Listener

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  47

  Norway

  by St George of England in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).

  their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.

  additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".

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  Listener

  Jeffro - But they have doubled down on shunning 'apostates'

  Yes, they may have eliminated a few of the reasons for the ruling but they've also made it worse in other areas, such as apostasy, as you pointed out.

  I wonder if they think that it's not possible for a minor to be considered as an apostate because they are ultimately under the authority of their parents. If their parents tell them they have to attend meetings, or they can't speak negatively about the religion to others, or that their atheism is irrelevant then the Government will not intervene in the well accepted parent/child relationship, so apostasy becomes irrelevant. They may argue in court that they will not disfellowship a child for apostasy because ultimately all they are doing is rebelling against the parents and it's up to the parents to keep them in line.
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  47

  Norway

  by St George of England in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).

  their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.

  additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".

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  Listener

  The Watchtower was so quick to change their policies and procedures in relation to minors, JCs and disfelowshipping. Although the Courts decision had a lot to do with the organisations treatment of minors when disfellowshipped, it appears that the Watchtower has not done enough.

  These changes that they have just made in relation to the dealing of serious sins by minors have been drastic. It appears that the organisation painstakingly went to the trouble of downplaying it by introducing cosmetic changes to the dress codes which were likely to catch the attention of jws.

  It is interesting that they now place the responsibility of children’s behaviour for serious sins back to the parents, who, biblically they have always been in subjection to. This change affects those children that have been baptised or are an official publisher. I am looking forward to seeing how they put this in print for jws to read.

  However, they’ve ignored the fact that the same principles apply to the wives in the household, who are in subjection to their husbands, being the head of the household.
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  32

  Punkofnice

  by jhine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone know how punky is ?

  he hasn't posted in a while ?

  jan from tam .

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  Listener

  Nice to hear from you Punkofnice and great to hear you are enjoying family life.
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  194

  GB Update #2, March 2024: Women allowed to wear pants, no ties/coats required if not giving a talk, & now able to greet DF ones in the KH!

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you heard me correct, this is not a joke, and it is not april fools day!

  the asl portion of the governing body updated #2 (march 2024) has been released a bit early and someone caught it.

  summary: .

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  Listener

  If you commit a 'serious sin' or some other thing that makes you subject to a JC the new directive to the Elders is to meet with you more than once with the aim of making you 'repent'. This is going to be a form of unwelcome harassment for many but accepted so as not to lose family and friends. It will potentially be worse than before.

  It seems that they will have to accept JWs declarations of repentance more so than judging them as non repentant. Even then, they will generally only be allowed to df for three months.

  There's going to be a lot of counselling given to parents of minors.

  The Elders can tell that you're not into the religion but they are being forced into persuing PIMOs. I can see this harrassment happening to those that just want to fade.

  It's going to be more work and pressure for Elders. No wonder some of their work has been reduced but the worst part of their job will increase and in a way that they will feel powerless and uncomfortable with.
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  15

  Former Kingdom Hall is now a Swaminarayan Temple!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this former kingdom hall is now a hindu swaminarayan temple!

  to the far right of the picture, the two tower pillars are obvious by the red and green flags.

  https://pdfupload.io/docs/d8e6115a .

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  Listener

  Assuredly they would have undedicated it by an appropriate ceremony and with prayerful thoughtfulness on the exchange of money.
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  144

  Hailstone message AND everyone will be saved? Questions

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve not been paying close attention to watchtower developments, but talking to a jw yesterday it occurred to me the society (yes, still use that term - old school) have been sending out mixed messages in recent years.

  from what i gather, a few years ago the gb announced that during the great tribulation jws would be required to preach a “hailstone message of judgement” which involved telling people it was too late for them to repent and they were definitely going to be destroyed.

  there were hints that this could be very soon, “any day now” preaching could stop and the hailstone message come in, kind of thing.

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  Listener

  It’s so interesting reading through this thread.

