The Librarian

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...... 
 

This is the scripture I think the Librarian referenced.
(Mark 9:38-42) 38 John said to him: “Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said: “Do not try to prevent him, for there is no one who will do a powerful work on the basis of my name who will quickly be able to say anything bad about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 41 And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, I tell you truly, he will by no means lose his reward. 42 But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who have faith, it would be better for him if a millstone that is turned by a donkey were put around his neck and he were pitched into the sea.
 

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The awards recognize the Witnesses for the extensive improvements they made to the venue and for creating an exhibition of Bolivian indigenous cultures.
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This Masquerade" is a song written by Leon Russell. The song first appeared on the B-side of the single for Russell's 1972 hit "Tight Rope". The song has also been recorded by many other artists, such as Helen Reddy, The Carpenters, Shirley Bassey, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77, No Mercy, Robert Goulet, and Kenny Rogers. Possibly the most notable version of the song was a top-ten pop and R&B hit for jazz guitarist/vocalist George Benson, who recorded it on his 1976 signature album "Breezin'". He had used his vocals infrequently on songs earlier in his career, notably his rendition of "Here Comes The Sun" on the "Other Side Of Abbey Road" album. Benson's recording of "This Masquerade" reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot Soul Singles chart. Benson also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year with his version of the song. This channel is dedicated to the classic jazz music you've loved for years. The smokin' hot, icy cool jams that still make you tap your feet whenever you hear them . . . Cool Jazz is here!
This record was released in early summer of 1976 and it filled the air with this magical tune amazing?

Louons Jéhovah dÂ’avoir préservé sa Parole pour les humains !
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Que pouvons-?nous faire lorsque nous avons des problèmes ?
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Thank you for the footage of the 360 Furman St. complex back when it was a Squibb bldg. 
We got it for a steal after they pumped a lot of money into it.
@JW Insider I'm sure remembers that bldg. very well as well.

Noticiero de una ciudad mexicana

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Here is a 14 year-old girl who sexted an explicit picture of herself to her boyfriend via Snapchat - and he spread it about widely. Guys will do things like that and girls should not be dumb.
https://www.rt.com/usa/414031-aclu-girl-selfie-child-porn/
She is looking at 10 years felony jail time for violation of Minnesota's child-porn law. The ACLU spokesperson defending her says this is a "teachable moment" for parents to inform the girl that her actions have consequences. Tell me about it.
It is also a "cautionary tale," the ACLU adds. Yes. It IS cautionary for a 14 year old trying to live in an insane world supplied her by adults that pushes powerful social media tools, a sexually promiscuous culture, and then ten years for making use of them.
Only RT.com picks this story up (besides local media), probably in a quest to embarrass the West, but that is hard to do because the West routinely embarrasses itself yet feels no embarrassment. To the contrary, it parades around in its wisdom. Meanwhile – ‘wisdom from the mouth of babes’ – the girl says “Sexting is common among teens at my school, and we shouldn’t face charges for doing it. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’m going through.” Of course. It is a no-brainer. It is not that what she did wasn’t wrong – it is that the entire adult world should be prosecuted ahead of her. That way, there will be no room left in jail for the child.
In a greater context, the story highlights the absolute failure of the world to vanquish pedophilia, which it has declared public enemy #1 - with its frothing take-no-prisoners, pulling-their-hair out frustration over making no dent in the pandemic, and so wildly overswinging to compensate. It is the frenzied carpenter who misses the nail and then furiously hammers ten times more, again missing each time. This is how it is with zealots who see their cause and nothing else – and the world is full of such people.
It mirrors the Arizona law of 2015 criminalizing contact with the private areas of any child under 15 REGARDLESS OF INTENT. Prosecutors did not back down even when it was pointed out that the law criminalizes parents changing diapers. No “sane or reasonable prosecutor” is going to misuse the law that way, they said. That is reassuring, but what about the insane and unreasonable ones? Will the law be repealed? Not easily. Just try repealing it and political enemies will scream you are being soft of pedophiles – no politician dares risk that.
Meanwhile, Jehovah’s Witnesses, of all people, get caught in the cross-fire of pedophilia for doing what no other religion attempts to do. Where there are reports of wrongdoing in their midst, they investigate, so as to keep the congregation morally clean – an obligation they feel before God. There is the unfortunate by-product that their name is always attached to pedophiles within their ranks, something that happens nowhere else. No other faith dreams their members should actually apply Christian conduct in their lives. No other faith looks into such things – preach Sunday and be done with it - and thus rarely learn of them. Thus pedophiles, who appear to be every third person on the planet, especially when the statute of limitations is forever, and the 14-year old and folks changing diapers are included, are never ever identified with any religion (unless they are clergy), with but a single exception.
The book I am almost finished with about Witness persecution in Russia will contain individual chapters on all charges made against Witnesses. ‘Pedophilia’ will be one of them, even though the subject did not arise there, strangely. It has arisen most everywhere else and it is only a matter of time there. The Russian embassy to the U.S. recently did mention the topic in a tweet, attempting to justify its ban – the first such mention I have ever seen, despite years of flinging dirt in that country to see what will stick.
Even my shoving match with @Ann O'Maly over who has the best child-protective video is in the pedophile chapter.

