Srecko Sostar

What would Adam and Eve look like in WTJWorg literature if Russell and Rutherford were Chinese?

in that respect I see no difference between Jehovah’s Witnesses management team and any number of corporate, government, or military organizations such as the US Treasury Department, the United States Marines, or the Environmental Protection Agency.
As the number of legs on the spider grows, it subtracts from the brain, until it is all legs, and no brain.
This is NORMAL.
Justice we get from Jehovah God…… All else, and I mean ALL ELSE , is merely due process that we are due, but sometimes it’s justice, and sometimes it’s just due process.
it’s like those sliced square lunch meats with the pimentos and olives in them. 
I like fat greasy hot dogs like bratwurst, microwaved until the sodium nitrite preservatives squirt out and the skin splits … knowing the danger.
Pick your poison.
…. or don’t eat.
 
 
 

“When your own thoughts are forbidden, when your questions are not allowed and our doubts are punished, when contacts with friendships outside of the organization are censored, we are being abused, for the ends never justify the means. When our heart aches knowing we have made friendships and secret attachments that will be forever forbidden if we leave, we are in danger. When we consider staying in a group because we cannot bear the loss, disappointment and sorrow our leaving will cause for ourselves and those we have come to love, we are in a cult… If there is any lesson to be learned it is that an ideal can never be brought about by fear, abuse, and the threat of retribution. When family and friends are used as a weapon in order to force us to stay in an organization, something has gone terribly wrong.”
― Deborah Layton, Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple

“When your own thoughts are forbidden, when your questions are not allowed and our doubts are punished, when contacts with friendships outside of the organization are censored, we are being abused, for the ends never justify the means. When our heart aches knowing we have made friendships and secret attachments that will be forever forbidden if we leave, we are in danger. When we consider staying in a group because we cannot bear the loss, disappointment and sorrow our leaving will cause for ourselves and those we have come to love, we are in a cult… If there is any lesson to be learned it is that an ideal can never be brought about by fear, abuse, and the threat of retribution. When family and friends are used as a weapon in order to force us to stay in an organization, something has gone terribly wrong.”
― Deborah Layton, Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple

… and an unexplained “downvote” in a forum such as this is like an assertion without proof.
It may be instantly disregarded, almost always is ignored as a spasm reflex, and should be ignored by rational people.

Jesus does not command the use of marketing ploys and a pitching toolbox to spread the “good news”. It was made clear in the video that the apostate messages have to be pushed aside by plenty of their own advertising. Those are the demands of successful marketing in this world, while Jesus stated his kingdom is no part of this world. (John 18:36) People advertise their business because it is how they make a living. The apostles did not use marketing ploys to spread the gospel about the Christ.  They were motivated strictly by Holy Spirit, not the spirit of this world, nor the techniques of big business. Truth stands on its own.  It doesn’t need to utilize the advertising agencies that the Wt. often tells people not to trust. Advertising is not free.  The organization lines the pockets of these agencies to send their lying messages; news agencies that their magazines have condemned.
 Obviously, Hendriks loves his prestige running a department that has given him a good living.  He flaunts it – nice cuff links, beautiful rings, and confidence in his PR position, as well as easily joking about the beautiful girls in his department. He exudes a disposition of arrogance – the farthest one can get from appearing humble before Jesus Christ. None of these antics are commanded and approved by God, but are commanded by men who love big business.  So much so, that they have attempted to sue Norway for cutting off their share of grant money given to religions. So, they hire a law firm (money that could be given to the poor) to defend their right to acquire money as a religion (money that could be given to the poor). 
This is how the world under Satan’s rulership works, and it is absolutely disgusting.  Rutherford, the hypocrite that instigated the concept of organization, said, “Religion is a snare and a racket”. He and all JWs have fallen into that snare. It’s only becoming more blatant just how much of a racket this organization has become. 
“But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!”  2 Cor 11:3-4
“Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.”  1 Cor 2:12
A hypocrite will defend hypocrisy.  

@Moise Racette@Anna@Pudgy@Thinking
@TrueTomHarley
Then why do we all know… What Noah’s daughters did to him? What Saul did to David? What David did to Uriah and Bathsheba? What Amnon did to Tamar? How Peter betrayed his Lord? What Ananias and Sapphira did with the profit earned from sale of their field? The list is extensive.
Isn’t there is a double standard when Jehovah is so honest and his people are secretive and deceitful?  It seems to be more a game of asserting one’s privilege and power to be “in the know” on matters, like this of general fellow feeling and concern for safety going forward. Aren’t we admonished to be imitators of God?

They say: "The truth always remains the truth".
Yes, maybe somewhere else. But many of the so-called "truths" in WTJWorg are unnecessary, meaningless and harmful to the health of the followers.
 
 
 
 

They say: "The truth always remains the truth".
Yes, maybe somewhere else. But many of the so-called "truths" in WTJWorg are unnecessary, meaningless and harmful to the health of the followers.
 
