leaving_quietly
JoinedPosts by leaving_quietly
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29
4 New BOEs as of Tuesday 4/28
by Atlantis inwe thank our informant for these documents and hope he/she will remain under the radar safely!.
click the green download button... 2015 april 17, boe (re: meeting medical needs in the foreign-language field).
.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/gukk6aq.
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leaving_quietly
Would be nice to see a U.S. version of this. The terminology here is for the UK version. In the U.S, I don't believe Advanced Directives (yes, that's what they're called here) ever expire. If I were a betting man, I'd bet this is specific for the UK branch territory. Can any elder in the U.S. confirm whether this applies here, too? -
172
May tv.jw.org program
by zophar inthe may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
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172
May tv.jw.org program
by zophar inthe may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
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leaving_quietly
BTW, Simon, if you're reading this, re-editing posts keeps cutting off what I'm entering....This video seems to me to be about damage control, big time. I have no issue with a donation arrangement. I DO have issue with lying about not asking for money, funds being used inappropriately, and ZERO of those funds being used to actually help poor PEOPLE. It's all about expanding the organization's PHYSICAL presence, not about the people.
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172
May tv.jw.org program
by zophar inthe may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
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leaving_quietly
So, we've gone from 14,000 Kingdom Hall projects worldwide to 14,000 places of worship worldwide.
Instead of leasing a small facility for each Regional Translation Office (RTO), they're planning on building 170, at the cost of $1,000,000 to several million dollars each. Call me stupid, but wouldn't leasing some office space at, say, $3000 per month, be better appropriation of funds?!?!?!?
2 Cor 8:10-15 was cited to justify the new arrangement of "canceling" mortgages. Again, an out of context verse. Paul was talking about helping people who were poor, not congregations to pay back their building loans.
At about the 26 minute mark, he says, "Our individual voluntary donations have combined to take care of the costs associated with producing our literature." This is very interesting. Only the literature is covered by the donations, because he next says: ""And we're confident that the same will prove true regarding the decision to cancel all Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall loans."
He said the sale of the NY properties will only cover the cost of the construction of Warwick HQ and other facilities to assist in the move from Brooklyn. So, Warwick HQ and those other properties is costing at least $375 million (or more). Just making that clear.
Wow... he cited Proverbs 3:27 to basically ask for money. But he left out the most important part. He said, "Do not withhold good, and it adds, if it within your power to help". The full verse says: "Do not withhold good from those to whom you should give it* if it is within your power to help." (Footnote: Or "to whom it is owing.")
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172
May tv.jw.org program
by zophar inthe may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
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leaving_quietly
Ex 35:4,5 was used to explain how Jehovah commanded the Israelites to take up a contribution. The purpose was to build the tabernacle, tent, etc. That was in THOSE days. Have things changed? Does Jehovah has a tabernacle today? Is his house on earth today?
Acts 17:24,25: "The God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples; 25 nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things."
1 Cor 3:16: "Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that the spirit of God dwells in you?"
So, if God doesn't dwell in handmade temples, then is Jehovah asking for the money for his house?
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60
What is God's Kingdom?
by Gods_Kingdom inwhat is god's kingdom?
some say it is in your heart.
some say it is heaven.
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leaving_quietly
Oh, BTW, welcome to the forum. Hope you can stay awhile and learn some things.
One thing I learned is found in Luke 21:8. This verse is rarely cited by the organization. According to the WT Library CD, using the Scripture Index, the last time this verse was directly used was in 1964. I wonder why that is?
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60
What is God's Kingdom?
by Gods_Kingdom inwhat is god's kingdom?
some say it is in your heart.
some say it is heaven.
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leaving_quietly
This thread is painful, and a rehash of so many other threads here where active JWs come and try to preach to us. We've already rejected many JW teachings because we have found they are either (1) based on assumption or speculation, (2) taken out of context (you quoted a portion of Proverbs 4:18 about the "light getting brighter"... why not go and read Proverbs 4 and see the context), (3) contradicted by other verses, (4) completely made up based on some "dual prophecy" system (e.g. 1914 based on Daniel 4).
You may be interested in this little piece of trivia. The phrases "God's Kingdom" and "Kingdom of God" never appear in the Hebrew Scriptures. Don't believe me? Fire up your WT Library and search for those phrases (include the quotes) and see what Bible verses contain them. Thus, what we have to explain God's Kingdom are using Christ's words. He stated, "The Kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:21). He used illustrations to explain and compare the Kingdom of God. (see Mark 4, for example). He indicated the Kingdom of God could be taken away from some and given to others. (Matt 21:43). He also indicated that people back then were not far from the Kingdom of God, and that the Kingdom of God was near. (Mark 1:15; Mark 12:34; Luke 10:8-11). Strangely, Christ never said that the Kingdom of God was a government that would solve all of man's problems. Not once. I'm not saying that that won't be a side effect of God's Kingdom, but since there is no record at all of Christ saying that's what God's Kingdom is, then is that really the message that we should be preaching? The question really isn't, "What is God's Kingdom?" It's "what is the good news of God's Kingdom?" Is the good new the fact that God's Kingdom is going to end the wickedness of this system and usher in a peaceful new world, solving all or man's problems? Or is the good news of the kingdom something else entirely?
We can find out what that good news is simply be doing our own research. Looking up the phrase "good news" in the Bible yields useful information. For example:
1 Pet 1:23-25: "Now that you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart. 23 For you have been given a new birth, not by corruptible, but by incorruptible seed, through the word of the living and enduring God. 24 For “all flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like a blossom of the field; the grass withers, and the flower falls off, 25 but the saying of Jehovah endures forever.” And this “saying” is the good news that was declared to you."
