Srecko Sostar

Quote TTH. The reason that the GB can say ‘follow the direction of secular authority’ and still have that count as spiritual guidance is that (with some exaggeration) JWs can do it, and non-believers cannot.
Perhaps Tom is only talking about Americans here. 
In the UK most people followed the instructions of the government. My son even told his employer that he wasn't going to work, and that was before lock down started here in England. He self isolated with my wife and I, as a family in one household. We even had a stock of food bigger than a GO BAG, and still have. 
Tom talks as if everyone outside that CCJW org is a criminal or rebel. It's that old JW talk, 'Don't mix with those outside they belong to the devil'.   Grow up Tom and get real.  That 'GB Helper' made himself and the CCJW look stupid by his statement. Live with it.  
 

I think that main problem all religion have, and JW too, is in this: People who lead a religion invoke God’s authority for every word they utter in front of people. GB is among the same class. When GB stops claiming that both, correct and false doctrines and instructions came from God, then they may be closer to God and  "truth".

No hate is ever intended, only scriptural truth.
 
Here is an example:
God's anointed have every right to challenge the authority of men not part of the Body of Christ who demand to rule over them.  Rom 14:4  No one has the authority to tell God's anointed priesthood that they must not bond together as one Body.  This defies scripture.  1 Cor 12.
Another most recent example is the WT refusing to take part in the ARC Redress Scheme.  While contemplating that thought, read Prov 30:13,14 once again.
 
 
  
 

@Arauna " Which flesh will stand in the Day of Jehovah?  Those who have the mark of the Christian personality, call on the name of Jehovah and are found in peace with Jehovah. "
BUT, does this mean being baptised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses ?
The CCJW org says a person MUST be as above. 
If so, then the CCJW has to be much cleaner than it is now. And of course it needs True Anointed ones to lead it. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote @Anna Here I am not so sure.......saying that the GB advice is proof of God's backing very much hovers on the borders of the "woo" factor. As if for example the catholic church did something right, are we supposed to think this is proof they have God's backing? By the same token we should.  (JWI mentioned something along similar lines).
It's nice to see some balance Anna. To some extent the GB are running a massive business and trying to look after its interests. So they use common sense in some things. It does not take God's guidance to look outside and see rain then suggest to your friend that they wear a raincoat and use an umbrella. Similarly with Covid-19. There is enough information and proof of consequences for the GB to be able to make a sensible decision about it without God's guidance.  So for a GB helper to say it is proof of God's guidance or backing, is not sensible. And of course it gives ammo to those in opposition.
Jesus said something like " Even though you are wicked, which one of you would give your son a stone, if he asked for a fish."   What I'm saying is, people in the world also look after their families and do what is best for them, but it does not show God is guiding them. I think those in a position of responsibility in the CCJW should be more careful with their words. 
 
 

It appears that the GB will not join in "relaxed measures". This is because as he said; they value life more than money and they would rather be over cautious than too casual. So no meetings of field service for a while yet. Also conventions will not be held in 2021. They require preparations a year in advance. However, what each individual family does is their choice. Personally, I feel it is very wise to not relax protective measures. Especially not here in the USA. Cases of covid are on the rise again. Each countries' situation differs though, and this was acknowledged by the brother. So it may happen that resuming meetings will be based on countries. 

As i understand some comments from few of you, you say how GB made and making Independent decisions on Covid 19 and directs how JW members will behave in their spiritual activity, no matter what secular authorities say. If world leaders don't have the political will and the public willingness to impose the shutdowns as we did back in March, do you suggest or give idea how JW will stay in "lock-down" ie  not have public meetings, conventions, door to door or street service etc? Will GB not join "relaxed measures"? Or do you think how they think that is safer for members to "stay at home"?  

Oh dear, once again Tom has nothing to say but writes a lot.
And I see he isn't  knocking me this time. This time it is Srecko he is putting down. But in fact Srecko is right, not Tom. 
Such a shame that Tom and Arauna are blinded by the GB. What will they do when those GB are no longer there ? 

