RC 2017

by wifibandit in

due to last years success, i will post everything related to the 2017 regional convention in this thread.. to start us off.... thanks to exjw reddit user ich3b we have advance notice of the theme (this is not a joke!).

the theme for the 2017 regional convention is: "don’t give up!” .

as always, if you have access to confidential materials you would like to leak but need to protect your identity, pm me or email me: wifibandit1 (at) gmail.

darkspilver

The 2017 Programme has been released today (28 February 2017)

https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_books/2c/CO-pgm17_E.pdf

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/convention-program-2017/

Friday

“Let us not give up in doing what is fine”—GALATIANS 6:9

MORNING

9:20 Music-Video Presentation
9:30 Song No. 77 and Prayer
9:40 CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS: We Must Not Give Up—Especially Now! (Revelation 12:12)
10:15 SYMPOSIUM: Continue Preaching “Without Letup”
- Informally (Acts 5:42; Ecclesiastes 11:6)
- From House to House (Acts 20:20)
- Publicly (Acts 17:17)
- Making Disciples (Romans 1:14-16; 1 Corinthians 3:6)
11:05 Song No. 76 and Announcements
11:15 DRAMATIC BIBLE READING: Jehovah Delivers His People (Exodus 3:1-22; 4:1-9; 5:1-9; 6:1-8; 7:1-7; 14:5-10, 13-31; 15:1-21)
11:45 Jehovah—The Greatest Example of Endurance (Romans 9:22, 23; 15:13; James 1:2-4)
12:15 Song No. 115 and Intermission

AFTERNOON

1:25 Music-Video Presentation
1:35 Song No. 128
1:40 SYMPOSIUM: Enduring Despite . . .
- Unjust Treatment (Matthew 5:38, 39)
- Advancing Age (Isaiah 46:4; Jude 20, 21)
- Our Own Imperfections (Romans 7:21-25)
- Humbling Experiences (Galatians 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:5, 6, 10, 11)
- Prolonged Illness (Psalm 41:3)
- The Loss of a Loved One (Psalm 34:18)
- Persecution (Revelation 1:9)
2:55 Song No. 136 and Announcements
3:05 DRAMA: Remember the Wife of Lot—Part 1 (Luke 17:28-33)
3:35 SYMPOSIUM: Cultivate Qualities That Promote Endurance
- Faith (Hebrews 11:1)
- Virtue (Philippians 4:8, 9)
- Knowledge (Proverbs 2:10, 11)
- Self-Control (Galatians 5:22, 23)
4:15 How You Can “By No Means Ever Fail” (2 Peter 1:5-10; Isaiah 40:31; 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16)
4:50 Song No. 3 and Closing Prayer

Saturday

“Rejoice in the hope. Endure under tribulation”—ROMANS 12:12

MORNING

9:20 Music-Video Presentation
9:30 Song No. 44 and Prayer
9:40 SYMPOSIUM: How Jehovah “Supplies Endurance and Comfort” to . . .
- The Weak and Those Who Are Depressed (Romans 15:4, 5; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 1 Peter 5:7-10)
- Those in Material Need (1 Timothy 6:18)
- “The Fatherless” (Psalm 82:3)
- Older Ones (Leviticus 19:32)
10:50 Song No. 138 and Announcements
11:00 SYMPOSIUM: Build a House That Will Endure
- Be “Content With the Present Things” (Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 127:1, 2)
- Safeguard Your Children From “What Is Evil” (Romans 16:19; Psalm 127:3)
- Train Your Children in ‘the Way They Should Go’ (Proverbs 22:3, 6; Psalm 127:4, 5)
11:45 BAPTISM: “Do Not Give In to Fear”! (1 Peter 3:6, 12, 14)
12:15 Song No. 79 and Intermission

