simwitness

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Posts by simwitness

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  25

  MEETING ATTENDANCE SOARS and HALLS ARE FILLED TO CAPACITY! 2004 YB.

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  2004 yb.page 23.. during the 2003 service year,2,340 kingdom halls were completed around the world.this represents an average of 195 halls per month,or just over 6 per day!since november 1999 when the construction program in lands with limited resources began,7,730 kingdom halls have been built.in many areas,once a hall is finished,meeting attendance soars and halls are soon filled to capacity.. my comment:this is nothing new.from the time of the dedication till the newness wears off this is usually the trend.halls filled to capacity does not indicate new converts.proof of this is when the memorial season comes around the halls usually are filled and then the very next meeting they are not filled to capacity.so,for one night meeting attendance soars then declines just as swiftly the next.. i am told that my hall which usually had a least 100 in attendance now has about 35 on school nights and 60 on sunday.what about your hall does it soar and is it filled to capacity?.

  blueblades

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  simwitness

  well, let's see...

  Sell 5 due to low attendance, combine those into 1 "newly built" hall...

  Sounds like a recipe for (financial) success...
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  21

  125,725 JW Publishers are MISSING !!!

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  blueblades posted the 2003 service year report.

  the watchtower society makes it appear that they grew 2.2% (which is lower than some of their earlier percentages) ... but the way they present the data, does not reveal the truth.

  [note: the chart below is the smallest i could get it ... sorry for the inconvenience.

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  simwitness

  The Parable of the Lost Sheep
  
  1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
  3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

  hmmm..... wonder what the WTBS is more concerned with???
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  7

  1941 -- 1914

  by stillajwexelder in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  interesting after the infamous pearl harbor -- many of that "generation" are dying off -- hell it was 60 years ago -- it was a full 37 years after 1914 -- i know 1914 was an important year -- but surely 1941 was more significant -- 1945 with the nuke was also very significant and 1957 with the dawn of the space age -- leaving aside your wtbts prejudices -- which year in the last century was the most marked year?

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  simwitness

  What year was it that Al Gore invented the internet???

  That "event" in and of itslef has caused many changes to the way many people live. Granted, it has it's downside, but there is alot to be said for the "information age" and it's affect on people in general.

  IMHO, it is this that will change our direction more than any war or other singular event... it has to happen on a collective scale, and over time.
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  84

  WTS Says Non-JWs will be SAVED !!!

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  clearly, anyone reading this watchtower society response to a "frequently asked question" on their jw-media site would conclude that jehovah's witnesses fully accept that god will spare non-jws through armageddon and grant them salvation.

  all that one has to do is take a "stand for truth and righteousness" before god's time of judgment.

  therefore, as former-jws, hence also non-jws, we have absolutely taken a stand for "truth and righteousness" such as exposing the criminal behavour of the watchtower leadership and their policies, such as their program that acts to protect jw child molesters.

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  simwitness

  Many now living may yet take a stand for truth and righteousness before God's time of judgment, and they will gain salvation.

  What's not spelled out here is the societys definition of exactly what that "stand" is... IMHO, this is the most dispicable form of double speak and hypocrisy.... Saying one thing while teaching/enforcing something entirely different.

  And yet, there is just enough "fuzziness" that you can't quite call them on it.... So, what do they "really" believe?????
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  10

  JUST GOT THIS FRM WEBSHOTS...........

  by qwerty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  below is an email from webshots.

  does this prove the wt is surfing looking for copyright violations?.

  thanks for uploading photos to webshots.. .

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  simwitness

  This link might help:

  http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/arts/topic.aspx?topic=parody_satire

  And I think this case is applicable:

  Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corporation
  Paramount did a teaser ad for the film, ?Naked Gun: The Final Insult 33 1/3.? The ad spoofed a 1991 cover of Vanity Fair,which featured a photo of a pregnant, nude Demi Moore. Paramount got another model, who was also pregnant, to pose nude. The head of Leslie Nielsen, the star of the film, was superimposed onto the body of the model. A federal district court and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the parody ad was a fair use.
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  10

  JUST GOT THIS FRM WEBSHOTS...........

  by qwerty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  below is an email from webshots.

  does this prove the wt is surfing looking for copyright violations?.

  thanks for uploading photos to webshots.. .

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  simwitness

  Apparently they don't understand that parody and or satire is not an infringment of copywrite laws...

  Maybe you can educate them?
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  22

  What does 666 in the book of Revelation really mean?

  by JH in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  revelation 13:18 here is wisdom.

  let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.

  so, does anybody have understanding here?

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  simwitness

  funkyderek...

  Interesting, but there's no indefinite article in Greek.

  so, what is the proper translation?

  wouldnt that make it more ambigous instead of less?

  You see, I am of the opinion that people have spent thier lifetimes trying to understand a riddle, where the answer is so simple as to be "well duh" at the end...

  Remember in the LOTR - Fellowship of the Ring -- they are at the door to the mines, and a riddle:

  "Speak friend and enter" -- they spent time trying to come up with a password, a "complicated" answer... only to discover that it was the word "friend" that they needed to speak...(albeit in Elvish...but nonetheless the point is made)...

