JOHN BUTLER

This seems to be some interesting news from RTL News, if it's true  
 
Jehovah's Witnesses call on members to cooperate in investigations of abuse
 
The board of Jehovah's Witnesses Netherlands has called on its members to participate in research at Utrecht University into sexual abuse within the organization. The appeal is remarkable because the denomination normally avoids contact with non-ecclesiastical authorities.
  The call is included in an internal letter in the hands of RTL News.
Personal choice
In the letter, which was sent to all departments last week, the board asks members who are victims of child abuse to fill in a questionnaire on the Utrecht University site. He is commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and Security to investigate abuse within Jehovah's Witnesses.
"Of course participation in this study is a personal choice," the board writes in the letter. "Nevertheless, we hope that this will give Utrecht University accurate and balanced information about how our organization responds to abuse." 
According to sources within the church, the letter was read during meetings in the church buildings. Jehovah's Witnesses was unable to respond to this message on Monday, a RTL News spokesperson said.
Under attention
Jehovah's Witnesses have recently been discredited because they only prosecute perpetrators of child abuse internally and do not report them to the police and the judicial authorities. The organization also refuses to hand over documents on internal court cases to the judiciary. Therefore, last November the police raided the headquartersof Jehovah's Witnesses.
Kees van den Bos, research leader at Utrecht University is 'naturally' happy with the appeal from the board of Jehovah's Witnesses. "We have been in touch by email over the past few weeks and have asked them to bring our research to the attention of their members. It's nice to hear that they have done so now." The researchers were not involved in the preparation of the letter.
The investigators have now received 'a few hundred serious reports' about abuse within Jehovah's Witnesses. Van den Bos could not say whether the last call led to new reports. The Reclaimed Voices foundation, which represents victims of abuse within Jehovah's witnesses, is also "positive" that the Jehovah's Witnesses point their members to this investigation. "We hope that active Jehovah's Witnesses who are victims of sexual abuse or who are aware of a situation will participate in the investigation," says President Raymond Hintjes.
The research at Utrecht University came about following a motion from the House of Representatives. The goal is to see how Jehovah's Witnesses deals with reports of child abuse. Anyone who has experience with abuse within that church can report to the investigators until 1 June . The intention is that the final report can be published in the autumn.

Jack I think you are cracking up man. I dislike the GB and it's JW Org too but I'm not looking to turn against God or His written word.
Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version (NIV)
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
9 “You must pray, then, this way:+
“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name+ be sanctified.*+ 10 Let your Kingdom+ come. Let your will+ take place, as in heaven, also on earth.+
Luke 11:2-4 King James Version (KJV)
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
I think that is proof that Jesus said to pray for God's will to be done here on this Earth.
God's will is surely to restore all things to the perfection that He created. 
If you add to that the scripture about the 'resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous' then it brings it all together a bit. 
As for 'the Jewish people', you know that as a nation they lost God's blessing and the guidance of His holy spirit way back when they murdered Jesus. They lost their chance of being the anointed or heavenly class. But you know all that anyway, you are just desperately looking for some reason to hate the JW Org more. 
Chill out Jack. 
 
 

To read and find out the experiences of other people have great value.
However, this may become a problem if the solution to some of the life situations, that somebody has achieved, wishes to imitate in full or in full imagined detail (details that are not known to anyone who read the article).

Another issue, even bigger, arises when publisher's article tries to direct his readers to the idea how this is the way. And how that process of attempts to act, in similar or the same  way, would be blessed by God.
And as more dangerous is idea, how exactly this way is the only right way.

Oh dear what a way to waste time. You lot must have more spare time than me  but I'm retired.
This stupid conversation leaves behind all the serious problems within the JW Org. 
Maybe that is people's plan though.
Whilst i have a good laugh at all you so called intelligent folks talking such rubbish, i still think on more important matters. 
I hope you are all having a good day, as long as you are not hurting others. 
Someone please start a sensible topic for or against the GB  / JW Org. 
Meanwhile I'll go on my ebay page whilst listening to Joe Cocker.  
 

