Posts by OrphanCrow

160

"The organisation is imperfect, but it doesn't affect my relationship with Jehovah"

by Alive! in

i've noted active, devoted jw's state the above.. and, it's not a problem for me to remain trusting of god, i just don't trust religions or men.. recently, a member of this forum stated that he remains an active jw, in the family of god's people, wanting to encourage and do good - whilst recognising that the pastoral leaders (the gb) have shipwrecked the faith of many, being unsound scripturally etc, etc.. stop and think about this - the bible says to not follow after those who lie and hurt the faith of "little ones".. the pharisees were accused of traversing over lands and expending much energy to make a single convert - only for that convert to end up worse of than he started off with.. it's one thing to not believe this is the 'truth' and feeling the awful pressure of managing ones life, trying not to lose ones family.. it's quite another thing to declare oneself to be a christian believer of god's jw household, and somehow believe the god of love would use corrupt liars to parade as jesus' brothers in the urgency of last days.

really?

and, to then visibly promote faith in corrupt men, and try to bring converts into a place where the rulership is wrong.. some of us are dying from hurt here.......give me a break..

OrphanCrow

Brother Jeramy: It is telling because this form of casting of aspersions is the same tactic the Governing Body employs, namely they call people deluded, either by inference or at times directly, who do not see things their way or who do things contrary to their will.
So, then, what's the difference if the Governing Body does this or if former Jehovah's Witnesses do it?

The answer is simple. There is a huge imbalance of power between the two positions.

The Governing Body does it to take power away from the members and to feed the WTS' need for control. They abuse their power.

The exJWs do it to gain their personal power back. EXJWs are entitled to their own power.

Big difference.

Comparing the two positions is comparing apples and oranges.

29

outside consulting firm used for JW building site , to be complete in 2019.

by brandnew in

jw
friends

crofton wins key role on jehovah's witnesses campus.

6 may 2015 | by yoosof farah.

engineer lands role on scheme that will predominantly be designed and constructed by volunteers.

OrphanCrow

It's a big project but definitely not worth the amount of money grabbing from the collection of congregation bank accounts and the sale of many KH's, Circuit Assembly Halls, and the Brooklyn properties. Add to that the scam of forgiving loans but not forgetting a monthly contribution of equal or higher amount than the loan used to be.

Well...the WTS spends very little on 'charitable' activities. They have to come up with ways to spend money that are acceptable expenditures to the taxman in order to retain their 'charitable' status. The WTS is spending money on 'acceptable' buildings because they don't really do charity - they 'teach literacy' and 'provide Bibles'. All activities that justify new buildings.

Has anyone looked into this 'outside consulting firm'? How 'outside' is Crofton Consulting Engineers? Are there any JW connections within the firm? The WTS is usually all about patronage.

29

Babylon the Great has fallen!" God's Kingdom rules! (1963)

by BlindersOff1 in

can anyone like "atlantis" help me find this in pdf.

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OrphanCrow

Which supports the assertion that the WTS is really a religious publishing house working at its core and the creation of its own sales representatives is the creation of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion, self designed to distribute what the WTS. publishes to the public .

You are exactly right, Finkelstein. Just imagine - if you took away the WT literature, there would be no JW religion. The entire religion is based upon WT literature.

Take away the WT literature and poof! - the JW religion disappears.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

OrphanCrow

Almost everyone here is a jerk and condescending.

Deflection.

Also,
That is actually the opposite of what I said.

Nice one - you call people names and then say it is their own fault.

No. You said people were crazy - and why? because you "...recognize that this is often caused because of the deep pains and hurt (they) you've experienced at the hands of others." So...the craziness is caused by the person themselves - it is their life that has made them crazy. Your interpretation of 'crazy' and what has caused that is a stand that makes you morally superior.

That's not what offering sympathy means.

And, then you said that you are the healthy one by offering your 'sympathy'.

It's misplaced. Your sympathy is neurotic - it is unjustified and yet again....serves to place you on the moral high ground.

146

Why I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Brother Jeramy in

allow me to begin with a clarification: when i say i am one of jehovah's witnesses, i don't mean that i am an advocate of the watchtower society or a devotee of some of its more controversial false teachings.

i mean that i am a christian, a disciple of jesus christ dedicated to jehovah god, and who remains in union with my brothers and sisters who make up the family of faith that globally refers to itself as jehovah's witnesses.

some totally understand the distinction between the family of brothers and sisters and the corporate organization known as the watchtower society (wts).

OrphanCrow

Jmorgan, you are truly condescending.

Some of you actually sound more crazy than the people you're trying to warn others about, although I recognize that this is often caused because of the deep pains and hurt you've experienced at the hands of others.

Nice one - you call people names and then say it is their own fault. Not yours, nosiree...because, with your superior attitude, you justify it:

I am sympathetic to that as well. I encourage everyone who has been hurt to try and heal and move forward in whatever way that is possible for you,

So. You just called people crazy and wounded/unhealthy. And, then you said that you are the healthy one by offering your 'sympathy'.

