Evacuated

You seem to be saying that there should be no prohibition unless it is specifically mentioned in scripture. Would you say that tobacco smoking should be viewed similarly?

Please watch your spell checker!

You seem to be saying that there should be no prohibition unless it is specifically mentioned in scripture. Would you say that tobacco smoking should be viewed similarly?

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!

Probably depends on where and when they indulge as well as their attitude..

Well put. This connects with a response I would make to this accusation: "You say only Jehovah's Witnesses will be saved", namely, a question: How do you define a Jehovah's Witness?

Yes, in terms of Christian morality.

The previous answers have much merit. It can also be summed up like this:
(Genesis 18:25-28) . . .It is unthinkable that you would act in this manner by putting the righteous man to death with the wicked one so that the outcome for the righteous man and the wicked is the same! It is unthinkable of you. Will the Judge of all the earth not do what is right?” 26 Then Jehovah said: “If I find in Sodʹom 50 righteous men in the city, I will pardon the whole place for their sake.” 27 But Abraham again responded: “Please, here I have presumed to speak to Jehovah, whereas I am dust and ashes. 28 Suppose the 50 righteous should lack five. Because of the five will you destroy the whole city?” To this he said: “I will not destroy it if I find there 45.”
We can safely leave the details and final decisions  about certain groups to Jehovah.  We must not presume to speak for him above what he has already said.  He will always do what is right. Every detail cannot be written down (John 21:25), but generally all the guidelines are clear (Ps 11:4-7; Ps 15:1-7).
(Isaiah 55:9) . . .For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So my ways are higher than your ways And my thoughts than your thoughts.
(Deuteronomy 32:4)  4 The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; Righteous and upright is he.
(Malachi 3:6) “For I am Jehovah; I do not change. And you are sons of Jacob; you have not yet come to your finish.
 
 

 

 

Why would it have been wrong for Peter to use a sword on that occasion?

Well put. This connects with a response I would make to this accusation: "You say only Jehovah's Witnesses will be saved", namely, a question: How do you define a Jehovah's Witness?

Quite true!
No need to reinvent the wheel after Anna and Melinda's contributions.
In your own case, you are quite right in suggesting various contributory reasons for the specific accident in this news report and I agree with your common-sense reasoning regarding the specific incident.
My comment, in response to some general scriptural points raised by Melinda, merely rounds out what she was saying as a reminder of the general situation mankind find themselves under present circumstances. This, in turn, could prompt a connection with Rev. 21:2-4, something which many more directly connected with the specific event will no doubt find of comfort as time goes on..
You obviously have other issues as indicated in your  responses, for example:
This statement could be true, depending on what you mean by  "everyday". One man's "everyday" is another's "special event".
This reveals perhaps some sort of underlying issue you have that is only prompted by the comments regarding the specific incident in this news report. It probably needs its own thread if it hasn't been raised elsewhere.

I would agree with this, as a sentiment.
However what is NOT true is that everything has been done to make members aware of the dangers predatory pedophiles present. More is required.
Also, (and I absolutely affirm this, (not from my own experience but from the experience of others), NOT ENOUGH is being done to help those falsely accused of this disgusting crime. Those I have known in this dire predicament DID NOT know how to handle it.
I think the basic problem revpolves around naivety and incompetence. Spin it as you will. 1Cor.14:20 says: "be babes as to badness". This has been explained as inexperienced and said to be tandem with being "full grown in powers of understanding".  The latter has not always been evident.
I don't care about media trash on this subject. I just know that that my own experience of these matters confirms what I have said. In the main, JWs are "babes" when it comes to this issue. Many have had an "It Can't Happen Here" mentality, still very much in evidence.
We live and (hopefully) we learn.

And probably a rather soft launch of it within the organisation as well.

It must be one of those things that are down to principle, not a law.  Perhaps this is the principle: " Deaden, therefore, your body members that are on the earth as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, uncontrolled sexual passion,  hurtful desire, and greediness, which is idolatry". Colossians 3:5
I am not saying this as a rule, but in all honesty, could it be said that masturbation never leads to sexual immorality, or thoughts of it? 