Oh dear what a way to waste time. You lot must have more spare time than me  but I'm retired.
This stupid conversation leaves behind all the serious problems within the JW Org. 
Maybe that is people's plan though.
Whilst i have a good laugh at all you so called intelligent folks talking such rubbish, i still think on more important matters. 
I hope you are all having a good day, as long as you are not hurting others. 
Someone please start a sensible topic for or against the GB  / JW Org. 
Meanwhile I'll go on my ebay page whilst listening to Joe Cocker.  
 

Actually, all the reasons you have stated for why, and the manner in which AM purchased alcohol is speculation and cannot be proven.
As for Sophia's ice cream; do you think Sophia will never have any ice cream again in her life? Obviously she will, as will real children.
 

Hi Jack Ryan!
As we can notice Jworg has various types of current JW members. Also, exJws are sometimes product of some specific circumstances when they was inside org. To ask, why exJW are rude, is not good way of asking about what and why some exJw doing in prosess of living and after they are out of org. Because, from such question you releasing idea how exJw are in fact rude. Some are very active in opposing to WT and some are not. Where is the line when firm stand against WT going to "rude"  behavior is matter of perspective.
Thanks and greetings!   

It might be possible that God will protect a person is He wants to, but as for God protecting JW's as a group then no way.
I knew an older 'brother' whose wife died because she refused to have a blood transfusion. He was very upset at his loss.
Then a few years later the same older brother's son died whilst riding a motorbike home from a JW assembly. 
The dear old brother was at a total loss. Probably for comfort, i don't know, but the old brother remarried. She was a 'lady of colour' from America, a nice friendly lady. But the marriage didn't last long. 
The old brother's other son who had been a ministerial servant, left the JW Org under strange circumstances it seems. I always wanted to go visit that young lad but was basically told not to, and as I don't know his exact address then I could not go there alone.
So that is one poor old brother that lost his first wife, his oldest son, and his younger son, so I've been told, has had a nervous breakdown. 
Only his daughter remain as a JW.................  So it seems that God does not 'help' or 'protect' JW's. 
 
 

So if a person gives a warning about something they are an activist in your opinion ?
Wow all the prophets must have been activists then. Was Jesus an activist ? Um, maybe the Jewish religious leaders thought so ? 
Why would it be convenient for me ? And what do you think I fear ? 
And Try giving some sensible answers for a change. 
As for agreeing with Tom, well you did deliberately try to put him down when he had made a perfectly sensible comment. 
I have no friends on here, but i do agree with a person's comment if it makes sense and is true. 

The Kid must be on something quite strong that gives him hallucinations. Poor Kid.
I think TTH was referring to how Paul collected information by using all the people's viewpoints. I don't think TTH was in any way comparing himself to the Apostle Paul as the Kid seems to imply. But the Kid is getting desperate and needs to hang on to any little bit of grit that he can. 
Keep it up Kid, you make yourself looks more foolish by  the day. 
Oh yes and we all seem to be totally off topic too  

So if a person gives a warning about something they are an activist in your opinion ?
Wow all the prophets must have been activists then. Was Jesus an activist ? Um, maybe the Jewish religious leaders thought so ? 
Why would it be convenient for me ? And what do you think I fear ? 
And Try giving some sensible answers for a change. 
As for agreeing with Tom, well you did deliberately try to put him down when he had made a perfectly sensible comment. 
I have no friends on here, but i do agree with a person's comment if it makes sense and is true. 

The Kid must be on something quite strong that gives him hallucinations. Poor Kid.
I think TTH was referring to how Paul collected information by using all the people's viewpoints. I don't think TTH was in any way comparing himself to the Apostle Paul as the Kid seems to imply. But the Kid is getting desperate and needs to hang on to any little bit of grit that he can. 
Keep it up Kid, you make yourself looks more foolish by  the day. 
Oh yes and we all seem to be totally off topic too  

The Kid must be on something quite strong that gives him hallucinations. Poor Kid.
I think TTH was referring to how Paul collected information by using all the people's viewpoints. I don't think TTH was in any way comparing himself to the Apostle Paul as the Kid seems to imply. But the Kid is getting desperate and needs to hang on to any little bit of grit that he can. 
Keep it up Kid, you make yourself looks more foolish by  the day. 
Oh yes and we all seem to be totally off topic too  

Could it be that John is going to be my pal today? Yes! He picked up on the gist of the remark completely. We’re allies!
Tomorrow it may be a different story.