AFTERNOON

1:35 Music-Video Presentation
1:45 Song No. 126
1:50 SYMPOSIUM: Imitate “Those Who Have Endured”
- Joseph (Genesis 37:23-28; 39:17-20; James 5:11)
- Job (Job 10:12; 30:9, 10)
- Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 11:36-40)
- Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:8, 9)
2:35 DRAMA: Remember the Wife of Lot—Part 2 (Luke 17:28-33)
3:05 Song No. 111 and Announcements
3:15 SYMPOSIUM: Learn Endurance From Creation
- Camels (Jude 20)
- Alpine Trees (Colossians 2:6, 7; 1 Peter 5:9, 10)
- Butterflies (2 Corinthians 4:16)
- Arctic Terns (1 Corinthians 13:7)
- Lapwings (Hebrews 10:39)
- Acacia Trees (Ephesians 6:13)
4:15 Young Ones—Your Endurance Makes Jehovah Rejoice! (Proverbs 27:11)
4:50 Song No. 135 and Closing Prayer

Sunday

“The one who has endured to the end will be saved”—MATTHEW 24:13

MORNING

9:20 Music-Video Presentation
9:30 Song No. 121 and Prayer
9:40 SYMPOSIUM: We Must “Run With Endurance”
- Run to Win! (1 Corinthians 9:24)
- Train Diligently (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)
- Let Go of Unnecessary Burdens (Hebrews 12:1)
- Imitate Good Examples (Hebrews 12:2, 3)
- Eat Nutritious Food (Hebrews 5:12-14)
- Drink Plenty of Water (Revelation 22:17)
- Obey the Rules of the Contest (2 Timothy 2:5)
- Be Confident of Gaining the Prize (Romans 15:13)
11:10 Song No. 141 and Announcements
11:20 PUBLIC BIBLE DISCOURSE: Never Give Up Hope! (Isaiah 48:17; Jeremiah 29:11)
11:50 Summary of The Watchtower
12:20 Song No. 20 and Intermission

AFTERNOON

1:35 Music-Video Presentation
1:45 Song No. 57
1:50 DRAMA: Remember the Wife of Lot—Part 3 (Luke 17:28-33)
2:20 Song No. 54 and Announcements
2:30 “Keep in Expectation . . . It Will Not Be Late!” (Habakkuk 2:3)
3:30 Song No. 129 and Closing Prayer

32

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

UK: BBC TV Crimewatch Special Episode - Tackling Child Sex Abuse

TV BBC One - Monday 27 February 2017 - 60 minutes

Jeremy Vine and Tina Daheley return with a special episode of Crimewatch dedicated to tackling child sex abuse.
In light of revelations about the scale of non-recent abuse in football, Crimewatch has been granted unprecedented access to Operation Hydrant, the UK's national police operation tasked with bringing abusers to justice. Specialist detectives reveal how they are investigating these cases, sometim'es decades after they took place. The programme also hears from the survivors about the suffering they have experienced and, for some, their sense of resolution when they see their abusers jailed.
Jeremy and Tina are also joined by BBC Breakfast's Jon Kay, who broadcasts live from a call centre operating throughout the programme. Offering confidential help and support to victims of abuse, it is hoped this special episode will allow more victims to feel emboldened to come forward and tell their stories, helping to turn the tide against the abusers who have operated behind a wall of silence for so many years.

READ MORE / WATCH: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08h4hsm

Please be aware that, apart from The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) covering England and Wales, there is also an ongoing Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6309359665545216/child-abuse-inquiry-websites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yl6sWbe_pk

Feel free to repost as a New Topic

32

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

UK: 'How do you tell your friends Armageddon is coming?' – one man's story of leaving his religion behind

The Weston Mercury, Tuesday 28 February 2017

A Weston-super-Mare man who was forced to choose between living life as a lie as a Jehovah’s Witness or never speaking to his friends and family again has spoken out about his experience.

WATCH THE VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/beyondwordsstorytelling/videos/703522913142996/

Feel free to repost as a New Topic

32

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

NETHERLANDS: Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed on the Holocaust Memorial

TLDR; The 'crowd-funded' major Holocaust Namen Monumnent in Amsterdam is promoted as being an inclusive public memorial that will "list the names of all Dutch victims of the Holocaust" - but is apparently choosing to just memorialise those targeted because of their ethnicity rather than those targetted due to their religion, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.

