soft+gentle

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Topics Started by soft+gentle

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  25

  Is the IBSA's charitable status in the UK vulnerable?

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  one thing that has occurred to me recently is how much money the society makes from being registered as a charity in certain countries.

  in the uk, the government contributes 28 pence for every pound that is donated (referred to as "gift aid"), effectively increasing the value of each contribution from 1 to 1.28. not surprisingly, the society in the uk are doing very well out of this arrangement, and last year according to the charity commission's website they made a turnover of 25.7 million, with profits of 7.8 million.

  i calculate that approximately 5 million of this must have been generated by gift aid.. the thing is, to my knowledge recent laws that have been passed by parliament stipulating that a charity must be in the "public benefit".

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  36

  Was Jesus sent only for

  by jam in

  1. social
  2. current
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  7

  Just noticed a .pdf New World Translation on jw.org

  by sd-7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  interesting.

  always wanted a bible i didn't have to carry, except preferably a more accurate one.... one thing i noticed was, remember how they'd have the brackets [] to indicate words inserted, according to them, to complete the sense of what was meant in the original languages?

  i noticed that those brackets are gone, and the words are just in the text now.

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  48

  If you believe in the resurrection or reincarnation what race would you prefer?

  by jam in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for the past few years i have been asking people.

  i have know(blacks) this question.

  the results,.

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  10

  Please reccomend a book

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would anyone reccomend a good material on .

  (1) the history of the world.

  (2) the history of religion.. i am just interested in man's development over the years to create gods for himself, any good book would be appreciated, and a review of the book highlighting a short summary is also welcome..

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  42

  Even the Bible doesn't say that the world is about to end..

  by The Quiet One in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  here are some scriptures that show that the world isn't about to end, even according to the bible!

  i noticed most of these in my own reading, but this page brings them all together.

  i don't believe in the coming system of things, though.. any comments welcome.. http://www.apocatastasis.net/prophecy/prophecy-system-of-things-.html.

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  3

  Where is awakened@Gilead?

  by mankkeli in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a@g has not posted for some time, i hope he is sound, does anyone heard from him?..

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  46

  Abusive Families Drawn Like Moths to a Flame or Does WTS Help Develop Abusive Attitude?

  by OnTheWayOut in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so many ex-jw's are stepping forward here and other places and relaying information about their upbringing in the jw's being an abusive one.. we have the two types of abuse- physical and sexual.

  i thought i would give a chance to everyone to ponder on what's up with the high levels within watchtower congregations.

  i know the subject has been covered before, but some fresh voices and some new readers might want to know that they are not the freak, not the problem in their family, not alone, able to relate to others.. as far as physical abuse goes, i consider the attitude of wts that is passed on- beat the littlest of children in order to keep them quiet during meetings.

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  47

  Ton Ten REASONS why Jehovah's Witnesses simply can't abide reality

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  1.the organization itself denies access to reality and substitutes its own version, interpretations and meanings.. a.only watchtower approved publications are allowed.. b.no higher education is to be pursued.. c.no non-jw friends or associations are encouraged with their "outside" points of view.. d.no free-style questioning of doctrine or criticism permitted.

  curiousity is verboten.. e.threat of being "marked" or disassociated looms over them.

  2.between every real-world event and the rank and file jw's mind is a roadblock.. a.the moment of identifying is short-circuited by an interpretive moment of re-labeling in watchtower-speak.. b.all things happening are forced into a narrow storyline and propagandized as end times happenings leading to armageddon.. 3.social and personal identity is expunged and replaced by a collective persona: "jehovah's witness".. a.private thinking is red-flagged as selfish and sinful.. b.personal improvement, welfare and ambition is crushed and door-to-door ministry substituted as "worthy" endeavors.. c.self-conscious obsession permeates witness awareness as each person is transformed into a public spectacle of performance for judgement.. d.since you aren't an individual you don't really have a right to fall in love and marry or educate or earn.

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  86

  Merry Pantsmas Everyone!

  by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

  1. social
  2. humour

  okay, i posted this in a thread that got locked and buried.

  since then i've been really busy and have overdosed on christmas music in the past week.

  so, i'm resurrecting this "holy day" holiday that most people will unknowingly be celebrating tomorrow.

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