an old friend, a "brother" called from italy.
updated on a few things.. most interestingly, he said they just had their final assembly at their "beautiful assembly hall".. why would it be the final assembly?
because it's sold!.
What Orphancrow said makes sense.
And it is the key to curbing Watchtower and cults in general. If governments came together and said, if can continue to mandate shunning, or the blood transfusion ban, but we'll tax you for it, I believe Watchtower would reform real quick.
fyi.
the guardian, tuesday 4 april 2017. jehovah’s witnesses congregation's efforts to block inquiry squashed.
tribunal rejects claim investigation into charity’s handling of sexual abuse allegations amounts to religious discrimination.
I noticed the picture in the newspaper was of the songbook with the naughty bit on the back cover. LOL.
just noticed this very peculiarly uncanny similarity between website logos.did the jw.0rg come first or after--did the wt copy another website's logo?.
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It is hardly unique. I used to work for a company whose logo was their initials set in a blue box...this was back in the late 90's. It doesn't take a genius to come up with.
i've been thinking about this the past few days and curious what the honest consensus is here just for fun.. show of hands,.
is the governing body.... a: completely sincere.
they really do believe what they teach.. b: somewhat sincere.
I don't know.
D? All of the the above?
Was David Koresh sincere? Was Jim Jones? Was Marshal Applewhite?
we believe in marx freud and darwin.
we believe everything is ok as long as you don’t hurt anyone to the best of your definition of hurt, and to the best of your knowledge.. we believe in sex before, during, and after marriage.. we believe in the therapy of sin.. we believe that adultery is fun.. we believe that sodomy’s ok.. we believe that taboos are taboo.. we believe that everything’s getting better despite evidence to the contrary.. the evidence must be investigated, and you can prove anything with evidence.. we believe there’s something in horoscopes, ufo’s and bent spoons.. jesus was a good man just like buddha, mohammed, and ourselves.. he was a good moral teacher though we think, his good morals were bad.. we believe that all religions are basically the same-at least the one that we read was.. they all believe in love and goodness.. they only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, god, and salvation.. we believe that after death comes the nothing, because when you ask the dead what happens.
they say nothing.. if death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its compulsory heaven for all excepting perhaps.
I'm not sure of the context of this or intent, but if taken literally, it would be nonsensical.
So much of that list is mutually exclusive. Not to mention stereotypical.
at this point, i think we have a good idea of everyone's opinion of islam.
for the love of god, can we move on to something else!
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I'm not a huge fan of the religion, however, I know many that are and I don't hold it against them. They are not dangerous people.
A Muslim man does my yardwork. And here at work, I work with Muslims. Some are in senior management.
Islam is not all "one thing", as is Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism. There are many schools of thought within it. As with many religions, there are fundamentalists factions and cults, and those are the ones who are dangerous. Those who commit terrorist acts are those who have been indoctrinated to do so by the same processes of indoctrination that are found in cults.
i hope that one of the friends will post the letter soon.
i heard that on 3/27/2017 a letter with new instructions about the accounts at the circuit conventions was released.
the letter seems to adopt many of the corrections that had been suggested here at the forum, among other things during the accounts report they will be no mention of the per capita and the amount due is going to be released only to the elders.
I remember always feeling bad when they mentioned "the deficit". And often I would make sure to put more money in the contribution box. I can't believe I was pulled along like this. Of course, this was back before assemblies got so expensive.
Of course, nowadays circuit assemblies are only ONE day. They should be HALF the cost of what they used to be.
If there is indeed an equalizing going on, Watchtower should show where the money is going.
If I were to to be the "angry apostate" protester, I think I would hold up a sign in front of the assembly hall that read, "How much is the deficit going to be this year?" or "$10000--Why do circuit assemblies cost so much?"
front of jw.org has this article.... https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/archangel-michael/.
i am at work right now so can't examine it very close but was just curious what some of you more knowledgeable ones think of it?.
"Evidently"
As Inigo Montoya said: “You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means”.
compare.. the below image is from the july 17, 2017, issue of the watchtower (study edition).. link: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-july-2017/.
the below image is a still shot from a watchtower propaganda video about governments turning on the jws:.
now compare the above two images with the following recent photo of the russian police:.
It is interesting that when the Cold War ended and the work was legalized in Russia, the identity of the "King of the North" became unknown. I wonder if Russia has the King of the North will be revisited.
i got this account second hand.
a former bethelite was reassigned to a local congregation.
he had been at bethel for years and is now in his fifties.
Another day in [spiritual] paradise!
