka word magic) to explain such a big change.

  what would be the difference between holy spirit revelation vs. man's opinion in this particular situation?

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  inbetween

  James 1:17 might be useful New International Version (©2011) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. New Living Translation (©2007) Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. English Standard Version (©2001) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. New American Standard Bible (©1995) Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
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  17

  The Pioneer Wife

  by Rattigan350 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the pioneer wife:.

  in public -.

  she is active in service,.

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  inbetween

  you put it perfectly, Julia, nothing to add.
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  17

  The Pioneer Wife

  by Rattigan350 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the pioneer wife:.

  in public -.

  she is active in service,.

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  inbetween

  its about hypocrisy and appearance, those who are in for that, your description fits exactly, there are others, who are really genuine though.

  The point however, the whole pioneer arrangement supports this kind of behaviour in people.
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  Equilibrium

  by DeWandelaar in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i was watching "equilibrium" last week (seen it before) and it striked me how much comparison there is with the "truth".

  here is the plot summery:.

  in a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war (are we not in a spiritual paradise?

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  inbetween

  when I saw the movie last year, I thought very similar.

  Becoming a JW for some people indeed solves some problems. Its the way this is achieved or rather enforced, what makes the whole thing highly questionable.
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  27

  How many people have you helped/facilitated to leave JWs?

  by Julia Orwell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  me: one, my husband, so far.

  if we all snatch one person from the borg, will our numbers grow exponentially?

  i'm no mathematician.. how many have you personally helped?.

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  inbetween

  atm i have one "study" - my wife.

  Hope she will one day be on her way to "babtizm", but only after she dedicated herself to complete independent reasoning and decsion making based on facts, not on what 8 guys in Brooklyn tell her to do. She makes progress though, I have to intense my return visits on her ;-)

  all others I can contact are B-NH (brain not at home)