Srecko Sostar

The GB are like kids in a candy shop.  They have a plethora of kingdom halls at their disposal. Sounds like they are in the process of trading up real-estate for Ramapo and their mega audio visual center.  
Maybe you need to tell the GB.  As A. Morris just said in his latest video, "“Jehovah’s organization is on the move, and it will not be stopped by the pandemic, or anything else."  If what you say happens, Ramapo may become a money pit.  

That little girl is precious! Such talent, both of them!
(Not sure about the lyrics though, they seem a little muddled and confusing, talking about Bathsheba...and Delilah....? Something to do with faith? Maybe I'm misunderstanding what they are trying to say...)
P.s. I see the lyrics are by Leonard Cohen and it is a song about lost love...nothing to do with Jah).

True - so if I were them I will use it to help brothers and sisters while we can.  Many have lost jobs.

Is it somehow connected that high IQ helps individual not to be JW? My IQ in the past (when i was 19) was 120. But despite above average IQ i became JW. Maybe insufficiently above average :))
 Perhaps my IQ has dropped in the meantime :)) Does that explain why I left JW? :))

If the words spoken are not important during the baptism ceremony, then there is no need to ask WTJWorg questions for the “candidate”.
Also, if someone has already been baptized in any other religion, then it is not important to be re-baptized if they change the religious community, because according to some comments it could be inferred that baptism is just a ceremony that does not deserve as much attention as the decision, made previous, to follow Christ.
"Word" is important, as insignificant as it may seem at times. Well, God also spoke the Word, one or more Words when He created the world. "And God said, let it be ...." So, the spirit could act even without the spoken Word, triggered by Thoughts. But, as Pudgy said, the word is a tool, a tool of the thought process hidden in a person. The thought remains hidden until it is uttered. 
Of course I don’t know how God uttered the words that Moses speaks of in Genesis. For Moses writes that God said the words, not that He just uttered them in thought. Well, I guess then he would write that God Thought something and then the Spirit moved because of the Thought.
But this is a bit irrelevant considering what kind of Words WTJWorg uses which is a product of the Thought Process of GB and other “theologians” in WTJWorg.
@Witnessthanks for WT quotes that showed how words are tools for deceiving JW members. 
 
One thought flashed through my mind about something in comment.
Jesus initiated the “new commandments,” which made all the “old commandments” rejected and unnecessary. In a sense, the old has become a "false religion." The Jewish religious system is, even according to WTJWorg, rejected by God. Watch out, "rejected by God." What is rejected by God is worthless. It has become part of global religiously worthless things that God does not accept or acknowledge as true. So, in one categorical sense, the former (truth) of/in the "Jewish religion" became a "false religion." A very awkward thought, and a spoken word, isn't it? But no Christian, of any denomination along with JW members, will say that the “Jewish religion” is the "right" religion, but the “wrong/false" one. 
The ways of God are miraculous and strange.  

For the benefit of the JW community, a speech like this should be included in the JWTV program as a Special Lecture on Sunday afternoon.
.....Of course, to make it more acceptable for the organizer, the lecture should be given by a man, not a woman :)) I believe, that nowadays an increasing proportion of JW members would readily abandon the idea that only men (male) are allowed to “teach”.

