NikL

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  7

  They're baaaack! J.W. urban legends

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  got a e mail today full of urban legends j.w.

  style.

  the heading is "jehovah knows what's going on".

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  NikL

  Got a e mail today full of urban legends J.W. style. The heading is "Jehovah knows what's going on". Take a look at this self rightous self serving crap... DOES JEHOVAH KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, AND DOES HE HELP? 1. The bomb planted in the Kingdom Hall In Australia, where one brother was killed, was meant to kill everyone, and would have; but the bomb rolled backwards so the force or the blast was away from the friends, ratherthan aimed at them 2. A new Hall was built in Brooklyn. However, a large tree was inconveniently located in the center of the parking lot, and a city ordinance forbade it's removal. That night, a storm blew it down, and it conveniently fell in the middle of the street. No harm came to the Hall. Because it blocked the street, the city of New York had to remove it, at no expense to the brothers. 3. In Florida, a Hall building was delayed, because the basement hadn't been back filled and the brothers had no means to do so. While the inspectors were at the site, a bulldozer showed up, did the job, and drove off. He returned to tell his boss he'd finished the job at the Hall. The boss replied, "Hall!? I told you to go to the mall!" The job was done at no expense to the brothers. 4. The brothers were building a 2-day project, and were short of roof trusses. None could be obtained for 3 days. Nearby, a semi truck overturned, blocking traffic. What was it carrying? Trusses! The police wanted them removed. The brothers moved in and hauled them away. Although some were damaged, enough were gathered to finish the project, at no cost to the brothers 5. A Hall project was planned on an island. However, no sand was available for the mortar. (Many of these islands are formed from coral.). The only sand was on property owned by the Catholic priest, and he wouldn't sell to the brothers. A storm came up and washed the sand from the priest's land to where it was available to the friends. The project was completed, and everyone was happy but the priest. 6. In Poland, where the work is done underground, 3 elders were working on a country road. The sky was cloudy. Suddenly a bolt of lightning killed the middle brother. The other 2 hurriedly hid his body in the bushes, to go and remove literature, etc. from his home before the officials came. They take over any possessions they find and give them to whomever they feel can use them. Among his possessions were found a complete list of all the Witnesses from miles around. He was not a brother, but an imposter, planning to turn this list over to the police. As Bro. Lauriz says, if these hadn't come from Bethel, we'd never believe them. 7. In a country where the work is banned, a Brother was trying to get through a series of roadblocks, with the trunk of his car loaded with literature. He was stopped by a policeman who asked him if he would take him to a certain destination as his car was broke down. The Brother agreed, the policeman got in the car, took his policeman's hat off and put it on the dashboard of the car as they drove along. They passed through five roadblocks and each time they were waved to go on through because of the policeman being with him. When they reached the end, the policeman thanked him and got out. The Brother asked him what the roadblocks were for and he said, "Oh, those Jehovah's Witnesses try to get through with their literature and this is set up to stop them." So he had escorted the Brother right through with his literature, (Told by Bro. Spangenberg, C. 0.) 8. A Brother going door to door met a man who said very emphatically he was not interested. He said to the Bro. "Tell it to the dog!" So the Bro. did. He gave the whole Sermon, read the scriptures, and presented the WT subscription, when he got through, he looked up at the man and said, "Well, the dog says yes." The man said "If the dog says yes, then I'll take it." So he placed the subscription. This was told by Brother Carrie Barber. (Gov. Body) Rejoice in the hope. Endure under tribulation. Persevere in prayer. -Romans 12:12 9. Here is one I can add. In West Valley City, Utah, a new Kingdom Hall was planned. Funds were short. The brothers heard of an IRS auction of property in an ideal location. The date of the auction the presiding overseer went to the site, county court house steps. A minimum bid was announced, $14,500.00. Our brother raised his hand. No one of the many gathered there offered any bids. The congregation got the property, then sold off a piece of it for $14,500.00. Net result...property paid for at no cost to the brothers aside from clean up. How do I know? I was in that congregation at the time. Bob Weyer
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  30

  Annual Meeting Notes

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is an e mail making the rounds of the faithfull.

  supposedly notes from the annual society meetiing.

  in case anyone is interested.. ****************.