@BillyTheKid46  Doing it here is not the same as having the guts to be vocal in front of the people you fear or feared.  Having the guts ? 
Well most of you are stateside i think and I'm not traveling over. The GB would be nigh on impossible to reach. My local Elders did get direct contact from me, but I was wise enough not to get myself disfe'd.  As for fear of man, well the Elders never frightened me, disappointed me yes. 
 However, in the same respect, don’t pretend by taking the higher moral ground, since you agree in most part with what Anna, James, and JWinsider offer as opinions to be factual when they are far from it.
I'm not pretending anything, I think the whole forum is funny. I thought I might actually learn something from it but there is no way. I haven't read one line about love and giving, or mercy and peace. But it's fun, better than watching the television. 
This I find funny, since you once asked, where else did I find you in another apostate site. You only needed to look at your own. Which in essence the FB is all about.😉
Well if you wish to call me an apostate it's your choice. I am only apostate to the GB ruled JW Org. I am not apostate to God or Christ, although I do realise I'm not close to them either, but then neither is anyone on here.
As for my Ex JW Facebook page, well it has 600 likes, so some folks seem to think I'm doing something right. 
 

Yes this like many others is just a forum. @Space Merchant  I don't mind being 'called out'. At least on here it is direct and can be seen, unlike in JW Org where no one is 'allowed' to talk to me now and probably talks about me behind my back. 
But all this talk about money in the streets etc is totally off topic and a bit boring as it has nothing to do with the scripture concerning money having no value. 
But let's be honest, this forum has very little to do with Christianity anymore. It seems to be about people trying to get one above the other. People accusing others about using more than one name and some people getting upset about their relatives being 'insulted'. The whole forum has gone downhill. Hence I suppose why they now have a 'Private club' for the 'special' ones.
Oh yes, if 'elsewhere' people are out for my head, I have no knowledge of it.  My Facebook page is quite open. My other FB page 'Ex Jehovah's Witnesses still wanting to serve God' is also quite open. I do nothing in secret. So where are these people that are 'out for my head' ? Why have they not shown themselves ? Do they also use more than one name on forums ?  Whatever i do online is open and honest and I use my own personal name. I'm easy to find if people are 'hunting' for me. Though they cannot be very 'christian' people to be after my head. 

Quote "They have God to guide them for that, not some silly and insignificant person from the UK." 
That is so funny Billy. You still believe your little gods the GB are 'guided' by Almighty God. How blind you must be to spiritual matters. How much you must worship those 8 little men. It's true they hold some power over a few people and they dictate to the whole congregation of JW's, but they are totally without God's guidance and totally without God's holy spirit, so they are quite unfit for purpose. 
The GB are no better that the Catholic Pope or some Archbishop. They all have some worldly power but none of them have Almighty God's approval. 

Why on earth would you do that? If it is silliness to begin with, why dignify it by taking it seriously?
Now you’ve got it! 
You know, it just makes for a dull book when you do it that way.
Is it just me? What are the letters to the Corinthians? Did Paul just gather information for his next book? Clearly, he capitalized on what those Corinthians had said, or what had been said about them, rather than cook up some speech detached from their needs.
“For the disclosure was made to me about YOU, my brothers, by those of [the house of] Chloʹe, that dissensions exist among YOU. What I mean is this, that each one of YOU says...” (1 Corinthians 1:12)
“YOU men already have YOUR fill, do YOU? YOU are rich already, are YOU? YOU have begun ruling as kings without us, have YOU?” 4:8
“Now concerning the things about which YOU wrote....”  7:1
Most of the Greek scriptures consist of interactions with various congregations & we benefit by eavesdropping. That’s all I’m doing—imitating a pattern laid out by others.
 

Written at a time when literally drinking the blood of fallen gladiators was the 'in thing' and when blood transfusions were not even imagined. 
 

