Jack Ryan

@The Librarian Please add this to your list above.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dvHUoDKCAHF6efu2XQxfk6o8AmBqE5rm/view Here's the 2018 outline, see page 3 under 'THEOCRATIC PROCEDURES FOR INVESTIGATING WRONGDOING. To summarize: 'Legal blood-alcohol limits vary depending on local laws and do not necessarily establish that a person was Biblically drunk. At times, elders may feel pressured to take judicial action due to notoriety and/or bad publicity. Strong suspicions and negative hearsay reports do not establish wrongdoing; elders must adhere to the Scriptural requirements'. This is quite a low-key affair with booze. I've seen it before, a gentle reminder here and there to drink less, because you've been stumbling other brothers. But it really sets the tone for how matters which reach the public eye should be handled...what it's saying is 'ignore negative publicity, as long as it doesn't disagree with the bible then the law won't affect your standing in the congregation'. Starting with booze is a sly move to recommend that this format is perfectly acceptable to be applied to more serious issues. Now imagine this same template applied to child abuse. I am well aware this is already partly being done, but I can see the scale of it growing exponentially. The quantification of child abuse...the law may say you're guilty, but scripturally there's not enough evidence to disfellowship. Your LEVEL of abuse appears to be significantly less that what the media would have us believe. Did he really rape a child? The media says he did, but our brother wouldn't lie, would he? He's admitted he did touch the child, but he completely denied he actually raped her. We must ignore the pressure applied from the world to remove this brother from the congregation when clearly there is no evidence he did rape the child. Innocent until proven biblically guilty. Very frustrating when you see the potential of this outline and how easily it can be taken advantage of.

Tomorrow: Dutch Motion calling for an investigation into child abuse will go before Parliament This is the translated text of the motion that will go before Dutch Parliament tomorrow: The House of Repsrenstatives, having heard the deliberation, noting that there have been many reports of sexual abuse in the community of Jehovah's Witnesses, but that these reports for various reasons have not all led or will lead to complaints to the police; noting that there are indications that the culture of closeness in the community of Jehovah's Witnesses has contributed to the fact that many have remained indoors and that this system still does not offer the right guarantees to protect children as much as possible against abuse; noting that the administration of the Jehovah's Witnesses is unwilling to investigate the alleged abuse; is of the opinion that investigations into alleged abuse should not be avoided; Calls on the government to ensure that, with due regard to the protection of the reporters, independent investigation is carried out into the reports, the possible underlying pattern, the rules, practices and structures used within the community, taking into account the complaints already filed to the police; And proceeds to the order of the day. Van Nispen Kuiken Van Toorenburg Buitenweg source: https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/moties/detail?did=2018D35528&id=2018Z12157

"Mon | Jun 25, 2018 Michael Abrahams | The Cruelty Of Kingdom Hall Published:Monday | June 25, 2018 | 12:05 AM I must confess that I have ambivalent feelings toward Jehovah’s Witnesses. As members of a denomination, I have found them to be the most pleasant and friendly and I feel deep affection for all that I know. But some of their beliefs concern me deeply. My reasoning with Witnesses began in my late teens. I was a Christian at the time and was baptized in and attended a Missionary church. Back then I knew little about them and was interested in learning about their faith. So, I would invite them to my verandah, where I would avidly listen to explanations of their doctrines. Some, such as not believing that Jesus Christ is God, not celebrating Christmas and eschewing religious imagery, I absolutely understood, with their arguments prompting me to discard a gold crucifix that I used to proudly wear on a chain around my neck. Some others, such as not celebrating birthdays and abstaining from voting, I found to be irrational. But most disturbing to me were their rejection of blood and blood products and the practice of shunning persons who transgress or leave the faith. JehovahÂ’s Witnesses will tell you that the Bible says that you should “abstain from blood”, and their stance against blood transfusion is non-negotiable, despite the fact that the Bible verses they quote refer to the ingestion of blood or its use in rituals. The utilization of blood, in the form of transfusions, to save the lives of anaemic or haemorrhaging human beings was not on the radar of the biblical writers. Blood transfusions have saved millions of lives. JehovahÂ’s Witnesses delight in telling us that there are blood substitutes and bloodless surgery techniques. However, there are certain situations where if a person does not get blood, they will die, or suffer permanent damage to organs such as the brain or kidneys. A colleague of mine, an anaesthetist, related a story to me of an experience she had several years ago that still haunts her. A girl had been rushed into the operating room for emergency surgery after being injured in a motor vehicle accident. She had lost a considerable amount of blood, and despite the use of blood substitutes, monitors indicated that her blood pressure and her oxygen level were falling. A transfusion was necessary to save her life. Unfortunately, the child was a JehovahÂ’s Witness. Family and church members turned up at the hospital and congregated outside the operating theatre. Not only did they not consent for the minor to be transfused, they informed my colleague that if the child got any blood, they would have nothing further to do with her. The anaesthetist tried desperately to get a judge to overrule the decision of the gathering, but it was a weekend and she was unsuccessful. She helplessly watched as the child died. Another practice of JehovahÂ’s Witnesses that is unsettling and harmful is that of shunning, the fate that would have befallen the child had she been transfused. Members of the organization whose behaviour is deemed to be inappropriate, may not only be dismissed, but shunned as well. Merely deciding to leave the faith can result in shunning. When you are shunned, you are disowned by fellow church members. They will not speak to you. They will not visit you at your house, and you certainly will not be welcome in theirs. It is brutal. My family recently befriended a woman who is a JehovahÂ’s Witness. One day, in my kitchen, we had a very interesting and bizarre conversation. She knows that I am not a Christian now, but we are friends. I asked her what would happen to our friendship if I were to become a JehovahÂ’s Witness, but decide to leave the organization, remain a Christian, and join another denomination. She sternly told me that if that were to happen, we could longer be friends. I asked her if she would still come to my house, and she responded, “Why would I want to do that?” Strange. Very strange. Shunning a friend is one thing, but Witnesses have shunned family members, some for life. I know a former Witness whose mother did not speak to her for 20 years after she left the organization. I asked my mechanic, a JehovahÂ’s Witness, about the practice, and remarked how cruel it was. He smiled and said, “It will make them come back”. Not always. Some are guilted into going back, but many suffer severe psychological trauma and spiral into depression. Some become suicidal. Some have attempted it and have been successful. Relationships are crucial for good health and well-being. Indeed, a 75-year study conducted by Harvard University found that good relationships keep us happier and healthier and are the key to leading fulfilling lives. I do not think that JehovahÂ’s Witnesses believe that they are being cruel. They are convinced that they are doing what Jehovah wants them to, and this illustrates why religion can be so dangerous, even evil. Once a person of faith believes that their actions are in accordance with GodÂ’s will, no matter how unjust or wicked those actions may be, their conscience is undisturbed. The lives, the health, the well-being of others do not matter to them. The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health is “A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The JehovahÂ’s Witness faith poses a threat to all the abovementioned components of health. We are often told to respect the religious beliefs of others, but why should I respect a belief system that jeopardizes the health of my fellow human beings? Michael Abrahams is a gynaecologist and obstetrician, comedian and poet. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or tweet @mikeyabrahams.