" Can anyone explain this to me?: The rest of the dead did not come to life UNTIL the 1,000 years were ENDED."
How could it be any simpler than what is stated?
Idea No. 1.) 
"And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for 1,000 years. 5 ....  This is the first resurrection."
Idea No. 2  
(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.) ...
There.... that make more sense?
What could be simpler?
 

*** re chap. 40 p. 290 Crushing the Serpent’s Head ***
The Rest of the Dead
14 Whom, though, will these kings judge if, as the apostle John here inserts, “(the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended)”? (Revelation 20:5a) Again, the expression “come to life” has to be understood according to context. This expression can have varying meanings in varying circumstances. For example, Paul said of his anointed fellow Christians: “It is you God made alive though you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) Yes, spirit-anointed Christians were “made alive,” even in the first century, being declared righteous on the basis of their faith in Jesus’ sacrifice.—Romans 3:23, 24.
15 Similarly, pre-Christian witnesses of Jehovah were declared righteous as to friendship with God; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were spoken of as “living” even though they were physically dead. (Matthew 22:31, 32; James 2:21, 23) However, they and all others who are resurrected, as well as the great crowd of faithful other sheep who survive Armageddon and any children that may be born to these in the new world, must yet be raised to human perfection. This will be accomplished by Christ and his associate kings and priests during the thousand-year Judgment Day, on the basis of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. By the end of that Day, “the rest of the dead” will have “come to life” in the sense that they will be perfect humans. As we shall see, they must then pass a final test, but they will face that test as perfected humans. When they pass the test, God will declare them worthy of living forever, righteous in the fullest sense. They will experience the complete fulfillment of the promise: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” (Psalm 37:29) What a delightful future is in store for obedient mankind!

Get the Watchtower Library installed on your computer, so you can do your own research. You can use the online library as well.

And probably a rather soft launch of it within the organisation as well.

