I have never heard of that and I date back to 1952. But I do know that until 1926 the WTS celebrated Christmas and there is picture of it. https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/celebrations.php Now I can imagine Bible Students (before 1931) were told to destroy their christmas stuff, but my grandmother set up christmas scenes in the fireplace (not on fire) after that still, and it was the one of the reasons she left.
Posts by blondie
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7Some Seasonal Nostalgia
by NotFormer incan't find any references, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.
i remember, probably at least two decades ago, a small news snippet about someone was going around brooklyn heights and setting fire to christmas wreaths on people's doors.
i've always personally suspected* that it was a bored/semi-insane bethelite.
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What has the Spiritual Paradise of the WTS been over time
by blondie inthe first mention i find in the wts publications is 1958. although the wts says the index goes from 1930 to 1985, nothing appears before 1958 a search only found by using the phrase "spiritual paradise" not in the index.
in 2015 there was a clarification of the phrase "of course, we should not conclude that the terms “spiritual paradise” and “spiritual temple” are the same.
the spiritual temple is god’s arrangement for true worship.".
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blondie
The first mention I find in the WTS publications is 1958. Although the WTS says the Index goes from 1930 to 1985, nothing appears before 1958 a search only found by using the phrase "spiritual paradise" not in the index. In 2015 there was a clarification of the phrase "Of course, we should not conclude that the terms “spiritual paradise” and “spiritual temple” are the same. The spiritual temple is God’s arrangement for true worship."
2022 EXPRESSION EXPLAINED: “Spiritual paradise” refers to the secure environment in which we worship Jehovah in unity. In this environment, we have an abundance of spiritual food that is free from religious lies and we have plenty of satisfying work to do in preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom. We enjoy a close relationship with Jehovah, and we live in peace with our loving brothers and sisters, who help us to endure life’s challenges with joy. We enter the spiritual paradise when we begin worshipping Jehovah in the right way and when we do our best to imitate him.
2015 The expression “spiritual paradise” has become a part of our theocratic vocabulary. It describes our unique, spiritually rich environment, or condition, which allows us to enjoy peace with God and with our brothers. Of course, we should not conclude that the terms “spiritual paradise” and “spiritual temple” are the same. The spiritual temple is God’s arrangement for true worship. The spiritual paradise serves to identify clearly those who have God’s approval and who are today serving him at his spiritual temple.
1983 “What do you mean by a spiritual paradise?” you ask. Put simply: An organization of Christians who have made over their personalities to conform to God’s requirements and who are united in his true worship may be said to be in a spiritual paradise.
(oldest in WOL) 1958 Thursday afternoon the conventioners waited with intense interest to hear Brother Knorr speak on “Maintaining Our Spiritual Paradise.” \... Knorr told the vast audience of 145,488 persons that when the holy spirit was poured out on Christ’s disciples at Pentecost, making them spiritual sons of God, “a spiritual paradise had then been established.” (Notice that Knorr refers to spiritual sons of God—at that time only the anointed had the designation)
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Life in a spiritual (UN)-paradise
by Reasonfirst ina long, long time ago, when i was young, i became a 'special' pioneer.
it meant that i had to spend 150 hours a month, and i received a small allowance.
i was then assigned to a small country congregation, in western nsw (australia).
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blondie
After 9 congregations in various US states and European countries, I finally realized there was no "spiritual paradise." And left and have never gone back and never will. I finally learned the facts of jw congregations. I realized there was no "Christian" love in any of them, and Bethel was the worst of all, their little special "family." After 23 years out, Things have even gotten worse. Yes, the hours around 120 hours for "publishers" not just pioneers and "special" pioneers. The WTS says the GB, is not "inspired" and "imperfect" but still can tell the rank-and-file what the scriptures mean and even set doctrine and rules that the WTS says "the Bible does not say" but then goes on to explain what their god left out. That somehow their god only shines light on the GB who then tells the members it is from their god. The WTS today does not resemble their group that my grandparents and parents were members of. But the WTS does not have a reliable book of their history, the ones who lived then or had parents that did have died off and the publications that had those old ideas have been left to go out of publication. I finally realized that the WTS is not just a "high-control" group but a cult. The WTS only gets rid of elders who do not play by the WTS rules and make it public. I am not surprised by any of these experiences, having seen all of them myself over the last 60 years as an adult. I finally realized as far as the WTS and its members, "Jehovah has left the land, and he is not seeing" a quote from book of Ezekiel when it says their that the Israelites had even brought the statue of a false god into the Holy (not Most Holy) area of the temple and the priests were leading worship of it and making the other Israelites do the same. I am glad I'm out of the WTS and that I don't have to see that hypocrisy first hand and see those in charge, wink their eyes at. Their "Jehovah" has left the land, if he had every been in it.
