Anna

Yes. Not only that, but it doesn't cease to amaze me that we still have a hard time understanding that all our info. (pertaining to spiritual and/or organizational matters) always (should) come either from the Bible, via a letter read to the cong. or on the website. Any other means is hearsay or opinion. As regards the veracity of pictures shared, well a little bit of common sense definitely helps!

Here is a nice bit of trivia I heard: IF we have sent 9 million letters to one official (a realistic possibility) and each envelope is 1mm thick and stacked on top of the other, then they will reach higher than Mt. Everest . I like this visual. Better than the picture of a US post office with Christmas mail, hailed as our letters to Russia. Yes, this was circulated on social media and thousands fell for it, just like they did with the "announcement at morning worship"

I think True Tom was just being "poetic" not realistic. He is a writer you know, they can't help themselves . No offense @TrueTomHarley it was a good read

It's always a good idea to cite your source when quoting from publications ect. for two reason: 1.so people can look it up, and 2.So you are not mistakenly credited as the author.

I thought by posting it you are already agreeing with it. Why would you post something you don't agree with?

Ummmm......if you don't mind me asking, why do you always like your own comments?

Sometimes we have to be careful that we don't single ourselves out as being the only religion that is persecuted, because that simply is not true (I know you are not saying that). Even the Orthodox Church in Russia has as its fair share of persecution during the Bolsheviks. However, your Bible study is quite right, at present it seems that the only ones that are due to be banned are Jehovah's Witnesses. Interesting indeed Here is an interesting article (I apologize if someone has already posted this). I like this comment: " “No one else is in a comparable position to that of the Jehovah’s Witness community,” Alexander Verkhovsky of the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis told Forum 18 last month". http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2017/march/russia-liquidate-jehovahs-witnesses-evangelicals.html

Very professional layout, but I can't understand a word!

I never disputed any of that. I just said no one important will read them . I mean it's logical, would you read over a million letters? (perhaps 8 million). Would you even want to OPEN that amount of letters? I worked as a secretary for a government official, and I can tell you, if I got over a million letters every day for several days, I know what my employer would have said. I don't want to be rude on here. In any case, what would have happened, because they are pretty identifiable (they follow a particular address format), my employer would have probably employed a few college students to sort through them and put all the ones that look like they are regarding the same subject into a big bag to deal with "later" . I wouldn't be surprised if similar instructions might be given at post office level in Moscow, where they are all going to bottleneck, and never even reach their destination. In which case the post office will be livid too. The funny thing is, they will have to sort through them in case they miss an important letter. Or it's possible they might have ways around that..... close the post office for a few days, and have in going and out going official and presidential letters mailed privately....

To be absolutely honest, and realistic, in all none of those letters (whether in a JW org. envelope or not) will be read by anyone important and they will go straight into the garbage even without the pretense of being "displaced". Also they will annoy quite a few people because of the sheer volume, namely post office employees, and as you say, the secretaries But regardless of that, they will have still fulfilled their objective.

Thanks for the pics! I hate being a spoil sport, but most of us know no one important will read these, and if Russia has already made their mind up (which it probably has) then these letters won't budge them. However, they will know what they are about and who sent them, they will clog up the Moscow post office, they will bring worldwide attention, and most importantly, they will strengthen and encourage our friends in Russia. So I just mailed ours.

I don't understand why this ever has to become a problem. An "open dissenter" surely knows that they will get thrown out and that in all probability no one, not even their loved ones will fraternize with them as if nothing has happened. They are not ignorant as to the consequences, and they should not have been ignorant of them at their baptism either. (Ch14 in the Organized to do Jehovah's Will book, and page.193 question 27).

Then I misunderstood what David Normand meant by concern. In context, to "show concern for the Russian people and their leaders" I took to mean to show care, interest, involvement and to "worry over". Other synonyms for care (concern) are tenderness, warmth, and friendship. That kind of concern is fine for the Russian people on the whole, but I feel would be hypocritical regarding the leaders and has nothing to do with the recognition of the leader's relative authority and respect for their position. Of course, if someone feels genuine concern, interest, worry and care for the leaders they should not hesitate to show that. I just said I couldn't do it. Thanks, I learned a new word. Much more sophisticated than "brown nosing". True I have had my fair share of the taste of Communism. It was enough.

