Posts by TJ Curioso

how i treat patients who refuse blood transfusionswhy cant jehovahs witnesses have a shabbes goy make medical decisions for them?by chavi eve karkowsky|posted tuesday, june 25, 2013, at 10:45 am.

a placental blood pouch is prepared to be sent to a blood bank at hospital haut leveque university hospital of bordeaux, france.. photo by bsip/uig via getty images.

when you are performing the first interview of a new patient at the high-risk obstetric clinic where i work, question no.

How I Treat Patients Who Refuse Blood Transfusions

Why can’t Jehovah’s Witnesses have a Shabbes goy make medical decisions for them?

By Chavi Eve Karkowsky | Posted Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at 10:45 AM

Photo Essay At Hospital Haut Leveque University Hospital Of Bordeaux, France. Preparation Of The Placental Blood Pouch To Send It To The Blood Bank.

A placental blood pouch is prepared to be sent to a blood bank at Hospital Haut Leveque University Hospital of Bordeaux, France.

Photo By BSIP/UIG via Getty Images

When you are performing the first interview of a new patient at the high-risk obstetric clinic where I work, question No. 14 on the intake computer form is: “Do you have any prior preterm deliveries?”

Question No. 15 is: “Do you have any lung or respiratory diseases, including asthma?” (This is when everyone remembers that they do, in fact, have asthma.)

Question No. 16 is: “Would you accept a blood transfusion if you needed one to save your life?” It’s a yes/no question. If you type “No,” the line turns a brilliant and alarming red.

That question is there, of course, because of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This Christian sect was founded in 1872 by Charles Russell, and its members’ stance on blood transfusion is derived from their interpretation of Genesis 9 and Leviticus 17 to “not eat from the bread of life,” as well as the verses in Acts 15:20, Acts 21:25, and elsewhere that Christians must “abstain from ... blood.” Adherents do not accept blood products, regardless of the possibility of death. For Jehovah's Witnesses, receiving blood products may lead to excommunication from their community and fear of eternal damnation.

It’s not uncommon for my clinic to have a Jehovah’s Witness patient. These patients are often not the ones who give us the most trouble in terms of transfusion—the sickle cell patient who has been transfused so many times that it’s very hard to find blood that she’s not allergic to is another example. We work closely with the blood bank, and no transfusion is given lightly to any patient (or, unless in an emergency, without formal written consent).

Not all Jehovah’s Witnesses feel the same way about transfusion; some may opt to allow some blood products but not others, some may allow us to use certain techniques but not others. And some, when faced with the occasionally harsh and always direct discussion (and paperwork) involved in the refusal of all blood products, find that, in the end, their reservations about transfusions have left them.

But there was one patient I took care of several years ago who was especially worrisome. She was entering her third trimester with a pregnancy that had various complications related to her uterus and placenta that were going to necessitate a cesarean delivery, and quite likely a cesarean hysterectomy.

A cesarean hysterectomy is a difficult and frightening surgery. It’s daunting to try to take out the uterus of a pregnant woman right after a baby has left it: The blood vessels feeding it are bringing one-fifth of her blood volume to it every minute, and new blood vessels have formed in every direction, following no solid anatomical rules, because the pregnancy has strongly requested them since the day it set up shop. During the surgery, you clamp and tie off arteries that are the size of your pinky finger and sometimes your thumb; they bleed, you clamp and tie them again. Ultimately, the surgical saying goes, all bleeding stops. But we’d prefer it to be because we have a successful surgery and not because there’s no blood left.

For this patient, the plan for cesarean hysterectomy was made because, at this time, it was this patient’s only option. However, it is unusual to get through a cesarean hysterectomy safely without a blood transfusion. It was terrifying to me to have to consider not having the option.

There are, of course, multiple techniques that can help minimize the risk. Self-donation of blood is accepted by some Jehovah’s Witness patients; surgical tools that recirculate lost blood back into the patient’s blood stream are another.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/06/jehovah_s_witness_blood_transfusions_how_a_doctor_works_around_doctrine.html

43

New Rumor - Watchtower and Awake in one magazine only?

by TJ Curioso in

hi folks!.

someone told me that there is a rumor that soon the watchtower and awake's magazines will be only one (fusion).. anybody knows something concrete about that, or is only rumor instead?.

tj curioso.

TJ Curioso

Hi folks!

Someone told me that there is a rumor that soon the Watchtower and Awake's magazines will be only one (fusion).

Anybody knows something concrete about that, or is only rumor instead?

Thanks,

TJ Curioso

87

Arguments in favor of the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 BCE

by TJ Curioso in

i received the following explanation in favor of the date of 607 bce.

accepted comments on the points at issue.. .

conclusion.

