Bobcat

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Posts by Bobcat

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  48

  RUSSIA: (5 April 2017) Jehovah's Witnesses hearing under way

  by jwleaks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the trial has begun.

  the crowd on the street (see photo) is now inside and the gallery is packed.. yesterday jehovah's witnesses presented a written legal argument - "objections to the administrative claim of the ministry of justice of the russian federation" - to the supreme court of russia which, in paragraph 254, argued that if the ministry for justice liquidates and bans the activities of jehovah's witnesses then this will force individual members to renounce or abandon their religion for fear of persecution.. download legal argument (russian).

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  Bobcat

  Thanks CW and DW!
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  48

  RUSSIA: (5 April 2017) Jehovah's Witnesses hearing under way

  by jwleaks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the trial has begun.

  the crowd on the street (see photo) is now inside and the gallery is packed.. yesterday jehovah's witnesses presented a written legal argument - "objections to the administrative claim of the ministry of justice of the russian federation" - to the supreme court of russia which, in paragraph 254, argued that if the ministry for justice liquidates and bans the activities of jehovah's witnesses then this will force individual members to renounce or abandon their religion for fear of persecution.. download legal argument (russian).

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  Bobcat

  Just curious. JWs would refer to themselves as a single unified organization. It sounds odd, to me, to hear of them having 395 legal entities. Is that 'normal,' legally speaking?
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  8

  Long article, but it explains a lot of things

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found this the other day, and read it last night.

  i think it explains a lot of what is going on in both american politics and many religions around the world.

  https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/03/this-article-wont-change-your-mind/519093/?utm_source=feed.

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  Bobcat

  I agree with jp, very thought-provoking.
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  20

  $25,000 for one-day assembly in our area

  by Bonnie_Clyde in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  they started out with a $3,500 carry-over but by the end of the day they were short $25,000.

  the speaker eloquently beseeched the audience to go the atm machines and give their generous contribution or at least their widow's mite.

  after the sessions were over, our friend who attended walked from one end of the assembly hall and then to the other end and noticed long lines up to both machines with people who couldn't wait to run up their credit cards.

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  Bobcat

  Do you know what was the attendance? This would give you some idea of what the 'head tax' was.

  It would be interesting if a large proportion of attendees could be persuaded to refuse to give anything. The circuit fund would most likely be emptied and there would still be a deficit. I wonder how the WT would respond to that?

  In our neck of the woods, the local circuit has their CA at a middle school auditorium. A nice, well kept place that seats about 850-900. The cost to the circuit is a little under $2000. That's 'Satan's system' trying to rip God's people off I suppose.
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  5

  Jehovah allowing this Russia to happen?

  by pontoon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the brother that works in my office was talking about this russia thing, how jeh is "allowing" it to happen, how every witness is writing a letter to all six officials and not just to two or three, so my question was if that is true "aren't all you witnesses working against jehovah---he must have his reasons for allowing it to happen.

  back to work but i'm sure monday he'll have an answer like what a great witness it is or how it gives every other witness a chance to demonstrate their faith (by writing letters).

  i'll have an answer ready for him just for fun.. i'm sure watchtower just loves stuff like this russia business.

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  Bobcat

  I had expressed a similar thought to someone. When other branch offices were closed the Society said it was all part of God's forward moving chariot and we simply needed to keep pace with it.

  So how do you know this isn't the same thing? Or maybe God knows that Petersburg (where the branch is) is about to get nuked or fall to some other calamity and God is getting them out of there. And here you are trying to prevent it. Shouldn't you just do what 1Tim 2:1-2 says (pray about it) and then leave it in God's hands, like Jesus did ("let not my will take place, but yours")?

  Anyways, I think some JWs would be surprised by how many JWs are not writing.
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  10

  This is the BEST Video i have ever seen on the name YAHWEH.

  by Greybeard in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmuhyxsghqk.

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  Bobcat

  "They use Jehovah because it is more popular . . ."

  This is the very reason I give when someone asks me why I still use the term "New Testament" (instead of "Christian Greek Scriptures").
  
  
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  15

  tidbits from recent C.O. visit

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "all people in the world are currently considered enemies of god" gee i wonder where some poeple get the idea that we are an extremist organization.. " jehovahs chariot is moving forward at blazing speed!

  " in what reality is contraction and downsizing moving forward?.

  "it used to be that if a congregation reached 150 publishers we would split into 2 congregations now if we have 2 congs.

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  Bobcat

  [The CO] made a blanket statement: " don't believe negative media reports!"

  We had ours just a few weeks ago and he said the same thing, pretty much word for word. He presented it as a matter of faith. That is, 'if you have faith, this is how you will respond.'

  I suspect they are told this, as a sort of policy statement, from further up the chain of command.
  
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  14

  Euphrates or Parath, Jeremiah 13:1-11

  by Bobcat in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  for those attending the jeremiah bookstudy this week, there is an interesting footnote of page 52. below it is reproduced:.

  *** jr chap.

  4 p. 52 guard against a treacherous heart ***.

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  Bobcat

  Bumping this thread because Jeremiah 13 is being considered in the CLAM this week.
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  9

  Heb 10:34 & the Russian Situation

  by doubtfull1799 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as would be expected we've seen a lot of the "persecution" scriptures bandied about recently in connection with the likely imminent ban on the org in russia.

  they like to claim that being targets of persecution they are seeing the fulfilment of those verses.

  but they conveniently ignore what the bible teaches about how christians should respond to said prophesied persecution.... for example, no one is referencing the above verse which talks of the apostles "joyfully accepting the plundering of their belongings.

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  Bobcat

  Thanks doubtful, I was trying to remember where that verse was.

  Another one that comes to mind, that directly impacts this case, is 1Tim 2:1, 2 -

  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made concerning all sorts of men, concerning kings and all those who are in high positions, so that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with complete godly devotion and seriousness (rNWT)

  The counsel is to appeal to God. I think they also forgot that Hitler reacted badly when he was appealed to via letter writing.
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  20

  I'm Dating . . .

  by compound complex in

  1. social
  2. humour

  because i am still very much held a prisoner to past beliefs and practice, i dress in suit and tie and bring a briefcase on my frequent dates.. i talk business during the entire happy meal (macdonalds), displaying ad brochures and spreadsheets relative to whatever business plan i happen to be hawking that day.

  i count the venture as a business expense and jws who frequent this fine diner know i am not on a date.

  there are no smirks, no snickering, no knowing glances.

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  Bobcat

  Sounds like a fanciful description of some wonderful time spent with 'the gran.'