Scottish heritage. None. Plain gold band.
I take it he didn't go to Jared's?
Stand for Pure Worship
JoinedPosts by Stand for Pure Worship
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40
Ladies, How Big Is Your Diamond Engagement Ring?
by minimus ini notice a trend that suggests that many ladies either have a one carat or bigger diamond ring or much smaller if any.. do you have a diamond ring and if you do, what size carat is it?
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Stand for Pure Worship
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The music that moves you....
by FlyingHighNow inonce when i was profoundly sad for too many days, my brother in law sent us a mix tape.
he named each song after a person in our family.
this is the one he named heather.
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Stand for Pure Worship
Heard this for the first time last nite. Blew me away.
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HELP: the cross or the stake
by never a jw injust asking for help from the vast number of very knowledgeable people here.
when was the "stake" doctrine adopted by jw's and what publication contains that information.
thank you..
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Stand for Pure Worship
While you're at it, consider whether or not the object used to execute Jesus was made out of cedar or timber.
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Strange things happening...
by DS211 insome strange things are happening.. 1. wife started smoking.
2. wife agreed that the whole "clean up after armageddon while growing to perfection" thing is all speculation.. 3. as i was going to the meeting tonight (i had a part and kids are sick so she stayed in) she says "do you have to go?"..
4. when i got home she says " i wanna go out and party..... hmmmmmm.
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Nelson Mandela passes
by designs inthe man who spent 27 years in prison in his relentless effort to free south africa from apartheid has passed at 94.. he sought peace, understanding and tolerance in his efforts to reconcile the nation and the peoples of south africa.
he learned the africaaners language his captors spoke to be able to communicate and share his ideas for a better future.
when ronald reagan and margaret thatcher wanted him to remain in prison mandela forgave them.
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Stand for Pure Worship
Yeah, it's official. R.I.P. 95 years old.
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The Gall Of WT To Give This Advice To Pioneers:
by JW GoneBad inthis past week's wt study lesson was entitled: 'pioneering strengthens our relationship with god'.. under the subheading 'remaining in the full-time service' in par 14 the wt has the nerve to give this admonition to pioneers: .
'desiring to learn from jesus' example, a pioneer does well to keep in mind that the more material things he has, the more he will have to maintain , repair, or replace.'.
i don't think the gb or anyone in the writing department has the freedom to speak on giving adivce on the matter of 'material things' given the fact that wt has close to a billion dollars in real estate and loads of money in various bank accounts; given the fact that gb is currently building themselves new living quarters with who knows what sort of comforts and other amenities.
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Stand for Pure Worship
They wear what looks to be tailor made suits, with french cuffs (requiring cuff links) and french collars. Most if not all of the GB members sport rings on both hands. One hand may be wedding bands, but some of those rings look to have some sort of insignia. They wear expensive looking watches, travel the world for free, and have their faces with captioned names on JW.org website.
Tailor made suits? Really? LOL Stop it!
By the way someone on a less than Middle Class budget can obtain french cuffed and collared shirts nowadays from Macy's without worrying about how they're going to eat later on. My brother in law and my father both rock their wedding rings, and both occassionally wear a pinky ring on their opposite hand. Neither one of them are living a life of luxury.
Again, so what if they travel the world for free? Why are they travelling the world? I guarantee the travelling they do wouldn't be considered pleasurable to the average joe. Giving talks? Visiting branches and printing facilities? Dealling with theocratic brown-nosers in 5 star restaraunts? If that's what you call luxury, you can have that. Oh yeah, they have their names and faces plastered on JW.Org......... partying like a rock star indeed.
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The Gall Of WT To Give This Advice To Pioneers:
by JW GoneBad inthis past week's wt study lesson was entitled: 'pioneering strengthens our relationship with god'.. under the subheading 'remaining in the full-time service' in par 14 the wt has the nerve to give this admonition to pioneers: .
'desiring to learn from jesus' example, a pioneer does well to keep in mind that the more material things he has, the more he will have to maintain , repair, or replace.'.
i don't think the gb or anyone in the writing department has the freedom to speak on giving adivce on the matter of 'material things' given the fact that wt has close to a billion dollars in real estate and loads of money in various bank accounts; given the fact that gb is currently building themselves new living quarters with who knows what sort of comforts and other amenities.
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Stand for Pure Worship
I agree when you say that the GB don't live to the level of a pop star, with their MTV crib. But they do have a very financially comfortable life, with no concerns about money. They are provided with nice rooms, great views, servants to cook and clean, new cars, unlimited travel, and a lot of cash in hand donations. And the adulation they receive is definitely Rock star/ tele-evangalist status. Why would you take your life over theirs?
They do have a financially comfortable life, without a doubt, but considering all of the wealth and property at the fingertips, they're not exactly taking advantage of that situation, now are they? I don't know who on this thread first used the word, luxury? KateWild maybe? At any rate, their lifestyle is FAR from luxurious. Matter fact, when I was thinking about this thread earlier, the film No Country for Old Men came to mind, specifically the gas station scene which at one point carries the following dialogue.
