Elders counting time to review FB and Youtube? LOL! They can't even count time for shepherding. This makes no sense. Is this another JW urban legend in the making?
leaving_quietly
JoinedPosts by leaving_quietly
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86
Watchtower Legal Department targeting Facebook and Youtube users
by Londo111 infrom an email i received of a conversation had with people from patterson:.
it seems that the wts legal dept.
has been working with the fb [facebook] legal dept for about a year and also with youtube whoever they are, to enforce transparency.
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Isaiah 43:10 "You are my witnesses"
by Gordy in.
the jw's use isaiah 43:10 as the excuse for their name.. i'm trying to find information that refutes this.
i came across a good one on a website but now can't find it.. anyone one know of a good refutation of the jw's use of this scripture..
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leaving_quietly
I know this is an old thread, but it bears bringing up.
Today's WT study (July 15, 2014 p. 28-32) brought out that Jesus said "You will be witnesses of me" because they were already witness of Jehovah (p. 29 par. 5). This led me to thinking: Yes, the Jews could have been called that, but not us, right? Who was it that Jehovah said "You are my witnesses" to and why? Again CONTEXT makes the difference.
Isaiah 43 is a reminder about what God had done and will do.
Vs 1: God reminds them that he bought them and they belong to him. (Jacob and Israel)
Vs 2: God promises to protect them
Vs 3: God reminds them that Egypt was their ransom
Vs 4: God tells them they are precious in His eyes
Vs 5-7: God assures them of his continued being with them
Vs 8-9: Now, here's the key... God issues a challenge to the nations and asks them to produce THEIR witnesses to see who is right.
Vs 10: God then says to the Israelites, "YOU are my witnesses."
This wasn't about naming a group of people. This was about who is right and who is wrong. Who could produce witnesses for themselves that could truthfully claim to have been a savior, protector, etc. This was God's challenge to the nations, and in that challenge, he names the Israelites as HIS witnesses to that fact.
The religion today known as Jehovah's Witnesses cannot rightfully be called that. The main reason is because the vast majority are NOT Israelites by descent. They have, for all intents and purposes, stolen the name.
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Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-28-2014 WT Study (JESUS WIT)
by blondie incomments you will not hear at the 09-28-2014 wt study (july 15, 2014, pages (28-32) new testament jesuswitnesses.
review comments will be headed outside the boxes.
wt material from today's wt will be in quote boxes.
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leaving_quietly
Thus, being hated for bearing Jehovah’s name is the same as “being reproached for the name of [Jesus] Christ,” who said to his opposers: “I have come in the name of my Father, but you do not receive me.” (John 5:43) So the next time you experience opposition in your witnessing work, take courage. Such mistreatment is proof that you have God’s smile of approval and that his spirit “is resting upon you.”
This is actually a pivotal point in the study. Why? Because Jehovah's Witnesses are NEVER, EVER, EVER reproached for the name of Christ. EVER. Why not? Because most people don't even think Jehovah's Witnesses even BELIEVE in Christ. That's why articles like this exist. They have to get Christ out there in the publications once or twice a year just to try to make people think JWs believe in Christ.
At the same time, remember that fine increases are being enjoyed in many parts of the world. Even in well-worked territories, we still find people who are willing to listen and with whom we can share our wonderful message of salvation.
I was thinking about this this morning. It dawned on me that numbers and growth mean absolutely NOTHING! Why can I say that? Let's go to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. Matthew 13:30 says, "Let both grow together until the harvest...” JWs are not the reapers. The angels are, according to Matthew 13:39. So, who cares about numbers? "Fine increases" mean absolutely nothing.
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" Do not ask permission, just play the video--" service meeting instructions.
by prologos inthis statement startled me out of the pleasant mental absence during this week's "service" meeting.. pushing the org.
explanation: "the listener has time to interrupt, if they want--" .
together with an incredible boring "study" of an hand held device, or it's stored content, i will be a totally new crop of orgies at the halls,.
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leaving_quietly
Makes me wonder, though.... is this a 'one hit wonder' for the Society? How many times will JWs go to the same door and play the same video? At some point, the householder is going to say, "I've already seen that, thank you. Please go away."
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Watchtower/Telecom Ownership Agreement!
by Atlantis inwatchtower-qcstelecom ownership agreement.. .
re: petition to transfer ownership of qcstelecom, inc., to watchtower bible and tract society.
http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/common/viewdoc.aspx?docrefid=%7b57614a3f-7101-408a-8b25-b3499530db5a%7d.
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leaving_quietly
My guess: buying out a telecom company that already has the proper certifications but has zero customers is significantly less expensive than getting certified themselves. WTBTS probably can't get certified since it's not a public company in the telecom space, thus probably can't get whatever legal stuff done in order to run fibre between their facilities themselves. I really can't think of any other reason for this. But, I do have to say, this smells like a big giant scam of some sort. I can't quite put my finger on it. Certainly there are plenty of companies out there that have the capability of providing dark fibre services. There must be. This little tiny company that has no customers can't possibly be the only one. A company the size of WTBTS would never, in its right mind, even remotely consider a small, single-proprietor company to provide such important services. This whole thing makes no sense.
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Accuracy of the Revised NWT
by dabster ini was speaking with a jw yesterday.
i'd previously mentioned the removal of the brackets around 'other' in colossians 1 making the mistranslation complete.
during our chat he said that the previous edition of the nwt was the more correct one, that the revised version was simply more readable and that it shouldn't be considered the best translation.
