The Librarian

Greetings from Russia
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Patterson Bethel in the wintertime
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Special Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya
51,000 attending on the first day! More than 9,000 English speakers, more than 16,000 Swahili speakers. There are also sign language, and Chinese speakers.
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A Bible study with grandmother in Nepal.
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Pioneers in the Spanish congregation Bulverde in San Antonio, Texas, United States gather for their annual meeting
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Sisters braving the Bad weather in Maastricht, Holland
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US tanks arrive in Europe to keep ‘peace & freedom’ at Russian borders
Another shipload of America military hardware has arrived at the German port of Bremerhaven to reinforce US commitment to its allies against the perceived Russian threat, and ensure Europe remains “whole, free, prosperous, and at peace.”

World News

The latest move by the Jehovah’s Witnesses will seek to overturn the apex court’s order on November 30, 2016, that all cinema halls in India would play the national anthem before the feature film starts.

OVER 30 years ago, a college professor in Kerala, who belonged to the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect, knocked at the doors of the highest court in India on behalf of his children, citing religion as the reason to safeguard their right to not sing the national anthem at school.
Next month, when a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra restarts hearing petitions on its order last year on national anthems in cinema halls, the Jehovah’s Witnesses may again be at the forefront in challenging that decision.
On August 11, 1986, the Supreme Court had allowed Emmanuel’s plea and held that forcing the children to sing the national anthem at school violated their fundamental right to religion.
The latest move by the Jehovah’s Witnesses will seek to overturn the apex court’s order on November 30, 2016, that all cinema halls in India would play the national anthem before the feature film starts. This order also made it mandatory for all present in the hall “to stand up to show respect to the national anthem” as part of their “sacred obligation”.
This time, it’s learnt that representatives of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including a US-based general counsel, are in the process of finalising a detailed application to be filed shortly in Supreme Court, which will restart hearings on February 14.
Among other things, the sect plans to seek the court’s intervention in ordering that its followers won’t have to stand up for the anthem in movie theatres. The sect hopes to convince the court that while it respects the national anthem and the flag, its religious beliefs prevent members from standing up for or singing the anthem.
The organisation has already secured relief on behalf of the sect on various issues in several countries, including saluting the flag and/or singing a country’s national anthem.
”Our patriotism can never be in doubt. But even standing for the national anthem is not allowed in our religion. Courts in several other countries have accepted our pleas on this count. The fact that we are looking to contest the court’s order doesn’t mean that we don’t respect our flag or our anthem. We hope to convince the court about that, like we have done in other countries, including the US and Canada,” said sources linked to the sect’s move.
When contacted, former Union law minister and senior advocate Kapil Sibal confirmed that he has been approached by representatives of the sect in this regard.
”They informed me that their religious views don’t allow them to even stand up when the anthem is played. Their stand is that this doesn’t mean they will ever do anything to disrespect any country’s flag or anthem. These are issues of significant Constitutional importance,” Sibal told The Indian Express.
Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christianity-based evangelical sect, which bases its beliefs solely on the text of the Bible. The group does not celebrate Easter or Christmas and believes that traditional Churches have deviated from the text of the Bible. However, the sect is not considered a part of mainstream Christianity because it also rejects the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
In the 1986 case, the Supreme Court bench had ruled in favour of the Jehovah’s Witnesses family. “Our tradition teaches tolerance, our philosophy teaches tolerance, our Constitution practices tolerance, let us not dilute it,” the bench had said.
It had also noted that there was “no provision of law”, which “obliges” anyone to sing the national anthem.
However, the bench of Justice Misra, in its order last year, had said that “a time has come” when “citizens of the country must realise that they live in a nation and are duty bound to show respect to the National Anthem, which is the symbol of Constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality”.
On December 9, the bench clarified its order to state that “if a physically challenged person or physically handicapped person goes to the cinema hall to watch a film, he need not stand up, if he is incapable to stand, but must show such conduct which is commensurate with respect for the national anthem”.
The order has drawn widespread criticism, with renowned jurist Soli Sorabjee terming it as an example of “judicial overreach”.
In 1986, armed with the Supreme Court order, Emmanuel got his and other children from Jehovah’s Witnesses re-admitted in the NSS High School at Kidangoor in Kottayam district, 4 km from their village Kadaplamattom near Pala. The school run by the Hindu organisation, Nair Service Society, had 11 students from the sect, at the time.
After sitting in the classes for a day, the Emmanuel children left school. Some of the other children from the sect moved to other schools.
Emmanuel decided not to have formal education for his other four children, either. None of his eight grandchildren, who study in various schools, sings the national anthem.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/jehovahs-witnesses-may-challenge-sc-anthem-order-4465581/

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The new yearbook is on jw.org. It is not on the Watchtower Library CD. Perhaps the Watchtower Library will bring it over as an automatic update. Mine is set up to do that, but the 2017 yb did not download yet.

Steve Gerdes: We Will Never Forget the Greeting
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"Bonito momento y experiencia en la predicación de hoy, los cuatro soldados militares mostraron mucho interés y hicieron buenas preguntas, ¡y todos los 4 querían tener el sitio web!"

A Bible study with grandmother in Nepal.
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Patterson Bethel in the wintertime
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Patterson Bethel in the wintertime
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Preaching in a market in Tanjung Morawa, Indonesia
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A Bible study with grandmother in Nepal.
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Pioneers in the Spanish congregation Bulverde in San Antonio, Texas, United States gather for their annual meeting
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“O Jehovah, I Trust in You"—Excerpt

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Jesus was often seen in the company of prostitutes and tax collectors (sinners)
Isn't he a model for us?
 
 

Jesus was often seen in the company of prostitutes and tax collectors (sinners)
Isn't he a model for us?
 
