James Thomas Rook Jr.

 
First of all, I am not aware, nor have I EVER been aware that Allen Smith had a .... "condition".  What is he ....  a one legged tap dancing midget with dandruff? (????). 
I ridicule him for his screwball ideas and goofy Snowflake perspective on the Universe.
However, if you tell me what your ..."condition" is ... perhaps I can make a special effort to make fun of it.
Think of it as having your dandruff scratched.
And as I have stated at least eight times ... I never claimed to be a JW, merely a Barbarian interested in justice, and equity for all, and COMPLETE freedom of speech, as long as there is no "biologically based vulgarity".  
I think the phrase "low down scum sucking pig" where appropriate, is quite acceptable ... IF (and ONLY IF) I have been attacked first ... or it's an idea or philosophy that I feel that tongue needs to be stuck to a sub-zero metal pole.
I try NOT to waste my time attacking people.
They are ephemeral, and biodegradable.
IDEAS ARE FOREVER.
If it was up to me, AllenSmith(n), I would never have censured or restricted ANYTHING you have ever said ... as with the mountains of insults and arrogant condensation , occasionally you come up with a gem of an idea.
Or several.
Never fear insulting me, that I will take offense.  Give it your best shot.  If you wish, hire professional insulters.
I like to think I CANNOT be insulted ... so I never take offense.
One mans vicious insult is another man's belly laugh.

Something similar happens when you put out a contract to have someone killed, when you are too old or disinclined to do it yourself.
Your "hit man" does your bidding, but it can be traced back to you.
So you get a second "hit man" to bump off the first one.
Then you get a third one to off the second one, etc., etc.
..... but ultimately, it's free !
By the way, with the Hatfields and McCoys, the reason that stopped their feuding is the Hatfields, most of them I am told, became Jehovah's Witnesses. It may or may not be true, as I have forgotten where I got that info ... so just consider it an old man's fairy tale.
However, I had the distinct pleasure of dancing with Libby Hatfield, of Chattaroy, West Virginia, at a "gathering" in Roanoke, Virginia., circa 1976.
THAT ... I remember.
 

Something similar happens when you put out a contract to have someone killed, when you are too old or disinclined to do it yourself.
Your "hit man" does your bidding, but it can be traced back to you.
So you get a second "hit man" to bump off the first one.
Then you get a third one to off the second one, etc., etc.
..... but ultimately, it's free !
By the way, with the Hatfields and McCoys, the reason that stopped their feuding is the Hatfields, most of them I am told, became Jehovah's Witnesses. It may or may not be true, as I have forgotten where I got that info ... so just consider it an old man's fairy tale.
However, I had the distinct pleasure of dancing with Libby Hatfield, of Chattaroy, West Virginia, at a "gathering" in Roanoke, Virginia., circa 1976.
THAT ... I remember.
 

Thats  the  point,  I  agree  @Nicole   And  many  young  people  also  nosy  for  testing,  etc. ~  very  sad.  My  husband,  (sound - engineer)  told  me  in  the  past,  some  music-groups  consumed  (coce, snow)  in a  private  sound - studio,  to  get  inspired  and  for  playing /singing  smarter, as  you  commented, yes

Because they are plagued with guilt over being so smart and wish to level the playing field.

especially in tight pants huh? 

I have always had a gut feeling that a ratio something like this was correct, so disregarding the personal tragedies institutionally ...  as flawed humans we are by comparison doing extremely well.   Certainly Jehovah's spirit has a LOT to do with that.
What frosts my ice tray is the global cover-up and denial, and officially declaring what is proven to be absolutely true as "APOSTATE LIES" .
... AND PAYING TEAMS OF LAYERS TO PERVERT JUSTICE WITH THE BROTHERHOOD'S MONEY (JEHOVAH'S MONEY) BEING USED TO COVER-UP, OBFUSCATE, AND LIE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON.
I try to be a loyal Theocratic man ... but I make a CRAPPY  Corporation shill.
 