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that despite this informative document recently made available to download in several languages on the JW website, there is not too much of a mention of it by any of the opposers and "campaigners" against child abuse in the JW organization.
Here is the entire document:
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES’ SCRIPTURALLY BASED POSITION ON CHILD PROTECTION
Definitions: Child abuse may include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, or emotional abuse.
Child sexual abuse is a perversion and generally includes one or more of the following: sexual inter-course with a child; oral or anal sex with a child; fondling the genitals, breasts, or buttocks of a child; voyeurism of a child; indecent exposure to a child; or soliciting a child for sexual conduct. It may include sexting with a minor or showing pornography to a minor.
In this document, references to parents apply equally to legal guardians or other persons who hold pa-rental responsibility for a minor.
1. Children are a sacred trust, “an inheritance from Jehovah.”—Psalm 127:3.
2. The protection of children is of utmost concern and importance to all Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is in harmony with the long-standing and widely published Scripturally based position of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as reflected in the references at the end of this document, which are all published on jw.org.
3. Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and view it as a crime. (Romans 12:9) We recognize that the authorities are responsible for addressing such crimes. (Romans 13:1-4) The elders do not shield any perpetrator of child abuse from the authorities.
4. In all cases, victims and their parents have the right to report an accusation of child abuse to the authorities. Therefore, victims, their parents, or anyone else who reports such an accusation to the elders are clearly informed by the elders that they have the right to report the matter to the authorities. Elders do not criticize anyone who chooses to make such a report.—Galatians 6:5.
5. When elders learn of an accusation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses to ensure compliance with child abuse reporting laws. (Romans 13:1) Even if the elders have no legal duty to report an accusation to the authorities, the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if a minor is still in danger of abuse or there is some other valid reason. Elders also ensure that the victim’s parents are informed of an accusation of child abuse. If the alleged abuser is one of the victim’s parents, the elders will inform the other parent.
6. Parents have the primary responsibility for the protection, safety, and instruction of their children. Therefore, parents who are members of the congregation are encouraged to be vigilant in exercising their responsibility at all times and to do the following:
• Have direct and active involvement in their children’s lives.
• Educate themselves and their children about child abuse.
• Encourage, promote, and maintain regular communication with their children. —Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Proverbs 22:3.
Jehovah’s Witnesses publish an abundance of Bible-based information to assist parents to fulfill their responsibility to protect and instruct their children.—See the references at the end of this document.
 7. Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses do not separate children from their parents for the purpose of instruction or other activities. (Ephesians 6:4) For example, our congregations do not provide or sponsor orphanages, Sunday schools, sports clubs, day-care centers, youth groups, or other activi-ties that separate children from their parents.
8. Elders strive to treat victims of child abuse with compassion, understanding, and kindness. (Colossians 3:12) As spiritual counselors, the elders endeavor to listen carefully and empathetically to victims and to console them. (Proverbs 21:13; Isaiah 32:1, 2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; James 1:19) Victims and their families may decide to consult a mental-health professional. This is a personal decision.
9. Elders never require victims of child abuse to present their accusation in the presence of the alleged abuser. However, victims who are now adults may do so, if they wish. In addition, victims can be accompanied by a confidant of either gender for moral support when presenting their accusation to the elders. If a victim prefers, the accusation can be submitted in the form of a written statement.
10. Child abuse is a serious sin. If an alleged abuser is a member of the congregation, the elders conduct a Scriptural investigation. This is a purely religious proceeding handled by elders according to Scriptural instructions and is limited to the issue of membership as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. A member of the congregation who is an unrepentant child abuser is expelled from the congregation and is no longer considered one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (1 Corinthians 5:13) The elders’ handling of an accusation of child abuse is not a replacement for the authorities’ handling of the matter.—Romans 13:1-4.
11. If it is determined that one guilty of child sexual abuse is repentant and will remain in the congregation, restrictions are imposed on the individual’s congregation activities. The individual will be specifically admonished by the elders not to be alone in the company of children, not to cultivate friendships with children, or display any affection for children. In addition, elders will inform parents of minors within the congregation of the need to monitor their children’s interaction with the individ-ual.
12. A person who has engaged in child sexual abuse does not qualify to receive any congregation privileges or to serve in a position of responsibility in the congregation for decades, if ever. —1 Timothy 3:1-7, 10; 5:22; Titus 1:7.
13. This document is available upon request to members of the congregation. It is reviewed at least once every three years.
Source: https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/legal-resources/information/packet-jw-scripturally-based-position-child-protection/#?insight[search_id]=4022773a-67c8-48a8-ba04-eac2f426147e&insight[search_result_index]=0
 
 
 

As my grown daughter once said to a "Brother" who was showing her  unwanted "attentions",
"If you don't leave me alone my Dad will kill you. Yes, he will go to prison, but YOU will be dead!".
This man and I had met, and he knew that was true .... and he turned his "attentions" elsewhere.
Sometimes the most complicated interpersonal problems have a simple solution.
... and I am a man who takes spiders outside when I can so as not to harm them.
 

Quite true!
No need to reinvent the wheel after Anna and Melinda's contributions.
In your own case, you are quite right in suggesting various contributory reasons for the specific accident in this news report and I agree with your common-sense reasoning regarding the specific incident.
My comment, in response to some general scriptural points raised by Melinda, merely rounds out what she was saying as a reminder of the general situation mankind find themselves under present circumstances. This, in turn, could prompt a connection with Rev. 21:2-4, something which many more directly connected with the specific event will no doubt find of comfort as time goes on..
You obviously have other issues as indicated in your  responses, for example:
This statement could be true, depending on what you mean by  "everyday". One man's "everyday" is another's "special event".
This reveals perhaps some sort of underlying issue you have that is only prompted by the comments regarding the specific incident in this news report. It probably needs its own thread if it hasn't been raised elsewhere.