In the 1970's it was common for Bethelites to order Bible commentaries like Matthew Henry's and Barnes' Notes on the NT and various Bible translations. Later, they also allowed orders for Jay Green's Hebrew Interlinear and William Whiston's Josephus. Bethelites paid for them, but the price was fairly low because all requests were ordered through a one of Dean Songer's assistants.
Then there was a meeting in 1979, and all such books became impossible to order, and anyone who already had them in their rooms (except for Bible translations) would be looked at suspiciously. In 1980, housekeepers would report to their overseers if these types of books were found, and many Bethelites who owned them would be questioned by an interrogation committee. Within a matter of months, they moved the entire Bethel Library out of reach of all Bethelites by moving the entire Writing Department --along with the library-- out of 124 CH and onto a locked floor down at 25 CH.
Also, even before it moved, no Bethel tours allowed visitors to see the Bethel Library beyond a quick peek from the doorway to the "facing" shelves which were almost all WT material along with a couple sets of encyclopedias and dictionaries. All commentaries and books from other religions were were kept in the rows of shelves behind the first "facing" shelves, and could not be seen. Even the tours at Patterson in the 2000's only allowed a doorway glimpse of a small corner of the Library from the main hallway, about 40 feet from the nearest book.
I remember once when Brother Klein railed against commentaries one morning at breakfast. And he was one of the GB members in the Writing Department. At another meeting he said that using them was "sucking at the teat of Christendom." Now, of course, there is a much more reasonable approach, and I think that most of the brothers are at least partially aware that this is where most of the information in the Insight book comes from. They might be less aware that this is also where we get many of the spiritual gems and treasures in the meeting workbooks, and of course the footnotes in the Study Bible, all those interesting comments about Hebrew and Greek words, etc.

Scandinavian countries have IKEAs, too?

There's a Ted Talk I saw that suggests something along these lines as a sub current to all this
...."How does it feel to be wrong?...ans "It feels like being right."
We never feel like we aren't being unreasonable or unbalanced if we think we're right, but we could be.

These types of presentations are always quite interesting. Thanks.

If 100 people lived on Earth Damnthatsinteresting.mp4

Of course, neither Dogs or Jehovah's Witnesses vote.
For Dogs it is because of the failed French Poodle rebellion of 1870, and we have had to eat from dishes on the ground, since then.

In Finland the government considers any suppression of the right to vote to be a violation of basic human decency and God-given rights of dignity and self determination. As such as they threatened Jehovah’s Witnesses with revocation of the charity status if they were involved with anything and violated basic human rights. Jehovah’s Witness charity status entitles them by law to siphon off tax money in relationship to how many parishioners they have and in this case it’s about $12 million a year. The Society does not want to lose that money, so they have made a dispensation for Finnish Jehovah’s Witnesses, and there’s no congregational sanctions of any sort if a Witness wants to vote in Finnish elections.
I know of one brother locally who the Elders called him up and ask if he had voted because they saw he was a registered voter. He related the incident above and they had nothing to say.

.... most dogs have an IQ of about 120, but remember that you have to divide that by seven.

Because of a false sense of peace, safety, security found by JWs as members of “Jehovah’s organization”, the type and source of persecution against them, is always directed to those on the outside of the organization, and not inside where spiritual “Jacob” resides among “Gentiles”. (1 Thess 5:2-3)   I’m not saying that JWs do not suffer persecution from governments.  Although, if persecution against them exists outside, is it possible that it exists inside JW walls in the environment of sin?  I believe no JW will say that discipline is needed – repentance of their own sins is needed, because they suffer from external sources.  No JW will link the corruption that flows from the spiritual in-house throne of those who rule over them, with the persecution they face outside the organization.  Although not announced, they will say, this is the great tribulation, and such suffering is to be expected!  It makes you wonder why the announcement hasn't occurred.  But, I am guessing  that one reason is that the GB say it will take "years" to complete their projects of videos on the the gospels about Jesus. Are they so side-tracked in this work, they are completely forgetting about the great tribulation and Armageddon?  Perhaps, they know the truth about who are, the target of the great tribulation.  (Mark 14:13-20)
When Israel suffered at the hands of other nations, it was because of their own sins.  (Deut 31:17,18; Ps 44:17-24) Lamentations is the perfect example of suffering because of Israel’s sins. (Lam 2:8)  JWs are not fighting on the side of righteousness, when their house, their organization is filled with unrighteousness.  How blind, how foolish it is, to think that God is on their side, when His anointed people have allowed men to rule over them and replace His priesthood - His heritage, His chosen people. (Lam 1:10; 2:7; Ezek 44:6-9; Dan 11:36; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess 2:3,4; 1 Pet 2:5,9,10;1 Cor 3:16,17;  Rev 11:1,2)
It is God’s people that must look at their own sins. 
Psalm 94:
Lord, God of vengeance—
God of vengeance, shine!
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth;
repay the proud what they deserve.
3 Lord, how long will the wicked—
how long will the wicked celebrate?
4 They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
5 Lord, they crush Your people;
they oppress Your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the resident alien
and murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.
The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention.”
8 Pay attention, you stupid people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 Can the one who shaped the ear not hear,
the one who formed the eye not see?
10 The one who instructs nations,
the one who teaches mankind knowledge—
does He not discipline?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of mankind;
they are futile.
12 Lord, how happy is anyone You discipline
and teach from your law
13 to give him relief from troubled times
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 The Lord will not leave His people
or abandon His heritage,
15 for the administration of justice will again be righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who stands up for me against the wicked?
Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my helper,
I would soon rest in the silence of death.
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
Your faithful love will support me, Lord.
19 When I am filled with cares,
Your comfort brings me joy.
20 Can a corrupt throne be your ally,
a throne that makes evil laws?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death. (spiritual “killing”/disfellowshipping – Rev 11:1-3,7;13:15)
22 But the Lord is my refuge;
my God is the rock of my protection.
23 He will pay them back for their sins
and destroy them for their evil.
The Lord our God will destroy them. 
 
