Posts by NotFormer

It's been gone into in great detail here over the years, but I'll raise it again. A smart JW who knows the issues might decide that since all the fractions that make up whole blood are allowed in any combination, logically whole blood should be allowed. They might argue with themselves about it, saying that the spirit, if not the letter, of that law would allow the use of whole blood. Since which fractions in what quantities are up to the individual JW's conscience, he may decide that his conscience is clear and allow whole blood within his medical treatment. Of course, he'd have to be REALLY smart and not let the HLC get a whiff of what's going on. And no-one at all within his family or social circle. It would be wise as a JW to not ever talk about any medical issue except to one's doctor, etc,. I'm guessing. Perhaps with regards to all medical treatment, not just where blood is involved. We know just from the article that spawned this thread that elders and their advice/judgement can trespass into areas which even WT HQ is covertly admitting is above their (the elders' and JC's) pay grade.

I doubt that any JW is going to go through the logical steps of reaching the conclusion: if Jehovah allows all the fractions of blood, in any combination, he must logically allow whole blood. They've been so exposed to and frightened by the blood issue that they wouldn't know how to follow the steps to that conclusion. Unless they lurk somewhere like here, of course, and do a lot of reading...

13

JULY 2025 STUDY WT How to Give Advice

by blondie in

jw
friends

i scanned this article and i saw a theme throughout it.

when info like this shows up in the study wt, you can be sure the elders are doing it wrong and the wts hits directly on what it is.

older elders do it wrong and train by word and action the newer elders to do it wrong.

NotFormer

Blondie, TL;DR version, what do you think their point is?

The most prominent example in the article is of medical advice. Is the blood policy what is being obliquely referred to here?

Then there seems to be a hint that elders are looking too hard for examples of sin. When a behaviour or attitude is less than desirable, but hasn't crossed the line into being "sinful", perhaps?

At first glance it looks like they're encouraging kinder and gentler behaviour, but I've learned never to assume that to be the WT's motive. Is it about reducing the number of sins and crimes on the books (more secret files kept on the congregation?) so that governments don't become even more interested in the WT than they already are?

I figure that the less times people are taken into the backroom and the less corresponding paperwork sent to Bethel, the less controlling Bethel looks.

18

Space just got Girl-Bossed!!!!

by DATA-DOG in

the founding members of the:.

advanced.

taskforce.

NotFormer

Katy Perry kissed the ground, and she liked it! 😳

26

Green Handshakes - Taxable income in Australia

by Listener in

i was doing some research on the taxable status of money being gifted to co’s and travelling missionaries and was surprised with what i found.

i had assumed that it was not taxable income in australia.. it is taxable income in australia and it‘s likely that the same rules apply in some other countries.. a registered religious institution only receives tax free status on donations because they have been endorsed by the australian tax office.

travelling overseas and missionaries are not in this category.. there’s a tax ruling that goes into great detail.

NotFormer

Just out of curiosity (any answer is going to be anecdotal and speculative, but here goes), just how much is a green handshake worth? Would it be $100 here and there per congregation, or would it be multiple envelopes stuffed with cash? 🤔

7

philip brumley wt 7/2025 experience

by andr in

how encouraging one finds the experience of a liar.

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-july-2025/the-battle-belongs-to-jehovah/.

philip brumley is a legal counsel associated with the jehovah's witnesses organization, having worked for about 40 years at their world headquarters' legal department.

NotFormer

"I qualified as an attorney in 1988, but I was dangerously unaware of what I had allowed this accomplishment to do to my spirituality. Higher education can nurture a desire for self-promotion and foster the notion that having specialized knowledge elevates a person above others who do not have a similar education"

Reading between the lines: "Even though by necessity, some of us elite were chosen to get higher education, don't you plebs think for a minute that we would encourage you to do likewise!"