Waton, of course I know that. But still the question remains. After all, it would seem that Gods Spirit can only be decyphered in the good ol USA! Once these dudes make the move to New York, they are officially Borg-i-fied. I cant help but wonder if the other Bethel branches and their plebian workforce feel somewhat.... inferior....just because they aren´t in ´merica. I also have to wonder if many of the rank-and-file just look at them and roll their eyes. I see alot of skinny jeans and facial hair in photos from conventions in ¨other countries¨.
Tech49
JoinedPosts by Tech49
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29
Do they take the GB seriously?
by Tech49 inso this is an honest question that i have been thinking about for some time.. do regular jehovahś witnesses in other countries (other than the usa) take the governing body in new york seriously?.
i mean, i cant help but wonder about the publishers in japan, or south africa, or mexico, or new zealand, or even the uk, or spain, or italy...... or russia?.
not you and i (we know what you think of them), but the regular jwś...... do they take these american buffoons seriously?
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29
Do they take the GB seriously?
by Tech49 inso this is an honest question that i have been thinking about for some time.. do regular jehovahś witnesses in other countries (other than the usa) take the governing body in new york seriously?.
i mean, i cant help but wonder about the publishers in japan, or south africa, or mexico, or new zealand, or even the uk, or spain, or italy...... or russia?.
not you and i (we know what you think of them), but the regular jwś...... do they take these american buffoons seriously?
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Tech49
So this is an honest question that I have been thinking about for some time.
Do regular Jehovahś Witnesses in other countries (other than the USA) take the Governing Body in New York seriously?
I mean, I cant help but wonder about the publishers in Japan, or South Africa, or Mexico, or New Zealand, or even the UK, or Spain, or Italy...... or Russia?
Not you and I (we know what YOU think of them), but the regular JWś...... do they take these American Buffoons seriously? What have you heard from the rank-and-file in YOUR country.?
JackHarper, Tech49
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37
Protect Your Family??
by Tech49 inhere is an article in the current study copy of the wt.
tell me your thoughts and i will tell you mine.!
this is a topic that i am very sensitive about, as i could never see not protecting my family, even if that meant using whatever means at hand to do so!
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Tech49
This was the first thing that caught my eye:
"While Christians may take reasonable steps to ensure their personal security, they do so within the framework of Bible principles. These advise against the use of carnal weapons, such as handguns, rifles, or other firearms, for protection against other humans."
What? Um, excuse me.... but that is a stretch isnt it? Where does it say that? What scripture are we referring to? Oh, that's right, there isnt one...
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A Christian might decide to own a firearm (such as a rifle or a shotgun) for hunting animals for food or for protection against wild animals. When not in use, though, such weapons are best kept unloaded, perhaps even disassembled, and safely locked away..... where it will do no one any good if needed, as it is in pieces in a box in the garage....thanks for the GREAT advice T'Mo.... you all stay in your lockable bunker with food service and laundry, and watch the real world out your lakefront window.
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"When Jesus told his followers to equip themselves with swords on the final night of his life on earth, he did not have protection in mind. (Luke 22:36, 38) Rather, Jesus had them bring a sword for an object lesson to teach them not to resort to violence, even when confronted by an armed crowd. (Luke 22:52)"BULLS**T !! Just plain BS! Says who?? Are we just making this crap up as we go along, to fit the general agenda??? C'mon.... People carried swords for protection! There was no "object lesson"!
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Thus, if a mild tongue fails to stop an armed robber, wise Christians heed the principle embodied in Jesus’ words: “Do not resist the one who is wicked.” It may even require that we give up our inner and outer garments, so to speak.Oh MY GOD! A MILD tongue???? "Please kind sir, can you stop beating and raping my wife and daughter, no really, please. For real, pretty please. This is not proper. I just wont stand for it! Stop now! "sigh" No? Ok, well.... ok, I will just wait until you are done..... All done? Can I read you a scripture? How about a quick video, I think we have time.....Ok, now go in peace, be blessed. And here, take my jacket and my car and my wallet...." ...."at least I'm a TRUE Christian"...
Screw that! The dude is getting as good of a thrashing as I can muster! Or worse!
