Hey JD, I quote your "translation"... but it reminded me that I'll have to translate that one too although the one you provided is quite good. Do you remember where you got it ?
Here is a typical example of misinformation by newspapers. The article is about the elderly being victims of sects for their money. "Surprisingly", the picture shown is of JWs during a convention... Problems may have arisen among the JWs because of dishonest individuals and the WT may be managed like a multinational company (which I'm the first to reprove) but that article is clearly a smear campaign. (...) Qui sont ces mouvements à caractère sectaire ? Pour Serge Blisko, le président de la Miviludes, il ne s'agit plus tant des grandes organisations que de "petits groupes centrés autour d'un individu qui impose sa loi aux 'adeptes'". (...) ----------------------------------------------------- THE ELDERLY, FAVORITE TARGETS OF SECTS (...) Who are those sectarian movements ? According to Serge Blisko, the president of the Miviludes, that's not the big organisations anymore but rather "small groups centered around one individual who dictates his will to the members". (...) Organisations that substitute for the family "Through door-to-door means, propositions, discussions, help to overcome solitude, distribution or sales of pseudo religious literature, those movements, mainly the Jehovah's Witnesses, are using pressuring methods in order to get into the elderly homes, sneak in their private lives and, in the long run, substitute for the relatives who thus become undesirable and end up cast-off", observes the report of the Miviludes. "Later follow attempts of dubious financial methods, squeezed out donations or legacies of more or less important amounts. However, the risks of abuses or of mistreatments are multiplied in health, social or medico-social establishments, like among the elderly living within a sectarian environment", adds again the report. "By 2040, France will have 7 millions of octogenarians, against 2,5 millions in 2011", is worrying Serge Blisko. "We must make sure that they are protected."
Well, the JWs aren't dogs and if their rights are trampled and flouted, it is normal that they may have the possibility to defend themselves. However, from what I've seen in person among my friends involved in money related issues and/or with other members of my congregation, when it comes to money related issues or business, some of the JWs are like others (some are even worse), they really get wild and forget all principles and qualms. If I ever had to hire someone, it'll never be a b/s and I'll never accept to be hired by a b/s either. Such situations are a nightmare because many people don't respect the limits between private life, religious activities and business rules. I've known brothers in the congregation and also at work and for a few cases, I was staggered by the difference. That's not because a brother is kind and seemingly spiritual that he's going to be great at work or that if he's a boss, that he won't be a bully or insult you or the other employees for not doing things the way he wants. Similarly, what if you hire a brother of your congregation and later have to fire him because he's not suitable or makes unacceptable mistakes ? The meetings, the relationships and the religious activities are going to be a real nightmare if the limits aren't properly kept... which is rarely the case. Edit : Example => Let's say that you are building your house and have hired an elder, a pioneer of your congregation, who's electrician. However, the brother is late in his yearly planning regarding the quota of hours that he must complete and then takes advantage that you're a brother in order to spend more time preaching than working so as to catch up with his quota of hours. What if the whole building is getting late because of him and that other building workers are waiting for him to finish his part in order to start theirs...? What if you complain ? From what moment onward will you start complaining ? I've seen similar situations or closely related ones sooooo often.... and it almost always ends up in a quarrel.
what this implies is a screaming accusation of what is being learned in the KH's .. by examples set there ...unfortunately communication is seriously hampered in many of these situations due to high emotional levels ..and the human tendency to justify ones own actions ..solutions are at best difficult in such situations . only once did I hire a brother to do some simple tile work ..from then on it was from the community who had to submit to laws of the community ..