James Thomas Rook Jr.

Tom:
 It is a Fair and Necessary thing to do to impugn someones competence and motives when they are disparaging you with irrelevancy, and THEN using an irrelevant (to the specific point) Scripture as a club to try and give credibility to their lack of reasoning ability, which does accuse by inference.
If we do it YOUR way, and have peace ... it will be the peace of mental enslavement for EVERYBODY, as the bullies win.
You want to let the superfine politically correct bullies win?

that suggestion is good for EVERYBODY!

If you try, you may turn out like me.
"Oh Mother, tell your children not to doooo what I have done....And he's been the ruin of many a poor boy, and God, I know I'm one."
It's too late for me. It may not be for you.

I do not watch much western media - I keep a careful watch on the middle east because I preach mostly to Muslims - so I like to know what is going on. I watch arabic sites.
I have been watching Russia for many years...... as I never believed that perestroika was permanent.... 
Russia has been making alliances with Iran and selling weapons to them (a country who preaches every week against America in their Mosques and has bad intentions to America and the west - Shia muslim country);  Russia has been helping Assad with the war because he wanted access to the ports there - which he now has.  I do not think he will keep his access open there!  Russia has been making overtures to Turkey (Sunni muslim) and selling weapons - creating alliances. He is building alliances ....  Putin is looking very strong to his own people.... there is no denying this even though the economy is not perfect. 
They are a government like all other under satan's power.... but some governments are more dangerous than others ... like north Korea for instance could create instability on a whim.  The world is volatile now and I am not vilifying only one country - but since this blog is about Russia I wrote what I think about Russia and their record is fraught with killing - even blatantly annexing areas such as the Ukraine problem...  like Hitler, he knew he can get away with it because the west does not want war.  
Sweden is on high alert - they do not trust Russia.  They are calling up more soldiers for the army....  
Americans often think that showing power (bombing) is a display of power and brings respect.... unfortunately this time has passed.  Shrewdness is now the name of the game....They have great influence in electronic warfare as well!  Hacking groups (government sponsored) hacking many different countries!  Putin and his government must not be underestimated.....he has chosen to act against Jehovah!  This he will only do because Jehovah allows him to!

Report post     My observations of reality the way reality REALLY IS may be callous
What is reality?   Each person experiences reality in a different way except when we collectively accept the reality of Jehovah and the reality of his restoration project of the earth (as written in the bible) and the values of good and bad it instills in us. We hence can say : if we follow the truth of the bible we are focusing on the true reality.  All other stuff is really going to become garbage in future although these ugly, painful things are now a part of our collective reality.
My definition of true faith is based on Hebrew 11:1 : it is the search for reality (evidence) and how this reality will affect your view on all life on earth, human and animal.
Is this not also the definition of science?  The search for reality and how this will affect your view of all other life?   Take for example the theory of evolution - to some this is reality..... even though the "evidence" is not there!  And how did this theory affect their view of other life?  Well Nazi Germany is a good example.  The idea of survival of the fittest gave way to "engineering of the german nation" and discarding disabled or other nations (not seen as worthy) to be exterminated....
While we may accept the reality of the Kingdom and its future hope we may be at odds with the teachings of the Bible.  Our reality can be affected by being too egotistical, too brazen, too disruptive, too critical, too unloving.  How do we use our power?  All of us have power over each other and we can cooperate or be a dissonant sound.
If a child does not listen to his parents he is actually using the power he has over them to make their lives a misery.  Similarly, it is easy to put the blame elsewhere and criticize the brothers when the finger is pointing back at us.  How humble are you to try to always cooperate and work together - be a force for good.   
Use your powers for building others up - not being the disruptive sound in the orchestra.  One can still exercise your talents and be an individual without stepping onto the toes of everyone else.  Be emotionally sensitive.  Work hard - not just on the  IQ but more so - on the Emotional IQ. 
There are many brothers and sisters with exceptional talents but they keep these in check (in their place) to put Jehovah first.
 