 
 
 

Each generation of GB, individually and collectively, was, they claim, "led by HS". And yet, they constantly change their interpretations with unacceptable, illogical and nonsensical explanations. They never feel the obligation or the need to apologize and beg for forgiveness.
Who is blind here? Leaders? And/or followers?
 

At the 2023 Annual Meeting, Geoffrey Jackson delivers a speech. A few sentences speak significantly about the state of this Organization. The inevitable changes in interpretation lead to the follower no longer being sure when what change has occurred and what to believe as it becomes difficult to keep track of what the "current Truth" is.
GJ talks about the new interpretation and wonders if we believe this explanation now or if it is what we believed before or vice versa, at the same time showing a confused expression in a joking tone. Of course, the audience laughs and applauds the humorous situation and presentation of the speaker. And nothing is to be applauded or laughed at. On the contrary.
He continues with a sentence where he says, "Be careful what you say to others." Because really, what interpretation should JW present in public!?
And one more thing that was already written somewhere in your literature about dogmatism. Now GJ repeats it and says: "We should not be dogmatic (about the new interpretation), but we hope that (this new teaching, explanation) will be the case (with the righteous and the unrighteous, judgment, Armageddon etc.).

The latest words often uttered by GB and other WTJWorg representatives is "We don't know".
"New Light" changes this JW religion to an community of agnostics.
 
Etymology
Noun
from Greek agnōstos "unknown," from a- "not" and gnōstos "known"

P. T. Barnum was an entrepreneur who for many years owned and managed the world famous “Barnum an Bailey Circus”.
At some of the exhibits and sideshows of exotic animals and human freaks, people were loitering and clogging up the tents, and new paying customers couldn’t get in.
So he put up tent tunnels to the Circus grounds and connected it to the back of the exhibit tents with a sign “ THIS WAY TO THE EGRESS⬇️“, and the people exited, thinking it was another exotic animal.
P.T. Barnum is perhaps most famous for his quote “There is a sucker born every minute.”
I believe it was Robert A. Heinlein who is noted for his observation via “The Notebooks of Lazarus Long”, “It is immoral to let a sucker keep his money”.
These philosophies are often the modus opperandi of religious leaders the world over.
 

…. one day my wife asked me “How come men get a lot more money for the same work than women do?”.
I looked at her as if she were Lassie, not knowing the difference between a ladder and a rope, ‘cause once again Timmy had fallen into a well, and replied…
”I think you are just not quite clear on the concept of the double standard! ….”.

“ … And Liberty will be proclaimed throughout all the land.”
 

Well … ChatGBT could not translate it into Ebonics, but it could easily translate to “Mouse Mad Scientist”, in the style of “Pinky and the Brain” …..
"Dear sibling! I must cackle with glee at your marvelously cerebrum-tickling and brainiac-infused message. It has electrified my neurons! Currently, I'm on a quest to uncover a previous manuscript that explored the cosmic importance of the year 2023, proclaiming it to be a magnificently zany era. Given the world's wild and wacky shenanigans today, I concur with that brilliant mind. By any chance, do you possess knowledge of the whereabouts or destiny of those specific scribbles?"
… just for the record … I liked yours better.

Jehovah's Witnesses are harmed not by former members, but by current members.
 
 

… which brings up the question, can multiple personalities be counted on taxes as dependents?

The problem surrounding the nature of the inspiration of the first Christians.
There is a claim that the OT and NT writings are the inspired Word of God because the people who wrote them were inspired to write them. Is that the only moment when these individuals, and there are few writers, were inspired?
Then the question follows; Were these people inspired by HS in their everyday life? When they were doing everyday life things like; worked at some job, built a house, went on a trip, educated children, talked with neighbors, talked with strangers, dug a well and planted wheat, etc ... when they had "assembly meetings" and have to solve "theocratic" matters due to newly emerging needs or problems?
Hardly anyone today will claim that the "inspiration" of HS appeared so widely. It means that all these people were beyond the reach of HS inspiration for a large part of their lives. The exception is only a short moment when they wrote or spoke God's Word. This means that outside of this very narrow and short-term action of HS, they were ordinary and sinful people, imperfect.
People who wrote "inspired writings" could also misinterpret and apply what was written at another point in their lives. For example the apostle Peter or Paul, whoever, writes under inspiration, and tomorrow he is no longer inspired and misinterprets an inspired record that he may have written himself or his fellow Christian wrote. This is a reality and a high probability. Well, they themselves wrote about some of their wrong assumptions and decisions and teachings.
So how will WTJWorg restore the original 1st century Christianity, which was in error from the very beginning? How will today's "uninspired" believers aka GB make better decisions than their 1st century predecessors?
Would the WTJWorg thesis of "progressive truth" also apply to 1st century Christianity? It should, because they showed it in the 1st Century standing with their statements, teachings and actions. For example, at that time they had not yet introduced the counting of hours spent in house-to-house preaching. It took almost 2000 years for that light to shine in WTJWorg. Now a partial abandonment of that idea (except for exceptions, pioneers etc.) is an approach to primitive Christianity. But the question is whose practice is correct? Those in the 1st century who have not yet developed the "new light" or those today who have returned to the "darkness" of the past?

