betterdaze

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Posts by betterdaze

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  19

  The Kind of Publicity the WT Loves

  by WalkTall in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://strausnews.com/articles/2010/02/11/warwick_advertiser/news/3.txt.

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  betterdaze

  Did you see the other article?

  Like a good neighbor, Watchtower is there

  The Watchtower building in NYC

  Although taxes remain an issue, the tax-exempt religious group makes contributions to the communities where they live and work, By Birgit Bogler

  Warwick - Whether it is shoveling snow off the Brooklyn Heights Promenade or putting cows out for the tourists, the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society is, by most accounts, a good neighbor.

  Also known as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Watchtower is actively locating new complexes closer to its printery in the Ulster County hamlet of Wallkill and, if all goes according to plan, the religious order will relocate its world headquarters to the old International Nickel Company site off Long Meadow Road in Warwick.
  
  When it fits their way of doing something they will contribute to public benefit, said Judy Stanton, executive director of Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA), citing a playground that Watchtower agreed to build for New York City’s Housing Authority.

  “BHA appreciates their work,” said Stanton.
  
  And despite its tax-exempt status, the group has a positive impact on Brooklyn Heights, Stanton added.
  
  In the Ulster County town of Shawangunk, where the hamlet of Wallkill is located, the Watchtower helped the town demolish and rebuild its town hall.

  “They do a lot for the town,” said Town Supervisor John Valk Jr. “They even built wheelchair ramps for the temporary trailers.” Watchtower purchased 670 acres in the Putnam County town of Patterson in 1984. “I asked them to put their cows out on Friday night for the tourists,” said Patterson Town Supervisor Michael Griffin. “You tell them what you want and what they come back with is top-notch.” Griffin described the Witnesses as model citizens. Their facility, he said, is a show piece for the town and they pay more than the old owner did under his agricultural exemption. Still, the Patterson supervisor added, “I wish they paid taxes or more taxes.”

  Taxes Without its tax-exemption, Watchtower would be Shawangunk’s largest property taxpayer, said Valk, who accepts it, saying, “There is nothing I can change about tax exemptions at a town level.” But Valk noted that the Watchtower donates large amounts of manpower hours to the town and helped nearby Walden complete paving of three miles of rail trails when its grant money ran out. Watchtower has made concessions with various towns in lieu of paying property taxes. For instance, its Patterson Inn remains on the tax rolls as does Valley Farms.

  Griffin, the Patterson town supervisor, also asked the order to not canvass in town and, he said, the Witnesses have complied with that request 100 percent. Compromise and adjustments According to the Office of Real Property Services, nationally not-for-profits are being looked at more closely. The Town of Ramapo reversed its decision to not grant exemption for a 248-acre site acquired by the religious order in February 2009 after a 292-unit active senior citizen housing development went belly up. Watchtower made a Community Benefit Agreement with Ramapo and will contribute $1.3 million over a five-year period, paying $300,000 upfront and $250,000 in each of the following four years, according to Ramapo Town Attorney Michael Klein. Watchtower is planning to reduce the development at its Ramapo site by 50 percent, said Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence.

  “Any exemption will take a piece of the tax base away,” said Joe Hesch, a spokesman for the state’s Office of Real Property Services. “The issue of exemptions is always pretty hot.” Smaller footprint If the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society proposal in Warwick goes through, it will provide “a nice opportunity to reduce our footprint in a more logical way,” said Watchtower spokesperson Richard Devine. Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton agreed. He said Watchtower officials have told him they plan to use all kinds of recycled materials with a vast amount of open space to remain.

  The order plans to develop 10-11 percent of the property and leave the remainder in its natural state. Plans include placing all resident parking underground to minimize pavement and storm water runoff.
  
  “We want to do it right,” said Devine, of the Watchtower’s Wallkill Bethel property in Ulster County. “Because of the tax issue we don’t want to be a burden on taxpayers in the local area.”
  
  Klein, the Ramapo town attorney, added these final words: “The Witnesses are very reasonable to deal with and I certainly expect they will be good neighbors.”
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  6

  wake up, america

  by Adrianoblue in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjsjpne1-vc.

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  betterdaze

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjSjpNe1-Vc
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  34

  My children's grandmother tries to keep them from getting their burned home repaired....

  by HappyGuy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i knew that jehovah's witnesses were callous and cruel but this just takes it to a new level.. my children's house was burned in a fire and their idiot mother (my ex wife) did not have insurance on the house.. home depot is trying to help them and has offered to donate materials to repair the house and has asked habitat for humanity to get involved to supply the labor.. the habitat for humanity district manager came to my children's house and met the home depot district manager and my children.. after they left my children's grandmother (who lives in the house) told them that if habitat for humanity is involved in fixing the house that she will refuse to live there any more because they are involved with christendom.

  so, she is putting pressure on my ex wife to leave the house burned and leave my chlidren (her grandchildren) homeless.. my middle daughter said "well, we will miss you when you leave".

  my youngest daughter said, "well i guess i won't be seeing you any more because i refuse to live in a burned house when people are offering to help fix it but you and my mother are so stupid and retarded that you won't let them help".. please tell me that my ex wife won't be stupid enough to go along with this nonsense.