Eoin Joyce:
I do not need examples of my statements, for my entertainment ..... YOU need to show examples of my statements to show that there is a rational basis for the scripture you quoted had anything whatsoever with anything I have ever said.
It is a quite common occurrence that when people do not like what someone has said, based on their ingrained CULTURAL values,  that they root around for a scripture to support their intellectual position, and attempt to beat someone over the head with it.
The scripture you quoted was a fine scripture ... but my position ( since I do know what statements that I make..) is that it was completely irrelevant to the conversational thread ACTUALLY taking place. 
Similar to using the scripture " ... after I leave, wolves will enter in among the flock .." to support the supposition that one's dog is going to go to heaven, reasoning that "Uh... well... a dog is a kinda wolf!" That is wrong on SEVERAL levels.
I have challenged you to show the relevance of THAT specific scripture you quoted as a reply, to those SPECIFIC statements that I was making ... or even allowing any have EVER made in over 7,000 of my comments.
Further, if you refuse to make the connection ... AND since there is prima fascia evidence that there IS NO CONNECTION, then you are just trying to support your pique by bullying someone with a Scripture that has nothing to do with what was being discussed ... or anything I have EVER said.
I do not think there is any connection, and have a legitimate reason to accuse you of attempting to bully.
If you CAN logically and reasonably show the connection, then I am wrong, and your point is valid.
I don't have any spiritual qualifications, but all that is required is a moderate ability to reason.
If, as an example,  a member of the Governing Body is wrong about something, he may have IMMENSE spiritual qualifications, but he is STILL WRONG about that something, whatever it might be.
I DON'T NEED EXAMPLES ....... YOU DO!
Your credibility and a fair impunement of your motives are on the line if you don't have any ...
 

What you just posted is INCREDIBLY important !
THANK YOU!

My observations of reality the way reality REALLY IS may be callous, but today with the final appeal of the Russian Federation Supreme Court ... they proved to be accurate.
... being right covers a multitude of sins .... but only among reality based, rational people.
As a man who has never claimed to be anything but a self-assessed Barbarian, with no spiritual qualifications whatsoever ... your quoting that Scripture seems to have absolutely no relevance whatsoever to anything I have ever stated.
If you would please, correct me with a (or some) specific example(s) of a teaching of God's Spirit that I have NOT accepted.
It should be clear and unambiguous, and REAL.
Opinion is  ... um ... irrelevant.
 

Wewwy?

Photon TORPEDOES ... similar to missiles.

I have a hand-held green laser pistol that will put a spot on a wall in bright daylight, 200 feet away ... unfortunately the hand gun will only punch holes in a person sufficiently potent to drop them only out to about 90 feet.  I made it myself using standard parts, and cost about $800.
It also has a red dot targeting laser set for 75 feet because of the parallax problem between the laser emitter and the hole puncher, but is too weak to be seen in daylight most of the time.
I carry it all the time, it fits in my right-front front pants pocket.
I put it together with SHOE GOO, which you can buy at Wal-Mart.
 
 

Agreed ..... Bro. Charles Taze Russel in the FIRST issue of the Watchtower stated that if the Truth came from Satan, it would still be the Truth ... which of course is self evident ... UNLESS ....
Something did not go someone's way, and said something that was "unapproved" ... or from an "unapproved" source.
THEN  they start collecting fire wood and start chanting  "She's a WITCH ... BURN HER !".
... or "him", as the case may be.

... all of what?
I expect NOTHING from the world, so I do not care about that .. we HAVE to just endure that.
I only care about how we treat each other in the Truth.

I don't worry so much about Satan the Devil, as I worry about clueless men trying to consolidate their own power and self-appointed authority, and who and how many they are willing to hurt to do that.

People don't burn others at the stake because they are rational... they do it based on how they FEEL!
Reality is that the Russians .... FEEL .... that JWs are extremist with an iron fist in a velvet fur glove.
If there is ANYBODY on Earth that understands that, it is the Russians who grew up under Soviet tyranny, where families were turned against each other.
I hope the Court will, in it's ruling(s) explain the reasons WHY they ruled the way they did.
If so ... then we will know.

