JeffT

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Posts by JeffT

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  51

  Science is right in its details, but wrong in its direction

  by exWTslave in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  science observes, studies and analyses the basic nature of all the components constituting the part of any experiment, follows the principle of cause and effect, and come out with equipments that would contribute to our comfort and save us lots of time and energyall of which are ultimately aimed at making life on this earth happier, longer and healthier, thus making this world a better place to live.. yet man day-by-day becomes more and more unhappy and discontented, and world is becoming bitter and bitter!

  it means: though science is right in its details, it has gone wrong in its direction.

  it failed to rightly judge and assess the true nature of its prime object (man) for whom it works.

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  JeffT

  Science sees man as purely material

  Nonsense. Science doesn't see anything in any particular way. Science is a method of discovery by which we learn more about the world around us.
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  11

  Christmas lights

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this night i installed christmas lights in the trees in the front garden of our house.. we all like it, the children like it, so this is the first year we have this lightning.

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  hope the elders will like it too ;-).

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  JeffT

  The first year we celebrated Christmas (1988) I put up a few lights. We only made the decision to celebrate about a week after Thanksgiving, so we didn't have a lot of prep time. The second year I had something like 2500 lights on the house.
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  8

  2008 Watchtower Income Tax Return

  by objectivetruth in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i found this, and did not see it posted previously.. thought i'd post it, in case it's of use to anyone.. http://irs990.charityblossom.org/990t/200908/111753577.pdf.

  according to this all assets in 2008 were valued at $400,000,000.

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  JeffT

  This isn't an income tax form. Well it is, but it is not THE income tax form. This is the IRS description of this form:

  "Because tax-exempt organizations generally operate for charitable or other beneficial purposes, most income that they receive is exempt from tax under the Internal Revenue Code. Tax-exempt organizations are permitted to engage in income-producing activities that are considered to be unrelated to their exempt purposes. However, income from these activities may be taxable. This study measures income, deductions, and tax imposed on tax-exempt corporate and trust entities' unrelated business income. Data are compiled from Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return."

  In this case its for some kind of Limited Partnership of which the WTBS has an interest. I can't find out much about "Provictor Property Fund" I think it is probably a Real Estate Investment Trust. The 400 million dollars is probably the total value of the trust, of which the WTBS owns some percentage. I suspect that there are lots of these forms floating around somewhere. The Watchtower is smart enough to be doing something with its money.
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  26

  how long before an overworked wt lawyer says SCREW THIS!!!

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  JeffT

  How would you know what lawyers are trained to look for?

  Probably watching TV lawyers. I gave up watching "How to Get Away with Murder" because I could not suspend enough disbelief long enough to get through an episode. Apparently the writers have never heard of discovery, and the ethical violations would get everybody involved disbarred.

  Band, I agree with your prescription for the WTBS. If the instructions to the elders were "if you hear about abuse, turn it over to the police immediately," and they did background checks on anybody that was going to be around some one else's kids, their legal problems would largely or entirely go away.
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  4

  With the WT open door policy, is it possible to protect itself against predators.

  by Quarterback in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i would love to see an organization free of exposure of sexual predators.

  the globe is full of them.

  some states feature alerts on the map to inform families how close a predator lives to them.

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  JeffT

  The state of Washington requires that volunteers at school agree to a background check. It would not be at all out of line for the congregations to run background checks on everybody going in field service, working around the Hall etc. It wouldn't catch everybody, but at least they'd know who had a rap sheet. The last church I attended also ran background checks on volunteers.
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  20

  Honduras bus crash leaves 14 dead and 55 injured - JW

  by TheTruthBR in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  honduras bus crash leaves 14 dead and 55 injuredbus veered off road and crashed into ravine.

  by ruth doherty, nov 1, 2014. updated: november 1, 2014 8:10 am.

  afp/getty images.

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  JeffT

  Sad news - no one deserves to die in such circumstances whether their bus is on the way to an assembly or a soccer match, what difference does it make why they were on the bus?

  Simon, on one level you are right, it doesn't make any difference. And when the WTBS starts printing stories about how a bunch of faithful Witnesses made it to a soccer match safely, it won't.

  It is a tragedy. It would be interesting to know how qualified the bus driver was.
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  7

  I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year.

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  unlike most nano's i'm going to try to finish a novel instead of starting it, but the basic goal - writing 50,000 words in 30 days - remains the same.

  i have about half of a science fiction/military action novel i've been fooling around with for about a year.

  i'm going to finish the thing and try hard to get something published.

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  JeffT

  @ Hey There

  Buddy me if you want. Jeff Thomas, the title of the book is "With Our Backs to the Wall." I'm going to put an introduction in the sci fi section some time today.
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  7

  I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year.

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  unlike most nano's i'm going to try to finish a novel instead of starting it, but the basic goal - writing 50,000 words in 30 days - remains the same.

  i have about half of a science fiction/military action novel i've been fooling around with for about a year.

  i'm going to finish the thing and try hard to get something published.

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• 

  JeffT

  Unlike most Nano's I'm going to try to finish a novel instead of starting it, but the basic goal - writing 50,000 words in 30 days - remains the same. I have about half of a science fiction/military action novel I've been fooling around with for about a year. I'm going to finish the thing and try hard to get something published.
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  44

  Find What Your Social Status Was in the Congregation

  by Mary in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ever notice how the "happiest people on earth" are also the most class-oriented?

  the social structure in the congregation is more complex than the blueprints of a nuclear warhead, but just so that you "remember your place", see if you can find where your niche was/is:.

  1. at the top of the social order of things within the congregation is of course, the presiding overseer and his family.

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  JeffT

  8 here.

  There were also some elders who were entirely sincere and who cared a great deal for the r&f who were struggling. They stood up to oppressive elders and tried to comfort and encourage others. Their constant message was to appreciate whatever others could manage, however small and to not judge other's decisions and choices.

  The elder that officiated our wedding was like this. After a few years he couldn't take it anymore and quit being an elder. He got talked into being an elder and then quit again. I have no idea where he is now. Straight up guys either can't be straight up guys anymore, or they can't be elders.
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  13

  JW Net documentary

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i would like to make a documentary with help from the same technology that got me free of watchtower, namely the internet.

  also via the same people that helped me leave, namely...you lot!.

  i want to make the documentary that jw's find when they google jw.org.

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  JeffT

  I'm interested. I don't need to disguise voice, face or even my name. I think I have a headset and microphone around here somewhere.