Posts by IT Support

26

How many of the Jacksons are Disfellowshipped or Disassociated?

by booker-t in

does anybody know the current status of the jackson family.

is michael jackson disfellowshipped or disassociated?

what about latoya jackson?

IT Support

I understand Firpo describes himself as the Jacksons' "spiritual adviser."

Regards,

Ken

4

Top DJ is ex-JW

by IT Support in

jw
friends

let's see if it works this time.

(the last couple of times i posted this, i'd tried embedding the page: mistake!).

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/music/story.jsp?story=592641.

IT Support

Let's see if it works this time.

(The last couple of times I posted this, I'd tried embedding the page: mistake!)

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/music/story.jsp?story=592641

Regards,

Ken

16

How many went to heaven in the first century?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

if william josephus estimated that by the end of the first century, there were about 1,000,000 christians, and paul wrote that the good news .

had been preached "in under all creation", then why did john say in revelation that only 144,000 would go to heaven?.

why were those who numbered more than 144,000 christians prior to john's revelation in 96ad not informed that there hope was invalid?

IT Support

William Wallace,

Welcome! (Brave choice of name )

is it not possible that what Jesus actually had in mind was that the "other sheep" referred to the Gentiles

That seems to be a reasonable understanding of Jesus' words.

therefore at a future time the Jews and the Gentiles would become "one flock" ?

That would logically have occurred at 36CE when, according to WT chronology, Cornelius was converted and Christianity was opened to all Gentiles.

Regards,

Ken

15

keeping track of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Incense_and_Peppermints in

.

hmm.... http://www.freakypixel.com/service_year.

http://www.cpfsoftware.com

in the newest kingdom ministry publication comes the information of how they're combining the 'no blood' card and the 'health proxy' document into only one card.. the card will have pertinent information according to the region where the person lives.

publishers will only need to change this card if personal information changes, otherwise one can keep the card forever instead of the nonsense of having to fill one out at the beginning of each year.. the wtbts sure is simplifying matters as time goes by.

good!!!

IT Support

XQ,

But we all know that it isn't truly optional.

Little Toe is corect. That's why the congregattion is told not to sign it that night, but to do it at the book study.

That way the book study conductor can check everyone in his group has signed, and would automatically tell the body of elders if anyone's "conscience" did not allow them to sign it..

Regards,

Ken

22

Are blood fractions safer than primary blood components?

by IT Support in

i'm thinking through my new position on blood transfusions, and would appreciate your 'pearls of wisdom.

i now feel that, while a blood transfusion is still dangerous, i would accept it as a last resort, if all else failed.

i would not die, or allow any of my family to die, for want of a transfusion of plasma, platelets, or red or white cells.

IT Support

bttt

22

Are blood fractions safer than primary blood components?

by IT Support in

i'm thinking through my new position on blood transfusions, and would appreciate your 'pearls of wisdom.

i now feel that, while a blood transfusion is still dangerous, i would accept it as a last resort, if all else failed.

i would not die, or allow any of my family to die, for want of a transfusion of plasma, platelets, or red or white cells.

IT Support

bttt

22

Are blood fractions safer than primary blood components?

by IT Support in

i'm thinking through my new position on blood transfusions, and would appreciate your 'pearls of wisdom.

i now feel that, while a blood transfusion is still dangerous, i would accept it as a last resort, if all else failed.

i would not die, or allow any of my family to die, for want of a transfusion of plasma, platelets, or red or white cells.

IT Support

XQ,

iN all reality the watchtower did the theolgical equivalent of the "94 Assault Weapon Ban".

I quite agree. Thanks for your interesting comments.

Blondie,

Thanks for the references.

While on the AJWRB site, I came across this interesting page, "Consumer Reports on Blood Safety" which includes some interesting statistics, contrasting the varying risks of blood transfusions with other life-and-death events.

TD,

Thanks for the interesting comments. You and XQ sound like you know what you're talking about.

Concerned mama,

Thanks for the reference.

BluesBrother,

I do not recall the WTS ever saying that that blood fractions were safer than a real blood transfusion.

No, I don't think they ever have said that. I was just wondering for my own information.

The reason I am asking about blood fractions / components, etc. is that I am updating my Health-Care Advance Directive (in the US, called the health-care durable power of attorney (DPA) form). Credit where credit is due, I think it is one of the few good ideas to come out of Brooklyn: I agree it is responsible to think through and put in writing your wishes in respect of organ transplantation and donation and end-of-life decisions before a crisis occurs.

Anyway, in revising the section dealing with blood transfusions, the Society's original form obviously differentiates between these primary components and fractions. In this new, post-JW world, I had no idea how relevant these distinctions were, and whether there were medical reasons for carrying them forward. From the responses I've read so far, I don't think there are.

XQ,

I believe the stance of blood needing to be poured out is a sun set belief simular to the 42k years of creation.

Interesting comment: I've just finished re-reading the study articles in the June 15 2004 WT and you're right, there's no mention in these articles of blood being poured out (other than as an aside [p23 par 14]). However, it is referred to in the Questions from Readers (p 30, right hand column, first paragraph), but it is in the context of how a JW must make their own conscientious decisions...

