On 12/8/2018 at 7:31 PM, JW Insider said:

Of those two, only Russell was removed from the "list."

This is not a reply to you specifically, I know you know all this. I just wanted to clarify for others who might be thinking that we think that Russell is of no consequence.  Although Russell has been removed from that list, he is still considered very important, (and as one of the anointed) in the sense that he is viewed as the messenger who "opened up" the way for others after him. After all it was he who questioned the hellfire doctrine and immortality of the soul, two very important key elements that make us stand out from other Christian based religions. 

Russell has been compared to "the sinews and flesh" of Ezekiel 37:7,8 in the vision of the valley of dry bones,  and then with  Rutherford (in 1919) they began to live and stand on their feet as per Ezekiel 37:10.

Oh dear, what happened to "an interesting take on politics, conspiracies, and prophecies" ? Obviously isn't that interesting .

7 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

but do you really expect me to back down on such important issues ? (child sexual molestation)

John, with all  respect, you need to put your money where your mouth is.

7 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

And i have some info on a case of child abuse within my ex congregation of Honiton Devon, which some on here have told me i should go to the police with. 

I still don't get why you haven't been yet..... Who knows, perhaps you might find out this person has already been reported, and the police are taking care of it, or not doing anything. If I were you, with your concerns over child molesters getting away with it, or being protected, or children still being in danger,  I would want to know!

On 12/8/2018 at 2:53 PM, JOHN BUTLER said:

The only ones that would have any real idea of how God's name is to be pronounced are the truly Anointed ones. And that cannot be the GB of JW Org. Why ? Because of the way they have proved themselves to be the Wicked slave. 

You keep mentioning the "truly" anointed ones. Did you know any personally?  I have known quite a few in my life time and I believe they were "truly" anointed, but I don't recall them ever having a problem with calling God; Jehovah. 

I am sure you have mentioned it, but I am still not sure what you consider wicked acts, in order to prove themselves a wicked slave. I know the pedophilia issue is one thing. But looking at my brothers and sisters (and I have belonged to quite a few congregations in different countries) I cannot say that those who apply Bible principles in their life are adversely affected. In fact many are extremely grateful they have found the congregation of JWs  because they have helped them discover Bible truths, and help them live by Bible principles. You can listen to their life stories to see they are genuinely happy they have found this brotherhood.  I am not denying there are a few bad individuals in congregations, and some loopy ones, but those always get rooted out eventually. It's nothing new, there have always been some who are wicked, even in Bible times, but there is nothing hidden from Jehovah that won't be revealed. So we have nothing to be worried about.

16 hours ago, Outta Here said:

Yes indeed. It's a bit like:

• Caleb and Sophia - English
• Philipp und Sofia - Deutsch
• Lucas og Sofie - Dansk
• Kevin och Sofia - Svenska
• Jakob og Sofie - Norsk
• Priidu und Pauliina - Eesti
• Ignas ir Kotryna - Lietuviu
• Leevi ja Sofia - Suomi
• Stefcho and Lily - Bulgarski
• Marci és Zsófi - Magyar
• Kuba s Luckou - čeština

Well in this instance it wasn't applied 

On 12/5/2018 at 6:01 PM, Space Merchant said:

That being said, it would depend on what you want to know..........the dark web....

I have a dark web right outside my bedroom window, with a big spider in the middle of it . Sorry, I know you are being serious. It's good we have google, although of course we need to find the right pages, because there is a lot of biased stuff out there. As I said, generally I do not buy into conspiracy theories, but I also know that the average person doesn't know the half of what's really going on.

@Arauna   we  have a topic started along similar lines HERE

Right now it's a little all over the place, but hopefully will get re-focused. Perhaps you could post your video there too?

@JOHN BUTLER  I like this quote from JW Insider;  " I think the only way we can see past the human error and focus on the leadership of Jesus under the headship of Jehovah, is to avoid putting the human leadership on so high a pedestal in the first place".

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

On 12/6/2018 at 9:11 PM, Anna said:

Also here are the participants of this years' meeting:

Know anyone?

Oddly enough, I do know one of them. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein lives just around the corner from my daughter and son-in-law. My sister-in-law teaches at NYU, which allows me to go to lectures (I rarely do) where she (Goldstein) was invited as speaker at one and a round-table-member at one. From what I can tell, she would be the closest thing to a "religious" voice in the list of Bilderberg participants.

