Crisis of Conscience available for free on Audible

by nicolaou in

i'm unclear on how this has been achieved or if permissions have been given.

presumably, audible (part of amazon) have their own procedures to ensure legality, but here it is nonetheless;.

listen to crisis of conscience - raymond franz by crisis of conscience - raymond franz on audible.

Balaamsass2

I just tried it. It works today!

I knew Ray Franz and his wife Cynthia at Bethel. I saw and spoke to them weekly. Very kind, hospitable couple who displayed Christian qualities and were very NORMAL, unlike their uncle Fred Franz and some of the other Governing Body 1.0 members. They would actually invite rank and file Bethelites to their apartment for a spaghetti dinner. Loan their car out to Bethelites. Just plain, NICE, earnest people...actual Christians.

This book sealed the deal in getting 1st Gen to wake up. (She had a hissy fit when she found the actual book in my library a year earlier, and tossed it in the garbage. lol :) ) It vastly improved our lives and marriage. I highly recommend it to ALL current and ex-JWs. Perhaps many will be more open to an audio book.

Thankyou Ray for this memento that has outlived you and Cynthia to help so many.

43

Is 1st Century advice on marriage still relevant in today’s modern world?

by liam in

republicans want to make a law that forbids ‘uncontested divorce”.

they based this on this scripture.. matthew 19. is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”.

4 “haven’t you read,” jesus replied, “that at the beginning the creator ‘made them male and female,’and said, ‘for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ so they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Balaamsass2

As an independent, I find this quote funny, but true: " I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."

Will Rogers

23

Where Adam and Eve Vegan/Vegetarian?

by KerryKing in

jws seem to firmly believe that before the flood mankind eas vegan or at least vegetarian.. however, in gen 1:24,25 it says that god created livestock (domestic animals) and beasts of the eart (wild beasts).. why would adam and eve need livestock if they were vegan and naked?

wouldn't need wool or hide for clothing, nor meat for food.

possibly for dairy products only?

Balaamsass2

I find Archeological evidence of humans hunting, eating and using EXTINCT prehistoric animals fascinating. Why?

#1. It blow apart Watchtower's sacred cow chronology that man was created only 6,000 years ago.

#2. It blow apart Watchtowers teaching early man was a vegetarian.

Early Huts made from Mammoth hides. Animal bones with scrapes and cuts from the stone tools and spears found nearby in caves and archeological sites.

Here is an interesting read.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/60-mammoths-house-russia-180974426/

75

God won't lift a finger to help you.

by nicolaou in

sea breeze: @nicolau,i stated my case rather succiently, which you failed to address.

if you have a better solution to the problem of evil than what jesus offers, then why don't you present that in a new topic?.

pathetic diversion.

Balaamsass2

When I was a kid I delt with my JW cognitive dissonance by equating an absent God to my absent non-JW father who traveled internationally for months at a time. A distant entity who missed most stuff, but could call home...or transfer some cash...if he wanted.

As an old man, I have adopted an old JW belief "Religion is a snare and a racket".

43

Is 1st Century advice on marriage still relevant in today’s modern world?

by liam in

republicans want to make a law that forbids ‘uncontested divorce”.

they based this on this scripture.. matthew 19. is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”.

4 “haven’t you read,” jesus replied, “that at the beginning the creator ‘made them male and female,’and said, ‘for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ so they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Balaamsass2

But the "New Testament" does allow for no-fault divorce. 1 Corinthians 7:11 in the King James Version of the Bible states, "But if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband". The verse continues, "And let not the husband put away his wife".

It also allows for multiple wives....for non-servants. Ministerial servants should be husbands of one wife. 1 Timothy 3:12 in the Bible states, "Let each deacon be the husband of one wife, ruling his children and his own house well". The verse uses the Greek expression mias gynaikos andres, which literally means "one-woman men". This is the same phrase used in 1 Timothy 3:2."

Considering early marriage ceremonies in parts of the middle east was a simple party where people ended the night with "shacking up"(no government license, pastor, etc.), a guy could have multiple wives, and a wife could leave if she chose, it was "no fault" system. Modern day "mistresses" are simply "additional wives" it would seem. I bet the fundamentalist Mormons explain things this way.

36

Why Is Watchtower (Supposedly a Family Friendly Christian Publisher) Obsessed with Oral Sex?

by Sea Breeze in

if you do a search on the wt website and type in "oral sex", you will get 69 results.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=oral+sex&p=par&r=occ&st=a .

why does the wt.

Balaamsass2

My first two weeks at Bethel made me choke on breakfast announcements and "new boy talks". Fred Franz "lets talk about the Bible" in the sauna with no clothes fests were a no go for me.

I grew up outside San Francisco and thought I had heard it all....until Watchtower HQ. lol.

