Judge Sentences Jehovah's Witness Rapist

Young girls' rapist jailed
By Steve Wright
A Jehovah's Witness, who raped two young girls and sexually assaulted another, has been jailed for ten years.
Patrick Nolan, 61, was told by a judge at Bradford Crown Court: "This was an appalling act of self-gratification."
Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC added: "I have to deal with you for the most serious offence a man can commit, short of homicide. Society would be outraged if I didn't pass upon you a sentence measured in years."
Nolan pleaded guilty to four charges of rape and one of indecent assault, committed on three different girls between 1983 and 1991.
Prosecutor Simon Kealey said that Irishman Nolan committed the offences while he was living in the Skipton area, before returning to Ireland, from where he was extradited late last year.
Mr Kealey said Nolan touched the breasts of his first victim when she was aged 14 or 15. She was upset and shocked but was too frightened to say anything about what had happened.
His second victim was aged ten or 11 when he raped her on three occasions.
His final victim was only nine when he raped her as she cried and told him to stop, to no avail. Nolan made her promise to say nothing about it.
The complainants plucked up the courage to tell police in 2001-2002.
James Keeley, mitigating, said Nolan, of Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, was an illegitimate child who had been brought up by his grandparents.
Mr Keeley said that while growing up Nolan suffered unwanted sexual advances from a Catholic priest and a neighbour and was regularly beaten by his schoolteachers. He left Ireland in the late 60s and found work on a farm in the Skipton area.
Mr Keeley said his client had no previous convictions, had pleaded guilty at the first practical opportunity and was in poor health.
He added: "He is a Jehovah's Witness by faith and that has provided him with strength throughout the years."
Judge Durham Hall told Nolan he was a drunken, violent man who had committed very grave offences.
He described the rapes of the second girl as callous and said Nolan had forced himself on the nine-year-old, causing her significant terror and pain. "She was crying throughout the incident and begging you to stop."
He imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, preventing direct contact with children.

June 15, 2008 Watchtower

The latest “JW only” Watchtower (June 15th) supports what I perceive to be an increasing trend on obeying the FDS & stressing the publications, instead of the importance of Jehovah and the Bible:
Things From Which we Must Free
Par 11: “True Christians … have an obligation to warn members of Babylon the Great. One way they do this is by distributing bibles & related literature published by the FDS.” My comments: This phrase is being using all the more instead of “preaching the good news”. It strips down the activity to the essential task - that of placing more literature.
Qualities We Must Pursue
Par 10: After quoting Rom 10:17 - “To attain & maintain strong faith , a Christian must keep mediating on the precious truths found in God’s word. The FDS has provided many fine publications. Three exceptional books are The Greatest Man who ever lived , Learn from the Great Teacher & Come be my follower.” …The Slave class also arranges for meetings , assemblies & conventions.” WTS puts its own publications on a par with the bible.
Par 16: “We must retain God’s word, keeping it alive in our hearts & minds. The NWT - an accurate , easy-to-read translation, available in more & more languages has made it convenient & possible to do so.” Was this not possible before the NWT? Notice the emphasis on the WTS “house” bible.
Accept Jehovah’s Authority
Ironically the article describes congregation elders as imperfect and fallible but neglects to state the same about the FDS.

-2008-2009 "Guided By God's Spirit" District Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses

Friday
“The Spirit Will Guide You Into All the Truth” – John 16:13
AM
Why Be Guided By God’s Spirit?
Holy Spirit At Work in CreationSymposium:
Faithful Ones of Old Guided By God’s Spirit
In Moses Time
In the Days of the Judges
In the First Century
Keynote Address: Holy Spirit’s Role in the Outworking of Jehovah’s Purpose
PM
Answers to Questions About Holy Spirit
The Spirit Searches Into the Deep Things of God
Become Hearers and Doers of God’s Word
Symposium: Young People Walk By Holy Spirit
At School
At Work
In the Family
In the Congregation
During Social Activities
When Alone
(Conclusion – A convention highlight that will provide practical guidance to help them do so.)Young People – Safeguard Your Relationship With Jehovah