I would only refer to this half of your presentation, because the first part is a kind of unnecessary litany, in my opinion.
It would be useful to publicly present the basic teachings and values that Jesus proclaimed. Believing that there is not too much to write, listing them accurately would help establish what was the practice of the people, in the first century, who, allegedly, followed the teachings of Jesus. And did those first followers adapt the basic teachings, values and principles from Jesus' words to the existing situations and circumstances of life in which they found themselves?
I question how consistent the first followers were with the original and whether their solution to a situation was one that Jesus would approve of or not.
Below is a question arising from your comment. Is "embodying the teachings of Jesus as practiced in the first century" really the practice needed in the 20th and 21st century and is it consistent with the JW idea of "progressive knowledge of the truth"?
If something JW call progressive in the 20th and 21st century proving it with own changes in doctrines and practice? Be careful, in the doctrines and practice. Then I wonder how holding and going back to 1st century doctrines and practices is more advanced than the "progressive progress" of WTJWorg today in present time?
Since a parallel is drawn (in JW perspective) between the first Christian body (apostles and other prominent people) from the 1st century and today's GB, then we will be stuck in the fact that both classes are "imperfect and err in doctrinal and instructional teachings".
If this is true, and it is true, then the first leading men also did and wrote "nonsense" while leading the congregations of the first Christians. How then can it be argued that today's WTJWorg aspiration to return to such roots will turn out to be good?
The other thing you talk about is the use of science and the "diligent scientific work of religious institutions". So what is this about? WTJWorg discourages and even sanctions JW people who like higher education and scientific interpretations. What kind of interaction did the first Christians and science have? What is evident from the Bible? I don't know anything about that.
The only thing I know is that Paul was referring to the poets of his time. If WTJWorg wants to follow the example of the early Christians, then it should quote poets and not scientists in its publications.  

I don't know the real reasons, of course. Let's say that someone in GB lost their attention and concentration. The third meeting is a good tool to keep people under tension so that they do not become idle or active in undesirable areas, even if it is related to their private affairs. Yes, there was also informal socializing with food and tea. It was and it's over.

…

One more thing is interesting. Some of that can be clearly seen in the comment from @Errikos Tsiamis.
Namely, since JWs agree that, of all the written things they have on paper or digitally, only the Bible is "inspired", I would link it to the sworn statement of the respected GB guardian of the doctrine
Geoffrey Jackson.
Quote: "Governing body realizes that if we were to give some direction that is not in harmony with God's Word, all of JWs worldwide who have Bible would notice that, and they would see that this wrong direction. If direction is given based on the Bible we would expect that they would follow that because of the respect of the Bible and the definitive interpretation of the Bible." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu6X1YU6YYI
From this it should be evident that every JW has the right to be "led, guide" (inspired) with the HS and make a conclusion about the doctrines that come from the GB. And they should be free to accept or reject them. But this is in theory. In practice, the WTJWorg Corporation declares those who do not want to believe every GB doctrine as "apostates".
So, the statement of this GB member is a performance for the outside world. The proof that this testimony was only for "unbelievers" is confirmed by the fact that this public testimony of a "Christian" was not shown on JWTV. Jesus said that His followers would be called before the rulers of this world to testify for Him. For whom did GJ testify? For Jesus or for WTJWorg? Why don't GB take positive pride in the "public testimony" of their member, and show to the entire international brotherhood how they should stand before the Court of this "satanic world".
 

One more thing is interesting. Some of that can be clearly seen in the comment from @Errikos Tsiamis.
Namely, since JWs agree that, of all the written things they have on paper or digitally, only the Bible is "inspired", I would link it to the sworn statement of the respected GB guardian of the doctrine
Geoffrey Jackson.
Quote: "Governing body realizes that if we were to give some direction that is not in harmony with God's Word, all of JWs worldwide who have Bible would notice that, and they would see that this wrong direction. If direction is given based on the Bible we would expect that they would follow that because of the respect of the Bible and the definitive interpretation of the Bible." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu6X1YU6YYI
From this it should be evident that every JW has the right to be "led, guide" (inspired) with the HS and make a conclusion about the doctrines that come from the GB. And they should be free to accept or reject them. But this is in theory. In practice, the WTJWorg Corporation declares those who do not want to believe every GB doctrine as "apostates".
So, the statement of this GB member is a performance for the outside world. The proof that this testimony was only for "unbelievers" is confirmed by the fact that this public testimony of a "Christian" was not shown on JWTV. Jesus said that His followers would be called before the rulers of this world to testify for Him. For whom did GJ testify? For Jesus or for WTJWorg? Why don't GB take positive pride in the "public testimony" of their member, and show to the entire international brotherhood how they should stand before the Court of this "satanic world".