As i understand title of his speech was, "Protect yourself from lies". In JW world, lies are, exists only outside "spiritual borders". Well JW members are safe, they just need not to open TV or surfing web, and all "truths" will stay safe and sound. :))
Again:  As described previously in the Newsroom section of jw.org, the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses was monitoring the situation and providing direction to all congregations in harmony with the recommendations from authorities.- https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=covid+19
This means, if world leaders failed in "planetary crisis", than GB failed with them too. :)) Nothing about motives. GB made simple copy paste of information about pandemic from secular sources and with or without some own colors forward instructions. 
Yes, GB leaders put in question ARC and Australian Government call for cooperation only. Or Courts in US by refusing product documents. Or victims of CSA. Or, own past doctrines they put in question too. Many other things they do not put in question.
JW members, they not put in question how trustful GB are, and they not put donation money in question, selling KH is not reason to question ..., 
So many Sreckos in a single comment from you. Woo factor at work? :))
 

As i understand title of his speech was, "Protect yourself from lies". In JW world, lies are, exists only outside "spiritual borders". Well JW members are safe, they just need not to open TV or surfing web, and all "truths" will stay safe and sound. :))
Again:  As described previously in the Newsroom section of jw.org, the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses was monitoring the situation and providing direction to all congregations in harmony with the recommendations from authorities.- https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=covid+19
This means, if world leaders failed in "planetary crisis", than GB failed with them too. :)) Nothing about motives. GB made simple copy paste of information about pandemic from secular sources and with or without some own colors forward instructions. 
Yes, GB leaders put in question ARC and Australian Government call for cooperation only. Or Courts in US by refusing product documents. Or victims of CSA. Or, own past doctrines they put in question too. Many other things they do not put in question.
JW members, they not put in question how trustful GB are, and they not put donation money in question, selling KH is not reason to question ..., 
So many Sreckos in a single comment from you. Woo factor at work? :))
 

It must be that WTJWorg leaders are in great pain for some time. This and some statements before which calls members to full trust in GB is desperate act. Manifestly, members leave "The Club". 

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. "  Eph 5:6-11

I believe there is more sadness about this thought, than humor.  You are not far off at all in your harmless illustration, and the reaction that would come from it, since it reminded me of the question posed on facebook at the time the W 13/11/15 was studied.  You may remember this:
Question:  "If you were to go to the Kingdom Hall next Sunday and listen to a letter from the Governing Body instructing ALL in attendance to swallow an unknown pill, would you obey without hesitation, keeping the admonition from today's Watchtower in mind?  Yes or No?
Here's one frightening answer:  "With faith, I will take it.  Even if I perish, jehovah will remember me".
Obviously, not all JWs would feel this way.  But, they cooperate with an organization that has convinced thousands to submit to any direction by the Governing Body.  Surely, this alone would make the more sensible ones to sit up and take notice of the manipulative power this organization is capable of.  
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."  2 Pet 2:1-3
Jesus Christ's headship is barely referred to by the GB.  Yes, they have denied "who bought them". 2 Pet 3:17; Rev 8:10,11; (John 7:38) 
Millions of people are following uninspired men, and an organization whose teachings are laced with deceit and pitfalls.  In Mr. Gockentin's presentation, he stated, "protect yourself from lies". 
This is exactly what those who leave the organization are doing - protecting themselves from an outlandish, devilish lie.  2 Thess 2:9-12   
Here is the article - 
https://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/would-you-take-the-pill-a-simple-facebook-test-has-shocking-results
 
Wormwood/The False Prophet/Armageddon - https://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/2014/12/wormwood-armageddon-false-prophet.html
 
 
 
 
"
 
 

As described previously in the Newsroom section of jw.org, the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses was monitoring the situation and providing direction to all congregations in harmony with the recommendations from authorities.- https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=covid+19
Source of knowledge and direction is in "worldly" institutions, wisdom and common sense, and it is funny to put this on "religious and spiritual level" as GB Helper was done by conclusion: .... is just another proof that Jehovah is with the Governing Body."
That GB Helper, for example, said: "GB recommended to all brothers and sister; Drink Aloe Vera 10 times a day and you will be cured and will not be ill from Covid 19 because we and HS found that is best for all of us.", .... that would be another proof who is with GB. According to w13 11/15 20, GB instructions have to be "unique" and "may not appear practical from a human standpoint".  :)) and that would give "proof" to JW's how JHVH "backing" GB in their decisions.
:))) little fun and irony 