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  NikL

  This is an e mail making the rounds of the faithfull.

  Supposedly notes from the annual society meetiing. In case anyone is interested.

  ****************
  This year’s annual meeting was as AWESOME as ever – and the theme of URGENCY of our times was repeatedly emphasized. To
  that end, you may be as excited as me to hear that our 2007 theme text is
  
  Zeph. 1:14 – The great day of Jehovah is near.”
  
  In his talk, Brother Anthony Morris of the GB asked ‘when the son of god gives a command, are we going to listen’? He was
  referring to the instructions at Matt 24:17,18 where he instructed those in Jerusalem to not go into their homes - even if they
  were simply on their rooftops - to get their “things” before heading for the mountains. Are we going to want to delay so we can
  be “more balanced” about how we perceive things should be? Might we be inclined to be sidetracked by material things?
  
  As never before we MUST keep our sense of urgency! Then he stated “The Governing Body is convinced that the Great Day of
  Jehovah is NEAR!”
  
  WOW!
  
  There were reports from Togo, Lebanon, Ecuador, US, and France and interviews with Branch Committee members. The
  program ended with 3 talks from members of the GB….
  
  Bro Samuel Herd’s talk was “Finding Contentment with Your Lot in Life”.
  He said contentment is not a natural characteristic – but must be cultivated. It can be accomplished once our basic needs (food,
  love, protection) are met. Paul said he LEARNED to be self-sufficent / content. Contentment is to be satisfied inward feeling
  about our circumstances. Contentment is the top of our spiritual ladder which we must keep striving to achieve. The first wrung
  of the ladder is “trust in Jehovah”.
  
  Brother Lett spoke on “Survivor or Casualty – Which Will you Be?”
  People will fight w/ all their might to stay alive physically, but do nothing or very little to stay alive spiritually. He was speaking
  NOT about worldly people – but about our fellow brothers and sisters! There are many spiritual casualties right now. More than
  just a desire to be spiritual is needed. He outlined an 8-step program based on 2 Pet 1:5….
  Faith – opposite of doubt
  Virtue – moral excellence w/ the right MOTIVE. Example: refusing to overindulge in alcohol – not virtue
  unless it’s done for the right motive – which is to please God.
  Knowledge – must put forth earnest effort to study
  Self-control – must build it up in small things first – examples: do we have self-control to shut TV off when a
  questionable program comes on?
  Endurance – withstanding stress, keep going. Are we slowing down because we are getting tired waiting for
  the Great Tribulation? We have need for endurance, even when difficult
  Godly Devotion – being personally attached to Jehovah. This will keep us from “going through the motions”
  of serving God and will also prevent us from being stumbled by ANYTHING.
  Brotherly Affection – fondness, affection for our brothers even though we know/see their weaknesses/faults.
  We must not look at their flaws, but rather view them as Jehovah does, and be ready to die for them.
  Love – for Jehovah and for our bro&sis. We must make peace with our b&s and bury any problems in an
  unmarked grave!
  
  Bro Guy Pierce – “Remain in God’s Love”
  God’s love never fails in ANY circumstance. Rom 8:38, 39 – Nothing can separate us from god’s love. He genuinely cares for each
  one of us. Even death can not separate us for the safest place to be is in God’s memory. If we are REALLY convinced that this IS
  the truth – then we MUST LIVE IT = our entire life style. Mark 12:30. Our enemy is Satan, he fights dirty.
  
  Ezek 9:4 – mark in the foreheads of those who are sighing and groaning over the detestable things being done today. The
  question for us is – are we being ENTERTAINED by those very detestable things? If so, how can we receive the mark?
  
  There were 13,397 in attendance (JCAH, Bethel homes in Brooklyn, Patterson, Wallkill, Canada)
  
  We have a new release of a video “JW’s Organized to Share the Good News”.
  