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leaving_quietly
I think there are a few reasons you don't see the NWT talked about on a level with other translations, and why it's not on sites like BibleHub . com:
The main reason: copyright protection. That's what it boils down to. There are a few Bible translations out there with tight copyright controls, but few, if any, are tighter than the NWT.
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Dedication of Buildings (e.g. Kingdom Halls, Branch Offices etc)
by IMHO injust did i quick search it doesn't seem like this has been discussed.. why it's such a big deal, especially with branches where they are usually "dedicated" by a member of the governing body?.
is there a spiritual, biblical, theocratic significance.. does it "change" the building?.
should it be "un-dedicated" if it is sold.. i await your insight and responses.. .
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leaving_quietly
A very, very interesting question. I just did a little bit of research and found that this practice is definitely Old Testament.
Sol′o·mon offered the communion sacrifices to Jehovah: He offered 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the Israelites inaugurated the house of Jehovah. On that day the king had to sanctify the middle of the courtyard that is before the house of Jehovah, for there he had to offer up the burnt sacrifices, the grain offerings, and the fat pieces of the communion sacrifices, because the copper altar that is before Jehovah was too small to contain the burnt sacrifices, the grain offerings, and the fat pieces of the communion sacrifices. At that time Sol′o·mon held the festival together with all Israel, a great congregation from Le′bo-ha′math down to the Wadi of Egypt, before Jehovah our God for 7 days and then another 7 days, 14 days in all. On the following day, he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes rejoicing and feeling glad of heart over all the goodness that Jehovah had shown to David his servant and Israel his people. - 1 Kings 8:63-66
Dedication of a building is like inaugurating.
There's reference to the Festival of Dedication at John 10:22. What was this? It wasn't a festival based on the Law, it turns out. I didn't know this.
The observance of the Festival of Dedication (Heb., chanuk·kah′) commemorates the recovery of Jewish independence from Syro-Grecian domination and the rededication to Jehovah of the temple at Jerusalem, which had been desecrated by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who called himself The·os′ E·pi·pha·nes′ (“God Manifest”) - it-1 p. 824
This is actually quite interesting. Many scholars feel that this event marks the end of the 2300 days in Daniel 12. It makes for good research. I digress.
Another mention of dedication is here:
Whatever I have that could benefit you is corban (that is, a gift dedicated to God) - Mark 7:11
The first reference to any dedication of a building I could find is from w50 p. 220-224. The article starts out:
MONDAY, January 30, 1950, was set for dedication of the new Bethel to the consecrated service of the Most High God.
Of course, there is no record in the New Testament / Greek Scriptures of any buildings being consecrated to the service of the Most High God. Why? Stephen answers this in Acts 7:48-50:
However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands, just as the prophet says: ‘The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What sort of house will you build for me? Jehovah says. Or where is my resting-place? My hand made all these things, did it not?
In addition, in New Jerusalem, there is no temple as a building. Why? Revelation 21:22 answers:
I did not see a temple in it, for Jehovah God the Almighty is its temple, also the Lamb is.
In conclusion, from a very quick look into this, dedicating a building to God is an Old Testament practice. Is it wrong? Not that I can tell. But it's certainly not necessary.
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Accuracy of the Revised NWT
by dabster ini was speaking with a jw yesterday.
i'd previously mentioned the removal of the brackets around 'other' in colossians 1 making the mistranslation complete.
during our chat he said that the previous edition of the nwt was the more correct one, that the revised version was simply more readable and that it shouldn't be considered the best translation.
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leaving_quietly
There are two things Bible translators, in general, have to weigh, but it all depends on who your target audience is. You can go for more accuracy or more functionality / readability. The RNWT falls in an area where other translations are... somewhat accurate vs. somewhat functional.
This video is pretty interesting to see why this pastor chose the NIV 2011 for their church. He discusses translation challenges. It's fairly long, but I found it to be informative on the subject. He has an interesting comment on why NOT to choose translations created by specific denominations. He didn't mention any by name, that I can recall, but the viewer gets the gist.
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BORG running low on $$$??
by fader77 indear brothers:.
re: personal literature supply.
reducing existing stock at the branch office before the revisions are released.
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leaving_quietly
I was surprised when this was read at our meeting this week because it wasn't posted here first. I wonder if the org is wising up to releasing letters too early.
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How would you answer?
by punkofnice ina friend of mine (who is waking up), recently had the elders do a sheep herding visit.. they were browbeating my friend about attending meetings.
my friend has been ill and unable to attend anyway.. what response would you give to this garbage?.
if we were in a house and it was on fire and we couldnt walk we would have to crawl.. an example of a sister with an iron lung was brought up to show that if shes in this condition, we need to examine ourselves.
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leaving_quietly
If we were in a house and it was on fire and we couldn’t walk we would have to crawl.
Uhhh... what does this have to do with attending meetings?
A n example of a sister with an iron lung was brought up to show that if she’s in this condition, we need to examine ourselves.
This sister was confined to a machine 24 hours a day. Her account does not say at all that she went to meetings in this condition, but that people visited her and that she looked for every opportunity to witness.
My friend apparently needs to pray for Holeeeeee Spirit to give the 'power beyond what is normal'.
Paul wasn't discussing going to meetings. He was talking about enduring despite challenges.
Going to meetings is not optional but a command. (I have to say I've never heard of it being a 'command' to attend).
Please show me where it says it's a command. Oh, and please look up the definition of "forsake" in the dictionary.
We need to look at a divine hand in our life. Eldurr said that he shouldn’t be alive. In so many situations he can see God's hand in his life.
And the point is...?