Kick_Faceinator

Reminds me of something an Elder once told me. He and his wife were hippies before becoming JWs, and he had long hair and his wife wore miniskirts. They were invited to a Memorial and that was how they were when they attended. He said, all the brothers were in suits and ties and all the sisters were in long dresses or long skirts, and he said they just felt terrible. But everyone there welcomed them just as they were.... So yes there is a balance to be met, and as you say diverse backgrounds mean diverse tastes

One elder from Bethel and from the former congregation objected that it was wrong for me to go to the podium without socks. Namely, in the summer I would sometimes wear summer shoes, but without socks. It bothered him a lot and he gave me sermons / litanies about it several times. Maybe he did it because he was originally from Germany. So; order, work and discipline. ;))  

That’s right, sometimes we are burdened with internal conflicts.
That’s right, sometimes we’re hypocritical as we expose other people’s mistakes.
That's right, sometimes we publicly advocate general / social justice and truth, and yet something inside us tells us that it's not all exactly what it seems.
And what can be done about it? It can get out of an organization in which people are not really ready to face their own and other people's conflicts about what is true and accurate and what is not. And to stop speculate.

The reason there is so little common sense, is simply that common sense is not that common.
Ever bit a bee?

I still remember when my Guardian took me to the Vet, telling me I was going to get tutored .....

Some proof for such statement/claim would be nice to provide, please. 
If you gave only opinion/view, that is ok. Then, you don't need time to search for Bible verse :)) .   

I studied with an African-American college student who was later baptized. We studied just before the Thursday meeting and I drove him straight from the study. He had all these skin bumps on his neck from shaving "in-grown" hairs and he would quickly shave just before the meeting. He often had to switch shirts at the last minute because of the mess of blood that came from those freshly shaved bumps. If he tried shaving like that just before getting married he would have been a "bridegroom of blood."

I just read here that Moses was born circumcised, so it must be true. It's on the Internet:
https://hekint.org/2017/01/27/divine-birth-the-birth-of-moses/
 
Divine birth: The birth of Moses
 Moses was born in the year 2377 after the creation of the world. He was born circumcised, and was able to walk immediately after his birth; but according to another story he was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. A peculiar and glorious light filled the entire house at his birth, indicating that he was worthy of the gift of prophecy. He spoke with his father and mother on the day of his birth, and prophesied at the age of three. His mother kept his birth secret for three months, when Pharaoh was informed that she had borne a son. The mother put the child into a casket, which she hid among the reeds of the sea before the king’s officers came to her. For seven days his mother went at night to nurse him, his sister Miriam protecting him from the birds by day. --------- It had a long tradition in Egypt, and Wikipedia reports this in an article on the subject: Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BCE, wrote that the Egyptians "practise circumcision for the sake of cleanliness, considering it better to be cleanly than comely."[22] David Gollaher[23] considered circumcision in ancient Egypt to be a mark of passage from childhood to adulthood. He mentions that the alteration of the body and ritual of circumcision were supposed to give access to ancient mysteries reserved solely for the initiated. (See also Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 1.15) The content of those mysteries are unclear but are likely to be myths, prayers, and incantations central to Egyptian religion. The Egyptian Book of the Dead, for example, tells of the sun god Ra cutting himself, the blood creating two minor guardian deities. The Egyptologist Emmanuel vicomte de Rougé interpreted this as an act of circumcision.[24] Circumcisions were performed by priests in a public ceremony, using a stone blade. It is thought to have been more popular among the upper echelons of the society, although it was not universal and those lower down the social order are known to have had the procedure done.[25] The Egyptian hieroglyph for "penis" depicts either a circumcised or an erect organ.

