Thinking

Inasmuch as he can be ‘the messenger preparing the way,’ preparing the ground for a great building project—well, the first thing you do in preparing the ground for any project is to cart out the trash, in this case hellfire and trinity.
That’s why I always find it puzzling when individuals go on and on about how the Bible disproves these doctrines. A little bit, yes, but—it’s trash. Why would you obsess over it?

Gallipoli (the movie) - Just because your leaders tell you something, doesn't mean A. They are lying or B. They always correct

Remember, there was a time when Rutherford hated even the term "religion" because by it he meant "organized" religion. It wasn't until Covington started arguing with him that they needed to use the term religion in order to get legal recognition in other countries that he softened a bit. In the booklet that Covington wrote, even as late as 1950, he had to explain to other Witnesses why it was going to be OK to use the term religion. Reminds me a bit of how L. Ron Hubbard also distanced himself from religion until his lawyers realized the tax trouble they were in. They even put a cross like symbol on their buildings now. Hubbard would be rolling over on his planet.
But, of course, Rutherford made us more organized than ever from a hierarchical top-down perspective. Can't hardly see how we'd function without such a high level of organization, with so many millions of us, so much coordinated activity, so many publications, so many updates (even new songs before the next songbook is printed), etc.

I did many treks in africa and my husband was trained in survival as a soldier.  We went up into the mountain without water - and caught some in a plastic sheet... and we just wiped our plates with paper.  There is a lot one can get by without modern amenities

So sorry Tom…we have buried a few…and the pain is real…I still debate with Jehovah at times about their resurrection….big hugs to you and family 

But Russell himself never claimed to be the one  and only faithful and discreet slave…do you agree with that..and it was Rutherford that changed the understanding of the Ark from representing Jesus into representing  the organization….the ramifications which even today are huge…..even tho we have changed the understanding back to what Russell understood.
sorry I’m not saying anything about your calibrations…but I’m simply not qualified to answer….but I did read that Russell was not dogmatic on everyone believing 1914…one could choose to beleive it or not….I think it should have stayed that way…Rutherford made it a dogmatic doctrine…or so it seems to me.

So sorry Tom…we have buried a few…and the pain is real…I still debate with Jehovah at times about their resurrection….big hugs to you and family 

So sorry Tom…we have buried a few…and the pain is real…I still debate with Jehovah at times about their resurrection….big hugs to you and family 

Also, the Bible promises all our hearts desires will be fulfilled...
Of course these desires can only be pure. I doubt someone would get away with desiring 70 virgins. But surely wanting to see our beloved pet is a pure desire.....?

No sorrow means the “New Scrolls” that are opened will explain. 
Perhaps the New System is ALSO the Rainbow Bridge, and God never mentioned it before, because dogs get in free.
Just a guess……

I know where I’d like to point your A…..

I know where I’d like to point your A…..

I tried to follow all of that, but my eyes glazed over, and my fur caught on fire.

Guess work here….he’s dynamic energy…he cannot sit still…planning discussing with his court and fighting a war with two thirds of his old family and trying to deal with us ratty lot….and listening to millions upon millions of prayers and listen to what Bob  wants….and besides his eyes are roving about in all the earth look for righteous hearts 2 Chronicles….but he has rested on the seventh day so maybye you got a point there……hmmmmmmmm

Guess work here….he’s dynamic energy…he cannot sit still…planning discussing with his court and fighting a war with two thirds of his old family and trying to deal with us ratty lot….and listening to millions upon millions of prayers and listen to what Bob  wants….and besides his eyes are roving about in all the earth look for righteous hearts 2 Chronicles….but he has rested on the seventh day so maybye you got a point there……hmmmmmmmm

That is the fallacy. A philosophical way to justify anything. .... 
New policies accepted by most religions is LGBTQ. They say it is 'unloving' to not include the sexually deviant.practices .... and soon the sexual love of children will also be approved.....by government policy...... because all must be 'inclusive and "loving".' This is the basis of the new LOVE..... all inclusive.... LOVE.   Love for God and his standards will become UN loving and unlawful.. 
Whose side will you be on when this becomes accepted policy? 

Thanks for that information. There have been reports here on the forum from a Witness in Poland. Some activity on Twitter also relates to Witnesses leaving Ukraine. Also, the latest reports on jw.org have more information about relief efforts and Ukrainian Witnesses who have fled their homes, and the country.
UPDATE #7 | Brotherly Love Prevails Amid Ongoing Crisis in Ukraine
Brothers Courageously Deliver Aid, Rescue Others in Ukrainian War Zone

I live in the Balkans and I still am a member of the Georgian congregation (Georgia is next to russia). Yes, many got out who left early.  Brothers were helped in Georgia and many went to Poland. Here in Albania we were asked to put up brothers but only 2 couples came. Both left for other countries afterwards such as Turkey. 