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Missing WT's on JW Org
by joey jojo inwhen i browse jw org, the following years of watchtower magazines are missing from the drop-down menu:.
1987 - 1990.
1997-1998.. i dont want to install any libraries from jw org because of spyware concerns.. are these years included in the downloadable libraries?.
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blondie
I have found that the WTS does try to bury things especially in using their index. When something changes, often they just stopping writing about it in their publications and let it just age out.
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February 2024 Study Watchtower -
by BoogerMan infebruary 2024 study watchtower p. 2 par.
2 - "however, a question may arise: 🤣 what will happen to christ’s “other sheep” who will be serving jehovah faithfully on earth during the “great tribulation”?
(john 10:16; matt.
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blondie
What is the newest time the WTS says the remaining "anointed" on earth will go to heaven? For years, I and others have said that the "anointed" would have to be in heaven to be part of the wedding of Jesus and the Bride of Christ (all of the 144,000) If some were on earth, then those "anointed" would miss the wedding. What did the WTS then say to deal with that, they said the marriage of Jesus and the Bride would take place shortly after the great tribulation started. Thus whatever timeframe the WTS has assigned to the start of the great tribulation it is still before Armageddon. Also, all of the 144,000 anointed are said by the WTS to be fighting along side Jesus and the angels to destroy the wicked on earth at that time. I don't have the quotes right in front of me, but I will search on JWN to see how long ago that was.
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Did Geoffrey Jackson lie under oath at the ARC?
by Vanderhoven7 ini understand he intimated that the faithful slave was not the only spokesman for jehovah god.
he also intimated that corporal punishment was not advocated by the wts.
we're these lies or deception or did they represent the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?.
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blondie
I see that the WTS is continuing to use "weasel words" to protect themselves from legal repercussions. Remember Legal at Bethel outvotes the old "Service Desk" on any issue that can bring legal problems for the WTS. Elders are directed to call Legal first before getting any advice on issues to make sure they don't have a legal issue imbedded. -
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Will the GB Eventually "observe" Tithing?
by Sea Breeze infound this on fb from the recent losch talk.
time for a new business model?.
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blondie
If the WTS can change the time reporting policy, they can introduce some form of individual tithing and just call it something else, and then say this "All of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not." Watchtower 2013 Nov 15 p.20
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Women in JW Ministry
by NotFormer inwomen make up the main population of the kingdom halls, and the pool of young males willing to step up to "serve" is drying up.
what is the likelihood of "new light" on jw women in ministry roles formerly held only by males?.
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blondie
"If there are not enough baptised sisters then unbaptised brothers can but it’s rare that there are not enough baptised sisters." Based on what I knew and know now, if not qualified baptized brother or sisters, an unbaptized person could not do it. An elder would have to do it, even if it meant he had 2 assignments to do the same meeting, not overlapping.
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Will the GB Eventually "observe" Tithing?
by Sea Breeze infound this on fb from the recent losch talk.
time for a new business model?.
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blondie
No if it were conditional, it could not be reported to the government as legal as a tax deductivle. It would be called a loan, but not tax deductible.
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Missing WT's on JW Org
by joey jojo inwhen i browse jw org, the following years of watchtower magazines are missing from the drop-down menu:.
1987 - 1990.
1997-1998.. i dont want to install any libraries from jw org because of spyware concerns.. are these years included in the downloadable libraries?.
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blondie
St George, the WTS has a way of making things disappear without announcement, but not in this case, then they hide it, thinking most jws would not look that far back, unless they are reading "apostate" comments. For example, for years the WTS taught that "creative days" were 7,000 years long, in fact, based the 1975 teaching of 1975, that 6,000 years of the 7th day only had 1,000 years left for the 1,000 reign of Christ. Gradually by 1987, no mention of 7,000 creative day again after that year. It became "thousands and thousands of years." how many jws were alive then who are alive today and old enough in 1987 to remember that with intelligence? Yes, the WTS buried it even to the point of having jws get new copies of study books to keep it buried when these books were studied at the "book" study. Unfortunately one older jw had an older copy and the conductor the newer one and the conductor had become a jw as an adult long after 1987. Boy, that was embarrassing trying to explain that. https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1975.php