shepherdless

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Posts by shepherdless

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  117

  2017 Yearbook released

  by bohm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw this on reddit:.

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/.

  overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as i predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (i assume this is not physical kingdom halls?).

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  shepherdless

  Just a quick note on berrygerry's table of growth in Western countries a few pages earlier, the av publishers for Japan should be 2015: 214,523, 2016: 213,818. (ie berrygerry appears to have made a transpose error) Japan actually had a decrease of 705, not an increase of 355.

  That would bring the total increase down from 6563 to 5503.

  Also, if it was me, I wouldn't include Barbados or Bermuda in that list. I would argue it more appropriate to include South Korea instead. (South Korea had a decrease from 99,950 to 99,724.)

  All the same, well done, berrygerry.

  Other points I don't think anyone has noticed yet:

  1.Virtually every country in eastern Europe (including Balkan states, Baltic states, Russia etc) had a decline.

  2. Philippines was one of the few major countries outside of Africa with high growth. That seems to have stopped abruptly.
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  52

  You wake up one morning and see

  by A Believer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the un has banned religion.

  what are you're thoughts?.

  also changes to it seem to be on the way.... http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/trump-vows-israel-vote-161224040133216.html.

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  shepherdless

  The UN can't pass laws. The UN can't even enforce its own declarations. Pretty much all the UN can do is run a few aid programs and act as a channel for diplomacy. The UN has about as much power to ban religion as my local tennis club exec committee.

  Don't worry Believer. If the UN "ban religion", I will go to my local tennis club and persuade them to issue a resolution reversing that darstardly ban, thereby averting Armageddon.
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  8

  JW Broadcasting Songs - Instrumental/Karaoke!

  by Intercore in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i'm posting instrumental versions of jw broadcasting songs every month!

  listen here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=pln9i1fsjfwleuylpdikxoj8cg9v2mdg92.

  new song every month!feel free to use it everywhere.

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  shepherdless

  This thread is awesome. I hope Intercore took the humour in good spirit.
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  21

  REVEALED: The number of Bethelites over the years

  by darkspilver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in response to this thread.

  i've put forward the argument that i believe that the 'organization' is financially effectively bleeding itself dry - it is actually financially imploding.. i believe that over the last 45 or so years, in particular, it has evolved from a relatively 'lean machine' into what is now a huge unwieldy organization.

  as an organization grows i would expect increased efficiency through by both economies of scale, and advances in technology.. how has the watchtower organization fared?....

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  shepherdless

  Excellent work, Darkspilver.
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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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  shepherdless

  "the bar association and rules from state supreme court bars anyone who is not a lawyer from giving legal advice..."

  Actually, you will find there is legislation to that effect, pretty much in every country on the planet, not just USA. It is a real problem when you have non-lawyers spouting incorrect statements of law, using impressive legalistic terms and making random references to vaguely relevant case law.
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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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• 

  shepherdless

  Richard: I said that Caleb and Sofia are not copyrightable.

  If the cartoonists had drawn Caleb and Sofia as simple stick figures, I would agree. However, they are relatively detailed images; much more detailed then Mickey Mouse, for example. They are instantly recognisable. Thus the "originality" issue is satisfied.

  This is a trivial issue, but please have another look at the quote in Sparky's second last post.
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  12

  WT sells branch in Hong Kong for 65M

  by Viva la Vida in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.savills.com.hk/_news/article/574/141879-0/12/2015/savills-appointed-sole-agent-for-the-tender-sale-of-12-and-14-kent-road--kowloon-tong.

  savills appointed sole agent for the tender sale of 12 & 14 kent road, kowloon tong.

  the two-storey property at 14 kent road has a site area and saleable area of 10,771 sq ft and 4,303 sq ft respectively.

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  shepherdless

  It looks like it makes good business to sell, but wow, that is another big asset liquidation.

  I would have thought that the Borg would be extremely keen to keep and strengthen its foothold in China. It can't have an official presence elsewhere in China, and China has a huge number of Christians, who are generally a little uneducated, and are getting wealthier at a rapid rate. China is far too potentially lucrative for an evil high control cult to walk away from. I.m.o., more evidence that the Borg is liquidating whatever it can to pay expenses.
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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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  shepherdless

  RO: In order for anyone to claim a copyright the idea must be novel and original, and Caleb and Sofia are neither novel or original.

  
  Hi Richard, you seem to be confusing copyright with patents or trademarks. There is definitely copyright in the Caleb and Sofia images. I don't know who owns that copyright, but someone does.
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  22

  Real Estate Business?

  by no-zombie in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i was going over some of the older posts of others and without starting some kind of flame war, i got no idea why people are saying that the society is some kind of real estate business.

  of course its making millions of dollars in its real estate sales but this a one time event.

  its down sizing by selling the furniture.

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  shepherdless

  I tend to agree with no-zombie. WTBTS seems to be just liquidating whatever assets it can. If WTBTS is seriously trying to become a real estate business, then it is going about it the wrong way, in many respects.
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  14

  The ends of empires

  by Half banana in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve been reading up on the last days of the roman empire.

  the rule became a tetrarchy; by four regional emperors or caesars.

  the emperors had these necessary concerns; they always gave first consideration to the security of their own positions followed by the annual extraction of taxes and their territorial authority.

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  shepherdless

  The book, "The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon is a classic, and is a free iBook. It is very detailed on historical events and tends to just give the facts. Even though it was written over 2 centuries ago, it is reader friendly.

  it seems different people interpret the history and give different reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. For me it is obvious. It had almost all of its success as a Republic, before it became an empire. When Hannibal attacked, pillaged Italy, wiped out armies, and inflicted humongous casualties, the Roman citizens remained amazingly united, and kept raising new armies, incurring huge sacrifices, until they won. In the days of empire, the participation of Italians in the legions steadily decreased, until in the later stages there were virtually none, and the Legions were primarily made up of Germanic and other peoples who were just there for the money. In short, once the Roman citizen had lost his say in the Government, he was less interested in defending it.

  Linking this back to Watchtower: Watchtower also does not give its rank and file any say. I think for that reason alone, it has a limited lifespan. I have a suspicion that, for example, if its finances take a turn for the worse, the rank and file won't bail it out.