The heavenly resurrection begins after the fall of Babylon the Great

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

Some signs are really important .... some ... not so much.

[TrueTomHarley]

Inadequate attention has been paid, and is being paid, to the signs of the prophet Simon. In his writings, he declares how people will live in these latter days that include plagues:

”Hiding in my room, sacred in my room, I touch no one and no one touches me.” - Paul Simon

He continues, indicating where people may find relief:

”I have my books. And my poetry to protect me.”

Let the reader use discernment. The ‘books’ he is referring to are the 66 books of the Holy Bible. The ‘poetry’ consists of the poignant remarks he posts right here on the worldnewsmedia forum.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

Peter was a rock ... but Simon was a rock AND an island.

[JW Insider]

23 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

to the signs of the prophet Simon

As I recall, the words were on the subway walls and tenement halls. They were the ones tagged in spray paint: Neon-the-god.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

 

Not to be confused with Leon The Professional.

"The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence."

...and SPEAKING of "sounds of silence", that brings up the question, *coff* ....

( .... cues the cymbalist .... )

If a JW votes in a national election ... will there be congregational sanctions against him?

 

 

[TrueTomHarley]

5 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Peter was a rock ... but Simon was a rock AND an island.

Bart Ehrman no doubt claims that this little twist of theology got him banned as a ‘false prophet.’

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

 

44 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Bart Ehrman no doubt claims that this little twist of theology got him banned as a ‘false prophet.’

That would make it a gross prophet margin .... I have heard of that!

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

I can see being in isolation has cracked you lot up already 

As for James' question :-

If a JW votes in a national election ... will there be congregational sanctions against him?

Answer : Not right now because all meetings are cancelled. 

[TrueTomHarley]

10 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

If a JW votes in a national election

If you like, you may be able to vote for Andrew Cuomo, seeing as you are so eager to vote. You can vote for him. In the best of times, he is a nanny, and now that it is the worst of times, he has gone into overdrive, oozing his concern for everyone, and there are many who are blown away by his caring (and contrast him with Trump, who is so heavy of tongue that some wish they would get Aaron to fill in for him). I am seeing in comments to his tweets: Cuomo for President. There is a hashtag for it. This crisis is made to order for him, as he does best when there is no scrutiny whatsoever about the price tag. Someone speculated that if Biden gets the nod, it will somehow end up being AC running the show—probably starting with a VP nomination.

You would like him, James. He would tell you to be cautious with your chickens in case there are any health risks to living in close proximity to them. He tells New Yorkers to bundle up when it is cold. He explains how when the temperature drops it can get dangerous to be out in the weather. He refers on occasion to the ‘family of New York,’ notwithstanding that one family member wins the Nobel prize and another family member lands in the hoosegow for knifing yet a third. They are all family members. You would make a good family member, too. 

This is human government, James. Do your bit to smooth his way. Or do your bit to oppose him and smooth someone else’s way. He will take your guns, probably. On the other hand, by doing so he may be saving you a lifetime of trouble, for if you use one and kill/injure somebody you may spend the rest of your days fending off litigation of one sort or another.

Savor in the blessings that human government can bring, if you like.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

TTH:

I posted the " ...If a JW votes in a national election ... will there be congregational sanctions against him? ", here, a carryover joke from the "JWs Only" closed club." as a running gag because in ONE MONTH (starting tomorrow) many people have commented about this-and-that in the closed club... as you did just now .... and NO ONE has  answered the question asked, even with a simple "Yes", or "No"., and quite frankly I find that incredibly sad, and also somewhat funny, as missives and epistles have been generated to AVOID answering that very simple question .... just as you just did, in the preceding post.

I was going to make this a three paragraph long run-on sentence, like the Apostle Paul is famous for, but it unexpectedly came to an abrupt stop with that observation.

I had someone once ask me, about my making jokes about EVERYTHING, seemingly, with " .. do you EVER turn off?"

I answered " No, I don't think I do ..." and then over they years I meditated on WHY I seemingly never "turn off" my attempts to see humor in everything, and after awhile, it dawned on me why I am like this.

