Anna

Take note, @The Librarian. Take a screenshot. Save it for posterity. Show it to your grandchildren.
JWI made a comment and he only used ONE WORD!
I’ve heard of turning over a new leaf before, but this takes it to a whole ‘nother level.
”There were too many...um...uh....notes,” the prince told Mozart.

Actions speak louder than words. Personally I know that many JW's recycle, they prefer to purchase energy saving appliances, ride bikes instead of drive a car, conscientiously try to conserve water and be careful about littering and dumping contaminated things where they don't belong. Why would they do that if they didn't care? On top of that, as the article mentions, most of our new buildings are "green" .
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/united-states/gbi-awards-four-green-globes-sustainable-design/
http://www.constructionmanagermagazine.com/onsite/witness-model-construction-project/
It is our earth, given to us by Jehovah. Knowing that God will sort things out, is no excuse to treat the planet he gave us with disrespect. On the contrary. And as far as I know, that is every JW's attitude, including mine.
As for some kind of activism, well no, JWs don't take part in that because they know it is futile. And people who believe activism will help, then they are being naive, because the matter of money always comes first, and then concerns about the environment. Money will always win.

This is why I said that I would have handled it differently. Lloyd will go in this direction should he answer this fellow. There is a playbook from which they do not deviate much.
 I would have gone the way that I did go when a similar charge came up, around the time of the Gulf oil spill almost a decade ago:
.....Now, this verbal exchange was well before the gulf oil-spill, that mother of all environmental catastrophes.  “How to clean up the mess? And who's at blame!” declared Time Magazine's cover of June 21, 2010,  against a backdrop of oil-soaked pelicans. (I was mildly surprised that the questions were not posed in reverse order) Time listed a “dirty dozen” which included the prior President, of course, and his Secretary of State, but also the current President and some of his underlings. A handful of oilmen, needless to say, and one or two indulgent regulators. Even the ubiquitous American driver, since he fuels demand for oil in the first place. Got it? We're all to blame. There are no good guys in white hats, only bad guys in black, oily ones. 
And to think I was upbraided just a few weeks ago, along with all my people, for not picking up the roadside trash. “Enough Jehovah's Witness preaching, already!” scolded my interlocutor, “what good is that? Do something useful, instead,” said he, and then proceeded to wax poetic on how he and his entire family took part in a local park clean-up, picking up crud that other slobs had tossed here, there, and everywhere. Look, I'm not against cleanup days, but how silly to imagine that, by thus taking part, we're saving the planet, when, in one dastardly swoop, the entire gulf can be ruined by one big-industry blunder. In fact, reports have it that local picker-uppers are showing up on the coast only to be told to get lost – this is a job for pros!
No, I won't stand for it – to be told preaching is valueless and community cleanup days are the path to salvation. And don't mistake that statement as unconcern for the environment! When the kids were little and we hiked trails at Allegheny State Park, we'd take trash bags with us and make a treasure hunt out of it, collecting beer and pop cans along the way – some had been there for years. (there were even some of the ancient tin types, cans that had been opened, not with pop-tops, but with can openers such as I remember from when I was a kid – extra points awarded for such finds!) And heaven help you if you are the pig dumping fast food trash out the car window and Mrs. Sheepandgoats is driving behind you! Steam comes from her ears. She all but rams your bumper and slaps you in handcuffs, hauling you to the sheriff in citizens' arrest. 
One fellow is griping here about Jehovah's Witnesses: "They don’t even need to recycle if they don’t want to." What kind of an accusation is that? Are there groups that maintain their people MUST recycle, whether they want to or not? Where recycling is the law of the land/community, JW compliance is higher than most, I've no doubt, since they are well-known to be law-abiding. Where it is not the law of the land, likely JW compliance is still higher than most, out of respect for the planet. Look, when financially secure, trendy neighborhoods take up recycling as their special cause, I admit, they may outdo the average Witness. But we surely shine when compared to the population in general. I attended a wine festival over the weekend. Each vendor offered samples of wine, cheese, candy, sauce, whatever, in one-use plastic cups, or plates, or skewering toothpicks. Were they recycled? I doubt it. All trash was mixed together. In the medical field, everything is one-use only, disposable, in the interests of sanitation. Nothing is washed. Nothing is reused. Again, all trash is mixed together. I once worked part-time for a retail inventory firm, reputed to be the country's largest consumer of AAA batteries. Do you imagine those batteries were recycled? When I asked about it, they laughed at me. In the trash they'd go....each and every one of them. 
Look, I'm all for local clean-up-the-park days. Same with clean-up-the-roadside days. None of Jehovah's Witnesses will ever speak against such things, unless you count observations that such are, at best, a stop-gap measure, and that the lasting solution will come only when God carries out his promise to “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” We tend to use our free time to highlight this latter solution, the one that, in the end, counts. My experience is that it's only the tiniest sliver of the population who take part in such cleanups, anyway – it's not as if JWs are thwarting the whole effort. And surely it must count for something that Jehovah's Witnesses aren't among those who caused the mess in the first place. 
“This [JW belief that God's Kingdom only can permanently solve earth's environmental woes] leads to the undeniable fact that Witnesses take almost no initiative towards making the world we live in a better place in any way:” someone tries to sell me that line. Hogwash! Not to oversimplify, but if the entire population were Witnesses, there would be no need for efforts to make the world we live in a better place. This, because of the traits which are instilled into each Witness. Law-abiding to the core, honest, working, not abusing government services, not contributing to the criminal element freely operating in most lands, promoting stable, monogamous families – all this by virtue of making Bible principles a way of life. Thus, merely propagating Witness beliefs is a step toward making the world a better place.
Meanwhile, I had to go to Canada (the Globe and Mail, June 19th) to discover that at least half of the leaked gulf oil is being recovered through various means, such as salvage ships that corral surface oil and burn it. It really is true that the U.S. media ignores even qualified good news, preferring to focus only the overwhelming devastation itself, along with who is to blame, and delighting in the President's declaration that he's looking for “asses to kick,” even while insinuating that his own “ass” might be among them, that the oil spill is his Katrina, and so forth. Sigh....that's what we're good at here: kicking asses.
 

