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Am I reading too much between the lines or are we guys arguing (peacefully) without reason. person A said: I think there are no more Bible students person B said: no, I think they still exist. I checked online and a YouTube video popped up person C said: no, you can’t study other religions, it’s wrong person D said: but you should get to Know them, this is what FDS says person E said: no, FDS meant something different Don’t we all agree that: - Russell era Bible students still exist - it’s okay to learn a thing or two about another religion - it’s not okay to study too Much about other religions - we all love Jehovah and other brothers and sisters Love to you all 🥰

Back to the topic: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/07/self-immolation-of-tibetan-man-outside-un-highlights-long-standing-chinese-repression/?hl=en-US#:~:text=According to media reports and,York on 2 July 2026. I can see this idea as a tool to remove religions when they finally turn on BtG. "Ethnic Unity" Why right now the US is showing how a great many feel about those who are not currently citizens - this includes groups already given asylum. Many of these groups are also being "removed".

Oh. Lovely. Let me update and give it a shot [emoji382] Sent from my moto g stylus 5G - 2024 using Tapatalk

Reading your comment about being dust made me recall a verse in Isaiah that says: do not despise the day of small beginnings. Everything starts small. A child starts as fertilized eggs. The earth started with Jehovah's spirit roving back and forth. Every business starts with an idea. A spark in the brain. So do not despise the day of small beginnings. Rather cultivate the mindset of being open to make it grow and willingness to ask and receive help and guidance. A little conversation with a fellow elder helped me in my recent health crisis. If I had not followed through I would have considered myself chronically ill. A little verse, a comment at the meeting, a smile could be the lever that would lift up that dust and give it life. Be open to that possibility because Jehovah works with style. Sent from my moto g stylus 5G - 2024 using Tapatalk

This original song is beautiful and comes right on time ❤️

It was an excellent publication, Jerry, and we used it well. Some of the youngsters at school had some interesting experiences, both with teachers and those of other faiths. Many of these publications served as special points in our theocratic development.

The thing is that I do know the history of the Russellites, so I do not need to study about them. That was not the context of the comment. The comment was about searching YouTube to get information about their meetings. I pass many churches in my travels. Most of them have signs for drivers to see with their meeting times posted. As I go by, I am aware the building is a church. Due to the size of the font, I can easily identify what religion that particular church is. However, I could not tell you when any of them hold meetings even though the times are clearly posted - so, when I get home, I certainly would not look up the churches I drove by to see when their meetings are. Likewise, I am not going to search YouTube to see when Baptists, Catholics, Mormons, Russellite or Bible Students meet - there is no need to since I am not going to attend their services. There is a huge difference in knowing the history of some religions, knowing their beliefs, researching their beliefs and researching when they hold meetings in my area.

My favorite 😍

It's on the servers: #139. Brother Luccioni is host.

Webb uncovers unusual galaxy shaped by cosmic collision 6 July 2026 10am weic2615 — Photo Release ID: 2026-120 In new images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s centre in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space telescope in history. Centaurus A (also known as NGC 5128) is 11 million light-years away from Earth, relatively close in cosmic terms. Yet, unlike most nearby galaxies, it is very active, making it a powerful laboratory for understanding how galaxies and black holes grow and evolve together. At its core sits a supermassive black hole actively feeding on surrounding material. As it does, the black hole launches powerful jets and releases enormous amounts of energy, shaping the galaxy around it. At the same time, Centaurus A bears the scars of a dramatic past: a major collision with another galaxy roughly two billion years ago. The aftermath of that merger is still visible today in its unusual structure and ongoing star formation. Visible light observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope could not reveal the central region where dust blocked the view, while NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope revealed large scale structures in the infrared without resolving individual stars. Now, Webb brings both clarity and depth, exposing the galaxy’s inner workings star by star. Article Link: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasa-webb-uncovers-unusual-galaxy-shaped-by-cosmic-collision/ Pic Description [Top]: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nearby galaxy Centaurus A, exposing the dusty structures and hidden activity that shape this unusual system. Webb’s infrared vision unveils intricate filaments, loops, and glowing clouds of warm dust stretching across its center. At the heart of the galaxy, an actively feeding supermassive black hole shines brightly, surrounded by complex structures sculpted by a past galactic collision and ongoing activity. Pic Description [Middle]: What may first appear as a grainy glow is actually a dense field of millions of individually resolved stars. By distinguishing different generations of stars embedded throughout the dusty center, Webb gives astronomers new clues to the galaxy’s history and the processes that continue to shape it. Pic Description [Bottom]: A ground-based image of nearby galaxy Centaurus A from the European Southern Observatory (top left) puts the near-infrared and mid-infrared views from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope image into context. Images: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Macarena Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)