Saturday
“Sowing With A View To the Spirit” – Galatians 6:8
AM
Symposium: Directed By God’s Spirit In Our Ministry
Dedication and Baptism
PM
Bible Writers Bourne Along By Holy Spirit
Symposium: Empowered By Holy Spirit
To Fight Temptation
To Cope With Tiredness and Discouragement
To Withstand Persecution
To Resist Harmful Peer Pressure
To Endure Adversity
(Conclusion – Another convention highlight…)
Keep Yourselves In God’s Love

Sunday
“Keep Walking By Spirit” – Galatians 5:16AM
Symposium:
Cultivate the Fruitage of the Spirit(9 Parts - Discusses each aspect of the sprit’s fruitage mentioned at Galatians 5:22, 23)
Public Talk: Reap Blessings Through Jehovah’s Spirit Guided King
PM
Drama:
Do Not Leave the Love You Had At First (Depicts attitudes and situations that likely existed at the end of the 1st century as the great apostasy was setting in.)
Conclusion:
Loyally Serving With Jehovah’s Spirit Directed Organization

(Ha... this is the talk to keep the brothers faithful and loyal to an organization. They use Jehovah's name, but Jehovah has nothing to do with it! We as christianss are admonished to put faith in Christ. Not in an organization.)

Was Joseph Franklin Rutherford a drunkard?

There are court documents -- testimony and exhibits that bear on this matter in the Moyle v. Fred W. Franz, et al. case, docket # 15845, along with other material elsewhere, on the prominance of alcohol at Bethel and Rutherford's drinking habits.
These include:
1. WTB&TS lawyer Olin Moyle's original letter to Rutherford (dated 7/21/1939), Exhibit 4in the Moyle transcript, that claims that "under your [Rutherford's] tutelage there has grown up a glorification of alcohol and condemnation of total abstinence" at Bethel, mentioning several experiences he had at Bethel along these lines, that " 'One can't be a real Bethelite without drinking beer' ", and which said specifically to Rutherford: "You have publically labelled total abstainers as prudes and therefore must assume your share of responsibility for the Bacchus-like attitude exhibited by members of the family" (pp. 1736-1737).
2. The testimony of Olin Moyle, who related some of the things said by the boys in the elevator, "the boys would remark there, make allusions, wish they had a barrel of beer around, how nice it would be to have a barrel of beer" (p. 359), who described new Bethelites being broken into the habit of drinking beer (p. 359), who mentioned the frequent use of beer and "stronger stuff" by the factory staff in the evening (p. 360), and who related an incident in which an intoxicated factory worker rang an alarm bell late at night as a joke (pp. 361-362).
3. The testimony of Phoebe Moyle, who described seeing many empty liquor and whiskey bottles in the rooms at Bethel when she worked as a housekeeper (p. 1587), and who claimed to have been teased by brothers in the elevator saying that she couldn't take her liquor (p. 186).
Peter Moyle's letter, published in the December 1972 United Israel Bulletin, that "it has also been known, albeit carefully 'covered', that Rutherford liked his women and his whiskey" (cf. Horowitz 1986:65).
4. The letter by Candian branch overseer Walter Salter to Rutherford (dated 4/1/1937, and mentioned in the 5/5/1937 issue of the Golden Age) that declared that "I, at your orders, would purchase cases of whiskey at $60.00 a case, and cases of brandy and other liquors, to say nothing of untold cases of beer. A bottle or two of liquor would not do; it was for THE PRESIDENT and nothing was too good for THE PRESIDENT. He was heaven's favorite, why should not he have everything that would gratify his desire for comfort".
5. Jim Penton reported a number of accounts by those who knew Rutherford, including an elderly woman in San Diego who "sold him great quantities of liquor when he came to purchase medicines in her husband's drugstore", and former Bethelites who "recount tales of his inebriation and druken stupors" (Penton 1997:72-73). He also mentions an interview he conducted in April 1972 with Frank Wainright, late Secretary-Treasurer of the IBSA of Canada, wherein Wainright reported the illegal importation of liquor from the Canadian branch office to Bethel during Prohibition.
6. Edmond C. Gruss similarly interviewed a former Bethelite (Informant #1 in Gruss 2003) who reported that "old timers say his [Rutherford's] drinking was covered up, to the degree possible, by associates Frederick W. Franz and Nathan H. Knorr," and who specially mentioned A. H. Macmillan as telling his father that Beth Sarim was built "for no purpose other than to get the drunken and declining Rutherford out of Brooklyn".
Rutherford also had an obsessive interest in Prohibition, which received much attention in his talks and writings, including a booklet on the subject published in 1930 entitled Prohibition and League of Nations -- Born of God or the Devil, Which?