Chigurh : You've lived here all your life?
Old Man Cashier : This was my wife's father's place. Originally.
Chigurh : (almost spits out peanut in condescendingly humorous disbelief) You married into it?
Old Man Cashier: We lived on Temple Texas for many years. Raised a family there. In Temple. We come out here about four years ago.
Chigurh: (with a wow you got to be kidding me confirmation) You married into it. Old Man Cashier:...If that's the way you wanna put it.
Chigurh: I don't have some way to put it, that's the way it is.
I feel like Chigurh standing across from the Old Man Cashier(substitute Lett, Herd, etc.) while someone is in my ear saying, "This guy has it made. Living the life of luxury." True, their creature comforts are provided for them, and they don't have to worry about finances in the same way the rest of us do, but don't say they're living a life of luxury as that's insulting to people who really are living a posh lifestyle. I actually fantasize from time to time about living a life of luxury, and Gerrit Loesch DOES NOT come to mind.
Let's talk about the items you mentioned that the rest of us schmucks aren't privy to.
Nice Cars: Ok, so what are they driving these days? Leased? Own? Where do they take these nice cars? Travelling to and from a local KH and then back to Bethel? They still go out in FS, right? They do RVs in a Lexus? Are they driving nicer models than the average JW in suburban congregations?
Nice Rooms: That ain't nothing to brag about. That doesn't impress me whether you're talking about where they live or if they stay in nice hotels. That's not impressive to me. Room with a nice view? I have a nice view at work, and I spend almost as much time there as I do at home. Again, that doesn't impress me. Besides compared to the homes of plenty of JWs that I know, the GB's living arrangements ain't nothing to brag about.
Unlimitted Travel: To go where? Fly to a branch that's about to be closed down and give a pep talk? Literally a pep talk! Fly first class to a Circuit Assembly in the butthole of America, Detroit, to give a public talk? I can picture Anton Chigurh with Stephen Lett on an airplane as Chigurh almost spits out a peanut and then says with contemptuous disbelief, "You flew first class to give a talk in Akron?" So tell me, with this unlimited travel, what are they doing with it? Where are they going? Tahiti?
Lots of cash in hand: Again, what are they doing with it? I've got almost two months worth of vacation time, and I have not the foggiest what I'm going to do with it if anything, as I'm a workaholic. I've got coworkers telling me that I'm wasting it. That said, can any Bethelites former or present confirm that the GB go on spending sprees? Sam Herd making a killing on Black Friday? What are they doing with the cash in hand, because their lifestyle doesn't indicate they're doing anything with it at all? Can you picture Theo Jaracz with his wife discussing dinner plans?
Theo: Remember Bro.Greenhands? He wants to take us this 5 Star restaraunt in Manhattan. Says he has a problem with the brothers in his congregation. I figured if he's willing to take us to a nice spot in Manhattan, why not?
Melita or whatever her name is: You think they'll have grits?
As far as the adulation they recieve, and this goes back to your question about why I wouldn't trade my life for theirs. It boils down to the old saying about one man's trash being another man's treasure. They can have all the rock star treatment in the world, that kind of lifestyle is simply not for me. When I give a talk away, I tend to leave after it's over because I absolutely hate people approaching me afterwards telling me how good it was or how good I was. It makes me nausous to hear that kind of talk. Plus, I enjoy moving within a crowd anonymously. There's nothing quite like not everybody knowing what your name is. There's nothing like just being one of the fellas. They don't have that caveat in their lives. Most COs in my experience can't simply be one of the guys. My life compared to one of theirs, the difference in value can't be estimated.
But again, for the record, the reason I somewhat agree with Mike's post is that when you take into consideration all that the GB has at it's fingertips financially, their life is still relatively simple despite what they've accumlated. It's not entirely hypocritical for them to make the comments they make regarding a simplified life. Irresponsible in my opinion, but not necessarily hypocrtical. Out of touch to be sure, but not hypocritical.
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The Gall Of WT To Give This Advice To Pioneers:
by JW GoneBad inthis past week's wt study lesson was entitled: 'pioneering strengthens our relationship with god'.. under the subheading 'remaining in the full-time service' in par 14 the wt has the nerve to give this admonition to pioneers: .
'desiring to learn from jesus' example, a pioneer does well to keep in mind that the more material things he has, the more he will have to maintain , repair, or replace.'.
i don't think the gb or anyone in the writing department has the freedom to speak on giving adivce on the matter of 'material things' given the fact that wt has close to a billion dollars in real estate and loads of money in various bank accounts; given the fact that gb is currently building themselves new living quarters with who knows what sort of comforts and other amenities.
