The Watchtower has threatened an Irish ex-Jehovah’s Witness with monetary damages and “compensation to the fullest extent of the law” in their attempts to have a website he founded taken down. The problem is that Jason Wynne, the original owner and creator of the website and the focus of their lawsuit, seems to be the wrong target. He no longer has any control over the website.
Wynne has been threatened with demands for monetary damages and compensation by the Watchtower Society through a New York court even though he lives in Ireland and no longer controls the website. The site is not being served from either the USA or Ireland.
This has become the classic case of the Watchtower trying to use the courts and threats of financial ruin against those who successfully expose their abuse of their own members, former members, and some non-Witness critics.
Wynne was a Jehovah’s Witness but was disfellowshipped for “having sex outside of marriage.” While he was trying to be reinstated as a Jehovah’s Witness, he discovered that the Watchtower was “using secret policies that the organization did not disclose to its ordinary members.”
Wynne describes his being somewhat ignorant of all the rules and secret policies being practiced by the leaders of the Watchtower religion. Those rules resulted in his being shut out from any involvement with the religion, the loss of friends and family members, and damage to his personal reputation.
While Wynne was hoping to be readmitted, he set up the blog to point out and describe some of the Watchtower’s secret policies. Other JWs provided him with updated policy letters and informed him of the ongoing court cases and investigations of the Watchtower because of unchanging and damaging policies that protected sexual and child abusers. The website, AvoidJW, began hosting secret documents and personal stories of those who had suffered the loss of their families and friends due to the Watchtower’s shunning policies and protection of child abusers within the organization.
The problem that both he and the Watchtower face is that he has no control over the site at all any longer. He has had no recent involvement with the site and no ownership of the site or its servers. His position is that he has neither the funds or the control over the website to make any changes to satisfy the Watchtower. He also stated that his main reason for passing the website on to others was because he did not have the time or funds to make any decisions to support or maintain the site.
He mentioned that a lot of the damning “secret documents” that he published or described on the original website came from other active or former JWs who tried to keep him up-to-date on all of the recent changes and current policies within the Watchtower. It just got too big for him to handle.
Surprisingly, Wynne describes the current owners and writers of the website were “current Jehovah’s Witnesses” and the website is not located in either the United States or Ireland. The site provides documents and data to journalists, lawyers, and law enforcement contacts in North America, Great Britain and Europe. It has provided documents and other data to support child and sexual abuse cases that would ordinarily not be available from the Watchtower Society. Those services have been helpful for several court cases and inquiries involving child sexual abuse and other Watchtower policies.
News Article/Primary Source Material: Barry J. Whyte / Photo Credit: Michael Dillon
Link to Original News Article – https://www.businesspost.ie/news/jehovahs-witnesses-granted-subpoena-irish-blogger-412638
Butch
I have been associated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses most of my life. My Aunt and Uncle were baptised in 1943. They both served faithfully until death a few years ago. My wife and I were baptised in 1973. Due to extremely horrifying mistreatment by the elders in one particular Congregation… we went inactive for over 20 years.
As a result of unfair leadership of the JWs …I began travelling in the engineering field and as a result… associated with about 2 dozen Congregation.
Well ended up back here again. To make a long story short… became Very active again for over three years. Then…”same old stuff” began all over again. I ended up on “HEAVY ANXIETY MEDS” and visits to the ER half a dozen times… twice… so bad I was “shaking the Gurney!!”
Anyhow… this is a very long and complicated story… thought about writing a book Lol Jehovah’s Witnesses are really good people… and do really preach “truth” But…that said… that leadership… clear to the top “DISAPPOINTING!!” Something needs to be done!! My research has revealed 1,000s in the same boat… increasing numbers resorting … “SADLY to SUICIDE!!” More research reveals that Jehovah’s Witnesses are going out the back doors just as fast as they’re coming in the front!!! Especially those youth!!
Thanks to my warm family… and my primary doctor… I have been off those “those heavy ANXIETY drugs!!” Almost a year now!! Believe me… that’s NOT EASY!! If I hadn’t stopped my association… that probably would not have been achievable??
Since… I’ve been thinking about forming a group to try and help others with that help… prayerfully going global… just don’t know how to do that…
Perhaps… someone can help!!
I will share my “Full story” with anyone that’s interested in “helping to help other”
Thanks
Butch