Watchtower News Bulletin: Watchtower loses UK appeal – Charity Commission investigation can continue.

charity commissionThe Court of Appeal in the United Kingdom has struck down an attempt from Watchtower to try and kill an investigation into their handling of Child Abuse Accusations, according to a press release on the website of the UK Charity Commission dated March 15th.

As previously reported, The Charity Commission had begun an investigation after reports came to light of shocking incident in the New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where survivors of child sexual abuse were forced to confront their abuser face to face in a closed off religious court. It was alleged that, far from this being a one-off incident by  a rogue congregation, this in fact reflected the standard practice of all Jehovah’s Witness congregations across the UK, under guidelines handed down and enforced by their parent organisation, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society

Since both the New Moston congregation, and Watchtower itself in the UK are registered as charities, the Commission began an investigation with the following purpose, as described on the Commission’s Website:

The inquiry was opened to investigate how Watch Tower safeguards children and adults at risk and has been seeking access to the registered charity’s records since 2014.

It should have been simple; Watchtower and New Moston are UK Charities, and the Charity Commission is the body charged by the UK government with oversight of UK Charities. Yet Watchtower have been fighting tooth and claw in the UK legal system to have their records kept from the Commission and to have the investigation killed off.

These efforts have failed at every turn, and this latest defeat marks yet another step closer to a situation where Watchtower may be compelled to release potentially damaging documents about its handling of child abuse to an official UK investigation.

The ruling amounts to two key points:

  • The ruling agrees that the Commission was correct to begin the investigation.
  • However, the ruling states that the challenge to the Commission’s requests for documents should be held by a different court. This is due to a legal technicality.

What happens next? The Commission state:

Subject to any appeals, the next step in the litigation will be for the Administrative Court to consider whether Watch Tower has put forward arguable grounds to challenge the Production Order, and therefore whether the Production Order should be assessed by the Administrative Court at a full hearing. The commission continues to defend the issuing of the Order. Subject to any appeal by Watch Tower, its challenge to the opening of the commission’s inquiry is at an end.

In other words, it looks like Watchtower have failed to kill the investigation. The next battle is over the records, which raises a very important question: Why would a UK charity who claim they have nothing to hide be trying so hard to ensure the Charity Commission does not see documents which appear entirely relevant to the matter at hand?

Perhaps because the last time an investigation got their hands on such documents from Watchtower, the results were horrifying.

Or perhaps it is because they can no longer produce such documents, having illegally destroyed them in direct violation of legally binding orders sent out by a separate UK investigation into their handling of child abuse, this time from the high profile and very powerful Goddard Enquiry?

If this latter scenario is the case, the consequences could involve criminal charges.

Either way, it is clear that legal pressure on this issue appears to be mounting on Watchtower’s UK arm from multiple angles, with no let up in sight.

The Charity Commission encourages people who have been affected by safeguarding in congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in England and Wales to make contact with the inquiry lead investigator Jonathan Sanders at jonathan.sanders@charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk.

Members of the public can contact the commission with any safeguarding or other concerns about charities via Complain about a charity.

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68 thoughts on “Watchtower News Bulletin: Watchtower loses UK appeal – Charity Commission investigation can continue.

  • March 15, 2016 at 4:17 pm
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    Thanks for the timely info

  • March 15, 2016 at 4:35 pm
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    Wow! I just hope that charges are laid against those in responsible positions. Here in OZ after the Royal Commission, we are still waiting to see if charges are to be brought. All the things that Geoff Jackson agreed to do while he was being questioned, he later sent a letter saying, “nope, can’t do those things”. Here is a link ( http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.aspx) to the Royal Commission in Australia and you can scroll to the bottom and see his actual letter saying, sorry boys, no can do. Charges need to be brought against these ones who are breaking the law.

    • March 16, 2016 at 9:59 pm
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      It’s very frustrating. I know the RC is a fact finding exercise but I’m not sure if State courts can enforce the recommendations of the RC. I hope they do… but as for women being included in the judicial process, that will never happen.

    • March 17, 2016 at 5:17 pm
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      Disappointed that JWs are let off the hook by royal commission. Unless people walk out of it nothing is going to happen.

      The organization has money so they will re-brand and reorganize themselves in anyway they want and if they want. They have heaps of money as real estate properties and investments in stock market.

      If the GBs and the worker bees just want to wind-up and retire somewhere in Hawai or Fiji, they could always point to persecution on one true religion as the beginning of Armageddon and set the ball rolling for JWdumbs to see that end of the world has arrived.

      Al they have to do is firstly organize their own covert operation to bad-mouth themselves in the internet, media and activism. Secondly, ask the blind followers to see it as an attack on true religion. The JWdumbs will be instructed to organize their own private bible studies secretly in their house, use the JW.ORG and preach covertly. The JDumbs will do it and wait for end of the world and in the mean time all the JW stakeholders will take the money and vanish. Later make a fresh start if they are bored with the vacation. Anyway, there are always DUMB people waiting to be scammed with faith.

      They are a scam and a cult which makes them more dangerous.

      • March 17, 2016 at 9:29 pm
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        I’ve said this EXACT same thing on another forum. Something to remember is that they ALREADY HAVE A PLAN to meet covertly. The circuit overseers have been taught in their circuit overseer schools how to essentially run their own mini JW.orgs. They started doing this a few years ago. A circuit overseer told us during his visit 2years ago (when I was an elder) “the slave wants the circuit overseers prepared to organize smaller groups for when the persecution breaks out”.

        I have no doubt that it’s been put in place to allow the higher ups to VANISH when the chips are down. The true believers will stay but I also believe MANY will walk away. Unfortunately I agree that the organization will try to reincarnate itself even if it’s just changing their name to get away from the bad light shining on them currently.