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Stand for Pure Worship
I just read the paragraph, and admittedly I haven't read the entire article. My previous trolling aside, I agree with BrotherMike to some degree. I don't think it's necessarily, hypocritical, for the GB to ok this article, or for the Writing Department to have penned it. I say that because regardless of all the creature comforts provided for Bethelites, especially those higher up in the theocratic food chain, along with taking into consideration all of the property and wealth the WT has accumulated throughout the years, even with those things in mind, I'd still take my life over theirs any day. Because for all the things those Bethelites in higher positions take for granted, including the GB, they're still not living like kings. Unless I've missed it in the past few years that I've browsed and participated on this board, I don't recall any previous Bethelites posting anything about the GB living out an MTV Cribs fantasy. Robin Leach never spent time with Theodore Jaracz for a reason, and Sam Herd has never golfed with Jack Welch. Yeah they get to travel and give talks, eat at nice restaurants in between, get supreme adoration by the average JW, maybe a green handshake or two, have their own office, their own apartment which I don't believe is exactly a penthouse suite, etc.. Regardless of all of that, they're still not living the life of luxury. Far from it considering all of the property and donations at their finger tips. Especially when comparing them to well-to-do preachers of other denominations, the GB and other WT higher ups really do make you wonder where all the money is going. Because they're sure not living like they're enjoying much of it. I get the feeling that my salary job which I work more hours than I get paid for and the vacation time I have and use occasionally is still closer to Floyd Mayweather's life than the GB will ever come close to. Same with any CO, DO, Branch heavyweight, etc..
The only beef I have with the paragraph, and again I haven't read the article in its entirety, but I've read enough of these articles as a born-in to recognize that they're all the same. My beef with this kind of material is the irresponsibility of dispensing this kind of admonition. All of the people I think of that neglected a long term relationship, or didn't plan ahead for their future financially speaking, those that were released from Bethel service after spending what should have been the more productive years of their life building some kind of a nest egg...... at the least getting a pension, 401K, etc., and the end didn't come soon enough to mitigate the avoidable nonsense they're dealing with currently, when you think about it it's depressing. In conjunction with those folks, what's currently being said in print regarding, Higher Education, and the enforcement of their policy by socially stigmatizing ones who still go to school or the removal of appointed men whose children are attending school, it’s irresponsible because the WT is not going to provide anyone going through hard times a dime. Might get some encouragement from the literature lol, but no help where it's really needed. Considering the end has been close for 100 years, the WT really doesn't have any credibility when they print this stuff. Its one thing to admonish the need to live a simple life as did Jesus. It's another thing entirely to print that counsel, all the while encouraging people to not be responsible for their own lives, and that includes looking out for where they might find themselves during their golden years. It's irresponsible.
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JW morale reaching new low
by kneehighmiah inmany friends i've spoken with are becoming discouraged.
because of this it's becoming tempting to privately share my views with friends, but i know this is still too dangerous.
most witnesses in my circle are intelligent free thinkers.
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Stand for Pure Worship
Haven't browsed through this whole thread, but I sat in a meeting not too long ago where a brother spoke on an observation he held that field service in our congregation isn't as enthusiastic as it should be. He stated that the friends just don't have a positive spirit towards field service. He was complaining that in his group they reach the territory at roughly quarter to ten, and they're ready for a break at eleven. Then after the break they might attempt a call or two, and then they're ready to call it a day. He stated that he didn't understand why, and what we need to do to bring some life back into field service.
I kept my mouth shut, but I was thinking to myself the whole time how we've worked these same territories for years. We've hardley had anyone come out of these territories into our congregation that didn't have some type of "issue." I mean, there's no one on this planet that doesn't have some kind of problem or problems, but for the most part at least in my experiences, normal people don't become Jehovah's Witnesses. I say that with no disrespect to anyone on here that converted and became a JW, but from all the people that I've seen throughout the years that had no JW connection in their life prior to studying with and getting baptized as a JW, only one or two were what I consider to be normal or come from a normal background. Even right now I'm thinking about how proud the congregation was of some that got baptized from our congregation in recent times, and they were all what you would label as, weird. People with obvious mental and social issues.
That said, the normal people that we would come across in field service, either politely accept the literature, politely declined, rudely protested, told us to get off their property in a hostile manner, etc.. With that kind of response, year in and year out, what do you expect? Then you sit in those Service Meetings, with poorly prepared demonstrations, or well prepared demonstrations, both of which end up with successful placements, doorstep Bible studies, room open for return visits, etc., meanwhile the audience knows the results of those demonstrations are NOT what to expect when they actually go out there and attempt what they saw demonstrated from the platform. The illustrations found within the magazines or the brochure being studied at the Congregation Book Study, don't accurately depict the emotions that go on at the meetings. Yet we go over variations of the same "encouraging" material over and over again. After a while, it gets old. Hard to elicit a positive outlook when the well has been drained dry.
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As far as the Watchtower goes, how should an adulteress be punished?
by I_love_Jeff inshould we use jesus' advice john 8:7 or god's advice .
leviticus 20:10?
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Stand for Pure Worship
Well, if Jehovah's Witnesses ever get a foothold in predominantly Muslim countries and the fundamentalist sects accept them despite being infidels, expect judicial committees to closely resemble Sharia Law.
