respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  33

  VERY short day at the Arlington/Dallas International Convention-My Observations

  by CaptainSchmideo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  okay, some good takeaway:.

  i have never been to a convention quite like this before.

  a very friendly vibe all around, lots of banners and posters with sayings like "sending love to all our brothers", "see you in the paradise", "ecuador sends greetings", and "jehovahs-witness.net" (okay, i lied on that last one...).

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  respectful_observer

  Sounds like the wait to get back to your car was misery.

  You need Uber!
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  25

  A few thoughts on the District, um, Regional... sigh....

  by Apognophos in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i don't even know what the bloody event is called anymore.

  i think it's still a district convention until it goes to two days, isn't it?

  my convention program leaflet just says "convention of jehovah's witnesses", seemingly intentionally avoiding the change in wording.

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  respectful_observer

  Thanks apognophos, I don't understand why they change irrelevant doctrines that don't really effect anyone, just makes them look silly for no purpose.

  It necessary in order to satisfy the now constant desire of many JWs for NuLite TM ....especially since so many JWs treat NuLite as a sign that Armageddon must be about to break out. They can introduce new understandings of subjects that have very little bearing on actual doctrine, but still generate excitement.
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  43

  LIVE from Ford Field international DO

  by darth frosty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wanted to show the activity in downtown detroit from the convention.

  trafic is on jam!.

  lots of people .

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  respectful_observer

  This thread appears to be about the only "LIVE" reporting. No mention (yet) at:

  http://www.detroitnews.com/ (The Detroit News)

  http://www.freep.com/ (Detroit Free Press) (although here's an article from last night: http://www.freep.com/article/20140605/NEWS05/306060022/Jehovah-s-Witness-convention-Ford-Field)

  http://www.clickondetroit.com/news

  http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/

  Somebody in "INFORMATION SERVICES" better get busy!

  R_O
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  38

  Two points of entry for the Dallas Convention?

  by CaptainSchmideo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone else hear about this?

  i got this second hand from my wife, who got it from her mom.. .

  apparently, there will be two points of entry to the convention.

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  respectful_observer

  It has more to do with Homeland Security compliance for large stadiums.

  WT had similar security issues with a university stadium in the Seattle area for this summer's convention.

  Okay, I had heard both the NFL and Homeland Security were to blame, depending on who I was talking to. Either way, this one isn't actually the WTS' fault....except for failing to foresee this a problem much further in advance.
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  38

  Two points of entry for the Dallas Convention?

  by CaptainSchmideo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone else hear about this?

  i got this second hand from my wife, who got it from her mom.. .

  apparently, there will be two points of entry to the convention.

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  respectful_observer

  This has nothing to do with apostate paranoia. It is my understanding that this came up as the result of the NFL (National Football League) prohibiting bags over a certain size in its any of its stadiums, which would have excluded just about every type of cooler. I was told the WTS went through extended negotiations with this only very recently. Why on the earth the Holy Spirit didn't foresee this issue is beyond me...
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  10

  Is She Going to College?

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so my wife goes to a high school graduation for a congregation member.

  she spends hours at the party, she has cake, she gives a very decent gift.

  she brings home leftovers from the party for me and her.

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  respectful_observer

  I think she's going to college, otherwise the whole party would have been babbling about her pioneering. LOL.

  Maybe. Although the pattern that I've seen is as follows:

  Graduate and pioneer -- GREAT!

  Graduate and work full time -- Perfectly acceptable.

  Graduate, work part time and attend a 2-year degree program, then work full time -- Perfectly acceptable

  Graduate, obtain a 4-year degree, then work full time -- BAD EXAMPLE/NOT SPIRITUAL...Oh, except for being marriage material. As much as JWs seem to judge people harshly for obtaining 4-year degrees, it suddenly becomes a "plus" when they start dating. I've seen many a JW brag that their daughter is dating a brother who was smart enough to earn his college degree. Hypocrisy at its best.
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  103

  Additional BOE Letter: Please Be Advised that Further Direction Will Soon be Sent to the Bodies of Elders...

  by TTATTelder in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  dear brothers:.

  we are writing as a follow-up to the letters dated january 24, 2014, and march 29, 2014,. to all congregations regarding the adjustments now underway to accelerate construction of king-.

  dom halls and assembly halls.. .