      • March 18, 2016 at 3:46 pm
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        Vinitha……not sure why you said the JW have been let off the hook by the Royal Commission here in Australia. They were given 2 years to comply and told that the Commission would be checking up on them to see that they have complied or legal measures would be taken against them. Geoff Jackson told them he would take their suggestions into consideration and then pointedly sent them a letter saying he’d changed his mind and no, they would not consider making any changes. That actually puts them in a vicarious position. Now, the Australia branch is going up for sale and they have sold off nearly all their equipment and sent most of the men and boys who worked at Australia Bethel back to their home congregations, so that when the Royal Commission comes along and tell them to pay up for the compensation scheme them government has set up, they can say they have nothing here in Australia to pay with. Very clearly they are running with their tails between their legs, doing their best to avoid doing the right, moral and just thing. When the Royal Commission produces proof that they have deceived them and run out on them, then we expect there will be criminal charges brought. That part we shall wait and see. All the congregations have already been stripped of any excess money and all construction work has been called to a halt as well as all remodels put on hold. It’s truly and ugly time for the WT here in Australia.

        • March 20, 2016 at 5:00 pm
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          Thank you AussieneedingComfort, for the update. That would be truly good if JWs were be tracked down with criminal charges even if they wipe of money trails in Australia through sale of assets and file bankruptcy. Let us wait and see what happens.

  • March 15, 2016 at 5:12 pm
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    Thanks for this article. It is gratifying to see the Watchtower organization come under the much deserved scrutiny of governmental authorities for the horrific abuses that have been concealed and for all intents and purposes endorsed through the barbaric way in which child abuse has been handled. No mercy should be extended, in keeping with the lack of mercy extended to the abuse victims while the abusers were mercifully slapped in the wrist. I would encourage everyone to write a note to Jonathan Sanders urging him to pursue this investigation aggressively and not to be distracted by the legal maneuvers that the Watchtower will inevitably try to use. Charitable organizations use their resources to help others, organizations that bring harm should have their charitable status unequivocally revoked. Any criminal charges that arise from this are well deserved by the Watchtower and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

    Well done, Covert!

    • March 15, 2016 at 5:58 pm
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      Well said Malachi.

  • March 15, 2016 at 5:19 pm
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    Just last weekend a young married mother took her own life, leaving behind 6 children & a Husband.This is an absolute shock to all of us, she was a victim of abuse by her own father, i was filled in during the case by one of the elders on the case, due to the woman not wanting to testify they could not prove the case, & as they kept the police out of it, the victims did not receive professional counselling, that may have made a difference.The father still attends meetings scott free, well this is blood guilt on so many levels

  • March 15, 2016 at 5:22 pm
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    This is how it must feel for somebody who has been bullied from the beginning…to finally see their antagoniser get their a$$ soundly kicked, and justice be served. I just want to kiss these heroic Commissions. Please God…let it happen next in the US.

  • March 15, 2016 at 5:42 pm
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    Good news. The guns need to keep firing. Thanks to the JW Survey team and other sites for doing just that. I’ve seen a comment posted somewhere where the Watchtower is likened to a huge battleship and would be difficult to take down. Well…..the Bismark was also a huge battleship and got taken down by persistent firing by much smaller ships once they were able to disable Bismarks rudder. I feel the Watchtowers rudder is under serious threat right now and the stalking must continue and when the battle is won we can all congratulate JW Survey and others on a job well done and remark that “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”

    • March 16, 2016 at 3:53 am
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      Like the analogy Outandabout –
      Another kick in the ass for Watchtower! Let’s hope it makes the press and TV. How about a ‘Telly’ award for most uncharitable charity!
      Of course, if it happens, JW.Org will say that the loss of charitable status is an attack from Satan and the masses will have to give more money to keep them afloat. What was that illustration they always used about painting the funnels on a sinking ship?
      Let’s hope the torpedoes keep coming and this ‘Battleship’ will finally come to grief.

  • March 15, 2016 at 6:07 pm
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    They’re at it again. I recall Irwin Zalkins words in his interview with the JW Podcast team, s01 e01, that in 35 years as a trial lawyer he has never come across an organisation like Watchtower which failed to produce the documents ordered by court even after every appeal had been exhausted, and that included the Catholic Church! In the case of Jose Lopez of course it wasn’t just the documents but Gerrit Losch himself that outright refused, and they paid a lot of widows mites for that judgement.

    Now they are paying lawyers more widows mites for what are clearly stalling tactics. They are basically looking at their bank balance and the amount of legal settlements in the pipeline mounting up against them and trying to delay them so the cash doesn’t run out before the cases do. No doubt they are praying their balls off for Armageddon to come soon!

  • March 15, 2016 at 8:24 pm
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    After looking at the JW dot ORG website, you would never suspect that the Watchtower is engaged in a legal fight to maintain its tax exempt status. We can only hope that the Watchtower will lose its tax exempt status after all of its appeals have been denied.

  • March 15, 2016 at 9:30 pm
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    Thank you God, may we live to see this Cult fully exposed to the world.

    • March 16, 2016 at 12:18 am
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      The revealing of the man of lawlessness and the false parusia perhaps?

  • March 15, 2016 at 10:47 pm
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    For an organisation that prides itself as law obeying and always doing good in the sight of God and man with nothing to hide or fear – why are they willing to spend so much money and time on preventing the investigation from going ahead. What the time and money be better spent elsewhere, such as on preaching since the end is soooooooooooo close and why not leave it in God’s hand like the Governing Body tell everyone else to do?