Pity that a hand with a nail hadn't been found also

I doubt anybody is even going to read the letters, but the fact that the Russian postal service is suddenly going to be inundated with millions of letters to Moscow will speak volumes. There IS strength in numbers, and Moscow will know who these letters are from and why they are being sent, and that's the important part. The whole world is going to notice. I don't think I could stomach showing concern for Russia's leaders. We don't have to "brown nose" to put our point across. We would surely be hypocritical if we did that...

Cool! Thank you Eoin!!

OK. Thanks

Allen, I DO know what it meant for God to have forsaken Christ. WT 11/ 8/15 p.16 16 The Messiah would seem forsaken by God. (Read Psalm 22:1.) In accord with prophecy, “at the ninth hour [about three o’clock in the afternoon] Jesus called out with a loud voice: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ which means, when translated: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34) Jesus had not lost faith in his heavenly Father. God abandoned Jesus to his enemies by taking away His protection so that Christ’s integrity might be fully tested. And by crying out as he did, Jesus fulfilled Psalm 22:1. So my point was, would God interfere with the manner of execution, and torture device to which he was nailed to? IF traditionally the Romans used a cross, then would Jehovah make them use a stake? As I said, the whole process was wrong. Jesus was wrongfully sentenced and he was killed like an ordinary criminal. He was put into the hands of Pagans. And Jehovah let it be. So why shouldn't he be nailed to a Pagan symbol as well? That doesn't mean I necessarily believe it was a cross, but I wouldn't insist it wasn't. Because we really don't know for sure.

I know. But you seem to think that JWs do infringe on the other's rights and freedom...

Why, who is doing that??

Of course, taken out of context and the way you put it may sound insulting but still NOT vitriolic. In context if the cap fits....and the truth hurts.... Regardless, would you want to retaliate in such a manner, like a child, throwing a tantrum and getting "daddy" (Putin) to go fight your battles? "We are going to get daddy to go take care of these nasty people calling us names and converting our people, adding to the already dwindling numbers of (Orthodox) church goers. We are going to get daddy to ban all other religions so that people don't have any other choice but to chose us." It's sad, and laughable at the same time. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/world/europe/24church.html P.S. What about the other religions, what have they done to deserve persecution? P.P.S They like to use a lot of words, and emotive language, but what do those words actually mean?? Example: “We deplore those who are led astray — those Jehovah’s Witnesses, Baptists, evangelicals, Pentecostals and many others who cut Christ’s robes like bandits, who are like the soldiers who crucified Christ, who ripped apart Christ’s holy coat,” declared the priest, the Rev. Aleksei D. Zorin.

It's irrelevant to me, but it is not irrelevant to the "world" and that is who we were talking about. I very much doubt the ARC would have summoned the Pope if he was in Australia. Trust me, they do not view the Pope the same as the GB of Jehovah's Witnesses. Not in this case anyway. It wasn't just about cold blooded legal matters, it was about policies to better protect children from sexual abuse, and how to better care for victims and deal with perpetrators, policies which need to have the approval of the GB in order to become valid policies.

Hahaha, that is a kind of oxymoron as the conscience is a personal matter and what is acceptable to one persons conscience might not be acceptable to an other. I have a feeling the Society has recognized that this thinking (by the JWs who consult with them) is a bit flawed because it takes away personal research and personal conviction and the gift of free will. Like in the WT study article a couple of weeks ago quoted a woman " Do not make me think; just tell me what to do. That is easier." I don't know if you or anyone else noticed a BIG change in the new Advance Directive. There are no longer any options for minor blood fractions that you can check. There is merely several lines of space under point 4 "Regarding other health care instructions" . So the holder of the directive is invited to put in his own words what other health care instructions he/she may wish to insert. When I filed it out,I did not consult with any elder as to what I should put there I merely broadly mentioned that "I may be willing to accept some minor blood fractions, but the details will have to be discussed with me...." Of course in order to be able to discuss any details, one has to inform oneself so that one knows what one is talking about, and that is the point I think. I mentioned this to the elders and they just looked at me. Then it crossed my mind that I wonder what they would have said if I asked them what I should write under point 4. I have a strong feeling they would have told me to go and do some research, and perhaps told me what publications to look up. I also have a feeling that this is also because of legal implications. No one can then say anyone was coerced into stating a particular wish. So really it is a good idea that portion 4 is left blank and it is up to the holder to inset his/her wishes. A definite improvement to get publishers to use their brain!

I have not read or heard ANYTHING vitriolic by the Org. regarding other Christian faiths (besides perhaps Rutherford's remarks back in the 40's) Could you perhaps give a few examples?