JOHN BUTLER

Some of us cannot afford such luxury. I'm happy to get a bit of bacon.
@Anna  You see how some guys use this world     Love of the world and it's food.   

I do love that word 'ALLOWED'. it shows the control the GB have over the congregants  .  Totally unChristian to 'Lord it over the congregation' but there ya go, that is the nature of the beasts (GB / JW Org).   

Why would anyone have a beard ban ?  Does it mean something special ?
I think it is strange for white people to have dreadlocks but each to their own idea. But to ban a growth of hair which is a natural thing. Surely it is the shaving of hair that is unnatural ? Although I would not want a beard for myself. 
 

So, should ladies shave their legs if Jehovah created and designed them to have hairy legs  ? 

There is a young Elder in the Honiton congregation in East Devon, England, that keeps growing a beard, then after a month he will shave it off, then grow it again a couple of weeks later. A young man with thick dark hair so his beard appears quickly, but disappears just as quickly. Quite funny, but unfortunately shows a lack of stability and lack of balance.  So how good is he at being an Elder if he cannot even decide on having a beard or not.  

... when they have baby back beef spare ribs at the Golden Corral ( a USA all you can eat buffet restaurant ...) my table looks like a dinosaur graveyard...

No, i do not think you are ..... we  are not Vegetarians, so we have  to learn how to move on  Next Level.   :))

BTK46 has stated many times that everybody but him is ignorant, uneducated, a fool and worthy of derision ... and that we have no understanding of human psychology in dealing with his criticisms.
I think he may be right about that one,  as I often sit here wondering "Where does he GET these ideas?"
After all, it's not what WE think, it is what Scholar Emeritus BillyTheKid46 thinks that matters!
I have never seen in my entire life a person with MORE TALENT to be a Watchtower Lawyer.
He makes evil seem so effortless!
 
 

I would like to know the answer to THAT one!
By the way ... that "Millions Now Living Will Never Die '' ... how well did THAT turn out?

That's good advice. I really did take a risk in guessing that @Bubba Johnson Jr also had in mind how Brother Splane's "Chart of the Ages" could be related to 1 Thess 5. It turned out that I was right, and that this was not a distraction from the subject matter, but ended up getting right to the heart of the subject matter.
To me, the mistake that Russell made with the pyramids also gets exactly to the real heart of the matter. This is why, as a joke, I did something similar with Splane's chart to what Russell claimed he did with the charts of the crisscrossing drains and ducts that were built into the Pyramid. I won't discuss the pyramid topic in full here, but if anyone else is interested in a serious discussion I'm up for it under another topic heading.
Your own post was typical. A few things right, a few things wrong, a few WT quotes with unrelated information that you believe defended Russell. You add information that you pretend is not already simple and obvious so that you can call others ignorant and deceptive. Unfortunately, even if you already see where you were wrong, I still have come to expect only more attacks, arrogance, name calling and diversions.
If you want anyone to take you seriously, I recommend a method that gives more weight to facts and evidence, rather than just bluster and arrogance.

I will start with this WT Society quote from https://wol.jw.org/hr/wol/d/r19/lp-c/1102003023 : Tell him to stop and listen to the bird singing. Then ask him, "Who created the birds and taught them to sing?" God did this. God created heaven and earth and all living beings!He gives life.
Here we see how publication speaking about one special ability, among many others, ability to learn. So, by this quote we see how animals have ability to learn, and that, in a direct way, personally from God! :)) Yes, this WT Society book is for children, but as simplified edition it could be for adults too. :))
Let's go to article named: 
“His Invisible Qualities Are Clearly Seen”
 Paul said, "[God] invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and deity, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, because they are distinguished by what is created, so that these people have no excuses" ( Romans 1:20 ). If we look closely at these words, we will be convinced that the Creator is like an artist who signed his masterpiece. - source: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20130801/believe-in-god/
It is also interesting that in same Creative Day, God has made land animals and humans - together. For First Humans God was not given one Special Day and Separate Day for creating this The Crown of His Creation - humans. No, He made them in the same day. Are Humans the Only Bearers of God’s Image? Humans are not made with some special materials, but also from dust as animals. 
Also, Genesis not telling us about how in Paradise existed predators and prays. But how all living as Equal Creatures, with no Mastering from first Human above any of animal. They all had equal position in Paradise. To live and be happy. Only after the Flood we see how God speaking about huge change - Permission to kill animals for food: Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. Mastering over them in:  The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 
But something is also very interesting:
And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.
Lifeblood of animals and of humans are on same Level before God!
And next thing is interesting:
“I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.
Why would God made covenant with Animals as the same with Human. Why if Animals have no Qualities that God gave, supposedly, only to Human? Why, if Animals have no brain, conscious, heart, ability as Humans?
Humans are Unique in Degree but Not Kind. The capability differences between humans and other creatures seem finally to amount to differences of degree and not kind. The differences among creatures pertain to complexity. There are good reasons to believe humans share basic attributes with other creatures. - source: http://thomasjayoord.com/index.php/blog/archives/animals-made-in-gods-image
Obviously, we have a lot to learn about Animals as creatures made by God Himself. :))