 

Jehovah’s Witnesses Public Talk Watchtower Study Meeting 8 January 2017
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Honduras

I do not agree with this statement offered above - it is words of a man.  I have not seen a statement in the bible which sAys that we should avoid those at war with themselves.  HOw does one define the outward symptoms of being at war with yourself? WE are all at war with the fleshly part of our existence as apposed to being perfectly in line with JehovAh and his spirit - as duly noted by one of the replies.  WE must be cAreful not to judge those who have emotional issues because the bible says we must deal tenderly with those who are experiencing distress.  I can imagine the stress a person must feel when they are at war with themselves - whatever the personAl baggage that has brought this about.  
Being deceitful,  indecisive about serving Jehovah whole-souled, being stupid (according to the bible this means that one acts outside the "knowledge of Jehovah"  and NOT the definition of being at war with yourself) now this is a different matter.  I do however  agree that we must be cAreful that  associations  do not influence us negatively. 
Be careful of self-righteousness - this  can cause even greater dAmage in a congregation. I knew a sister who was always avoiding people becAuse they were doing things that she deemed unworthy of association.  It caused tremendous uneasiness when people were Around her and she hurt many feelings- tHis is the otherr side of the coin.  
I did not write this to start a debate but merely do make my fellow worshipers think about their words And actions - imperfection and injustice can make us condemn where condemnation is not needed.  AN anointed sister once gave me the best advice EVER!  SHe said: when in doubt About what to do - show love.  WE can assist the weak and help strenghen those around us who are suffering and having issues.  WIth patience And love we can win And support them And help them adjust their attitude. LOve nevr fails! IT hopes all things. 
USually the elders will guide us to mark those who need adjustment. WE should not be going around indiscriminately marking people inside the congregation.   THose outside the congregation is of course are not our associates.
 

The latest move by the Jehovah’s Witnesses will seek to overturn the apex court’s order on November 30, 2016, that all cinema halls in India would play the national anthem before the feature film starts.

OVER 30 years ago, a college professor in Kerala, who belonged to the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect, knocked at the doors of the highest court in India on behalf of his children, citing religion as the reason to safeguard their right to not sing the national anthem at school.
Next month, when a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra restarts hearing petitions on its order last year on national anthems in cinema halls, the Jehovah’s Witnesses may again be at the forefront in challenging that decision.
On August 11, 1986, the Supreme Court had allowed Emmanuel’s plea and held that forcing the children to sing the national anthem at school violated their fundamental right to religion.
The latest move by the Jehovah’s Witnesses will seek to overturn the apex court’s order on November 30, 2016, that all cinema halls in India would play the national anthem before the feature film starts. This order also made it mandatory for all present in the hall “to stand up to show respect to the national anthem” as part of their “sacred obligation”.
This time, it’s learnt that representatives of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including a US-based general counsel, are in the process of finalising a detailed application to be filed shortly in Supreme Court, which will restart hearings on February 14.
Among other things, the sect plans to seek the court’s intervention in ordering that its followers won’t have to stand up for the anthem in movie theatres. The sect hopes to convince the court that while it respects the national anthem and the flag, its religious beliefs prevent members from standing up for or singing the anthem.
The organisation has already secured relief on behalf of the sect on various issues in several countries, including saluting the flag and/or singing a country’s national anthem.
”Our patriotism can never be in doubt. But even standing for the national anthem is not allowed in our religion. Courts in several other countries have accepted our pleas on this count. The fact that we are looking to contest the court’s order doesn’t mean that we don’t respect our flag or our anthem. We hope to convince the court about that, like we have done in other countries, including the US and Canada,” said sources linked to the sect’s move.
When contacted, former Union law minister and senior advocate Kapil Sibal confirmed that he has been approached by representatives of the sect in this regard.
”They informed me that their religious views don’t allow them to even stand up when the anthem is played. Their stand is that this doesn’t mean they will ever do anything to disrespect any country’s flag or anthem. These are issues of significant Constitutional importance,” Sibal told The Indian Express.
Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christianity-based evangelical sect, which bases its beliefs solely on the text of the Bible. The group does not celebrate Easter or Christmas and believes that traditional Churches have deviated from the text of the Bible. However, the sect is not considered a part of mainstream Christianity because it also rejects the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
In the 1986 case, the Supreme Court bench had ruled in favour of the Jehovah’s Witnesses family. “Our tradition teaches tolerance, our philosophy teaches tolerance, our Constitution practices tolerance, let us not dilute it,” the bench had said.
It had also noted that there was “no provision of law”, which “obliges” anyone to sing the national anthem.
However, the bench of Justice Misra, in its order last year, had said that “a time has come” when “citizens of the country must realise that they live in a nation and are duty bound to show respect to the National Anthem, which is the symbol of Constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality”.
On December 9, the bench clarified its order to state that “if a physically challenged person or physically handicapped person goes to the cinema hall to watch a film, he need not stand up, if he is incapable to stand, but must show such conduct which is commensurate with respect for the national anthem”.
The order has drawn widespread criticism, with renowned jurist Soli Sorabjee terming it as an example of “judicial overreach”.
In 1986, armed with the Supreme Court order, Emmanuel got his and other children from Jehovah’s Witnesses re-admitted in the NSS High School at Kidangoor in Kottayam district, 4 km from their village Kadaplamattom near Pala. The school run by the Hindu organisation, Nair Service Society, had 11 students from the sect, at the time.
After sitting in the classes for a day, the Emmanuel children left school. Some of the other children from the sect moved to other schools.
Emmanuel decided not to have formal education for his other four children, either. None of his eight grandchildren, who study in various schools, sings the national anthem.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/jehovahs-witnesses-may-challenge-sc-anthem-order-4465581/

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Able-bodied JW young men area preaching by writing letters on a cold day in Colorado, United States.

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