Sensitive subject, that proves that history isn't always 'easy' - a series of articles from the NRC Handelsblad newspaper from the last week (via Google Translate)

What was the Holocaust, and who where the victims? - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_victims
Holocaust Namen Monumnent in Amsterdam - https://www.holocaustnamenmonument.nl/en/home

NRC Handelsblad, Wednesday 22 February 2017, page 5

Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed on the Holocaust Memorial
World War II only names of Jews, Roma and Sinti are the new Holocaust Memorial. Why do not Jehovah's Witnesses?
Who exactly is it and who is not a victim of the Holocaust in the Netherlands? The monument is put down to the Weesperstraat in Amsterdam, will according to the website holocaustnamenmonument.nl "all names of Dutch Holocaust victims who have no grave" come to be. All names?
Richard van de Velde - history teacher and member of the historical society in Culemborg - wanted to "adopt" a name. To this end, the site invites the public, at the rate of 50 per name. Van de Velde opted for adoption the name of a Jehovah's Witness from Maurik who perished in Auschwitz. Dutch Jehovah's Witnesses were sought by the German secret police during the occupation, put in prison and, in some cases deported to a concentration camp.
...
The name proposed by Van de Velde did not appear to occur in the file of the organizing committee. The secretary wrote: "Unfortunately we have to disappoint you, on our website describes our goal and there, only the Jewish victims and among the Roma and Sinti. I can imagine that you're disappointed, but if we put it this name, we have others that are not within our target also set up and that's not the intention. "
...
"It sounds harsh," said Grishaver, "but a Jehovah's Witness could renounce his faith, and he was free to go. That possibility had Jews, Roma and Sinti do not. "

READ MORE: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/02/21/jehovas-mogen-niet-op-het-monument-6874133-a1547088

This was followed a couple of days later in the newspaper's Editorial / Opinion Page

NRC Handelsblad, Friday 24 February 2017, page 17

Opinion: Holocaust Namen Monumnent Auschwitz Committee missed an opportunity by excluding murdered Jehovah's Witnesses
Remembering the millions who were murdered by the Nazis, has increased rather than decreased since the end of World War II. Rightly stopped regularly to the horrors of the Nazi regime. Rightly respect is shown for the victims and their families. Rightly reminded periodically to what happened. How this could happen. With the added message that this must never happen again.
In Amsterdam there early next year by the Dutch Auschwitz Committee, a Holocaust Monument Name 'with the names of the Dutch victims: 102 000 Jews and 220 Sinti and Roma.
To fund is largely used crowd-funding. People can names of murdered compatriots 'adopt' a good way to connect now living generations with the victims of that time.
There is objection to the proportions of the vast monument. But the magnitude of the crime can indeed be expressed through the mold. In addition, everyone is free, for example through the establishment of so-called Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) by the German artist Gunter Demnig to continue to draw attention to individual victims.
The hermetic character of the Holocaust Memorial Name this week criticized by a historian from Culemborg who murdered wanted to adopt Jehovah's Witness, the name of Auschwitz. This was rejected by the organizing committee because only the names of murdered Jews, Roma and Sinti can be adopted. The organization wants according to Jacques Grishaver, the Chairman of the Committee, not build a monument for all victims of war, but specifically for victims of the Holocaust. Jehovah's were not, according to him, for they could save themselves by renouncing their faith.
The organizing committee obviously has the right to decide for itself which group is referred to the monument. At the same time the sole selection criterion one uses regrettable. A monument commemorating the Holocaust is a memorial to the exclusion of groups in society. Close outside, then drain and set aside. A monument in the public area of the capital, aimed at involving everyone there and to warn of the risk of repetition, it would not itself have to exclude a group. There is an opportunity missed.

READ MORE: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2017/02/24/holocaust-namenmonument-auschwitz-comite-mist-een-kans-door-vermoorde-jehovas-uit-te-sluiten-6954229-a1547461
SEE ALSO: http://www.stolpersteine.eu/en/

And then a few days later on the letters page

NRC Handelsblad, Monday 27 February 2017, page 17

Jehovah's Witnesses: Mention them just that
The fact that the names of Jehovah's not allowed on the new Holocaust Memorial in Amsterdam because instead of being prosecuted could renounce their faith, is nonsense (NRC 21/2). Jews, Gypsies, communists, resisters, gay and Jehovah's Witnesses were all persecuted and destroyed by the Nazis. After seventy years suddenly come up with additional criteria that someone still has to pay for a victim to be seen, is a slap in the face of the murdered victims, survivors and people like the man in the article who wants to do something to keep memories alive. The organization should be ashamed and should cease to distribute Holocaust victims classes.
Laurens v. der Flier vwo-4, Vleuten

