GB 2025 Update #4

[Tortuga]

2 minutes ago, Sofia said:

What’s wrong on your birthday anniversary to invite friends over to have a meal ?

It might get boring after a few thousand years...

[ladiife]

4 minutes ago, Sofia said:

What’s wrong on your birthday anniversary to invite friends over to have a meal ? Eating a nice cake why not?

as long as no pagan rituals are involved 

no gifts

no singing birthday wishes

no candles to blow

no name on the cake

no make wish 

 

my aunt always made a special creamy cake for her no-believer husband year anniversary and employers children

she never thought it was wrong

frankly… me neither 

I’m sorry … I don’t want to hurt anyone s feelings 

we eat cake and have friends when we can

why avoid that day? Makes no sense 

we should respect non believers feelings 

it may not ve important to us 

but it matters a lot to them 

 

From what I’m seeing your aunt practiced the principle “To the Jew I became as a Jew…” “… in order to save some.” Whether she was knowingly or unknowingly practicing this, you didn’t say. But that’s what I’m reading. Did she help some learn about Jehovah when she did this?

[Doug]

34 minutes ago, Sete said:

 

This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle.

This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle.

This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle 
Anything spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle.

 

Would you dismiss the idea that Satan could be behind these things? He disguises himself as an angel of light. He would like nothing better than finding a subversive way to corrupt our worship of God due to adoption of what may at one time have been a custom, tradition or practice of false religion.

 

 Br. Lett said that Christians must stay far away from any symbol or custom related to false religion or spiritism.

With the caveat that what is of primary concern isn't what the symbol may have represented originally, but what it means now to most people where we live.

If a particular shape or design is commonly understood where you live to be a religious symbol, there is good reason to avoid it. Regardless of how far back it goes, or who ascribed meaning to it back then.

 

Frankly, today we have a new design or symbol that we would do well to avoid.  The pride rainbow image.

[Dolce vita]

3 hours ago, Doug said:

 

Aaron had an interesting response to Moses  ~ " I said to them 'Whoever has any gold must take it off and give it to me'.  Then I threw it into the fire and out came this calf".      Imagine that !!!

I'm sorry, Brother Doug, if you didn't write with a comic twist, but I find it so funny!

[Doug]

6 minutes ago, Dolce vita said:

I'm sorry, Brother Doug, if you didn't write with a comic twist, but I find it so funny!

 

It sounds comical, and yet it's really what Aaron said (but did he keep a straight face ?)   Ex 32:24

[Sete]

44 minutes ago, Doug said:

 

Would you dismiss the idea that Satan could be behind these things? He disguises himself as an angel of light. He would like nothing better than finding a subversive way to corrupt our worship of God due to adoption of what may at one time have been a custom, tradition or practice of false religion.

 

 Br. Lett said that Christians must stay far away from any symbol or custom related to false religion or spiritism.

With the caveat that what is of primary concern isn't what the symbol may have represented originally, but what it means now to most people where we live.

If a particular shape or design is commonly understood where you live to be a religious symbol, there is good reason to avoid it. Regardless of how far back it goes, or who ascribed meaning to it back then.

 

Frankly, today we have a new design or symbol that we would do well to avoid.  The pride rainbow image.

I do not disagree in any way that Satan corrupts existing things by putting distorted essences. In fact, he even distorted the rainbow as you mentioned, which particularly if it did not have this meaning I would certainly own several items with this color pattern.

 

I would like to use many patterns that are now associated with false worship (some are really aesthetic), but i'll not. Who knows, maybe by 3000 in the N.W. my house will have beautiful ornaments (a la Rococo) using symbols now adopted by groups I do not want to be close to?

[Dolce vita]

2 hours ago, Sete said:

I've been waiting for this change in understanding for a long time. In fact, I expected it to only happen in paradise.

 

In my mind, none of these things were invented by pagans, but rather were connoted as something pagan at some point.

I don't agree with almost anything Sartre said, but in many things "Existence precedes essence".

 

Someday someone put on a ring to signify that she was married. This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle. Someday they celebrated that the year was over and that a new year would begin, simply because we love parties and, honestly, some years are terrible, so the end of them is almost like a blessing (even if in fact nothing has changed other than the psychological thought that that cycle has ended). This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle.

 

Create two intersecting lines, boom! A cross. This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle. With that cross, at each end make a small line creating almost a square, boom! A swastika. It's simply impossible to create something that has not already been created. This spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle (or some strange Austrian).

