Srecko Sostar

I am the one probably responsible for the Society calling many of the Anointed mentally ill.
During the Vietnam war, circa 1966,  I was of Draft age, and was asked to prove I was one of the "Anointed", to keep from getting drafted, so I put on my Speedo, and covered myself with corn oil, pecans, and pine cones ... put on a Smokey The Bear hat, and went for my interview.
Not only did I get a Draft deferral, but I made a lot of new Forest Friends.
The Elders asked me if there was a problem of mental illness in my family, and I replied, No, we rather enjoyed it.
 

You must mean persecution from a body of elders who demand their obedience.  Elders, not anointed, ruling over God's priesthood. 1 Pet 2:5,9
You must certainly mean persecution from an elder body because an unyielding anointed one chooses to listen to Christ and not remain “peaceful and yielding” in an environment of lies. Please check your history of teachings.  The true Spirit of God requires pure devotion to truth, which the heart of the anointed and companions can avail itself to, if it turns fully to the Father and Christ. 
Their persecution stems from those who wield ungodly power and authority over them.  Matt 24:48-51
Perhaps, Arauna, you believe in a delusion?  2 Thess 2:9-12; Rev 13:1,5-8
 
 

I see that discussion continued with  UN, but you will forgive me for commenting on this about education, grammar, misunderstanding, abilities and so on.
Good choice of words and their order are important for sending true meaning, but it is not guarantee for understanding. For me, who was not born in English (native speaker) language country, it is difficult to understand some (or many) sentences (phrasemes/idioms, jokes...) of people who participate here. And for you is, probably, hard to understand my expressions and clumsy grammar :)))
But here is what i would like to say. Formal Education and Higher Education can help in thinking abilities but they are not Substitution for Your Natural abilities and experience for understanding and discernment. I am working in School with professors, janitors and cleaning ladies. We are all needed to be there for "show to go on". And all are valuable in own contribution for mutual process. Yes, some Higher Educated persons are "clumsy" for some simple things that somebody else can done with not much effort. I remembered, once,  professors have been asking cleaning ladies, to cut some fruit on slices. And Ladies where not been willing to do it because, as they said, why teachers can not do it yourself? In one hand they was right, it is not mandatory job for cleaning lady to cut fruits. But it is also not obligated job for professors. (School,  some professors and children classes had some guests, that is why they plan to offer some fruits to visitors) After one professor heard complaints from cleaning lady, she ask, Ok, i can go and cut fruits by myself, but can you give a lesson for students instead of me in meantime?   
Thanks to all here who are not so strict and demanding for my grammar :)) About other sort of disagreements we do not need to give any further explanations :)))))  
 
 

I see that discussion continued with  UN, but you will forgive me for commenting on this about education, grammar, misunderstanding, abilities and so on.
Good choice of words and their order are important for sending true meaning, but it is not guarantee for understanding. For me, who was not born in English (native speaker) language country, it is difficult to understand some (or many) sentences (phrasemes/idioms, jokes...) of people who participate here. And for you is, probably, hard to understand my expressions and clumsy grammar :)))
But here is what i would like to say. Formal Education and Higher Education can help in thinking abilities but they are not Substitution for Your Natural abilities and experience for understanding and discernment. I am working in School with professors, janitors and cleaning ladies. We are all needed to be there for "show to go on". And all are valuable in own contribution for mutual process. Yes, some Higher Educated persons are "clumsy" for some simple things that somebody else can done with not much effort. I remembered, once,  professors have been asking cleaning ladies, to cut some fruit on slices. And Ladies where not been willing to do it because, as they said, why teachers can not do it yourself? In one hand they was right, it is not mandatory job for cleaning lady to cut fruits. But it is also not obligated job for professors. (School,  some professors and children classes had some guests, that is why they plan to offer some fruits to visitors) After one professor heard complaints from cleaning lady, she ask, Ok, i can go and cut fruits by myself, but can you give a lesson for students instead of me in meantime?   
Thanks to all here who are not so strict and demanding for my grammar :)) About other sort of disagreements we do not need to give any further explanations :)))))  
 
 

Ummm... NO.. .I won't forgive you....
Please just start new threads when you have new, off topics ideas.
Thank you.
I will start moving some previously off topics conversations into different threads.

Um, some might have said that Jesus was 'bitter and opposing' toward the Pharisees, when he called them 'offspring of vipers, hypocrites and like whitewashed graves'.  So you see, giving an honest opinion can be seen as bitter and opposing, especially if the recipient is in the wrong and doesn't want to admit to it. 
Are you then saying Jesus should have remained peaceful and yielding to the Pharisees? I hope you are not. 