I took a look at Chapter 1 of Mankind's Search for God, specifically paragraphs 11 and 15 like you mentioned. I completely see why those lines about studying other religions being 'educational' and 'mind-broadening' jumped out at you! However, if you look at the context of who the book is actually talking to, it changes the meaning completely. This book was written as an outreach tool for the public, especially for people who were born into other religions (like Hinduism, Islam, or Catholicism) and are afraid to look at anything else. Notice how paragraph 7 talks about us in the third person, calling us 'these people.' The writer is talking to a non-Witness reader, trying to lower their defensive walls so they will be willing to learn about other histories. The chapter isn't telling an established Witness to go out and study other faiths. In fact, if you look at the conclusion of the chapter in paragraph 25, it brings the reader to the real point: 'surely the question should be, Is my religion good enough for the creator... This presents a challenge to each person—to examine the evidence and prove for oneself what the acceptable will of God is.' The very next paragraph points to the Bible as the only standard. So the book is really telling a non-Witness: 'Don't be afraid to examine religious history so you can see that your birth-religion might not be the right one, and then use the Bible to find the true one.' It's an introductory bridge for the public, not an instruction manual for Witnesses to study other doctrines." This keeps the tone objective, uses their own source material to clarify the point, and gently shows him the difference between an outreach strategy and internal instruction. Bottom line: We have the truth! We don't need to study other religions to be sure. We already studied and saw from the Bible that we have the truth! In fact, look at chapter 15 of that same book. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101990047

Brother, you write beautifully. Yes, our heart breaks for what you are going through, but it’s also a beautiful reminder of how loving our God is to us dust piles. One day soon , brother. One day soon…💐

Like other problems, it often comes down to whether it's a tool you can control. Some use it rather than theocratic publications, this is a poor option for personal study.

"Now it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them." --- Job 1:6 "Afterward it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan also proceeded to enter right among them to take his station before Jehovah." --- Job 2:1 Two mentions of the sons of God taking their station before Jehovah when it came to be "the day," seems to indicate a specified day and perhaps an orderly routine for an appointed time to do so. Since we're talking about a short period of time between these two mentioned days in the testing of Job, it would indicate "the day" was part of a brief and specific measurement of time. Would that be one day in a week of seven days of 24 hours each, patterned after what was happening according to Jehovah's timetable here on earth?

Celebrate Jehovah's blessings. James 1:17 You have no obligation to tell us, but Celebrate! It is his gift. Whatever tomorrow brings, today's evidence of Jehovah's care is still one of his gifts. We can thank him for it without assuming we know what comes next

The only thing I know for sure is that she has some type of temporary housing and she was approved for universal credits. I didn't report that though to anyone here really because from what I'm hearing, it's only temporary and they could pull all of that away from her in an instant. I don't want to celebrate too early because they're raking her across the coals. A lot of it has to do with our house here, they're basically saying she is on the title so she is a homeowner therefore they have no duty to care for her. But a bigger part of it is the fact that they are simply making her wait wait as long as possible before they help.

Hi TIm, Good to hear from you. And we are all glad you are hanging in there. Has there been any news about your wife's situation?

This comment has nothing to do with AI and its use. It has to do with our current views and future possibilities. Many years ago, we were introduced to personal computers. One former Bethel brother wrote a program (can't remember the name, I think it was something like "Qsearch") that allowed us to have and use our scanned publications in an electronic/digital manner. So several of us bought the program and shared PDF copies of the publications and magazines. A few of us also shared scanned copies of the Watchtower Society's letters to the Elders. The organization did not have this available (they were working of the floppy-disk Folio version of the NWT Bible). Soon we had a directive telling all who had made or accepted PDF copies of the written letters to destroy them and not to make any more. Fast forward 30 years and here we are. Almost every correspondence is digital. All elders can save copies. Much of it is available in several formats (including PDF). What is the point? Today we are opinionated, even biased, for or against some relatively new digital solution. It may prove to be the next "JW Library" in our lives or it may fade with disuse. I will revisit this dichotomy with you in 10 years and see how it turns out. Perhaps it would be stretching a Bible quote to remember Gamaliel's words in Acts 5:38-39... "So under the present circumstances, I say to you, do not meddle with these men, but let them alone. For if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. Otherwise, you may even be found fighters against God himself.” So enjoy AI if you like and avoid it if you so desire but time will tell whether it advances the Kingdom interests.

Well, for those of us whose RC is still a month and a half away...we can use all the encouragement we can get...♥️

Likewise Tim, I appreciate what you explained. Makes sense and its beautiful. We are Beautiful Dust to Jehovah. Jehovah takes care of us and loves us despite that in reality we are all dust! Take care dear brother. You are not alone in this saga.

I understand. While checking out your question, I used Jesus's statement at Gethsemane, where he said, "I am he." None of those words are remarkable. The JW Library app updated a day or so ago. On my Windows computer, the search for the words...indescribable free gift...and the words...I am he... both worked with no quotation marks or notations of any kind. If you are using Windows, you might try again. I did not try it on my Apple devices.

I really appreciated this, Tim. It made me think of Psalm 113:7. You highlighted that dust was Jehovah's starting point. That scripture reminds me that even when someone feels they've ended up on the ash heap, Jehovah still reaches down and lifts them up. Thank you for giving me another way to think about those verses.

Latest forecast on Nino 3.4, a bit stronger than June’s forecast.

I know exactly how you feel. They become a member of your family, life and friend. They love you unconditionally. I just put my Bombay cat down this past October. He had cancer. I cried like a child. In fact, this is my second cat that was put down. Ironically, they were not mine. My youngest daughter keeps bringing cats she cannot take care of so.....mom always steps in to give a helping hand and, she leaves them with me. The first cat I had was a Calico, female cat. Had it for 18 years. The second one was a Bombay cat. She traveled the 50 states with this cat and finally it landed on my lap. Only 5 years I was privileged to have him. Advise, don't get another cat. It will die eventually. Get rid of all its furniture, toys, feeding dish etc. And, just mourn him. It should be over within a month or two. It hurts. Even now I still feel sad. But, the pain will ease. Sorry about your loss.