Matthew9969

Just curious and please forgive me if this is a morbid question to some, did anyone ever commit suicide while working at Bethel?

How Great is our God must be a real deal breaker, as one young jw sister once said, that stupid Jesus music.

What does that have to do with the OP? changing the discussion?

"She put a notice in her local newspaper on May 3 and 4 with an address provided for people to send messages of condolence to the family. " So some kind women sent her messages of condolences and scriptures to help a grieving widow with a positive message. Sounds like this poor woman had a beef with the jw's, just not with the message they sent her.

What do you suppose the graph would look like if the A.R.C findings were put on jw.org?

To be honest, growing up for 20 plus years in several different congregations, never was there once a play, a dance, a reception, party ever done at a kingdom hall. Even now, with a close relative who is a jw, they aren't even allowed to have a potluck get together at the local kingdom hall. So why did these things take place....I don't know, what I don know however is I was raised to believe that a kingdom hall was not allowed to be used as a place of celebration...aka party, only meetings, wedding ceremonies and eulogies were allowed. Sure there were wedding receptions, and of course with orchestra music, carefully picked secular music and one in particular I remember was they had a polka band, but these receptions were never at a kingdom hall. I remember a few other examples, but for another time I suppose. (but my child hood was very intense and violent, which I won't go into, if you would like to hear about it send me a message). I have no grudge with this, anymore the past is the past, no use letting my experience affect my emotional state, at my age this is trivial, but there are aspects of it that are not trivial. IMO, this is just another example of 'new light'. And new light to make the gospel more relevant to believers. A lot of the 'new light' changes coming to congregations is starting to resemble worship services at many other churches, and I have been to a lot of different churches and denominations. If these services have been approved by the C.O. then I'm just curious what prompted the 'new light' revelation of this kind of joy now happening in a few congregations? But I find your response insincere, judgmental, defensive and accusatory, since you immediately accused me of being a hater, and included in your response stuff that I didn't even mention, but you thought it important to bring up because....I don't know, you have a guilty conscience and want to move the discussion in a total different direction because your uncomfortable...I don't know. And I like how you try to single me out as a young man, what makes you think I am a young man, of course I am familiar with jw terminology and area you calling me a young man is your jw way of saying I am naïve, unknowledgeable and probably mentally diseased since I am no longer a jw? So do please share the personal experiences you have had with using the kingdom hall for celebrations where there was dancing, and plays being put on. It's great witnesses are now allowed to do that. And have a wonderful day yourself and enjoy the warm weather while we have it.

For now if it is at all possible for you to do, do not cherry pick my post, I know its hard for you since this is what jw's are best at, but if your going to insist on cherry picking, post the mostly positive things I said. And no where did I say anything about 1975 or Franz and all that. So your response is just a whiny defensive rebuttal instead of a coherent statement. Please don't comment unless you can do so.

Now I'm not condemning these people for wanting to have some joy inside their house of worship, but a few things stand out...these congregations would have been strongly reproved, if not even some disfellowshipped 10-15 20 years ago. This kind of joy definitely would have made my childhood much more easier to endure. But not just that...at my church, worship is done with christian centered music, by christian artist praising God and Jesus. These video's the brothers and sisters are singing and dancing and plagiarizing worldly music, and dances that have been popular in bars and worldly plays. I'm glad to see brothers and sisters finally being allowed to laugh, dance, have fun while congregating in a kingdom hall, still have some doctrines that are wrong, but they are catching on with what is in the bible about worshiping and praising God with musical instruments and dancing.

What charity?

Since jw women shave their legs, does that mean if a jw man shaves his legs, he is sexually fluid?

Is the governing body again apostatizing from the Jehovah witnesses?

