Evacuated

Yeah! Give'em enough rope (old or new), and they'll hang them....................selves!!!

Definitely bad, oppressive, a tool of the insecure. There is a tendency for some to try to lever on this basis. Seems to be a kind of convoluted version of what Peter said at Matthew 26:33. However, I do not think Paul and Barnabas were fear-mongering when they said “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations." Acts 14:22, or Paul when he said to the Hebrews, "In your struggle against that sin, you have never yet resisted to the point of having your blood shed." Heb.12:4. Certainly, Peter counseled vigorously against abject "obedience to men" at Acts 5:29: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.", all the more notable as coming from one who displayed the opposite behaviour at times. However there is a balance in this matter too, as the same Scriptures counsel children to be "obedient to your parents" (Eph.6:1), slaves to "be obedient in everything to those who are your human masters" (Col.3:22) all faithful Christians to mark those who are "not obedient to our word through this letter" (2Thess.3:14), "to be obedient to governments and authorities" (Titus 3:1); and, finally, to "be obedient to those taking the lead among you" (Heb.13:17). So when a b(B)rother says obeying instructions in what is of little consequence now is good practice for obeying instructions regarding what might be big consequences later, I don't feel blackmailed by some sort of bogey-man tactic really. I just feel that this is someone giving me a bit of good advice on how to turn a bumpy ride into something a little smoother. But then, that's just me. Everybody has their own way of dealing with and reacting to these things it seems. I agree entirely with avoiding the creation of a fear-mongered, man-pleasing attitude. I endorse fully the need to engage in reflecting Jesus' manner in refreshing our fellow worshippers, working to lighten their "burdens" wherever we can. But at the same time we need to balance the fact that it was Jesus who instructed a heightened level of alertness in "keeping on the watch", an avoidance of everyday distractions in maintaining a personally calibrated "whole soul" level of activity, and a full appreciation of the "torture stake" element involved in our acceptance of discipleship. ?

Far too narrow a view: politics: activities associated with the governance of a country or area, activities aimed at improving someone's status or increasing power within an organization. I don't see a request to God for intervention to improve matters on behalf of fellow worshippers as falling outside these parameters, especially in the light of 1Tim 2:1-2: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made concerning all sorts of men,  concerning kings and all those who are in high positions, so that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with complete godly devotion and seriousness."

Post thread probably needs to define the terms "neutral" and "political" otherwise it's just a semantic clash.

Interesting and quirky line of reasoning. Probably stretches it a bit too far to be accurate. What people generally believe about soul and/or spirit is that it/they are an entity with a life of their own...somewhere. We do not believe this at all. That would seem to me to present too fundamental a difference to advocate similarity in concept. Perhaps the nearest we could get is to liken the dead to be in a digital media archive with as much detail as possible to characterise the individual, and then the resurrection would be like printing them out again in a 3D printer. Although that might put a rather different slant on the greeting mentioned elsewhere: "Hello Dolly!" (Let the reader provide a link).

1John 5:19. Don't be fooled!

How can there be an argument about this? Isn't it one of the functions of prayer? Me too. I wish someone who actually through those times as a participant rather than a bystander could give us a comment.

This is a much more reasonable approach than the rather quaint efforts to shoehorn the earth's creative week into 6x7000 yr. compartments. By that old reckoning it appears that we are 43 years in to Adam's settlement/cultivation/animal naming/no helper period and still counting. Incidentally, whilst we are talking about adjustments, did you find the Courage from Creation videos highlighting a rather less disneyesque side to animal behaviour than usual? I mean, what will mongooses do in the New World? Crack Brazil nuts for us? I was disappointed no one mentioned the Honey Badger actually..........

Not sure why this has to be such an issue. To my understanding, the emphasis here is regarding an instruction that doesn't make sense to the one receiving that instruction. So it is a matter of the instructed one's peception of what is instructed. Who's logic? is the obvious response. Any one who has worked in emergency services of any kind surely understands the chain of commmand principle? Or the military services for that matter? Or a host of other areas where an emergency situation just doesn't allow time for a reason to be given for a particular course of action? A Biblical example could be the instruction Jesus gave regarding action to be taken in Matt.24:16. Immediate flight to a mountainous area, leaving goods and even garments behind, whilst anticipating difficulty particularly for pregnant women and children because of this, especially if the action is necessary in winter or on the Sabbath? Obedience to instructions in an emergency situation was emphasised here. Obedient action meant life. There would be plenty of time to analyse the reasons later. Or what about a surgeon performing cardiac surgery. He asks for a clamp immediately, and the assistant says "what do you want a clamp for?" Reminds me a bit of Peter, who felt the instructions Jesus was following from a logical standpoint make no sense at all. Matt.16:21-23: ?21 "From that time forward, Jesus began explaining to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed, and on the third day be raised up. 22?At this Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying: “Be kind to yourself, Lord; you will not have this happen to you at all.” 23?But turning his back, he said to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you think, not GodÂ’s thoughts, but those of men.” Call me old-fashioned, but I still think simple obedience saves lives, especially in an emergency. I mean, don't you think one of the cowboys could have just said "Get outa the road, Jed!" Â

Risk assessment is a complex skill, : Identify the hazards Decide who might be harmed and how Evaluate the risks and decide on control measures Record your findings and implement them Review your assessment and update if necessary but you are an engineer..................

It could cost your life.....actually worth a lot more....even if you don't agree!!

@Jack Ryan: ..."God blatantly gambling another person's life with Satan" (regarding Job) gamble: definition: take risky action in the hope of a desired result "No contest!"

I am NOT sentimental, and I do not like what I consider to be "slushy" posts. But this scripture is an absolute winner and I think Jehovah himself would have given a "like" to your posting of it (if appropriate). ?

This is actually quite funny and highly appeals to a certain aspect of humour in the culture I am rooted in. I suspect the posters intention does not align with this, but nevertheless, thanks for a great laugh. (Actualy, I think some Americans might find this post rather insulting, however, I still think David Brent did a better job, although only by a small margin).

This is great. Get these parasites flushed out by fair means or foul!

? Why waste energy??? There are legions at that already!!

Well!...................my impression of many who sport ipads and the alternative Android devices is that they are rather like a second family to many "older", silver surfer types in the Kihgdom Hall. They are continually rushing out of the auditorium with these electronic "crying babies" who seem to be reading out sections of the Bible or singing Kingdom songs randomly and without prompting at the most inopportune and inappropriate times! Next thing, they'll be changing "virtual" diapers on them!.............................

Or the "state"?

That's better. I was living on the street at 16 after experiencing "Catholic disfellowshiping" for not playing by the rules. I knew that wasn't right because I wasn't even a member!

Must be your experience? Wow! You're all living in some sort of dimensional time warp;...........or I am.....I'm convinced of this. And it's not just you, it's a load of other posters on this forum.

We always call them "4-by-2"s with an obvious rhyming slang association. Anyway, I'd like to see any of you in the Stephen Lett slot as "host" for the monthly broadcast. I'll reserve comment until that happens. ?

There would be as demons are not children. Bit difficult to understand such a distorted and short clip. But on the point, I dont think this could be referring to "children" literally as it seems unlikely that these would be "disfellowshipped"? More clarity needed on this matter.

I'll take that as a "No!" then?

Are you one of these?