Srecko Sostar

With Anna's help I believe you are now aware that John Redwood wrote this.  He is the same man who, with his wife, told their story in the Atlantic.    
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/03/the-secret-jehovahs-witness-database-of-child-molesters/584311/

I do hope you will get your questions answered as this develops.  

Witness:
I am deeply ashamed for the reputation of Jehovah, and the Brotherhood that the Governing Body has Lawyers that will spare no effort, time, and money to PERVERT Justice.
I wish you were lying or agenda driven, but I know from independent research everything you said here is true .... and that there is more, besides that.
Thanks for the vigilance.

From John Redwood...
A preview of upcoming news:
Jehovah's Witnesses are appealing to the Supreme Court of the United States, but this time it has nothing to do with preaching or saluting the flag.
It's all about child abuse.
Specifically, the protection (or cover-up) of information, documents, and testimony of persons involved in cases of child abuse.
I will be covering this story in the coming weeks and months, but I thought I would share some of this news and try to distill it down as simply as I can.
I'd like to point out first that Watchtower has appealed to the Supreme Court in connection with their loss of yet another California child abuse case. The chance that Watchtower's appeal being will be heard by the Supreme Court is slim, but anything is possible.
What brought this about?
There are many ongoing civil child abuse cases in California. One such case is J.W. versus Watchtower. J.W. happens to be the initials for the victim of former JW elder Gilbert Simental, who went on a spree of molestation which touched the lives of numerous victims.
As with other cases, the plaintiff demanded that Watchtower turn over to the court a database of child abuse cases known to be maintained by Watchtower of New York.
In this particular case, because Watchtower failed to turn over the documents in a timely manner, attorneys asked for a default judgment of just over 4 million dollars.
The court agreed with the plaintiff and entered a default judgment in that amount. Watchtower was required to post a bond of more than 6 million dollars while their appeal was pending.
Watchtower lost their appeal, and the decision of the court was upheld. This decision is final- with one exception.
Watchtower has decided to appeal to the United States Supreme court on the basis that their judicial hearings related to child abuse matters are "confidential intra-faith communications" and that they do not, and should not, reveal those communications or documents to anyone, including civil courts.
I'd like to make it very clear what Watchtower is doing here. They are fighting for their right NOT to allow civil authorities to dictate what is confidential, and what is not confidential.
All of this is in relation to their claim that elders do not have the right or duty to report child abuse to the authorities.
Watchtower overtly lies to their members by claiming that they obey secular laws, except when they conflict with God's laws.
Yet they break the law every single time by advising elders NOT to report child abuse to the authorities.
It does NOT matter whether child abuse occurs in a mandatory reporting state- elders STILL do not report to the police because Watchtower has told them that ALL of their communications are protected by clergy-penitent privilege.
This is false- and it is exactly why they are losing tens of millions of dollars in child abuse civil cases. Watchtower advises elders to break the law.
And now they want the Supreme Court of the United States to agree with them.
The claim that the state of California has unfairly targeted Jehovah's Witnesses and "intruded upon matters of church governance."
Why???
How does compliance with mandatory child abuse reporting laws conflict with God's laws? It doesn't. This is a fabrication of Watchtower attorneys working for the Governing Body, and it's become quite clear that they feel that compliance with these civil laws will spell disaster for their religion.
And they might be right.
If Jehovah's Witnesses did the right thing and complied with the law, they would lose the tight grip of control over their elder bodies in ways which frighten the hell out of them.
There is a whole lot more to this story as well as the underlying cases involved, but I wanted to let you know what's going on.
Attorneys for J.W. (the abuse victim) will be filing an opposition to Watchtower's appeal in August, and we should have a decision from the Supreme Court by October on whether they will accept Jehovah's Witnesses appeal for review.
Stay tuned!!
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/chtj2j/watchtower_appeals_to_supreme_court/
 