Interestingly, there's no specific mention either of blood being stored, apart from an oblique reference (in the same paragraph as above) to it being "collected and processed."

(While on the QfR, I suspect there's deeper significance to the second sentence: "We firmly believe that God's law on blood is not open to reform to fit shift opinions." Does anyone else think that's a dig at AJWRB? If so, it's significant in that the Society must be feeling the impact of their web site!)

the belief that a fraction shoundn't be used if it replicates the "life saving function" of a "primary" component... These beliefs are now defunct

I'm not sure if that's the case. See (same WT) p 24, last sentence of para 16:

"Moreover, some products derived from one of the four primary components may be so similar to the function of the whole component and carry on such a life-sustaining role in the body that most Christians would find them objectionable."

Decyphering WT double-speak, I take this to mean that "such products" are forbidden.

(they caught a hail storm of flack from the branches that held the former beliefs and didnot allow fractions). As well as issuing a gag order on the elder body, and service desk.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Would you mind explaining further?

As far as fraction biohazards think of it as drinking urine

Interesting analogy! Thank you.

Eyeslice,

However, my understanding is that blood fractions are usually obtained from "pooled" blood sources. For example, a single dose of a blood clotting factor might have come from blood pooled from 200 or 300 blood donations. Hence the risk of contracting AIDs or CJD from a fraction could be potentially higher from a fraction than from the whole blood of 3 or 4 individuals in a transfusion of 3 or 4 units.

Excellent point, thank you.

Axelspeed,

Always remind them that this is an issue of sacredness, not health, according to the society. To make this a health issue is to give wiggle room.

Quite right.

Eyeslice,

although the Society has always made blood an issue of morality as opposed to health, the good health issue was seen as a positive side-effect if you like.

I agree that's fair comment.

Blondie,

Hence, we do not donate blood, nor do we store for transfusion our blood that should be ?poured out.?

There's no doubt this line of reasoning has been a significant underpinning of WT blood policy, as you quite rightly state.

However, I don't think it's possible yet to be dogmatic about the shifting state of such policy. We are all too aware of the WT's sneaky insertion of new policy ideas over a number of years, small things at first, then later saying: 'This is nothing new, we said such-and-such five years ago.' and nobody had noticed or realised the significance of it...

So it's probably too early to know whether they are deliberately dropping this line of argument. It may be significant, as XQ pointed out, that no mention was made of it in the June 15 WT...

Scully,

Thank you for your very interesting comments.

(Sorry that my last post--which, on re-reading it today, seems terribly pompous -- duplicated your own reference to donating blood. I'd popped onto the computer and added it without having time to read all the new posts on this thread. That'll teach me!)

Axelspeed,

If you came across a bag full of money...

Thanks, excellent illustration.

Blondie,

I donated blood again yesterday for the second time.

Good for you. I'm going to do so at the first opportunity.

Shadow,

Thanks for the information. I hadn't realised www.noblood.org was back online.

The site was apparently taken down a couple of years ago, I heard a whisper it was at Brooklyn's insistence-can anyone confirm? If so, why is it back up again? This time with Brooklyn's approval?

Judging by the comments you quoted, I'd have thought Brooklyn would be highly displeased with it's re-appearance. Unless, of course, it's piggy-in-the-middle of a Brooklyn turf-war...

Blondie,

I just registered and looked at the Site Editors page. I recognise a number of the names as HLC brothers...

XQ,

Blondie they changes the stance on "stored" blood when they allowed you to store your blood to be medicated and then put back inside your body.

Are you sure they allow that? Is it in print?

Regards,

Ken

22

Are blood fractions safer than primary blood components?

by IT Support in

i'm thinking through my new position on blood transfusions, and would appreciate your 'pearls of wisdom.

i now feel that, while a blood transfusion is still dangerous, i would accept it as a last resort, if all else failed.

i would not die, or allow any of my family to die, for want of a transfusion of plasma, platelets, or red or white cells.

IT Support

the "blood has to be poured out" dogma is still in use. they contradict themselves with it, but they don't seem to care

I have always firmly believed that if, e.g. you are willing to accept an organ transplant, you should also donate your organs for transplanation after your death. If you're opposed to donating your own organs, it would be hypocritical to accept one yourself, if you needed it.

The same principle applies to blood. On the one hand, the Society permits JWs to accept fractions processed from stored blood, but on the other hand, they forbid JWs from donating blood because it will be stored. Some would call it a contradiction, I call it yet more hypocrisy.

Regards,

Ken

23

To what extent do the elders keep information on us?

by JH in

jw
friends

i remember a few years ago, i changed congregation, so the elders told me that they had to send my folder to the other congregation.

when i was baptized, i don't remeber them telling me they kept information on me, and that they would pass it around to other congregations if ever i moved.. i wonder what kind of information is kept in these folders.

probably everyone in the congregation has his hours listed and the privileges they had written in it, but maybe there is alot more written that we don't even know about.

IT Support

JH,

the elders told me that they had to send my folder to the other congregation... Does anybody know what else could be written in these folders?

There are not special folders kept on every publisher, unless your old congregation set up their own system.

However, there are dozens of Society forms on which your name could appear:

Regards,

Ken