Hey, does anyone remember that Twilight Zone episode where the driver strikes and kills the kid? -obviously and accident. His wife remarks over dinner how horrible it is that the unknown driver did not turn himself in, and is puzzled by her husband's agitation. His car begins to haunt him. It wakes him up out of a sound sleep with blaring horn. (as a child, it was spooky as all get-out!) He tells his wife the next morning that he will walk to work, since the car has been acting funny. She is amazed to see the garage door open, and the car follows him - he panics and falls. The car stops inches from crushing his head. The passenger door opens. He gets in and it drives him presumably to the police station to confess. The car is the avenger of blood!!

About 12 years ago, when it appeared that I was on my "death bed",  and did not have very long to live ... I told my ex-wife how I wanted to be buried, and she flatly refused to do it.
I told her I wanted to be double wrapped in HEFTY yard leaf bag sized trash bags, and put out on the curb.
... Tuesdays, it was the City's problem.

Hey man ...uh ... as spokesperson for "United Heads for Hemp" I can tell you ....
..uh ....OH LIKE WOW!
I HEAR ORANGES!

One thing to consider when giving "theocratic policy advice" ... it has to make common sense ... in ALL cultures.
It has to be a DIRECT transfer of information from the Bible, without adulterating it with culturally induced prejudices. Many people feel things to the very marrow of their bones like a ravenous hunger .. that are not scriptural.
The reason we have "new light" is because of sloppy, incompetent thinking in the past.  Years from now those with a conscience will be lamenting the damage they created with what they taught TODAY.
Hopefully lamenting ...
... as they bear, as I do, PERSONAL MORAL RESPONSIBILITY for screwing up peoples lives. I ruined several peoples' lives with bad advice, with the ABSOLUTE best of intentions ... but their lives were still ruined ... and I could not fix it.
This also happens on an institutional level as official policy decisions that are not REALLY scripturally based ... ruins hundreds of thousands of lives, by leaders ALSO presumably with the very best of intentions.
The responsibility to have and use a trained conscience is not that of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Soclety. 
It is ours alone.
In the February 2017 Watchtower, they were eventually and FINALLY forced by outside sources (ARC) to admit in print that they were neither inspired of God, or infallible.
That means you have to check EVERYTHING they say ... just as in the early church, the Bereans did, and compare it with what is reasonable, and makes common sense.
Fortunately for us at the bottom, justice from Jehovah is  tempered with mercy for blind pawns.   (John 9:41)
 
 

Consider NEWTON's track record, compared to any other natural person who has ever lived.
In anything he published, even after his death .... Newton was NEVER wrong.
Christendom, the political empire disguised as a religion, is responsible for slaughtering A HALF BILLION people, in Europe alone, in the last 1700 years .... and during World War One, killed a MILLION of their brethren on the border between Germany and France, in ONE year long battle.
Those that espouse TRINITARIAN BELIEFS KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE.
Hundreds of MILLIONS of PEOPLE.
The proof of any "philosophy" is how it works out in real life.
All else is FANTASY.
If a horse in a race is wearing a cowbell and says "MOOO!", perhaps you don't want to bet on THAT one.
 

Hey man ...uh ... as spokesperson for "United Heads for Hemp" I can tell you ....
..uh ....OH LIKE WOW!
I HEAR ORANGES!

Whenever I think "Toga", I think of John Belushi and "Food Fight".

One thing to consider when giving "theocratic policy advice" ... it has to make common sense ... in ALL cultures.
It has to be a DIRECT transfer of information from the Bible, without adulterating it with culturally induced prejudices. Many people feel things to the very marrow of their bones like a ravenous hunger .. that are not scriptural.
The reason we have "new light" is because of sloppy, incompetent thinking in the past.  Years from now those with a conscience will be lamenting the damage they created with what they taught TODAY.
Hopefully lamenting ...
... as they bear, as I do, PERSONAL MORAL RESPONSIBILITY for screwing up peoples lives. I ruined several peoples' lives with bad advice, with the ABSOLUTE best of intentions ... but their lives were still ruined ... and I could not fix it.
This also happens on an institutional level as official policy decisions that are not REALLY scripturally based ... ruins hundreds of thousands of lives, by leaders ALSO presumably with the very best of intentions.
The responsibility to have and use a trained conscience is not that of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Soclety. 
It is ours alone.
In the February 2017 Watchtower, they were eventually and FINALLY forced by outside sources (ARC) to admit in print that they were neither inspired of God, or infallible.
That means you have to check EVERYTHING they say ... just as in the early church, the Bereans did, and compare it with what is reasonable, and makes common sense.
Fortunately for us at the bottom, justice from Jehovah is  tempered with mercy for blind pawns.   (John 9:41)
 
 

I agree with MOST of what you said .... but you "got me" at the last line.
Bravo!