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"How a Christian chooses to protect himself, his family, or his possessions is, of course, largely a personal matter, as is his choice of employment."WTF??!! But dont you dare actually protect yourself, or be PREPARED to protect yourself, because then you showing to everyone that you arent a TRUE CHRISTIAN! on the contrary...Its ENTIRELY a PERSONAL matter, and none of your GoshDarn business!
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"Out of regard for those principles, spiritually mature Christians choose not to keep a firearm for protection against other humans. They know that true and lasting security comes to those who demonstrate trust in God by living in harmony with Bible principles."So you and you and you and YOU are NOT spiritually mature Christians. Because we say so. Demonstrate your trust in a God who wont do diddly squat if your family or you yourself are in danger. Live in harmony with Bible principles..... and be dead/maimed/raped/etc.
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In conclusion... these guys that live in their little granite castle on the lake in Upstate New York are just getting more and more ridiculous by the minute. As LongHairGirl pointed out, any little glimmer of personality or self-reliance is a direct affront to these buffoons and their ego-maniacal way of life. I am continually amazed at how much they want to control EVERY SINGLE aspect of their follower's lives. I am even more amazed at how much their followers LET their lives be controlled! CULT 101, for sure. I think that the longer they print crap like this, and hateful messes like the shunning video, the more REAL thinking people they will continue to lose.
Morons. Just morons.
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Protect Your Family??
by Tech49 inhere is an article in the current study copy of the wt.
tell me your thoughts and i will tell you mine.!
this is a topic that i am very sensitive about, as i could never see not protecting my family, even if that meant using whatever means at hand to do so!
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Tech49
Ok, so here's some of my thoughts:
For some who dont like guns, or where they may be completely illegal to even own....Now, I dont play baseball, but if I have an aluminum bat next to my bedroom door, for the "just in case" scenario..... does that make me no longer a "true Christian?" Am I supposed to be ok with letting my wife and daughter get assaulted, raped,.... or worse.... because I dont want to break "bible principles?"
Respect other's consciences??? How about if I dont tell them, and they mind their own business!
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Protect Your Family??
by Tech49 inhere is an article in the current study copy of the wt.
tell me your thoughts and i will tell you mine.!
this is a topic that i am very sensitive about, as i could never see not protecting my family, even if that meant using whatever means at hand to do so!
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Tech49
Here is an article in the current study copy of the WT. Tell me your thoughts and I will tell you mine.! This is a topic that I am very sensitive about, as I could NEVER see NOT protecting my family, even if that meant using whatever means at hand to do so! Again, a spurious example of double-speak.
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Questions From Readers
Would it be fitting for a Christian to keep a firearm, such as a handgun or a rifle, for protection against other humans?
While Christians may take reasonable steps to ensure their personal security, they do so within the framework of Bible principles. These advise against the use of carnal weapons, such as handguns, rifles, or other firearms, for protection against other humans. Consider the following:
In Jehovah’s eyes, life—especially human life—is sacred. The psalmist David knew that Jehovah “is the source of life.” (Psalm 36:9) Hence, if a Christian chooses to take reasonable measures to defend himself or his property, he would do everything in his power to avoid taking a human life and becoming bloodguilty.—Deuteronomy 22:8; Psalm 51:14.
Although using any number of objects could lead to incurring bloodguilt, guns make it easier to kill someone—accidentally or deliberately. *
[Footnote.] * A Christian might decide to own a firearm (such as a rifle or a shotgun) for hunting animals for food or for protection against wild animals. When not in use, though, such weapons are best kept unloaded, perhaps even disassembled, and safely locked away. Where gun ownership is illegal, restricted, or regulated in some other way, Christians obey the law.—Romans 13:1. [End of Footnote.]
Moreover, if an attacker—who may already be tense—sees that the other person has a firearm, the situation is very likely to escalate and a death might result.
When Jesus told his followers to equip themselves with swords on the final night of his life on earth, he did not have protection in mind. (Luke 22:36, 38) Rather, Jesus had them bring a sword for an object lesson to teach them not to resort to violence, even when confronted by an armed crowd. (Luke 22:52) After Peter wielded one of the swords against the high priest’s slave, Jesus commanded Peter: “Return your sword to its place.” Then Jesus stated a fundamental truth, a principle that guides his followers to this day: “All those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.”—Matthew 26:51, 52.
