Easy.
Charitable work for the relief of poverty is:
Teaching them about Gods kingdom, which will turn the earth into a paradise, which will end poverty.
Done.
(I feel ill having justified that)
screen capture from the watchtower society of australia's article's of association:.
i wonder how item (e) is defined and whether they actually provide any money for charitable poverty relief?
if so, i would love to see the evidence.
Easy.
Charitable work for the relief of poverty is:
Teaching them about Gods kingdom, which will turn the earth into a paradise, which will end poverty.
Done.
(I feel ill having justified that)
it's only a matter of time of course..... jw rumor mills will start up soon, with stories of how jws were "first on the scene" as the flood waters receded..... how the red cross and/or us national guard and/or doctors without borders and/or [you name it] were marveling at just how "organized" the jws are..... how zealous jws were pulling their trolleys thru ankle-deep water to "offer comfort" to victims, by giving them - sandwiches?
bottled water?
to offer them comfort by giving them 16 page "magazines" to read in their spare time..... so as the stories start to come in, you can "deposit" those little nuggets of bs here.. once collected, we'll wrap them in a pretty bow and flush them away where other instances of pure manure go..
Sorry, I know it is a side point, but your thread title reminded me of an ignorant and massive stuff-up that an Australian prime minister made when it comes to the use of the word "repository" a few years back!
Enjoy!
you received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “abba, father!”—rom.
those who have received this special invitation from god do not need another witness from any other source.
they do not need someone else to verify what has happened to them.
Good observations.
And yet, the society goes to great lengths to create a questioning attitude amongst all witnesses at memorial time in order to dissuade more from partaking.
As we know, they have used derogatory comments such as "some choose to partake due to emotional instability " or comments like that!
For the GB, it is an exclusive club, that they alone want to be the doorkeepers of. Just like a nightclub - if you do not have the stamp on your hand from the door bouncer, you are NOT getting in!
it's only a matter of time of course..... jw rumor mills will start up soon, with stories of how jws were "first on the scene" as the flood waters receded..... how the red cross and/or us national guard and/or doctors without borders and/or [you name it] were marveling at just how "organized" the jws are..... how zealous jws were pulling their trolleys thru ankle-deep water to "offer comfort" to victims, by giving them - sandwiches?
bottled water?
to offer them comfort by giving them 16 page "magazines" to read in their spare time..... so as the stories start to come in, you can "deposit" those little nuggets of bs here.. once collected, we'll wrap them in a pretty bow and flush them away where other instances of pure manure go..
I'm sure that the society will recite "upbuilding experinces" after this PR opportunity (natural disaster) passes.
They will be "factual accounts" such as:
"A city official was overheard saying that 'only you people give evidence of being Gods true people'" But of course no name will be provided to prove this.
Or
We will hear reports of "neighbors saw the unity of Gods people and accepted a bible study, which resulted in 6 members of the family coming into the Truth!"
Or, after hearing about the many deaths in the community, the society will boast about how the disaster resulted in a "fine shout of praise toJehovah!"
the manipulative use of language by the org in the upcoming circuit assembly talks is as good - or better - than any advertising conglomerate could devise.
the mind-shaping wording is clearly used in order to deter critical thinking by the sheep.. face bad reports as jesus did (9 min.
note to the speaker: explain why spiritually mature people do not become ashamed of the good news or dismayed when faced with negative propaganda.
"Dear brothers and sisters, when unflattering reports are made about the society, be quick to place your fingers in your ears and scream out loudly LaLaLa!"
i walked to the station yesterday to meet a friend, and on the way, in what must be the quietest street in the entire suburb, were two j.witnesses and their little cart, all set with a literature display.
i wondered what point there may have been to choose that location.
i felt like grabbing one of their bibles and reading matthew 5:15 to them:.
In our part of the world, (a smaller town on the fringe of the suburbs), they set up a cart on a lonely bicycle and walking track.
Only a very small number of people pass by - usually people riding bikes, or going for a run.
They seriously look stupid. No one talks to them. People deliberately walk AROUND them!
But with the 2 or 3 witnesses sitting there, they can add up to 6 hours to the "worldwide work"
a dutch saying is "am i that smart or are you so stupid".. watching this jw.org movie about god's name made me use it: .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njtimafdp7m.
jw broadcasting june 2015, 15 seconds cut.. geoffrey jackson is proud that jw.org is using god's name.. then he convinced that jw.org does not know exactly what god's name is.. then he convinced that jw.org uses the name jehovah because it's most common recognized in english.. is this reasonable, asks geoffrey... yes!