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32

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

PUERTO RICO: Cabo Rojo Controlled Access Law

Seems to be an on going issue.... (via Google Translate)

Cabo Rojo meets the Jehovah's Witnesses

Monday 27 February 2017
The mayor details the actions of the municipality so that the religious have access to the urbanizations with access contro
Mayor Roberto "Bobby" Ramirez Kurtz reported that the municipal administration of Cabo Rojo complied with the request of the Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Puerto Rico to enter urbanizations with access control permits and carry out activities of door evangelism ministry to door, in the streets and sidewalks of said closed communities.
Ramirez Kurtz and his legal representatives appeared before the Federal Court for the District of Puerto Rico, in a follow-up to the lawsuit filed by the Congregation against the municipalities of the Island, including Cabo Rojo, to gain access to the closed communities.
...
Municipal legislation imposes "any access control urbanization, which by the action and / or omission of its residents, employees, agents or administrators, deny access to persons and / or entities that are interested in asserting the Rights recognized by the Court, will be sanctioned with a fine of $ 500.00 for a first violation, of $ 1,000.00 for a second violation; And in case of a third violation, with the cancellation of the access control permit granted by the Municipality, which means that the urbanization will be obliged to remove the entrance gates or to keep them open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, 24 hours Of the day, 7 days a week."
Ramirez Kurtz stated that in order to comply with the Court's order, the current Police Commissioner and his successors must provide information on telephone contact (cellular and residential) to the local leaders of the Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses who are interested in incurring The activities listed in the Ordinance. In addition, he was instructed to train all his staff on the rights of freedom of expression in the context of access control developments and the guidelines contained in the order of the Federal Court.

7

IICSA child sex abuse inquiry public hearings under way

by ZAPPA-ESQUE in

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39099778.

will this enquiry eventually also be looking at the wtbts?

the independent inquiry was set up after the death of dj jimmy savile in 2011 when hundreds of people came forward to say he had abused them as children.. the hearings are taking place at the international dispute resolution centre in central london, with the first phase concerning australia expected to last 10 days..

darkspilver

FYI

Child abuse inquiry names victims in email

The Daily Telegraph, Tuesday 28 February 2017, page 14
Officials forced to apologise and refer themselves to the regulator after data breach on first day of hearings
Officials at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) have been forced to apologise to some of the victims after accidentally sending out a list of their email addresses on the first day of public hearings.

Don’t lock up low-risk paedophiles, say police

The Times, Tuesday 28 February 2017, front page
Paedophiles who view indecent images should not be given any criminal sanction unless they pose a physical threat to children, according to Britain’s most senior child protection police officer.
Simon Bailey said that the policing system had reached “saturation point” from increasing reports of sexual abuse, including online and historical cases. Lower-level offending should be decriminalised and dealt with through counselling and rehabilitation, said Mr Bailey, who takes the lead on child protection at the National Police Chiefs Council.
He acknowledged that the stance would horrify many people but said that police forces had limited resources and needed to focus on offenders posing a threat of contact abuse. He said: “The police service [is] having to deal with an unprecedented volume of reports of non-recent abuse, ongoing abuse, online abuse, peer-to-peer abuse. The numbers are continuing to rise. We have reached saturation point . . . The police service has responded to the threat but it has now reached that point whereby we have to try and turn the tide. We have to look at alternatives.”
The number of child abuse reports has risen by 80 per cent in three years. Police receive an average of 112 complaints a day and there are more than 70,000 investigations a year. Forces are also preparing for an estimated 40,000 reports of abuse from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which began hearing evidence yesterday. The figure comes from modelling based on a similar public inquiry in Australia.
Mr Bailey, head of Operation Hydrant, the national investigation into historical child sexual abuse, added: “How can the police service be expected to cope with all that if, in the margins, we are still having to deal with what I would describe as very, very low-risk offenders, who, based upon good risk assessments, pose little if any actual threat of contact abuse? . . . Those individuals that you can say with a degree of certainty genuinely don’t pose a physical threat — that to me seems to be a reasonable line [for an alternative approach].”
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/don-t-lock-up-low-risk-paedophiles-say-police-xkqsh35mc?shareToken=2399be67e74e22c7a5fe9a60c92301cc