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  betterdaze

  God Cares for the Elderly – Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site

  Love in Action

  Among Jehovah’s Witnesses, congregation elders take the lead in showing regard for the elderly. They take seriously the apostle Peter’s admonition: “Shepherd the flock of God in your care.” (1 Peter 5:2) Caring for the elderly in practical ways is part of taking care of God’s flock. What, though, might this involve?

  It takes patience and possibly a number of visits and chats to ascertain the full extent of the needs of an elderly person. Perhaps assistance is needed with shopping and cleaning, with transportation to Christian meetings, with reading the Bible and Christian publications, and with a host of other things. Wherever possible, practical and reliable arrangements should be worked out and implemented.%

  What, though, if an older brother or sister in the congregation is in dire straits, perhaps needing financial assistance? First, it would be good to find out if there are children or other relatives who can help. This would be in line with what is stated at 1 Timothy 5:4: “If any widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn first to practice godly devotion in their own household and to keep paying a due compensation to their parents and grandparents, for this is acceptable in God’s sight.”

  It may be that the elderly one needs assistance in determining if he or she is eligible for any provisions that the government makes available. Perhaps some in the congregation would be able to help. If none of these avenues are open, the elders could determine if the individual qualifies for assistance from the congregation. In some cases, this was permitted in the first-century congregation, for the apostle Paul wrote to his coworker Timothy: “Let a widow be put on the list who has become not less than sixty years old, a wife of one husband, having a witness borne to her for fine works, if she reared children, if she entertained strangers, if she washed the feet of holy ones, if she relieved those in tribulation, if she diligently followed every good work.”—1 Timothy 5:9, 10.

  ---

  % For further consideration, see the article “Meeting the Needs of Our Older Ones—A Christian Challenge,” in the July 15, 1988, issue of The Watchtower.
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  6

  Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk

  by Rabbit in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  now...this guy has the ring of truth in his words, as i remember it.

  i wonder, too, is tony 'present' here ?.

  http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-02-03/culture/awkward-armageddon-confessions-of-a-teenage-jesus-jerk.

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  betterdaze

  I wonder, too, is Tony 'present' here ?

  He posts as mutinyinheaven.
  
  ~Sue
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  13

  Unitarian Universalist Church, does anyone here have any experiences?

  by cyberjesus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found a dvd about evolution and great ways to teach it to children, i discovered that is promoted at uuc, it seems that the group is oriented towards acceptance and not totalitarianism.

  since i like to associate with others who think the same way i would like to know what do you think about them?.

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  betterdaze

  I wanted to show both sides... so here is the raving militant Fundie opinion, too long to post it all.

  ~Sue
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  13

  Unitarian Universalist Church, does anyone here have any experiences?

  by cyberjesus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found a dvd about evolution and great ways to teach it to children, i discovered that is promoted at uuc, it seems that the group is oriented towards acceptance and not totalitarianism.

  since i like to associate with others who think the same way i would like to know what do you think about them?.

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  betterdaze

  Principles

  There are seven principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote:
  
  • The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
  • Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
  • Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
  • A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
  • The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
  • The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
  • Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
  
  Unitarian Universalism (UU) draws from many sources:
  
  • Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
  • Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
  • Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
  • Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
  • Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
  • Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
  
  These principles and sources of faith are the backbone of our religious community.
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  187

  Favorite Love Songs?

  by Robdar in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  until recently, i have never been in love.

  oh, i had lots of lust, but i cannot say honestly that i was in love.

  silly love songs made me roll my eyes heavenward.

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  betterdaze

  Oh my gosh, 9 pages already!
  
  Alicia Keys – If I Ain't Got You
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhPAK8HjcPI

  George Harrison – My Sweet Lord
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wynYMJwEPH8&feature=related
  
  ~Sue
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  6

  Watch Tower Humanitarian Aid in Haiti

  by betterdaze in

  1. social
  2. current

  top story at jw-media.org:.

  witnesses' relief efforts in haiti continue in the two weeks following the devastating earthquake that paralyzed the small island nation of haiti, jehovahs witnesses have been maintaining the intensity of their efforts to render assistance.. here is a truck.. .

  here they are unloading a truck.. .

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  betterdaze

  Top story at jw-media.org:

  Witnesses' relief efforts in Haiti continue

  In the two weeks following the devastating earthquake that paralyzed the small island nation of Haiti, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been maintaining the intensity of their efforts to render assistance.

  Here is a truck.
  
  
  Here they are unloading a truck.
  
  
  
  Can anyone confirm if the boxes on the truck bed are literature shipments? (Not the blue packages, the cardboard boxes.)
  
  Thanks.
  
  ~Sue
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  80

  Tell me about your avatar(not the Gravatars)

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my avatar is a pic of a cool car, obviously.

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  betterdaze

  Hi leec, we can't change our avatars just yet. Here's an alternate method to display the image of your choosing:
  
  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/forum/announcements/186156/1/Gravatar-MonsterIds-now-supported
  
  Welcome and best regards,
  
  ~Sue
• 
  80

  Tell me about your avatar(not the Gravatars)

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my avatar is a pic of a cool car, obviously.

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  betterdaze

  Sylvia, thank you for the reminder to "remain upright, in these, the last daze."
  
  ~Sue