What's wrong with "peace and security"?

Sen-yor Chavez ... if I may pose a relevant question ....
It seems that from what I have been reading in the past few months here on the Archive, that EVERYBODY without exception is mentally ill .... except you?
My Guardian is ASD .... he even labels my dog water bowl and food bowl with a tape label maker, which I have noticed is also labeled with a yellow tape "Label Maker" on the label maker.   And on the label of the label maker's label that says "Label Maker", is a tiny label that says "Label",
 

If the words spoken are not important during the baptism ceremony, then there is no need to ask WTJWorg questions for the “candidate”.
Also, if someone has already been baptized in any other religion, then it is not important to be re-baptized if they change the religious community, because according to some comments it could be inferred that baptism is just a ceremony that does not deserve as much attention as the decision, made previous, to follow Christ.
"Word" is important, as insignificant as it may seem at times. Well, God also spoke the Word, one or more Words when He created the world. "And God said, let it be ...." So, the spirit could act even without the spoken Word, triggered by Thoughts. But, as Pudgy said, the word is a tool, a tool of the thought process hidden in a person. The thought remains hidden until it is uttered. 
Of course I don’t know how God uttered the words that Moses speaks of in Genesis. For Moses writes that God said the words, not that He just uttered them in thought. Well, I guess then he would write that God Thought something and then the Spirit moved because of the Thought.
But this is a bit irrelevant considering what kind of Words WTJWorg uses which is a product of the Thought Process of GB and other “theologians” in WTJWorg.
@Witnessthanks for WT quotes that showed how words are tools for deceiving JW members. 
 
One thought flashed through my mind about something in comment.
Jesus initiated the “new commandments,” which made all the “old commandments” rejected and unnecessary. In a sense, the old has become a "false religion." The Jewish religious system is, even according to WTJWorg, rejected by God. Watch out, "rejected by God." What is rejected by God is worthless. It has become part of global religiously worthless things that God does not accept or acknowledge as true. So, in one categorical sense, the former (truth) of/in the "Jewish religion" became a "false religion." A very awkward thought, and a spoken word, isn't it? But no Christian, of any denomination along with JW members, will say that the “Jewish religion” is the "right" religion, but the “wrong/false" one. 
The ways of God are miraculous and strange.  