 

When I typed this question the thought did cross my mind, that probably JW Insider knows someone . Interesting.

I remember you saying your wife being the director of public school programs.

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

Peggy Noonan spoke, a columnist I don't like.

The group must like her a lot, since she is on the list for the past three years, lol.

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

I get the sense that this Bilderberg thing is a kind of think-tank to manage expectations about (and to protect) Western interests in the face of events and trends that might disturb the peace and profitability of those same Western interests.

Yes. This is kind of how it is described on their "about" page. Think-tank is a good way of describing it. It reminds me of when I used to work for a Saudi ambassador. One of my jobs was to find and print interesting articles from think tank websites such as epc.eu.  I think the conspiracy theorists are trying to say that these meetings are organized in order to better take over the world eventually. Of course, any meetings of this type are unambiguously focused on as you say; protecting profitability. I am not surprised that people get suspicious about the ways of ensuring profitability.  As we know, "the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things".

I hope your trip to Warwick was a good one. Did anyone come up to you?

1 hour ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

Now we should have the anointed to open up the Scriptures to us, but we do not know who the Anointed are. Why ? Because the Governing Body of JW org has silenced the true Anointed ones. 

I do not believe Jehovah would allow some human/humans to silence his anointed, especially as you say, the anointed would be of paramount importance in disclosing the truth about Him in the “last days”. I am satisfied that these fundamental truths have been disclosed. I do not find them all together in one place anywhere among Christendom’s religions and sects, I don’t find them in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism or any other religion but Jehovah’s Witnesses.

To your other point, saying that we cannot be sure how God’s name was pronounced, and why not call him Yahweh etc. well sure I would call him Yahweh but I speak English, and in English it is Jehovah. Many names are written and pronounced quite differently depending on what language you speak. So concerns and arguments about the exact pronunciation of God’s name are moot and kind of pointless really.

8 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

I do not want to pretend to know truth 

No, you definitely don’t want to pretend, but have never been convinced of what you believed was the truth and later changed your perception of it, and adjusted it, in the light of more information? I think we have all done that. It seems like you naively think that truth will just pop up the first time, or that it will be miraculously revealed. On the contrary, it's hard work. The Bible says we have to search for it, because it’s a hidden treasure (Prov 2:5, 6). So finding the truth isn’t a sudden revelation, it’s a journey, and on the way we may stumble over rocks, have to climb hills and descend valleys, before we even know where to dig.  But like I said before, fundamental truths (God’s name, God’s personality, God’s purpose for mankind, the way God wants us to live etc.) are there; so that people seeking those truths are able to go to the “mountain of Jehovah”  Isaiah 2:2,3.

8 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

 And my problem now is retaining anything in my head.

Don't worry. You are not the only one. If I remembered everything I read I would be extremely well educated and knowledgeable. As it is, I only retain half the stuff I read. I remember the gist, but nothing that I could explain to anyone else, so really it's a bit useless.

8 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

Plus the problem of not knowing what is truth and what is lies. 

Well that's up to you to find out. "The truth is out there" . But seriously, we may never know the truth about everything, but there are certain fundamental things we need to know the truth about, and should be interested in finding out the truth, especially when it pertains to God and to those who claim to represent him here on earth.

11 hours ago, JW Insider said:

Assuming that most of us will not go there, I'll quote some relevant portions:

----the rest of this post quotes from Bilderberg---

About Bilderberg Meetings

Since its inaugural meeting in 1954, Bilderberg has been an annual forum for informal discussions, designed to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. Every year, between 120-150 political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media are invited to take part in the meeting. About two thirds of the participants come from Europe and the rest from North America; one third from politics and government and the rest from other fields. The meeting is a forum for informal discussions about megatrends and major issues facing the world. The meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule, which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) nor of any other participant may be revealed. Thanks to the private nature of the meeting, the participants are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights. There is no detailed agenda, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken, and no policy statements are issued.

Bilderberg Meeting 2018

The 66^th Bilderberg Meeting to take place from 7 - 10 June 2018 in Turin, Italy

TURIN, 5 JUNE 2018 –The 66^th Bilderberg Meeting is set to take place from 7 - 10 June 2018 in Turin, Italy. As of today, 131 participants from 23 countries have confirmed their attendance. As ever, a diverse group of political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media has been invited. The list of participants is available on www.bilderbergmeetings.org.