It's not that God is giving separate and advanced knowledge about covid to the GB. The GB collect information from worldly experts just like anyone else can. But the difference is that many people do not consider the Bible's wisdom in their lives. All that the GB are doing is applying scriptures a.k.a wisdom from God. For example, Br. Morris quoted Proverbs 14:16 "The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil,But the stupid one is reckless* and overconfident." and applied it to covid 19 in that recklessness and overconfidence have literally cost people their lives. Then he quoted Ecclesiastes 7:12  "For wisdom is a protection just as money is a protection, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner."  He said our aim is to make wise balanced decisions that protect lives. The next scripture was Proverbs 22:3 "The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself,But the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the consequences" to which he said that we should not develop a casual attitude.
So all he did was apply these scriptures to the present covid situation and encouraged everyone else to do the same. He urged that we must not have a casual attitude. He said this because many people are relaxing in their caution, including probably the brothers and sisters. All that the GB are doing is reminding people that covid is NOT over. We hear the same from worldly media. We also know that countries which have relaxed their restrictions are facing a covid come back. Countries are relaxing restrictions so that people can get back to work. It is vital for the economy. But as Br. Morris said, we care about life more than money. 

So it's no so much that God is giving separate info to GB, anyone has access to the Bible, the same info, but it's more like the GB are paying attention to it and applying it, and urging us to do the same because many in the world are not.
Here is the video:
#en/mediaitems/StudioNewsReports/docid-702020283_1_VIDEO" ipsnoembed="true" rel="external nofollow">https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/StudioNewsReports/docid-702020283_1_VIDEO
 

Wow, Does this mean my family had God's backing then when we decided to self isolate, myself with my wife and son. And when my son told his employer that he would not be attending work, days before the UK lock down started. Does it indicate that God is with me ? I think not. It just indicates that we used common sense. 
The GB used common sense that is all. 

No.1 and No.2 originated from Bible, and not from GB. No.3 is general statement, nothing unique.   
Agree!
Application was already done at world scale and was instruction made not from God, Bible or GB, but from "secular authorities". They told people to stay at home, in Croatia and in many other countries. :)) Another application..... only for JW members??

No.1 and No.2 originated from Bible, and not from GB. No.3 is general statement, nothing unique.   
Agree!
Application was already done at world scale and was instruction made not from God, Bible or GB, but from "secular authorities". They told people to stay at home, in Croatia and in many other countries. :)) Another application..... only for JW members??

Mr.  Glockentin stressed,
‘Protect ourselves by limiting our exposure’...to the news. Judge the ‘quality and quantity of information’. 
‘Pick the most reliable source. Set a personal time limit.’
He then used Prov 14:15 – "The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps." 
For the very devout JW, this seems tedious and rather a frightening task; so the easiest thing to do is put “complete trust in the Governing Body”.  They sift through all of the “fake news”, and “misinformation” for them.  Their “wisdom” on the matter, is a blessing from God. 🙂  In actuality it is the "simple" who believe anything, and must have "complete trust" in what the GB tells them, since the "prudent" GB have shown them what "steps" to take. 
There really is no thinking, no reasoning for yourself, and this is what the organization wants. Why else would Mr. Glockentin highly emphasize the need to trust the GB in all things?  
 An account came to me from my son, of a JW household where a man, wife and his two children live with the man’s father and his wife.  They share one kitchen, but the son put cameras in various places of the kitchen so that his immediate family would not wander in when his parents may be using the kitchen, all because of the virus.  His parents finally said, enough is enough, and packed up their motor home and took off, promising to return when “this” is all over.  By the way, he is an elder, who seems to be thinking for himself. 
 
 

Quote @JW Insider We want to give a double portion of "honor" to those who take the lead in teaching, and we appreciate the teaching:
And we need not get wrapped up in the idea that salvation is coming through the GB
Sorry JWI I can't agree with you on this for many reasons. Whilst I do know  that the CCJW do have foundation doctrines built on God's word, that does not excuse all the incorrect teachings and other problems. 
And the teaching is there about 'a person must be a baptised JW to be saved'.  And I really do not agree with the baptism questions. Whatever happened to baptising in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ? 
So, whilst they may have a few things right, they also have a lot of things wrong, and in my opinion it is deliberately wrong. 
I know it is seen as me just picking holes but :-
Quote : If we can appreciate this, we can enjoy the blessings Jehovah offers to any who gather together in his name, who try to do what is right.
The GB have basically told the Anointed NOT to gather together in His name. And i think they wrote that it would be working against the Holy Spirit to do so. 
I hope you understand why i cannot support them. It all seems so contradictory to me. 
 

