I'm surprised so many people are still on "zoom." The elders have been given instructions to vet each request to see if valid reason and there is some "password" you have to get from them. Like they did when there were phone connections.
Posts by blondie
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33Are the halls of the Kingdom filling up, are they the same as before the pandemic or are they emptying?
by LaFrancia ini open a new topic, to find out how it's going in your area.
from what i see as a southern european in my constituency the situation is patchy.. the congregation where i am now has 30% old people on zoom but also young couples with almost all their cameras off.
no increase but a slight decrease in the total number of publishers.. circuit assemblies: before covid you couldn't find a free seat if you arrived 10 minutes before the start.
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Still Confused About The FDS
by NotFormer inthis was prompted by another thread where it was revealed that the gb were referred to as "our future kings" in a wt video.
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/4911685446402048/fun-moment.
if i've got it right, the 144,000 are (or were until recently) the fds.
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blondie
The WTS changed the definition of the FDS in 2012 > https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/faithful-discreet-slave.php
Who Does the Parable refer to?
Is it apparent that the faithful slave is the Governing Body? No, as shown by Watchtower changing its teaching on who the Faithful Slave is several times. For a detailed article on these changes see Faithful & Discreet Slave Changes.
Is it clear that the faithful slave was chosen in 1919. The article How 1919 is Derived shows that there is no justification for 1919 having any significance.
For many decades, Watchtower taught that the faithful and discreet slave included all 144,000 "anointed" Jehovah's Witnesses. It wasn't until the 2012 Annual Meeting that the Governing Body greatly increased their own authority by announcing that they alone represented the faithful and discreet slave.
Originally, Russell said the Slave was an illustration of the entire body of Christ, the little flock of 144,000 heavenly rulers.
The Slave was described as the little flock - the 144,000 - extending from the time of Jesus.
"Over a period of more than 1,960 years, that work of education has continued, preparing a little flock made up of people from "every tribe and tongue and people and nation" to serve with Christ in his heavenly Kingdom." Yearbook 1996 p.3
In 1981, anyone that felt the Slave did not include all the 144,000 were vilified as objectors who were trying to force an interpretation.
"The objectors may argue that not all of Christ's anointed disciples have a share in preparing the spiritual food, so that perhaps the "slave" pictures only the leading ones, and the "domestics" those they serve in the congregation.
There is no point in trying to force an interpretation of the parable. Self-deception is of no benefit and is spiritually damaging. ... Thus we see a clear Scriptural basis for saying that all anointed followers of Christ Jesus make up God's "servant," with Jesus as its Master." Watchtower 1981 Mar 1 pp.24-26In 2012, the Governing Body completely contradicted itself with the new claim that they alone represent the Faithful Slave.
""Who Really Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?"
... From 1919 on, there has always been a small group of anointed Christians at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have supervised our worldwide preaching work and have been directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. In recent years, that group has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses." 2012 Annual meeting jw.org 10th Nov 2012. -
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Why Was WT OK with Blood Transfusions for over 65 Years Before Banning?
by Sea Breeze inblood transfusion history.
1665 the first recorded successful blood transfusion occurs in england: physician richard lower keeps dogs alive by transfusion of blood from other dogs.. 1818 james blundell performs the first successful blood transfusion of human blood to treat postpartum hemorrhage.. 1840 the first whole blood transfusion to treat hemophilia is successfully completed.. 1900 karl landsteiner discovers the first three human blood groups, a, b and o.. 1902 landsteiner’s colleagues, alfred decastello and adriano sturli, add a fourth blood type, ab.. 1907 blood typing and cross matching between donors and patients is attempted to improve the safety of transfusions.
the universality of the o blood group is identified.. 1914 adolf hustin discovers that sodium citrate can anticoagulate blood for transfusion, allowing it to be stored and later transfused safely to patients on the battlefield.. 1932 the first blood bank is established at leningrad hospital.. 1939-1940 the rh blood group is discovered and recognized as the cause behind most transfusion reactions.. 1940 the us government establishes a nationwide blood collection program.. so from the beginning of the watchtower being printed in 1879, they were ok with blood transfusions until 1945. what caused this?
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blondie
HEMOGLOBIN BASED PRODUCTS ARE MADE FROM WHAT?
It is typically obtained from donated blood that has expired before it is used. Other sources of hemoglobin come from spent animal blood. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738310/
Yet in the November 2006 the Kingdom Ministry had this.
“RED CELLS
HEMOGLOBIN—33% OF RED CELLS
A protein that transports oxygen throughout the body and carbon dioxide to the lungs. Products being developed from human or animal hemoglobin could be used to treat patients with acute anemia or massive blood loss.
____ I accept hemoglobin
or
____ I refuse hemoglobin
HEMIN—LESS THAN 2% OF RED CELLS
An enzyme inhibitor derived from hemoglobin that is used to treat a group of rare genetic blood disorders (known as porphyria) that affect the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems.