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*** it-2 p. 385 Messenger ***
“Messenger of the Covenant.” In fulfillment of Malachi 3:1, John the Baptizer appeared as the messenger who prepared the way before Jehovah by getting the Jews ready for the coming of God’s chief representative, Jesus Christ.—Mt 11:10, 11; Mr 1:1-4; Lu 7:27, 28.
 
As the foretold “messenger of the covenant,” Jesus Christ came to the temple and cleansed it. (Mt 21:12, 13; Mr 11:15-17; Lu 19:45, 46)
He evidently was the messenger of the Abrahamic covenant, for it was on the basis of this covenant that the Jews were the first ones to be granted the opportunity to become Kingdom heirs. This was the covenant to which Peter appealed when calling upon the Jews to repent. It is also noteworthy that John the Baptizer’s father, Zechariah, referred to the Abrahamic covenant in connection with Jehovah’s raising up ‘a horn of salvation in the house of David,’ this horn being the Messiah.—Compare Mt 10:5-7; 15:24; 21:31; Lu 1:69- 75; Ac 3:12, 19-26.
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I also remember the antitypical "messenger" Charles Taze Russell who opened up the way by preparing the slave class for the work ahead.
I will need to look up some older references. I think I remember something about Elijah and Elisha as well but memory is failing me at the moment.
 @JW Insider 

Since they have never published a full financial report ..... apparently it's NONE OF OURS ...... either.

The growth in Belgium must be amazing! Thx for sharing.

2017 Figures released to Bethel families worldwide:
Peak Publishers: 8,457,107
Total Baptized: 284,212 
Regular Pioneers: 1,225,279 
Memorial Attendance: 20,175,477
Memorial attendance has increased by 0.5%
Last year it was 20,085,142 while 2017 is 20,175,477
Hours: 2,046,000,202

This would depend on the purpose of the massage. 
If you are a licensed masseur then I'm sure no one would object. (or maybe a chiropractor) 
However, if, as I suspect, you are asking with the purpose of gratifying your desire to touch her because she is a female and your girlfriend than I suspect you would not be allowed to.
Others can weigh in if they wish. And I'm sure some countries and customs are very strict about touching at all.

The growth in Belgium must be amazing! Thx for sharing.

You may want to break this up into 7 individual questions 
Such as "What was the 3rd world power?"
maybe then you could take all seven questions and combine the links on one post. Just a thought.
My "Librarian" side coming out again...
I'm sure when they get into the details of Persia versus Greece this could get very difficult to navigate.

Los acusados fueron presentados ante la multitud y ejecutados poco después del dictamen del tribunal popular

Las autoridades chinas ejecutaron el domingo a 10 personas en la provincia de Cantón, al sur del país, tras ser juzgados públicamente ante miles de personas y sentenciados a muerte por narcotráfico.
Según señaló el domingo el diario oficial Global Times, un total de 12 acusados por venta de drogas, asesinato y robo fueron sometidos a un juicio público el sábado ante miles de personas en el estadio de Donghai, en la ciudad cantonesa de Lufeng.
Dos tribunales populares de Cantón, el de Lufeng y el de Shanwei, se encargaron del proceso y condenaron a muerte a 10 de los 12 procesados que fueron ejecutados inmediatamente después de la sentencia.
      Los acusados habían llegado al estadio en un pequeño camión policial descubierto rodeados por varios agentes armados.
Se desconoce la forma en que se llevaron a cabo las ejecuciones, aunque el portal chino Beijing News afirmó que sucedieron de forma privada, al contrario de lo que era habitual en China en la década de los 90 – la de ejecutar en estadios de forma pública-, pero que en los últimos años parecía haberse abandonado.
Las autoridades locales defienden este tipo de práctica como una forma de demostrar a la ciudadanía la mano dura del régimen contra las drogas, según destacó en su día la agencia estatal Xinhua.
  Una condena similar en junio En el 2015, otras 13 personas fueron juzgadas públicamente y posteriormente ejecutadas en Lufeng por el mismo delito ante más de 10.000 personas y hace tan sólo seis meses otras ocho corrieron la misma suerte.
El narcotráfico a gran escala es un delito que puede ser castigado con pena de muerte en China, y varios ciudadanos extranjeros han sido ejecutados por la Justicia de este país después de ser detenidos en posesión de estupefacientes.
(Con información de EFE)