  Depiction of circumcision in Ancient Egypt.
Circumcision was also adopted by some Semitic peoples living in or around Egypt. Herodotus reported that circumcision is only practiced by the Egyptians, Colchians, Ethiopians, Phoenicians, the 'Syrians of Palestine', and "the Syrians who dwell about the rivers Thermodon and Parthenius, as well as their neighbours the Macronians and Macrones". He also reports, however, that "the Phoenicians, when they come to have commerce with the Greeks, cease to follow the Egyptians in this custom, and allow their children to remain uncircumcised."[22]

Thanks. I seem to have reversed the meaning of the words (uncircumcised vs circumcised). :))) But it is always good to look for a supplement to some statement, even when the statement seems logical. Creative moments in the formation of something or someone can be challenging for all those who did not attend the act. So, it would not be strange if God created Adam beardless and gave him the opportunity to feel his beard grow day by day. Of course the question arises as to how Adam trimmed and shortened his hair and beard or whether it grew to the floor/ground in the first 40 years. :))

Wow ! GB inspired conversation going on here.  Hate on people with hair or beards.
Discriminate between black and white where hair or beards are concerned. 
Wow. This is really showing the thoughts of pretend Elders and other pretend servants of God. 
Grow up, get a life, and let ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE COME TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST. 
Once those people have found God through Chrsit, then THEIR OWN conscience will give them guidance as to how to wear their hair or beard or no beard. 
One way that the GB / Elders / JWs make a very big mistake is, to give orders to people on how to dress etc.
A true Christian will know that service to God through Christ comes from 'inside' a person's heart and mind, not from obeying orders from domineering 'overlords'. 

I don't know why the bun-man look pisses me off, but it does. Especially as a hairy guy who went bald at 21.
It's like bun-man is saying "Man, I have sooo much hair. I don't know WHAT to DO with it. Oh well, I'll just bun it up."

Veeeeerrrry Simple:
1.) Jehovah God made men with beards.
 
..... that's it .... no secondary points needed.
 
 
 
 
 

What is good to notice here? Beards were mandatory and circumcision was  mandatory in ancient Israel. Jesus came and did not express his clear position on beards and circumcision issue. In fact, no one knows if he wore a beard or not.
Given that he was the originator of the reforms in the Jewish religion by laying the foundations for a new way of worshiping God and breaking with the forms and traditions that were part of the "legacy of Moses", it would not be surprising if his appearance showed the direction of future change, that is, that external features are not proof that the individual is a member of a movement, organization, religion or ideology that represents "the only and true worship of God."
Was his beard, if he wore it, the beard of a “real, true Jew" or did his beard deviate from the fashion and trend of other Jews? What if he trimmed her more than was allowed to be done - Lev 19 27? He “violated” many other norms of Jewish tradition and law.
Jesus (the child) was circumcised at the behest of his parents. I am not aware of any biblical verse that says that Jesus supported or forbade or was neutral about the matter. But some of his followers, and later many other important members (apostles) of the congregation, preached and taught that circumcision was not an obligation.
What is the situation in WTJWorg today? Beards have become banned since the time of Judge Rutherford (with some indications of a relaxation of measures, today), and circumcision is not banned if one wishes to do so.
Issue on beard is in a way still a religious issue in WTJWorg. But it should not be because it is a meaningless dilemma and has its causes in the personal attitudes of WTJWorg religious leaders. Evidence? In the past, God determined forbidden things and punished people for things that He later marked as completely unimportant. If these things have become unimportant to God, the question is; Why are these things important to some people today ??
 
 

Everyone knows Jesus looked like a clean shaven Ted Nugent according to some old catholic renderings.

Yes, in the hierarchy it is important to give everyone (primarily male members) their share of power participation. A very well-touched topic about our “dark” side of character and how that need for power develops in controlled conditions. Of course, anything that is tried to be controlled can always become uncontrollable.  