Exactly so!
What apparently happened is that JTR noticed that if one happened to misread something that BTK said, it could sound painfully funny. There was nothing ungrammatical or funny about what BTK said, and JTR did not say there was anything wrong with BTK's words. BTK probably missed the fact that JTR was only finding a joke in JTR's own potential misreading of it.
Here was the entire exchange:
I don't think that BTK got the joke, or he would have realized that JTR was making fun of his own self, and his own misreading, rather than making fun of what BTK said. I know that once you explain a joke it won't be as funny any more, but I'll break the unwritten rule. If one were not a good reader, they might take that serious and grammatical sentence: "What is the test without ripping out an obstacle?" and spoonerize it into one that contains the expression "ripping out a test-acle." Of course, this won't strike everyone as funny even if they get the joke. But the main point is to notice that no one was making fun of anyone else's grammar. 
Still, I knew better than to upvote JTR's joke, but I did it anyway and, sure enough, BTK claimed that JTR was making fun of his grammar, and that I was also making fun of it, because I laughed at JTR's "joke" with a "laugh" icon.  I had hesitated to laugh because I've seen this happen before when someone doesn't get someone else's joke and thinks people are laughing at something else. But JTR's joke was funny enough for me. Perhaps I am too easily amused. It reminded me of a experience while driving a car group just last week, when a person cut us off almost hitting us but swerved back into his lane when he realized it. For some reason, I quipped the spoonerism: "Stay in your lane . . . .or lay in your stain." No one laughed. They might have thought I suffered from the first stages of road rage. But if JTR had been in the car group, he might have given me an "upvote" of some kind.
After my upvote of JTR's nearly self-deprecating joke, BTK answered my upvote with:
I completely agree with his sentiment, and only responded because of the false accusation BTK made:  that --by finding JTR's joke funny-- I was somehow forcing my idea of grammar on others, and implying that the joke was about a failure in BTK's grammar. I have never thought grammar was a big deal, and have always thought it was funny that anyone would think grammar or writing style was such a big deal.
 
(csvsh)

I was once cleaning my firearms on the dining room table, and my now ex-wife stood behind me, watching .. with a very worried look, and her fingers intertwined, and asked "What would you do is everyone in the world gave up THEIR guns?"
Without pausing or turning around, I said "Rule wisely!"

1) Zoologists are discovering that homosexual and bisexual activity is not unknown within the animal kingdom. - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2004/07/homosexual-animals-debate/
2) On other hand WT explaining this: "The soul, then, is the entire creature, ....."https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-a-soul/
The use of this one Hebrew word (Hebrew word neʹphesh and the Greek word psy·kheʹ) in many different contexts helps us to ascertain the basic idea inherent in the word as the Bible writers used it, namely, that it is a person, an individual, or a lower creature; https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1001060088
3) Bible say this: And God went on to say: “Let the earth+ put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic+ animal*and moving+ animal and wild beast*+ of the earth according to its kind.” 
 
It is understandable and visible (not always, huh) how brain of human and animal are not the same. And how some moral questions about sexuality come up in human society.  BUT, on other hand Bible reveals statement how Soul (and WT say how that means ENTIRE, WHOLE, animal or human individual/creature, aka brain, emotions, needs, wishes.....etc. If we produce some conclusions from this quotes, perhaps we can say how basic, primitive mechanism is similar, or it is almost the SAME in both bodies. So, we see very basic instincts in both Organism - with same/similar sort of  behaviors.
And as some other "inspired" human wrote: For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other— they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. -- A human being is no better off than an animal, because life has no meaning for either.
Just for one more  ANGLE of looking :))

No problem Lady Arauna. If you are so sure in Your reality i have no problem with your try to convince Muslim people how they are in absurd religion and how they believing in absurdity. I am not Muslim and i do not care so much for pro et contra "proves" is this religion true or lie.  But it is interesting to read something about history, of course.

1) Zoologists are discovering that homosexual and bisexual activity is not unknown within the animal kingdom. - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2004/07/homosexual-animals-debate/
2) On other hand WT explaining this: "The soul, then, is the entire creature, ....."https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-is-a-soul/
The use of this one Hebrew word (Hebrew word neʹphesh and the Greek word psy·kheʹ) in many different contexts helps us to ascertain the basic idea inherent in the word as the Bible writers used it, namely, that it is a person, an individual, or a lower creature; https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1001060088
3) Bible say this: And God went on to say: “Let the earth+ put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic+ animal*and moving+ animal and wild beast*+ of the earth according to its kind.” 
 