TJ Curioso

I don't believe in 607 AEC. I only want arguments to contradict this information that I received.

87

Arguments in favor of the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 BCE

by TJ Curioso in

i received the following explanation in favor of the date of 607 bce.

accepted comments on the points at issue.. .

conclusion.

TJ Curioso

I received the following explanation in favor of the date of 607 BCE. Accepted comments on the points at issue.

Conclusion

Here are the failed prophecies if 587 BCE is the correct date for Jerusalem's destruction.

Jerusalem uninhabited and in ruins for 70 years.

If 587 BCE is correct, then the desolation ends in 517 BCE. By this time homes had been built and crops grown for over 20 years (Haggai 1:4, 11). Alternatively, if the desolation ends in 537 BCE, the period is only 50 years, not 70. Alternatively, if the period began in 3rd year of Jehoiakim, the desolation is only 68 years, not 70, and whole passages of Jeremiah are wrong. No matter what argument is used, the prophecy fails.

70 years of the nations servitude to Babylon, starting with Nebuchadnezzar

If 70 years begin in Jehoiakim's 3rd year of rulership, servitude lasts 68 years, not 70. If servitude begins in 609 BCE (secular chronology) with the defeat of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar is not King for another 2 years, but prophecies state nations serve him and not his father; once King, servitude lasts 68 years, not 70.

Tyre forgotten for 70 years.

Period begins after the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 26:1), which is 587 BCE at the earliest. Period ends when Tyre's profit becomes holy to Jehovah (Isaiah 23:14), in 537 BCE (Ezra 3:1). Only 50 years have passed, not 70.

Egypt devastated for 40 years.

Ezekiel gave prophecy in 570 BCE (Ezekiel 29:17) and devastation begins in 568 BCE. Within 30 years Egypt has a King and holds a foreign alliance, and all exiles were released from Babylon, also Kingdom strong enough to rebuff Persian Empire. The 40-year period ends uneventfully in 528 BCE.

However, the 607 BCE date fits all the chronologies and prophecies like a glove! It creates no contradictions, no failed prophecies, and requires no complex arguments or contrived explanations. All one needs to do is accept what the Bible plainly says, that 70 years is 70 years long.

607 BCE – the only date that works

Here is the result when we accept the Bible's mathematics — that 70 years is 70 years long:

Jerusalem uninhabited and in ruins for 70 years.

If 607 BCE is correct, then the desolation ends right on time in 537 BCE when the Jews are back in their cities.

70 years of the nations servitude to Nebuchadnezzar

If 70 years begin in 607 BCE, servitude lasts the full 70 years. Nebuchadnezzar is King at start as prophecies stated.

Tyre forgotten for 70 years.

Period begins after the destruction of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 26:1), which is 607 BCE. Period ends precisely 70 years later when Tyre's profit becomes holy to Jehovah (Isaiah 23:14), in 537 BCE (Ezra 3:1) when Tyre provides materials for the new temple.

Egypt devastated for 40 years.

Ezekiel gave prophecy in 590 BCE (Ezekiel 29:17) and devastation begins in 588 BCE, ends exactly 40 years later in 548 BCE. A year later secular chronology records Egypt's King holding a foreign alliance.

The date 607 BCE is the only date which fits — and not only does it fit, but it fitsextremely well. If one is “searching for truth”, as many 587-promoters claim to be doing, shouldn't one only abandon 607 BCE if there is a better explanation? Is 587 a better explanation? Does it harmonize with the Bible in a better way than 607? Most certainly not! —See our summary chart

The only reasonable conclusion is that 607 BCE is the date of Jerusalem's destruction. One would have to be extremely biased, rabidly opposed to Jehovah's Witnesses, or just have no regard for the Bible's inspiration to promote any other date. According to God's Word the Bible, the desolation began with the city of Jerusalem, and it began in 607 BCE. —See our time-line for an overview of the whole chronology

Month-to-month

In fact, the 607 BCE date even allows the 70-year desolation to begin and end in the exact same month. The Watchtower of 15th January 2006 explains:

In the seventh month of 537 B.C.E. (Tishri, corresponding to September/October), the faithful returnees offered their first sacrifice. King Nebuchadnezzar had entered Jerusalem in the fifth month (Ab, corresponding to July/August) of 607 B.C.E., and two months later [in the seventh month] the city's desolation was complete (2 Kings 25:8-17, 22-26) As foretold, Jerusalem's 70-year desolation ended right on time. (Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10) Anything Jehovah's Word foretells always comes true.