How do we define the common phrase, “power trip”?
“A sustained and often aggressive exercise of power over others in order to boost one's stature or feeling of self-worth”
I want to share the following perspective of privileges and entitlement in the organization, made by an exjw on reddit. He described the progressive reality of power and authority, harboring in the hearts of the governing leaders. (Prov 25:6; Rom 2:8; Gal 6:3) 
These leaders presently ‘exercise all authority’ over the organization’s operations, yet the elder body is also given great authority over the anointed, replacing God’s chosen priests as the organization’s counterfeit priesthood. (Rev 13:1,2,5-7,11,12,15-17) (Matt 24:15,16; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess 2:3,4; Dan 11:36) (1 Pet 2:5,9; 1 Cor 3:16,17; Ezek 44:6-9)
This person relates the pervasive drive for men especially, to "reach out", be recognized and respected on all levels of the organization. The demands and expectations for select JWs to succeed in supporting the organization, are sourced with the men at the top. Although this progressive learning tool of control is exercised upon all JWs, it is an especially blasphemous act against God’s holy anointed priesthood. (Matt 24:24,25; 48-51; Rev 13:5-7; 11:1,2) 
“The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Luke 4:5,6
_____________
Did you ever “serve” as an attendant at conventions? What about working the parking lot at assemblies or memorial? Did you or your dad routinely travel to other halls to give a Sunday talks? Did you ever work safety at quickbuilds? Did you ever have a part on the stage at an assembly or convention? Were you ever in a drama? Did you ever get to pass the emblems (or even partake)? If you got baptized, do you remember sitting in the special section that morning? Did you ever get announced as an MS, elder or pioneer?
If you can answer yes to any of the above questions, you may recall the sense of pride you felt. Even if you’re a lowly teenager running mics or controlling the sound, any position of responsibility comes with a small (but noteworthy) power trip. Imagine, for a brief moment, an elder, the COBE, the circuit overseer or even a visiting bethelite pulls into the parking lot at memorial or circuit assembly and for one small moment, it is you who has all the power and control. You have the orange vest, the orange cone, the straw hat and the honorable Attendant badge. They must drive and park where you tell them to. They will obey your command. For a small snapshot in time, even they must follow your leadership and direction—even tho they represent god on earth. But for that moment, they heed your direction when parking a car. They need your microphone to share their wisdom. The anointed cannot partake unless you hand them the emblems. They cannot speak while you’re on the platform, even if you’re simply reading the WT. YOU have all the power and control. YOU command everyone’s attention. The day you got baptized, it was YOU everyone looked at in the special section. It was you they sang and applauded for. When you (or your dad) visited another hall to deliver a Sunday talk, you already felt special. They lined up to meet you. You met new friends. You were automatically trusted as “exemplary” and even given “hospitality.”
And even tho you may have only been a teenager at the time, or if you were an adult MS or elder, you were likely nothing special outside of the empowering moments those titles brought with them—but for those brief moments, even YOU, an uneducated window washer, enjoyed the taste of control and power. The highest ranking JW had to park where you told them. They couldn’t enter a quickbuild without safety gear and you had the power to stop them. They couldn’t interrupt your talk or take your spotlight the moment your appointment was announced. Yet, outside those windowless walls, you were nobody.
IMAGINE the sense of power and control the GB feels all the time, everywhere they go. They brag about their humble lifestyles (and it’s true, their lodgings at HQ are ok at best—nothing spectacular, in fact most of our homes are probably nicer than their rooms are), but they never lose that feeling of ultimate authority. Everywhere they go, they’re met with reverence. Everything they say is spoken as god’s mouthpiece. Every visit they make, every broadcast they host, they are revered.
What’s their motivation, you ask? Just try to remember those brief moments when you had title, rank and authority over others and ask yourself what you’d do if that was the way you lived 24/7.
 
https://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/
“Should We Obey Men?”  
Why Jesus came to earth / Last World Power over the Chosen Ones / "Iron" and "Clay"  
“Who Really is?” 
 
 
 

.... and I suspect Satan's ( the fantasy one with the horns and barbed tail ...) torment weapon of choice is not a pitchfork .... it's an accordion.

This is so funny Rambo.. Losing KHs   They have just built Warwick and now they are going to build Ramapo. So they obviously don't think Armageddon is very close. 
Worship with spirit and truth ???  You are having a laugh. The GB only worship themselves and their multi-organisations which have $$$$ and real estate.. It's all for show. 
Rambo you write so well and sound so serious, but you tell lies just like your Leaders. 

20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
This organization is already guilty of being false prophets, dude, your continuing the tradition of prophecying.

There have always been and will be people (angels in heaven) who will answer questions/issues about God in various and opposite ways. 
If these questions have already been answered, through those who have been or are now faithful to God, then there is no longer a need to prove it over and over again for every individual and for every new generation. Because that's how we could go on indefinitely. Every new born person on Earth should be able to choose between good and evil. So, according to such idea, evil and good would have to exist constantly in order for people to be able to choose and thus prove that they have "free will".
According to the current interpretation, WTJWorg's answers to questions about evil and why God allows evil to exist to this day, questions about God and the Devil, Good and Evil could be debated as long as there are people. So infinitely into the future. Because every new generation thinks it knows more and knows better. And since no generation lives forever, the evidence dies with them. Written books and recorded films and which often times live longer than the people themselves are often not sufficient proof and lack the strength and persuasiveness for the new generation to accept all that people before it concluded about life and death, good and evil. 

