Anna

Thanks for that information. There have been reports here on the forum from a Witness in Poland. Some activity on Twitter also relates to Witnesses leaving Ukraine. Also, the latest reports on jw.org have more information about relief efforts and Ukrainian Witnesses who have fled their homes, and the country.
UPDATE #7 | Brotherly Love Prevails Amid Ongoing Crisis in Ukraine
Brothers Courageously Deliver Aid, Rescue Others in Ukrainian War Zone

This also sounds like a typical plan for administrators running a discussion forum.
Nothing personal, but that verse also reminded me of someone, so I looked up the phrase "none Christian" [in quotes] in the Search tool on this site. Whenever I've done that in the past, it used to return a long list of posts from about 20+ different accounts. They were always from names like: Dmitar, NoisySrecko, BillyTheKid, AllenSmith, etc., that I could easily recognize as the same person using 20+ different accounts.
Today, I tried it again, and something about the Search tool has changed. Today, it only returned four posts from only two accounts: WalterPrescott and Dmitar. Strange, right?

I assume that Norway might have similarities to Denmark where religion is not taken all that seriously. (It took my sister about 12 years to finally get Danish citizenship after marrying a Dane and living in the country. Now that their kids are grown, she and her husband are working in the US, where he has to keep getting his papers renewed.)
Denmark subsidizes religions so that there is a place to have birth celebrations, baptisms, weddings and funerals. And for many citizens, the churches are a good avenue for both socializing and organizing charity. But churches in Denmark mirror the growing secularity of the people in the country. I've done some door-to-door work there and met almost no one who took religious teachings seriously. It was good for traditional reasons only.
I think that there is an argument, then, that the Witnesses lose out because they take religion too seriously. There are probably others, especially individuals who might take their religion seriously enough to completely disengage from a former member who rejects the teachings. But these other religions, from what I have seen, do not make shunning an imposed policy. It's effectively only a matter of individual conscience. 
If Denmark is any example, there was a Witness we knew in Copenhagen who tells us that they completely cut off their son who had a thriving construction and HVAC business, but mostly contracting with other Witnesses as clients or with the businesses of those other Witnesses. If his son had been disfellowshipped for adultery there would have been no problem, but instead he was disfellowshipped for disagreement with teachings (unspecified), and gave no indication that he would ever recant. I got the feeling that son has become agnostic or atheist. What bothered me was the pride that this brother (the father) had in the fact that by cutting off his son, he was also able to get most people in the congregation(s) to boycott his business and was pushing him toward financial ruin. He was sure that this would either serve as appropriate punishment or could even be the "tough love" that might make him rethink and recant.
I really find it hard to imagine that other religions in Denmark (or possibly Norway) take their religious teachings so seriously. But the whole issue might also have been avoided if shunning was always brought up as a matter of conscience, and Biblical examples were used to help indicate why some Witnesses might choose to shun (for certain circumstances) and others might not.

From  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200277174
Truths?  Or Insanity?
 
 
 
 

I think that Thinking was talking about problems and imperfection within the organization not from the outside.

It is not the teaching of JW org. that anyone, child or adult, should be tested. 

I assumed that too! but maybe I put it a little clumsily.  I do not agree with brothers who do not think that imperfection can take place in the congregation - that is why I quoted JOB.  He was a  servant of Jehovah but that did not protect him.

It is not the teaching of JW org. that anyone, child or adult, should be tested. 

Imagine yourself living at the end of the 1st and the beginning of the second century and you were in one of the seven congregations. Imagine the letter was read to you how Jesus viewed your congregation. You also got to hear what he had to say about the other congregations. If you thought the others were getting a better report, would you abandon your congregation to move to the one with the better report, or would you have stayed and helped to improve it? Or would you have abandoned the project of being a Christian entirely imagining wrongly that you could go it alone. "It's just me, Jesus and Jehovah against the world of darkness out there!", you might imagine to yourself. (and you'd be wrong).
You simply cannot be a Christian by yourself. You need the perpetual annoyances of the congregation to live up to the requirements. Oh, you might say to yourself "What about the baptists, the seventh day adventists, the christadelphians, the way or any other non-denomnational group. What about the catholics, lutherans, episcopalians, methodists, etc?" Well, I'd say, if you feel that these are better at following the bible, then you need to hook up with them ASAP and be a REAL Christian (if that's what these are and I'm not the ultimate judge) otherwise you're not a Christian, because you absolutely need to be attached to a congregation to be one.