Click to enlarge

On the other hand, not a single one of the 587-based theories creates such a perfect harmonization. In fact, all chronologies based on 587 cause massive contradictions, causes four prophecies to fail, and makes entire passages of Jeremiah just plain wrong.

What the passages “actually” mean

Worst of all, scriptural accounts which are perfectly clear and understandable, apparently require an expert to tell you what they actually mean.

When the Bible says Jerusalem and Judah are both devastated for 70 years, it doesn't actually mean 70. When it says 40 years for Egypt, it doesn't actually mean 40. When Jeremiah said the land will be devastated, he actually meant it already was. When the Bible said the land would be without an inhabitant, it didn't actually mean without any inhabitants. When the Bible says all the princes were in Jerusalem, it didn't actuallymean all the princes were there. When the Bible said Daniel was trained for 3 years before seeing the King, it didn't actually mean 3 years before seeing the King. When it said Tyre would be forgotten for 70 years until helping rebuild the temple, it didn't actuallymean 70. And so on and so forth.

We are strongly reminded of the tactics of Trinitarians, how they try to explain away clear words and tell you how “the father is greater than I am” actuallydoesn't mean that. The Bible simply doesn't agree with 587 BCE, and attempts to make it fit are contrived, complicated, and end up contradicting whole sets of scriptures. They use secular dates sourced from unknown pagan astrologers to over-ride the inspired writings of faithful Bible prophets, causing it's prophecies to fail; they go further and play with the word of God – inventing an exile that never occurred, just to suit their own ideas. It truly is a disgrace.

On the other hand, we as Jehovah's Witnesses are determined to go with thewhole Bible record and what it says rather than unproven writings of historians — who may or may not have an ax to grind and reasons to slant history to suit their own beliefs.

Your Decision

Will you accept the chronology of the Bible and it's inspired prophecies – God's view – or, will you believe the secular chronology and the viewpoint of imperfect human historians and their Bible-contradicting dates?

This essay and website has been researched, written, and created by brothers who, at one time, believed that 607 BCE was incorrect, and that 587 BCE was more likely. We read the claims of apostates, and were gullible enough to be taken in by them. After some time we realized that the promoters of 587 were not motivated by “truth seeking”, as they so often claim, but rather from an arrogant desire to simply prove the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York wrong, and to prove themselves more clever or more righteous than Jehovah's people, whom they hold in obvious contempt.

After much research we can now see that the year 607 BCE really is correct according to the Bible. As the apostle once warned, we were “so quickly removed from the One who called [us] with Christ’s undeserved kindness, over to another sort of good news. But it is not another; only there are certain ones who are causing you trouble and wanting to pervert the good news about the Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-7) Now we see clearly that Jehovah's Witnesses are right, and 587 is wrong.

There is a very popular book which advocates the 587 BCE date, written by an apostate with a disturbing cult-like following. To successfully draw people out of the truth, he promotes 587 to discredit the 1914 doctrine. He conveniently forgets to mention that 587 contradicts the Bible so much that it makes entire prophecies fail, of course.

By putting on a false piety, pretending to be merely seeking truth, he has fooled many into believing the secular chronology. By using twisted methods of interpretations he even convinces many that the Bible supports this ridiculousness too!

One woman who read his book (and left the truth being erroneously convinced 607 is wrong) remarked that she had “found the truth about the truth”. She then quoted Jesus in saying “the truth shall set you free!”, happy that she doesn't have to go to meetings anymore or preach as Christ commanded, as she is now more enlightened than the ignorant Jehovah's Witnesses.

However, she and thousands like her are totally and utterly fooled. Talking of a divisive issue back in the 1st century, the apostle comments, “Once you were making fine progress, who got at you so that you now are no longer convinced of the truth? That persuasion did not come from the one who called you, and now the whole lump is in a ferment because of that small amount of yeast. Yet I am confident that all of you who belong to Christ will not deviate from your convictions; but the one who is upsetting you, whoever that is, he is the one who will bear the responsibility.” —Galatians 5:7-10, 2001 New Testament

Also the apostle advises how we should treat ones who cause such problems,“keep your eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them. For men of that sort are slaves, not of our Lord Christ, but of their own bellies; and by smooth talk and complimentary speech they seduce the hearts of guileless ones.” (Romans 17:18-19) Yes, for “...their word will spread like gangrene.” —2 Timothy 2:17

17

Suffern tenants must move after Jehovah's Witnesses group buys building

by TJ Curioso in

suffern tenants must move after jehovah's witnesses group buys building .

