Arauna

As I told you before, you do not acknowledge your ignorance regarding 'dictators'  because you bandy that word around as though it is ice-cream. 
Soon you will know what true dictators are.... the way the world is going now.... and you will long for the freedom you had before.  

This to me sounds like a bunch of people who want to see themselves as a special class of teachers...... and walk around amongst the earthly Amaharets as privileged heavenly ones.....like the fathers of the Nephilim of old.... same wish for more than their allotted attention.  
Jehovah's people are already being taught at our meetings ...  and Jehovah may use this same system in the new system.   An army of people are being added to the earthly domain of Jehovah's future government every day and are being taught individually by those who primarily have the promise of living for ever on EARTH as future subjects. No special anointed with special insight needed for this!!
Again - look what is happening on the ground....in reality - not fantasy...
Today - we are being prepared as future citizens - totally neutral and being taught to love one another and care for each other and to obey Jehovah. We are all taught the 'principles' of Jehovah and each individual knows what is expected from him. The problem is that we all  are living in a secular world and have to cope with secular problems all the time.  Many come from bad backgrounds and need time to unlearn some bad personal habits - but overall they do not become gross sinners and try not to be hurtful human beings or have hurtful practices towards others. (We all will be happy when the influence of satan and his demons are removed.)
There are a few renegades and they are set outside the congregation until they accept that they have sinned against Jehovah and hurt their fellows and try to change and cooperate with the teachings of Jehovah and the elders (Elders are a scriptural instruction - no need to give proof from the bible). 
Under Jehovah's government now we do not have police to keep everyone in check. Everyone is expected to obey from free will supported by the education they received individually and in the congregation. Those who overstep the lines (invisible barriers where one can harm another or self or disrespect Jehovah) are spoken with, but if their rebellion is serious - they need to face the consequences. 
All governments have police - we do not because we have already been EDUCATED SPIRITUALLY and as individuals we have all the materials needed to educate ourselves further.  In the new system - when the new scrolls open up, all will be educated in the same way - and all will be expected to obey by their own volition/free will. (no supervisors needed or special individual teachers).  Jehovah's government will deal directly with those who are a threat to others. 
After the 1000 years - the anointed and Jesus will no longer be in their positions as kings and priests. They will get new jobs. How will people on earth live?  Will they need police or supervisors?  NO.  They will experience total freedom like Adam had and live by their educated consciences - and their direct communication with Jehovah will be restored. In the 1000 years there will be a continuation of what is happening NOW - a continuation of the spiritual education (without satan around to cause problems) so that everyone can reach perfection.  All the needed provisions (spiritual food from the new scrolls will be provided/facilitated).... as Revelation indicates. Jehovah's spirit will be in abundance! And we will be free to communicate with him without the worldly pressures and agendas that crowd our lives now.
If one understands the Hebrew word for rule (as in Arabic)  - it is NOT the secular oppressive rule that we have seen in the worldly system past and present ......... it is closely related to the word "to give justice"... to judge (judge does not have the connection to punish - but to give justice).  Any creature who likes to control others is like satan.
All the resurrected ones on earth who have suffered will receive compensation and justice in this 1000 years.  All the lowly and those oppressed - who before were slaves... they will receive the benefits of total freedom with personal responsibility...  living in peace and harmony with others and NOT being dominated by any one else on anyone telling you what to do.  Obedience to Jehovah is ALWAYS a matter of conscious choice!  If everyone obeyed by conscious choice there would be no problems on earth at all.  If everyone cooperated willingly to instructions (without it being a law) we will have harmony and equity- (each person being appreciated for who they are). 
Those who decide at the final test as perfect people that they do not want to live under this government - will face consequences for their choices. If they choose like Adam - they will face the consequence of Adam.... however the number of people is undetermined now. 
So elders in the new world will NOT tell people what to do - they will be facilitators/serve.  The anointed ( 1kor 15) will have heavenly bodies with immortality. It is unnatural for heavenly bodies to materialize - only on special occasions did Jehovah instruct his angels to materialize and it was with at special occasions when his "purpose" was being directed. 
Romans 9:4 speaks of "sacred service" of the anointed.  Primarily they are the 'new heavens' spoken of..... with heavenly bodies . Their priestly duties will most probably be to facilitate the provisions and instructions for the forgiveness of sins.... If they do materialize it will be for a specific purpose because they are 'adopted sons' - like the other angels and they are a new creation with a new name (new heavenly position and function).  We do not see the angels amongst us do we?  Yet we know they are there and they are assisting the preaching and teaching work....
To give up their heavenly bodies will be to give up their separateness as a priestly nation - a special possession - set aside for Jehovah.   Their new jobs are not completely defined in the bible.  All we know is that their work will be rewarding and important....1Peter 2 they will offer up spiritual sacrifices through Christ. Hebrews 8:5 indicates the priesthood of Moses to be a "shadow" of the sacred service in 'heaven' - heavenly things.
They will facilitate/oversee the teaching of the word of Jehovah... and the important function of judging and seeing that righteous 'decisions' are made and Jehovah's righteous law is enforced throughout the earth - almost like the boardroom in a company. Jehovah's spirit will be in full operation so he will facilitate communication between heaven and earth as he has done in the past. Many resurrected ones may have problems adapting etc.... so the 144000 will have an important job to facilitate justice and mercy.  They have enough experience as imperfect people.
The anointed may be visible during Armageddon but this cannot be taught as a fact. We know that angels destroyed 185,000 troops of Sennacherib and he himself thought it was pestilence - no-one saw the angels (Israel ot the Assyrians did not) but they saw the results!  The bible does also speak of natural signs.... so people will not be in the dark as to who is bringing the destruction especially after they start to attack Jehovah's people in the entire globe!
Moses was a priest - he called to Jehovah and interceded for israel - their intercessionary work will also be the facilitation of justice and mercy.  Moses heard many cases until it was given to 70 elders.   
The elders are an institution - given in the bible - they are shepherds and facilitators for the congregations... servants... of others. They are now being trained (and will still need a lot of training like all the others) if they are to be used in futue.  The higher you want to be in Jehovah's organization the humbler one should become..... this is what the bible teaches... no need to quote all the scriptures.