I notice that this has come up a few times with you, (and two others here, also, btw) where you indicate how important it is to believe that that Spiritual Israel is not just made up of those who will live in heaven, but that Spiritual Israel is also made up of those who inherit the earth.
I don't know how closely you want to associate yourself directly with the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, but this is one area in which you differ, even though you have gone to great pains to defend even the most minor of our teachings in other areas.
I was wondering if you actually think that your view differs from Witnesses here, or if you perhaps have given thought to the direction that a couple of recent Watchtowers have apparently indicated. These recent Watchtowers have not stated that Spiritual Israel is also made up of those who inherit the earth, but they have gone much further in blurring the line between those with a heavenly calling and those with an earthly calling.
For example, here is the most typical statements from 2014 and 1999:
*** w14 10/15 p. 16 par. 11 You Will Become “a Kingdom of Priests” ***
The total number of those in the new covenant would be 144,000, making up a new nation—“the Israel of God”—spiritual Israel.
*** w99 8/15 p. 27 Benefiting From “the Grain of Heaven” ***
The majority of those who benefit from Jesus’ ransom will enjoy everlasting life on a paradise earth. “A great crowd” of these—prefigured by the “vast mixed company” of aliens who joined the Israelites in their Exodus from Egypt—will survive the coming “great tribulation” that will rid the earth of all wickedness. (Revelation 7:9, 10, 14; Exodus 12:38) An even greater reward is enjoyed by those whom the Israelites themselves foreshadowed. The apostle Paul described these ones, numbering 144,000, as constituting the spiritual Israel of God. Their reward at death is a resurrection to life in heaven. (Galatians 6:16; Hebrews 3:1; Revelation 14:1) There Jesus will give them a special kind of manna.
However, in 2016, the most recent Watchtower article that mentions "spirtual Israel" there is no specific delineation between a heavenly spiritual Israel and the earthly class.
*** ws16 March pp. 26-27 pars. 10-12 Jehovah Guides His People in the Way of Life ***
Jehovah had given the Mosaic Law to the Israelites to teach them how to live and worship him. Beginning in the first century, God’s people were no longer from one nation but from many nations and backgrounds, and they were called spiritual Israel. They formed the Christian congregation and were under a new covenant. Jehovah gave them new or expanded instructions on how to live and worship him. Truly, “God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) They followed “the law of the Christ,” which was based mainly on principles that were written, not on stone, but on their hearts. This law would guide and benefit Christians wherever they lived.—Galatians 6:2.
11 Spiritual Israel benefited greatly from Jehovah’s guidance through Jesus. Just before he introduced the new covenant, Jesus gave two important commands. One was about the preaching work. The other was about the way Christians should act and treat one another. These instructions were for all Christians, so they apply to all of us today, whether we hope to live forever in heaven or on earth.
12 In the past, people of the nations had to come to Israel to serve Jehovah. (1 Kings 8:41-43) But then Jesus gave the command that we find at Matthew 28:19, 20. (Read.) Jesus told his disciples to “go” to all people.
Of course, the article never says that spritual Israel includes those who hope to live forever on earth. It can easily be read in the same sense as all previous articles on the topic. (In 2011, another article on spiritual Israel made the point that certain statements from Jesus would apply to those with either the earthly or heavenly hope:
*** w11 9/15 p. 12 pars. 4-5 Are You Letting Jehovah Be Your Share? ***
And they set a good example for those who hope to live on a paradise earth.
5 Whether we have the heavenly hope or an earthly one, we must ‘disown ourselves and pick up our torture stake and continually follow Christ.’ (Matt. 16:24) Millions who look forward to life in Paradise on earth are worshipping God and following Christ in that way.
I believe that those responsible for writing the Watchtower are well aware of the potential that a 'well-stocked' GB from the anointed class could become harder to come by in the next 40 years, and we may end up with a smaller and smaller GB, even if the numbers of those counted as anointed continues to rise. So I would expect more future articles that make the same point as above, and which might even expand on those things that we once applied only to the "anointed." After all, Jesus didn't really say that his instructions were for persons from both the anointed and the other sheep, as this is just an assumption about something Jesus never said. But it's probably a very good assumption.
To me, so far, the actual point is only that there may be additional work once seen as only that of the GB that will become the work of "other sheep" and we need to get used to the idea. But the above quotes and other related quotes do NOT give me the impression that the actual doctrine of the makeup of "spiritual Israel" has changed.
So I guess the best way to put the question is this: Do you really think that Spirtual Israel is made up both the earthly class and the heavenly class?