32

Sister at Kingdom Hall visibly upset "they took jehovahs name out of song"

by hoser in

jw
friends

i went to meeting today and the sister in front of me was upset song 134 now song 139 no longer contains jehovahs name.

they took it out.

i never even noticed .

darkspilver

How weird - it is one of the new songs aswell, it is the only change to this particular song, in the chorus....

NOW - Song 139: See Yourself When All Is New
Chorus
“We thank you, our God, for all you have done.
All things are new by the rule of your Son.
The fullness of our heart overflows in our song;
All glory and honor and praise to you belong.”

WAS - Song 134: See Yourself When All Is New
Chorus
“Jehovah our God, how well you have done!
All things are new by the rule of your Son.
The fullness of our heart overflows in our song;
All glory and honor and praise to you belong.”

32

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

AUSTRALIA: JW AFL Alex Rance Interview

The Sunday Herald Sun 25 February 2017, page 12

Large picture and interview with Alex Rance.

Girls' team my next goal

A footy school started by AFL star Alex Rance is set to enrol its first female students.
...
The school uses Essendon’s spiritual home, Windy Hill, for training and has classrooms up the road.
It simulates life inside an AFL club but focuses on "emotional intelligence, resilience and critical thinking".
The school wants to produce good people, not just good students or footy players.
That’s something Rance had tussled with over his 10-year AFL career, deciding at the end of the 2014 that he would hang up the boots when his contract expired as the game sucked time and energy from his family.
He had tried landscape architecture, trained to be a pilot, took up a carpentry apprenticeship and dabbled in real estate to get a good balance outside of footy, but nothing stuck.
His latest venture — created with education adviser Luke Surace and Casey Helman, who had experience in secondary schools — has got him hooked.
...
[Rance] is also learning to deal with the added attention that comes with being a footy star, club clown, Jehovah’s Witness, family man, and media identity with spots on Channel 9’s Postcards and The Footy Show.
"I’m not a stereotype,” Rance said.
"There are so many things about me that potentially break the mould."

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

WT: Warwick World HQ Tour Brochure

The new world headquarters of JWs, located at Warwick, New York, will open for tours on Monday, April 3, 2017.

In anticipation, a new eight-page glossy brochure about this facility has now been released:

DOWNLOAD PDF: https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_cmsassets/70/fo_s-WHQ_E.pdf

MORE INFO: https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/offices/united-states/

Please note that the earliest dates available for tours are now in from mid-August 2017 onwards

Now you can play the WT's version of 'Where's Wally?'... 'Where's the GB?'... can you spot them all?

SEE ALSO: Letter July 1, 2016 - Re: Information for Touring the World Headquarters at Warwick, New York

SEE ALSO: Letter December 31, 2016 - Re: 2017 Annual Meeting and Warwick/Wallkill Dedication Program

Feel free to repost as a New Topic

32

Watching the World - MEGA THREAD of topics

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

an esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boringi'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum if you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a new topic - thanks!

.

darkspilver

An esoteric hotchpotch of topics, from the mildly interesting to the rather boring

I'm posting here to avoid the 'new topic' forum limitations, and besides it also helps to avoid clogging up the forum

If you think something is of passing interest, and you wish to comment on it, please feel free to re-post as a New Topic - thanks!

darkspilver

Posts by darkspilver

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

UK: BBC TV Crimewatch Special Episode - Tackling Child Sex Abuse

UK: 'How do you tell your friends Armageddon is coming?' – one man's story of leaving his religion behind

NETHERLANDS: Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed on the Holocaust Memorial

PUERTO RICO: Cabo Rojo Controlled Access Law

AUSTRALIA: JW AFL Alex Rance Interview

WT: Warwick World HQ Tour Brochure