I understood what you meant but I countered it with another question to prove how most people in the world do not study the bible. In contrast, the Witnesses study and learn the truth and it carries them for a long time. Truths such as the mortality of the soul, Jehovah's name etc.  Most people on this forum learnt all these things from the Witnesses but turn around and bite the hand that fed them this information in the first place!   
 
My FEELINGS are - you are wrong.  Most know how we get there but have more to do with their time than spend days in front of their computers in forums like this trying to score points for themselves..... because this is not edifying to anyone but the persons who think they can discredit the slave...  it is not purely an academic exercise - do not be fooled!.. 
There are more competent people on here than I - who can be an advocate in this court case - however, fairness is not guaranteed!  I recall when this subject came up before under another heading  these same people themselves did not know that the JW's use 537 BCE as the pivotal date to get to 607 BCE .... the conversation fizzled out after this was proven to them......just to be opened up later again with more virulent compulsion. 
As someone has already pointed out - we do not need this for salvation. But I do think 1914 helps us to realize how far we are in the stream of time and how close we are to Armageddon - a loving provision from Jehovah.  And I do not try to 'prove' anything with this statement...because appreciation cannot be measured or quantified in an academic way unless you do another study - lol. I am not here to score points but I wish to show there is more to 1914 than just a date - the history on the ground is completely ignored by these people who try to prove the slave to be deceivers and they use any minute discrepancy to do so to their advantage.... without considering their own discrepancies.... and this shines a light on their motive.... 
There are many feelings attached to this date - it presents much more than a date.  Many here  promote only the knowledge without a love for Jehovah - so it has no meaning to them - just an academic exercise. And yet these very people ignore the signs on the ground which has so much emotional meaning for those awaiting this final stretch of time.  The history on the ground since 1914 is what helps the "simple folk out there - the Amaharets" - without the academic inclinations, to lift their heads up. They are the ones whom Jehovah and Jesus loves.... and sustains with his spirit.

