Anna

I do get that some people hold the organization responsible for whatever was going on w/CSA or other stuff and they leave their local congregation because they feel that the local congregation should have risen up against the main organization. 
I just know that locally, where I am and where I've been, things like this didn't happen on my watch and I'll have to be frank about it when I say that just like people who are privy to materials presented to them in a grand jury, I haven't been presented with information which damns the organization as others imagine it has (am I responsible for everything others do?)
I suspect many have never read the hebrew scriptures and been honest w/themselves as to how they would have handled the crappy behavior of many Jehovah was using. They imagine they would have stayed, but we don't know. Face it ten tribes split w/Judah and Benjamin remaining when Solomon and his son turned into jerks. That didn't ultimately go well w/them.
Sure today you have people who are pretty much into what I call idolatrous worship of the GB, but these people are the same kinds you see in the world who want to push a theocratic sharia onto everyone, but these ultimately get dealt with because that's not in line w/Jehovah's spirit and I see that these get tripped up.
Some who thought I was out of control have gotten DF'ed for various things after they were heavy on others. I believe you just deal w/the discipline you get, try not to stir things up, realize there are opinionated people who want to push their way onto others, but you just keep following scripture and nodding your head when you get what you feel is "great scripture, brother! just doesn't apply to me here, but thanks so much for giving me the nudge" from anyone who feels you need some counsel.
As to telling people the truth about the organization, I'd just explain why I'm where I am and why I'm doing what I'm doing. People will judge according to how they want to judge. It doesn't matter to me if they listen or don't listen. At this point I feel it's all a spiritual exercise that I'm benefitting from and if I get potshots taken at me, fine, take them. Granted I don't go out of my way to antagonize anyone outside or inside, but I never tell people to believe anything I don't and can't back up with scripture alone.
Being frank w/people is easy, feels good and when you get bothered occasionally by someone who thinks you're going astray by not insisting that people believe everything they read in the latest publication you just deal with it. You do more good long term in my view by staying and keeping your cool and taking punches and keeping your integrity with your own conscience than leaving, but I DO understand why some have left and so do many who haven't.

Actually we don't know that. People today look "apparently well" until they aren't and this can happen quickly. Take the epidemic of 1918. Young people would be healthy in the morning, no symptoms and dead by the end of the day.

If you knew anything about hebraisms and the way things are expressed, you'd know that the translation "Jehovah struck the child" is an interpretation w/regard to Jehovah allowing. So you have latitude as to how to read and view this scripture.
Elsewhere it says
 Ezekiel 18:20 -The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will bear no guilt because of the error of his father, and a father will bear no guilt because of the error of his son. The righteousness of the righteous one will be accounted to him alone, and the wickedness of the wicked one will be accounted to him alone.
And that the unborn are considered precious and valuable has been discussed elsewhere (Ps. 139 16)
The fact that the scripture attributes an executional act on the part of Jehovah towards the relatively innocent unborn child serves to underscore that all things which happen in the universe are only possible because Jehovah ALLOWS it.
Your ability to enjoy something? "Jehovah made me enjoy that ice cream cone." 
"Really? Jehovah MADE you? So you ate the whole carton and it's Jehovah's fault?"
One might say  - Jehovah ALLOWED the bible writer to describe the death of the child as being the result of direct intervention. Or do we say Jehovah CAUSED the bible writer to describe it this way?
There have been a lot of discussions w/regard to the difference between causing and allowing ...
https://bnonn.com/is-there-a-relevant-difference-between-causing-and-permitting-evil/
I think in this particular case the translation is intended to underscore that bad behavior will be punished and that innocent (relatively so) people can and will bear the brunt at times as well and this is on them for their bad behavior.
In every case the whiners against Jehovah are in a weak position w/their arguments. 
 