  The GB/Watchtower/Society come out with some new ideas which contradict what they taught in the past and explain in detail what they once knew but no longer know. At the same time, all of this is from the Bible and Jehovah is revealing it to them.

  How they have the audacity to write, create or approve such things all in the name of God is shameful.
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  144

  Hailstone message AND everyone will be saved? Questions

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve not been paying close attention to watchtower developments, but talking to a jw yesterday it occurred to me the society (yes, still use that term - old school) have been sending out mixed messages in recent years.

  from what i gather, a few years ago the gb announced that during the great tribulation jws would be required to preach a “hailstone message of judgement” which involved telling people it was too late for them to repent and they were definitely going to be destroyed.

  there were hints that this could be very soon, “any day now” preaching could stop and the hailstone message come in, kind of thing.

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  Listener

  MikeJW You're not providing enough evidence to show that this is their new teaching. The one statement you mention doesn't substantiate it at all.

  In the Watchtower, which include part of what you quote it states

  But a person’s eternal future does not depend on when he happens to die. Jehovah is the perfect Judge​—he renders just and righteous decisions. (Read Psalm 33:4, 5.) We can be confident that “the Judge of all the earth” will do what is right.​

  These comments are loaded and they won't explain any further on it because they just don't know or have chosen not to say.
  
  

  However, it appears that what the Watchtower is saying is they don't know what will take place (and God will be fair and just) but they do know that if a person was going to have eternal life after they were resurrected then that person would not be killed at Armageddon had they still been alive at the start.
  
  
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  144

  Hailstone message AND everyone will be saved? Questions

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve not been paying close attention to watchtower developments, but talking to a jw yesterday it occurred to me the society (yes, still use that term - old school) have been sending out mixed messages in recent years.

  from what i gather, a few years ago the gb announced that during the great tribulation jws would be required to preach a “hailstone message of judgement” which involved telling people it was too late for them to repent and they were definitely going to be destroyed.

  there were hints that this could be very soon, “any day now” preaching could stop and the hailstone message come in, kind of thing.

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  Listener

  Mike JW. What about the teaching of the sheep and goats during Armageddon? What does that achieve?
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  144

  Hailstone message AND everyone will be saved? Questions

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve not been paying close attention to watchtower developments, but talking to a jw yesterday it occurred to me the society (yes, still use that term - old school) have been sending out mixed messages in recent years.

  from what i gather, a few years ago the gb announced that during the great tribulation jws would be required to preach a “hailstone message of judgement” which involved telling people it was too late for them to repent and they were definitely going to be destroyed.

  there were hints that this could be very soon, “any day now” preaching could stop and the hailstone message come in, kind of thing.

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  Listener

  As an aside, isn't it funny that they waited three months to upload the annual meeting on their website for all JWs to see and another couple to put the new light in writing but when it came to allowing beards, the announcement went out to all JWs at the same time.

  They sure have their priorities right when it comes to feeding the sheep versus issuing orders.
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  144

  Hailstone message AND everyone will be saved? Questions

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve not been paying close attention to watchtower developments, but talking to a jw yesterday it occurred to me the society (yes, still use that term - old school) have been sending out mixed messages in recent years.

  from what i gather, a few years ago the gb announced that during the great tribulation jws would be required to preach a “hailstone message of judgement” which involved telling people it was too late for them to repent and they were definitely going to be destroyed.

  there were hints that this could be very soon, “any day now” preaching could stop and the hailstone message come in, kind of thing.

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  Listener

  No, it makes no sense and they must want it that way.

  In the same Watchtower they say -

  These clarifications actually make our preaching work more urgent than ever.

  Then they say they will explain why in the next article.

  The reason they give is because Armageddon is getting even closer.

  Yet, they’ve always given this as a reason as to why the preaching work is urgent.

  They may as well have said, ‘we are a month closer today than last month so it is more urgent’.

  The reality is, they’ve made it less urgent. No clocking on or off with minimum preaching hours, preaching extending into the GT and opportunity for anyone to join in the GT etc.