In Hitler camps, one is there AGAINST your will..... but I guess you do not see this reality - due to the OCD.
I read on this forum recently how you guys pulled brother Lett apart for owning a property which could be sold and used together with his pension when older. He was wise but all you saw was avarice and a person who is materialistic..... so now you change your positions very quickly when it suits you...... like a wind blown hither and tither. No integrity.
All I see in the letter above is a person who has become institutionalized and had become a free-loader which quickly turned to bitterness...... because he had stopped serving jehovah a long time ago.  The comfort and security offered him (he was hoping for life) was like having a free  provider - just appointed for you. He had lost his goal of why he went to serve at Bethal in the first place. The self-sacrificing spirit was maybe never there! or was lost along the way.
He knew things could change at any time and he also knew he can go and serve where the need is greater.  Bitterness grew because he now had to go out of his comfort zone and work and preach like other pioneers. 
If he was really old  - he would qualify for a state pension and still go and preach where the need is greater - like I am doing. I get less pension than the average American, even less than the refugees, but it works for me. I am grateful to get it.
If he really wanted to serve God he would get on with serving and trust jehovah to survive - like many other pioneers do.  I know of many older ones who have to work and pioneer - like Paul did.  They trust in jehovah.
Technology has changed.... we no longer use books......and many of us gave up great careers and education..... but are not bitter about it. We gave it up willingly to serve where-ever we were needed, through hardship, hunger, beatings, shipwreck, adversity etc... as Paul said. 
 

PLANS to turn a vacant retail unit into a Kingdom Hall for Jehovah’s Witnesses have been approved.
Eden District Council has given the go-ahead for The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of Britain’s proposal for the half-acre site, on the A66, Coupland Beck, in Appleby.
According to the design and access statement: “The proposal is located adjacent a residential property.
“The area is open rural farmland with just a handful of houses.
“These comprise generally of two storey stone homes, render and rough cast walls under, generally, a slate roof.”
It also stated: “The local congregation was established in the mid 1950’s and has steadily grown since then to approximately 75.
“At present they meet in the township of Bongate where their present hall has undergone several alterations to cater for the growing numbers.
Read more: https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/18434061.jehovahs-witnesses-cumbria-given-approval-place-worship/

Aleksandr is married, has two daughters and eight grandchildren. He has two accreditations. He mastered the trades of lathe worker, forging and manufacturing; worked as a lumberjack and as an engineer. Having become a Christian, Aleksandr Ivshin refused to participate in military training. Now he is under persecution as an ”extremist.”
https://jw-russia.org/en/prisoners/ivshin.html

We do not condone these things as Islam does. So why do you just focus on JWs only when you can cast your eyes elsewhere? It is because of OCD - vendetta mentality and......  I guess that is all you know.... so I do not blame you.... your scope is really too small.... just focussed on one thing.... So I leave it at that. It is really not worth arguing with you - you dwell on one subject only..... it consumes you...... OCD.  Not wasting my time to talk to you. 

JW’s are now allowed to have beards and publicly preach. This photo is from the Ukraine. No word yet on the use of man buns. :-)
Via

Said a prayer for them..... to stay strong and set an example to their prison guards They look like lovely brothers.

Said a prayer for them..... to stay strong and set an example to their prison guards They look like lovely brothers.

Regarding legal separation.... I have not looked into this matter yet but one can surely draw up a legal document wherein the parties are not linked to each other economically - especially in the case of a gambler?