Everything the Defense said was fair, and true .... Jehovah's witnesses are the most peaceful and non-extremist people on Earth ... EXCEPT IN ONE AREA ... and that is how we destroy whole families to disfellowship one individual ... which unravels  and destroys the very fabric of civilization.
I hope the Court will, in it's ruling(s) explain the REASONS why they ruled the way they did.
.
 

I don't worry so much about Satan the Devil, as I worry about clueless men trying to consolidate their own power and self-appointed authority, and who and how many they are willing to hurt to do that.

People don't burn others at the stake because they are rational... they do it based on how they FEEL!
Reality is that the Russians .... FEEL .... that JWs are extremist with an iron fist in a velvet fur glove.
If there is ANYBODY on Earth that understands that, it is the Russians who grew up under Soviet tyranny, where families were turned against each other.
I hope the Court will, in it's ruling(s) explain the reasons WHY they ruled the way they did.
If so ... then we will know.

Everything the Defense said was fair, and true .... Jehovah's witnesses are the most peaceful and non-extremist people on Earth ... EXCEPT IN ONE AREA ... and that is how we destroy whole families to disfellowship one individual ... which unravels  and destroys the very fabric of civilization.
I hope the Court will, in it's ruling(s) explain the REASONS why they ruled the way they did.
.
 

Less so?
LESS SO?
Gimme a BREAK!
Sort of like a Catholic who died in the 14th century "going to hell" for eating meat on a Friday ... and being tortured continuously for 600 years, until the 20th century when the Pope changed the "rules", and said it was OK to eat meat on Friday?
It's the same idea.
"tremendously burdensome", or LESS "tremendously burdensome" is euphemistic for torture and LESS torture.
FOR NO APPARENT OR DISCERNIBLE REASON
EVERYBODY SAYS. 
"Everybody" includes the Society, which also extrapolates and interprets what Jesus said 2,000 years ago ... to a specific audience about a specific practice of that time, of getting new wives every few months, and dismissing the old ones. This was so the perpetrators could not be accused of fornication or adultery, and be stoned to death, to today's  cruel application that makes no sense at all ... in this specific example being discussed in this thread.
The Jews of that time figured out how to "juke the system" and with a pad of divorce certificates legally as far as the local law was concerned, and never be convicted of adultery, allowing them to  "play around" all they wanted with complete impunity, as long as they were legally certified.
They had their stack of "get out of jail free" divorce cards ready to show the Pharisees  with spears who showed up to accuse them of adultery ... but their "paperwork" was all in order.
In that case of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" ... PAPER beat ROCK(s).
In our time 2,000 years later ... the Brotherhood gets beat up with the same rocks they are forced to carry, for no REAL discernible reason.  "Because that's what we do" is not a valid reason.
Those thousands or tens of thousands in the Brotherhood who have been abandoned .. ARE BEING PUNISHED FOR NOT SCREWING AROUND!
... being PUNISHED for NOT screwing around.
When the one abandoned's FIDELITY and INTEGRITY is punished with a lifetime of hardship and cruelty ... JUSTICE is ONLY a seven letter word, and EVIL stalks the land.
In this specific situation ... does it serve Jehovah God's, or any humans', or ANY theocratic interests in any way, shape or form, for an innocent person to be stuck forever?
NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF.
If you know something I am missing, please explain it here, so the Brotherhood will know WHY (remember WHY?) they, although innocent,  are being punished.
.
 
 
 

Almost .... I might need that three seconds after all.
 

You know, there are actually things to like about JTR. He is not ambitious. He is not proud, at least no more so than anyone. He is a straight shooter. He uses (perhaps) his real name and photo, which is bold. (though I do wonder if he can possibly be so blunt in the KH as he is online - how much of a double life is he leading, if any?) He probably is much like Mickey Spillane in many ways. If you could just get him to lay off on the 3 John 10 thingie, you could almost plant a kiss on his leathery mug.

uh ... depends on the hug.
"... Is that your gun, or are you just happy to see me?"

I don't think I would have argued with you either!

If someone at the KH gave you a hug would they feel it?