JeffT

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Posts by JeffT

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  58

  Beautiful New "Kingdom Hall"

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  these images were posted on one of my fb news feeds.

  they are legit.

  looks like an upscale commercial bldg.

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  JeffT

  I never said the changes would be "progressive" I just think it would be a good opportunity to make changes. Historically, the WTBS, has made changes to all sorts of things (doctrine, prophecy, administration, etc) about as often as most of us change our socks. Getting rid of a lot of weak members would make the changes easier.

  I still don't think these new designs are going to be money-makers. Either the WTBS is not planning on trying to resell these ugly-ass buildings for lots of money; or they have the worst real estate advisors in the world.
  
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  29

  Why doesn't the Watchtower Society never study the Bible cover to cover?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the 40 years as a jehovah's witness, i never read the bible cover to cover.

  the three meetings a week were broken up with book studies, awake and watchtower magazines,and ministry& field service meetings, all written by the watchtower society.

  never did we read any chapters from genesis to revelation and discuss the true meaning of what we just read.

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  JeffT

  They may read it in order, but they don't study it. For about twenty years after we left the Watchtower my wife and I went to a mainstream Christain church. Every week there was a about a half hour sermon that was entirely based on a book of the Bible. It would take weeks to go through even a short book.

  There is a reason JW's don't do that. The Watchtower's method of interpretation is to bounce around the Bible pulling verses out of context and without regard to what sort of book (history, poetry, prophecy) it is, who the author was, or the intended audience. The Germans have an expression "Kreuz und Quer" "Cross and cross" or perhaps "back and forth." I first heard that when I was doing my exit research. It perfectly captures the way the Witnesses look at the Bible.
  
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  58

  Beautiful New "Kingdom Hall"

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  these images were posted on one of my fb news feeds.

  they are legit.

  looks like an upscale commercial bldg.

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  JeffT

  I think you may be on to something here. However, I think the long term goal may be to completely rebuild the religion once they've eliminated the people most likely to complain. It would give them a way of dodging lawsuits over a change in blood doctrine, and reset the clock (or get rid of it) regarding the approach of Armageddon.
  
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  19

  Scanning and Sending Medical Records Through Emails--Circuit Overseer Letter!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  atlantis, do you have the circuit overseer's letter, where they say they scan and send your medical records through emails?

  isn't that against the law?.

  you would need to speak with those on the board with legal knowledge on that subject, because i am not qualified in such legal matters.

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  JeffT

  Wasanelder: If that was before 1996 I'm not sure what the law was. HIPAA became law in that year. Under HIPAA the docs would have had to have either your father's signature on a form to release information to you, or a HIPAA release as part of a Health Care Power of Attorney in his will.
  
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  14

  Money Laundering

  by Solzhenitsyn in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  well friends how about another update straight from the mole in the treasurers office?

  fact: tens of thousands of bethelites have taken a vow of poverty and live/work in branches all over the world.

  fact: they all get a stipend based on local need, "cost of living", tenure, ect.

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  JeffT

  I'm a retired accountant.

  None of this makes any sense, nothing you describe is "money laundering." In the U S gifts from one inidividual to another are not taxable. If the WTBS is taking money sent to individuals without their permission its called "stealing."
  
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  35

  Poop 💩 Patrol Map in San Francisco To Help People Avoid Poop On The Streets

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what a shame that the streets of san francisco has turned into a s hole.

  i wonder why this is happening.

  any ideas?

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  JeffT

  Add Seattle to that list. In my opinion a big source of trouble is the way we deal with drugs and mental illness. Too many alcoholics and addicts refuse to go into housing facilities where they can't use. I work in a 28 day recovery center and I hear this frequently. And the courts have decided that if people don't want to go into a shelter they don't have to, even if they don't have enough functioning brain cells to make a good decision. These factors are to often ignored when discussing the problem.
  
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  13

  Days Text for today, a clue the Governing Body could be raptured soon?

  by BourneIdentity in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  saturday, april 20. keep proclaiming the death of the lord, until he comes.​—1 cor.

  11:26.. regarding the great tribulation just ahead of us, jesus said: “they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

  and [jesus] will send out his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together.” (matt.

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  JeffT

  The US has an extradition treaty with the Cayman islands. It won't be that great a place for them to run to. Escaping to a foreign country AND keeping whatever money you took is a lot more complicated than most people think.
  
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  107

  The Mueller Report....will it affect Trump negatively?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they say it will be out any day soon.

  do you think the report will do major damage to trump?.

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  JeffT

  Flipper, its obvious that the Democrats will keep throwing stuff at the wall until something sticks. That is NOT how our jucidical system is supposed to work. Whatever happened to the presumption of innocense?
  
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  19

  So Many People Are Overly Emotional and Acting Crazy Spoiled!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  youths in school have meltdowns anytime someone “offends” them.

  grownups at a dinner table flip out on each other over politics.

  drivers are ready to smash each other up if someone disrespects them on the road.

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  JeffT

  I've been reading articles that boil down to something like the OP for decades. Most of them blame somebody the author doesn't like for the problem.

  Instead we all need to ask ourselves if we are part of the problem or part of the solution.
  
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  45

  What woke you up?

  by HappyBlessedFree in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i’m fairly new so i don’t know everyone’s backstory.

  how did you realize the organization was false?.

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  JeffT

  I converted in 1973, at age 22. I was caught up in the 1975 business. I became discontent over the years as nothing ever happened. In the spring of 1988 there was a talk about the evils of higher education, and how unnecessary it was since the new system was so close. My children were entering their teenage years, and wanted them educated. I started a major research project, and was on the road out.