Judge orders stay of Jehovah's Witnesses constitutional claim on privacy of records

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

14 hours ago, Matthew9969 said:

Speaking for myself, I don't care what info my previous congregation has on me, so I'm still a bit perplexed on why these former elders want what type of information is in there?

Well if Elders can become pedophiles then Elders can become 'spies' too. Information kept as paper copy in a filing cabinet could easily be used against a person. And if such information is passed from one congregation to another when a congregant moves congregations. Then the 'file' on that person becomes a life history and might actually be a completely distorted history too. As the example I used about myself, because I left the JW Org of my own choice, but an Elder told my wife, on the phone, that i had been disfellowshipped. So what information is actually on my 'file' that they hold about me ?  Have they put on record that I was disfellowshipped ?  It matters because if they have, then they are saying that I sinned and was unrepentant. That would be a direct lie, and that matters to me. 

When an Elder can tell such a lie to my own wife, then it shows the capability of such ones. It shows how they will  deliberately discredit someone. If they will do that verbally, will they also put it in writing on a persons records ? 

As has been said here many times, Elders are not perfect.  So possibly their intentions are not perfect either.  If a person leaves the Org the Elders may become bitter towards them and deliberately write misleading comments on their file. 

[Space Merchant]

On 9/29/2021 at 4:06 PM, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

So what information is actually on my 'file' that they hold about me ?  Have they put on record that I was disfellowshipped ?

Probably anything in relation to what led you into grounds of Excommunication, in turn, that information, and or data is stored and it shows everyone else in the community who holds some office in the church to know what led to your Excommunication in the first place. This is nothing of a surprise to how Religious institutions, which are connected, operate.

On 9/29/2021 at 4:06 PM, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

It matters because if they have, then they are saying that I sinned and was unrepentant. That would be a direct lie, and that matters to me. 

It could be a build up of things pertaining to you prior to Excommunication. Well the same can be said for everyone who's data is kept by majority of institutions, they have reasons to hold record and they are under a constitutional right to do so. If you want that to stop, they you'd have to give up your Freedom for Convenience, but that is a big sacrifice, mainly in the realm of government itself, granted, that is whom you have to take that up with. Gambling chips and cards with the Government is not worth it, we can already see that transpiring today.

On 9/29/2021 at 4:06 PM, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

As has been said here many times, Elders are not perfect. 

They aren't. But Grounds of Excommunication is seen differently by different people, be it they have experience or not, of which generation they come from also plays into that role, in your case, you were a JW a long time ago, what you did at the time, perhaps a different outcome today depending on which JW church you attend.

This is liken to the Smoking example I told you about a while back and the reaction of some within a Religious Institution.

On 9/29/2021 at 4:06 PM, Patiently waiting for Truth said:

So possibly their intentions are not perfect either.  If a person leaves the Org the Elders may become bitter towards them and deliberately write misleading comments on their file. 

Granted all of their elders in the church are different, I doubt church elders of old vs. others, even today have the same reaction.

That being said, since we are speaking about Data, and you saying you adhere to Facebook, I tell you this now - Up your security, granted, if you have this view of Data, I hope you are aware that not doing anything now with any platform you are on now, your data will end up on the Black Market. Granted I've seen people selling Data in the Dark Web, that is the last place you want your information to me on. You've been warned. Look into 2-Factor too.

In the JWs case, be it they have your data or not locked away, security needs to be upped on their part because even institutions can end up on the Black Market if not careful.