BluesBrother

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Posts by BluesBrother

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  13

  JWs and Christmas

  by Rnadomchris83 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been lurking around here for years.

  i'm not a witness, but my in-laws are.

  my wife grew up in it but was never baptized.

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  BluesBrother

  Bah… I see no chance of them adopting Christmas.

  Anyway , after abstaining all these years I , and I am sure many others have no wish to join the rest of them now.
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  27

  Do children still get destroyed at Armageddon?

  by Anony Mous in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i know back in the day, that was taught, that if the parents were going to be destroyed, so would the children.

  i just can't easily find reference to anything.

  this thinking has been used to justify some egregious behavior towards children and their parents such as exclusion of children from jw family - why worry, the end is near, all will work itself out then - the end didn't come though.

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  BluesBrother

  This was a big problem for me and a big part of the reason why I awoke to the foolishness of it all.

  However, at the last but one A GM they seemed to revise everything about the end ….Now saying “ We just Don’t Know “. The judging and decisions rest with Jesus.
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  18

  IICSA Final Report

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  the english legal system's independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has issued its final report, and its recommendations.

  to read the report in full just google iicsa report, if you search on the iicsa site you can find the specific investigation into j.w's.. but this recommendation from the final report is interesting, esp.

  the first and last sentences.

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  BluesBrother

  I hope there are no exceptions in the final law. This will put the government on collision course with the Catholic Church who claim the “ sanctity of the confessional “ and the WT has clung to their coat tails. If there is a loophole the dubs will find it .
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  17

  Footage from Recently Converted Kingdom Hall to a Mosque

  by raymond frantz in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://youtu.be/kjqwfeuhpji?si=6ahbituygdyiq3za.

  when jehovah’s witnesses dedicate their kingdom halls, they often refer to the example of solomon dedicating the temple in jerusalem.

  it’s a solemn moment.

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  BluesBrother

  Mosques are found in every town of Britain… The locals would not be surprised. The dubs view Islam as just part of B the G . No worse than Chrisendom
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  8

  1922 Cedar Point Ohio Convention

  by Nambo in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i recall reading that daniel 12 verse 12 ( 12 blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

  ), was claimed to have been fulfilled by the cedar point ohio convention in 1922.. can anybody recall which publications this claim was published in please?.

  or even better, a screen shot.

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  BluesBrother

  There is a Wt reference of 1993 that discusses it and repeats the same thing. It still seems current teaching.
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  51

  Leaked Annual Meeting Video: "Expect Sudden Changes" Jeffrey Jackson

  by raymond frantz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://youtu.be/uxqqyrrffow?si=wo0jotyvjg76oljk.

  well that's sort of related to the next talk on our program brother jeffrey jackson will discuss the theme don't be surprised by sudden changes, brother jeff you have our.

  attention well i'm sure we all agree with this fact in recent years there have been a lot of changes even since the last annual meeting there have been many changes some of them perhaps are a little surprising or may seem to be sudden but you know brothers and sisters when we look back on how these changes have come we can see that jehovah has gradually prepared us for each of these adjustments and changes let's review some of the recent changes we've had what changes have we seen with regard to our understand understanding of bible teachings at the 2021 annual meeting we received an adjusted understanding of john 529 it was explained that the resurrection of judgment will not be a judgment of condemnation rather it will be more like a period of probation the unrighteous mentioned at acts 24:15 will have an opportunity to gain everlasting life but their names will not be written wr in the book of life at the time of their resurrection to have their names eventually written in that book these ones will need to respond positively to the great educational work that will take place during the thousand-year reign then at the annual meeting in 2023 we gained enhanced insight into what we do know and what we don't know concerning jehovah's judgments we learned that the door of opportunity for people to take a stand for the kingdom does not shut when the great tribulation starts with the destruction of false religion at that time perhaps some will be like the egyptians in moses day who took a last minute stand and joined the exodus of god's people at the same annual meeting we adjusted our views with regard to jehovah's judgments of those who died in the flood and those who were destroyed in sodom and gomorrah also at that annual meeting an adjustment was made regarding the reporting of our time and activity in our preaching work instead of focusing on reports we try to make good use of every opportunity to witness then we receive the 2024 governing body update number two in that update we saw the need to adjust how we interact with those who have committed serious sins and have been removed from the congregation what other major adjustments have we recently seen in our preaching work the emphasis now is on studing bible studies and making disciples not on distributing literature to that end the focus is on studying meaningful conversations not just on using memorized presentations were you surprised by these adjustments perhaps so but as we look back we see how one adjustment in understanding gradually helped us with the next adjustment isn't it true that gradually jehovah has prepared us and when we look back on it we see how logical this training has been to refine our understanding but events in the world likewise have changed it's true sometimes in the world you have sudden changes for example the pandemic but often times change in the world is gradual isn't it true with regard to the view of morality homosexuality abortion even what's acceptable and not acceptable with regard to conduct all of that has happened gradually in the world and it's not until you look back and see how different the world is today with regard to those matters that we see that there have been a lot of changes but this can be dangerous because as things gradually change we may get used to gradual change and forget that there are some sudden changes about to occur uh let's take our bibles please and if you turn with me to the book of luke chap 21 now this is an example of sudden change in luke chap 21 uh notice there in verse 34 the words of our lord jesus are recorded and he said in verse 34 but pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with oving and heavy drinking and anxieties of life and suddenly suddenly that they be instantly instantly upon you it's interesting to note that jesus had already said that this day he was referring to would occur at a time that we don't think is likely so what lesson do we learn from what jesus said it's a warning isn't it that we can't just sit back and think well things are gradually going to develop we know which way it's going and maybe it's not going to happen yet you know got a little bit more wiggle room there with regard to the schedule but you see that's dangerous thinking now what we're going to do is consider two examples of areas where perhaps we could be a little guilty with regard to that for example our view as with regard to the number of anointed ones remaining on the earth now for many years what did we think we thought well that number would go down and down and down and down now i don't know about you but me i you when that report came out just how many how many partakers and and what were we thinking we probably you maybe we didn't say it but we were thinking you know the number will go down down down down and there'll be just a couple of old guys in a wheelchair who will get their reward well i'm exaggerating but that was sort of the feeling wasn't it but now what have we seen in recent years those numbers have gone up and up and not only that younger brothers have been appointed on the governing body now i know what you're all thinking two new ones how old are they we know you're not googling now but you will be but you see we need to be careful about what we're thinking with regard to the number of anointed ones left on earth you see 19 years ago i was appointed on the governing body even i thought i was too young now they tell me i'm not so young anymore but do we see the point what does the bible actually tell us with regard to this well it doesn't say the number would just dwindle down to just having a few uh older ones left no the great crowd of other sheep will be judged on the basis of how they deal with