I asked you guys first - and I pointed out that it is easy to judge. But I want to know if a person should immediately be put out of the congregation for porneia -  and if one should consider degrees of porneia......since every situation usually is different i.e. was it spontaneous sin or was it planned etc.; and should these ones immediately be put out of congregation for porneia or their priviledges taken away  and progress reviewed.......  If one considers that it is usually the spirtually weak who get into these type of situations and get up to all kinds of 'unclean'  antics which may even include some perversion we are not aware of. People go after their desires. 
(I take my hat off to those who have to deal with these kind of  things.... I am glad I do not have to....... As someone aptly said above - jehovah knows what is done in secret and the motivations.  We can only judge the facts as they come out afterwards. Sometimes there  is an instigator and a follower but both as guilty of uncleanliness and or porneia )
You know - it is easy to say what another person should have done in hindsight and it is easy to judge too harshly....or too leniently........ something you guys do quite too often and quickly here on this forum. 
I would have thought that a bunch of old men would have more clarity - having been foolish young men yourselves at one stage of your lives.
 

So true dear @Arauna

That makes much more sense. Thanks for pointing this out. I saw Lansing when I scanned the news article and it confused me.
By the way, my favorite member of the Governing Body, hands down, was Brother John Booth. He was just the most personable brother and no one would have ever guessed he was on the Governing Body if they hadn't been told. In fact, he even skipped his rotation at Bethel's morning worship. Turns out he had donated the original Gilead property.

Book ‘The Righteous Brothers’

I was there a couple of years ago with my parents. Everything was winding down so that there was a huge lobby room but only one person taking in persons for tours. And we were the only tour for several hours. The area is beautiful, and they keep the fields well kept but without the livestock that was once plentiful. And much less planting/harvesting, except on "personal plots" nothing field-sized anymore. As JTR implied, they have moved away from handling their own meat products and nearly stopped all planting compared to the years when it fed the Bethel families in NY. Today it's a printing and binding operation, mostly for the Bibles and songbooks, and some specialty items.There is a small shop where they restore very old books and Bibles that are bought or donated to the Bethel libraries, and displays.
(Also there are some very nice historical displays of books behind glass, and a very long painted wall mural that covers the history of the Watchtower factories from early days to today.)
The only persons we really got to talk to were a couple of very old brothers who had been sent here to retire. Even before Covid there was almost no contact any more with the other Bethels in NY (Patterson, Tuxedo, Brooklyn*) except for a few brothers who drive trucks. "Visits" from the GB are almost exclusively by video. We had a friend there who invited us to lunch, but it was just a cafeteria/buffet style that was NOTHING like the food of the "old days" and I don't think hardly any of it was grown locally. (Nothing is grown on the Farm itself in any "industrial scale" just a few hobbyists growing tomatoes, basil, etc., to share with the Farm family.)
*Brooklyn was down to just a couple of sales offices at the time.
Kingdom Halls have been sold recently for 3 million, and that's the price of all the acreage at Kingdom Farms, for sale? So I don't think there is any hurry. Perhaps someone could buy it to put on a Woodstock II.

It is still there, much expanded, and when we visited a few years ago, was where the literature was printed. So far as I know, printing moved out of Brooklyn many years previous to its sale—perhaps some specialty things were printed there, but no more than that, and Patterson has never been used for printing.
They did stop growing food there ages ago, having decided it could be purchased more economically, all factors considered. It used to be as you entered on the main road, residence buildings were on your left, and various fields of produce, along with a barn or three, were on your right. There was no printery at all.
’Davey the kid,’ who I have written about a few times, and who appears in the afterword of Tom Irregardless and Me, worked in the cheese room there. He later published a book on cheese-making. He and a few other Bethelites formed ‘The Farmhand Band’ and would entertain others of the family—perhaps even those outside. I tagged along a time or two as others who knew him went down to visit, though in time we would serve together as elders in an outside congregation.
He was one of those enormously talented brothers that everything he touched turned to gold. Walking into the 8-story Medical Arts building in Rochester—for upon leaving Bethel, he had to make a living—in order to secure the cleaning contract, the manager noted some areas of particular challenge, but then conceded that he didn’t know much about cleaning. ‘That makes two of us!’ Davey told me his (unspoken) reaction later, as he wowed the fellow with pure charm. “It’s my gift,” he told me later, “they never say no.”
He built a Kingdom Hall in Rochester, built another one, and then an Assembly Hall. Of course, it wasn’t all him—there were committees, but he was always the go-to driving force, if only because he seemed never at a loss as to what to do, while others needed time to get their heads around new things. During the Assembly Hall build, he got tired of putting out ‘cleaning fires,’ as he would call them, which would take him away to the telephone. So he took some college courses, accumulated enormous college credit via ‘life experiences’ and emerged a psychotherapist. I would joke with him that—poor fellow that he was, he always suspected that half of us were nuts, and now that he had become a psychotherapist he discovers that even the half that he thought were sane—they’re nuts, too.
He told me of the respect he had gained for the college courses with regard to psychology. He had entered upon the coursework assuming that it would be all necessary drivel, but he presently said, ‘Hey, I am not doing some of these things myself’ and benefited accordingly. 
He died a while back and so this is more-or-less an obituary that I did not intend when I started this remark—thanks for giving me the prod. His wife has died, too.  And to think that Davey made major waves in his non-believing family, for he by-passed a full university scholarship for the sake of enrolling as a pioneer. He wasn’t exactly typical.
(Srecko’s link is of ‘Mountain Farms’ the original location of Gilead—much smaller and far removed from the other three complexes.)
 