That is the smartest way.  I listened to a journalist yesterday who cannot get anything published. She is on the ground in the war zone where the mass graves are supposed to be and took photos of the " mass graves" . The satellite took a photo from a distance and did not zoom in (deliberately) . There is a long row of 400 spaced graves and a whole lot of new ones that had been dug.  Some deseased military were put in there and civilians all  buried in individual coffins and each grave numbered. Some already have names on it. She spoke to the people digging the graves. ..they identified the city, the spot.... bottom line: there are no mass graves with  thousands of people thrown on top of each other.......it is war frenzied war  propaganda.
In Russia the war propaganda is raging and Russians cannot see news any from the outside world..... it is part of the political system..... the King of the North - .....the beast. People there have a measure of freedom BUT if the people practice a religion the govt does not like, or demonstrate for human rights, say anything against the government - they are spied upon, are put in jail or even silenced forever.  Justice for the innocent and those without influence is not served. 
Anglo America is the 7th head, the 2-horned  beast- the one powerful govt.  who speaks about sweet democracy and freedom like a lamb......and says it is bringing democracy to the rest of the world. But it acts like a dragon.  It has been bombing the middle east while Ukraine propaganda is raging. It has killed thousands of civilians in other countries throughout the last few years and jailed Assange because he managed to expose the war atrocities.
In  Anglo-America one can walk around freely but journalists who bring the truth are discredited and hit-pieces written about them. No corporate newspapers accept independent stories...any longer......and when they do..... they rewrite them to suit propaganda. It has become an instrument of the state.  What do we call a government where media corporations and government work together ?  (Fascism). In 2018 the United Nations Migrant agreement had a clause in which (all member nations are bound to it), it stipulated that journalists who do not tow the UN-line must be "re-trained".  You can only get a job as a journalist now if your politics are globalist/ UN plan oriented.
This was an indicator to me that truth is no longer allowed..... only propaganda. I have said all along, since 2018, that governments are doing what UN legislated in agreements. I have seen the thick "policies" file given out to journalists when they start work.  I never received one, or followed one of those files 38 years ago at the time I worked for a newspaper. I reported what I saw. 
We have freedom.... but we only see what media corporations allow us to see. As you know, many journalists are cancelled or forced to leave corporate media and go to work on discredited independent sites..... 
So now, a question? What is the difference between the two beasts? The king of north and the false prophet- Anglo America?  Not much. Remember it is the false prophet who with his signs mesmerize the people so that all follow it. 
And one also has to consider this; rev 16: 13-16 
"And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the false prophet"
"They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and they perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty. 15"
Soon the UN will clamp down on independent sites. They will no longer exist. Political media will only feed the new government propaganda. When you get your new UN identity card..... you will be penalized of you visit any independent site which still exists.  You will only have access to internet if you do what they say.....in these times (I suspect) that  religions will also be cut off from internet if they do not tow the line which will devastate them. 
 Worship of the beast and image if the beast will be a requirement of all humans living on earth. In territory of the Kong if the north and south. 

It is “outside” your scope of reference - yours and mine. While we all may know the answers to such questions at some future point in time, at this point I would say it’s just grounds for endless speculation. Better to focus on getting there in the first place. 
(I’m not trying to be sarcastic or self-righteous here. It’s an interesting enough question. Right now though, you and I have some immediate and pressing survival challenges that demand our focus and attention). The question to me isn’t whether we will ever get a definitive answer to those types of questions - I expect we will. But rather, will we be there to hear them?

Me either….but if you could see his face and hear the voice, I think it would be better …

Pudgy - I have an idea we all see satire in something different. If it is a shared life experience, I think we all get it but I must say, I like satire, but I do not always see the satire others see. Sometimes I just don't get it.

Matthew9969:
Your attitude reminds me of the  (made up example …) college man in 1943, an American citizen working in New York, whose parents were German, who decided to leave the United States and return to his “homeland” to join the forces of the Third Reich, and fight for Adolph Hitler. Even though he did it, following the dictates of his conscience … he had no reasonable expectation of keeping his “”120 friends” in the United States, after committing TREASON against all that THEY held dear.

I understand your sentence but what you are doing is a rough analogy to comparing the Boy Scouts of America, with all their faults and stupid things they do recently to Nazis.
They are not the same and any comparison is an OCD fantasy of hatred..