 

An example of this is the pyramid shape. In countless cultures that probably never met, pyramids were created, each with a pagan thought behind it. In the end, is the pyramid pagan? No. What is it then? It's simply something obvious to think about. Do you want to create something tall but don't know how? You create something that gradually becomes narrower. And boom! There you have a pyramid.

 

In the end?

Anything spread and at some point they wanted to rework the meaning to seem more interesting and to put some Pagan god in the middle.

Very interesting, Brother Pedro, but I have a question: is this just a story of humans who encounter chance and end up producing religious symbolism?

 

Paganism has to do with polytheism carefully preserved by rural dwellers, one wonders why.

 

One cannot escape the ultra-religious connotation of paganism, which has always pushed Jehovah's Organization to get to the roots of evil. Let's never forget who is at the helm of this commotion: the opponent has put his two cents into the whole of false religion. Today we are taught more than ever to think in terms of principles, to contextualize, to evaluate the level of knowledge of the generation in which we live, etc., etc.

 

In any case the FDS gives food at the right time, as Jesus did in his time. He still does. The GB's Updates teach us.

[Dolce vita]

13 minutes ago, Doug said:

 

It sounds comical, and yet it's really what Aaron said (but did he keep a straight face ?)   Ex 32:24

I know, I know😊

[Sete]

44 minutes ago, Dolce vita said:

Very interesting, Brother Pedro, but I have a question: is this just a story of humans who encounter chance and end up producing religious symbolism?

 

Paganism has to do with polytheism carefully preserved by rural dwellers, one wonders why.

 

One cannot escape the ultra-religious connotation of paganism, which has always pushed Jehovah's Organization to get to the roots of evil. Let's never forget who is at the helm of this commotion: the opponent has put his two cents into the whole of false religion. Today we are taught more than ever to think in terms of principles, to contextualize, to evaluate the level of knowledge of the generation in which we live, etc., etc.

 

In any case the FDS gives food at the right time, as Jesus did in his time. He still does. The GB's Updates teach us.

Now I don't know if I expressed myself well and I don't know if I understood your question correctly, but honestly, I can't say. In the end, this could all just be a story of humans unintentionally creating religious symbolism, or there's also the chance that it had the direct hand of demons directing the creation of pagan symbols and events. 

 

In the end, thank God we have FDS and Jesus will direct us thru them.

[Friend of Peace]

I guess that means the brother in this music video could have raised a toast in the end! OOPS 🫢😂 (Wait, the brothers acting in the video were already doing it before it was clarified 😉)

 

 

[Friend of Peace]

Also, this broadcast also made me ponder on cofetti/rice throwing at wedding and saying “bless you” to people who sneeze. The fact that Brother Lett used the illustration of the ridiculous scene nature of a mature 30 year old holding his mother’s hands to cross the street shows more than just announcing that there doesn’t need to be a rule about toasting. Why do we need to go to the organisation about every custom where we have the role of the Bible and our mature bible-trained conscience?

[Tortuga]

9 minutes ago, Friend of Peace said:

Why do we need to go to the organisation about every custom where we have the role of the Bible and our mature bible-trained conscience?

Because some may need to hold 'mothers' hand until they mature.

[Friend of Peace]

2 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Because some may need to hold 'mothers' hand until they mature.

True, but what about when we are mature? 😉 

[just1-4all]

On 7/2/2025 at 11:08 AM, johnnyjw01 said:

He was at our convention two weeks ago… He delivered the talk seated 

Ours too, our one-day assembly a few months ago. He has a delightful sense of humor. He certainly is a very unique human being.

[BLEmom]

59 minutes ago, Friend of Peace said:

Also, this broadcast also made me ponder on cofetti/rice throwing at wedding and saying “bless you” to people who sneeze. The fact that Brother Lett used the illustration of the ridiculous scene nature of a mature 30 year old holding his mother’s hands to cross the street shows more than just announcing that there doesn’t need to be a rule about toasting. Why do we need to go to the organisation about every custom where we have the role of the Bible and our mature bible-trained conscience?

Anything that has been in print as a big no no would need an updated clarification so as not to cause people to “get in trouble” if they decide to do it. 
 

[ChrisC]

9 hours ago, Doug said:

 

Aaron had an interesting response to Moses  ~ " I said to them 'Whoever has any gold must take it off and give it to me'.  Then I threw it into the fire and out came this calf".      Imagine that !!!

 

I’ve used that before for something like:

”I opened the fridge door, and out came this cheesecake!”