He's not directing the speculations any more than he killed the baby which came out of Bathsheba that wasn't Uriah's. Allowing and controlling are not the same as causing.
No. Causing and controlling are precisely what Satan and those like him think you have to do for things to work. You can see this in leftists and progressives who have to control everything. (and the imagine they can control the weather too...what incredible hubris)

Not really. Some people just get more discipline than others. If you know anything, you know that no one gets DF'ed for doing anything. They get DF'ed for their attitude about what they're doing. If you don't cop an attitude, you generally don't get DF'ed. Now it's true that you can look at a person's behavior and intuit the attitude especially if they keep repeating the thing that got them disciplinary attention to begin with. Some people need something sterner to get their attention. But no one's been weeded. These can still stay in the garden, they just don't have all the privileges they had formerly. The "weeding" is what people do to themselves when they leave permanently. Are they leaving to a better, more correct group of Christians, or just a group who'll tolerate all manner of bad behavior? Or, and this is what some do, they become atheists or agnostics in a sense saying "If God doesn't present himself in a way I understand and approve of, I'll just wave my hands and he'll cease to exist." Yes, it is their job to shepherd the flock and yes it means to watch out for malcontents and others who'd want people to go astray. (This is the problem I see in Christendom in general) More denominations SHOULD disfellowship their members. It's a good thing, not a bad thing. Now you can argue that the way some handle their associations w/DF'd ones isn't something handled well at times and you'd be right, but that's going to happen w/everything that humans are involved with. They are going to get it wrong. Family members have to take responsibility for the way they handle members of their own family and others who are DF'ed - there are going to be some who minimize the discipline and they have to deal with that (and I've seen that they do...eventually).
Issues w/CSA and these other things have been examined by others outside as well as inside and adjustments have been made, but no....it's not perfect and never will be, but when this organization is contrasted w/others there isn't a better organization I'm aware of doctrinally or practice-wise with which one might associate.
Do I believe every recent interpretation or other older interpretations which have come down the pike? No. And I don't teach any of those things as facts, but as interpretations. The facts are clear and these are what can be clearly pointed to in scripture - the rest is speculation and there is and has always been organizational speculation as well as private and personal speculation. Does this mean that Jehovah isn't in control and directing things? No.

“So the slaves of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not just cover your home with fine paint? How, then, does there come to be anti-JW graffiti all over it? He said to them, ‘An enemy, those pestilential apostates, did this. The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go out and scrub it off?  He said, ‘No, for fear that while scrubbing it off, you may ruin the paint job. Let them both remain for a time—I’ll put up with the eyesore for now—until that time when the Grand Redecorator comes along to bundle those guys up in groups of fifty and send them all to the WeepnNash hoosegow.
 

“As chairman of the resurrection Welcome Wagon, it is my honor to welcome you back from the dead. We have it set up so the guy who is resurrected, after a brief orientation, gets to chair the committee to greet the next group. I’m King David. You may have read of me when……um…….(gulp)……oh, hello Uriah. It’s good to see you.”

If you can tell the difference between good and bad advice, you don't need it, if you can't it doesn't matter because you'll just end up finding out anyway. There are times when you can end up in the right place following the wrong advice and times you can end up in the wrong place following the right advice and whether it's the wrong place or the right place or not depends on Jehovah.
There was the time King David (actually, before he was king) when he'd had it w/Saul making his life difficult so he left Israel to go fight as a mercenary for the Philistines. Now he'd always vowed to not lift his hand up (w/graffiti or otherwise) against the anointed of Jehovah, but maybe he's changed his mind because he's on his way to Mt. Gilboa w/the Philistines to fight Saul...but at Aphek he's stopped and sent home...now could be this southward movement of men might have looked like a flanking maneuver to the Israelite scouts and maybe this put them out of position so they weren't in time to defend the entrance to the Jezreel valley leading ultimately to Saul's death? Who knows? Jehovah could have used David in a way to both stop him from breaking his vow AND leading to Saul's death and ultimate replacement. That's all speculation, but could be that's what was going down.
Thing is, though David didn't fight against an arguably bad King because he was put there by Jehovah and Jehovah was going to have to take him out. In any case, Jehovah's will was done and we can likewise know it will be done today.
You just don't want to be the intentional instrument to take down anyone or any group whom you see doing God's will, not matter how defective you imagine them to be. We aren't authorized to trash the dragnet either any more than we're authorized to do some weeding, but we can weed ourselves and our own hearts and we should.