The fathering angels were following Satan’s lead in leaving Jehovah God’s organization of angels and decided that they wanted to choose what is good and bad for themselves, like Adam and Eve did. They made their own manly bodies.They could now experience fleshly things that they could never experience before. They took women and began having sexual relations with them, any woman they wanted. The fathering angels could not be defeated by fleshly mortal men, because these Men really did have a separate spirit body that religions erroneously teach human men today have. The human women bore them male children which were called the Nephilim. The Nephilim were sons of angels from a human mother. We don't know how many angels left the Heavens, fathering Nephilim, however it may have been a considerable number judging by the means of removing them Jehovah took. If God had not flooded the Earth, drowning the Nephilim and forcing their angelic fathers to flee their fleshly bodies and the planet, the Earth could have become like the worst horror movie that men have ever thought of, with angels culling the human race for young women to feed their debased appetite.We are spared the details of the sons (the giant Nephilim) sexual desires. After the angels fled the planet, they were captured and kept in dense darkness. At Great Expense, Jehovah God Lovingly enacted measures to restore the human race and the planet back to His Original purpose.
 

December 15, 2017 TO ALL CONGREGATIONS Re: 2017 Service Year Report
Dear Brothers:
We are pleased to share encouraging highlights from the 2017 service year report. The peak number of publishers was 8,457,107. Jehovah’s people spent a total of 2,046,000,202 hours in the ministry, a 3.1 percent increase from last year. We are especially encouraged to see a 7.4 percent increase in the number baptized, with a total of 284,212! This is evidence that we take seriously our commission to “make disciples.” (Matt. 28:19) We were delighted to see that the average number of regular pioneers was 1,225,279. This was an 8.6 percent increase! The worldwide Memorial attendance figure was 20,175,477. Significant features of the service year report will soon be available on jw.org and in JW Library, Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY, and Watchtower Library. These figures provide compelling evidence of Jehovah’s blessing on our work.—Isa. 60:22.
Throughout our branch territory, it is evident that Jehovah is searching for those “rightly disposed for everlasting life” in the language of their heart. (Acts 13:48) For instance, we are happy to report the formation of the first ever Cherokee-language congregation during the past service year. The first Swahili-language circuit in our branch territory was formed effective September 1, 2017. In addition to those reached in the door-to-door ministry, public witnessing initiatives are reaching more people than ever with the Bible’s message. There are over 17,000 publishers participating in the special metropolitan public witnessing program in 17 locations. Harbor witnessing is now organized in 45 ports, with 4,400 trained publishers boarding cargo and cruise ships in an effort to witness to crew members. Public witnessing campaigns organized at large state fairs and sporting events are exposing millions of individuals to the good news, as well as adding great impetus to this aspect of the preaching work.
Much has also been accomplished in regard to Kingdom Hall usage in the United States branch territory. Twenty branch planning meetings were held with bodies of elders in metropolitan areas affecting over 2,200 congregations. Implementing non-construction solutions such as merging or relocating congregations has reduced the need for new auditoriums in these areas from 41 to 19, with a potential savings of millions of dollars!
Be assured that Jehovah values your faithful service and that he will continue to give you the necessary strength to “fully accomplish your ministry” in the coming year!—2 Tim. 4:5; Isa. 40:31.
Your brothers,
PS to coordinators of the bodies of elders:
Please arrange for this letter to be read to the congregation by the elder handling the part “Annual Service Report” in the Life and Ministry Meeting the week of January 1, 2018. Thereafter, the letter should be posted on the information board. This postscript should neither be read to the congregation nor be posted on the information board.

The world looks a lot different through the eyes of little children. And according to a recent study in Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, the idea of aging might look different too. A good number of children aged three to five seemed to think that birthday parties were responsible for making people grow older. According to those kids, if a person doesnÂ’t have a birthday party, they stay the same age.
Developmental psychologist Jacqueline Woolley and her team at the University of Texas, Austin, compiled two studies in which they tested childrenÂ’s understanding of aging by telling them stories.
In the first study, the researchers told 99 American children between the ages of 3 and 5 a story about a child who had no birthday party. Then, a story about a child who had two birthday parties. “The third was simply about a child who was turning 3,” the authors write. After hearing the stories, the children were asked to tell the age of each character.
Toshifumi Kitamura/Getty 
Woolley’s team expected that 4- and 5-year-olds would do significantly better than 3-year-olds at reporting the age of the character in each story. And that was mostly true for the stories with no birthday party and with one birthday party. But for the third scenario, in which a child had two birthday parties, all the kids seemed confused. 
Thirty-eight percent of all the children were confused by the two-birthday party scenario, and incorrectly answered that the child in that story would be two years older. They had an easier time wrapping their head around the scenario of children with no birthday parties, and children who had one birthday party on their birthday. 
The researchers also tested children's beliefs about the way adults age by telling a story about a woman who does not want to grow older. The researchers' scenario went like this: “This is Mrs. Jamison. She is a teacher. How old do you think she is? Tomorrow is her birthday. But she does not want to get older. She wants to stay the same age for the rest of her life. Can Mrs. Jamison stay the same age and not get older? Does Mrs. Jamison have to get older even if she does not want to?”
Apparently, this caused some confusion among the children. Seventy-one percent of three-year-olds responded that yes, Mrs. Jamison could make herself younger. The older kids did better on that question, and all of the kids were able to correctly answer the other questions about Mrs. Jamison's age. 
But why carry out this study in the first place? A lot of research explores how children understand the facts of the world around them as they age. The researchers cite studies from the 1980s in which it was shown that children as young as 3 understand the idea that living things grow and objects do not. 
But birthday parties are a cultural practice. Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance, don't celebrate birthdays. So the researchers set out to study how a piece of culture might affect the way children think about an idea that overlaps culture and biology. And, as it turns out, kids think the darnedest things. 
http://www.newsweek.com/children-dont-understand-aging-or-birthdays-749711
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So.... I am wondering.... what did they find out about JW's? .... Anyone else left wondering?