    • March 17, 2016 at 9:22 am
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      It shows that they don’t believe the BS they sell. The gb and the other TRUE higher ups are just trying to save face for as long as possible. They absolutely will not wait for God to do anything, why would they? They are gods unto themselves.

      • March 23, 2016 at 4:54 pm
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        The most disappointing part for me is I was once a vehement defender and supporter of the GB – what a waste of my precious times and resources

      • March 23, 2016 at 4:58 pm
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        The most disappointing and regretful part of it is I, along with all of you here on this blog were once a vehement defender and supporter of the GB

        • March 23, 2016 at 4:59 pm
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          Sorry everyone for doubling up, computer was slow, so I thought it didn’t go through.

  • March 16, 2016 at 1:46 am
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    It might not be relevant but it brought to mind the script when David brought the Ark to Jerusalem he was so happy he skipped and capered about. Michal his wife was looking down and she despised him in her heart. Why I thought of this was because we are flawed like David but we rejoice when we see good . Which in this case is exposure of a rotten organised religion masquerading as pure and clean. Those far far higher up than us in their spirit directed tower look down on us and despise us. Their wicked reasoning will not get them very far and most probably a great fall from the tower.2 Sam 6v16 Zech 4v10 these may be days of small things but brick by brick this tower will fall .ruthlee

  • March 16, 2016 at 1:56 am
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    “Why would a UK charity who claim they have nothing to hide be trying so hard to ensure the Charity Commission does not see documents which appear entirely relevant to the matter at hand?”

    Great question…I asked a dub that question…the answer I got back was “Well Satan will be using this commission to unfairly attack Jehovah’s organisation thus cautious as serpents innocent as doves principle is applied”.

    Oh my goodness.

  • March 16, 2016 at 2:13 am
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    So..We are to follow guideline to not be abusive when we post here, but the Jehovah Witnesses can abuse children? Interesting. The other guideline when posting here is to be neutral about religious matters, and don’t impose your religious belief on another. Huh….The Jehovah Witnesses pioneer all over the world trying very hard to impose their firm religious beliefs on everyone, and every door saying they are doing it for Jehovah. Huh? That seems hipacrital. Why can’t we talk about religion? At least we aren’t trying to impose our religion at the door of all people.

  • March 16, 2016 at 2:35 am
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    It is the moral conviction of what is right or wrong that unites this website regardless. Straw upon straw.
    Let’s hope in this one avenue it reveals to a thinking JW as to their moral position.
    Though not a biblical forum hopefully the principle of ‘what words are spoken in secret’ will find a fulfilment.

  • March 16, 2016 at 2:52 am
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    Mischief by law Watchtower.

  • March 16, 2016 at 5:20 am
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    I love this site because of its honesty not because I agree with everything posted. What unites us all, I think, is a desire to see people freed from spiritual slavery but we must ensure that we don’t use the same methods as the enslavers because of our own personal zeal. I do agree that theological, even evangelical, debate should be permitted bearing in mind my previous reservation.

  • March 16, 2016 at 5:22 am
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    Ruthlee I agree I believe the GB do despise JW especially those claiming to be anointed and partaking.

  • March 16, 2016 at 8:52 am
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    It’s about time that the hideous shenanigans of this pompus corporation be brought out into the open so that they can face the dire consequences for their actions. #The lies#The deceit.# The misguided theology.# The ruination of lives.#The corruption in paedophiles and the willful coverup thereof.#The delusional destruction of families through shunning, and the list goes on and on.#Now it’s time to make them dance to the sour notes they composed and created.

  • March 16, 2016 at 11:04 am
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    Quick question for Cedars: I read your life story, and even though you were supposedly an active member of the congregation, I do not see how you can just go from reading the bible dailyA and having a good relationship with God to just ending that and not having any relationship with God whatsoever, even though you believe the teachings of the Watchtower are inaccurate. Thoughts?

    • March 16, 2016 at 1:07 pm
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      Typical groupthink view, or dare I say it cult view. Because something doesn’t work for me/us and what we are taught to think, or if someone has a different view on a topic then they must be wrong and we can group together and deride them.
      People are all individuals, all different, unless you are being controlled and being taught what to think and how to act by a high control group. Just because Cedars has a different view to you, it doesn’t make your opinion automatically correct.
      You say “supposedly” and “I do not see how”, maybe turn your thinking around to reason how this could of happened. Maybe try to imagine what Jesus would say to a person in a similar situation, being judgemental is not being Christ like.
      What would you suggest someone does if they realise the truth is not the truth and don’t believe the Watchtower Society? Join another organised religion, get disfellowshipped and never see their family or friends again? As someone that has travelled that road myself it is a very hard situation to be in.

      • March 18, 2016 at 8:09 pm
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        Wanderer, thank you. What you said is very helpful for me. You wrote that cult mentality means expecting everyone to share the same beliefs and thinking they must be wrong and deride them and get others involved to agree with own view. What you said helped me a lot. Some members in my family are going through that. My brother and sister are both in good standing and strong in the truth but they are shunning each other because they have opposite opinions on issues the society has written about. My brother and sister tried to force each other to give in and they haven’t talked to each other sense 2010. They disagree over ‘forgivefulness’ because my niece committed audultery. They hate each other. It is sad. I keep my distance from the both of them because they are so hateful and judgement and blab to anyone who will listen to get as many people as possible to agree with them. They gossip about each other. They feel they have to be right. They drive me nuts.

    • March 16, 2016 at 2:36 pm
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      If I may add my personal experience:
      On researching the truth about the JW’s history and their false teachings/doctrines this was the beginning of a journey to decide what my beliefs post-JW would be; I was turned off by organized religion after my JW experience. This led me to start investigating the origins of Christianity and the reasons for writing the Bible given:
      – that statistically, you have a 1 in 40,000 chance of finding the “True” religious denomination in Christianity alone. (That’s approximately how many different “true” interpretations have given rise to all those denominations).