“spraying anti-JW graffiti on whatever surface they can find.”
Paid up your membership fee for an entire year with that one, you did.

Some people must have a great electrolyte balance going that they don't get massive charley horses from their patting themselves on the back for doing what they want anyway. Seriously. God exists, his name really is Jehovah and at some point in time he'll intervene in human affairs and straighten it all out.
In the mean-time instead of spending time filling in the gaps of bible-knowlege or figuring out how to get possession of their own vessel in sanctification and honor people spend their time spraying anti-JW graffiti on whatever surface they can find.
It's boring, repetitive and in the end a galactic waste of time. People that want to leave will find a reason to leave and those who remain will likewise and Jehovah is the judge of both.
Main thing anyone should do is make sure they're following their bible-trained consciences.

Bolding WT publications such as this one, do you imagine you have uncovered some dark mystical “gnostic” secret? Or is this not the way knowledge of anything is acquired? If you want to be an electrician, isn’t the best way to put yourself in close association with someone who has already grasped the material?
Knowledge in the case of this Watchtower quote is not the hidden knowledge of the Gnostics. It is Bible knowledge, available to all. All that is needed is a guide. 
And it apparently works. The Bible tenets that describe Jehovah’s Witnesses and Jehovah’s Witnesses alone are found nowhere except where the GB is taking the lead.
That there is no immortal soul, no trinity, use God’s name, kingdom a real government, everlasting life on earth, why God permits evil, exactly how the ransom works, what happens to the dead, and so forth. Few Christian denominations teach even one of these. No one teaches all of them. Only where the GB is present does it happen. In that sense, though G Jackson was ridiculed for it, he is exactly right. They serve as “guardians of doctrine.” Where they are not present, doctrine is scattered to the four winds..
Nor do they “decide what knowledge is” in the sense you imply—simply making things up as though from a secret “gnostic” source. In all cases it is from the Bible. They point people to it—no more—after which it is clear the Bible itself does the instructing. As in the following case:
“Philip ran alongside and heard him reading aloud Isaiah the prophet, and he said: “Do you actually know what you are reading?”  He said: “Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?” And he entreated Philip to get on and sit down with him.” (Acts 8:31-32)
There is nothing mystical about the know in this verse. It’s not gnostic. It is just plain and simple knowledge of the scriptures. The eunuch just needed someone with a key to unlock it. 

No I don't think so.
https://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Projects/Reln91/Gender/Gnosticism.htm
The gnostics considered Jehovah a demiurge and evil for having created the material world, and that material in general was evil.

This Bro Kaplan makes a pretty good spokesman: "We are not afraid to be different, but we are not out to provoke. Those who know us, including serious institutions in democracies, know that we are not a group of crazies with apocalyptic visions.”
I like, too, how he points to the irony of in every land, Witnesses are derided on the basis of being anti-Christian, but in Israel on the basis that they are Christian.
Jews know what it is to be persecuted and they do not confuse it with people deciding not to hang out with you.

I agree it is mostly accurate; a very informative article which fills in many details we don't usually get about the work there.  The outcome of the request for registration is not unexpected, knowing what happened in different eras and with Jesus himself.
I like the way the writer expresses her understanding of everything throughout the article, e.g. this statement:   "Apparently, a religious minority is a convenient target for slanders and distorted facts, as the Jews themselves know from their bitter experience.”
 
 

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-a-rare-glimpse-into-the-insular-world-of-israeli-jehovah-s-witnesses-1.5468604
I found it to be mostly accurate.

