The Searcher

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Posts by The Searcher

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  12

  What is the vow of poverty

  by Jafox in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i was told by someone that in 2007 two members of the branch committee in greece were removed because they breached the vow of poverty.

  the matter was over a small amount, in the range of a few hundred euro.

  is there a copy of this vow available and how would this be applied here?

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  The Searcher

  @ NOTJUSTYET - Look at No.6 in the "contract."

  
  
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  19

  2016-12-29 BOE Re: Donations in Support of Kingdom Interests Worldwide

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  december 29, 2016 to all congregations re: donations in support of kingdom interests worldwide.

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  The Searcher

  "....with so many responding to the Kingdom message, the need for places of worship continues to grow."

  What's that noise? Oh, it's just the great crowd of J.W.'s who have had their K.H. sold and now have to spend more time and money travelling to another K.H., screaming with laughter!

  The org gets more delusional about the average publisher's gullibility with every passing JW broadcast/Watchtower.
  
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  13

  SCOTLAND: Livingston Kingdom Hall

  by darkspilver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think this deserves it's own thread, so as not to get mixed-up tl;dr - go to the bar charts at the end...picking up on jambon1's comments:.

  the one in the op - livingston, was a merge to the newly built assembly hall in the same area.

  i think three congs share that building now.. nice wee scoop up of the cash from the sale of livingston and whitburn.

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  The Searcher

  According to what Scottish J.W.'s told me, every congregation in Scotland was "taxed" on a per publisher basis as a "contribution" to help pay for the construction of the Kingdom Hall Complex in Livingston.

  If I remember correctly the levy imposed was between £6-8 per publisher, but I can't verify that.

  I was initially under the impression that it was an actual Assembly Hall - but it's not.
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  9

  Kingdom Hall Sell-Offs - 2 Defunct Phrases Now

  by The Searcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  1) when a newly built k.h.

  is dedicated, the sheep are told that the building "will be a great witness for jehovah.

  the opposite must now be true - when they get rid of it to accumulate cash, they must now be "un-witnessing for jehovah.".

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  The Searcher

  1) When a newly built K.H. is dedicated, the sheep are told that the building "will be a great witness for Jehovah."

  The opposite must now be true - when they get rid of it to accumulate cash, they must now be "un-witnessing for Jehovah."

  2) Elders (and others) used to thank God in their prayers for "being able to meet in the only place for true worship in their territory." (their local K.H.)

  Not any more for a great crowd of them - thanks to the org's master plan of "consolidation & merging."

  That particular money-making chariot is going to pick up speed in 2017. Coming to a K.H. near you.
  
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  58

  watchtower lapel pins

  by wannaexit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been noticing lots of these pins on lapels.

  i could almost understand the jwdotorg pin because the new mantra is to go to the website.

  but why on earth are they sporting a building?

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  The Searcher

  The org's propaganda gurus have more than likely convinced the WTBTS hierarchy of the old saying, 'There's no such thing as bad publicity,' and that anything which publicises J.W.Borg can only be good for "God's earthly organization."
  
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  10

  New and confused

  by Catareta in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  please don't hate on me.. im a 30 something blind woman, who has been aware of the witnesses a while.

  after my dad died five years ago - i questioned my own faith - christian (anglican).

  tried everything - the occult, new churches etc.. 3 years ago i was suggested to have a study by a good friend who is jw.

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  The Searcher

  Hi Catareta, welcome. As someone who's been brought up as a J.W. since childhood and has discovered The Truth About The Truth, (TTATT) I can assure you that if you do not "progress" to field ministry and baptism, then your new-found "friends" will drop you like a hot potato. If you don't want conditional friends, find a group of people who are not cult-minded.

  I hope you find friends who care for you as a person - and not because you obey 7 men in New York.
  
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  15

  LONDON Kingdom Hall for sale - well, kinda!

  by darkspilver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the sell-off of kingdom hall's in the uk is continuing unabated as we are about to enter 2017....in addition to the thirty-five kingdom halls highlighted by the search a couple of months back.....it seems the cry has gone out to: "sell them faster!

  faster!

  faster!