How do you keep the 2006 one from updating?
I have CDs from 2005, my personal copies of books from the '60s.  I stopped taking printed bound volumes from last year.  The old song books seemed to have disappeared. I have only from 1984. When you leave home, a lot of stuff if left and eventually gets lost or thrown out.  I recently found a well kept almost unused copy of the Let God Be True book, but then I realized it came from my husband's family, brought over by him.  It is good to keep these old books to compare. 

This forum is so full of apostates that it should be closed down
 

I won't speak for the @admin since he is probably not even aware of this "controversy" right now....
BUT....
I just can't imagine Jesus Christ creating JesusChrist.org to publish his words... and then tell everyone that nobody has the legal right to copy his words.
If anything EVERY KING of Israel was to MAKE A COPY of the scrolls.... to what purpose? TO SHARE THEM.
The Watchtower Lawyers are thinking of JW.org as a money making for profit corporation instead of the charity and group of like minded bible students that it should be and was at one time..
 
When the apostles were angered that others were preaching the gospel of Jesus what did he tell them? 
"Round up the Christian Lawyers" ... NO!!! 
 
Advertise, Advertise , Advertise the King and His Kingdom......hmmm...... 
 

The ridiculousness of attaching political people into the question is where you have gone astray. That is the side portion of your question which becomes your gig, your laugh. You see if you were actually serious none of that would have found its way into your agenda. 
Now to answer you seriously:
What are the benefits of Coming to Jesus?
Your sins are forgiven, the moment you accept Jesus into your heart and ask Him to forgive you. Done deal. Matt. 9:2 is a great example. By the man's faith, Jesus forgave him. 
His burden is light, why? Because He takes that pressure away from you. He give your rest (Matt 11:25-30) There is no fear of losing anything, privileges, friends, family, you don't lose but rather gain. You gain the peace and joy of being a child of God (Romans 8:15-17, 1 John 5:1). There is no obligation  to do anything, except the works of God. What are those works? John 6:29 "... believe in the one who He sent" (Jesus). 
You will be led by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 12:12) This is much like having a friend guide you through life and warning you about the dangers of your decisions. The Spirit of God dwells within you to direct you. (Romans 8:11)
Jesus does not try and trap you or trick you, it is a freedom to follow Him. It is also very easy to leave Him if you'd like. He does not threaten you to keep you under submission, He does not announce to others that you have left. He simply continues and He knows who will and who won't follow Him, so there is no surprise. He knows and Romans 8:28 tells us what the plan for those who do is, all things will work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. 
We are given eternal life. When is this given? Now. John 6:40. We have the knowledge and comfort in knowing that right now we can know for certain that we have eternal life with Jesus. This is not a maybe "if you do enough" or "if you're nice enough" it is a given. 1 John 5:11&12. 
Jesus is the mediator between the Father and humans. Jesus came in human form so that we can relate to Him and He can be our mediator. He is our spokesperson when we fail (1 John 2:1&2). The Bible tells us that there is NO other mediator, not a group of men, not a religion, not the Pope nor the octo-popes.  Jesus is our personal mediator. 
He tells us that He is the only way. (John 14:6, Hebrews 7:25) There is no other way to God, but through Jesus, so one MUST come to Jesus in order to be right with God. He must become the narrow gate in which we must pass (Matt 7:13). 
I think this is enough to answer your question. While there is much more, I really don't think you are interested in the answer, just a sort of game to see if I would jump through your hoops. Well I did, but it wasn't for just you. 

I will add that I don't know of any Masonic cemetery that Russell was buried close to.
 

Although many like to imagine and assume that the Biblical symbolism Russell used has something to do with the Masons, and/or that his Biblical study of God's Witness in Egypt had something to do with the Masons, the reality is that neither is of the Masons, any more than the Bible itself is of the Masons.
 
rlctr.blogspot.com-Masonic Symbols.pdf

Probably an underground connection................

He joined on a lay-away plan?

He was just dying to be one?