[johnnyjw01]

6 hours ago, Friend of Peace said:

Also, this broadcast also made me ponder on cofetti/rice throwing at wedding and saying “bless you” to people who sneeze. The fact that Brother Lett used the illustration of the ridiculous scene nature of a mature 30 year old holding his mother’s hands to cross the street shows more than just announcing that there doesn’t need to be a rule about toasting. Why do we need to go to the organisation about every custom where we have the role of the Bible and our mature bible-trained conscience?

I think the difference lies in the fact that throwing rice is a gesture meant to bring good luck to the newlyweds. People would say it brings good fortune… the same can’t be said for toasting. At least in my country, it’s not associated with a gesture that brings luck, but simply with offering good wishes.

[truce]

6 hours ago, Friend of Peace said:

True, but what about when we are mature? 😉 

We may still need to hold mother's hand for guidance and reassurance. Remember, mother knows best. 

Edited 11 hours ago by truce

[johnnyjw01]

“Good health to you!” (Acts 15:29)

 

Study note: it was a closing wish for the recipient to have strength, health, and happiness. The expression is similar in intent to the Hebrew expression sha·lohmʹ,wishing “peace” to the recipient.
 

Interesting! 

[truce]

11 minutes ago, johnnyjw01 said:

“Good health to you!” (Acts 15:29)

 

Study note: it was a closing wish for the recipient to have strength, health, and happiness. The expression is similar in intent to the Hebrew expression sha·lohmʹ,wishing “peace” to the recipient.
 

Interesting! 

Gesundheit! 

[Shawnster]

6 hours ago, Friend of Peace said:

Why do we need to go to the organisation about every custom where we have the role of the Bible and our mature bible-trained conscience?

 

We don't. That's the whole point of the broadcast. By stating our conscience is involved the Organization is saying "do not look to us for a list about every custom that is acceptable and unacceptable. Use your conscience. What might be fine for you might be wrong for me." 

 

 

14 hours ago, Jwanon said:

 

 

So in theory there's nothing wrong with celebrating someone's birth or Jesus' birth as long as we don't perpetuate heathen traditions, because these rituals please the demons

 

Maybe in paradise, when the negative connotations that these holidays carry will have disappeared, we will be allowed to celebrate birthdays and christmas, but I doubt it will happen in this present system

 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Shawnster

[Tronora]

I don't see birthdays coming. I would much rather celebrate my faithful service to Jehovah on my date of baptism. One more year in the truth ❤️ 

 

I wish the organisation would make more out of the end of a service year and/or the beginning of a new one. Time for reflection, and time for setting new goals. Like a kick-off  Year-planning. It's been a personal ambition of mine, but it sort of runs out of steam to be a one-woman kick-off team.

 

Please no shoot-down, ok? Please try to understand what I mean. I wish we could form work-groups where we discussed our personal goals (without a spirit of competition) Maybe because I don't have family in the truth. 

[Michał]

13 minutes ago, Tronora said:

I don't see birthdays coming. I would much rather celebrate my faithful service to Jehovah on my date of baptism. One more year in the truth ❤️ 

 

I wish the organisation would make more out of the end of a service year and/or the beginning of a new one. Time for reflection, and time for setting new goals. Like a kick-off  Year-planning. It's been a personal ambition of mine, but it sort of runs out of steam to be a one-woman kick-off team.

 

Please no shoot-down, ok? Please try to understand what I mean. I wish we could form work-groups where we discussed our personal goals (without a spirit of competition) Maybe because I don't have family in the truth. 

Agree 100%
 

I wonder if we move the start of the year in the new system to September like we have a service year. That would simplify things. And last year or 2 years ago we had st CLAM meeting some ideas for goals for the service year. 
 

I don’t know how it could work out it the congregation but in business world there are mastermind groups where different business owners share their goals and challenges and support each other. 

[Jimi-L]

23 hours ago, Sofia said:

My aunt was regularl pioneer yet she always celebrated bday anniversaries

without the pagan stuff ( song candles wish gifts)

she understood that it was a nice way to show appreciation towards her husband and employers family

I must admit that I have occasionally written my name on birthday cards (although only if asked) and eaten cake without participating in the celebrations. My conscience has never condemned me. 

 

I don't see it as participating in pagan customs.

Edited 7 hours ago by Jimi-L

[truce]

5 minutes ago, Jimi-L said:

I must admit that I have occasionally written my name on birthday cards (although only if asked) and eaten cake without actually participating in the celebrations. My conscience has never condemned me. 

 

I don't see it as participating in pagan customs.

What??????!!!!