GrreatTeacher

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Posts by GrreatTeacher

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  21

  The Memorial and my thoughts.

  by Truth and Justice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no matter what opinions you may have, the memorial is very important to us.

  many are opposed to the way the organization performs the memorial because of restrictive rules as to who should partake.

  as jesus said in scripture, "keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Funnily enough, American Independence Day, the 4th of July, IS a nationalistic holiday and should be verboten.

  But, every JW I've ever known loves to go watch big fireworks displays!
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  21

  The Memorial and my thoughts.

  by Truth and Justice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no matter what opinions you may have, the memorial is very important to us.

  many are opposed to the way the organization performs the memorial because of restrictive rules as to who should partake.

  as jesus said in scripture, "keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Ha ha ha !

  Actually in a country that is hyperpartisan in its politics and has an almost militant patriotism happening, Thanksgiving is surprisingly neutral with no political or religious overtones.

  It's just a day everyone stops to eat and be thankful of the things they do have. It doesn't celebrate the US, no flag waving. Even people who complain about commercialism in Christian holidays like Christmas actually find Thanksgiving to be refreshing.

  It's one holiday that everyone can agree on. Except JWs of course!
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  21

  The Memorial and my thoughts.

  by Truth and Justice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no matter what opinions you may have, the memorial is very important to us.

  many are opposed to the way the organization performs the memorial because of restrictive rules as to who should partake.

  as jesus said in scripture, "keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

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  GrreatTeacher

  What they really need to do, other than blood, to really get themselves out of hot water is to dump the disfellowshipping "arrangement." This mess that they've just updated is nonsensical and doubling down in many respects.

  So, the two things they really need to do I don't see them doing.

  Their surface reforms might keep PIMOs in a little longer, but won't bring people back. It also won't bring in newbies entirely. For the most part people don't want to "buy" religion at all anymore.

  A sad death of attrition is what it's looking like.
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  21

  The Memorial and my thoughts.

  by Truth and Justice in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  no matter what opinions you may have, the memorial is very important to us.

  many are opposed to the way the organization performs the memorial because of restrictive rules as to who should partake.

  as jesus said in scripture, "keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

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• 

  GrreatTeacher

  I think they might now allow birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Thanksgiving to become conscience matters since there was very little justification for them anyhow.

  They won't allow Christmas or Easter because they can still call them pagan and old timers would lose their minds. They might, however, say that it is a conscience matter to attend those celebrations at unbelieving relatives' homes.

  I don't think they can move much on blood, even though it might seem obvious, because they've stuck their nose in people's Medical Powers of Attorney and have an entire Hospital Liason program and too many lawsuits that they've won to back out now. Also, I think they'd be terrified of all the unlawful death lawsuits they would be fighting off. Follow the money. This is one change that is too expensive. Sad because it's one of their most egregious beliefs.

  I think they will continue to ignore 1914 and it won't appear in any literature again. A lot of people have appeared to forget about it anyway. Just more of "soon, soon, soon."
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  44

  Thoughts on Likely Upcoming Changes in the Org.

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am thinking that the "ten year plan" that some have spoken of is the most likely scenario.

  the org.

  has to both attract new members and retain as many existing ones as possible.. so i think they will let the recent changes "bed in" for a while, maybe a year ?

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  GrreatTeacher

  It seems like they are operating with a giant flow chart.

  If we lose Norway, then follow this arrow.

  If we win Norway, follow this arrow.

  After following the Lose Norway arrow, they've now found themselves with a new decision.

  If saying hello to disfellowshipped ones, inviting them to the Memorial and crowing about beards and pants doesn't bring people back, but instead backfires...

  Yeah. I'd say that's about right where they are right now.

  I agree that it's purely reactive and they're throwing anything out there to see what sticks.
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  8

  2024 What's Afoot with World Religions?

  by KerryKing in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the parliament of the world's religions, member of the united religions initiative, has on their website a focus24 page, they call this year the year of democracy.. apparently an unusually large proportion of the world's countries are holding national elections this year, it's certainly the case here in ireland.

  this somehow is the focus of their mission, it reads well, you know peace, love and justice etc.

  i am wondering if the the watchtower society is a part of this movement, seeing as they have the 501c3 agreement they are also a state church, therefore bound to follow the states laws and regulations for fear of fines or loss of the 501c3 religious charity status, loss of tax exemption etc.. if so, we could be seeing many more changes this year.. does anyone have more detailed info on what rules and regulations 501c3 religious charities have to comply with?

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  GrreatTeacher

  To call something a State Church in the US really means nothing because there is a formal separation of church and state. It's actually an oxymoron. What you are speaking to is their tax status.

  Watchtower is a nonprofit organization which means they do not pay taxes.

  It is also a 501c3 organization, which does not necessarily have to be a church, but means that people who donate TO them will have their donations be tax deductible.

  Because of the guarantees of freedom of religion recognized in the first amendment to the American Constitution, all religions are given great leeway, some will say way too much leeway. What happened in Norway will not be happening in the US.

  This could be why the Governing Body are so shocked over the decisions made in other countries. They have a very American point of view where they have won many court battles in the past.

  The idea of the US government taking away their tax status is not realistic.
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  16

  Lack of Joy

  by Gorb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  because of some respect for family members, we visited the memorial today.. a moment i always think, could i go back into this religion?

  we entered the hall and some said a short hello.

  and with short i say short.

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  GrreatTeacher

  Don't they cancel the Sunday meeting when the Memorial is on a Sunday?

  Please tell me they didn't go twice today!
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  11

  The first rule of beard club...

  by GrreatTeacher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ...is you don't start growing a beard in the spring!

  you start growing it in the fall, keep your chin warm in the winter, and then shave it off for warm weather.

  at least that's how it works in my household and in the northern hemisphere where the gb are.. i have the sneaking suspicion that there is going to be a steep learning curve for many.. will they know to trim it along their jawbone properly?

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  GrreatTeacher

  Beards are actually very, very popular, nearly ubiquitous in the US at the moment and have really accelerated since the Covid shutdowns. I guess people shut up in their homes felt little need to shave.

  Comparably, a lot of middle aged women stopped dyeing their hair at the same time. And a lot of them never started again. Myself being one of them. Lots of salt and pepper hair on women now.
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  38

  the toll of being PIMO

  by enoughisenough in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  for those of you who are pimo, how do you feel it may be effecting your mental and physical health?

  is it easy to pretend to be what you are not?

  how do you feel about falsely supporting the pimi which builds them up and therefore an org you don't believe in?

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  GrreatTeacher

  Remember when Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, demanded his manifesto be printed in major newspapers and his brother recognized the "voice" as his brother's ramblings?

  And after reading previous letters his brother had received the FBI agreed?

  Yeah, instead of living solitary in a cabin in the wilderness he's now in solitary in a Federal Penitentiary.
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  11

  The first rule of beard club...

  by GrreatTeacher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ...is you don't start growing a beard in the spring!

  you start growing it in the fall, keep your chin warm in the winter, and then shave it off for warm weather.

  at least that's how it works in my household and in the northern hemisphere where the gb are.. i have the sneaking suspicion that there is going to be a steep learning curve for many.. will they know to trim it along their jawbone properly?

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  GrreatTeacher

  Looks like the brother in the front row left had tight pants on and was made to put loose ones over top!

  Then I looked closer and realized he has a whole extra leg! -- AND a really bad beard!