TheOldHippie

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Posts by TheOldHippie

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  19

  France ordered to pay millions for illegal taxation of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by therevealer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what power does "the european court of human rights" have in a case like this.

  can they actually tell france what to do??

  this is touted as the top story on http://www.jw-media.org/ and i am not sure if i am catching up on old news or not.

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  TheOldHippie

  And if you look at the top left corner, you will see the date: July 5, 2012
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  19

  France ordered to pay millions for illegal taxation of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by therevealer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what power does "the european court of human rights" have in a case like this.

  can they actually tell france what to do??

  this is touted as the top story on http://www.jw-media.org/ and i am not sure if i am catching up on old news or not.

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  TheOldHippie

  To the question, Yes, the European Court of Human Rights have the right to decide and to tell member states what to do. The member states must comply. There is no "what if they don't?", they must. The Court is the highest appeal court for all European nations, and organizations and individuals can appeal to it. If the appeal is allowed by the Court to be treated, the result is binding.

  The French case is not on taxes as such, as claimed by some here, but on taxes placed on gifts. The French state claimed a 60 per cent tax on all gifts given for a number of years, and it should be noted that the WTB&TS was the only organization from which such taxes were claimed, so it was a clear cut case of trying to liquidate an organization. Whatever one might feel about such an attempt, the Court has now nullified the attempt. Last year, it was nullified, and the WTB&TS and the French state were asked to come together and discuss how the state should free the mortgages it had placed upon WTB&TS property (closing of brach office, convention halls and some Kingdom halls). The state refused to discuss, though, and therefore the Court now ordered it to follow the Court's decisions.
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  24

  The WTS "Brain Drain"

  by Quendi in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i posted this on another thread and am pasting it here to start a new one because i would be interested in getting others' thoughts on it.. there has been a downward spiral in the quality of the written publications since the death of fred franz in december 1992. whatever else can be said about franz, the man did have some education and his writing was of good quality.

  others in the writing department also had some skill and command of language that gave cogency to their work.

  but since franz's death, a huge leadership vacuum has opened in the wts.

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  TheOldHippie

  I agree with slimboyfat that Creator was a good book. And The Greatest Man.

  But - WHO AND WHERE IS THE KING OF THE NORTH? The Soviet Union and company did fit hand in glove. I miss him. All was so neat.
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  3

  Trickery in WT publications

  by bottleofwater in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://mybrainwobbles.blogspot.com/2012/07/trickery-in-watchtower-publications.html.

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  TheOldHippie

  I do not QUITE see the thourough research done by the blogger in stating that:

  An example would be (not a real one, but close enough) 8 "He brought their livestock to blah blah blah." and they would make it refer to the King of one place. and then they would explain verse 9: "He took them to a great mountain." to mean a totally different character, even though the context actually shows that there is no switch in who the passage is referring to.

  Not quite easy to find out exactly what trickery he is referring to ..................
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  36

  Memorial attendance DECLINED by 2.4% in the US from 2011 to 2012!

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the september km is out, here is the thread pointing to it:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/228224/1/2012-september-kingdom-ministry.

  of particular note is the "highlight" on page 4, announcing the attendance at the memorial in the usa.. the 2012 yearbook notes the memorial attendance in 2011 was 2.563,318, while in 2012, per the september 2012 km, it was 2,502,055 -- a decline of 2.4%.. .

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  TheOldHippie

  Bahamas - Bermuda - how many US JWs have vacations there at Easter time? Or is the participation mainly local?
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  36

  Memorial attendance DECLINED by 2.4% in the US from 2011 to 2012!

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the september km is out, here is the thread pointing to it:.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/228224/1/2012-september-kingdom-ministry.

  of particular note is the "highlight" on page 4, announcing the attendance at the memorial in the usa.. the 2012 yearbook notes the memorial attendance in 2011 was 2.563,318, while in 2012, per the september 2012 km, it was 2,502,055 -- a decline of 2.4%.. .

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  TheOldHippie

  The day of the week definitely is important in some countries, the more wealthy ones. If it is at the beginning or end of the Easter week, people are at home, but if it is in the middle of it, people are vacationing. With "people" I here mean those turning up once a year, at the Memorial, and perhaps a couple of times more.
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  162

  No more 3-day DCs starting in 2013?

  by respectful_observer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  apologies if there is another recent thread on this, but i have heard from 4 different people in 3 different geographic areas (including someone who does advance work for the dcs), that beginning in 2013 the three day dc program will be replaced by a second two-day circuit assembly.

  some people were passing the info along like a secret, others seemed to think that everyone already knew.. if everyone in j-dub land is already talking about this, how is it not all over this forum??.

  anyway, can anyone confirm or deny?.

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  TheOldHippie

  Smaller conventions in 2013 because plans are made for HUGE anniversary conventions in 2014?
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  19

  Watchtower on Kingdom Centennial Birthday?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  watchtower on kingdom centennial birthday?.

  today i uploaded a new article to my blog addressing the gigantic birthday party the watchtower organization held for itself in 1984, and it wonders whether it will show the same courtesy to the birth of gods heavenly kingdom in 1914?

  my article is titled watchtower on kingdom centennial birthday?

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  TheOldHippie

  100,000 present? Where does that figure come from?
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  23

  Failed Old Testament Prophecies

  by Canary11 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the tyre prophecy in ezekiel 29 is one failed prophecy.

  nebuchadnezzar never destroyed and plundered tyre like he was predicted to..

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  TheOldHippie

  He took the mainland city, did he not? And the the island part of the city managed to survive until Alexander finished it off. But it is not a failed prophecy, as he conquered the mainland city.
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  18

  Current GB members?

  by Pistoff in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  who are the current governing body members?.

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  TheOldHippie

  Jesus Christ