I haven't blocked you. I posted the core beliefs HERE
But I will list them here too, since this a relevant topic here.
God. We worship the one true and Almighty God, the Creator, whose name is Jehovah. (Psalm 83:18; Revelation 4:11) He is the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.—Exodus 3:6; 32:11; John 20:17.
Bible. We recognize the Bible as God’s inspired message to humans. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16) We base our beliefs on all 66 of its books, which include both the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament.” Professor Jason D. BeDuhn aptly described it when he wrote that Jehovah’s Witnesses built “their system of belief and practice from the raw material of the Bible without predetermining what was to be found there.” *
While we accept the entire Bible, we are not fundamentalists. We recognize that parts of the Bible are written in figurative or symbolic language and are not to be understood literally.—Revelation 1:1.
Jesus. We follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ and honor him as our Savior and as the Son of God. (Matthew 20:28; Acts 5:31) Thus, we are Christians. (Acts 11:26) However, we have learned from the Bible that Jesus is not Almighty God and that there is no Scriptural basis for the Trinity doctrine.—John 14:28.
The Kingdom of God. This is a real government in heaven, not a condition in the hearts of Christians. It will replace human governments and accomplish God’s purpose for the earth. (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:9, 10) It will take these actions soon, for Bible prophecy indicates that we are living in “the last days.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 24:3-14.
Jesus is the King of God’s Kingdom in heaven. He began ruling in 1914.—Revelation 11:15.
Salvation. Deliverance from sin and death is possible through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. (Matthew 20:28; Acts 4:12) To benefit from that sacrifice, people must not only exercise faith in Jesus but also change their course of life and get baptized. (Matthew 28:19, 20; John 3:16; Acts 3:19, 20) A person’s works prove that his faith is alive. (James 2:24, 26) However, salvation cannot be earned—it comes through “the undeserved kindness of God.”—Galatians 2:16, 21.
Heaven. Jehovah God, Jesus Christ, and the faithful angels reside in the spirit realm. * (Psalm 103:19-21; Acts 7:55) A relatively small number of people—144,000—will be resurrected to life in heaven to rule with Jesus in the Kingdom.—Daniel 7:27; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:9, 10; 14:1, 3.
Earth. God created the earth to be mankind’s eternal home. (Psalm 104:5; 115:16; Ecclesiastes 1:4) God will bless obedient people with perfect health and everlasting life in an earthly paradise.—Psalm 37:11, 34.
Evil and suffering. These began when one of God’s angels rebelled. (John 8:44) This angel, who after his rebellion was called “Satan” and “Devil,” persuaded the first human couple to join him, and the consequences have been disastrous for their descendants. (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12) In order to settle the moral issues raised by Satan, God has allowed evil and suffering, but He will not permit them to continue forever.
Death. People who die pass out of existence. (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) They do not suffer in a fiery hell of torment.
God will bring billions back from death by means of a resurrection. (Acts 24:15) However, those who refuse to learn God’s ways after being raised to life will be destroyed forever with no hope of a resurrection.—Revelation 20:14, 15.
Family. We adhere to God’s original standard of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, with sexual immorality being the only valid basis for divorce. (Matthew 19:4-9) We are convinced that the wisdom found in the Bible helps families to succeed.—Ephesians 5:22–6:1.
Our worship. We do not venerate the cross or any other images. (Deuteronomy 4:15-19; 1 John 5:21) Key aspects of our worship include the following:
Praying to God.—Philippians 4:6.
Reading and studying the Bible.—Psalm 1:1-3.
Meditating on what we learn from the Bible.—Psalm 77:12.
Meeting together to pray, study the Bible, sing, express our faith, and encourage fellow Witnesses and others.—Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 10:23-25.
Preaching the “good news of the Kingdom.”—Matthew 24:14.
Helping those in need.—James 2:14-17.
Constructing and maintaining Kingdom Halls and other facilities used to further our worldwide Bible educational work.—Psalm 127:1.
Sharing in disaster relief.—Acts 11:27-30.
Our organization. We are organized into congregations, each of which is overseen by a body of elders. However, the elders do not form a clergy class, and they are unsalaried. (Matthew 10:8; 23:8) We do not practice tithing, and no collections are ever taken at our meetings. (2 Corinthians 9:7) All our activities are supported by anonymous donations.
The Governing Body, a small group of mature Christians who serve at our world headquarters, provides direction for Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide.—Matthew 24:45.
Our unity. We are globally united in our beliefs. (1 Corinthians 1:10) We also work hard to have no social, ethnic, racial, or class divisions. (Acts 10:34, 35; James 2:4) Our unity allows for personal choice, though. Each Witness makes decisions in harmony with his or her own Bible-trained conscience.—Romans 14:1-4; Hebrews 5:14.
Our conduct. We strive to show unselfish love in all our actions. (John 13:34, 35) We avoid practices that displease God, including the misuse of blood by taking blood transfusions. (Acts 15:28, 29; Galatians 5:19-21) We are peaceful and do not participate in warfare. (Matthew 5:9; Isaiah 2:4) We respect the government where we live and obey its laws as long as these do not call on us to disobey God’s laws.—Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29.
Our relationships with others. Jesus commanded: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” He also said that Christians “are no part of the world.” (Matthew 22:39; John 17:16) So we try to “work what is good toward all,” yet we remain strictly neutral in political affairs and avoid affiliation with other religions. (Galatians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 6:14) However, we respect the choices that others make in such matters.—Romans 14:12.
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jehovah-witness-beliefs/
 