      – the inescapable fact that every Christian is looking at the very same data (Bible) and coming to separate conclusions – a signal to my intellect that something just possibly might be wrong with the data itself.
      There is an ancient book compiled by a Greek fellow named Euclid back in the 4th-century B.C.E. The Encylopedia states: “His Elements is one of the most influential works in the history of mathematics, serving as the main textbook for teaching mathematics (especially geometry) from the time of its publication until the late 19th or early 20th century.”

      Here is the difference between this man-made book and the Bible. Every person from every society on Earth arrived at exactly the same conclusions about Euclid’s theorems and axioms without contradictory opinions arising in 20 centuries.

      I began to see why the Bible is problematic and Euclid’s Elements are not. My investigation led me to the conclusion that the Bible is not the inspired, inerrant word of God as I was told and led to believe. I also came to the realization that Christianity is just a tradition. My journey has taken me to the point where I have now adopted a deist worldview – deism provides a framework within which a Supreme Being might be understood to have created the universe and then left it to its own devices; this Being set up the universe as one would wind up a clock and let it run according to various laws, including the laws of probability & statistics. I therefore do not believe this Supreme Being to be interventionist, all-knowing and judging.

      • March 16, 2016 at 7:35 pm
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        @dee2
        Your reasoning in this regard parallels my own. Ever read The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine? It is an early American treatise on Deism.

        WS

      • March 16, 2016 at 8:36 pm
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        ******I should add that what some Christian denominations, including the JWs, have done is to first develop complex, convoluted doctrines and then thereafter try to make the Bible fit their doctrines. These doctrines are not supported by simple, clear-cut, plain, direct statements in the Bible and so intricate explanations, complex combinations of Bible texts and, in some cases, what amounts to mental gymnastics, are required in an attempt to support these doctrines. However, despite this flawed approach of some denominations, the Bible is nevertheless a problematic book.

      • March 17, 2016 at 2:17 pm
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        Interesting points indeed, but no doubt you’ve read Revelation 12:9 which shows why their is so much confusion among religion today. Religious leaders with inaccurate teachings are motivated by money, they simply derive from the bible whatever will be popular with the churchgoers, so that they will have high attendance and in turn high revenues. However, there are some religions out there that truly strive to follow the bible as accurately as possible, and are not motivated by money or other factors. this to me shows why there is so little agreement, and it’s really not enough to simply not believe in the bible’s inspiration. What about all the practical life lessons? What about all the prophecies that came through?

        • March 17, 2016 at 5:23 pm
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          I assume you mean “what about all the prophecies that came” TRUE. Often, the fulfillment of scriptural prophecy is only recorded in other scriptures. By what external evidence can prophecies be proven? And how do we know so-called biblical prophecies were not written after the fact? As with many of the JW interpretations, the prophecies only came true if you look at things from a very skewed point of view. And what about other so-called prophets outside the Bible? Nostradamus comes to mind. People say his prophecies came true, again you have to look at things a certain way for it to work, but does that grant him divine backing?

          I think that people can convince themselves anything they want to be true in order to feel a sense of control over their lives.

          WS

          • March 17, 2016 at 9:55 pm
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            Very well put Winston. The way I see it is, if it was uttered by Watchtower, prophecy or otherwise, I would bet against it every time.

          • March 18, 2016 at 5:37 am
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            My favourite failed prophecy in the Bible:

            Mark 14:53-62:
            “And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes…………. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. AND ***YOU*** WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE POWER, AND COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” (emphasis mine).

            The high priest, chief priests, elders and scribes did not see this happen as Jesus said they would.

          • March 18, 2016 at 6:47 am
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            More evidence that the Bible is problematic:

            Christian denominations cannot agree on what constitutes inspired Holy Scripture. Is it the Bible of Roman Catholics, Protestants or Orthodox Christians? Roman Catholics claim that the Bible contains 73 canonical (authentic) books, while most Protestants accept only 66 because they reject the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books, and Orthodox Christians accept 76 books. Each denomination claims its Bible is the true word of God. Which one is to be believed?

          • March 18, 2016 at 8:26 am
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            What this level of uncertainty reveals is that there is no such thing as “proof.” We are free to pick and choose what we want to believe and that is fine. This right is protected in most democratic lands under the statement of freedom of religion. But since it is only based on faith, not hard facts, don’t judge me if I choose to believe different from you and I’ll try not to judge you either.

            Most religions say that all the other ones are wrong and they are right. The JWs take it to the extreme and say that all other religions are evil, deserve to be destroyed by God, and should be hated and shunned by the JW members.

            WS

        • March 18, 2016 at 6:54 pm
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          What about the prophecies of Nostradamus? Lets all follow Nostradamus. He seems an ‘onto it’ fellow. Anybody can make a vague prophecy and make it fit anywhere they’re willing to shoehorn the thing.
          Prophecies and miracles just don’t wash with me. I prefer hard scientific evidence and proper reasoning. Scripture is so vague as to be meaningless. You could find scripture that say’s ‘look before you leap’ and then another to say ‘he who hesitates is lost’. Just choose the one that suits your desired outcome. Didn’t Russell do just that when he used scripture to shout “Jesus’ is coming” on such and such a date. When Jesus didn’t materialise it was “hang on, I’ve consulted the scriptures again and yes, he has indeed arrived but he’s invisible”. W.T.F.!! There you have Watchtowers first false prophecy followed by the first lie (New Light) to cover it up. You have to wonder at the mentality of people.