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  respectful_observer

  "This includes the need to present a resolu tion to the congregation by no later than May 31, 2014... Please be advised that further direction will soon be sent to the bodies of elders, which will assist you in finalizing the monthly and one-time amount(s) you will propose to the congregation by way of a resolution."

  Me thinks something unexpected happened. Not only have many congregations already presented resolutions, but the fact that the deadline is only 3 weeks away and this "further direction" has not yet been formulated yet in order to be included in this letter tells me people in WT Finance and Legal departments must be scrambling around like crazy right now trying to get this all sorted out.
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  43

  New Atlanta Assembly Hall Has raised 3.4 million Dollars... GONE

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they announced last week that the new atanta assembly hall has thus far raised 3.4 million dollars.

  my local told that will become the society's come may 1. i wonder how that will go over with the ones who have been contributing to this fund..

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  respectful_observer

  My sister's hall is sitting on well over a half-million dollars in cash they have put away for a long-needed renovation. (It would cover the renovation in its entirety.) After being put off by the RBC over and over again, they were just told that they would have to wait another TWO YEARS.

  How much do you want to bet that half-mill will now go to the WTS, after May 1, and then when the renovation actually happens in 2016, suddenly everyone will forget about that money and be "so grateful" that WTS steps in, writes a check for the entire cost of the renovation and then the congregation is on the hook for a hefty never-ending monthly mortgage payment voluntary donation to the WTS?
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  22

  Letter Read At Special Talk

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the watchtower arranged to have a letter read announcing that elders would now be apponted by circuit overseers.. any elders on this forum know how this will be different from the current arrangement for appointing elders.. it would be nice to see a schematic with boxes showing how it used to be and how it will be in the future..

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  respectful_observer

  I'm sure that the COs received a different letter that outlines their process of reviewing and approving appointments. I would not be surprised if behind the scenes the process has actually changed very little. I can imagine that the CO would likely still have to send the names to the branch for a Headquarters background check before he then "appoints" someone after getting the "all clear".

  I suspect the only material change in this whole process is that there is no longer a piece of paper documenting the branch (WTS) being the one to appoint, thereby providing legal insulation to the WTS.
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  27

  What if Everyone Demaded Answers About Where the Money is and What it is Used For?

  by TTATTelder in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what if right in the middle of rolling out their latest money-grabbing scheme, there was an uprising demanding financial transparency?.

  i thought jehovah was a god of organization and numbers.

  isn't that why we report time and have all these annual reports?.

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  respectful_observer

  I'd love to start the following conversation in the service group one morning:

  Me: "So I recently was asked to donate to ______ charity. When I asked what they would do with my contribution, they talked a lot about their global charity work. When I asked how much money was donated every year, they replied that they don't release that information. When I asked for a breakdown of how much they donated to which causes, and what percent stays with the charity for administrative costs, they said they don't release that information. Whe I asked where I could find and read their financial disclosures, they said they don't release those. Can you believe it?!"

  Group: "Wow, I hope you didn't donate!"

  Me: "No, of course not. There's really only one reason you don't disclose that information: you don't want the public to know, for one reason or another. Am I right?"

  Group: "Yes!"

  Me: "Although I second thought, maybe I'm over-reacting. Not all non-profits are willing to release that information, afterall. Take the Watchtower Society, for example. It has never released the type of financial disclosures that most big non-profits do-- contributions, administrative expenses, total assets, etc. I guess I shouldn't be so hard on this charity. The WTS must have a good reason for keeping that information secret, so maybe this charity does too."