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  BluesBrother

  If anyone needs , like me , to be able to quote this from the original source….. the last broadcast video contains part 1 of the AGM . The hirsute Bro Jackson’s talk is towards the end …

  It shows the leak was accurate. Thanks to all involved.
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  5

  As a JW, did YOU ever preach this??????

  by BoogerMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  km 2/91 p. 2 par.

  6 - unique to jehovah’s people is the scriptural teaching of two destinies for those approved by jehovah—a heavenly one and an earthly one.

  the principal heading under which we find references about those who have received “the heavenly calling” is “congregation of god.”.

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  BluesBrother

  They did not mean that the first destiny of a heavenly hope was still open , in my day they said that closed in 1935 . And god chose them , not their choice.
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  27

  Memories of Excessive Laughter

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jw's are not known for laughter.

  there are the rare exceptions.

  they are more known for their fear mongering and doomsday scenarios where "the dead shall come to be as manure on the surface of the ground from one end of the earth clear to the other".

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  BluesBrother

  Years ago the meetings were not so scripted, speakers felt free to research own material and we always tried to personalise a talk so it was not boringly the same as they had heard before..

  Congregations differed but frequently, especially midweek, the hall would see gales of laughter at something someone had said. It was a lot more relaxed.

  Today they seem afraid of saying’ the wrong thing’ ….. They have lost more than they will ever know.
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  20

  JW WOMAN VOLUNTEER CRUSHED BY A WALL AT A KINGDOM HALL PROJECT

  by raymond frantz in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://youtu.be/1skm8riz7qc?si=ww3ej9orl_91db4w.

  the construction of a new jehovah’s witnesses kingdom hall in cybinka, poland, has once again shed light on the watchtower organization’s relentless drive to expand its real estate empire on the backs of unpaid, vulnerable volunteers.

  every day, around 40 jehovah’s witnesses show up at the construction site, some traveling long distances, not for pay or proper protection, but to fulfill a sense of “spiritual duty” instilled by the organization.

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  BluesBrother

  The article above is written from a terribly biased view. As someone said, accidents can happen anywhere.

  I know the workers are less experienced but they are very strongly motivated to do it , they love doing so. It is certainly not “guilt”. I met a dub the other day who is going abroad on a build . The comradery and fun is amazing .

  I am sorry for the “sister” who was injured but note that she wanted to straight back.

  I do hope though that safety is a first responsibility of those planning it.
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  11

  Elder's manual or similar from early to mid 1960s re sexual abuse issue

  by Lee Marsh in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i am looking for any information given to elders during the early to mid 1960s on how to deal with child sexual abuse within the congregation.

  .

  it could be in letters or in some version of an elder's handbook or a letter to the elders that specifies how elder were to deal with the issue of sexual abuse within the congregation; not going to elders, silence about the issue, how to handle it with the minor and the accused.. if there was any direction to the elders that precedes this time period that would work too..

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  BluesBrother

  I have only got my memory to go on , but I believe there was very little on the subject bar the criticism of other churches where it was reported.

  The first I heard was a letter to elders between 1995/1997 where the subject was discussed and we were told to send up to Bethel the details of any cases we had handled. I gather that was the origin of the infamous “ secret list of pedos”

  We were shocked to think that such things could happen “ in God’s organisation “