carlos

There have been some great comments so far. I just want to mention that what the Swedish government is contemplating is to stop giving the branch money. I think "persecution" is a bit too strong word for that, they are not banning Jehovah's Witnesses or sending us to prison. While it's convenient for the branch to receive those funds, we have managed many years without them, in fact in most countries we don't receive any funds from the government. In Spain where I live, Jehovah's Witnesses don't receive any grants from the government, while the Catholic Church and others do. Unfair, sure, but not really persecution.

I find it very unlikely that the destruction of all false religion can be completed in just a few days. Laws will have to be passed. With all the fanatics out there, I guess there will violence and fights, maybe riots in some places. All of that will take some time. Then governments and merchants will need to realize that destroying false religion will take a toll on their economy. That won't happen in a week or two either.

That's the problem of asking in an internet forum. It's not like we are an official channel or anything. The friends who are replying know as much as you do. Imagine asking a question from all the attendees to a circuit assembly. How many different answers will you receive? Well, there are more members here than attendees at the assembly.

And obviously that is what was meant. The brothers believed that the new world would arrive immediately. There is no need to try and justify that statement, they had an expectation that was wrong. Exactly as the 1st century Christians. Initially that talk was titled "Millions now living may never die". After some time, Rutherford got pumped up and replaced the "may" with "will". It was a wrong expectation as many others. We cannot criticize them for believing the end was imminent, because actually that was the task Jehovah had given them, to help the congregation keep in mind the day of Jehovah.

I contacted Richard some weeks ago. He was fine but very busy with responsibilities. He said he's trying to limit the time he spends online but still visits the forums from time to time. That makes his comments here even more valuable, doesn't it?

That sounds like a very specific situation. What you mention could happen to many professionals who have to see people undressed: doctors, nurses, caregivers for elderly or disabled people... Do they sometimes have to deal with someone with indecent intentions? Maybe, but as long as they just do their work there is nothing wrong in what they do. You may find people with indecent intentions in all kinds of situations and you simply ignore them. Of course, if you are considering that job and you think it will be a source of constant immoral thoughts for you, then you do well to avoid it. But if it's not something that affects you directly, there is no need to worry about it.

Jotham, there is nothing we can do about it. You should send that suggestion to the branch.

What Bible principles do you think could apply to this, Raul? Is the action of waxing itself what you think might be objectionable, or rather exposing your private parts to someone else in order to have them shaved or waxed? Interestingly, it seems that Joseph had to shave all the hair in his body to appear before Pharaoh, as was the custom among the Egyptians:

At the regional convention in 2019 it was mentioned that we should not start a GoFundMe campaign for others, especially without their knowledge. The point was not that using GoFundMe is wrong, just that we should not embarrass our brothers telling others about their problems and situations. There is no objection to start a GoFundMe for yourself if you wish.

Lori, it's good that you wish to do more to feel part of the congregation. That way you are giving Jehovah something he can bless. All the comments have given good suggestions. Speak to the brother in charge of the school and explain him how you feel. He will be understanding. He can assign you a part as a householder with someone you feel comfortable with. It can be a short part, and it can be in the auxiliary classroom (if you have one). Tell him anything that may make you feel more comfortable and he will try to help.

We used TerritoryHelper for some time and it worked very well.

I used the Watchtower Library on iSilo for many years and on several different devices, from a Nokia phone with Symbian to Android. It was really a blessing. However, I always missed the searching function Watchtower Library has. In the end, using iSilo was not much different than using the printed publications: You had to search in the Index, then click on the reference. JW Library is fine for what it is but it doesn't have by far the possibilities Watchtower Library has. Watchtower Online Library has a more advanced search function, although still quite limited compared to WTL, but it requires a connection. Along the years I have tried several emulators and a few years ago I succeeded to install Watchtower Library on my Android tablet using Exagear Windows Emulator following these instructions: https://jwtalk.net/topic/48711-watchtower-library-on-android-phone/ It was not difficult and it worked fine. I installed WTL in several languages and they all ran fine. Eventually I uninstalled it because it took a lot of space and I realized I never used it. Where I live I use to have signal most of the time. But for me that's the perfect offline alternative.

Having the CD is no longer necessary. You can download Watchtower Library from JW.org: https://www.jw.org/en/online-help/watchtower-library/ An updated package can be downloaded from the official site too: https://www.jw.org/en/online-help/watchtower-library/update-watchtower-library/

I have fallen in that trap too at times. I have some workmates who have strong political ideas and at times I have tried to reason with them about political matters. Although I was careful not to break my neutrality, they didn't view it like that. In the end, discussing political matters won't take you anywhere. It's much better to focus on God's kingdom and what it will achieve.

Tyler, we’re well aware of the warnings from the Slave, and we do our best to follow them carefully. For example, we recently had this part at the meeting that included a very relevant video: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/202023178 One danger our publications mention is that discussions can easily slip into criticism or negativity. That’s very true. So the staff works hard to steer conversations back on track when they start heading in the wrong direction, or to stop them entirely if members won’t cooperate. Another danger is apostates. To greatly reduce that risk, new members here have limited access, and all of their posts are reviewed by a moderator before becoming public. We also have other measures in place to detect such individuals. As a result, apostates are extremely rare here, and when they do appear, they’re removed before members ever see their posts. So, I’d say this is quite a safe and clean place. In any case, when some spoke negatively about Jesus, he replied that “wisdom is proved righteous by its works.” You can apply that same principle here: take a look at the forums, see the kinds of conversations we’re having, and decide for yourself whether this place helps or harms your spirituality. As brother Splane says in the video, when you visit this place, how does it make you feel? Encouraged or discouraged?