@TrueTomHarley  You certainly are an author of fairy tales and you are good at it too. Keep it up please it gives me plenty to laugh at after a morning of hard work. I'm back at that big house again doing some physical work as a favour to its owner. Well I'm totally baffled spiritually, out of the frying pan and into the fire it seems. BUT staying in the frying pan would  have got me cooked that's for sure. So I'm thinking I might as well be helpful in some way to other people, as it seems I cannot help myself right now. 
BUT. Lets quote your words :- 
What surprises me as I go through the sequential schedule of Bible reading, now focused on the letters of Paul, is how well they anticipate current “anti-cultist” complaints of being brainwashed, misled, duped, and so forth. What would appear to be a brand new scenario is just history recycled—put on steroids by modern viral methods of communication. Given that the following was said then, when the only communication was word-of-mouth, it is not at all surprising that it would be so prolific today:
OK. Catholics could say the same,  and any other 'brand' of Christian.  Mormons maybe. However you are pretending that it is the same, But it isn't. 
“We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one,” says the apostle at 2 Corinthians 7:2, as though the accusation of those things was commonplace.
“Nevertheless, you say, I was “crafty” and I caught you “by trickery,” he says again at 2 Corinthians 12:16. For sure, Solomon had a point: “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccles 1:9)
The Bible Students / GB / JW Org / W/t cannot truthfully say the above.  Promising Armageddon in 1914, suggesting Armageddon in 1975,  saying 'Millions now living will never die' (just as the Devil told Eve she would not die), was crafty, trickery, and the continued rumours that Armageddon is 'so close' and 'that only those inside the JW Org will be saved', when at the same time a member of the Governing Body said that 'they might not be the only channel of communication God is using', well you work it out for yourself.  
They protest another sort of discipline as well. “Just as I encouraged you to stay in Ephesus when I was about to go to Macedonia, so I do now, in order for you to command certain ones not to teach different doctrine, nor to pay attention to false stories and to genealogies. Such things end up in nothing useful but merely give rise to speculations rather than providing anything from God in connection with faith.” 
False stories, um, 'this generation will not pass away', oh dear it didn't happen. So make up another story, the generation isn't one generation , it's two overlapping generations. 
Do “apostates” proliferate today, as though something new? 
You may have to break this down a bit Tom. First of all it depends what YOU mean as an apostate. Are you talking about those who have found fault with the GB and JW Org / W/t ? If so you cannot truly compare it to first century Christians.  In the first century it would probably have been the Jews that were used to living under Law and Jewish customs. But now you are comparing that with ex-JW's that are used to living under the JW rules. The early Christian way was a totally new way of living to the Jews. But if you are calling ex-JW's apostates then those ex-JW's know what life is like as a JW. Totally different circumstances. Why ? Because ex-JWs are looking at the GB / JWOrg / W/t and comparing it to God's written word the Bible / Bible standards. 
Let's go back to this :- 
“We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one,” says the apostle at 2 Corinthians 7:2,  
I only have to write three letters here . C, S, A.  Tom and others you KNOW that the GB / JW Org / W/t is in trouble in, Australia, America, Canada, UK, Netherlands, and I'm probably not completely up to date on any others.  Now if only one third of the accusations are true that is still a lot of Pedophilia in the JW Org, and still a lot of mishandling of 'justice for victims' from a scriptural viewpoint. Something about 'looking after widows and orphans' etc.... 
We could mention also about baptism and how the JW Org makes it more than just confirming dedication to God through Christ, but includes becoming part of the 'club' and obeying GB rules. (But that is a totally different topic). 
Having their mind on earthly things” is where its at today, and there are endless people who obsess over petty freedoms at the expense of totally missing the real ones
Petty freedoms, but why petty restrictions ?  The suit and tie, the Beard problem. Why put in place restrictions that are TOTALLY NOT SCRIPTURAL ?  And who gives authority to those that make these petty restrictions ?  That brings us back once again to this :- 
“We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one,” says the apostle at 2 Corinthians 7:2
The GB have stolen the recognition that ALL Anointed are the Faithful and Discreet Slave class. The GB have exalted themselves above the other Anointed, Luke 14, v11....  The GB have strongly hinted at the instruction that the rest of the Anointed should not get in touch with each others , but should remain in subjection to the GB. 
So here I have given proof that what Paul speaks/writes about is in no way similar to the problems in the JW Org today. 
The ones that Tom calls apostates will vary as all people are individuals. But Tom seems to need to think that apostates have deserted God and Christ. No Tom, many have just woken up to the falseness of the GB and it's two orgs. 
Once again I will end by saying that God may totally cleanse the JW Org and then use it, or God may start a new organisation of truthful Anointed ones. 
Sorry, I forgot one of the most important points too. Tom is comparing totally UNINSPIRED MEN therefore leading an uninspired organisation, to the Early Christian organisation which was full of INSPIRED MEN INCLUDING PAUL. 

@Space Merchant :  Another point is, you claim that there is no biblical and or scriptural support concerning the New Covenant, and yet it is there in the Bible, mentioned in the Old Testament, and mentioned again as well as set in motion in the New Testament, which shows here, you truly do not know 100% what the New Covenant even is, resulting in what I stated to you earlier before you deviated from the question at hand.
  I am done with your rambling and lies.  

A debate about proper debating, now that's funny!

Not really, because there is no Biblical Evidence of Ba'laam's Donkey preaching any gospel of any sort. Therefore my statement is right, and the response you made to my statement was incorrect.
 
EDIT: of course that is all you can do, laugh, and consist to appeals of motive, something that a true stupid one will do. For all unwise ones who willfully speak in their own ignorance are stupid persons and nothing more. In short, you've played yourself. That being said, I enjoy a clown making a fool of himself all the more because it shows me how little said clown knows Scripture.