Just another example of people bowing and scraping and acqiescing to my every whim. It gets so old.

Who told you this? But one thing doesn't seem believable, and that is actually replacing a jw.org flag. I cannot imagine there was a jw.org flag in the window. In fact why would the Chilean brothers have a flag, its usually just a plaque outside the KH. 

Who told you this? But one thing doesn't seem believable, and that is actually replacing a jw.org flag. I cannot imagine there was a jw.org flag in the window. In fact why would the Chilean brothers have a flag, its usually just a plaque outside the KH. 

Actually, the elder I mentioned previously has had a beard for many, many years, while an elder, well before 2015.

They do believe in the anointed. They believe every single person is anointed because they all believe they will go to heaven...

Who told you this? But one thing doesn't seem believable, and that is actually replacing a jw.org flag. I cannot imagine there was a jw.org flag in the window. In fact why would the Chilean brothers have a flag, its usually just a plaque outside the KH. 

Who told you this? But one thing doesn't seem believable, and that is actually replacing a jw.org flag. I cannot imagine there was a jw.org flag in the window. In fact why would the Chilean brothers have a flag, its usually just a plaque outside the KH. 

it's a difficult situation and you make some valid points. What I do know is that congregations are not "policed" from HQ but that each congregation has some relative autonomy, depending on local practices and customs of the country they are in. A typical example is that of beards. It is the elders as a body, who decide whether brothers with beards will be given privileges or not, not HQ. Also, one of the reasons the CO visits every 6 months is to make sure that the congregation is happy, and that the elders are not "lording it over the flock". There are congregations that are thriving and doing very well, and then others that are not. There are reasons behind that. And those reasons will be made known to the CO. (By either some elder, who does not agree with some decision, or publishers). Let's say for example that the elders decided it's ok to fly a flag, but most in the congregation are upset about it. So some publishers move away, or stop going, or stop answering, or stop field service etc....The CO will detect the spirit of the congregation and will see something is wrong.   The CO knows one important thing that all elders must do, and that is consider the congregation's spiritual interests first. As shepherds, they must treat the flock with care. So when the CO comes back in 6 months, and the congregation is the same or worse, then the CO knows things did not get resolved and some further action has to be taken.
 