          • March 19, 2016 at 8:00 am
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            ………Why don’t you believe me? I’m not lying. Jesus was really and truly on his way from the Pleiades star cluster……..he just got stuck in the earth’s upper atmosphere and has been stuck there since 1914 as we haven’t been able to fix the mechanical problems with his spaceship……..lol.

    • March 17, 2016 at 3:15 am
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      Its called freedom of choice and mind bOB. Have a great day friend

  • March 16, 2016 at 11:23 am
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    Thanx again! Ruthlee…u made me cry with your illustration! It is relevant …in it I seen soo many Dear ones along the way…in my minz eye, incldng my Dear Family…honest hearted good people, feelng or made to feel by ..the ones on hi that they are unworthy…and once all goez down…we shall for sure act like …David! For one, I seen my Dear father …old woolen pants and socks…holes and all…who tried to show them when they were doing wrong and treating young ones in the cong badly…when the elders themselves were engaged in disgusting sex practices etc….they laughed at him and pulled his privledges away…and treated my bros. the same…where as if you rubbed up against them…and gave them a feel..Like my cousins wife did, even though she went for a roll in the hey…nothing was done to her…still remains in good standing…pioneer and all…as for burning records …mine were…and for facing the one who abused you…Been there…same with my friends….it is not an easy thing to have to tell all….over and over and over…and still be looked at and treated as though you desrved all…I never felt like taking my life…I could not do that to my family…but my friends did over and over again…one friend was alittle girl, her parents invited to Canadian Bethel while things being built…she was abused….when parents told of…bros guilty mysteriously disappeared…and child told…not say more…My other friend and her sister were used by their step father, who latter was found out not to be their real father, over and over for his sexual satisfaction and they were forced to watch their mother and him have sex…How disgusting! When all this was brought to elders attention…nothing done and he was still allowed to say the prayer, cuz he denied all…she was told to forgive and forget…go figure….it is not something one can do! A truly disgusting religion…may Jehovah use Ceasar to render to this apostate grp all that they deserve! How does it go….apostasy must come first…and the man of lawlessness gets revealed? Who is the” apostate”one here? and living near a river….yes drips of water can erode even rock….let’s keep…DRIPPING!!!! :))

  • March 16, 2016 at 12:05 pm
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    DUH! I always think of something else after I have already taken up too much space…but just curious…anybody else have these symthoms??? As a result of my life in the JWorgy…have a whole host of physical health problems related to yrs of living with stress…sexually abuse as a child, battered wives syndrome, and get this…prisoner of war …syndrome..Hummm anyone else feel as though been “prisoners of war”…???? Just wondering…Cuz therapist/cousellors are concerned as to health of all in the JW.org…..But if WT has shares in Monsanto/Pharacuticals…no wonder they drive their members to need antidepressants, oxycontin…and all kinds of other meds..I refuse…going herbal…they say sage and thyme teas work…Burning sage helps to expel…”bad spirits”…and vibes…:)). hence been drinking a lot of teas…and smoking myself out and up alot…cough, choke…but poplar/spruce smoke…does not work for that it seems! :))). Plus I noticed…alot of Witnesses cope by using…”liquid”… spirits…go figure…and if you combine works better than “head”in sand!

    • March 17, 2016 at 3:34 am
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      Dearest Sharon. First and foremost You are not and never were or ever will be to blame for the damage done to you in childhood. How I describe it is something gets broken in the brain and realistically it never really gets fixed. I have come to accept that and every day move on one step at a time. Therapy helps so does distraction. Prayer also for the religious and yes you can have a good ol rant at god for disappointing you and letting you be wolf fodder. I will have traumatic memories till the day I reach oblivion and that is one cool realisation and a big grown up thing to accept. There is no compensation for child rape . that is why it is so successful in damaging the next generation ad infinitum. I do not have magic pills answers or a reason why these things happen and I do think we are not that special in gods eyes anyone of us. It is a case of pick your damage. famine , war, syphilis, aids, sodomy. It is all the same no one is special but all left with survivor guilt if they live long enough to mature. I hope my outlook is not too bleak for you but there is no magic potion . For us there is communication with kindred spirits so a small chance of partial recovery. blessings ruthlee

  • March 16, 2016 at 2:08 pm
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    Any chance of getting the link to the official statement on their website please? I can only find the one on the UK Charity Website where the WTS challenged them.
    Thanks.
    PS. For Ruthlee, how about getting yourself a Mrs Doyle avatar? Ah go on now, ye will won’t you so!

      • March 16, 2016 at 7:07 pm
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        This is fantastic news :)!

        I hope we’ll see plenty being reported in the media, worldwide… And hopefully more governing body members being questioned on camera… I don’t know if that’s how this inquiry will run, like the ARC.. But I hope so

        Either way, they’re going down down down

      • March 17, 2016 at 1:13 am
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        Fantastic Chris, thanks. Contrary to popular opinion, Google is NOT always my friend!

  • March 16, 2016 at 10:34 pm
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    There is no education in totalitarianism.

  • March 17, 2016 at 3:00 am
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    the JWs leaders are not that worried. Jehovah’s help will come to them in the end…through a US State Department’s order….and a Nato discipline over UK’s investigation authorities. In fact the WBTS may well have a wider chance to overcome the dispute following the ruling stating the Production Order should be assessed by the Administrative Court at a full hearing. There they could have some political point. No incident the Charity Commission complained about it.

    Istvan

  • March 17, 2016 at 4:27 am
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    Notice their argument? Numbers 3 and 6 are incredible! I sincerely hope they are required to produce the requested documents.