@Jack Ryan I don't know who gave you that idea. We're still preaching, and from my experience for the last few months outside of school and work, there are people legitimately trying to find us (despite what Ex Jws say), either for meetings or a Bible Study. At times we really don't have to do much. There are people out there who generally want to learn what the Bible really teaches, who Jehovah God is and his son, Jesus. So the pandemic bogging some people down, but not all. I think we raised up in the number of adherents too. My congregation has more people, a few friends of mine had a few newcomers, even some who are in the United Kingdom, France and Spain. So we haven't stopped, Matthew 24:14 is taken seriously, and to our Russian brothers and sisters, their faith has been strong enough to prevent their situation from breaking that spiritual armor. In my experience, met some pretty cool people in the ministry via letter writing and zoom, likewise with people at my college.
@Space Merchant To this day, your knowledge and experience still intimidates people to the point of succumbing to Gnosiophobia lol. I agree with the history which you explained about what New Thought was, I was not aware that they originated from a Spiritualistic new age theology. As for Televangelism, that is also correct, not only it boomed in the 1950s in the United States, but it was in total dominance in that era to now. A paid spot on a random channel was what boosted it. The Prosperity theology is odd because it teaches that God wants people to be prosperous, especially financially, through it, power. Adherents to the Prosperity Gospel believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and the poor are poor because of a lack of faith.
Also I'm not aware of who this Chan guy is, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Bible and his message is weaponized to demonize and to convert people.
@Thinking As usual, seems like the same prime suspects - taking what someone said and molding it into some mindless Frankenstein. But it is best to ignore it, or just speak the truth. A lot of people seem to be in favor of lies and deception because it fits what their view is, they never want to hear both sides of the story, this is why Brother Splane was right in key points of his talk, especially when it came to apostasy. Someone here mentioned he misused Matthew 5:25, 26, which I don't think he did. to handle  things quickly and he mentioned things handled in a just matter with truth, and the point was focused on Jesus urging his disciples to be about settling matters quickly; this is general, like disputes. He was also right about Satan causing division, and essentially leading bad association in proximity of good persons -
I can attest to that because of a recent situation whereas in a chat about the Olympics, someone asked where everyone was from and a brief note about their background, even faith, the second I mentioned I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, out of nowhere, an apostate appeared lol 😅. You never know. But the other people there argued with him, and soon after booted him. They then asked who Jehovah God, and just like that, I told them. Some of the people were not as religious but stayed to listen, some asked for verses, and I just left them with a few verses, one of the verses being James 1:13. So in a situation like that because of an apostate who lashed out randomly, it resulted in a few small Bible gems for people to remember. I had another fun experience with preaching over zoom regarding a heavy metal dude, that is a story I'll save for another day.
@Witness Well he isn't wrong. From what I am seeing, it isn't a matter of lumping terms together, Jehovah's Witnesses are Restorationist, if I recall, he has been saying that for a number of years and gave ample information to back it up (for none of us can forget colorful text, citations and quotes lol), he kept saying "roots" indicating a sense of credibility; they're not random unknown terms. It "isn't his term", in fact, he linked you the history. What he linked you, about Restorationism, it tells you just that, and the main source states: "Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity." Backed up by prominent sources like Rodney Stark, Beckford, even some notable and credible sources. Restorationists aren't just against the Trinity/do not believe in the Trinity, but they are also the types to try to apply practices of the early church, or take steps to restoring practices in the modern day, even when it comes to Scripture and translation, this appears to be the case. There is a difference between Restorationist Christians and New Thought Christians. So calling Jehovah's Witnesses or anyone from Prosperity Preachers is not only a lie, but it shows, as he puts it, a total disregard to the history of either. Prosperity preachers are an adversary to not just Restorationist, but to nontrinitarians, so in reality, to me, and to you, we are seen as a threat. Simply making assumptions on the matter is essentially giving them a win in their book. I do wanna be the person to do that to them, and I genuinely believe you do not want to do the same too, let's not give them that win.
Some key differences:
We believe in the commission - preaching of the good news, they believe that God gives riches and wealth in abundance, using Scripture to increase their personal wealth. We believe Jehovah God is the one True God. They believe Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is a person, also God. We do not believe in the Immortal Soul Doctrine, but they believe good people go to heaven and bad people burn in Hell; believing the soul is immortal. We believe the ability to have visions died out with the last of the apostles, they believe they can have visions, speak in various tongues and literal heal people or expel demons. We do not celebrate Holidays, but they do, and on the holidays, they reap wealth for not the benefit of the Christian congregation expenses, etc., but for personal gain. We believe we are under the New Covenant. They do not believe in the Covenants, and simply mix-match them for their own benefit. The list goes on. Also, it was said before, but what is behind Restorationism is Subordinationism. It is understandable as to why Prosperity preachers would like to throw rocks in our direct, the main fact of our view of Christ Jesus.
Just be careful for assuming terms, when often times the root of an legitimate thing can be traced back centuries.
Always, stay frosty with the research, should you even consider it.