No. They upvoted because you are a dodo. You can’t even get the reason for your unpopularity straight.
It looks from this .like they bent over backwards to make things easier for you. The endless bellyaching you do about being shunned—they would have spared you that. But no—you made it clear you no longer wished to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. So later an announcement is read at the Hall: “Patiently Sitting on his Hands is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses” and the brothers treat you accordingly. You brought it all on yourself, not necessarily by lapping up ill reports, but by your hastiness to assign wicked motives to your brothers.
You could have avoided your shunning, with no stain on yourself. Were you convinced some great injustice was being done, you could have waited on Jehovah to rectify things. He’s God, you know. He can fix things. Possibly had you found something better…well, then I can see a departure.  But no. In your quest to prove yourself more righteous than anyone else you put yourself in a place where you can no longer remember how the death of Christ benefits humanity, nor how God’s name is universally pronounced in the Western world. You willingly put yourself in a place where you don’t expect to survive, separating yourself from your former brothers who do expect to survive based upon their faith in Christ’s sacrifice. No wonder they want nothing to do with you.
 

Like Tom pointed out earlier w/regard to the actual congregations of the 1st century - the congregations weren't free from strife. Why would anyone imagine it would be so today? To believe that you must not be reading your bible with any depth of understanding. In fact it seems sometimes that there's more there to give us all something to deal with - we get some great learning experiences.

such dreadful things have happened…it is devastating  that some men in positions of power or authority can wield  a ignorant understanding of Christs Law over a cong…it does happen…I don’t understand at times why some cannot see that it happens…perhaps because they cannot imagine that Jehovah would allow such things amongst his people…yet that in itself means they do not understand how Jehovah works..what he allows..and why….and it has ALWAYS happened amongst his people…because we are not yet under his full blessings and care.
But there is good too..kindness and acts of brotherly love that I cannot find elsewhere,,,and I want to remind you…that it was loving brothers that corrected my dreadful situation…yes it was too late….but they did act…and were as devastated over the situation nearly as I…..they were the kind and good brothers in places of authority…they out number the bad…and even the bad after discipline may very well be forgiven…and as I write this I know if I picked up my phone to my loving kind elders..(of whom I don’t always agree with) and ask for help…I know they will be there for me.
   Being used as a people does not mean he finds us all acceptable….or as once taught that the organization as perfect….far from it….but what you are doing is not acceptable either ….you dont have it all correct either…and you have as much sin to carry around as I do…or any other brother and sister…and to who ever you associate with…they also cannot do what Jehovah has a achieved with this imperfect people assembled before him…and it’s even going to take Jesus a thousand years to get it all right…not because of his lack of power…but because how degraded we as humans have become.
Even his people at this time have become more degraded than fifty years ago….I wish I had the understanding  I have now …twenty years ago….not in chronology or in getting an exact understanding of every little bit of law…and scripture….but in Jehovah himself and why and how he teaches his peoples…in what he’s really like..and why he does certain things and why he allows certain things…
At times I wish I had my time in the truth all over again…but I was a babe..and I had to grow and mature..and yet I’m still a babe In Jehovahs eyes…and even those that direct us go thru the same experience… they don’t do everything right either…just like Moses never got it right…just as we get a bit of wisdom we are ready for the grave …as we die like gnats at this time of the end.
My and my families experience has forced me thru the fire of refinement…and a long hard look at what Jehovah has forgiven me for….certainly makes me stand before him as if naked and ashamed…..try to remember that you don’t serve a organization…you don’t serve the GB…but you serve Jehovah and his Son….you must hold on to that…and endure…ENDURE ENDURE ENDURE And  be kind to other brothers and sister trying to stay afloat and never ever endanger their faith that may be getting tested…never ever be the one to extinguish  a flickering flame of faith….because Jehovahs watching one’s like you and me..and he will treat us as we have treated others…and as far as ones like Space Merchant making it….I think you will find Jehovah has that all in hand as well….in fact we need to be thankful that Jehovah even gave one’s like you and me a sideways glance…

No, that is not what you did and you know it. You went far beyond talking to the brother u had a beef with.....  ... so . Do not act all righteous. You are a stinker and you know it!
You are a stinker! Twist my words for a nasty purpose!   I stand up to anyone who does not treat others well. That is why I see through your MO. 

That is the fallacy. A philosophical way to justify anything. .... 
New policies accepted by most religions is LGBTQ. They say it is 'unloving' to not include the sexually deviant.practices .... and soon the sexual love of children will also be approved.....by government policy...... because all must be 'inclusive and "loving".' This is the basis of the new LOVE..... all inclusive.... LOVE.   Love for God and his standards will become UN loving and unlawful.. 
Whose side will you be on when this becomes accepted policy? 