I' ll let someone with a Masters in Psychology explain the focus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj46CJ5FPjo

22

Is Serena's Williams a JW baptized that is

by blondie in

jw
friends

(can't insert edit in title husband a jw?).

i just read that serena said both of them were jws.

but this wouldn't be the first time means 1) supports her beliefs and does them 2) supports her beliefs and doesn't interfered with but no where does it say he is a baptized witness.

Balaamsass2

8/14/2024 This story showed up on Google news today.

"What We Know About Serena Williams & Her Family's Life As Jehovah's Witnesses"

"Serena Williams is known for wearing several different hats as a tennis phenom, businesswoman, wife, and mother. But one thing that fans may not know about her is her life as a Jehovah's Witness.

While the tennis legend doesn't often discuss her faith publicly, her family being a part of the religion has been no big secret. She and her sisters, including former tennis star Venus Williams, became Jehovah Witnesses in the 1980s after their mother, Oracene Price, converted to the faith. In the past, Serena has credited her belief in God for her success, as well as the source of her strength after her sister, Yetunde Price, was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton in 2003. "I tried to develop a better relationship with God," Serena shared in 2007 about her grief journey to the New York Times. "You have a strong solid foundation, the Bible says, you won't crack, but the man who built his house in the sand, his house went down spiritually. I have a really strong foundation. That's how I was raised."

Over the years, Serena has shared that she prays and that she attended church services and evangelized about her faith before. Though she admitted she hasn't practiced it heavily as other Witnesses may, the star has been diving deeper into her faith in recent years. And now, she is even passing along the traditions of Jehovah's Witnesses to her daughters and husband."

"

Serena Desires To Raise Her Daughters As Jehovah's Witnesses

Serena Williams with her family

After giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in 2017, Serena Williams surprised fans and the media by announcing that she would not be hosting a party for Olympia's first birthday. "Olympia doesn't celebrate birthdays," the former athlete revealed (per People). "We're Jehovah's Witnesses, so we don't do that." Serena and her husband Alexis Ohanian also welcomed another daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in 2023."

"While the idea may be shocking to some, that is a standard practice amongst devout Jehovah's Witnesses. Those in the faith typically refrain from religious holidays and other celebrations, including Easter and Christmas. They also don't celebrate birthdays as they "believe that such celebrations displease God," with deeper explanations given on the religious sect's official website.

The idea of no celebrations is something that Serena's husband Alexis seems to be on board with. Serena expressed in a 2017 interview with Vogue that her then-fiance was open and curious about the religion. "Being a Jehovah's Witness is important to me, but I've never really practiced it and have been wanting to get into it," Serena revealed. "Alexis didn't grow up going to any church, but he's really receptive and even takes the lead. He puts my needs first."

Serena Williams Was Baptized In 2023

After announcing her retirement in 2022, Serena Williams wanted to focus more on her family, even citing that she wanted to have more kids in the future. But the time away from tennis also appeared to have reignited her faith as a Jehovah's Witness.

A video shared by the Jehovah's Witnesses Examiner on Facebook showcased the former tennis player being baptized during a service in West Palm Beach, Florida. While the person filming the baptism could be heard saying, "That's her," there was no major pomp and circumstance for the star like on the tennis court. Just mild, respectful applause for the momentous occasion.

While Serena has yet to comment on the baptism, other Jehovah's Witnesses congratulated her in the comments. "Congratulations... l heard you were studying a while ago," one user shared, commenting on Serena's desire to grow in the religion. "Dear sister Serena, big congratulations for your unique decision to serve Jehovah unreservedly," another said. "The decision might have been tough but thoughtful and informed. Well done!"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/what-we-know-about-serena-williams-her-familys-life-as-jehovahs-witnesses/ar-AA1oEzoI?ocid=BingNewsVerp

43

any JW construction going on other than Warwick?

by Magnum in

is anybody aware of any kingdom hall builds going on or any kind of ldc activity?

i've been wanting to ask this, and committeechairman's question at the end of this thread, http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/289353/ldc-semininar?page=4&size=20, moved me to go ahead and ask.. i've kind of wondered whether the org leaders got rid of rbcs and instituted the ldc arrangement because they wanted to be able to stop or slow down construction without it being obvious.

if the rbcs were still in existence, it would be obvious that there's nothing (or almost nothing) going on (if that really is the way it is) because rbc personnel would be idle when they were used to being busy.

Balaamsass2

Thomas, it is almost impossible to get a handle on Watchtower's finances. You need to BELIEVE what they report to the Government...(who they believe is unworthy of a truthful answer, i.e.: "Theocratic Strategy").