That is a GREAT idea ... as I am sure that only a Box Turtle could make sense of it.
 

I had a 5 year or so old Box Turtle ( tortoise, actually) that I rescued from a highway, and as I watched "him", ( and yes, you can tell...) it often occurred to me how ignorant we really are of what they think and feel ... and the colossal arrogance on people's part to assume they think less of their lives than we think of ours.
As I watched "Mr. Henry II", the thought occurred to me that beneath those plated decks might dwell the mind and heart of a great lover, and a consummate mathematician ... all day quietly working on equations for orbital mechanics, or parallel dimensions.
The things I have seen with my own eyes belies the arrogance and cluelessness of  Clergy who worship themselves.
When they pontificate about such things, they declare aloud their incompetence, and lack of credibility.
 
 

I am sure the speaker wouldn't argue with you on that. But the main point remains: animals were not created in God's image, whereas humans were.

Concerning "Animals being given undo importance" ....
We are very fragile, big ugly bags of mostly water and require a LOT of things :of the world to stay alive, and healthy, and emotionally stable.
I have 16 pet chickens ( two died of heat exhaustion, from being run around the yard by my dogs, after flying out of their temporary enclosure, and I buried them this morning in the yard with little plastic pipe "tombstones" which I melted into the side with a soldering iron their names and date of death, which was yesterday).
And yet ... when I die, I do not care if I am just left where I fall, or someone puts my remains in a dumpster.
And yet ... today at Golden Corral, my wife and I ate fried chicken, and I pondered "Am I a hypocrite, for loving both live chickens ... and those crispy fried??"
I looked at myself in the mirror, and noticed my eyes are in front (predator), and the chickens' eyes are on the side of their heads (prey), and decided that  that is the natural order of things, and I should just get used to it, without recriminations.
Besides .... "Love Never Fails" .... and when I die, I will probably be too tough to eat, and with the fried  chicken .... it's no one we know.

Oh dear @BillyTheKid46 That Romans scripture is talking about the Superior Authorities of the world. The secular authorities. It is not talking about the GB or any other religious leader.
Of course we all know that the JW Org / Watchtower deliberately misused that scripture for many years, but even they have got it right now. A shame you haven't got it right though, you must be living in the past. 
 
 

@AnnaI would say 99.9% of the human race love the things of the world, including most JW's. Remember it was not that long ago I was one. JW's here in the UK are still having new houses built for them, still working long hours, still buying new cars. Still having parties, rather strange fancy dress parties actually, Elders dressing up as Batman and Incredible Hulk and putting photos up on their Facebook pages. No different to people of the world. Those things are not bad of course but what I'm saying is that most JW's here in the UK are 'still using the world to the full'. It would be stupid to try to pretend that JW's are much different to  anyone else in their daily lives. I've mentioned one young Elder before that spends a lot of time in his local pub and rides a bicycle to the pub but has to push the bike home due to his not being able to balance it to ride it home.  I think it funny in a way, but I'm just relating it here to 'things of the world'. 
As for @TrueTomHarley well no hope I suppose. He dodges the points I make because he knows they are true. 
And poor old Tom is caught up with GB propaganda about the GB being equal to MOSES. Tom Tom, we've had this discussion so many times before.
MOSES WAS INSPIRED OF GOD AND PROVED IT. The GB are not inspired of God and admit it. Mose had direct contact with God and was given direct instruction BY GOD. The GB pretend to be the F&DS but CANNOT PROVE IT. AND, by their MISTAKES  you will know they are frauds. Does that not make any sense to you ? 
I know that God will have an honest loving organisation before the judgement comes. But at this moment in time the JW Org is not that honest loving organisation, and the GB are not serving God in an honest loving way. 
When an organisation has to use threats, lies and scaremongering to keep it's congregants, and has to make up rules that go beyond the scriptures (just as the Pharisees did),  and has to 'clean the outside of the dish or bowl' but not the inside, then it is obviously not God's true organisation. 