In harmony with Micah 4:3, God’s people “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.” This identifying trait of true Christians harmonizes with the apostle Paul’s inspired exhortation: “Return evil for evil to no one.... If possible, as far as it depends on you, be peaceable with all men.” (Romans 12:17, 18) Despite the many troubles that Paul experienced, including “dangers from robbers,” he lived by his words, never putting personal security above Scriptural principles. (2 Corinthians 11:26) Instead, he trusted in God and in the wisdom found in His Word—wisdom that “is better than weapons of war.”—Ecclesiastes 9:18.
Christians consider life to be far more valuable than material things. “Life does not result from the things [a man] possesses.” (Luke 12:15) Thus, if a mild tongue fails to stop an armed robber, wise Christians heed the principle embodied in Jesus’ words: “Do not resist the one who is wicked.” It may even require that we give up our inner and outer garments, so to speak. (Matthew 5:39, 40; Luke 6:29) *
[Footnote.] * Regarding the matter of defending oneself against rape, see the article “How to Prevent Rape” in the March 8, 1993, issue of Awake! [End of Footnote.]
The best strategy, of course, is prevention. If we shun “the showy display of [our] means of life” and are known by our neighbors as peace-loving Witnesses of Jehovah, we may avoid being targeted by violent criminals.—1 John 2:16; Proverbs 18:10.
Christians respect others’ consciences. (Romans 14:21) If it became known that a member of the congregation kept a gun for protection against humans, some fellow believers might be shocked, even stumbled. Love moves us to put others’ interests ahead of our own, even when that means putting aside what we may feel is a legal right.—1 Corinthians 10:32, 33; 13:4, 5.
Christians strive to be exemplary. (2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Peter 5:2, 3) After receiving Scriptural counsel, a Christian who continues to keep a gun for protection against other humans could not be considered exemplary. He would therefore not qualify for responsibilities or special privileges in the congregation. The same applies to a Christian who continues to carry a firearm as part of his secular work. How much better to seek other employment! *
[Footnote.] * Further details on the question of accepting employment that involves being armed are found in The Watchtower of November 1, 2005, page 31; and July 15, 1983, pages 25-26. [End of Footnote.]
How a Christian chooses to protect himself, his family, or his possessions is, of course, largely a personal matter, as is his choice of employment. That said, Bible principles reflect God’s wisdom and his love for us. Out of regard for those principles, spiritually mature Christians choose not to keep a firearm for protection against other humans. They know that true and lasting security comes to those who demonstrate trust in God by living in harmony with Bible principles.—Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 1:33; 2:6, 7.
Picture on page 31: During the great tribulation, Christians will rely on Jehovah and not try to defend themselves
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Assembly experiences that strech the truth
by karter inelder and his wife build a flash house.. they go on the stage at an assembly and give an experiences of how they sold the flash house to simplify their life so they can go pioneering.. the real story.. elder and wife can't afford the flash house and have to sell it he never goes pioneering she does until they are declared bankrupt.. why were they bankrupt?.
the money leaft over from the flash house they invested in a yet to be build apartment and the developer goes bankrupt takeing their money.. just one of many.. karter..
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Tech49
Yes, its all true! I have seen it first-hand myself. I was on an assembly program once, and prior to the convention, we had to meet with the CO, so that we could ¨practice¨ all of the parts, and get them to his liking. We had to sit thru this for hours, while one brother after another did his part, and then was critiqued by the CO, and changes were made to fit the CO´s theme, or the points HE wanted to make.
One brother had an interview part, where he had a couple relate some experience. I dont remember the specifics. When they had their first go at it, the CO clearly didnt like it, and thought it needed some ¨work¨, and needed to be more ön point¨. I do remember, very clearly, that the CO had them re-do their ¨experience¨ multiple times. He made them change facts many times, repeat their part, do it again, so that it would ¨fit¨. By the time we had our 3rd practice session, the experience they portrayed at the convention had almost ZERO facts in it, it was all made up fluff. I sat there just amazed. I had seen the evolution of the lie from the beginning. I could tell that several of the brothers weren´t comfortable with the whole process..... but who was going to push back at the CO??? Nobody. All went exactly as ¨planned¨.