1. Mass
2. Black Mass
You have presented no evidence to stand on…. roughly the equivalent of stating that the horse Mr. Ed lives on Mars. Two more False assumptions…. Unless you can provide HARD actual real EVIDENCE.
3. Yes, they do pass the Emblems. Christ’s sacrifice extends to all people of faith, no matter how they fail. That is the whole point.
I attended disfellowshipped for four years, and passed the Emblems, just like anyone else. 

I would have given a lot to be taught a trade at a younger age. My dad, who was raised on a farm and was reasonably handy, fixing own cars, building additions to the house, never taught or directed me that way. I’m not really sure why. It may be that he bought into the new hoopla that college is the way to go so that you can hire “underlings” to do all those things while you live the life better than that of your parents.. I did not particularly do well in college, having no idea why I was there. The lack of a specific skill caused me difficulties much of my life.
“How come you never taught me how to fix things?” I said to him when he was near 90. “I did,” the amiable fellow replied. “You just weren’t paying attention that day.”
 

That is why I firmly believe in vocational training. This is still the best education to prepare for life in a cheap effective way.  University is a brainwashing farce these days.  Even science is no longer science as we knew it.
Most of the best science research is done by the top echelons and is done almost in secret by university departments who are doing outsourced work for DARPA and similar organizations. They are heavily funded by interests who patent their findings immediately and keep it secret.
Tell me, what is 100 labs in other countries doing when they are secretly funded by USA government ? Is if a form of outsourcing of experiments not allowed under US law? Or is it done to hide US involvement? 
The generic degrees are useless....real science is outsourced or secret ... so rather take a vocational course.

Yeah, that is why a family bond needs to be strong. Some family members have differences but at the end of the day the bond needs to be there so there needs to be a compromise. 

He cultivates off the land because how he was raised, in his eyes it is better to not be tied down by things that majority of people are attached to, like debt. Even in my case there's Student Loan debt which isn't fun depending on how high you go up the Educational Food Chain. My Dad is similar in a way but he learned Trades at an early age so he eas able to manage, he prefers to live a simple life. Although he gives examples to me and others in my family of Bible Principles to apply, he was very clear on how debt and other things can push you down hard. Something I work to apply. I can't speak for my other peers tho because there's some who pay an insane amount of money for college, some of them can't pay it back and Interest creeps around d the corner. 

I have been to your country and seen first hand the very very strong family bond and decency between you all..it made me sad….and when I came home I could see our arrogance and lack of love between all ….I love the respect you all seem to give automatically to the aged…..

Some news has just come to me about a JW man (whom I would have once called a brother) that I spent a lot of time with, until he was told not to spend time with me. He was in his mid 80's and on lots of meds' for heart problems etc. He has died in hospital. But if the information is correct, he fell down at his home, was unable to get up, and was not discovered for some time. He was 'old', he was ill, and death happens. But if he had still been in contact with me I may have found him much sooner and he may have lived longer. 
I'm not angry, I'm not sad, even with all his health problems, he had a good long life and kept himself happy even after his wife had died a few years before..
What this topic is for is to ask ALL of you. If you know of someone that may be 'fragile' in any way, or may just need comfort, Please visit them. Please help them to feel safe and wanted.
 

I am fragile but not so old.   I will only need attention when I am unable to walk.  Many elderly people go through the same with their children popping in every other day or so.  My children are in other countries due to circumstances - me being a refugee from my own country. 
MY mum's best friend died after she was lying on the floor a whole day with a stroke injury.  This pandemic has made matters worse as people who are not family are supposed to distance themselves.  I would feel mad if it was my friend.... but I would calm down afterward and realize that the person is no longer suffering and is in the long arms of Jehovah. Jehovah's hand will not be short during the resurrection.

I do this all the time. It is a Famila thing, well a Latino thing. But visiting tends to be more than just checking up on someone's health but to keep them company, even reaching out if need be. Since I am among the youngest of my family, we've been taught that we jot only respect and honor our elders but to visit and talk with them. My father has taught us this and encourage myself and my relatives to do the same because he wants the family and their inner circle to be well connected. He isn't a fan of how some Families in America operate. So regardless if someone is a brother or not, we make the effort to visit physically or over the phone even run errands if anything. In my case family and friends live in the same area very close.
Also not sure if anyone mentioned this, it is also good to visit even younger ones too because mentally they're fragile.
 
The only person tough to visit is my other uncle who lives in the middle of nowhere, like Log Cabin life. You can only reach him by phone. This guy jokes that he fights bears lol 😆 

On an unrelated note, I DID find my chewed saliva encrusted yellow rubber football squeaky toy, so there is THAT.

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