  It was a privilege to be present and our concluding song was “We Thank You Jehovah”.
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  26

  Occult sublimal imagery-what`s your view?

  by dido in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i came accross this today, and am shocked by it, has anyone got any views about it, as can`t believe that this has gone on?

  http://www.bigwig.net/knots/nightmares/occult.htm.

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  NikL

  There has been a lot of stuff written about the Watchtower and hidden pictures on this site.
  I for on believe in subliminal advertising and know it is used in the secular world very extensively.
  Why, therefore wouldn?t the WTBS use this technology? They are trying to make their ideas stick just like an advertiser would.
  
  Subliminal means below the threshold (of conscious awareness)
  
  Where is a person's threshold of consciousness? It varies. I'm only noticing the air conditioner in the room because I decided earlier to use it as an example. But until the moment of starting this example I was not conscious of hearing the air conditioner. Would I have noticed if it stopped? I was now and then hearing snatches of music from the table radio, mostly when I stopped typing. Where was my threshold of consciousness in each of these moments? Awareness of the sub-liminal is relative.
  If you don't believe it, notice what happens when I remind you that you are reading this. Now you are more aware of an act that you were alrfrom eady doing. When I call your attention to it by mentioning it, from within the act itself, your level of consciousness jumps from one level to another. To read 'correctly,' you have to be unaware of doing it, at one level, while, at another level, being totally aware of it.
  Then there's your butt. It's touching something. Before I mentioned it, you probably weren't aware of it touching anything at all. But it's never disconnected from your brain. Yet in some way it WAS disconnected, gone--until I called your attention to it. Then, your butt was there again. When I start talking about something else, you'll stop noticing your butt again. I'll draw your attention somewhere else. To your tongue. Feel it in there, taking up all that space in your mouth? Now where'd that butt go?
  You'll mostly stop noticing it, but not totally. It's connected to your brain 24 hours a day. Normally, you shift your position when your butt tells you to, even if you are 'totally' engrossed in something going on outside your body, such as a sports event or a movie. That's an example of unconscious awareness, if you needed one.
  
  The reason that horrific imagery like skulls and monsters are used in advertising is that it is received by the brain as a challenge, we fear death, and in theory we will remember the ?product? better.
  Sexual imagery is used because we crave sex.
  Weird pictures that are deliberately not right?an arm at an impossible angle or a reflection that is not the same challenges the brain and again the idea is to get you to remember the thoughts being pushed.
  
  Of course there may be other reasons for what the WTBS does but I think it is just their attempt to manipulate the reader just like any advertiser would to sell their product
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  62

  How do you feel about the name Jehovah?

  by JWdaughter in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  do you use it anymore?

  do you care?

  do you cringe when you hear it?

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  NikL

  I remember looking through an old book on witchcraft and it said Jehovah was a magic word and used in many spells. I always found it ironic that these pagan witches could use the name when we were told that we were special and holy because we used it as Jehovah's witnesses and in fact saying it was a way to make demons leave us alone.
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  13

  Are things really worse now?

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this morning amidst the news of the possible terrorist attack involving planes from the

  i told her that nothing happened.

  she of course pointed out that this time it didnt but maybe next time.

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  NikL

  This morning amidst the news of the possible terrorist attack involving planes from the

  I told her that nothing happened. It almost did.

  She of course pointed out that this time it didn’t but maybe next time. She said it is getting so bad now and will get worse and everyone can see it.

  How about it everyone? Is it really worse now than any time in recorded history? Or, is it just that we constantly have a media hyping everything to death?

  If we lived in the middle Ages and had TV we would have thought it was the end of all things certainly with the Black Death. Just imagine the headlines! Wars have always happened. Famine has been a common occurrence though out human history. Corruption of kings and governments is nothing new. The difference was that we didn’t hear about it if it didn’t happen within walking distance of your village.