Watchtower, April 15, 2008

In the article , "Repudiate Ungodly Things" it immediately puts down having too much time spent on "fun" things at the expense of "activities connected with our worship," saying, "relaxation becomes a valueless thing, adversely affecting our spiritual well-being." Where do they come off telling people not to relax? No wonder witnesses are so uptight!

Then more stupid comments on money and education! About money, "Similarly, money has it's place. We need it to survive and we can use it well in Jehovah's service. But if we place the pursuit of money ahead of our christian service, money becomes, in effect a god to us." I see, so if we can't buy food or pay our rent, and we go to work instead of field service, money is our God. Incredible!

About education: "What though of higher education received in a college or a university? Many who pursue such education end up with their minds filled with harmful propaganda. Such education wastes valuable youthful years that could best be used in Jehovah's service. "Oh! Jesus Christ, give me a frigging break - as if going in service all the time as a youth and not going to college isn't a total waste of time! Everybody needs an education! It's absolutely disgusting that they tell people not to go to college.

The final kicker in this article making me want to "hurl" was warning the witnesses to dismiss any critical words against the organization! Notice this: "If any statements come to our ears that are critical of the truth or that cast aspersions on the congregation, the elders, or any of our brothers we do not accept them at face value. Rather we ask: "Is the one spreading this story acting in harmony with what the Bible says? Do these stories or allegations further Jehovah's purpose ? Do they promote the peace of the congregation? " Anything we hear that tears down the brotherhood, rather than builds it up, is a worthless thing. "Does this sound like damage control to you folks? They are really trying to insulate their rank and file members from bad media publicity involving child abuse scandals, blood transfusion scandals, etc.! Telling them that ANYTHING that is said against the Watchtower society, its members and leaders, even though it might betrue, is negative, and should be dismissed from thought! Stepford Wives Syndrome!

Note that they did not say that we should research these apostate sayings to see that they are true. No, we are just supposed to ignore them and go off pretending that everything is okay. This is how the Nazis, Jim Jones and other flaky organizations came into power, because the people refused to recognize anything bad about the leaders. Sadly, most Jehovah's Witnesses are right up there with the worst of them. They cover their ears and run away when they are confronted with the least negativity of the religion. It's just plain sick.

Letters to Body of Elders dated March 1, 2008 Regarding Congregation Finances

Even though the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society owns billions of dollars in real estate, they still solicit money from even the poorest congregations.

Here are excerpts from the letter:
"For an number of years, an arrangement has been available to congregations to place funds on deposit with the branch office. However, a recent analysis shows that only 10 percent of congregations in the United States are taking advantage of this provision."

"...At best though, each congregation acting on its own will only achieve a limited return on its excess funds. Therefore, we are encouraging all congregations to give serious thought to participating in the funds-on-deposit arrangement with the branch office."

"There are significant advantags to participating in this arrangement. First of all, each congregation would only need to operate one checking account for its monthly financial activity. Congregations would not have worry about opening savings or other accounts and becoming involved in investment decisions. Second, by consolidating funds, the branch office is able to earn additional interest at rates above what a congregation normally earns by acting on its own. The funds earned by the branch office would then be available for use in building Kingdom Halls in lands with limited resources or for covering other necessary operating expenses. All of this is accomplished by making full use of funds that have already been contributed but now may be idle, earning little or no interest."
(details follow on how to set this up electronically, via www.jw.org)

A couple of pages of Q&A follow.

Of most interest is no. 2:
"Question 2: If we currently have a checking account for our monthly expenses and a savings account for our excess funds, do we have to close the savings account and send those funds to the branch office? What if we prefer to keep the interest for local congregation needs?"