____ I accept hemin”
or
____ I refuse
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How has 3 years of inflation affected WTC?
by ThomasMore inthe current u.s. administration and the fed says inflation is hard to tame.
it was over 9% at it's peak.
one of the greatest increases is price of food, something that everyone feels to some extent.
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blondie
In 2008 when the bottom dropped all over, the WTS was affected as well due to their investments in the market (yes, yes). Also the value of their property dropped a lot so they could not sell and take a loss. A lot of the WTS assets, is tied up in property, not cash. I could see more selling of KHs and land, especially those on prime property which has been happening for some time.
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Do Jehovah's Witnesses have to buy any of the organization's literature before distribution?
by Vanderhoven7 inwas this ever a requirement?.
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blondie
Yes, jws had to pay upfront. When the Jimmy Swaggart count case was decided that people could not charge for the publications, the WTS suddenly did not charge its members, and for jws and public it was a donation to the Watchtower Society. And at one time pioneers were given a reduced for literature, including subscriptions to be delivered magazines.
"As a publishing company, Watchtower amassed considerable wealth from the sale of literature from the 1800's to the 1990s. There was no need to resort to the same collection efforts typical of other religious groups. This changed in the 1990 with a tax ruling against Jimmy Swaggart. (See the section regarding Jimmy Swaggart in the article Political Involvement) The United States Supreme Court determined despite religious not-for-profit status, Swaggart was liable for tax on the sale of religious material. The sale of Watchtower publications fell under this ruling. Watchtower decided that rather than pay tax on the money it was receiving from the sale of Watchtower literature, it would be better to direct Jehovah's Witnesses to start asking for donations from people who accepted Watchtower journals in the house to house ministry work. This led to a decline in income.
During this same period, the global publishing industry was experiencing a decline in revenue and profits due to the mainstream launch of the internet in 1995. This further exacerbated the revenue declines Watchtower was experiencing from no longer being able to sell its books and magazines.
Watchtower did not need to pass a collection plate whilst it was making money from selling books. When this income stream started to dry up, Watchtower was forced to look to other sources of income, and in the twenty-first century there has been a noticeable shift in two areas, more open requests for donations and changes in the ownership of Kingdom Halls." https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/donations-money-solicitation.php
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The August 2024 Watchtower controversy and potential further changes
by ukpimo inas an educated guess, the august 2024 watchtower may be delayed because 2 complicated subjects need to be discussed in this issue which haven't yet been approved to be included in the revised shepherding textbook.
perhaps the revised shepherding textbook must be finalised before this watchtower is released publicly.. the 2 subjects may be as follows:.
how to shepherd and appoint brothers based on the removal of the hour requirements, getting to know the brothers instead (does this mean prioritising appointing men who have auxiliary pioneered during the co visit and campaigns or men who are regular pioneers?).
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blondie
Wow, never heard this happen before; and in the age of online technology. Evidently, someone in charge of this magazine did not think ahead.
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Do JWs Get Excited About WT Publications Any More?
by NotFormer inmemory from long ago: my old mate from high school lived next door to a jw and was often "treated" to the latest jw literature.
when the "you can live forever in paradise on earth"* book came out, this neighbour waxed lyrical about how good this book was and how powerful the message was.
he acted really keen about it, like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
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blondie
As to study copies of the WT, many are repeat copies.
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Kingdom Hall Insurance
by NotFormer inthat the wt "self insures" kingdom halls has come up in occasional conversations on here.
how exactly does that work?
do they* actually set aside a portion of the monthly remittance from each kingdom hall and save into a pool to cover damage etc.
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blondie
Some large businesses may choose to self-insure to save money and control costs for their commercial property, auto and general liability coverages. When a business chooses this route, they don’t buy a plan from an insurance company. Instead they set aside money and use it to pay for their general liability, commercial auto and property damage claims.
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Pete Mosier JW/WTS quotes for Nathan Natas
by blondie inhttps://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/101671/religion-report-transcript.
https://www.chick.com/battle-cry/article?id=ex-jw-sued-for-watchtower-quotes.
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40 Years Ago Today: May 15th 1984 "1914 Generation" issue was released. False prophecy, thy name is WatchTower.
by WingCommander init's incredible how this cover, and also this "series" of watchtower's is burned into my mind.
i was almost 5 years old when these were released.
“1914 and you” — may 1, 1984 watchtower.
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blondie
The WTS has an interesting way to say they are prophesying but not prophets: 1961 "The use of prophesying or the preaching of the good news with understanding and teaching others would result in benefits to those in the congregation and even unbelievers; or ordinary people who might come along could be instructed and come to learn how to worship Jehovah God." Prophesying = preaching (the prophecies written in the bible). But the WTS goes on to try to interpret by using phrases, "the bible does not say, but" and then proceeds to interpret it. (Not supporting WTS viewpoint, just reporting)