  Any thoughts? Is it really worse? Is Armageddon really howling at the gates? Am I an idiot for not seeing it?
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  17

  Multitrack audio recording in the basement

  by Twitch in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  one of my hobbies is recording original music with either of the two bands i play in.

  i've got a roland si24 8 track interface/control surface and use sonar on the pc, various plugins (waves native bundle dx plugins for mixing and isotope ozone for mastering) .

  just finished one cd for one project with another in the mastering stage.

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  NikL

  I use Adobe Premiere (formerly Cool Edit Pro). Works great for what I do. I produce radio station imaging. It is really easy to use and the features are incredible. I am not a musician though so maybe there is something out there better for that sort of thing.
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  19

  Another Bold Faced Lying Watchtower (Aug. 1, 06)

  by metatron in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "dignity for all - soon!

  " , proclaims the 8/1/'06 watchtower cover!.

  do jehovah's witnesses really believe that dignity for all is soon?

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  NikL

  It always got me that they would harp on the belief in Hell as a punishment. "How could god who is love do that to his children?" But making them die a painfull death...now that is a loving and kind thing to do. Now that I am older I can see what a crock it all is. We all are going to die. And if there is some reward (and I hope there is) I will know in time. If not, than I will be dead, just like all of mankind before me and I wont know so I can't care.
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  11

  Violent Video games @ Bethel

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this e mail is making the rounds.

  i am not sure of the validity of it but here it is anyway.

  what i find amazing is that video games would be allowed in the first place.

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  NikL

  This e mail is making the rounds. I am not sure of the validity of it but here it is anyway. What I find amazing is that video games would be allowed in the first place. TEACHING COMMITTEE REPORT -Games of Violent Nature- Talk by George Couch - Wed. January 5, 2005 At Gen. 6: -- we read of a violent world in the pre-Flood time. We are now living in the time of the End. Does an inducement toward violence exist today? Yes, in violent video games, which make violence appear "innocent." They even have religious connotations, and contain words such as Covenant - God - and Theology. Some twenty-three years ago, Paint-ball war games was invented. Some have played for years before coming here, to Bethel... and some have now brought in electronic games. Prov. 16:29. Frankly, the Governing Body is concerned with the spirituality of the Bethel family. 1 Cor. 11:3 -- ".I fear your minds will be corrupted away from..." And, some translations use the term "seduced." To seduce means to persuade into disobedience. What God condemns is made to appear attractive. However, Jehovah is not entertained by these games. Fighting is glorified in them and all actions are preceded first, by thoughts. - Psa. 11:5. The dangers have been recognized, and concerns voiced, on the part of ordinary people for their families also... even those who are not Jehovah's worshipers. Certainly, we who love Jehovah do not want to have violent attitudes. Anyone possessing games of a violent nature -- they are to destroy such games, immediately. Or, if they continue to be involved they will be disqualified from Bethel service. -- Gen. 6:13. One brother researched the Awake! article -- recognized such games for what they were, and stopped playing immediately. We must make our relationship with Jehovah the prime thing in our lives. Everything we receive, and information given to us here, is directed to protect your life. And, we are confident you will all feel the same. The Scriptures advise us to "Watch the blameless one". We are encouraged to follow that one's example.
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  6

  E mail from Bankok Bethel ?

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this letter seems to be making the rounds of dubdumb.

  thought i would post in case it is not up yet... .

  sent: thursday, december 30, 2004 10:45 am .

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  NikL

  This letter seems to be making the rounds of Dubdumb.
  Thought I would post in case it is not up yet...
  
  Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 10:45 AM
  Subject: Re: Tsunami
  
  Dear Brothers,
  
  So many of you have shown interest in the welfare of the brothers staying in the coastal areas affected by tsunamis this past
  Sunday (Dec.26, 2004) ... emphasizing the truth expressed in our day's text today (Prov. 17:17). We are happy to report that to
  the best of our knowledge none of our local brothers were hurt or lost their lives.
  