The key topics for discussion this year include:

1. Populism in Europe
2. The inequality challenge
3. The future of work
4. Artificial intelligence
5. The US before midterms
6. Free trade
7. US world leadership
8. Russia
9. Quantum computing
10. Saudi Arabia and Iran
11. The “post-truth” world
12. Current events

Founded in 1954, the Bilderberg Meeting is an annual conference designed to foster dialogue between Europe and North America. Every year, between 120-140 political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media are invited to take part in the conference. About two thirds of the participants come from Europe and the rest from North America; approximately a quarter from politics and government and the rest from other fields.

The conference is a forum for informal discussions about major issues facing the world. The meetings are held under the Chatham House Rule, which states that participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s) nor any other participant may be revealed.

Also here are the participants of this years' meeting:

Know anyone?

5 hours ago, JW Insider said:

This is a false statement. But the reasons that it is false could make someone think things are better -- or much, much worse.

Most of the 1% think they are fairly regular people in the upper middle class. Many JWs are in the top 1%. A Witness family that I know in our congregation is a single black mother (divorced) who has been raising 2 daughters and 4 dogs. The house is worth about $450,000 with the mortgage paid off. She didn't graduate college, but worked her way up into a vice presidency in a ritzy international maker of jewelry/perfume/etc. She's been in this job more than 10 years. The job pays about $225,000 plus benefits and bonuses worth another $50,000. She has saved well for her two daughters, one of whom also makes about $100,000.

This household, for the entire USA, has made it into the top 1%. This sister is in the top 1%. When she retires, she will probably remain in the top 1% for several more years, or drop to 2-3% depending on how much she spends on her daughters' weddings, their cars, gifts, etc. She will still be in the top 1% of our city, and our county and our region.

What you were describing, might better be applied to the "top 1% of the 1%" (shades of Bernie Sanders).

I guess that’s what the original post was asking; “how much money do you have to have to be the 1%”.

I must have understood the question wrong. I was thinking of those who own about 50% of the world’s wealth. So of course who came to my mind were the top wealthiest people in the world, those who have the monopoly over much of the worlds trade etc. and I am sure your friend is not among them, although she has plenty of money.  So yes, maybe what I was describing was not 1% but the 1% of the 1% (you know I am not too good with numbers). To be honest I really thought that the 1% were a lot richer. From your description I know quite a number of friends who fit that bracket too. Plus ones in the world. But I never think of them as being in the 1%. My son has just finished a job for someone who is building a $15 million house. I asked my son what this guy did, and he said he was the owner and manufacturer of oak barrels (for bourbon). I wasn't thinking of him in the 1% either. On the other hand, my husband was at a conference and got to talk to Warren Buffet, now that's a different story in my opinion...

2 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

Just out of interest, what is the whole point of this topic ?  We all know that Satan is in control of the 'world' and that we  'should' be in the last days -ish.  And I thought JW's were supposed to be 'no part of this world'.  To an uneducated person like me it does seem to be a side track / smoke screen, um, just like politicians use  

Yes of course, Satan is in control of the world, and that perfectly explains the "mess", but by discussing these things we are not making ourselves a part of it are we? Not only that, but notice that my reason for my initial comment was because I have someone who is interested in the Bible, but who is actually involved in one sector of what we are discussing. The reason for me to "educate" myself, at least with what the various terminology means, is so that I can better understand what this person is talking about. If I have no idea, then how can I address anything they say properly? Besides, there is no harm in educating ourselves, no matter what it is. Being ignorant can make someone believe things are false to be true, or conversely, things that are true they may believe are false,  and that in turn can lead to bad decisions and as a consequence a host of other undesirable things. So I don't think anyone is trying to sidetrack or smokescreen. On the contrary, these kind of conversations help to establish facts. No one knows everything, so although you say you are uneducated, you probably know a host of things others don't. I wouldn't say I am educated, but I do have a thirst for knowledge, and I crave facts Of course a Christian's prime focus should be in gaining accurate knowledge about God and his purpose. That's a given.