Correctly handling the "Word of Truth", is the same as correctly handling a saw, a hammer, a level, or any other tool. 
WORDS are the tools with which we think.
If we use tools in a wrong way, what we build will be crap.
If we use words in a wrong way, what we think will be crap.
My considered dogged opinion is that Sen-yor Chavez is on the verge of hysterical panic.

Matt 24:25 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
Mark 8:38 – “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Luke 4:32 – “They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.”
Luke 6:47-49 – “As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
I agree, but here is the confusion:
This question expects one to dedicate their life to the organization and to the doctrine of the organization  - WORDS of men, whatever doctrine may come or go.  No one, as stated below, should dedicate themselves to a religion or an organization. 
This is truth, but the LIE is practiced – a lie that is doctrine of men and not the words of Jesus Christ.
2 Tim 4:3 - "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."  
The Truth is found in the words of Jesus Christ.  
2 Tim 2:15 - Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

So, what the early disciples heard and followed, as the command of Jesus Christ, would identify them as serving “false religion”. You may want to unravel your own lie. 
I am not saying that “every” word has to be spoken, but when the thrust of the command disintegrates, and a new “command” takes its place – a false religion becomes very evident.
Wt 1955/7/1 p. 411 - "A Christian, therefore, cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organization, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit." 
 Wt 1966 Oct 1 pp.603-604 - "We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization.
Oh, but times have changed!  JWs DO dedicate themselves to both a religion and an organization.
Wt 1985/7/1 p. 30 - “On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?”
The Holy Spirit is not mentioned.  No one then, was baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit.

“The second is:
Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization? Having answered yes to these questions, candidates are in a right heart condition to undergo Christian baptism." Watchtower 1985 Jun 1 p.30
There.  Christ’s command has disintegrated.  This is far from the “right heart condition” needed, to undergo the baptism that Christ outlined to his disciples.  It is the right heart condition that men require, for initiation into false religion.   These questions that one must agree to, is none other than deception.
If there are excuses made for the questions, then whose commands are being upheld?  Those of powerful men, or those of Jesus Christ?  If a JW says, well I dedicated my life to God and Christ, and not to an organization";  then I ask, why are you a JW, and an "associate"/member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society?
 
 
 
 

Correct.
If person unintentionally participate in car accident with someone death, person is not automatically bad but what happened is bad. In other possible situation, person is attacked by robber and in attempt to protect himself he causes robber death. Is person bad automatically? Or is outcome of that situation bad?   
You state, here, how person become bad overnight, but in speaking about Manasseh you gave another way of process.
Correct. What that speaking about person? Whether he was born bad, become bad overnight or become corrupt over time?
You speaking about ex-JW as full of hate and criticism. In your opinion, did they become that overnight or over time? Are you claiming that every ex-JW is full of hatred?
 

I don’t recall the apostles conforming to the belief of three major meetings per year.   Their goal was to make the effort to move away from such traditions. (Col 2:16,17)    I use to swallow down the idea that three yearly meeting were “biblical”, but with the coming of Jesus Christ and the “new” way to worship – in spirit and in truth – I now see the organization reverting right back to beliefs before Jesus came to earth.  Is Jesus the organization's stumbling block? Is it caught between a hybrid of worship involving the nation of Israel, and its temple worship and traditions, while refusing to accept and recognize the "temple" worship that involves "Israel"?
  The anointed since Christ, “Israel”, do not need to observe an earthly pattern of worship, but only the heavenly, involving the heavenly Temple, and not the earthly desires for “organization”.   (Heb 8:3-6; Col 3:2; 2:8) (1 Pet 2:5,9; 1 Cor 3:16,17; Eph 2:20-22)
We need to keep in mind that God's dwelling/Temple today, has been trampled by men assuming to formulate their own form of worship.  (Matt 24:15,16; 2 Thess 2:3,4; Rev 11:1,2)
“When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood."  Isa 1:12-15
Rev 16:4-7
 
 
 
 