    In relation to the inquiry issue, Watch Tower (WT) argued that the proposed inquiry was unlawful because:

    (1) it interfered or proposed to interfere with WT’s rights of freedom of religion and of association under Articles 9 and 11 ECHR and was discriminatory, contrary to Article 14, because, by starting an inquiry with a view to changing Jehovah’s Witnesses’ religious practices, the Commission was acting disproportionately by misconstruing or misapplying s16.4 of the Charities Act 2011;

    (2) the scope of the inquiry was so vague and undefined as not to be “prescribed by law” and/or in breach of the Commission’s obligation under s 16.4 of the 2011 Act to act transparently in performing its functions;

    (3) the proposal that the appellants’ Safeguarding Policy include a condition that any elder running a Bible class had to be cleared through an appropriate checking system similar to the Disclosure and Barring Service was unlawful and/or impossible for the appellants to implement;

    (4) the Commission had erred in law in its approach to the duties of trustees by misconstruing or misapplying the duties owed by the appellants under the Companies Act 2006;

    (5) the Commission had breached its duty to act fairly by failing to provide proper details of the allegations that it was making and thereby giving the appellants a fair opportunity to meet the case against them; and

    (6) the decision to initiate the inquiry was irrational [6].
    Here is the actual new article: http://www.lawandreligionuk.com/2016/03/15/jehovahs-witnesses-back-in-court-watch-tower-bible-tract-society/

    Such incredible arrogance!!

    • March 17, 2016 at 7:49 am
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      ***Watch Tower (WT) argued that the proposed inquiry was unlawful because it interfered or proposed to interfere with WT’s rights of freedom of religion…..

      Freedom of religion……aah, WT’s famous ammunition for crying foul. Freedom of Religion is a one way street as far as the WT is concerned. Only they are entitled to Freedom of Religion, not the persons who exercise their right to Freedom of Religion and choose to leave the JWs who are shunned as punishment – leaving a religion should never mean losing your family and friends.

      Only JWs must denounce other religions; when it is done to them it is persecution.

      ***Watch Tower (WT) argued that the proposed inquiry was unlawful because by starting an inquiry with a view to CHANGING JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES’ RELIGIOUS PRACTICES, the Commission was acting disproportionately……(emphasis mine)

      Wow! So is the WT declaring that their flawed religious practices regarding the handling of pedophilia should not be changed? Are they saying that they have no intention of changing their Two Witness rule or reporting the abuse and pedophiles to the police? For that matter, should there even be a religious judicial process given that pedophilia is a crime – shouldn’t victims just go straight to the police with the matter?

      • March 17, 2016 at 9:51 am
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        “Are they saying that they have no intention of changing their Two Witness rule or reporting the abuse and pedophiles to the police?” That’s exactly what they’re saying.

        ” For that matter, should there even be a religious judicial process given that pedophilia is a crime” Absolutely not! – shouldn’t victims just go straight to the police with the matter?” Yes! Right away.

        The JW organization will never ever change ANYTHING until there is a legal precedent set. That’s what they are trying to avoid. That and the fact that their database of thousands of pedophiles will be exposed.

      • March 17, 2016 at 12:42 pm
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        I find that WT has handled it’s child abuse reports & victims very cold and very horrible for decades and decades. As a student of the bible, religion & government cover-ups for almost 20 years, I choose to believe that this particular organization is a lesser of the evils. (I have already established in other comments on this website in the past few days that i am not a Jdub! LOL, I didn’t know folks in this community were so skeptical!!! OMG!) I believe that what they’re doing when it comes to their policies on child abuse is dead wrong. When I say lesser of the evils, I say…I feel the WT has made mistakes and is now trying to cover it up to save face. (That’s horrible, something is wrong and needs to be fixed) But, this is not going off topic…I believe Michael Jackson did not molest any children. Personally I believe he was so freakin’ fucked up in his head – that it did’t even cross his mind that having someone else’s child in his bed was a wrong and stupid thing to do! Now, that being said…I totally believe in some sort of punishment against him if I were a parent, even just for the fact that my child was in his bed. I BELIEVE THE WT IS SO STUPIDLY CLUELESS ABOUT THIS TOPIC. They actually believe they are doing the right thing!!!!!! Whereas other evil religions are doing evil things for the sake of being evil. (THE WT PRETENDS TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN, but their stubborn policies on the subject do not make any sense.) The two witness rule is the stupidest fuckin’ thing I’ve ever heard of when it comes to molestation!!! “The lesser evil” means that I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WT’S PURPOSE ON THE WORLD SCENE IS OF EPIC PROPORTIONS LIKE THAT OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OR OTHERS THAT ARE EVIL TO THE CORE. WT IS NOT HERE TO BE EVIL. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS TO BE PURELY EVIL! But I still think that WT should pay for what they have done. I hope you all got my whole MJ illustration! LOL! I am about to post a reply to this i believe is very interesting. I saw a reply from some person on a news outlet’s story on this matter. What this person has to say is interesting!

        • March 17, 2016 at 12:44 pm
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          (Comment from someone on a new article:) The precedent of forcing JW’s to “open” their judicial committee records to those outside of the judicial committee process would not only violate the trust necessary for all parties to (theoretically) speak freely in a judicial committee proceeding, but it would likewise also violate the first amendment to the US constitution by impeding JW’s from the free exercise of their religion. JW’s practice their religion in accord with their understanding of biblical direction & standards. Regardless of whether you or anyone else agrees with this source or their conclusions from such, JW’s have a right to engage in their religious franchise inclusive their judicial committee process which exists to ascertain and consider testimony, context, facts, motivations, etc., related to innocence or wrongdoing of one or more accused fellow JW’s. In some respects, the JW position is not unlike that of Apple in Apple’s challenge to the US government’s demands to provide the government with access to their iPhones by forcing Apple to provide a “key” that “opens” any given phone’s password. Compelling the JW’s to operate according to the vicissitudes of US standards at any given moment regarding this is, imo, as slippery a slope as the government’s compelling Apple to cooperate with them in cracking people’s smartphones, and could & probably would result in “solutions” with unforeseeable consequences much more universally harmful than those vexing us presently.
          http://www.wired.com/2016/02/a

          • March 17, 2016 at 4:28 pm
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            @PeterB
            The problem in this case is that the JWs are hiding viscous sexual predators and using undue influence to keep their members from contacting the authorities when a crime is committed. They are a dangerous cult and the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from such controlling groups. Are they as bad a Heavens Gate or Jim Jones cult, no, but they are in the same ball park.