According to Jesus' words, we are being judged by the inclinations of our heart. 
I am happy that both God and Christ are merciful and that whomever is judging me knows more about me than i know about myself. 

I had a few thoughts.
Matthew 5 v 28 Berean Study Bible
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
I presume this was aimed at men, and I would presume this also would apply if a woman were to lust after a man that she was not married to. 
So I did wonder, when a person masturbates would they be thinking about a specific other person. Thus they would be lusting after that other person, thereby committing either fornication or adultery in their heart. 
And if they were thinking about a person of their same sex, maybe they would be committing homosexuality in their heart. 
But if we are honest, we all know that at the time of teenage years the body goes through physical and emotional changes. Whist masturbation may be regarded as wrong, I think both God and Christ understand and are more merciful and forgiving. 
 

If we were judged by our thoughts, and not our actions ... who among us would not become murderers?

If there ever was an independent thinker who likes to explore new ideas, I am one of them.  BUT - I do not teach bible students my own ideas and also not  in the congregation.  I will chat with others about it but not openly advocate my own teachings.
The reason being that if you really have christ in your heart you will not cause divisions in the congregation over non-essential things. 
The essential teachings such as the name jehovah, non-divinity of christ, mortality of the soul, kingdom of christ with earthly subjects... are absolutes ...that are not a matter of opinion. Other subjects are non-essential matters for debate because peoples egos are associated with them. .... as apostle Paul mentioned.  He said we must not be contentious and egotistical.
James 4:1
What is the source of the wars and fights among you? Do they not originate from your fleshly desires that carry on a conflict within you?

That is your interpretation of submissiveness which is wrong. As I said before - you have imperfect ideas about authority. 
I do not think like my husband in all things but I am willingly submissive because a peaceful house and cooperation is more important than my independence. 

Yes, these one and two-room shacks do not have toilets..... and 3 to 4 people live there. The west complain about small things....... they have no clue how the really poor live. 

So give me a list of situations YOU  think is unacceptable sexual behaviours -  I want to see where YOU will draw the line?  I also want you to give me a list of the offences (such as masterbation) and the 'punishment" you think it deserves.
I would gladly welcome YOUR opinion..... because I want to check your tremendous  insight and wisdom. 
I have learnt in life it is easy to judge others when you do not have good ideas yourself. You may judge other people too harshly. ...or too leniently...... so give me a decent sample of your wisdom...... ( no cartoons or jokes required).

So give me a list of situations YOU  think is unacceptable sexual behaviours -  I want to see where YOU will draw the line?  I also want you to give me a list of the offences (such as masterbation) and the 'punishment" you think it deserves.
I would gladly welcome YOUR opinion..... because I want to check your tremendous  insight and wisdom. 
I have learnt in life it is easy to judge others when you do not have good ideas yourself. You may judge other people too harshly. ...or too leniently...... so give me a decent sample of your wisdom...... ( no cartoons or jokes required).