That is one way of doing it. But the elders should know their flock well, and they should know how individuals feel. And I can tell you, if someone complains (about an important matter) then the elders WILL know about it. (Unless they are blind and deaf).
I already partially answered it above. It depends on what it is. But regardless of how it's done, it should always be done in the spiritual interest of the congregation. And if it is not, then the congregation will show signs of suffering and this will be seen by the CO and will be remedied. But I do agree with you, some things should be put before the whole congregation.

Actually that is not true. One of the brothers in my mum's congregation has a full beard and is an elder and WT conductor. Then there is another brother, a ministerial servant with a goatiee. He does the microphones. I would post a picture of them but can't because of privacy reasons. Also I have a number of friends in England who have short beards. Now it's coming to the USA as well. There are brothers in some congregations who have beards. So far no privileges, but they go out in field service. 10 years ago you would have not seen that here (USA).  I guess it's because of this Sept 2016 WT : 17 What about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard? The Mosaic Law required men to wear a beard. However, Christians are not under the Mosaic Law, nor are they obliged to observe it. (Lev. 19:27; 21:5; Gal. 3:24, 25) In some cultures, a neatly trimmed beard may be acceptable and respectable, and it may not detract at all from the Kingdom message. In fact, some appointed brothers have beards. Even so, some brothers might decide not to wear a beard. (1 Cor. 8:9, 13; 10:32) In other cultures or localities, beards are not the custom and are not considered acceptable for Christian ministers. In fact, having one may hinder a brother from bringing glory to God by his dress and grooming and his being irreprehensible.—Rom. 15:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 7.    After that WT our CO at the time said that he is expecting some beards soon. And he was right.
Saluting the Flag was raised to a highly doctrinal matter. The flag itself is not the problem. Its just an emblem, or identifier of a country. Just like money is not the problem, it's the love of money.
True. But with some things it is not possible. Sometimes patience is the way to go.
Not the elders I know! But yes, there can be some that are not very good. But I have only met about 3 in my life time. Things always get sorted out in the end though. Yes, the whistlers are good sometimes.

If this fact, then the WT really needs to revisit the definition of conscience!

Actually that is not true. One of the brothers in my mum's congregation has a full beard and is an elder and WT conductor. Then there is another brother, a ministerial servant with a goatiee. He does the microphones. I would post a picture of them but can't because of privacy reasons. Also I have a number of friends in England who have short beards. Now it's coming to the USA as well. There are brothers in some congregations who have beards. So far no privileges, but they go out in field service. 10 years ago you would have not seen that here (USA).  I guess it's because of this Sept 2016 WT : 17 What about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard? The Mosaic Law required men to wear a beard. However, Christians are not under the Mosaic Law, nor are they obliged to observe it. (Lev. 19:27; 21:5; Gal. 3:24, 25) In some cultures, a neatly trimmed beard may be acceptable and respectable, and it may not detract at all from the Kingdom message. In fact, some appointed brothers have beards. Even so, some brothers might decide not to wear a beard. (1 Cor. 8:9, 13; 10:32) In other cultures or localities, beards are not the custom and are not considered acceptable for Christian ministers. In fact, having one may hinder a brother from bringing glory to God by his dress and grooming and his being irreprehensible.—Rom. 15:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 7.    After that WT our CO at the time said that he is expecting some beards soon. And he was right.
Saluting the Flag was raised to a highly doctrinal matter. The flag itself is not the problem. Its just an emblem, or identifier of a country. Just like money is not the problem, it's the love of money.
True. But with some things it is not possible. Sometimes patience is the way to go.
Not the elders I know! But yes, there can be some that are not very good. But I have only met about 3 in my life time. Things always get sorted out in the end though. Yes, the whistlers are good sometimes.

Right. So they are effectively being told what to do, (in order to show the government it's a matter of conscience for the congregation) therefor where does the matter of conscience come into this? It's another one of those paradoxes! Actually it's more like a contradiction.

If this fact, then the WT really needs to revisit the definition of conscience!

Right. So they are effectively being told what to do, (in order to show the government it's a matter of conscience for the congregation) therefor where does the matter of conscience come into this? It's another one of those paradoxes! Actually it's more like a contradiction.