(Note, verse 23 uses the Greek word logou for "word" (Strong's 3056), but in verse 25, the "saying" (footnote, "word") is the Greek word, "rhema"). "logou" is the same root word as "logos", used in John 1:1, also Strong's 3056). Who is the "logos"? Christ, of course.
But, back to "good news", The "saying" is the good news. What saying? "The saying of Jehovah". Is there a way for us to know particularly what that was? Yes!
Acts 13:32-37: "“So we are declaring to you the good news about the promise made to the forefathers. 33 God has completely fulfilled it to us, their children, by resurrecting Jesus; just as it is written in the second psalm: ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’ 34 And the fact that He resurrected him from the dead never again to return to corruption, He has stated in this way: ‘I will give you the expressions of loyal love promised to David, which are faithful.’ 35 So it also says in another psalm: ‘You will not allow your loyal one to see corruption.’ 36 David, on the one hand, rendered service to God in his own generation, fell asleep in death, was laid with his forefathers, and did see corruption. 37 On the other hand, the one whom God raised up did not see corruption."
Thus, the good news of God's Kingdom is all about the Christ. It is all about Christ becoming God's son, a fulfillment of God's promise to David, and it is about the resurrection of Christ. THAT is the good news. The scriptures show unequivocally that Christ is the good news of God's Kingdom.
But JWs don't preach that. JWs preach "another sort of good news". (Gal 1:6-9) And that's why I am no longer on board with what JWs preach.
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172
May tv.jw.org program
by zophar inthe may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
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leaving_quietly
w59 5/1 p. 285
Sharing the Good News by Contributing Personally
Earth-wide, Jehovah’s witnesses are united in faith and in endeavor. This unity is evident in spiritual things and also in material things. They know that Proverbs 3:9 states: “Honor Jehovah with your valuable things and with the first fruits of all your produce.” Because every Branch, congregation and individual earnestly seeks to contribute to the welfare of all, the entire New World society is made spiritually strong and prosperous. Material prosperity does not lead to spiritual prosperity. Spiritual prosperity, however, does bring material prosperity sufficient for the needs of Jehovah’s work. -
172
May tv.jw.org program
by zophar inthe may broadcast on tv.jw.org.
we need money!.
http://tv.jw.org/#video/vodstudio/pub-jwb_201505_1_video.
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leaving_quietly
Those languages the broadcast is available in is nothing more than closed captioning in those languages.
Introducing Prov 3:9, he said the GB wanted the entire "household of faith" to hear this. This is interesting. This phrase is never used in the Bible. He was super careful not to say "household of God". This scripted broadcast is as sneaky as the publications.
In discussing firstftuits, in typical JW fashion, they go to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Law. James 1:18, however, says, "It was his will to bring us forth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." Not that we should BRING firstfruits, but that we BECOME firstfruits."...this organization has never solicited for funds!"
Solicit:
1. to seek for (something) by entreaty, earnest or respectful request, formal application, etc.: He solicited aid from the minister. 2. to entreat or petition (someone or some agency): to solicit the committee for funds. 3. to seek to influence or incite to action, especially unlawful or wrong action. 4. to offer to have sex with in exchange for money.
I guess they never did if #4 is their definition of "solicit".
"We do not know who gives what!"
Um, yes they do... at least down to the congregation level. Otherwise, how would they be able to give back those monthly statements thanking the congregation for their donations to various funds.
"not misappropriated"
Legal defense against pedophile lawsuits and LOSING is not misappropriation???
Really? We don't NEED tv.jw.org. We don't NEED new books, magazines, tracts, etc. We don't NEED a lot of things that are supposedly "required". There's a big difference between what is REQUIRED and what is DESIRED.
"Where does all of the financial support come from? Largely from you dear brothers and sisters..."
Notice, no mention of stocks, hedge funds, real estate transactions. Very telling.
I'm at the 12 minute mark and am having a hard time watching this. Maybe I'll come back to it later.
BTW, this broadcast is a whopping over an hour and a half long. It seems to be getting longer each month.
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OMG... what happened in a bar today
by leaving_quietly inso, i'm sitting in a bar, having a drink.
the bar participates in taptv, an online trivia thing.
the question that came up was, "what did jehovah's witnesses call themselves before 1931".
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leaving_quietly
@_Morpheus, again, LOL!. I probably could make it sordid if I wanted to cheat on my wife. While my marriage is pretty sucky right now, cheating isn't the way out for me.
@SimonSays, I agree. Funny thing, yesterday's WT study started out with this sentence: "The Bible Students* of the late 19th and early 20th centuries faced many obstacles." The footnote reads: "The Bible Students adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931." I thought that was funny when I read it yesterday morning, AFTER my conversation with the bartender.
"In 1931 a bright flash of truth revealed to those Bible Students a fitting Scriptural name. Jehovah’s people had understood that they could not accept any of the nicknames that others had given them, such as Russellites, Millennial Dawnists, and “no hellers."
Going back through history in the publications, it seems the organization views the term as something OTHERS (outsiders) called this group in a mocking way. I wonder if this is revisionist history. The term "Russellites" isn't in either the 1930-1985 index or the 1986-2014 index, so there's no way to search prior to 1950. If you have anything prior to this that has the organization calling itself Russellites, I'd be very interested to see it (or at least a reference to it.)