This article is informative, cautionary and comforting at the same time.
*** ws13 8/15 pp. 9-11 pars. 2-8 Never Become “Enraged Against Jehovah” ***
2 Today, the earth has been ruined. Its soil, water, and air are polluted. People are violent and immoral. But we have learned from the Bible that this is not Jehovah’s fault. He created the earth to be a beautiful paradise home for us. (Genesis 2:8, 15) Jehovah is a God of love. (1 John 4:8) The Scriptures tell us that Satan the Devil is “the ruler of the world,” and he is the one who causes many of these problems.—John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4.
3 However, we cannot blame Satan for all our problems. Why not? Because some of our problems are the result of our own mistakes. (Read Deuteronomy 32:4-6.) We might say that we believe this. But because we are imperfect, we could begin to have the wrong view of our problems, and that can be dangerous. (Proverbs 14:12) Instead of blaming ourselves or Satan for our problems, we could start to blame Jehovah. We might even become “enraged against Jehovah himself,” that is, we might become very angry with him.—Proverbs 19:3.
4 Is it possible to become “enraged against Jehovah”? Really, it would do us no good to become angry with him. (Isaiah 41:11) We have no chance of winning a fight against God. It is true that we may never say that we are angry with Jehovah. But Proverbs 19:3 says that a man’s foolish thinking “distorts his way” and that “his heart becomes enraged against Jehovah.” This means that a person can become enraged against God in his heart and feel bitter toward Him. This can start to affect what the man does. For example, he might slow down in his service to Jehovah or stop worshipping with the congregation.
5 What might make us become “enraged against Jehovah”? How can we avoid this trap? We need to know the answers to these questions so that we can protect our relationship with Jehovah God!
HOW MIGHT WE BECOME “ENRAGED AGAINST JEHOVAH”?
6 Why might a faithful servant of Jehovah start to complain about God in his heart? This article will discuss five things that could make us become bitter, and we will review Bible examples of those who became “enraged against Jehovah.”—1 Corinthians 10:11, 12.
7 The negative talk of others can influence us. (Read Deuteronomy 1:26-28.) Think about what Jehovah did for the Israelites. He brought ten plagues on Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh and his armies at the Red Sea. The Israelites were free! (Exodus 12:29-32, 51; 14:29-31; Psalm 136:15) God’s people were ready to enter the Promised Land. But they started to complain about Jehovah. Why did they lose faith just as they were going to receive their reward? Ten spies gave a bad report to the Israelites, and this discouraged and scared them. (Numbers 14:1-4) As a result, Jehovah did not let them enter into that “good land” at that time. (Deuteronomy 1:34, 35) What can we learn? The negative talk of others could weaken our faith and cause us to complain about the way Jehovah guides his people.
8 Tragedies and difficulties could discourage us. (Read Isaiah 8:21, 22) In Isaiah’s day, the people of Judah were suffering. They were surrounded by enemies. Many were hungry because there was not enough food. But there was an even bigger problem. They had stopped listening to Jehovah and were letting their relationship with him get weak. (Amos 8:11) Instead of asking Jehovah for help, they blamed him and the king for their problems. In a similar way, if we become discouraged because of a tragedy or other problems in our life, we might begin to blame Jehovah and feel that he did not help us when we needed him.   END QUOTE

It would be good to review the whole article.

Collateral damage

Quite true. Also, there is an issue being settled at the moment: 
"But Satan answered Jehovah: “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life. But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike his bone and flesh, and he will surely curse you to your very face.” Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! He is in your hand! Only do not take his life!” " Job 2:4-6.

If he had to save bedbugs and roaches, he would have had to save lice too.   He probably would not have had to seek for such small creatures, God could have commanded them to go into the wood crevices, the hair of animals, etc.  And he would have other ways of doing it that we would not think of. He is not limited like us.

(Matthew 5:6) 6 “Happy are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, since they will be filled.
It was really nice meeting you and hearing your views and benefiting from your encouragement.  Keep up the good work.
(Heb 6:10; Romans 8:38,39)