Well I got an answer from the brother with connections to Chile and elsewhere in South America, but it's very hard to believe. The answer is so odd that I hate to offer it yet as an explanation.
So I also called about 12 different KH numbers, including an Assembly Hall number and the main number for Chile on JW.ORG (which matches the number on the "infamous" letterhead). I recorded the messages I got on each number. Some rang 'forever' and some had "no service" messages, and two had recorded messages after which I could have left a call-back number, but didn't. I am still going to have to call again next week, to attempt further verification.
The friend I met with definitely knows about the Internet "hoopla." The son-in-law who was a Circuit Overseer there has come back to the USA more than once with his wife (my friend's daughter) due to a medical condition treated here. They have gone back, but each time to a different assignment, sometimes in different countries of South America. So I couldn't get an exact response about "a firsthand" experience with the topic in Chile since 2014. Neither of his daughters (or sons-in-law) are currently in Chile. 
So here was the answer that still needs more verification (mostly because I find it hard to believe). He stated it very matter-of-factly, and didn't seem to see a problem with it at all.
Circuit Overseers are evidently told to strongly encourage the display of the flag on specific mandatory days ONLY in those areas where there have been past legal issues in the area regarding enforcement. Enforcement is not uniform, even though it applies to all buildings. Other circuit overseers have been told to strongly discourage the display of the flag on the premises of a KH, with certain exceptions regarding property ownership by individuals volunteering a property's free use as a KH.
I asked about why he thought an inconsistent policy would be encouraged. His answer to that question was what really seemed more disconcerting:
"Because if some congregations do and some don't, the government will see that this is a matter of conscience, and will realize that they [local JWs] aren't being ordered to handle the matter one way or another [based on a directive] from the [Watch Tower] Society."
I didn't have the heart to point out that this is a strange way to prove that something is really a matter of conscience.

I'm not completely sure what this thread is even about. Offhand, it seems like an attempt by the hypercritical people to get the picayune and the righteous-overmuch people going. 
We all know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. So whatever is seen is Chili either squares with it or it doesn't. 
If it does, then there will be some trickery involved to get people all incensed over it. It may be fraud by photoshop or trespasser sabotage. Or there may be something circumstantial or cultural that we know nothing about..
If it doesn't. then it will be corrected, now or later. It always is. 
Once I came after you with the charge that you had an agenda and you responded with: 'Of course, I have an agenda.' I said to myself: 'The old pork chop is right. He does has one. So do I. So does everyone.' Stay here any length of time and it becomes clear who the players are and what are their agendas. They range in shades of from off-white to downright black. Thus everything anyone offers ought to be seen in this light, and the posts of some ought to be 90% dismissed on this basis alone.
The ideal is what C.T. Russell stated, that he would accept a truth even if it was from the Devil himself. But the reality is, how would you know it is the truth? Far more likely is it that he is just lying like he always does, using abundant tricks of the trade to make you think he is telling you the truth. The tools for lying are legion today, far more than in Russell's time, what with photoshopping and all. Even without photoshopping , we all know the reality of information selectively given without context or in manufactured context in hopes that people will come to false conclusions, so that @JW Insider finally has to say: 'I'll go down there myself and shake the truth out of those bad brothers (if bad brothers they be).' Obviously that is something few brothers can do, not just on account of resources, nor even on account of time, but on account of best use of time.
And if we get so worked up about reports from those whose agendas are manifestly cockeyed, if not downright foul, in these days of photoshop, what on earth will we do in the days of 'deep fakes', a day that is rapidly dawning? If anyone doesn't know the term, a casual Google search will reveal that it is the manipulation of video evidence, so that any head can be attached to any body and be made to say anything the poster wants? Are you going to lose you're cookies, then, when a GB member appears in the nude to recommend that we all start showing a little sympathy for the Devil? Because you know it is coming.
(My own prophesy, by the way, is that deep fakes will instantly be turned upon children, as technological advances usually are, for the sake of ratcheting up the bullying that they are already taking their own lives over. Since generating those deep fakes is only possible with an abundance of still photos to feed into generators, any source of those abundant photos is going to be sued off the planet. It will not be enough for social media sites to say that what they did was perfectly legal at the time and was agreed to by their users. Laws will be reinterpreted to say that they have violated them. You think lawsuits today have gotten out of hand?)
So you have to go by someone's manifest agenda. In this regard, @BillyTheKid46's comments are among the most appropriate, even if he is prickly is his presentation. Witness the modern sanctification of the term 'whistleblower'. Whistleblowers are useful, of course, but they are more useful in blowing the cover off an evil organization. Almost all of the self-styled  'whistleblowers' here think  that Jehovah's organization is evil. If you are one, like me, who doesn't think that, then you discount their comments on that basis alone.
People's veracity should be judged by always keeping in mind their overall agenda.
It is like a WT article that dealt with those occasional Bible accounts that are downright strange and even paint God in a bad light. 'All we see is a little snippet,' it said. 'What do you do with a close friend who has had your back and earned your trust over time and you know him through and through, but then you hear a bad report about him? Do you say: "YEAH! I knew it! He is a rat!" ?
Unfortunately, it is a crazy age we live in in which loyalty is seen as the mark of a chump, and there are many people who are that way.
It is like when I pointed out that the Geoffrey Jackson on Twitter was not the real Geoffrey Jackson and @Witness took a breather from bludgeoning everyone with irrelevant scriptures to say 'How do you know that it is not him?' It has his picture, doesn't it? 'He' even said'pray for our brothers in Russia.
Duh. You know it is not him because she says that it is. Presently it was revealed that he didn't give a hoot in hell for 'our brothers is Russia.' - kill them all as far as he is concerned. It was all a ruse so as to capture the attention of naïve brothers and redirect it to unflattering reports elsewhere.