Just because something is popular or commonly used, does not make it the correct thing...
so i visited the netherlands last week and decided to stop by giethoorn.
this is a town whereby many (if not most) of the homes are accessed by small boats via narrow water canals.
during the summer months, the residents of this isolated picturesque town welcome visitors with their seasonal tourist attractions such as canal cruises on eco-friendly boats, restaurants and a small museum which highlights the history of the town.
As i have shared before, I have heard that some have had interactions like this:
Person walks up to the cart, and takes literature and asks the witness: "Can you tell me more about your beliefs?"
Witness says "Sure, if you would like to go to JW.ORG, you can learn more, and request a home visit"
Person says "Thanks, but I'm here now, can you just talk to me now?"
Witness says "Certainly. If you would like to go to JW.ORG, you can fill in a request form, and we can visit you"
Person says (Frustrated) "Don't bother. I was here NOW. You could just talk to me NOW. Forget about it"
i have been completely out for close to 5 years and i have spent alot of time with individuals who either left or are in the process of leaving.
whenever we get to talking about what made you leave or what was it that made the flip switch, the initial answer is some doctrinal teaching.
in other instances it was just sorrow or a variety of other things.. however, as you get closer to many of these individuals it was generally a secret sin they committed at the root of it all.
Thanks silentbuddha. I certainly offered my comment with full respect. (Not trying to be argumentative.)
It is nice to be able to share our opinions freely, without it being a heated debate.
You are correct, we all once bought into such distorted thinking as witnesses. It is liberating once "the truth sets us free"
full stop.
(paragraph 12 -- feburary 2017 watchtower -- who is leading god's people today?
)so why then would any jw abide by harmful doctrines setup by the governing body (blood, shunning, the two-witness rule, etc)?
It certainly is mind-blowing to see just how easily the GB / Society manages to take control of witnesses "thinking abilities"
The bible makes it clear that it is up to individuals to use our "thinking abilities, and our power of reason" to weigh up all information. NOT to just blindly follow what we are told to!
Here is an awake article from 2011 (1/11)
The Bible’s Viewpoint
Are Faith and Reason Incompatible?
“FAITH is a negation of reason,” writes British philosopher A. C. Grayling. His words sum up the feelings of countless writers and philosophers who over the centuries have claimed that faith and reason are incompatible.
Some religious beliefs do fly in the face of all reason. But consider this: Many strongly held scientific beliefs have proved to be wrong. Does that mean that all scientific beliefs are wrong or are not based on reason? Why view religious beliefs any differently? In fact, the faith described in the Bible does not exist without knowledge but is, instead, solidly based on knowledge and sound reason. As you review the evidence, see how true faith and reason are compatible.
Faith Firmly Based on Reason
The Bible says, for example, that if your worship is to be “acceptable to God,” it must be “a sacred service with your power of reason.” In other words, you must worship God “in a way that is worthy of thinking beings.” (Romans 12:1; The Jerusalem Bible) So the faith described in the Bible is not something blind and irrational, or a leap of faith, as some have called it. And it is not credulity. Rather, it is something you have thought through carefully—resulting in trust in God and his Word, which is firmly based on reason.
Of course, if you are to reason properly, you need accurate information. Even the most powerful computer programs designed on solid principles of logic will come up with some very strange conclusions if they are fed inaccurate data. Likewise, the quality of your faith will depend greatly on what you hear or on how dependable the information you feed your mind proves to be. Appropriately, the Bible says that “faith follows the thing heard.”—Romans 10:17.
A fundamental requirement for faith is “an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) Only “the truth,” says the Bible, “will set you free,” free from misleading beliefs, whether they are scientific or religious. (John 8:32) The Bible warns you not to put faith “in every word.” (Proverbs 14:15) Rather, it says that you should “make sure of all things”—or test out the things you hear before believing them. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Why should you do research and test out your beliefs? Because faith based on falsehood is only a delusion. Some noble-minded people from the ancient city of Beroea set a fine example in acquiring proper faith. Even though these individuals really wanted to believe what Christian missionaries taught them, they made a point of “carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.”—Acts 17:11.