33 When they heard this, they twere enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Phariseein the council named uGamaliel, va teacher of the law held in honor by all the people,stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them,“Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For wbefore thesedays Theudas rose up, xclaiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about fourhundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came tonothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of ythe census and drew awaysome of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for zifthis plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but aif it is of God, you will not beable to overthrow them. You bmight even be found opposing God!” Acts:5 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord! 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

To be fair, the watchtower isn't the only religion to claim they are a prophet and give one if not a few dates of the end of the world:

The idea that 1975 would witness the end of the world was first introduced in 1966. "The published timetable resulting from this independent study gives the date of man's creation as 4026 B.C.E. According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six thousand years from man's creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E. So six thousand years of man's existence on earth will soon be up, yes, within this generation. So in not many years within our own generation we are reaching what Jehovah God could view as the seventh day of man's existence. How appropriate it would be for Jehovah God to make of this coming seventh period of a thousand years a sabbath period of rest and release, a great Jubilee sabbath for the proclaiming of liberty throughout the earth to all its inhabitants! This would be most timely for mankind. It would also be most fitting on God's part, for, remember, mankind has yet ahead of it what the last book of the Holy Bible speaks of as the reign of Jesus Christ over earth for a thousand years, the millennial reign of Christ. It would not be by mere chance or accident but would be according to the loving purpose of Jehovah God for the reign of Jesus Christ, the 'Lord of the Sabbath,' to run parallel with the seventh millennium of man's existence." Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God 1966 pp.26-30 "Does God's rest day parallel the time man has been on earth since his creation? Apparently so. In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of Gods rest day come to an end? The year 1975. It means that within a relatively few years we will witness the fulfilment of the remaining prophecies that have to do with the "time of the end"." Awake! 1966 Oct 8 pp.19-20 "It did not take the brothers very long to find the chart beginning on page 31, showing that 6,000 years of man's existence end in 1975. Discussion of 1975 overshadowed about everything else. "The new book compels us to realize that Armageddon is, in fact, very close indeed," said a conventioner. Surely it was one of the outstanding blessings to be carried home!" .. Brother Franz. 'Does it mean that Armageddon is going to be finished, with Satan bound, by 1975? It could! It could! All things are possible with God. Does it mean that Babylon the Great is going to go down by 1975? It could. Does it mean that the attack of Gog of Magog is going to be made on Jehovah's witnesses to wipe them out, then Gog himself will be put out of action? It could. But we are not saying. All things are possible with God. But we are not saying. And don't any of you be specific in saying anything that is going to happen between now and 1975. But the big point of it all is this, dear friends: Time is short. Time is running out, no question about that." Watchtower 1966 Oct 15 pp.629,631 IT'S AMAZING HOW YOU CAN TAKE THE WORDS "6,000 YEARS OF MANS EXISTENCE WILL END" AND MAKING IT END IN 1975 AND CONCLUDE THAT IT REALLY DIDN'T SAY THAT AT ALL.

Never, that would imply that God is not relevant.

Yeah, Armageddon is going to happen any moment now so lets spend a whole lot of money on building new luxury buildings instead of leading people to Christ.

Courts should definitely get involved when there is an allegation of covering up child abuse and molestation.

Yes, now snl stands for snowflake live night.

Thank you for the video, but do you believe all apostates wish to do something like this, and most of your so-called apostates are born into the watchtower., they know your doctrines very well, they like me were born and raised in the watchtower. And the watchtower and all the kingdom hall's are a business, not a religion, and the watchtower has set up secret policy and procedures to protect child molesters and abusive parents. Any business is accountable to the laws of the land.

That is definitely the wrong way to go about having a dialogue with witnesses. This is a better way.....

That was horrible to watch, like a bad politicaly charged SNL skit.

And jw's say the trinity doctrine is confusing.....

That's nice, now she can be officially disfellowshipped and kicked out of her parents house at 10 years old.

As we all know, the watchtower refuses to let any one see any of that info., but one of the governing body did say their not bringing in as much money as they are expected to spend. http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/stephen-lett-admits-incomeexpenditure-shortfall-as-he-reminds-witnesses-to-donate-valuable-things