Not sure where you got that idea.  A physical building is not made with “living stones”.  You must have someone else in mind.    
1 Pet 2:5 -  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The spiritual house is the Temple built on the Body of Christ.  The “living stones” are God’s priesthood, and the people belonging to God. (1 Pet 2:9,10)
2 Cor 6:16 - And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
Heb 8:10 – “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Priests are to teach God’s laws:
Mal 2:7 - “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
To the physical Gentiles who became spiritual “Israel” –
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Eph 2:19-20
This doesn’t talk about a physical, concrete building.  This indicates the members of Jesus’ spiritual Body/Temple/House and dwelling of God.
Right!  Which means, there is no need for an earthly organization that requires maintenance, upkeep, servitude and obedience to men! God would not be dwelling in such "temples" made with hands.  (Acts 17:24,25)   That would not be the "in spirit and truth" of Jesus Christ, who said to "lay for ourselves, treasure in heaven", and not on earth.  Matt 6:19-21
"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." Col 2:16-23
It is not in the future.  Each anointed one is sealed by Jesus Christ - even when he or she is still on the earth. (Eph 1:13,14)   The "seal" is the mark that identifies who that anointed one belongs to.  Your organization expects dedication to IT.  When we dedicate ourselves to an operation, an organization; we are recognized or "marked" as belonging to that entity. Can we bear two spiritual "marks"?  One of God, and one of a spiritual organization?  No.  The only requirement expected by God is our dedication to Him and Jesus Christ, as your scripture brings out in John 4:23,24
Jer 31:33; Deut 11:18; Heb 8:10; Eph 1:13; Rev 14:1
Mark of Slavery
 
 
 

I don't hate you, but maybe you hate me for challenging your organization's doctrines - and your own doctrine.
Slandering...these are the organization's baptism questions:
(1)Have you repented of your sins, dedicated yourself to Jehovah, and accepted his way of salvation through Jesus Christ?” 

(2) “Do you understand that your baptism identifies you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with Jehovah’s organization?”
In these words, Jesus is not directly recognized. He is mentioned in a roundabout way.   Are new members dedicating themselves to the Father and Jesus Christ?  Why isn’t the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Truth – mentioned at all?(John 16:3)  Why does dedication to an organization take precedence over dedication to Jesus Christ, and recognition of God’s Holy Spirit in His Son? (John 15:26)
Do you know that it is written in your magazine that the organization decided to put less emphasis on the name of Jesus and more emphasis on “Jehovah”?  So no, you do not preach in the name of Jesus Christ.  You do not preach that God’s anointed priesthood and members of Christ’s body are to be in subjection to him  only, but it is admonished that they must be in subjection to the elder body.  If the anointed members of Christ’s body are replaced by a counterfeit priesthood, then Jesus Christ is also “replaced” by a GB which requires dedication to their organization, and not to Jesus Christ.  (2 Thess 2:1-3; Rev 11:1,2)
When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. 
And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.”  Matt 28:19-20
He spoke these words to the "living stones" - the foundations stones of the Temple built on his body. (John 2:19-21; 1 Cor 3:10-11) The orders were given specifically to them, which would also be given to any subsequent anointed ones brought into the Temple/dwelling of God.  (1 Pet 2:5,9; 1 Cor 3:16,17; Eph 2:20-22)  Who is it, that baptizes new JWs?  The appointed priests of "Israel",  or a counterfeit priesthood of elder "Gentiles"?  No wonder the baptism questions are not aligned with the command of Jesus Christ.  (Dan 11:36)
If Jesus' name and the Temple of his Body is blasphemed, by ignoring his command,  so is the "name" and reputation of God.
"And he (the Beast, the organization that requires dedication) was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him (the elder core of the organization) to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation."  Rev 13:5-7
Whatever you do, don't take "forty-two months" as literal.  Revelation is a symbolic book of signs.  (Rev 1:1)

When was the last time JWs were reproached for the name of Christ?  They are reproached for the name of an organization and for the name attached to it - "Jehovah".