It is understandable and visible (not always, huh) how brain of human and animal are not the same. And how some moral questions about sexuality come up in human society.  BUT, on other hand Bible reveals statement how Soul (and WT say how that means ENTIRE, WHOLE, animal or human individual/creature, aka brain, emotions, needs, wishes.....etc. If we produce some conclusions from this quotes, perhaps we can say how basic, primitive mechanism is similar, or it is almost the SAME in both bodies. So, we see very basic instincts in both Organism - with same/similar sort of  behaviors.
And as some other "inspired" human wrote: For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other— they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. -- A human being is no better off than an animal, because life has no meaning for either.
Just for one more  ANGLE of looking :))

JTR: I agree with you here. If you look at the entire meeting, the word "prosecute" was used in the translation a few of the other times, even in similar contexts. Judicial prosecution was already the topic here in nearly every case discussed, but the overall topic is a wider context than the auto-translator AI looks at. The fact that the name of a minority was used in the sentence, "Jehovah's Witnesses," and that the word "Christians" was in the immediate context, this is what probably triggered the translation, "persecute" instead of "prosecute."
Of course, this is still a very important admission as @Outta Here has said, and it's in line with what you were thinking about Putin being the one to get it straightened out, if it reaches to a high enough priority. There were several interesting admissions in the meeting, and Putin comes across as very professional, careful, knowledgeable and "wiley." He is just defensive enough to protect himself from various questionable decisions by judges, admits problems with some laws, understands some of the PR issues with the rest of the world, etc. But he also doesn't commit to overturn questionable actions, and doesn't want to give in too much, to avoid the impression, for example, that future amnesty can be counted on, based on past or current amnesty. 

I still, in my own mind, assuming that I know the mind of Russian thinking ... especially of a man who used to be the head of the Soviet KGB, and also presumably knowing how adults in such positions think, do NOT believe that he used the word "persecute".  I believe this was in the mind of the translator, or the algorithm of the translation computer program,  ... NOT V. Putin.
Unless I can talk to someone who has the original video or transcript, in Russian, and who is conversational in BOTH Russian and English ... and I can get an equally qualified second opinion ... It is my belief and conjecture that the word he used is "prosecute".
Here is the general idea of  how I believe the thoughts actually were spoken:
" V.Putin: I don’t know to which confession she belongs, she is Christian, but there are also many directions. Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, for which I do not really understand how it is (meaning "why?") we prosecute them. Therefore, you just need to analyze, you need to do it. I will talk with Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, and try to do it."
If there is ANYBODY that knows HOW to persecute AND prosecute someone ... it is the former head of the KGB.
Translation is an art, as well as a science, and there are some artists that put out poor work, and scientists that plow your aircraft into a cornfield, and some computer programs that, like the HAL9000, do not take into consideration all aspects of a problem.

Deactivating Hal 9000 HD (COMPLETE).mp4

Question? 
How will God in His Kingdom manage the global population number?
As i can recall JW was use one Bible verse from Genesis where God was command to Adam and Eve to FILL the Earth - and JW members used explanation that Earth will be Filled with people and not to Overfilled. But i can not recall about Official WT interpretation HOW will God stopped new birth, nativity. 
One crazy idea from GB member public talk was that in Kingdom when all come to perfection, all people will be brothers :))) that means - sisters will be transformed to brothers. And we have problem solved :))))))))))))))    

Under this new development, is “Russia and its allies” the King of the North, or not?  Are these “facts” now D.O.A?
An ex-elder gives his view of Watchtower's changing prophesy concerning the "King of the North".  
 
 
 

You would think they would be right, more often.

In matter of defending themselves, perhaps first thing in mind is about how to defend/escape/minimize injuries on you alone.... and, i think, you have no time and space to meditate about how to be nice and kind or not to kick too strong this hooligan. 
I have no experience in such situations. So, i guess, i would be beating to death if bastards find me in some dark place.    