You may want to break this up into 7 individual questions 
Such as "What was the 3rd world power?"
maybe then you could take all seven questions and combine the links on one post. Just a thought.
My "Librarian" side coming out again...
I'm sure when they get into the details of Persia versus Greece this could get very difficult to navigate.

A photo from Stanley Theatre:

 

Captura de pantalla vía YouTube La campana eléctrica de Oxford es uno de los experimentos más antiguos del mundo.
En el laboratorio Clarendon de la Universidad de Oxford hay una campana que no ha dejado de sonar en al menos 177 años. Su energía la genera una batería que se instaló en 1840. A los investigadores les encantaría saber de qué está hecha esa batería, pero temen que si abren la campana podrían arruinar el experimento con el que se buscaba saber cuánto iba a durar la batería.
El badajo de la campana oscila hacia adelante y hacia atrás rápidamente, lo que significa que la campana eléctrica de Oxford, como se la conoce, ha sonado unas 10 billones de veces más o menos, según la información ofrecida por la universidad. Está hecha de una "pila seca", una de las primeras baterías eléctricas.
Las pilas secas fueron inventadas por un tipo llamado Giuseppe Zamboni (quien no tiene nada que ver con la empresa de pulidoras de hielo) a principios del siglo XIX. Estas pilas utilizan discos alternados de plata, zinc, azufre y otros materiales para así generar corrientes bajas de electricidad.
  "No sabemos con seguridad de qué están hechas las pilas, pero está claro que el revestimiento exterior es de azufre y este se sella en las células y los electrolitos" escribió AJ Croft, un antiguo investigador del laboratorio Clarendon en un artículo para el European Journal of Physics, en 1984, donde describió la campana.
"Pilas similares a esta fueron creadas por Zamboni, cuyas baterías estaban hechas de 2.000 pares de discos de papel aluminio, pegados a un papel que estaba impregnado de sulfato de zinc y recubierto por el otro lado con dióxido de magnesio".
La campana no empezó necesariamente como un experimento. Fue manufacturada por los creadores de instrumentos londinenses Watkin and Hill y en ella puede verse una nota escrita a mano que dice "Instalada en 1840".
Finalmente, fue comprada por un investigador, quien dejó que continuara sonando (la universidad de Oxford sugiere que hay evidencia de que puede haber sido instalada incluso en 1825). El Guinness World Records (libro de récord Guinness) dice que esta fuente de poder es la "batería más duradera del mundo".
Seguramente pensarás que es muy incómodo que una campana suene sin parar durante 175 años, pero el voltaje que queda en la batería es tan bajo que el oído humano no puede escuchar el sonido. El badajo oscila constantemente, lo puedes ver en este video. Por este motivo, el experimento es más una curiosidad que otra cosa. Croft dice que la batería ocupa un nanoamperio cada vez que oscila entre los dos lados de la campana, lo que es una cantidad de corriente extremadamente baja.
Es decir, gracias a este experimento es probable que no seamos capaces de construir una batería mejor.
La campana no siempre ha sido algo curioso, pues en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, los telescopios infrarrojos se alimentaban usando una pila seca similar porque se necesitaban fuentes de electricidad baja y portátiles. Croft escribió que un físico de Oxford, inspirado por la campana eléctrica de Oxford, investigó la receta para crear una batería similar y así darles poder a los telescopios.
La campana suena, suena y sigue sonando y nadie sabe cuándo parará. De hecho, las teorías de Croft afirmaban que "es más probable que se salga el badajo a que se acabe la energía electroquímica". Si eso sucediera, entonces quizás podríamos descubrir qué es lo que le ha dado la energía todos estos años.
Publicado originalmente en VICE.com