China experience...WOW

[Bluebell]

I only posted here the reply from the German branch

and they should know.

[rocket]

the brothers replied, that jw.org was never forbidden in China.

We have Brothers and sister in the Congregation that have studies in various parts of China. According to them jw.org is blocked. We are waiting to hear back as to whether or not watchtower.org is also blocked.

[mkpeeters]

I have just asked my colleague who lives in Beijing. He could access the site and even send me a screenshot from his home computer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LeslieDean]

Maybe the site is up for viewing from time to time. My son says the government seems to control things at will. He never knows if he can communicate with me via FB or Skype. Sometimes the news states it is banned and other times you can not access it even if the ban was suppose to be lifted. The same with the way the government scrambles the TV signal so as to control what it's citizens see/hear. He said that since he is an American citizen he has access to satellite TV where the Chinese citizens do not. But still, the satellite signal can be scrambled and often is when religious and political comments come on. I am sure this is what he told me in 2005, and again in 2008. I hope I am not conveying wrong info. But he still reports no access to JW.org. I did not understand how we can have a branch in Hong Kong China yet the work be under ban. He tried to explain it to me but there was nothing between my ears to retain and process his explanation! He is an extremely intelligent lad. Yes, I am sure he is

Mine!!'

[rocket]

I have just asked my colleague who lives in Beijing. He could access the site and even send me a screenshot from his home computer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Picture please.

[mkpeeters]

The person is a worldly colleague and a Chinese citizen living in Beijing. The screenshot was taken from his computer at home.

Edited December 24, 2013 by mkpeeters

[JudyO]

Okay, I'm getting whiplash from this!!!

Just had a facebook friend tell me the same rumor/story WORD for WORD.......

I would SO like for this to be true! But now I'm afraid to get my hopes up!

[Musky]

It is NOT true. I have gotten the same emails all week, first ones that forwarded the story as true, and then email retracting the story as false. One was from a DO who originally forwarded the experience to me and then had to retract it. It happens to everybody at some time. Nobody did anything "wrong", we just need to be careful and try to confirm these kinds of stories before we pass them on. 

Edited December 24, 2013 by Musky
Typos, always typos

[SUNRAY]

It is NOT true. I have gotten the same emails all week, first ones that forwarded the story as true, and then email retracting the story as false. One was from a DO who originally forwarded the experience to me and then had to retract it. It happens to everybody at some time. Nobody did anything "wrong", we just need to be careful and try to confirm these kinds of stories before we pass them on.

I agree Chuck...some things are impossible to pin down.,for a subject like this, the Newsroom at JW .ORG

is a good place to look for it..or in the yearbook!! We know Jehovah and Jesus are perfect shephards...can

you imagine a perfect shepherd losing even one sheep?

When our JW Library APP is updated completely, we won't even need an internet connection! Jehovah can make

a way for ones to find the APP...after all, look how he saved Noah and all the animals!! There is no feat he

and his organization cannot accomplish!

Edited December 24, 2013 by SUNRAY

[LindaL.]

I have just asked my colleague who lives in Beijing. He could access the site and even send me a screenshot from his home computer.

 

My sister serves in a Chinese congregation in Australia so I explained the situation to her and then asked her, "I was wondering, you have contacts in China. Do you know if jw.org is accessible or not? Could you ask one of your contacts to check it out? Thank you!"

 

Here's her reply:

 

"Yes, I think our website is generally available from within China. One of my Bible students used to access it while she was at home. Also a sister in Shanghai has been sending E articles to another one of my former Bible students who's also in Shanghai. However, I have had a few people say they couldn't access it while they were at home. Maybe it is determinant on the search engine used.

 

"There is possibly a need for caution too as the Chinese government is quite likely to monitor the sites people access."

 

In a second email she added:

 

"As I understand it, JW's weren't/aren't banned in China, because officially China recognises freedom of religion. That, of course, doesn't mean we are legal, because, we do not have state recognition for the reason mentioned in the experience, and because proselytising is not legal and the Bible's message about the Kingdom and our neutral stance are not acceptable in China. So because we don't have state recognition, any gatherings or other activities are also not legal."

 

In a third email she wrote:

 

"Further update. We had a gathering last night for a Korean family who had been serving in Beijing and now serve in a Chinese congregation in Korea. They confirmed that access to jw.org had been restricted and the government could trace anyone who did access it, but in the last year or so all that has changed and jw.org is freely accessible.

 

"By the way, the congregation this couple serve in is located near a port used by Chinese fishing vessels so guess what kind of witnessing they do ... Yes, ship witnessing, just like in the "Brotherhood" DVD, except theirs is Chinese ship witnessing."

 

 

[SUNRAY]

How encouraging is that, Linda?!!!!!!! Thanks!

[Julsey]

So, even if the story we have all been getting is not true, it looks like the website IS available for viewing in China!  Hurrah! 

[timpin]

It is NOT true. I have gotten the same emails all week, first ones that forwarded the story as true, and then email retracting the story as false. One was from a DO who originally forwarded the experience to me and then had to retract it. It happens to everybody at some time. Nobody did anything "wrong", we just need to be careful and try to confirm these kinds of stories before we pass them on. 

this has been infecting our car groups this week as "Truth from good sources"  ...  when I mention exercise Caution re matter because of all above comments, I'm looked upon as being oddball, killing something positive   -  hopefully time will help our dear friends, sorta reminds me of the Dec 2013 Awake cover, trusting the media!   just an oddball venting.