But this brings me back to the point of whether that talk is given exactly  the same at every convention. 
However I do agree that humans are much more important than animals, and God and Christ are much more important than humans. 

But this brings me back to the point of whether that talk is given exactly  the same at every convention. 
However I do agree that humans are much more important than animals, and God and Christ are much more important than humans. 

Speaker missing to tell some things. Animals has not ability to do things as humans, but if God created them, He incorporated some qualities similar to humans. Or same as to humans but on different level. Searching for food, or even growing and collect food, creating family and offspring, care of them, fight for survive, showing affection to same and other species, etc. Cows give more milk after listening classical music :))) Speaker didn't done enough research on subject.
Don't elevate humans to status of gods :))))   
Message has same principle, but speaker, i guess, missed to highlight and used The Same Principle and to made Parallel Lesson about same trap in spiritual interaction inside congregations and WT Society. 
 
 

Thank you, @Melinda Mills for finding this out.  Now I know what the hullabaloo is all about.  
"Man was made in God's image and has the ability to love, appreciate wisdom, reasoning, music and poetry and worship. Animals can't do that."
If animals have the ability to be fearful, joyful, loyal, even hateful, they certainly have the ability to show love - deep affection for another animal or human.
I had a cat that would settled down in front of the stereo speaker to listen to classical music as soon as it began.  There must have been some sort of appreciation there, in the form of contentment or pleasure. 
 
 
 

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

(Anna just reminded me that I promised to post what I heard.)
This is what I understood the speaker to say: Don't elevate animals to status of man. Man was made in God's image and has the ability to love, appreciate wisdom, reasoning, music and poetry and worship. Animals can't do that.  The speaker also cited the  Leona Hemsley  and what she left in her will for her dog (and to have him buried beside her). He said to show love to our great God, Jehovah. Jehovah will provide for us as he provides for the birds who are assured of confident eating ( Matt 6:26).

WILL YOU STOP SNORING SO LOUD!? I CAN’T HEAR MYSELF THINK!
You know, the more I think about it, the more I think John is right. Yes, I will backtrack some.
I now think that the end is probably a long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long ways off.
Tennis, anyone?

These are the things that are written:
"Do not love either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16  because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world" (1John 2:15)
John, honestly, what percentage of people would you say "love" the things in the world?
"....... you know the season, that it is already the hour for you to awake from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than at the time when we became believers. 12  The night is well along; the day has drawn near. Let us therefore throw off the works belonging to darkness and let us put on the weapons of the light. 13  Let us walk decently as in the daytime, not in wild parties and drunkenness, not in immoral intercourse and brazen conduct, not in strife and jealousy. 14  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not be planning ahead for the desires of the flesh". (Romans13:11-14)
 “But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you  as a snare. For it will come upon all those dwelling on the face of the whole earth. 36  Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that you may succeed in escaping all these things that must occur and in standing before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-35)
The above scriptures I conveniently extracted from a July 2016 study WT article "Why must we keep on the watch". 
The article concludes: "Through the pages of the Bible, God and Christ tell us what they have in store for us in the immediate future and how we can keep on the watch. We have to pay attention to our spirituality, to our relationship with Jehovah, and to Kingdom priorities. We must be aware of time and events so that we can be ready for what is coming. (Rev. 22:20) Our life is at stake!
Perhaps you might want to peruse the article to check that there is nothing beyond what is written in the scriptures.
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-july-2016/why-keep-on-the-watch/