It is so hard to extract honesty from anyone ...anyone at all ... on any subject whatsoever, that if I did not laugh about it, I would never stop crying about it, as I have a desperate hunger for honesty and straightforwardness that apparently will never be satiated.

Not even with something as simple as getting an official, honest, dependable, reliable direct answer to  .... "If a JW votes in a national election ... will there be congregational sanctions against him?", asking it here on these two forums, viewed by perhaps 400 and more JWs, and after a dozen or so unsuccessful tries.

 

 

 

[TrueTomHarley]

2 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

Not even with something as simple as getting an official, honest, dependable, reliable direct answer to  .... "If a JW votes in a national election ... will there be congregational sanctions against him?", asking it here on these two

Oh, for crying out loud! It may be because there is only a thimbleful of JWs who feel any need to vote—we are not exactly immersed in politics here—and so nobody who really knows the answer to your question.

2 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

 I seemingly never "turn off" my attempts to see humor in everything

I also rely on humor, and find it a very resilient way of addressing anything. The only downside is something you yourself pointed out: there is a huge percentage of people—did you say 1/3?—who have NO sense of humor. And there is no requirement for them to do so. It is not one of the fruits of the spirit, so that I try to cultivate the ability to turn it on and off as needed.

2 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

as I have a desperate hunger for honesty and straightforwardness 

Yes. That is why people put up with you here, even when you stretch their patience to the breaking point. I have acknowledged that both of these qualities are your strengths and the reason that you and I would probably get along with each other in person very well, even with your pigheadedness

2 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

that apparently will never be satiated.

You expect much of people. They don’t always deliver. I think of one published interview with an elderly sister who has hung in there through thick and thin. “Don’t expect too much from people,” she says. ‘Accept with gratitude whatever it is they offer; don’t harp on where they fall short.‘

And to walk back on any ‘snarky’ impression I may have left about Andrew Cuomo: He is doing a press conference right now, and he cannot be faulted, at least no more than any human leader can be faulted. He is erudite where Trump is blunt and hyperbolic, and he makes a very good impression. He nannies, but many feel that is exactly the ticket. He believes in the power of government. Those who think like Reagan—‘government is the problem’—will not like him, but there is no question he is working his tail off.

It is human leaders doing their best. They reach no consensus as to what way is the best, but overall I am impressed that they work so well together (the ones that I have seen) and ones who I know full well cannot stand one another are publicly cooperating and saying good of one another. It is some in media who stir the pot, but then many think that is their job. Trump took someone’s head off the other day for a fairly innocuous question—I think there is some bad blood in the past and he may have read a ‘false positive.’ On the other hand, the question—about ‘What message would you give to the American people?’—well, isn’t that the entire purpose of the news conference? so Trump may have taken it as a set-up line, to be followed by the typical criticism. Dunno. But those at his own network consoled and preened over him and wished that ‘the President had displayed as much professionalism as did you.’

That is why you do not continually find fault. In the event that you want to change tack, you find your overture is found suspect, if not outright rejected—there are fundamental facts of human nature that too many people are oblivious to.

Human leaders doing their best. They actually seem upright at the moment, but with inadequate wisdom for the occasion. Is it good to handle things as they are? Horrible though a pandemic will be, nothing is worth bringing on another Great Depression, others have said.

I am very content to be in Jehovah’s organization at the moment and I have little problem forgiving men their trespasses. There are some who you think if ones could only come to do that, most of their problems would resolve. To the extent that they do not, they go through life shooting themselves in the foot.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Or one could suggest that you Tom are taking the cowardly way out. You are trying to convince yourself that it is God's organisation, as it makes life easier for you. You then just obey your GB and follow without question. How simple, not to think for yourself.  Content to just be a follower of men.  Even though you know how rotten the CCJW is. But perhaps God will judge you on that, because you have intelligence enough and knowledge enough  to know better, but you prefer to hide behind the rule of men.  So it could be you that is shooting yourself in the foot.  After all if the disciples hadn't have broken away from the Jewish way of life, they would not have found truth from Christ. Hence many have left the CCJW and are looking for truth through Christ. Time will tell who is right.