The organization is under a spiritual symbolic stoning law, written in the “Shepherding the Flock of God” book.
There is a type of killing that doesn’t cause literal blood to pour out of an individual. This type of dismembering  isn’t seen with the physical eye.   It is a spiritual “killing” that the Watchtower has honed into a deceitful art, otherwise known as an act of love, and “keeping the congregation clean”.    Obviously, you do not recognize this killing accomplished daily by the elder body.    It is a spiritual guillotine that shuts the mouths, erases the life and severs a family member from their loved ones. 
This is an act of judgment according to the “creeds” of the Watchtower.
 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matt 7:1-5
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.  Rom 2:1
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?  James 4:12
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.  Rom 14:4
Should Christ’s servants/anointed be judged by an elder body?  That is Christ’s job. 
"Satan's organization sails under the high-sounding name of "Christendom" “Jehovah’s organization”.  It boasts of a membership of over 500,000,000 (insert 8 million here) persons. Its members are in bondage to creeds, customs, rites and ceremonies; they dare not disown these or criticize or expose them. To do so would bring down on their heads taunts, reproaches, disfellowship and persecution. Many thousands of the Lord's people (anointed ones, as well as their companions) are held in these denominations as prisoners, afraid to express their disapproval of the creeds, methods and customs of the organization. Wt. 1930 Oct 1 p.301
"Disfellowshiping means the casting of a member out of Gods household; and if one should remain in this disfellowshiped condition till he died, it would mean his everlasting destruction as a person who is rejected by God. Staying away from meetings leads in that very direction." Watchtower 1965 Dec 15 p.75
“Being limited by the laws of the worldly nation in which we live and also by the laws of God through Jesus Christ, we can take action against apostates only to a certain extent, that is, consistent with both sets of laws. The law of the land and God's law through Christ forbid us to kill apostates, even though they be members of our own flesh-and-blood family relationship .”  WT 1952/11/15 pp. 703,704
 
They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.   John 16:2,3
Synagogues, (“congregations”) where the Jews worshiped.  Tell me, where do we find spiritual “Jews”?  The “Israel of God”?  In the “Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses”. 
 
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
“If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”  Rev 13:5,7,10
The elder body uses its “silver sword” (Heb 4:12) at every judicial committee, and its own version of God’s Word to “kill”….disfellowship.
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments, O Holy One,
    you who are and who were;
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
    and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”  Rev 16:4-6

Perhaps he will comment, about my presumption.
I have found as a general observation the more snow a culture has to endure, the less of a sense of humor they have.
Hardship trying to stay alive sometimes does that.
Of course, if you are the Cook, almost EVERYBODY finds your jokes funny !
... everyone has to eat !

The Muppet Show. Swedish Chef telling a joke (317).mp4

My solution would be to NOT actively encourage anybody being totally incompetent when violence strikes..
If you tell , and teach people to not learn how to defend themselves, and they trust you ... perhaps because you are  seemingly representing the will of God ...then ....  you SHARE responsibility for their deaths or injuries.
Stupid people, and victims of chance and circumstance, and/or deliberate evil .... do not need help to become MORE incompetent.
 

Srecko Sostar has a sense of humor, that comes across even across the language barrier.
I understand (most of the time) humor, Satire, and Parody.
It's only confrontational for those with a limited sense of humor, irony, parody, and satire ... who are not conversational in that "language".

It appears to me that Vladimir Putin, like Donald J. Trump are some of the very FEW people in government or theology that actually think like a real adult.
Therefore, I will here and now, 19DEC2018, predict that it will be Mr. Putin that will rescue Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,  and get their property restored. Further, that it will be before 2020.
I am not really putting myself out that much, however, as predicting the future is something Jehovah's Witnesses, like all others for the past 2,000 or so years have ALWAYS been wrong, without exception.
However, if it turns out I am right, I will try to turn that into a commercial enterprise.
In the meantime ... please remember at home, or at the office ... contribute to the BLFM.

hahahaha.... How it is possible that You can not see difference between Hypocritical and Mild Ironical quotes ??? !!! :)))) Have a good day Space Merchant. 
Mild Ironical because (my sentence is not strict official statement but it is more as response to Arauna's  description on how Islam looks on women behavior)  it is Directed/design for  Present  Auditorium. 
It is NOT Directed to female sex, as my opinion, belief or statement !!!! I ridicule those who have Macho attitude :))))

While I was a little boy, I wanted to be a cop ... on a motorcycle. Later, in the age of teenage years, I liked films with martial arts. At the same time, my parents became JW and learned me differently. Then I became JW. And I did not become a cop who would hunt these bastards !!!
Today ... I'm not all that I could possibly become, but I'm not even a JW any more. I'm glad that I left.

The problem, with JW and similar groups, is that "they do not want to learn to fight", according to Isaiah verses.  But, they do not want to learn to defend themselves or others who need help in trouble, too. Adult JW or JW children should not go to self-defense courses because such an idea opposes JW's beliefs, religion. JW instruction, according to some biblical advice, is to scream loud, or run away. Sometimes that helps, but ..... to oppose the evil bastards you need much, much more. And I do not see, if God want to intervene (???) in your personal life (and not only in your life but in life of all other people who are victims), why He would not give you (and them) His approval in fighting against criminals. 

Of course. Perhaps JWorg can start to produce that sort of video and cartoons to prepare own people for such moments because it is going from bad to worse. Naturally, practical exercises should also be included.