I have seen this personally on several occasions. Yep, those experiences you hear are mostly just propaganda BS. Filled and fluffed with lies and deceptions.
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Funniest or strangest thing to happen to you when knocking on a door
by usualusername1 inwhat is the funniest or strangest thing to happen to you or your partner when knocking on doors?.
mine was seeing a greenhouse with mannequins inside.
scary...paul.
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Tech49
I went to a house once, the front door was open, but they had a glass security-type screen door. You could see right into the house, plain as day. There was a big dog sitting there, just looking at us. He didnt have much to say, and was obviously tired or something.... didnt even bark at us. Odd.. we thought.... As we stood there for a moment....we realized why. Behind him, the ENTIRE front room, carpet, chairs, couch, coffee table, plants..... was just SHREDDED! As in TORN APART, like by a wild animal on crack!
He had been busy all morning, and a couple of dudes at his front door was the least of his worries! Needless to say, we turned and walked away pretty fast.....
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My Book With Bible Stories - 91 stories of murder and rape to be used as bedtime stories for your little children
by Anders Andersen in"no honey, daddy doesn't like this book.
do you have a nice book we can read?.
as far as i know my wife and i agree this book would be off-limits.
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Tech49
Yep, I suppose you are right. Just another classic example of KNOWING something just didnt add up and wasnt right, but going along with it anyways. Cognitive dissonance at its finest.
Sometimes we just need to LISTEN to our inner selves!! Took me another 15 years!
edited to note: I just walked down the hallway of our home, and there is a photo of both the kids, when they were toddlers, reading the Bible Stories book together...... really hope it wasnt a death/kill/murder/rape/incest/genocide/magic story! Oh wait.... it probably is...
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Kingdom Halls open to hurricane flood victims??
by Sugar Shane inthere are other threads dealing with jws actions, or non-actions in response to the houston flooding.
i started this thread to find out specifically if kingdom halls, or assembly halls are being used to help victims.
not just other jws, but innocent victims of all walks: men, women, children & pets.
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Tech49
No, they wont. A few years back, our city officials approached the local elder body to discuss this issue. Our area is prone to wildfires every year, and the hazards of evacuation and serious threat to life and property/homes is very real.
They wanted to line up any possible building to use as a shelter in the event of an emergency. The thought was that it would be easy to push all the chairs back, or remove them, and have a nice large shelter with bathrooms. Many in the congregation heard about it, and thought it a great idea! Help take care of their neighbors and all!
A quick call to confirm with Bethel gave the answer.: NO, absolutely NO. Insurance reasons, blah blah blah.
The elders looked really stupid. It was a terrible witness to the community, as many brothers work for the city and the county. Essentially, the KH would be the only empty building in an evacuation/emergency situation that required sheltering those that may have lost their homes. It was an embarrassment for everyone and was hushed up real quick. Sad indeed.
So NO, they wont be opening their KHś to be used. And they WONT be donating money to the Red Cross or any other charity services. Damn straight the pretty little trolley carts will be on every street corner as soon as the sun comes out... to offer comfort!
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My Book With Bible Stories - 91 stories of murder and rape to be used as bedtime stories for your little children
by Anders Andersen in"no honey, daddy doesn't like this book.
do you have a nice book we can read?.
as far as i know my wife and i agree this book would be off-limits.
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Tech49
This brought to my mind a memory that I had pushed away for many years, until now. When my son, our firstborn, was a toddler, we would read to him from the Bible Stories book, just like any good JW family should. We have photos in our album of just such occasions.
But now, I distinctly remember skipping over some of the stories, leaving parts of some of the stories out, just because they were too much for a young child. Even basic stories like Noah's Ark got "smoothed over" because.......EVERYBODY DIED!
SERVE GOD OR DIE!!!
I remember thinking.." sheesh, this is a little violent, graphic, and overall almost R-rated for a kid!" "this won't promote good happy thoughts to go to sleep by!"
So we both made a habit of skipping stories and sections of the book entirely, and this went on for years, while both our kids were growing up.
Sadly, we couldn't see the forest for the trees at the time, and didnt think much more of it. Now, looking back, I wish I could slap my younger self across the back of the head!
DUH!