  Anyway... good discussion... countless theories abound....
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  22

  What does 666 in the book of Revelation really mean?

  by JH in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  revelation 13:18 here is wisdom.

  let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.

  so, does anybody have understanding here?

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  simwitness

  While the writer was possibly talking about a specific man, I personally think he was saying "any man"...

  ...for it is the number of a man...

  as to effectively state that following any man is to follow the beast. (Especially if you are putting that man in God's place, etc... )

  But, that is probably way too simple... especially for others that need grander meanings in the scheme of things...
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  108

  "SCHOLAR" and UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  by Gamaliel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  scholar,.

  back on october 7, you said:i will respond to your response to the historical blunder made by franz and jonsson as alleged by me in a couple of days.. .

  (the post was http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/59355/901501/post.ashx#901501 the thread was wts chronology(oslo hypothesis) from vicar;trinity college fellow,cambridge.).

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  simwitness

  I'd like to ignore scholar for a few moments and turn to questioning just why this particular issue even exists.

  Why would the WTBS even need to publish the remark about Brown's "connection"?

  IMHO, the only reason that the WTBS even included that reference was to contradict Jonnson's published work. This begs the question, Why does the society feel the need to respond to "apostate" materials? "Good little witnesses" don't study outside of the society's marerials, so wouldn't even be aware of the association, or who "Brown" was.

  Obviously, the Society felt threatened in some way by this body of evidence, and needed to direcly contradict a statement made in it. By directly contradicting it, they hope to force the reader into just the kind of decision making that scholar represents. The kind that says:

  "The Society says this, Jonnson says otherwise, Jonnson is wrong."

  Now, the bigger question is: What does this really say about the "Society of truth" ?

  If the WTBS has to publish a contradiction to an "apostate's material", and has to fudge the facts in order to contradict it, what does that really say about the society's intentions and honesty? If, as AlanF has posted, the GB and the writing department know that the direct reading of the sentence, especially by the "masses" is intended to show an equality in the two times, and yet they know that that is not what Brown was suggesting, what does that really say about them?

  This is such a minor point, such a "trivial matter", yet this is what the society chooses to contradict. Wouldnt it have been just as simple to state that "Brown was the first to do this, yet he did not directly connect the two times ..." and been honest about it? What pourpose, other than to contradict an "apostate's" work could it have served? Being honest in the discussion about Brown's work would not have made the society's position on the two times any different, Brown wasnt a member of the society, nor had the slave been picked, so who cares if he was wrong?

  scholar has continually posted the following statement:

  If you can't get the facts of modern history straight, how can you be trusted with ancient primary resources?

  Obviuosly, The society can't be trusted, because the GB and the Writing department knowingly publish material that is not honest or truthful.

  scholar also posted the following:

  Jehovah's Organization is one of truth!

  If that is true, then the WTBS cannot be a member of that organization.

  Scholar,

  I want to thank you for your participation in this thread. You have helped again to prove that the WTBS cannot be trusted in matters of modern, or ancient history. You have allowed us, the "apostates" to demonstrate to others just how the society's writing department, and the GB thinks, and how they feel the need to "fudge facts" in order to contradict apostate's works. This is not the only case, this is just one example of thier actions.

  I urge all readers to :

  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. - 1 Thessalonians 5:21

  Have a nice day!
• 
  108

  "SCHOLAR" and UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  by Gamaliel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  scholar,.

  back on october 7, you said:i will respond to your response to the historical blunder made by franz and jonsson as alleged by me in a couple of days.. .

  (the post was http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/59355/901501/post.ashx#901501 the thread was wts chronology(oslo hypothesis) from vicar;trinity college fellow,cambridge.).

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  simwitness

  Sp, you and Alan F admit that the Society was right after all.

  No, quite to the contrary. The society attempts to mislead the readers that Brown DIRECTLY connected the two times so as to make them one and the same. The society is wrong in this reguard. Your attempts to trivialize what the society meant in the proclaimers book will not help you.

  Where does the society refer to page 208 as it's "proof" of the connection? If it is in personal correspondance to you, please scan and post it so that other's can see this "proof". Also, have you actually read the entire body of Brown's work and come to this conclusion on your own, or is your only bits of proof that which the WTBS has sent you?

  it is Jonsson who must prove his case as he first raised the issue with much dogmatism and then when the Society made a different statement he then spent some time in flagging his unsupported view of the matter.

  Jonnson has provided more than enough proof for his position. You on the other hand have only provided the words of the WTBS as your proof. You need to do more work than this if you want to convince anyone that you are correct.

  Unsupported by who? As far as I can tell, it is only unsupported by the WTBS. You have not shown that his view is unsupported by anyone else.

  In short the Society has proved the connection and Jonsson has failed to prove that there was no connection, association or relation.

  No, they haven't proven it, by any measure of proof. They have only stated it.

  Answer this, scholar... is time linear? Arent all things then connected thru time? Is this the connection that the WTBS implies? Is that the only connection that exists between the two?

  Jonsson has not proved that Brown did not associate, relate or connect the two times but has simply shown Brown' meaning and length of the seven times

  But isn't Brown's meaning/length and very definition of the two times where any true connection would occur? Where has the WTBS discussed, at length, these meanings?

  Do your homework, don't just keep reciting the same tired words.