In the video Brother Glockentin says:
"The good guidance from Jehovah's Organization during this pandemic is just another proof that Jehovah is with the Governing Body."
In my opinion, this GB Helper didn't take in consideration one famous and simple Jesus' quote, God giving sun and rain to wicked and to righteous.
In this verse we see how God is impartial. He see humans as own children, no matter of their own partiality and belongings. In "spirit" of these verse we can see also little further, an interesting messages.
a) How every individual will have His blessings about every good thing and effort for good he has, and                          b) How God will not stop you in your intentions, no matter are they good or bad    
Well, GB Helper has wrong perception about his own position and position of Institution, he represents, before God. 
Why would God give "separate and advanced knowledge" about Covid 19 to GB?, but left in "dark" whole secular world? Do you remember?  "Sun and rain" illustration !?
 

In the video Brother Glockentin says:
"The good guidance from Jehovah's Organization during this pandemic is just another proof that Jehovah is with the Governing Body."
In my opinion, this GB Helper didn't take in consideration one famous and simple Jesus' quote, God giving sun and rain to wicked and to righteous.
In this verse we see how God is impartial. He see humans as own children, no matter of their own partiality and belongings. In "spirit" of these verse we can see also little further, an interesting messages.
a) How every individual will have His blessings about every good thing and effort for good he has, and                          b) How God will not stop you in your intentions, no matter are they good or bad    
Well, GB Helper has wrong perception about his own position and position of Institution, he represents, before God. 
Why would God give "separate and advanced knowledge" about Covid 19 to GB?, but left in "dark" whole secular world? Do you remember?  "Sun and rain" illustration !?
 

Yes. That is the point. And it was not just the statement about Covid19 that I was responding to in the speech, even though it was the only example I focused on.
If an example of good guidance proves that Jehovah is with the GB, then someone could just as easily point out that examples of bad guidance must be proof that Jehovah is not with the GB. Most of us who have been Witnesses over a long period of time will recall how a continuing theme of our meetings, especially the book study, for years had always been about how examples of bad guidance in Christendom is proof that they are being guided only by Satan. This can result in the same hypocrisy. But worse, it can make brothers, like the speaker above, feel that he must try to hide negative information away from the average Witness who can't face anything negative. It has made brothers like him in responsible positions try to declare that false doctrines had a good purpose in the past to filter out those who were weak. (This has been done for several of the big falsehoods like 1925, superior authorities, 1975 expectations, etc.)
If it ends up making us call what is good, bad, and what is bad, good, then we should point that out.

@Arauna   No one is saying that the GB cannot get anything right, BUT what is being said is IT IS NOT PROOF OF GOD'S HELP. 
So for a GB helper or anyone to say it PROVES that God is with the GB, is just stupidity and will be seen by many as such.
The GB and it's Org agrees with God's word in the Bible on some things, so they get some things right, but it still does not PROVE that God is with them. 
@Srecko Sostar comment was sarcasm i think  
 

As you may already hear or read about Covid 19 in Croatia, Croatia is, according to news,  among few countries that had best results in protection population from pandemic in "first wave".  In cca 4 months (from last period of February to July 7) here is 3272 infected, 2141 cured and 113 deaths.
The ruling parliamentary party, which won elections again on Sunday, boasts that the situation is good with regard to this contagion because they have managed well in times of crisis and made the right decisions. 
So, which, what God was with HDZ (party in power)? Did HDZ received JHVH help and does this is proof how JHVH helped this party to won elections again and to be His Servant ("secular authority") in Croatia? :))

As you may already hear or read about Covid 19 in Croatia, Croatia is, according to news,  among few countries that had best results in protection population from pandemic in "first wave".  In cca 4 months (from last period of February to July 7) here is 3272 infected, 2141 cured and 113 deaths.
The ruling parliamentary party, which won elections again on Sunday, boasts that the situation is good with regard to this contagion because they have managed well in times of crisis and made the right decisions. 
So, which, what God was with HDZ (party in power)? Did HDZ received JHVH help and does this is proof how JHVH helped this party to won elections again and to be His Servant ("secular authority") in Croatia? :))