[Samberr74]

im not sure this means anything but............................. I used the greatfirewallofchina website and yes jw.org is blocked BUT!!!!! and I say again BUT www.watchtower.org is not blocked

[LeslieDean]

I never printed my son's response when I told him of the quoted "experience" in the first post.

 

I did not because it hurt my feelings that he did not "beleive" what I told him as Truth!  I guess I should really be greatful for having rasied such a logical son.  He said that he understood my wanting to believe it but it just did not ring as crediable because (and I'll quote his words):

 

 

Generally once something gets blocked it won't get unblocked unless it gets the proper censorship. Where the story becomes unbelievable to me is that a country that prints most of the texts in the world doesn't have somebody that can fix machinery that they rely on on a daily basis. I'm not trying to discredit the story it just seems fishy that the largest printer in the world needs somebody to come and rectify the situation and it all hinges on them unblocking a website. The Chinese would never agree to that. And if it was a business agreeing to it they have no say in what the govenment censors.  I know you want to believe everything as is told to you by a friend or fellow believer, but please, just be careful.

Sending our love to you and Rick.  Your son, Travis

[timpin]

this has been infecting our car groups this week as "Truth from good sources"  ...  when I mention exercise Caution re matter because of all above comments, I'm looked upon as being oddball, killing something positive   -  hopefully time will help our dear friends, sorta reminds me of the Dec 2013 Awake cover, trusting the media!   just an oddball venting.

I was chastised again this week, elders and others thought it was RUDE of me to caution the friends last week about the matter, as I mentioned it may very well be untrue.    - any more definitive input on this would be helpful, hopefully time will reveal it. 

[Stavro]

I was chastised again this week, elders and others thought it was RUDE of me to caution the friends last week about the matter, as I mentioned it may very well be untrue.    - any more definitive input on this would be helpful, hopefully time will reveal it. 

 

Just remind them of the Nov 4 #3 TMS talk, "Why We Should Not “Pay Attention to False Stories” (1 Tim. 1:3, 4; 2 Tim. 4:3, 4)".

 

These scriptural reminders aren't just a long-winded way of saying "don't go to a church", they're given so that we can be cautious of any type of unverified story, even those told within the congregation.

[LeslieDean]

Guilty!  I always want to believe everything everybody tells me in our brotherhood!  When I read the original post I could not tell my friends fast enough!  Because I heard the magical words 
It came from our CO"--that is all it took.  I know Jehovah can make anything happen so it sounded so positive and upbuilding I just had to share.  Not until someone mentioned it could have been started by apostates (because I could not figure out why they would want to portray Jehovah in a positive light) and I read my son's message did it make sense.  They want to make us look like a doofus.  Now I will take things with a grain of salt.

[rocket]

I have to admit I was bamboozled too, early on, but then I got to wondering why a government that is so good at reverse engineering would need help.

[Miss Mouse]

Many have been duped by this email . A CO at pioneer school repeated the story as gospel......the sister who sent it to me said Br. CO confirmed it to be true ........... If it's true I'm sure we will see it written ! My sources tell me it's not true and I'm sticking too it!

[rocket]

This is an old thread but at meeting this week we have visiting a young pioneer couple that moved to Shandong Province of China 5 years ago. They had been pioneering for some time and wanted to go where there was a need and the Branch replied China. They went to China on there own and if I understand correctly, the Branch does not send pioneers or missionaries to China. He said that they have no problems getting on jw.org or downloading literature anywhere they have been in China. He said sometimes jw.org might be down for a week but that it always comes back. He brought up the experience as mentioned in post one of this thread as a rumor they heard over there but he did not know if it was true as to why jw.org is available there. As the ministry is more informal witnessing they never place literature but rather direct people to jw.org and maybe read an entire article. An RV, rather than lasting 5 or 10 minutes like here may last several hours and include a meal or coffee. Only when a person is ready to study is literature left and that would be the Bible Teach book. The brother mentioned that the Chinese brothers begged him to ask for more brothers to come help. What is strange is that there are quite a few brothers that go over there to work but do not try to learn the language and they become a drag on the Congregation. They need brothers and sisters who are willing to learn the language.

[GrumpysWife]

Lynn, I have friends that are special pioneers that were sent to China for their assignment. 

Edited May 23, 2014 by GrumpysWife

[rocket]

Lynn, I have friends that are special pioneers that were sent to China for their assignment. 

 

I wasn't sure if I understood him correctly or not. I ask him if he was a missionary or special pioneer or Need Greater and his explanation was that because we are under ban he and his wife had to go on their own. Since their assignment come from the Branch and because they moved their to pioneer and not just to work, I put my own 2 & 2 together and come up with 5 I recon.

 

edit: once again, I misspoke. They were not assigned but were told by the branch that that was where the need was.

Edited May 23, 2014 by lynn
correction

[Old]

My niece is a pioneer in mainland China. The way I understand it is she was not assigned to China, but needed to did get approval from her congregation elders in the US before she went. Back for a visit this spring she explained that they always have have had access to JW.ORG. Pioneers are instructed use their tablets as their literature bag and for meetings. Using a tablet you blend in with the crowd. The upside is where we may stop in to McDonalds for a coffee break, she uses McDonalds as a territory. Tough territory for a dieting vegetarian.

[jayrtom]

What's a "Need Greater"?