  However we are sorry that we cannot say the same of our tourist brothers vacationing in these areas. Just a few minutes ago I
  talked with Sister Renate Steinl from Austria, now in Bangkok, who was staying in Kao Lak (a resort very popular with
  Europeans north of Phuket) with her husband who is also in the truth. She described how they were alerted by someone yelling
  at the top of his voice, realizing that some terrible thing must have happened. So they ran out of the bungalow they were staying
  in and soon saw the tsunami bearing in on them -- "higher than the trees" she described it. Of course they didn't get far before
  being swept away... She survived, but so far we have no clue on what happened to her husband. So there is still hope that he is
  found, though many people died in the resort area.
  
  Just yesterday I got the glad news that a Sister from England who had a similar experience, was reunited with her (unbelieving)
  husband who by some had been presumed dead already. Several ones of our brothers (including two special pioneers from
  Switzerland and one from Britain who serve here in Thailand) are touring the area, looking up hospitals etc. and showing pictures
  of the missing Austrian brother. It could be that he is severely injured or suffers from memory loss and thus was unable to make
  contact himself ... however I personally rate the chances are rather slim that he will be found; hopefully I will be proven wrong in
  this regard.
  
  Then there is the Finish sister who also was separated from her husband. We were alerted by the brothers in Finland of her
  ordeal. The brothers spent many hours till finally locating her in a hospital in Phangnga. She doesn't speak English (like the
  Austrian sister) and needed help to explain her stand on blood. Finally she was operated on successfully without blood. Her
  husband, a brother, is presumed dead--as far as I heard it. While still in the operating room our special pioneer phoned we
  should select a hospital in Bangkok because she would be taken there with an ambulance shortly. I tried to arrange for that,
  asking a Finish Sister (former missionary here) to be ready to receive her. Soon afterwards he phoned again, saying that no
  ambulance was available (something I doubted from the very beginning), and that we should find one in Bangkok to get her (a
  round trip of about 1,700 km). Government agencies said they couldn't help and I should try to find a private hospital who would
  be willing to let us hire an ambulance... It finally turned out that it was agreed that she should be transported to nearby Phuket
  and there a special plane from Finland would pick her up. Hopefully she is back in Finland now. I had so far no news on her
  husband.
  
  Now just as I am writing this email, I got a call from an elder from Krabi. He phoned yesterday telling us that a German couple
  who had been vacationing at Kao Lak (the same resort mentioned above) hasn't been seen since and that he is worried that they
  may have been victims of the tsunami. I spent a couple of hours yesterday trying to trace them (via many phone calls, Internet
  searches), to no avail. Now he gives me the good news that some sister found their names on a list of those having been able to
  return to their home countries. Thus one worry less.
  
  Interestingly some Swedish Brothers went in the field service with the Phuket congregation on Sunday morning rather than
  frolicking in the sea. It may have saved their lives as when they came back to their living quarters many cabins had been
  destroyed by the huge waves. They thanked Jehovah that they had put his service first over enjoying swimming and sunning
  themselves.
  
  There are a number of other foreign brothers having atteded meetings but that have not been heard of since. At this stage we just
  can't say what happened to them. Well, one thing we all can do is keeping our affected brothers in our prayers-- I am sure you
  all will and already do. One positive aspect of the disaster is that surely people will here and elsewhere give more attention when
  we quote Mt. 24:7 where it says about the time of the end that there will be "earthquakes in one place after another."
  
  With much brotherly love,
  
  Ernst
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  15

  Does anyone watch Reno911! or MXC ?

  by confusedjw in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i had never had cable or sat until this fall when i bought dish to watch my red sox, rather than to just listen on the porch with my trusty radio.. well now my son and i are hooked on these weird shows, reno 911!

  and mxc.

  does anyone else watch them or have i sunk to depths that are unspeakable?

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  NikL

  Funny you should mention Reno 911.
  One episode featured some JWs getting harrassed by the cops. They stopped them made them get on the ground and all...they said the matched the description of dangerous criminals or something. Really funny stuff.
  Anyway, a few weeks after this episode the presiding overseer gave a talk mentioning this thing he saw from one of those cop shows. He thought it was real! I almost died laughing. I would think the comedy central logo in the lower right corner of the screen would have tipped him off that it was a joke. LOL