Step down off your high horse - your nose is gonna trip you up if you don't lower it.

15

Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?

by OrphanCrow in

it has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the wts is implementing recently.

from reading recent threads, it appears like 'they' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of christendoom".

i am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift.

OrphanCrow

From the article linked to in OP:

Qualifying Organizations
You can deduct cash contributions or tithes as long as they're made to a qualifying organization. Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code specifies several categories of qualifying organizations. The IRS permits deductions for charitable contributions to religious organizations, including churches, a convention or association of churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and other religious organizations. Generally, a church or other religious organization must obtain 501(c)(3) status to qualify as a charitable organization. If you're not sure whether your church or religious organization qualifies, you can visit the IRS website to check an organization's tax-exempt status.
Claiming the Deduction
To claim tithes or church giving on your taxes, you must itemize your deductions using Schedule A and attach this to your 1040 tax form. You cannot deduct any tithes or non-cash donations if you choose the standard deduction. Depending on the amount of your tithes, taking the standard deduction may benefit you more than itemizing. If you plan to deduct more than $250 in tithes, you must obtain an official document from the church attesting to the amount of donations you've made throughout the year. If you tithe by check, you should also keep copies of your bank records in case you become the target of an IRS audit.
Deduction Limits
The IRS imposes a limit on the amount of tithes you can deduct each year. According to IRS Publication 526, the maximum amount of charitable contributions, including tithes, that you can deduct is an amount equal to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income. If, for some reason, you've tithed more than 50 percent of your adjusted gross income to the church in any one year, the IRS allows you to carry over the deduction to future tax years. The IRS allows you to use carry-over deductions for up to five years following the initial charitable contribution.
Non-cash Donations
In addition to deducting tithes, you may be able to deduct the value of any goods or property you donate to the church. The deduction limits and filing rules are the same for non-cash contributions but additional paperwork is required if the value of your donations exceeds $500. In addition to Schedule A, you must complete Form 8283 and attach it to your tax return. You must provide a description of each item donated along with an estimate of its fair market value. If you donate an individual item worth $5,000 or more, you must have the item professionally appraised to verify its value.

6

The Thrill Is Gone and so is B.B. King- the REAL King

by flipper in

jw
friends

i know there's another thread about this specially talented musician's passing- but this guy was a torch carrier from the old bluesmen like muddy waters, howlin wolf, john lee hooker, and lightnin' hopkins who made chuck berry millions of $$$$$$ and collaborated with rock n rollers like bono of u2 .

these old bluesmen from the 1940's deserve all the credit for the babv that the blues ended up giving birth to- rock and roll music.

any comments are appreciated and welcome for b.b., music, or the blues in general pour your heart out.

OrphanCrow

Flipper, I can't resist another thread about the Blues legend, BB King. Long live the King through the legacy of music he left the world.

I am a huge Blues fan.

There is a couple old Blues legends that should be on that list of greats - Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2T8PjAFDB0

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26

big accident at Warwick construction site

by oppostate in

the wt society is fond of using the tilt-up method of construction where a network of rebar is made on the ground, concrete poured on it and allowed to cure, then the whole thing is tilted up and voila' you've got yourself a massive big-ass wall ready made.

these walls for several stories-high buildings are indeed massive and weighty so you need a heavy-duty crane to raise into position.. i just heard from an eye-witness ldc volunteer that while there a few weeks ago they had an enormous accident.

the crane tilted and crashed, the only one hurt was its operator.

OrphanCrow

Oh no. I read the title with a sick stomach. Accidents like that bring up terrible memories for me.

Construction site accidents are terrible - my dad was a site supervisor for large jobs like hospitals and schools, etc. It was horrible whenever he lost a man on the site or someone was injured. Horrible.

I am glad to hear no lives were lost. I hope whoever is in charge of the site starts to pay attention to the proper jobsite procedures and quit being so damned lazy as to cut critical corners. Smarten up, Warwick.

15

Does Tithing at Church Count as a Charitable Donation?

by OrphanCrow in

it has been interesting to see the shift in financial strategies that the wts is implementing recently.

from reading recent threads, it appears like 'they' are adopting a tithing donation system, similar to what is practised in "those wicked churches of christendoom".

i am curious as to who it is that stands to benefit the most tax wise in this recent shift.

OrphanCrow

Thanks for the information, JeffT.

Interesting sidebar: those green handshakes to the CO are not deductible by the giver and ARE taxable income to the recipient. Of course, who's going to prove that?

Interesting. I had always thought that there was a 'gift' category that those handshakes fell under.

9

Lucille has been silenced

by _Morpheus in

r.i.p.

bb king.

.

OrphanCrow

My favorite BB King song and my theme song. Best advice ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNy0ikw475Y