Doug

We don't need to be on the list ~ but we made the list! Senator Lee from Utah isn't happy that the LDS was left out of the 'Christian' section. But we are there!

Thank you for this link. I wasn't aware of the history behind the vacant lot. I completely understand the Watchtower wanting to use their own personnel to improve the park per their agreement with the city. They would get far more bang for the buck. Too bad the City wouldn't agree.

An article in the Daily Mail today is talking about the Manhattan Bridge neighborhood on the Brooklyn side. The neighborhood has been called DUMBO, for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass. The Watchtower owned a 3-acre lot right there, which they sold in 2016 as they were leaving Brooklyn for Warwick. The yellow blob is the approximate location of 85 Jay St. The article says "Furious locals in a New York City neighborhood are sick of tourists desperate for a perfect Instagram snap turning the once tranquil area into a hellscape of wall-to-wall tourists". With the Tax-exempt Watchtower now gone, the area will see a rise in their revenue. But the neighborhood was very peaceful and very clean for the decades that we were there. Anyone who visited Brooklyn Bethel or served there will remember. ❤️

I'm ready

For many years, and currently, The Watchtower is the most widely circulated publication in the world. This pairs nicely with the Best-Selling Book of all time ~ the Bible. I think it would be fabulous if our social media accounts reached the top-tier. If the brothers add a few hundred languages, we could even reach number one!!!! Many people have 'heard' of Jehovah's Witnesses. Image if the social media crowd took a moment to look at our content!!!!

There's a Watchtower on the topic ~ How Christians Cope with Public Reproach w95 4/1 pp. 26-29 "Whether we ignore false information in the media or defend the truth by appropriate means depends on the circumstances, the instigator of the criticism, and his goal". And C. T. Russell said "If you stop to kick at every dog that barks at you, you'll never get very far". These platforms will do a lot of good by bringing to the attention of the world how we are being persecuted in Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere. The brothers write letters to the State Department and the UN about the violations of human rights, but those agencies haven't taken any action except maybe writing their own letter to those governments. These platforms could potentially accomplish what Nick Shirley did in Minnesota and fraud. He put a social media spotlight on it, and just look at the result. If our IG and TikTok put a spotlight on the criminal injustice we are subjected to, imagine what it could do for our brothers over there!!!!

As the song goes ~ To whom do you belong? Which god do you now obey? Your master's the one to whom you bow. He is your god; you serve him now. In the end your choice will depend On how your heart is prepared.

True . . but, taking a stand isn't really the same as "nobody can buy or sell except a person having the mark". "Nobody can buy or sell except" sounds like a form of literal control over society. We should know soon . .

Well then you're 50% right ! Personally, I believe the government has a need to keep people under control, know where they are and what they're doing. One way crimes are solved is CCTV, and personal devices that keep track of our movements and transactions. I think this need will only increase as the world becomes more fragmented. Digital currency would be the way for the government to have the most control. As it is, the bank can "turn off" your access to your own money with a few clicks on the keyboard. You may not be able to renew your drivers license if there's a court order for child support that isn't current. On and on. It's control. And in this "iron & clay" world, governments want more, not less.

SPOILER ~

Lot fathered two sons with his two daughters. So, the boys were (A) his sons, and (B) his grandsons. Reminds me of the song "I am my own grandfather" Yeehaw!!!!!

I keep thinking about this. How dark? For how long? On the upside ~ The dark days may wake people up. We should see an increase of Bible studies and meeting attendance. I still think the GT will begin while Trump is president. 2 years 5 months remain.

Sounds better than the State dinner President Trump is hosting for Charles III

If you settled out of court for something you were accused of doing but didn't really do, the accusers would be lined up around the block. 💲💲💲

I don't know if he worked with his mother in the ministry. But, his brother-in-law, Nate Brown, was an elder in my congregation in the early '80's. Nate did get Michael out in service. There's a story that a young woman wearing a Michael Jackson tee-shirt answered the door but wasn't interested ! Nate (Nathaniel) was married to the first-born daughter, Rebbie (Ree-Bee) and they were pioneers in Tennessee. He supported his family as a driving instructor. When Michael's career caught fire, they came back to So. California. I remember one Circuit Assembly that Michael attended at the Woodland Hills Assembly Hall (20600 Ventura Blvd.) He was easy to see in the red shirt !