On 12/3/2018 at 3:07 PM, JOHN BUTLER said:

But we wouldn't would we ? Peace 

I don't know, sometimes its helps to knock some sense into someone

23 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

What’s all this about @Anna going deep state? Is she the one making those chemtrails I see outside?

Don't use those big words on me

5 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

I used my moderate powers as a moderator to change the title. 

Thanks for coming to my aid. I was racking my brain to try and come up with an appropriate title and then I noticed your comment came up, just in time, lol

7 minutes ago, admin said:

I moved it from my topic on the 1%

i can delete this entire topic if you like.? Let me know. 

 

I move things in order to not just delete them when they are off topic.  

I don't mind you keeping this topic, although I do believe I wasn't off topic since it discussed the 1percenters, and they are supposed to be the "Globalists" and those behind the "deep state" . There is only so much you can discuss about; "How much money you need to be part of the 1% worldwide" lol. Most of those 1 percenters can print money, legally, because they own banks, so they dictate the amount you need, to be the 1%. And who knows what that amount is? It's not even "Pretty Woman" caliber, but more like owning a country. But I understand it became off topic since it started involving JW ideology. So how about changing the title to something like: An interesting take on politics, conspiracies, and prophecies

1. This topic is not by Anna

2. Whoever put the title of this topic here needs to know Anna never started exploring "deep state" after reading a question on the 1%. Anna started exploring this way before.

Here is a suggestion: 

1. Don't start a topic on my behalf unless you ask my permission

2. Get your facts right

Thank you.

2 hours ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

One thing is quite funny @Josué2 when translated to French then back to English, the English is not  the same as the original. 

My previous comment reads differently after the double translation.. Similar with @Matthew9969 the 'cart' has now become a 'basket' .

Interesting you noticed that. Although completely off topic here, I just want to mention that I have been doing some more research on the "cross" and it appears that much of the problem could be due to misstranslation,  I will post my findings in the relevant thread some time soon.

20 minutes ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

Keep putting up that smokescreen.

Just being realistic 🙂

3 minutes ago, JOHN BUTLER said:

That's one way of avoiding thinking about all the problems within the JW Org I suppose. 

Yes, it puts it all into perspective: the problems in JW Org. are nothing!

I just noticed this topic here, and it's funny because I had recently been doing some research into things such as "deep state" etc. I am for the most part a complete political ignoramus. I mean the worst there could be. My husband had to explain to me what the difference between the right and left wing was. I thought it had something to do with birds. Just kidding, but almost. Politics has never interested me, probably because of my JW upbringing and because I have never really had the need to, until recently. I have met a very interesting person recently who is involved in a certain branch of expertise and they started hurling terms such as "the Globalists" "deep state" etc. at me. They are also very interested in what the Bible has to say. I realized than in order to carry on a fruitful conversation I will have to educate myself politically a little. So that at least I know what they are talking about. They mentioned they spoke with a JW many years ago who told them about Daniel's prophesy and the statue. They said that they can see all the things this person told them coming true. I cannot really say much more because, well, it can get a little dangerous. A colleague of theirs was recently found dead...

I do not believe conspiracy theories. I do not think the Rothschild family is the mastermind over all of earth's affairs, for example, but logic tells me that those with money, automatically have an insurmountable amount of power.

I like this quote: When a government is dependent upon bankers for money, they and not the leaders of the government control the situation, since the hand that gives is above the hand that takes… Money has no motherland; financiers are without patriotism and without decency; their sole object is gain.” – Napoleon Bonaparte 

Anyway, while I was researching I found out about the "Bilderberg Meetings" which some of you might be familiar with, but I knew nothing about. There are many conspiracy theories about the actual function of these "secret" meetings, which as I said I do not buy into, however, it is interesting to see how these meetings could in theory be a part of some kind of "deep state". It is also interesting to see the topics  discussed each year, and the list of those who are invited, and even more interesting seeing members of the clergy involved, although it is to be expected (this year; Pietro Parolin, Cardinal, and secretary of Vatican state). One conspiracy website mentions the "trinity of Globalist control" as being:  City of London Corporation – Financial power centre, established in 1067, District of Columbia – Military power centre, established in 1871, Vatican City – Religious power centre, sovereign in 1929. Kind of prophetic for us JWs wouldn't you say?

Here is the official website for the Bilderberg Meetings: https://www.bilderbergmeetings.org/