I have empathy / sympathy for those who were sexually abused as children, and for those still being abused.. And I believe it hasn't stopped happening in the JW Org. In my opinion the GB and their lawyers are just being more sly in how they handle it.  It seems too that Elders are still using the Clergy Penitent Privilege to hide Pedophiles in the congregations. Perhaps many of those pedophiles are actually Elders themselves.  So much has become known now that it is clear to see how immoral and dishonest the GB and their organisations are. 
Will it be a time of cleansing ? Or, will it be a time of destruction ?  Who knows ?  One thing is for sure, the  W/t & JW Org is not being run by True Anointed ones right now.

Please, go on JWorg library and you will find publications that support conclusion and speak clearly how, in fact, JHVH will destroy all elements of "Old System". 
 Where does JW's tolerance of members of other religions begin and end, also about tolerance of own members in JW organization who changing their "spiritual vision/view"? How do you show tolerance for different religious beliefs or opposing beliefs in general? Massimo Introvigne is in focus here, about his interpretations of "tolerance" toward WTJWorg and defense of JW members in Russia and elsewhere.

When you say; "given by HS to say", that is so close to idea of "been inspired by HS". Don't you think the same? Bible verse about such experiences in 1st century is about that "miracle". 
...for the holy spirit will teach you in that very hour the things you should say.” Lk 12:12 nwt
...for what you are to speak will be given you in that hour;+ 20  for the ones speaking are not just you, but it is the spirit of your Father that speaks by you. Mt 10:19,20 nwt
You used the words of Jesus written in these two gospels. The manner and appearance of HS action has nothing to do with the intellect and learned things that an individual adopts through life. Here we are talking about the ability of HS to act directly on a person at a given moment. This is also called “inspiration, influence, leadership, guidance”. And it happens outside the action of our will and consent or demand.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210527/trial-scheduled-for-jehovahs-witnesses-elders-accused-of-failing-to-report-sexual-abuse
Two Jehovah's Witnesses elders accused of failing to notify police that a congregant was sexually abusing a child are scheduled for a joint trial in July.
Jehovah's Witnesses elder Michael Penkava, 72, of Crystal Lake, and Colin Scott, 87, of Cary, were charged in November with violating reporting provisions. Both men are accused of failing to notify police about a church member who later was convicted of sexually abusing a child.
The abuse continued for more than a decade after the church elders became aware of the accusations, prosecutors have said.
A judge on Wednesday denied a request to exclude testimony regarding potentially "confidential" meetings between church leaders and the now-convicted man.
The charges against Scott and Penkava are rooted in another man's sexual assault conviction. Accusations against that man, 43-year-old church member Arturo Hernandez-Pedraza, surfaced during a confessional or spiritual guidance setting, according to Prossnitz and attorney Terry Ekl, who represents Scott.
In 2019, a jury convicted Hernandez-Pedraza of all counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, predatory criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, sexual relations within families and domestic battery charges filed against him.
He is serving a 45-year prison sentence at Pontiac Correctional Center.
Penkava invoked his right as a religious leader to not testify at Hernandez-Pedraza's trial, but he still was required to answer questions about actions the congregation took after learning of the sexual abuse more than 10 years before it was reported.
Because the accusations surfaced during a confessional, Penkava and Scott's attorneys now argue the disclosure should be considered privileged communication between faith leaders and congregants.
Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Ashur Youash, however, said that privilege doesn't extend to situations involving abused or neglected children and isn't grounds for failure to report.
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They are still hiding behind the clergy privilege thing, so no lessons have been learnt. The GB and others in control, and the Elders are still more interested in the 'face of the Org' and in saving money, than they are in the congregation. 
Does God and Jesus really approve of this ? No of course not.
 

YES CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE JW ORG IS COMPLETELY COMPARABLE TO TERROISM. BUT TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU IT IS JUST COLLATERAL DAMAGE.