I don't think @Pudgy point was whether Paul had a dog or not. His point was that with all that Paul went through, and in such a short period of time, could be agenda driven, just like if you liked the idea of him being accompanied by a dog, (since Pudgy is a dog) you may be able to insert that in there somewhere....and even go around the fact that to the Jews dogs were unclean....
It's like trying to envisage 8 million people or so trying to clean up the earth after Armageddon....
It is obvious that supernatural help will be necessary. Perhaps Paul had supernatural help?

Thank you for calling me good Tom. 
I have not listened to Br. Splanes talk yet, we were away and did not get to that part yet. Just getting around to watching the first part of the Daniel drama. But I have heard what it's about since when we got back home we joined our Saturday FS group as usual, this time for a review of the Saturday afternoon session. My hubby and I sat there like two numpties, since we had nothing to say. I did try and bluff though by looking down as if at my notes, lol. But I don't think anyone was fooled because usually we answer several times. Anyway, I look forward to listening to the talk, no doubt accompanied by accusatory sideways glances from my husband. I was thinking about you during the FS discussion, wondering what Tom thought of the talk....

Thank you for calling me good Tom. 
I have not listened to Br. Splanes talk yet, we were away and did not get to that part yet. Just getting around to watching the first part of the Daniel drama. But I have heard what it's about since when we got back home we joined our Saturday FS group as usual, this time for a review of the Saturday afternoon session. My hubby and I sat there like two numpties, since we had nothing to say. I did try and bluff though by looking down as if at my notes, lol. But I don't think anyone was fooled because usually we answer several times. Anyway, I look forward to listening to the talk, no doubt accompanied by accusatory sideways glances from my husband. I was thinking about you during the FS discussion, wondering what Tom thought of the talk....