"Answer: You are to be commended for making wise use of funds dedicated for Kingdom interests. While we leave the decsion to the local body of elders, we encourage all to look beyond local circumstances. There are congregations in other lands where greater material needs than we have here inthe United States. By applying the Scriptural principle found at 2 Corinthinas 8:8-15, we hope to achieve an equalizing for the entire brotherhood. At best, a local congregation will only be able to earn interest at the local rate. The branch office has access to higher rates of interest because of volume and pricing, and by consolidating any excess funds into the funds-on-deposit arrangement, more interest can be generated collectively to benefit the worldwide work."

So, what about "waiting on Jehovah"? Isn't that what Witnesses are taught? This is just another example of greed from a money hungry corporation. Now the organization even wants the interest money on congregation bank accounts.

Jehovah's Witnesses Elders Must Testify In Murrieta Milestation Case, Judge Rules

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, March 25, 2008
By TAMMY McCOYThe Press-Enterprise
Leaders of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation must reveal what a Murrieta man suspected of molesting two girls told them, despite their claims the conversation were protected by clergy confidentiality, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The congregation leaders must testify in the man's trial on child-molestation charges, said Riverside County Judge F. Paul Dickerson.
The defense attorney says he will appeal.
Experts say the ruling raises compelling legal questions.
"It is an interesting legal issue that does need to be clarified by the court," said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
She said an appeals court could decide if the law should extend beyond a traditional confession into this type of hearing.
California law protects statements made to clergy members who are required by their faith's practices to keep them secret.
In his ruling, Dickerson said testimony from Elder Andrew Sinay showed the Jehovah's Witnesses' judicial committee system is not designed to keep information confidential.
Dickerson said this was not a case where Gilbert Simental went to the elders seeking forgiveness or guidance.
"This was the opposite," he said. "It was more like a third-party investigation into immoral conduct."
In this case, the judge said, the elders' duty was to determine guilt and to protect the congregation, not to keep the communications under wraps.
"It's an investigative, fact-finding body without regard for confidentiality," he said. "This was a tribunal designed to protect the congregation."
Dickerson's ruling came in response to prosecutor Burke Strunsky's request to force the elders to testify. Jury selection is already under way in Simental's trial at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley.
"This case highlights the perils of interpreting this privilege in an overly broad fashion," Strunsky said.
Simental, 49, is charged with molesting two of his daughter's friends when they came to his home for sleepovers between July 2005 and July 2006, according to court papers. The girls are sisters who were 9 and 10 at the time, the records show.
The Press-Enterprise does not publish the names of minors who are believed to have been victims of sexual abuse.
After the ruling, defense attorney Miles Clark said he will appeal Dickerson's decision.
"My client relied on the elders to keep his statements confidential," Clark said.
Jehovah's Witnesses should not be treated differently from members of other faiths simply because their practices are different, he said.
Clark said Simental's statements to the judicial committee should be treated the way the statements a Roman Catholic makes to a priest in a confessional are.
During the hearing at the Southwest Justice Center, prosecutor Strunsky questioned Sinay about the congregation's practices and how information obtained during a judicial committee is handled.
Sinay said they share information obtained during judicial committee proceedings with the Jehovah's Witnesses office in New York and with committees that are called on in an appellate capacity.
Strunsky also questioned the parents of the two girls.
The girls' parents testified that after the children came to their mother with their allegations, she met with Sinay and Elder John Vaughn, who agreed they would inform the couple of the outcome of the inquiry.
The girls' mother testified that Sinay later told her that Simental had made a full confession.
While Sinay did not provide her with a verbatim confession, she said Sinay did tell her that Simental had confessed.
Clark asked whether Sinay ever said that Simental had confessed to molesting her daughters.
The woman said he did not use the word "molest" during their conversation.
The girls' father testified that during a meeting with Sinay, Vaughn and another elder, he was also told that Simental confessed during a judicial committee meeting.
The elders also told the father that Simental had never done this before and was no danger to the community, he said.
If convicted of all charges, Simental faces 45 years to life in prison.
Simental is charged with a similar allegation in another criminal case. That case is currently awaiting trial.
He is free on $1 million bail.
Staff writer Jessica Logan contributed to this report.
Reach Tammy McCoy at 951-375-3729 or tmccoy@PE.com
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