That will be great! Can't wait to hear what he says.
That would be great too! Thanks! I was wondering about the cost, I didn't think of Google phone etc. The hall I posted the telephone number to is actually the same hall we have been discussing on here, and the one with the flag pole you posted a street view of. There are two English congs. that meet there. The Vina del Mar, and Santiago. But you probably already know that.
P.S. Ignore the previous. I did another check, and it actually looks like the KH with the flag on Manuel Antonio Matta 2925, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, is no longer there. At least it's not on jw.org "find a meeting". At first it looked like it was, but then I checked again, this time looking at the map on the right, and it does not indicate a hall there.... So the English congs. are actually on 2 Oriente 1076 VIÑA DEL MAR . It looks pretty posh compared to the one on Manuel Antonio Matta. I didn't notice a flag pole. 
 

It is a mild hypocrisy but nothing more. 
It is like when brothers decry those who love violence but then tune into the football game.
It is like when Jesus turns water into wine and the director says: “Every other man puts out the fine wine first, and then when guests are intoxicated the inferior. But you have saved the best for last!” 
One uber-righteous brother (for we do have some) stated: “We know people were not intoxicated at that gathering because Jesus would NEVER associate with those intoxicated.” I thought: “Of course he would. The verse all but says he did.”
Good ol Jubulasiasen, who can’t hold his liquor and ordinarily doesn’t have to worry about it because he drinks only in moderation has a few too many at the joyous gathering and makes an ass of himself, incurring the wrath of his wife on account of the embarrassment.

I've seen this letter before. In my opinion it looks genuine. 

I've seen this letter before. In my opinion it looks genuine. 

I will be happy to. But at 2pm today I'm actually driving out of state to meet an elder whose 2 sons-in-law are/were(?) circuit overseers in Paraguay and Chile respectively. One was the "Home Overseer" for several years, but I don't recall whether that was the one or Paraguay or Chile. The purpose of the visit is unrelated, but I will definitely remember to ask him about the Chilean flags.
I can't imagine that he doesn't know. But if not, I volunteer to call one or more of the KH's in Chile. BTW, at most it's a very low charge, sometimes just a few cents to call through Google Phone, or other IP phone services.

That line is parallel too. Although a bit difficult to see because of the fence post

 
Yes, it must be, and that's what threw me initially.
I know what you mean. But it's very way out....In any case, we know there is definitely evidence of a flag pole there as per Google. I think there is a phone number for the hall on jw.org. as well. Anybody know Spanish? Oh...they speak English, it's the English congregation:
Meeting times: Thursday 7:30, Sunday 11am, Chile time (GTM-3)
Tel from the USA: 001 56 32-2978789
Any volunteers? @JW Insider ?