Nothing at all wrong with you in my book, though I am surprised at the extent to which you lock horns with people who have proven conclusively for many months, even years, that they are not going to budge one iota.
Just above this comment, Patiently Sitting on my Hands wants you to “prove” something or other. The point is, it doesn’t work that way. “Prove to yourself” is how Romans 12:1 puts it, and he must prove it to himself, which he has abundantly demonstrated that Christendom’s hell will freeze over before that happens. 
“Taste and see Jehovah is good,” Ps 34:8 says, and for us, Jehovah comes part and parcel with his earthly organization. He has tasted and seen that he and it is bad—even the Name he discards. How can you “prove” to someone that their tastebuds are bad? If they don’t like it, they don’t like it.
I do sometimes comment where the bad boys and girls hang out, but it is usually in the sense of talking past them to the audience beyond who may be influenced by them. But when there is no other audience beyond other than ones exactly like them, then it seems you run the risk of violating Jesus’ counsel to leave blind guides be.
Lately I’ve been drawing away from this side of the forum in favor of the one where whatever you say is not instantly hurled back in your face with a very few arguments that you can answer till you’re blue in the face but they never change—they just repackage them and run them through again. Who would have thought that good @Annawould have provided respite? I was leaning this way even before Bro Spane’s talk—which is just a restatement of the same—and he just put more icing on the cake. 
Oh—and you’re a little given toward conspiratorial things, but that’s not a minus in my book. I appreciate the extra viewpoint. I don’t necessarily hold with it all, but on the other hand, it might turn out exactly that way.
Seriously, you are always welcomed for your insights on the closed forum and you won’t find fierce resistance to every syllable you utter.
 

@Pudgy The Dog must be a time traveler, if he has a vest, and an AK-47. Also I've seen this picture before, for it is in the Middle East whereas Thessalonica of Greece; Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.
That being said, now if Paul found a means of Time Traveler and is laying low not to change anything, that in of itself is a different campfire tale.

Paul had holy spirit, which is also supernatural help. Jesus said he would leave the holy spirit to help us. Paul was appointed directly by Jesus to be an apostle to the Gentile nations.  (Acts 9:15-18) Jesus was with him all the time, and gave him whatever was necessary to accomplish his ministry.  Ananias was given supernatural power by Jesus to heal Paul after he was blinded by the light from heaven when Jesus was talking to him. It was necessary at that time for that help to be given. 
The church was still in its infancy and powerful works due to supernatural help were still in evidence.  (1 Corinthians 13:8-11), e.g. speaking in languages not learnt previously, nullifying effect of snake bite, etc., and healing and resurrection. Paul raised Eutychus from the dead (he was picked up dead) when he fell asleep while sitting in a window. (Acts 20:7-12).
He never credited his success to his high worldly education; rather he relied on the strength he was given by God and Jesus.  He said when he was weak he was powerful because that is when God's power was evident. 
Don't know anything about dog help.

I don't think @Pudgy point was whether Paul had a dog or not. His point was that with all that Paul went through, and in such a short period of time, could be agenda driven, just like if you liked the idea of him being accompanied by a dog, (since Pudgy is a dog) you may be able to insert that in there somewhere....and even go around the fact that to the Jews dogs were unclean....
It's like trying to envisage 8 million people or so trying to clean up the earth after Armageddon....
It is obvious that supernatural help will be necessary. Perhaps Paul had supernatural help?

I don't think @Pudgy point was whether Paul had a dog or not. His point was that with all that Paul went through, and in such a short period of time, could be agenda driven, just like if you liked the idea of him being accompanied by a dog, (since Pudgy is a dog) you may be able to insert that in there somewhere....and even go around the fact that to the Jews dogs were unclean....
It's like trying to envisage 8 million people or so trying to clean up the earth after Armageddon....
It is obvious that supernatural help will be necessary. Perhaps Paul had supernatural help?