@Srecko Sostar I stated animals cannot preach the gospel, and yet you said they did, according to the Bible.
Stop running from your claims and answer them lol.
Also, the biblical definition in respects to the Strong's gives us the answer: https://biblehub.com/greek/2784.htm
Lol, nice try to with the common English Dictionary though, I got a laugh out of that one. Mind you, you ignored the main context it tells you on the front page - that is hilarious.
 

@Shiwiii was right when he said,  "That's quite a stretch for Romans 6 to apply to smoking, don't you think?" 
And..."It is NOT buy the direction of men who sit in WT headquarters."
The entire Rom 6:16:
"Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
 "You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men."  1 Cor 7:23
If we are to love our neighbor as our-self, would we expect them to follow commandments of men that go beyond Christ's teachings? Extra rules and regulations that are not in the Bible?   It is true that our body should be cared for, as the marvelous gift it is.  But, a person smoking or not smoking doesn't give claim to being a "Christian".  What is more important is identifying false Christians who easily judge another as unworthy, because they choose to become a slave of Christ, and not of men and their organization.  Luke 6:42; Rom 3:23; Prov 16:2 
Disfellowshipping another because of a smoking habit that they struggle with, is not an act of love, but an act of arrogance and coldness; and a judgment made by "human standards".    Rom 3:8; John 8:15; 1 Sam 16:7
They, who do this, are the guilty ones, who hold back any spiritual compassion and sustenance, that could be given them.  
"Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished."  Prov 17:5
 
 
 

Years ago, I was at a Drop Zone in Tallequah, Oklahoma, in an airplane hanger with many long tables, where the skydivers would lay out their parachutes to repack them after a jump, and there on the wall, above the packing tables ... was a six foot tall poster of Superman, in flight ... right hand on his chest, and the other fist in front of him ... and words of wisdom to smokers of tobacco products who disregarded their health ... but BETTER NOT drop a burning ash on someones' parachute ......
"ONE SHOULD NOT SMOKE ... UNLESS ONE IS ON FIRE!"
 
 

TTH:
And there are infinite reasons why people do or do not shave, just as there are infinite variations in people.
You know what happens when you make the classical definition of "ASSUMING" something ...
If Jehovah thought something was important in the Bible... it would be spelled out EXACTLY.
 

TTH
sigh ....
..always trying to divert from any discussion of issues to try and disparage the character of someone ....
... and I believe you when you said you would walk away from such reasoning ...
... there were MANY people throughout History with the same opinions, and History is replete with horror of how it turned out for them.

 
TRUTH does not cease to exist because it is ignored.
 

It's NOT REALLY about "beards" .... It's about how much garbage is acceptable in one's "spiritual food".

Careful who you blame for this. Brother Geoffrey Jackson (of the Governing Body) just announced last year in court that Jehovah's Witnesses are now casting off this particular cord, too. In print, at least (and in court statements) I think we will only be considering this "rod" to be a figurative "rod" referring to "instruction."

The first Kingdom Hall I went to I had a tile floor sloped downward like a movie theater to the stage and podium.
I had a large bag of marbles I hid from my mother.
We arrived late and sat on the back row.
I dropped the bag and the marbles spilled out and rolled to the front, each making noise and hitting chair legs and shoes on the way down.
That's when I learned to pray.
.
 

.
.... In order to have organizational consistency, in the New System,  Sisters will not be allowed to shave their legs and other areas, but male lions will be trimmed to look like poodles.  Few things are more respectable than a lion with a shaved snout.
.... that means nose area, for those in Rio Linda....
.
 

Well yes....funny....but I was being ironic when I said it 🙂

....
 

...
 

I need this in every day life :))) Memorized is hard task for me. 

When we find differences and similarity of this two laws (God's and GB's) and to be able to make distinction about what authority supports and stand behind each "laws", and to be able to give resistance to human "laws", but on other hand to respect Higher Law, examples will be visible to us. :))   

"Light get Brighter" only for WT Society Leaders in Bethel, and stopped at Bethel Place. Congregations was left to be in "Darkness Light" of  previous doctrinal standpoint. :)))))   
Question is: Why would God want for minority of His people to know "The Truth" and to be able and in position to offer "unspoiled sacrifice, sacrifice without blame", ...... but for majority of His Flock He don't care and left them to be "unclean" spiritually and physically?? 
Irrational and illogical God? Or people can not understand His strange instructions ....from human standpoint of view ? 
Or, all is about Human Leadership who playing games/experiments with life of people/members/followers.

Make your excuses for them if it pleases you @Anna 
They did not ban it at first as it would have lost them many members and that would have lost them many $$$$$$. 
It's all about the money and the power. They were wise enough to wait, but they knew in the late 1800's.
How gullible are you @Anna ?