If I did NOT have the sense of humor that I do Billius T. Pettifog 46, and had YOUR sense of humor (if any, which has not to date exposed itself to forum view ...) I might take your intended, malicious, and vulgar insult personally, and take appropriate action.
You have not identified who I am with your malicious, vulgar libel ... but with your own words ... you sure have identified  who YOU are.
The phrase for that is "Undressing yourself in public.", to which I have no objection.
In fact ... I encourage it.
.... always good for a laugh!
... and it does give all interested people  a perspective of how to view the REST of your alleged logic and reasoning.
 

Forum Police? Care to explain? Kid and everyone else speaks their peace. As far as all things concerning you about 95% of the time, you tend to interject something into a topic that tends to be unrelated. Also you tend to be the type of person that has no problem pushing the buttons of others, but when such is done either directly or indirectly to you, you show a reaction, in some cases, a bit whiny, in this sense. This is the same case you regarding judgement, whereas you make the claim of others, but when you do it, it is ok, therefore, people can and will call you out for it. Elsewhere, there are people, unrelated to this thread as a whole, that is out for your head, reasons why I refrain from what they had said about you because those Christians do not like to be mocked and or insulted, in which you alluded to in one of your responses before. All I can say is that some had color languages for such ones like you who think they cannot be helped.
 
That being said, to even paraphrase what you said before, forums and or social spaces is a place where everyone gets involved, this also includes Facebook.

It is! I love Baileys!

Oh dear Kid, you talk as if you are better than me. In fact you twist truth and call me names because you know I speak truth.
You live in a dream world just worshipping the GB and It's Org. Hero worship and idol worship rolled into one. you think God approves of that ? 
As for Srecko, i think he may have been on this forum before I ever joined it. I do know that he has his own mind and his own words and is not a puppet for anyone, that can be clearly seen in his input. 
But maybe you are that Alen person others talk of, maybe you were removed before and have returned with a silly cowboy name. 
Could be that you are sly just like those men you worship. 

I cannot understand why anyone needs to put this video up anyway. There is enough truthful information to put the GB in their place already. The GB have done enough and put enough wicked rules in place to show their true personalities.  They also show that they have no love for God or people, just a need to rule over others. A need to keep the true Anointed apart and to have Elders ruling as policemen to keep all the congregants quiet. 
Your GB are just men, men that have no true understanding of God's written word. Men that do not have God guidance or God's holy spirit. They have proved that so many times. So yes this video is pointless. True or untrue it matters not, it's just pointless.
BUT, it wasn't ALL of us they put this video up,  and it wasn't ALL of us that approved of it. BTK likes to lump me in with others. SM likes to lump me in with others. And probably other people like to lump me in with others. Why ? Because it makes them feel good and it makes them feel secure. If they call all 'opponents' 'apostates' and whatever other name they wish to use, as one, it helps them to deal with people that tell the truth about the JW organisation. I can fully understand how they get hurt and how they are made to see the wickedness within the JW Org. But they don't wish to be shown. They only wish to serve their GB and it's Org. 
But whereas all JW's are JW's, not all of us that seek truth and make truth known about the JW Org are 'one'. We are all individuals and we have different ways of doing things and different priorities. So JW's may call any of us anything that please them. But remember that if you slander any of us, if you tell lies about any of us, then you place yourself in opposition to God. Treat me as a man of the nations or a Tax collector maybe ? But I have one advantage above those. I have been part of JW Org, I know how it works, I know the power that the Elders hold over congregants. Maybe i have only experienced it in Southern England, but the Org is the Org earthwide. Same GB, same rules, Elders have same power over congregants. 
Actually if the man did have a drink I could fully understand that he needs it.  He will have much to face from humans and from God in the future. 

Oh dear Kid, you talk as if you are better than me. In fact you twist truth and call me names because you know I speak truth.
You live in a dream world just worshipping the GB and It's Org. Hero worship and idol worship rolled into one. you think God approves of that ? 
As for Srecko, i think he may have been on this forum before I ever joined it. I do know that he has his own mind and his own words and is not a puppet for anyone, that can be clearly seen in his input. 
But maybe you are that Alen person others talk of, maybe you were removed before and have returned with a silly cowboy name. 
Could be that you are sly just like those men you worship.