Posts by Richard Oliver

20

How can the WTS call themselves Christians when they have no Christian church?

by TTWSYF in

so was jesus a fool or a liar?

he said that his church would last all ages, didn't he?.

math 16:8and i say to thee: that thou art peter; and upon this rock i will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Richard Oliver

I hate to wade into these dogma issues because my opinion on these type of things maybe different from others and I hate to start an argument about scripture. But the same claim can be made for Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists or Baptists among other Christian denominations. The only religion that feels that their authority is derived from Jesus telling Peter that is the Catholics. This is the way that I understand it, that Catholics view the pope as an extension of the authority given to Peter by Jesus. And that Luther and others had a problem with the idea of a Pope who felt that he derived that authority that way. They then created denominations that were separated from the Catholic Church.

If I am wrong please let me know, but that is how I have always understood how Catholics view the Pope.

9

Can someone explain to me how the JW cult still has a 501.3c tax-free "charity" status when they have child abuse scandals & c

by kpop in

jw
friends

i saw this posted on another forum and it raises a very good question.

maybe we can get a go fundme page to pay for the lawyer fees?

get a good shark lawyer on this?

Richard Oliver

Watch the video that I posted. John Oliver researched this greatly. He hired a lawyer to set up his own church and highlighted some strange things that go own that is considered perfectly acceptable by the IRS. He mentioned that in all of 2015 only 3 churches lost their charity status. He even highlights a video that is shown to IRS employees on how to treat religions with extra consideration when it comes to tax-exempt status of religions. In fact the IRS had tried for years to deny Scientology their tax-exempt status but they fought and won their status.

9

Can someone explain to me how the JW cult still has a 501.3c tax-free "charity" status when they have child abuse scandals & c

by kpop in

jw
friends

i saw this posted on another forum and it raises a very good question.

maybe we can get a go fundme page to pay for the lawyer fees?

get a good shark lawyer on this?

Richard Oliver

Also, not all of Watchtower is tax-exempt. There are some facilities that are considered outside business interest and those are taxable and are taxed by their respective governments. I know that when the Patterson Inn still accepted outside guests and did not just house bethelites, the land and building was taxed by Putnam county and I believe the state of New York. I also know that because of New York City housing regulations, that as buildings were bought in Brooklyn and they had renting tenants they could not evict them. The monies received by those tenants were also taxed as well as the portion of the building that unit would take up for property tax. Buildings and land that are tax exempt has to be shown that their use is primarily used by the religion for religious use and is not used for income or even left vacant without the religion using it for some purpose as part of their religious services or in connection with the tenets of the religion.

9

Can someone explain to me how the JW cult still has a 501.3c tax-free "charity" status when they have child abuse scandals & c

by kpop in

jw
friends

i saw this posted on another forum and it raises a very good question.

maybe we can get a go fundme page to pay for the lawyer fees?

get a good shark lawyer on this?

Richard Oliver

John Oliver did an amazing report on this type of thing. It did not talk about Watchtower but how easy it is for churches to get tax exempt status and how hard it is for a church to lose it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg

He even made his own church and received tax exempt status and highlighted what he could say some outrageous things and still not lose the status.

And this video only speaks of tax-exempt status in the US as that is the only country where a 501 (c) (3) applies as that is the only place that US tax law applies.

31

Young People Ask: I’m Attracted to the Same Sex—Does That Mean I’m Gay?

by pale.emperor in

eurgh!

more patronizing and uninformed reasoning from the "experts" at bethel.

this time tackling the sensitive subject of those attracted the the same sex.

Richard Oliver

I know that I am gay, though I may be bi but more gay than straight. I know that my sexual desires do very sometimes. Sometimes I am really attracted to women and sometimes I am really repulsed by women. There are a lot of people who do believe that sexuality can be a fluid situation, if those thoughts are credible that is for everyone to determine for themselves. But I know at times my sexuality is pretty fluid.

161

ARC Analysis Summary of Case Files

by Richard Oliver in

i have been doing research on the arc as some people on here have suggested.

i find it interesting on the case file analysis some of the findings.

it looks like queensland and new south wales had the biggest problems with this.

Richard Oliver

Ruby:

I asserted that in those cases of family abuse that they did not get their victims as a result of the congregation. I did state that it would most likely occurred. I did not make my claim clearly, and for that I apologize. My point was that if they wanted to commit this crime that their access to the victim did not depend on what association they had, that their victim was part of their family and would have still been a part of their family no matter what associations they had outside of that family. Actually the research I have done, makes the 50+% of family abuse more disturbing. According to the DOJ of reported child abuse, only 30% is when the perpetrator and the victim is part of the same family.

161

ARC Analysis Summary of Case Files

by Richard Oliver in

i have been doing research on the arc as some people on here have suggested.

i find it interesting on the case file analysis some of the findings.

it looks like queensland and new south wales had the biggest problems with this.

Richard Oliver

Just Fine:

I have completely agreed with you that as long as the law doesn't prevent a clergy member from reporting it, it should be reported. I have stated that through out this thread.

161

ARC Analysis Summary of Case Files

by Richard Oliver in

i have been doing research on the arc as some people on here have suggested.

i find it interesting on the case file analysis some of the findings.

it looks like queensland and new south wales had the biggest problems with this.

Richard Oliver

Just Fine:

I am sorry that happened to you and that it was not handled properly. And like I said, I never stated that the elders were right in not reporting it, as long as the law allows them to report it to the police. And obviously you were a victim because of your association with a congregation and if you were associated with a congregation that horrible act would not have occurred. But my point is that not all child abuse cases are like your case where unless you were associated with a group the abuse would never have happened. Unfornuently, familial child abuse is much more common than when is perpetrated by a friend or stranger. My point in stating about that family abuse is that no matter who those victims families associated with there was still a strong likelihood of the abuse occurring.

But my point is that not all child abuse cases are like your case where unless you were associated with a group the abuse would never have happened. Unfornuently, familial child abuse is much more common than when it is perpetrated by a friend or stranger. My point in stating about that family abuse is that no matter who those victims families associated with there, was still a strong likelihood of the abuse occurring. And of course just one act of abuse is terrible and unthinkably awful by anyone, and should be reported to law enforcement, but unfortunately, association with organizations is hard to stop that first instance of family child abuse.

161

ARC Analysis Summary of Case Files

by Richard Oliver in

i have been doing research on the arc as some people on here have suggested.

i find it interesting on the case file analysis some of the findings.

it looks like queensland and new south wales had the biggest problems with this.

Richard Oliver

Just fine:

You are being naive. You do not read my comments with an open mind. You feel that as soon as Watchtower and Child Abuse is said in the same sentence that Watchtower is guilty. That may or not be so, but that is how you come off to me with your statements.

I said the initial abuse would have occurred no matter what. Again I agreed with you that the elders should have handled the situation better including the reporting to the police. But that the abuse would have occurred either way, even if it was just once, it would most likely have occurred.

161

ARC Analysis Summary of Case Files

by Richard Oliver in

i have been doing research on the arc as some people on here have suggested.

i find it interesting on the case file analysis some of the findings.

it looks like queensland and new south wales had the biggest problems with this.

Richard Oliver

Just Fine:

I agree with you, that the elders should have acted. But I think you would agree that either way, that victim would still have been victimized if they were a JW, a Catholic, an Athiest or Mormon? If it was a father that molested his daughter, he would still have been her father no matter what. Would instead of 20 instances of abuse it could have been cut to 15 instances of abuse or even 10, certainly that could have been the case if the elders had acted and reported to the police, but that first act would have most likely still have occurred.