Corney
JoinedTopics Started by Corney
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Reassessing the Size of Mormons, Adventists and Witnesses (2019 academic paper)
by Corney inthis is one of the most recent academic papers on jw demographics.
it analyzes official membership statistics of the three churches, compares them with census data and provides estimated global figures (9-10 million mormons, 17 million witnesses, and 28 million adventists - all are self-identified adherents, not necessarily active ones).
i think this is a good research though some aspects of the subject remain unexplored.. this article compares the growth of three religious groups, the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints, seventh-day adventists, and jehovah’s witnesses.
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In 4-3 judgment, Montana Supreme Court allows Nunez ($35M) case to be relitigated under another legal theory
by Corney inas a reminder, the plaintiff in that case, alexis nunez, was abused by her step-grandfather, maximo reyes, who have been disfellowshipped for one year for abusing his children.
she sued the organization for failure to report the known abuse to police and was awarded $35 million by a jury while another plaintiff (her aunt) lost her case.
the supreme court of montana reversed the award, finding that congregation and bethel elders were exempt from duty to report.. the plaintiff then asked the district court to allow her to sue the org again under another legal theory - common law negligence - which has been voluntarily abandoned by her counsel before the trial.
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Correspondence between GB and US Branch re WHQ relocation (2005-11)
by Corney inseven years ago multiple letters between the governing body and the us branch committee, as well as internal memos and e-mails were provided by watchtower to a us dictrict court in the course of discovery in the ramapo property case.
these documents are public records available through pacer, and now they are available for free on the case page here: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5373802/lorterdan-properties-at-ramapo-i-llc-v-watchtower-bible-and-tract/ (see document no.
45 and attachments).i have also compiled all the internal documents in chronological order here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15q-1_cylhxgesb0z4pkr5fjohz7u_y-p/view?usp=sharing 124 pages is a minuscule part of their archives but i hope somebody will find these documents interesting..
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Netherlands: JWs prevail in Bethel raids and shunning cases
by Corney inthis week, it was revealed that the organization had won, at least so far and partially, two significant cases.. first, the overijssel district court declared that many items seized during the 2018 bethel raids contain privileged information, which the public prosecution service no longer contests.
this applies, in line with the supreme court judgement, to "all seized documents that, according to the complainants, fall under the right of non-disclosure ... and that contain information relating to information shared with elders in trust in the context of pastoral care, including information relating to the religious judicial committees"; apparently, 15 million electronic files the prosecution was unable to provide for judicial examination are also considered privileged.
the documents have already been returned, their copies are to be destroyed until 1 november.
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WT intervenes in Ethiopian Church case before Supreme Court of Canada to defend 2018 precedent re excommunication
by Corney intwo and a half years ago, the supreme court of canada has ruled unanimously in highwood congregation of jehovah’s witnesses (judicial committee) v. wall that membership decisions of religious associations are not reviewable or justiciable by courts, absent an underlying legal right.
multiple religious and religiously-affiliated organizations (catholic, protestant, mormon, sikh, muslim) and secular advocacy groups (like canadian constitution foundation and british columbia civil liberties association) intervened in that important case, all - if i remember it correctly - supporting the position of the org.
that mostly correct judgment has been widely accepted by lawyers, scholars and courts.
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Highlights from Watch Tower Britain and IBSA reports
by Corney inhere are some highlights from watch tower britain and ibsa annual reports.
1. no more printing operations in britain.
it’s already has been reported: .
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Quebec court: film classification rules unconstitutionally restrict rights of Jehovah's Witnesses
by Corney inon 30 may, a judge of the court of quebec ruled on a case of watch tower's non-compliance with film classification rules.
the society was prosecuted for showing the story of josiah movie during the 2019 summer convention in quebec city, without it first being examined by the age rating authority, an offence punishable by fine of up to ca$2800 for the first time and up to ca$14,000 subsequently.
the offence was indeed committed, the court found, but the law in question violates religious freedom, freedom of expression and parental freedom of jehovah's witnesses and therefore doesn't apply to the defendant.
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Suspected WA KH arsonist arrested
by Corney inas many probably remember, in 2018-2020, multiple kingdom and assembly halls were set on fire in the state of washington, so fbi, atf, local sheriff and arson alarm foundation offered $61,000 in rewards for information leading to arrest of the arsonist.
the attacks (seven arsons and one shooting) included:.
march 19, 2018: two arson attacks - one at a tumwater kingdom hall and the second at a kingdom hall on cain road in olympia.
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Otuo v Watchtower [shunning&defamation] case is nearly closed
by Corney insix-year-long defamation lawsuit brought by mr. otuo is almost finalized.
the lawsuit (technically, two lawsuits) was brought in 2013 - 2014 in respect of:.
(1) public announcement that "frank otuo is no longer one of jehovah's witnesses", and .
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Daily reading
by Corney ini will post here various texts i've found interesting but not worth of separate threads.. saturday, october 3, 2020.. christopher c. lund, martyrdom and religious freedom, 50 connecticut law review 959, 986 (2018).
how much of a role does martyrdom, and fears of martyrdom, have in our system?
when we give religious exemptions, is it because we think people will back down otherwise or because we think they won't?