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  The Searcher

  According to the UK Land Registry, this property was last purchased on April 15th 2015 for £925,000.

  http://landregistry.data.gov.uk/app/ppd/search
  
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  12

  J.W. Elders Are Knowingly Complicit

  by The Searcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for anyone who denies that the wtbts teaches jehovah's witnesses & potential converts lies and perversions of scriptures via their literature, here is a prime example:

  w88 2/15 p. 9 further corrective counsel - "but because of human imperfection, at times serious disputes will occur.

  jesus also provides guidelines for handling them.

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  The Searcher

  CRAZYGUY, is this the scripture you were thinking of?

  (Hebrews 13:17) "Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive......"

  I much prefer this translation which can be rendered from the original Greek as, "Be persuaded by those going before you, and resist no longer." [the teachings about Christ?] https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/heb/13/1/t_conc_1146017

  Apart from the fact that Jesus said there would be no leaders - only him, the latter translation is far more Christ-like in tone than the dictatorial language which the RNWT uses to their advantage.

  I know which rendition sounds more appealing and in harmony to me.
  
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  12

  J.W. Elders Are Knowingly Complicit

  by The Searcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for anyone who denies that the wtbts teaches jehovah's witnesses & potential converts lies and perversions of scriptures via their literature, here is a prime example:

  w88 2/15 p. 9 further corrective counsel - "but because of human imperfection, at times serious disputes will occur.

  jesus also provides guidelines for handling them.

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  The Searcher

  April 2017 Study Watchtower - Page 21, par. 14: "However, in many cases that do not involve serious wrongdoing, it may be possible to resolve a difference without involving anyone else, not even the elders." (Read Matthew18:15.)

  Yeah, let's do that - let's read Matthew 18:15: "Moreover, if your brother commits a sin...."

  Nope - I don't see where Jesus said "if your brother commits a trivial sin you can sort it out without bothering the elders."

  Verses 16 & 17 prove conclusively that Jesus was referring to serious sins, and that they were to be dealt with by the parties themselves - privately! WTBTS perpetuating the lie in order to maintain fear & control.

  How is confessing sins to elders any better than Catholics confessing to priests?

  Keep in mind that elders can forgive you or punish you for your sins - as the 1988 Watchtower teaches!!!!!
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  12

  J.W. Elders Are Knowingly Complicit

  by The Searcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for anyone who denies that the wtbts teaches jehovah's witnesses & potential converts lies and perversions of scriptures via their literature, here is a prime example:

  w88 2/15 p. 9 further corrective counsel - "but because of human imperfection, at times serious disputes will occur.

  jesus also provides guidelines for handling them.

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  The Searcher

  For anyone who denies that the WTBTS teaches Jehovah's Witnesses & potential converts lies and perversions of scriptures via their literature, here is a prime example:

  w88 2/15 p. 9 Further Corrective Counsel - "But because of human imperfection, at times serious disputes will occur. Jesus also provides guidelines for handling them. "If your brother commits a sin," Jesus says, "go lay bare his fault 1) between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." (Matt. 18:15-17) Only as a last resort, Jesus says, take the matter to "the congregation," that is, to 2) responsible overseers of the congregation who can render a judicial decision....In making such a decision, overseers need to 3) adhere closely to instructions in Jehovah’s Word. Thus, when they find an individual guilty and 4) worthy of punishment, the judgment ‘will already have been bound in heaven.’

  1) "Between you and him alone" - if resolved, nobody else was to be informed of the sin - not even the elders! Only as a last resort was anyone else to be involved.

  2) Nope! Jesus didn't say or mean "overseers", he said and meant the congregation as a whole - every member! (check the original Greek - did Jesus say ekklesia - congregation or presbyteros - elders?)

  3) "Adhere closely" to instructions in the Bible? Sorry WTBTS, you exposed yourself at #1.

  4) Do J.W.'s know of any scriptures which say that their "loving shepherds" have been given the authority to judge & punish them?

  The WTBTS goes way beyond the things written - in order to gather evidence for their perverted shunning dogma.

  May 2017 bring them even more exposure & troubles than they faced in 2016.