However the buyers of real estate from Watchtower report what they paid for JUST NYC real estate, it was over TWO BILLION DOLLARS. (This site has copies of government files for the purchase/sales on the NYC transactions: https://jwleaks.org/watchtower-properties/ .)

Watchtower attends Wallstreet seminars for high net worth investors, the Morgan Stanley invite made the news, so I suspect a modicum of inhouse or hired expertise. I would expect a modicum of success, so 10% per annum return would be reasonable. NYC sales alone would generate 200 MILLION DOLLARS per year return. That is not including sales in other US CITIES, or STATES, ANY OFFSHORE SALES OR DONATIONS FROM (8 million ?) JWS AROUND THE WORLD. IF 8 million people simply donate $10 per month that would add 80 Million dollars per month to Watchtower's coffers. That is a lot of cash flow even if we cut those numbers in half.

43

any JW construction going on other than Warwick?

by Magnum in

is anybody aware of any kingdom hall builds going on or any kind of ldc activity?

i've been wanting to ask this, and committeechairman's question at the end of this thread, http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/289353/ldc-semininar?page=4&size=20, moved me to go ahead and ask.. i've kind of wondered whether the org leaders got rid of rbcs and instituted the ldc arrangement because they wanted to be able to stop or slow down construction without it being obvious.

if the rbcs were still in existence, it would be obvious that there's nothing (or almost nothing) going on (if that really is the way it is) because rbc personnel would be idle when they were used to being busy.

Balaamsass2

When I Google the subject I see some activity...but not nearly as much as 10-20 years ago. "Flipping" Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls HAS to be a CASH COW for Watchtower. ALMOST ZERO original costs to WATCHTOWER (all donations and free labor) and no taxes after the sale (non profit Religion). I would imagine Watchtower has a number of Accountants and commercial Real Estate people who are creating spreadsheets to calculate "Internal Rates of Return" on all Kingdom Halls around the world just as any corporate real estate investor would do. Area's future projected property values, current cash flow/rent, potential profit in a sale now or sometime in the future. They may even hold mortgages ("take back paper") on some sales to other Religions if the returns are attractive. Imagine...Almost zero cost basis, almost zero labor costs, cash flow, and zero sales taxes....= an almost infinite internal rate of return!!!

Some results: https://www.sonomanews.com/article/news/new-jehovahs-witness-kingdom-hall-completed-with-help-of-local-women/

https://www.meridiancapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/44-17-Greenpoint-Avenue-Set-up.pdf

https://images1.loopnet.com/d2/qBt3fE1cgIN1oNMlWscQL88nk9fnzL18xzgVe72N_OI/Other.pdf

https://www.atproperties.com/11688126/2833-e-79th-street-chicago-illinois-60649-nei

https://02038.com/2009/01/jehovahs-witness/

https://antonmediagroup.com/former-geico-building-in-woodbury-to-become-worship-facility/

https://jw-longisland.org/

https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/purchase-of-former-church-fuels-speculation-on-new-saskatoon-shelter

https://warwick.nub.news/news/local-news/jehovahs-witness-meeting-hall-in-warwick-put-up-for-sale-209398

https://altrincham.todaynews.co.uk/altrincham-property/2023/10/17/kingdom-hall-of-jehovahs-witnesses-in-timperley-to-be-demolished-after-being-sold-for-housing/

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/4919572/former-dundee-jehovahs-witness-church-goes-on-market-for-250k/

https://www.steedrealestate.com/properties/kingdom-hall-church-1.html

https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/jehovahs-witnesses-renovating-kingdom-hall/article_5174858a-5be3-11ee-a8ef-57e4e79be1c9.html

26

Worldwide Benefits ( USELESSNESS ) of Cart Witnessing

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

library.

meeting workbooks.

life and ministry meeting workbook | november 2018. .

Balaamsass2

Well once again they cam up with a way for lowly publishers to foot the bill for Watchtower's advertising.

Since I left I find it amusing to read what the neighbors have to say on the new neighborhood social media/neighborhood watch site "NEXTDOOR" every time JWs work ANY neighborhood in my medium size city of 90k. About 30-50% of the neighbors are signed up and quite a few have the new camera doorbells. The threads get a lot of comments. #1. Anyone know who this is? #2. What religion or product is this? #3. Why are they bothering me? #4 Why don't they bother people at their own church? #5 Various comments on dresses. lol :) Overall 90% of the comment are very negative...sometimes a JW/family member jumps in to defend the JWs.

At least with the cart witnessing no one will complain about "sketchy people" bothering them at home. lol.

Balaamsass2

Posts by Balaamsass2

"What We Know About Serena Williams & Her Family's Life As Jehovah's Witnesses"

Serena Desires To Raise Her Daughters As Jehovah's Witnesses

Serena Williams Was Baptized In 2023