Found this little gem in the current study watchtowers 'question from readers.' I was recently watching the ARC and thought Geoffrey Jackson said it would be presumptuous for the GB to assume they were God's only channel for dispensing spiritual food. Whoops!

With a readership of almost one million people for the Sunday edition, The Philadelphia Inquirer has published a major FRONT PAGE headline article with an inside FULL page article in it's Sunday, June 24, 2018, PRINT edition . SPECIAL REPORT: Jehovah's Witnesses and sex abuse Still haunted by a rape and by faith's response Years later, still haunted by rape

3 years ago today I was sitting in a makeup chair getting ready to have my picture taken.

If you "took the truth seriously" then you tend to be an outcast within your own fucking congregation. I was a MS at a very young age...didn't smoke/drink/party. These same kids who slept around and got drunk every weekend think themselves too good to talk to me in our 30's lolz.

Ectopic pregnancies, when detected, are usually treated by surgically removing them. I always understood that this procedure was ok for Jehovah's Witnesses. But the subject came up during pioneer school. The circuit overseer started explaining that abortions are NEVER acceptable. A human is a human as soon as conception happens. But then he asks if there is ever a reason to break this rule. So I decided to raise my hand and mention the Reasoning book under Abortion where is says it's up to the individuals involved to make a choice if it's during childbirth. I also mentioned ectopic pregnancies. Well, this didn't go over so well with him. Oooh noooo! He said the information I had was incorrect and the it's NEVER acceptable even if it means death for the mother and that such things don't happen anymore with all the medical advancements. I was very surprised. Especially since ectopic pregnacies have risen. If a JW woman refuses the procedure to have it removed she risks major blood loss and loss of life. I was and still am surprised by his response. I spoke to other elders about it and they either had no idea what an ectopic pregnancy was or if they did they told me it's one of those things where it's acceptable. I didn't find ANYTHING talking about ectopic pregnancies in the Watchtower articles. Has anyone here had an ectopic pregnancy? What did the elders say?

2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [1 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [2 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [3 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [4 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [5 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [6 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [7 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [8 of 9] 2016 Hong Kong Branch Meeting [9 of 9] Enjoy!

Ex Vatican diplomat found guilty of possessing child pornography reuters.com/articl...

Today, I learned that the elders are directing publishers who do cart witnesses to print out the new child abuse policy printout on the website. The instructions are to not say anything, don’t argue, just hand the paper and stay silent.

The uproar needs to get louder on BOTH sides. If JW parents want to live in an unloving world of shunning and "holier than thou" judgementalism... then they need to experience the fruitage of thier works. There will be more and more conventions of gray haired seniors with no family to take care of them or even grandchildren that will remember them. Their fault. p.s. - We are already seeing the drying up of Watchtower funds, selling of thier KH's and branches for $ and the lack of baptismal candidates in most of the world.

If your parents shun you.... PLEASE, PLEASE also force a no contact policy between your JW parents and their grandchildren. This is the ONLY way for them to understand that disrespecting you is not allowed and so they can also experience how hurtful their behavior is. Have any of you already done this? I think they often forget the "Stop Judging LEST THEE BE JUDGED" commandment. Especially the latter part.

You mean this?

2016 Hong Kong Branch Dedication Special Meeting

How do we know this group is against public services and against state employees? Here is it in their own words: