Two Philippine nationals who claim to be Jehovah’s Witnesses were arrested by Italian police with $116 billion US Bonds
By Stephen Pate – A woman and her brother were arrested in August at the Milan airport. Police confirmed the arrest and seizure of counterfeit bonds September 24, 2009.
The phony U.S. securities were sent to Italy from the Philippines and confiscated on Aug. 19 at Milan’s Malpensa airport, prosecutor Francesco Dettori said in an interview today. In June, police seized $134 billion of fake U.S. securities at the border with Switzerland. Prosecutors don’t have evidence to link the two batches of bonds, both dated from 1934 and of $500 million denominations, he said. Bloomberg
“Whatever way you cut it, $116 billion is a big chunk of change,” said Christopher Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. in New York. “It may not have any major effect on interest rates over the long-haul, but it could certainly have a short-term impact on trading.”
The couple who were from the Philippines were arrested after they contacted the Bank of Italy about how to deposit them. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claimed the money was to be used in their religious ministry.
Not a good month in the news for the Jehovah’s Witnesses
The public are still reeling from the arrest of Philip and Nancy Garrido, two ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses, in the bizarre 18 year abduction, rape and confinement of the 11 year old Jaycee Lee Dugard.
Serena Williams, tennis star and another Jehovah’s Witness, curses out and threatens the linesman at a tennis match. The tennis world is aghast at her lack of sports person-like behavior and so are the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
What do the Jehovah’s Witnesses make of the tennis champion’s tirade on the court? is the headline in Slate Magazine.
They can’t make much of it. While cursing, ranting and raving are frowned upon, the rules don’t allow the Elders to dis-fellowship Williams just for cursing. Maybe for losing the match but not cursing.
Disfellowhipping
Dis-fellowshipping is the JW form of shunning or excommunication. It is meted out for a wide variety of sins not including child molesting or public cursing. Some things that will get you dis-fellowshipped are questioning doctrine, preI-marital sex, having an affair, smoking, and taking a blood transfusion.
All members are expected to abide by the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and serious violations of these requirements can result in disfellowshipping; the term is used in reference to both the act of congregational expulsion (similar to excommunication) and subsequent shunning…
If a baptized Witness teaches contrary to Witness doctrines, it is considered apostasy and grounds for disfellowshipping. If a person believes that a teaching should be adjusted or changed, he is encouraged ‘to be patient and wait on Jehovah for change’. Wikipedia
In Britain a sadistic child murderer claims to have found God in prison and converted to Jehovah. The monstrous stepdad of Baby P has become a JEHOVAH’S WITNESS in jail. says the Sun UK headline.
Evil (Stephen) Barker was caged with twisted lover Tracey Connelly, 28, after she helped him torture to death her defenceless 17-month-old toddler Peter. Barker is also serving life for raping a girl of two. The source said: “A lot of officers feel his conversion is a cynical move to try to win them over because it makes him look like he’s got a moral compass after all.
“But the thought of seeing him on a doorstep clutching a copy of The Watchtower will chill anyone to the bone.” The Sunco.UK
Jail guards report their biggest problem is keeping the newly reformed JW from attacking other prisoners.
Is this a sign of the end of the world?
Pshaw
Here’s the problem with this “story”. Fraud to the tune of billions? Disfellowshipping offense. Abduction and rape? Disfellowshipping offense. Child molestation – contrary to your comment – disfellowshipping offense.
But using a few swear words in the heat of a bad call in a tennis match? No, it’s not a disfellowshipping offense. Notably, this is ALSO not a criminal offense, unlike the crimes you lumped it in with, and, incredibly, you devoted way more ink to discussing it. It’s basically a non-event. I’m not a JW apologist, just pointing out trash journalism when I see it.
jlo
honestly, all the report says is “claim to be” and “ex-JW’s” really. does this not raise alarm bells as to what does this have to do with the current JW’s or whoever for that matter. people are people and they have free will to do whatever they want. don’t judge a group by what certain individuals do. that’s being ridiculous.
grandpa len
couple issues here:
1- i checked other sites, and NONE say anything about these two being JW’s
2- Williams girl is NOT a witness. her mom is, her aunt is, but the girls only attended as kids.
3- the ‘ex JW’ couple who kidnapped that girl are NOT jw’s and never were. they studied for a while. never baptised.
check sources, folks.
Victor Ramsey
Firstly it’s really good to see that the above three comments have seen through such a poor article. I mean everything written down is such a waste of time and is pointless and has no meaning to it. Sad that some journalist has spent time to write this up hopefully in the future he or she will check their sources.
sheri
For the record those things you listed do not get you disfellowshiped from the congregation it’s the unrepentant attitude that does. You can’t preach God’s word yet a lover of worldly things you cannot serve two masters. Society brainwashes you to think that sex money and fame is glamorous however these things are bait of Satan to get God’s people destroyed right along with him and his demons.
Gene
Lies, slander, falsehoods, this kind of slighted “journalism” is why so many people get misinformed and why more need to really investigate what they read or see on a television. Telling facts to state a purpose it’s one thing, lying about a groups character and misrepresenting truths to fulfill your prejudice needs is criminal
Telling the truth
My husband is a former JW. He was dis fellowshipped for a remorseful but not scandalous confession to the elders. And Sheri, you are a liar because my husband showed remorse for “making out with a girl” and was still dis fellowshipped while she “his fiancée” did not come forward until she was confronted but wasn’t dis fellowshipped because her dad was an elder. Elders run the church. Sounds like politics to me! Sounds like a load of crap too. He was utterly repentant. Society doesn’t brainwash you unless you allow it to Sheri. My family and I don’t believe in anything you just described. We live a modest life with children who are grateful for the groceries each time they are brought home. Not because we starve them but because we have taught them what truly matters in life. Love, family, faith, and helping others… giving them our last dollar if they needed it because we can always feed our children and still tithe regularly because we care so dearly about the plight of others… especially innocent children which JW’s have no concern for. The religion is more important than the love of one’s family, faith in one another, and the ability to forgive one, rather than to dis fellowship them for ridiculous things!! The woman who birthed him declared him dead to her and has not seen him her only child nor her two grandchildren because of this horrendous religion. As he was homeschooled which meant he had access to a library down the street that he could walk to and that was the extent of his homeschooling. Luckily he loved reading and made the most of it and is a very intelligent person due to his own diligence and nothing to do with his so-called mother. He was molested while he was a JW as a child. My brother who is in prison for molesting his 4 year old daughter has just converted to being a JW, all the while knowing my husband’s last 40 years of hell after losing his mother and all of his friends in the religion. Not to mention that my brother twice tried to molest me and tried to include his best friend one time, he did molest my younger brother countless times. My younger brother was once a sweet happy loving child but he too has turned into a bad person as he was molested by his brother and then by the mental health personnel hired to help him. My father has finally started to heal and move on with his life but I can tell all of you that all of the information above sounds incredibly true as I have come to know this religion through my husband and his adopted dad who is also a former JW as well as through limited communication with my husband’s biological mother. She would call me to inquire about her grandchildren but refused to say anything to my husband if he answered and would wait for him to put me on the phone before she would speak. I couldn’t allow her to continue to hurt him in this manner and stopped all communication with her so as to not allow her to continue over and over again abusing my husband. He is my wonderful partner and friend of 21 1/2 and we are due to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this May. He is a wonderful father and son to my mom and my deceased father but also to dad who has never treated him like his adopted son but as his own blood and he has treated me as his own daughter. I could never imagine destroying my children’s lives over a religious cult. JW’s are ignorant, sadistic, sheep that cannot think for themselves. Dad often questions his own mental acuteness at that time for buying into that religion for the time that he did. Luckily his own intelligence began to see through the lies, the inconsistency of the religion and the rationale that they used to tell themselves that they were smarter, more aware, in the truth and just better than all others. My husband and I when he was still just a few years out and still unsure of whether to return or not went to his biological Mothers 3rd wedding only to hear how dear the JW’s hold marriage as opposed to us regular people!! How they treasured the institution of marriage more than we regular people do!! Her second husband (Dad) while choosing to leave the religion did not choose to get divorced. She choose to divorce him in the seventh year of their marriage because he no longer was “in the Truth”. Dad has never married again and my husband and I are close to 20 years. So I ask all you who Gene, Sheri, Victor, grandpa len, and jlo (wannabe) and yes grandpa len there are many websites that have verified that these people were JW’s, my husband and I did our homework after reading the article and then seeing your ridiculous ,sheep-like, followers of a cult…. Do you want to be in the truth and pull your heads out of your arses or do you want to continue to say bah…bah… and continue to believe in a religion of child murderers, monsters, liars not only to themselves but also to the outside world and child abusers? Our story is just one story but we have reached out to many ex JW’s and sadly the stories are all the same and yet so different and tragic! It is a crime to let people raise their kids in a religion that would rather watch children die because of their insanity than let a child live through a blood transfusion. Let me repeat…they would rather let their children die than have a blood transfusion. They are just as bad as the aforementioned people in the article. They would rather kill their children or maim them and they are murderers, child abusers, and abusive parents. I am aghast as a mother that anyone would choose to kill their children slowly and painfully than to allow them the ability to live. They are monsters!! My own husband is a child who is being killed slowly and painfully by the religion as he was diagnosed with scoliosis when he was a young boy. But because the JW’s believe they know when the world will end (they have changed the dates of the end of the world like an end zone that one can never get to) my husband was not treated for scoliosis because he was told he would die by the time he was 20. Did I mention he is 40 and because he was left untreated his spine is one big S with his spine actually turning into his organs. He has been told countless times that through surgery due to how bad it is they can’t guarantee they can stop the progression, the horrible relentless pain that he describes as feeling like the hands of God are twisting his spine like a person twists a sponge or rag to rinse out. The one thing they can tell him is that eventually it will twist into his lungs and stop him from breathing. He doesn’t know when so he lives each day as if it’s his last. Let that rest in your souls as you let the lies pour forth from your tongues.
Ernest
Question the writer and their motto.
Martha R
@Telling the truth, who’s gonna read all that?
netstop
I actually read through all that.