suffern the nonprofit organization behind the jehovahs witnesses has purchased an apartment complex in the village with plans to use it as temporary housing for members while they work to build a massive new headquarters in nearby warwick, orange county.. the sale of the 48-unit suffern commons at 10-12 chestnut st. closed last week, a spokesman for the watchtower society told the journal news.. the deal forces families in the three-story building to quickly find alternative housing and could mean a loss to the village of $56,000 in annual property taxes if the new owner secures a religious tax exemption which it is interested in, spokesman richard devine said.. before the sale was confirmed, tenants spent the past few weeks anxiously trying to figure out why some of them received notices to vacate by june 30. others who had signed one-year leases or didnt know when their leases were up, like terri fosina-friedman, also have prepared to move.. but the painful process and lack of information from their landlord and the new owner has angered many residents, fosina-friedman said.. im just happy that i got it settled and i got another place to live and my son can stay in the school district, she said.. the watchtower society, the brooklyn-based organization that establishes doctrine for millions of jehovahs witnesses around the world, intends to honor tenants existing leases at suffern commons, devine said.

he indicated that the society would consider an extension of the june 30 move-out deadline.. were going to work with the tenants, he said.

TJ Curioso

Suffern tenants must move after Jehovah's Witnesses group buys building

SUFFERN — The nonprofit organization behind the Jehovah’s Witnesses has purchased an apartment complex in the village with plans to use it as temporary housing for members while they work to build a massive new headquarters in nearby Warwick, Orange County.

The sale of the 48-unit Suffern Commons at 10-12 Chestnut St. closed last week, a spokesman for the Watchtower Society told The Journal News.

The deal forces families in the three-story building to quickly find alternative housing and could mean a loss to the village of $56,000 in annual property taxes if the new owner secures a religious tax exemption — which it is interested in, spokesman Richard Devine said.

Before the sale was confirmed, tenants spent the past few weeks anxiously trying to figure out why some of them received notices to vacate by June 30. Others who had signed one-year leases or didn’t know when their leases were up, like Terri Fosina-Friedman, also have prepared to move.

But the painful process and lack of information from their landlord and the new owner has angered many residents, Fosina-Friedman said.

“I’m just happy that I got it settled and I got another place to live and my son can stay in the school district,” she said.

The Watchtower Society, the Brooklyn-based organization that establishes doctrine for millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world, intends to honor tenants’ existing leases at Suffern Commons, Devine said. He indicated that the society would consider an extension of the June 30 move-out deadline.

“We’re going to work with the tenants,” he said. “We understand that they all have different circumstances so we want to work with them to see what the best course of action is for them and for us.

“We certainly are not going to put anyone out onto the street,” he added. “We don’t want to create undue hardships for people or disrupt people’s lives.”

By law, nonprofit religious organizations may own property to house only members of their faith as long as there isn’t a commercial use.

Devine declined to disclose the sale price. As of Wednesday, no new deed had been filed at the Rockland County Clerk’s Office. The building’s previous owner, Real Estate Management Group of Englewood, N.J., did not return a message seeking comment.

The village will ask the society to give all tenants six months, until Dec. 30, to find new homes, Mayor Dagan Lacorte said.

Tenants who want legal assistance are encouraged to call the Rockland Legal Aid Society at 845-634-3627 or 800-454-3627.

The Watchtower Society is awaiting final site plan approval in Warwick so the construction of its new worldwide headquarters can get underway. It chose Suffern as one of several nearby locations to house workers who will commute to Warwick until new residences are built there, Devine said.

The four-year construction project calls for building 500 residential units on a 253-acre site that was once a metal processing plant, Devine said. The campus will serve as the new living and working headquarters for the order’s governing body when it relocates from Brooklyn.

The Watchtower Society runs a similar educational center in Patterson, in Putnam County, and a campus and printing facility in Wallkill, N.Y., where 10,000 Bibles are printed daily.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose followers are perhaps most recognizable for spreading the teachings of the Bible door-to-door, counts 8 million active members worldwide, including more than 1.2 million in the United States.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20130612/NEWS03/306120129/Suffern-tenants-must-move-after-Jehovah-s-Witnesses-group-buys-building?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7C%7Cs&nclick_check=1

8

"you will always have the poor with you" - John 12:8

by EdenOne in

"you will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.

" - john 12:8. how is this compatible with the notion of a future paradise on earth, [end of history] where the poverty will be eliminated forever?.

comments, anyone?.

TJ Curioso

I think this don't have anything to do about the future alteration of conditions on the earth.

It was only a expression that implies that the disciples must help and do something for the poors in need.

We know that JW don't anything of this, right? ;)