            If they want status as a charity in the UK, which is what this debate comes down to, then they should be wiling to abide by the rules set forth for charities and share their records. Otherwise relinquish the charitable status and all is well – keep your records confidential. They want to have it both ways and that’s just plain wrong. They are by no means a charity.

            WS

          • March 17, 2016 at 10:34 pm
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            “I didn’t know folks in this community were so skeptical!!! OMG!”

            You make some compelling arguments but the above quote shows that you may be lacking in knowledge in a few critical areas regarding JWs and ex-jws as well. I hope you dont see this as an insult but your research into religions for “20 years” as you say, will not in itself tell you what you need to know about how the JW mind operates. For one thing you need to move beyond the realm of mere religion and look into high pressure/high control groups. Which is exactly what the JW organization is. Secondly, when you say things like “the Catholic Church is evil for the sake of being evil” and that “JWs believe they are doing the right thing and are not evil” you can’t blame us for calling you a JW in disguise. Those anti Catholic statements SMACK of JW dogma because all of us here who were witnesses know that JWs DESPISE the Catholic Church.

            You can’t claim “they were trying to do the right thing” without knowing the whole picture. The evil Catholic Church apologized more than once about their horrendous problem with pedophile priests. The pope even met with some of the victims. The JW organization? Governing body? Not a peep. No public apology no personal visits to victims. Which is too bad because that would’ve made some good PR. Not only do they not admit to having any problem but they’ll punish their own members for speaking out. Does that sound like they care about doing the right thing? Or is it more like covering their ass?

            When they changed their policies on blood, organ transplants, vaccines AFTER they forbid them many were left DEAD in the wake of these policies. They again never EVER apologized for any of it. Sound like nice deluded people trying to do the right thing? Or more like evil?

            On a side note I don’t believe Mj did anything either. I do believe the JWs damaged his mind and that of his family.

  • March 17, 2016 at 9:04 am
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    @Dee2,
    Hi,
    I agree with much of what you say in certain regards. For example: In spite of what we were taught, It is important to note from the offing that there is no indication that anyone other than this group (below) will survive through into the New World. That invalidates any spurious claims made of alleged ownership and oversight of anybody or anything now and in the future. I won’t speculate on who may in the past have had authority at any point since it is not my domain but the dubious Watchtower history is cemented in fact!:

    Revelation 7:9, 14, 15 (KJV)
    9.After I beheld and, lo, a great multitude, which no man was able to number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

    14. And I said unto him, Sir, though knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
    15. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

    Nowhere in the Bible does it describe any “Governing Body” or “Watchtower Society” or any Legal Corporation of self-proclaimed representation standing outwardly from this group alone.
    In fact, Zechariah 13:3-6 demonstrates that certain ones will soon cowardly deny the Watchtower Society and the high offices that they once relished in all their glory (Matthew 6:5, 12:14 Mark 3:29). Even people close to them will be no refuge so that they will have to hide while claiming to be merely working class. However, they won’t be able to fool those who are seeking them out for their crimes:

    Zechariah 13: (3), 4-6
    4. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, (which painfully miserably failed and with deadly effect) when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
    5. But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman (Farmer); for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
    6. And one shall say unto him, What are these (fresh, from lack of calluses) wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, those I received in the house of my friends.

    The pharisaic Jewish system also met a violent end with Jah’s disapproval. Even so the seeming indestructible, great temple that was central to Jewish life and worship where Jesus prophesied, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another…” (Matthew 24:2) and where the raiding Romans army pulled down walls and tore up the floor stones looking for gold in their utter devastation: However, it is already clearly stated prophetically that “The Light of Truth” or “Spiritual Food” supply would become obscure and convoluted in the very end times in harmony with Matthew 24:45-51 which merely asks the question, “Who really is the faithful and discrete slave?” (And it is only a question):

    Zechariah 14:5d, 6
    5d. and the Lord my God shall come and all the saints with thee.
    6. And it shall come to pass in that day that the light shall not be clear, nor dark.

    In fact, it goes on further to state in another context of “light and dark” that at the” Evening Time”, of man when “The light of salvation” would be manifested to him while on the verge of self extermination.
    Since Adam and Eve were the dawn of mankind, man is presently facing the virtual extinction from the face of the earth at his own hand (Rev 11:18e)
    Jesus prophesied in his Sermon on the Mount. Matthew, 24:22 “And except those days be shortened, there should be no flesh saved” We are in that great tribulation right now. It’s the “Great Earthquake” (Rev 16:18, 19) at the hands of Jah himself that we are very soon to see. At any given moment:

    Zechariah 14:7
    7. But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

    Further elaboration in verse 8 it states that “Living Waters” would pour forth from the newly established (on Earth) Jerusalem of above. The Bible described this “New Jerusalem” as ruling from Heaven while having a relationship with her ruling King Jesus who is the source of “living waters” (John 4:14, 7:37,38 Rev 22:17) and the “Light of Salvation” (John 9:5)as eternal and blessed by God so as to a marriage (Rev 21:2). It is also the same “Glorious Holy Mountain” or “Holy Mountain of Decoration” described at Daniel 11:44 but, contrary to common belief, this passage is not literal. It can not be since present earthly Jerusalem holds no Holy radiance and hasn’t since the Roman destruction and God’s removal of his blessing some 2000 years ago. Instead it indicates the King of the South standing in representation of and between it and the “Grand (or Great ) Sea” of Mankind isolated from God. This when “He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace” or “palatial tents” firmly in opposition to God’s Heavenly Kingdom where he then “will come all the way to his end, and none shall help him”.
    The “disturbing messages from the sun rising and out of the north” have probably already begun in Syria and the Baltic, Russia and North Korea and China, the South China Sea as all things were written with geographic reference to Jerusalem. The “go(-ing) forth in a great rage to devote many to destruction” may possibly have begun in part but will likely yet see a specific climactic command. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

    Zechariah 14:8
    8. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem: half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be

    Half of those blessings or symbolic waters in Zechariah 14:8 will flow towards the “Former Sea” of former-ly living ones who will be resurrected early on as may well be child bearing on into the New Earth (Joel 2:23, one month of years out of a millennium. Also, since the final test will take place at the end of the millennium. Rev 20:6-10, Ezekiel 38:8-23) so as to be educated in the events that had already taken place but more importantly in the new scrolls that will be opened and especially this most important of all “Book of Life” (Rev 20:12) revealing a never ending supply of our creators heretofore secret knowledge and ageless wisdom regarding who he is.
    The “Hinder Sea” will receive the other half of the living waters which denotes those who survive through the great impending battle and those born afterwards in the new world.
    “In summer and in winter shall it be” so this event will take place at or near an equinox between summer and winter.

    Zechariah 14:9
    9. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name shall be one. (Rev 11:15, Ephesians 4:5, 6)

    Also read: Joel 2:3
    3. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. (Compare Zephaniah 1:12 Joel 2:25, 26, 32)

  • March 18, 2016 at 1:46 am
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    Kurt Hennig you make some very interesting points that many of us have considered. However your points are on the assumption that that this group were the unique property of god and he will punish them for their crimes against humanity. I think the heinous crime they can appoint to themselves is the self proclaimed entitlement to god’s name in their religion. So If you dare to use god’s name you better be prepared to face the consequences of his wrath if you lie, in his name. If the org is just another secular institution then the courts of justice will act and they will pay just like any other crooked dishonest organisation. When all is said and done people want justice for justice sake. Some it will just be enough that jws were wrong, misleading and punished. For others who believe in divine justice it will be the spanking of a life time that they deserve a chastisement and a severe rod of discipline upon their backs which they will have to take because it is their god disciplining them. Of course such hefty discipline will not be seen as persecution but a cleansing and scourging before they enter their lovely paradise. So in my mind it is win win jdubs lose face, credibility, loyal members and are exposed for the phonies that they are. ruthlee

  • March 18, 2016 at 4:42 pm
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    Let us not forget the irrefutable truths that this Watchtower organization is for a fact a fabricated cult for financial gain.
    Repost, but all Watchtower skeptics must watch and share these truths.
    http://youtu.be/u5JnngqQYvc

  • March 18, 2016 at 6:58 pm
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    NEWS BULLETIN>
    I know I’m off topic here but the date for Memorial is getting close.
    Is it just me or has anyone else wondered why Watchtower is using the Christian Paschal calendar to date Passover this year instead of the Jewish one. The Jewish Passover is 22 April, not March 23rd.
    Watchtower should know the correct date shouldn’t they for the MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF THE YEAR??
    Oh, hold on a minute, dates are not their strong point are they?

  • May 1, 2016 at 3:22 pm
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    I AM SO MAD I CAN SPIT BLOOD. (1) THE WTS DOES NO CHARITY WORK (2) I WAS DSFSP INSPITE OF THE FACT I WAS REPENTED, A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER AN ELDER ON MY JUDICIAL COMMITTEE WAS THROWN OUT HIMSELF FOR ADULTERY. (3) MY COUSINS 2 SON WERE MOLESTED BY THEIR JW STEPFATHER, THE ELDERS DID NOTHING SO SHE TOOK HER HUSBAND TO COURT NOW HE IS SERVING 15 YEARS IN JAIL. (4) MY FRIEND IN THE BRONX WAS DIFSP BECAUSE HE DID NOT AGREE WITH ALL THE WTS BOLOGNA. HIS JW RELITIVES AND JW FRIENDS HAVE SHUNNED HIM AND HE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. NOW HE IS IN A SPECIAL CLINIC (WARD) THAT DEPROGRAMS VICTIMS FROM CULTS. I AM MAD AS HELL IN THE U S A. PS MY WIFE IS SHUNNING ME I AM READY TO DUMP HER

  • May 1, 2016 at 3:57 pm
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    Edward,

    Try not to let this anger control your life. We all have something to be angry with the WT about. I have similar stories of friends too & yet they stay in out of insecurities of the outside world. I know that it’s hard sometimes, I find myself telling myself at times that “I hate this miserable cult that I allowed myself to be sucked into”. Then I watch documentaries about how cults work & I realise that I was just vulnerable at the time & they prey on people’s vulnerabilities. Then I realise that there are so many out there & it’s educating people on them that is the only way to set them free & get them to use their own critical thinking.

    I was telling my Doctor the other day how the JW religion is so pretentious, they will try to convince you that they are the most happiest, together people in the world yet I found them to be the most dysfunctional, depressed, judgemental people that I have ever come across. They’re just good at hiding it with their in-house talk & only those that are in know what’s really going on.

Comments are closed.