Watchtower take legal action against site that quotes their Quotes!
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania have initiated legal proceedings against Peter Mosier, who has been displaying “Quotes” from the Jehovah’s Witnesses publication on his website. The law suit seeks a reported $100,000 in damages and a court order to silence the website.
The WatchTower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania have initiated legal proceedings against Peter Mosier, who has been displaying “Quotes” from the Jehovah’s Witnesses publication on his website.
Peter Mosier’s site http://quotes.watchtower.ca has used excerpts from the WatchTower’s own religious literature, which has been printed and distributed free of charge for many years.
The law suit seeks a reported $100,000 in damages and a court order to silence the website.
The site in question carries a notice (in red) that states: “This research and information web site is devoted to collecting and preserving interesting and/or significant quotes from the publications of the Watch Tower Society, without additional commentary or editorial, for the purpose of scholarship and research. The quotes are accurate and verifiable, however this web site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by Watch Tower Society.”
We understand that Peter Mosier is a former Jehovah’s Witness.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are often considered a “cult” by many and it is not unusual to see former Jehovah’s Witnesses speaking out against this organization. It is true that they have many traditions and rules that most find strange, and in some cases unacceptable.
Our other site (Profindpages) has written a number of articles on Jehovah’s Witnesses, in particular their ban in Moscow. Covering this topic has brought us into close contact with many of its followers and we have to say that we find most of them very nice people.
However, the objections that most people have of this organization is not so much of the people that support it, but the people that run it (The Watchtower). They have been criticized for putting profit at the top of their list of priorities and there is no question that the company does indeed make a lot of money.
Is Peter Mosier just quoting quotes? Yes and No. The quotes he uses are genuine extracts from quotations found in the Watchtower’s literature, but of course he is selecting the quotes that he feels are the most interesting from his point of view.
Some of the quotations used go way back and a few have been taken from books that are no longer being printed.
One could say that Peter Mosier is “manipulating” the Watchtowers own information, but why are they so “embarrassed”, or perhaps afraid, of having these quotations published? Are the “words” of the past no longer the words of today?
The Watchtower has been accused many times of “changes” in its history and you have to wonder what other areas might be wrong and in need of change?
Many of the rules (for want of a better word) in the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization are quite good. They are against wars and follow many morally correct beliefs. Whilst there are a few “bad apples” in the faith, this is true of many other religions as well.
We tend to agree with many others that the strongest problems Jehovah’s Witnesses face is often created by their own leaders. Whilst no one expects them to change their basic beliefs, there are many areas that could be “updated” to better fit in with an ever changing world. The objections that many have to this religion are usually caused by a lack of understanding of the faith and the people who follow it.
This image could be improved if the organization was perhaps run more like a religion and less like a business? If the Watchtower are “embarrassed” about quotes from their own literature being published (in whatever form), perhaps there is something wrong with the quotations in the first place? No one is perfect in this world (certainly not humans) and there is no disgrace in admitting to errors. Surely, Jehovah’s Witnesses will not think less of the Watchtower if they accept that some older literature was less than correct and change it, some would probably see this as an act of strength not weakness. Do they think the organization will crumble if they admit to being human?
Perhaps the best option would be to correct the areas that create criticism, rather than try to gag those that are critical. This tactic is not so different to the way the Soviet Union was run. Censoring people’s views usually indicates there is something to hide!
Our article is not meant as an attack on those that belong to this faith, but we are concerned that the large number of decent, honest and trusting members involved are given the respect they have earnt with their loyalty.
Hey Jones,
If you like I can send you some pics of my last fishing
trip with my kids taken last July, winter here for us but still pretty good. Pity my children do not live with me, but with their mom, my ex in Holland. I only get to see them once a year for 8 weeks, not too bad if you consider most Dad’s get to see their kids only every other weekend.
My mail address is in the paragraph below, see if you can figure it out, send a mail to me and I will send the pics. It’s similar to a mad fold in, only fold the page so only the first letters can be read. I have this sneaky feeling you will kind of enjoy figuring this out.
many people feel the need to
love jesus, I have tried, but I am now very
decisive in my views and I
echo them on this site,
and it may be
candidly outrageous or
silly, however I think giving to the poor
@ every opportunity makes me less
wayward in my beliefs,
i though still stand fast in my
resolve and will only
echo my cause to prevent so many people wasting their
lives and thus I say to
each and every one how
sad I feel for I am and so
sorry for them….
……. What more can I say, I
cannot think of anything more to convince anyone,
or what to do. It’s almost like talking………
…. with gaps or to a
zulu savage, but the
amazing thing is they are certainly not savages.
The intellectual property in question dates back, in many cases, before 1900. The copyright has likely gone out of date on these, and the publications should have gone into the public domain. This might be a valid objection for a for-profit book, but for a piece that is supposed to be for worldwide distribution, this is going a bit far. Back when the publications were new, they were in fact trying to place as many as possible. And they are supposed to be doing this on a non-profit basis. The fact that they reprint things means nothing if the originals are still in circulation and contradict the reprints. The last I knew, copyrights go out of date 70 years after the original author dies (at least with music). If Russell died in 1916, the copyright should have gone out of date in 1986. It is now 2006, and this means that any original piece that Russell has done should be on the public domain. Reprints that contradict that should be classified as new original works and subject to a separate copyright.
Another thing is that copyrights are supposed to prevent people from usurping the value from someone else’s original work. If I publish a commercial work and someone else then posts it on the Internet while my copyright is still in place, and my work is still commercially active, the other person is stealing (like someone putting a hot new LP on LimeWire the day after release, and then spreading it without the due artist getting due compensation for it.) But, if someone copyrights a work and then sits on it, this is merely an attempt to kill that work. That was not the original purpose for the copyright act. In this case, looking up the original articles on other sites is no worse than when I download a rare original version of some disco classic from LiimeWire when the versions that are currently available are all corrupt or tampered with. And when this is done in an attempt to prevent truth seekers from finding the real truth that they are entitled to, and need before commiting to the organization, this is downright dishonest. And that’s what the Watchtower Society is doing–not just protecting a profitable product from usurpation, but trying to keep people coming in under false pretenses. This needs to stop. I hope that any jurors going in to try such cases see that the Watchtower Society is merely trying to keep people from finding out the real facts and finds the Web sites not liable on infringement.
Not only deaths, but disability. Children who are raised in this cult are discouraged from doing their best in school. They have to put so much time in service that they have little or none for school work. They also have meetings that can extend to past 10:00 PM on school nights. They are expected to sit still and quietly for hours at a time, and many get spanked for not doing so every meeting. This is not good for childreh–they NEED to play, explore, and learn in order to develop properly. Plus many are molested (see http://www.silentlambs.org if you don’t believe me). To me, this steals the value of their lives. And there are the ones who die from the blood issue or who are murdered, or killed in accidents while out in service.
True, they do put out reprints on CD-ROMs. They also have reprinted volumes of many books and articles. There is one major problem with reprints: This gives them an opportunity to tamper with the originals. Key words are altered to fit in with the “new light”, and whole paragraphs are often rewritten to fit new doctrine. In this way, they dishonestly obliterate the original doctrine while providing the illusion of the new doctrine’s always having been. If you don’t believe me, I invite you to look at http://www.watchthetower.com for some specific examples of where doctrine has been altered.
This reminds me of what sometimes happens in movie and music reissues. Occasionally a movie is doctored up to spice it up. Songs are occasionally remixed or shortened, and the original version is lost, when remastered from vinyl to CDs. However, something that people are supposed to live by, that is tampered with in a dishonest way, is far worse than entertainment that is tampered with for profit or due to laziness or a bad source tape. The Watchtower Society’s “reprints” do tamper with key passages, and the quotes site tried to reveal the actual originals. That’s why the Society silenced them–because the untouched originals embarrassed them when compared to the reprints. I only hope that the originals get published once the original copyrights expire and the works get placed on the public domain. Then someone can research the 1799 date out of accurate originals and then compare them with still-copyrighted reprints with a much later date.
Could you please take your elementary & infantile intelligence somewhere else? God may well see those with less than Christ like compassion as wrong, however what do you think he thinks of the Watchtower Society?
Everything you just stated here (what I can undertsnad that is) should be applied to yourself first before hypocritically forcing it on anyone else.
Make an informed decision? You really mean that the JW way is the only way right? So despite their history of false prophecy (in fact how about name one prediction they stated that came true???), protecting of pedophiles and their own bloodguilty image, involvement with the U.N. as a NGO, outright lying & dishonesty & ridiculously conceived doctrinal foundations (even the use of spiritualism, occult & pyramids) you wish to propose this on people like it’s the truth? Where is the truth in this?
I am not sure about any claim regarding destroying of older articles, however the Watchtower is stupid enough to leave old articles in place that easily reveal their long history of false prophecy.
Nope sorry, you can NOT spell and the grammer also sucks big time. If the early bible scribes could take down recorded history without mistakes, maybe all the religious factions would not be killing each other.
Listen here bozo, stop trying to intimidate us. We are not scared. That tactic only works with uneducated people such yourself. Go read your bible instead of wasting your time in here by trying to covert us.
go back dont listen to these people satan wants that he spreads lies on the net like that. we do not destroy or wt’s we place them @not @homes and we have them on DVD and hardbound copies. these are lies to deter us dont listen and the rest of yu liers and apostates and ex wanna be’s ought to be ashamed but if you arent thats fine because Jehovah is yet he still loves you. you leave him because of worldly thoughts, desires and ideas or conflicts. Maybe you never sounded it down into your hearts because if you had you would have solved your differences, accepted your discipline and never left him as some apostles did Jesus. Jehovah will never leave you he is still giving you a chance. Do YOU DESERVE IT? That is between you and him.
for peoples info witnesses and the bible do not say its ok to have blood transwfusions or accept any blood product. there is other options we do use.
This sister was smart enough to think for herself and find the truth. She has a good heart to want to help people like you. You are the one who does satans bidding, your his mouthpeice and you are mean. who is the smart one now. BY THE WAY I TOO CAN SPELL.
EXCUSE ME I can spell so READ THIS you who judge and characterize and put down, YOU ARE THE DECEIVED AND BLINDED. It takes little intelligence to belittle someone. You are no different then a highschool, no ELEMENTARY school bullie. If you dont like what we say dont listen but dont slander people just to make yourself feel big and righteous. Jehovah doesn’t care if we can spell he cares about our good heart. we devote our time and our love to people like you by giving and by informing. If you don’t want it fine. God sees those who bully and slander and knows they do not have good hearts. It is by excercising faith not by spelling so go read your bible and leave my sisters and brothers alone. P>S> the bible warned us we would be ridiculed for his name sake and that is what you sir are doing.
you are an apostate and for those taht read this know that some people in the congregations even elders can be bad but the info is accurate and if you actually study this and dont listen to those who have a grudge or have been disfellowshipped spurring their lies about you would see the truth. make an informed decision dont always beleive what you here in any thing especially something so important as this. dont get your info from the internet invite them in your home and talk to them. most wittnesses avoid sights like this because of people like this person who spread lies. Me I want you readers to know that you can think for yourselves. We dont follow leaders not even the watchtower branch only Jehovah. We encourage you to look up and verify all your info with independent sources and we teach you how. we freely give out boks, we do all our own work on our buildings, we dont pass a collection plate, our elders and all of us donate our services none of us are paid and we help feed and house people, wittnesses and non wittnesses in tragedies such as Katrina. Go there ask people and see for your self. the watchtower doesnt make mass money. as for all rumors on these sights and truths such as things changing dont judge ask a wittness to explain it. this man threw his life with jehovah away and will be blood guilty for followers of his slander but you dont have to listen. Trust yourself, think and research what the bible says and what the wittnesses say and most of them that practice it. dont listen to those whom say were wittnesses, maybe they never were and maybe they did something wrong and were disciplined for it and got angry and spread lies. p.s. if any person has ever been a sex offender they can NEVER hold a possition of authority or privelages in the congregation. you fellow should go and apologize to all these people and to Jehovah and the society. UNTIL THEN I PRAY NO ONE EVER LISTENS TO YOU!!!!!!!!!
no we do not destroy old articles, we distribute them as well as have them in bound volumes going way back for our personal use.
The evidence is already out there. Wouldn’t it be better for the WTS to admit and apologise for their mistakes. What principal do they follow? Why do they continue to deny and cover up? Wouldn’t owning up to the truth about their past and present errors make them more trustworthy witnesses of Jehovah. The early WT literature proofs that the WTS LIES about its own setting of dates and false prophesies. Who really is their father?
Tony
They are trying not to bring reproach on gods name. they are good honest people, hard working, people. Like any normal person you wouldnt want your name or your family name to be unjustly wronged because something you did in the past. Well in their case the watchtower society does not want their fathers name Jehovah wronged because the mistakes from the past.
The light indeed gets brighter but it never changes. No flip flopping.
I would just like to add that if it’s not God that they hear it is most likely satan.
What did God say about false prophets? It’s vert clear that the J.W.’S are not the voice of God.
They are not attaching God only those men who use mine control to keep the rank and file from finding out the truth. If you read the Bible, without the Watchtower telling what to read, you would see the Truth for yourself.
Assumption is the mother of all screw-ups. Blueman, please don’t assume that so-called attacks mean this religion is sacred, far from it. Many have different ways of responding to comments that are so narrow-minded & naive.
It’s so easy to think that just ex-JW’s are the spiteful ones, etc. The truth in my family is that I am the only free & happy one (because I left), they are all penniless, hardly ever smile, suffer from anxiety & mental health problems to name a few. Is this the life I want, I think not.
I saw your interest in joining the religion, that is good, notice how you were attacked for your decision?Can you see the love these people have? true christains huh? not!!! i wish you well in serching for the true God, remember satan is good as a false light like these people putting down JWS.most are ex JWS because of doing something wrong so they attack Gods people.
Please see “Doctrine & Changes” and you will understand why it is so difficult to get early WT publications.
You will see why the WTS doesn’t want you to study the early books by Russell & Rutherford.
Research the old publications and see the evidence.
Bit Bizaar isnt it? Dera, your saying that they are asking to destroy all there old issues when it is quite simply untrue. They publish a CD-Rom with dates issues back atleast 40 years… Funny…
To Roseann Mattioli (Comment ID: 17715) you have my blessing to join their religion. I can see you are a follower and that is what that type of religion is good for, followers not leaders!
Obviously, you are one of those people with a brain in slow mode therefore join in and let them tell you what to do. Be another puppet and let them pull the strings.
Thanks to your article, I will be seeking to join their religion. It seems like, a few loosers are acting very spiteful toward Jehovah Witnesses. They better take a good look at themselves. It is not very attractive or becoming to be so hateful.
Good for them.
Sorry, you web page does not work. Whats wrong you did not like the response.
Roseann
Since JW’s God is the Watchtower, they will always foolishly hand their money over to them.
Not true ! The Churches don’t make you give anything. You give what you want and if you don’t want or are able too that’s okay.
Peter Mosier is acused of manipulating Watchtower info. which is exactly what the Watchtower does in order to justify their views.
I would not call the organization “good ” when they mislead so many good people who if they don’t wake up will find themselves in gehenna where they have assigned the rest of the world. They hold these people in the organization thru fear.
Shame on the WTBTS for being ashamed of their own published words. The “firm and determined” and “undaunted” Governing Body has blinked or flinched, as it were, in this neverending “time of the end”. This silly lawsuit only shows that they are supressors of the truth, and not proclaimers of it.
Corvin
Good point, here is a list of misquotes:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7831/booklet1.html
With regard to Skeeter’s comment on “fair use” and “free speech” laws, why isn’t someone suing Watchtower for the many misquotes that change the whole meaning in their ’should you believe in the trinity’ book? For example, According to this watchtower publication:
“Clement of Alexandria, who died about 215 C.E., called Jesus in his prehuman existence “a creature” but called God “the uncreated and imperishable and only true God.” He said that the Son “is next to the only omnipotent Father” but not equal to him.
These are ACTUAL quotes from Clement of Alexandria:
“There was then, a Word importing an unbeginning eternity; as also the Word itself, that is, the Son of God, who being, by equality of substance, one with the Father, is eternal and uncreated.” (Clement, Fragments, Part I, section III, 190 AD)
“I understand nothing else than the Holy Trinity to be meant; for the third is the Holy Spirit, and the Son is the second, by whom all things were made according to the will of the Father.” (Clement, Stromata, Book V, ch. 14)
Another ‘innocent’ Watchtower mistake? This book if full of them…….. Research the quotes (if you have the Freedom to do so) dont just accept them for face value, watchtower has a long history of mistakes.
Is the sky blues on the planet you live on? Do you not see all of the problems with the WTS? And still you try to protect such an unclean false prophet?
if you had intellectual property that was protected under copyright law, you would be wise to prevent others from using the same without permission too. Dont make this out to be anything more that what anyone would do to protect his/her rights!
The cult is to blame for the death of children. The Jehovah’s Witnesses cult uses mind controol and steals lives. We must spreat the word far and wide!
To Dina, post 1500 and 1501—–
Yep, you are one of the Jehovah’s witnesses, no question about it! One only has to read your posts with lots of mistakes to figure out you are a witness. It is like a curse, none of you can spell.
You cannot even spell the word witness, and you claim to be one of them?
Than you go on to talk about “paradice”. Gee, I looked the word in the dictionary and could not find it. Please tell me the kingdom hall just had new light last week and you people invent another word (paradice). What does the word “paradice” mean? Can you tell me please?
I hope you are not “supresed” with my post. Again, whatever the word “supresed” may be.
I am one of Jehovah’s Wittness and I think you should think about it alot more do you remember what they even said about them. YOU ARE THE ONE BEING BLINDED BY SATAN WRIGHT NOW. I hope the best for you to be in the truth and to be in the paradice forever, ands I bet you would love that.
Hello,Well I am one of Jehovah’s Wittness and I am very supresed that you say what you say but you are very wrong about wittness they are good people I bet that they can prove you wrong.
Hi:
Just like I was, I thought ” the truth ” was indeed the truth and that Jehovah’s Witnesses were the only true religion upon the earth. But after I left Jehovah’s Witnesses, I now know that I was blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4).
Claire, let’s be nice to jean. She could be in fact a scientist. Kingdomhallish scientist that is.
Apparently any window washer, trucker driver, janitor, street sweeper at the kingdom hall of Jehovah’s witnesses is a counselor or a kindomhallish scientist. LOL
If you’re a scientist, I think you’d better get some grammar and spelling lessons. As if you’ve been through years of school! LOL
I’m very sad that that site is closed. It is a wonderful site.
birdie
To, Cris L:–The site in question (quotes. Watchtower.ca) carries a notice (in red) that states: “This research and information web site is devoted to collecting and preserving interesting and/or significant quotes from the publications of the Watch Tower Society, without additional commentary or editorial, for the purpose of scholarship and research. The quotes are accurate and verifiable, however this web site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by Watch Tower Society.”
The quotes used are genuine extracts from quotations found in the Watchtower”’’s literature. Why than are they so “embarrassed”, or perhaps afraid, of having these quotations published? Are the “words” of the past no longer the words of today?
The Watchtower has been accused many times of “changes” in its history and you have to wonder what other areas might be wrong and in need of change?
One must agree with many others that the strongest problems Jehovah’s Witnesses face is often created by their own leaders. Whilst no one expects them to change their basic beliefs, there are many areas that could be “updated” to better fit in with an ever-changing world!
This image could be improved if the organization was perhaps run more like a religion and less like a business? If the Watchtower is “embarrassed” about quotes from their own literature being published (in whatever form), perhaps there is something wrong with the quotations in the first place? No one is perfect in this world (certainly not humans) and there is no disgrace in admitting to errors. Surely, Jehovah’s Witnesses will not think less of the Watchtower if they accept that some older literature was less than correct and change it, some would probably see this as an act of strength not weakness. However than, they would have to admit that they have been getting the information from the wrong channel, apparently not from Jehovah as claimed. Do they think the organization will crumble if people find out they are not the true religion??? Food for thought!
Quotes will never go out of business, I have placed many quotes on this website. So far far they have not sued me. They wont even come to my door, my dog bites and they found it the hard way. Apparently they could not see the sign (be aware of the dog, not trespassing). I have it all on camera.-
It’s seems “Quotes” lost the battle.
What happen to Quotes website?
http://quotes.watchtower.ca/
Quote of the day.
“Quote website is shutdown”
To: FYI
Calm down buddy.
To: FYI
Who said there’s anything wrong with quoting the WT?
To Teddy V.—-What is so wrong about quoting the WT? If you are embarrassed of what you said keep your mouth shut and we wont quote you.
Now, as long as you (WT) will come up with false prophesies someone will be there to quote you.
Have you ever heard: “the truth will set you free?”