Glossary of American English Hacker Theocratese

=== N ===

nacho home

A slang term for {not-at-home}, also used in bad puns. <<Of course it's nacho home, it's somebody else's.>> This headword was contributed by someone from {California}, where I believe nachos are the state vegetable, and considered ``brain food''.

national anthem

A song sung at ceremonies to honor a national flag. The Bible clearly shows this custom to be a form of idolatry, so Jehovah's Witnesses respectfully abstain from participation. (Dan 3:1-30) In the USA at public events it has become the custom to have a guest soloist sing the ``Star Spangled Banner'' while others stand and just listen. In such situations, whatever action the participants as a whole take to signify participation, in this case merely standing, would be recognized as an act of support. Some Witnesses, in order to avoid hassles, either find it convenient to head off to the bathroom just before it begins, or deliberately plan to arrive moments late. Personally, I have never experienced a bit of trouble from remaining seated.

STORY: One cannot always know when a national anthem will be played. Once we sat in the front row at a concert by the South African singing group Ladysmith Black Mumbazo. We enjoyed the concert very much, and certainly demonstrated our appreciation with vigorous applause throughout. Our daughter was even invited up to the stage for a participational number. It happens that this group is much involved in the political affairs of its country, in part because of its fame in places outside of South Africa. This concert was just a couple of months before the first national election was held in which blacks were permitted to vote. At the conclusion of the concert one of the singers stepped forward and explained these matters to the audience and invited all present to stand while the group sang the South African national anthem. We were definitely caught off guard by this, but of course everyone in our group remained seated. Surely we were noticed, since we were sitting only 15 feet from the lead singer. In addition, the auditorium was inclined giving a clear view to attendees of everything in front. There were no adverse consequences from this. The only comment anyone made as we left was from someone who asked if our daughter was planning on going into show business.

national average

The average number of {field service} hours reported by all {publishers} in a country, or within a {branch office's} jurisdiction, as published monthly in {Our Kingdom Ministry}. For better or worse, comparisons of individual publisher times to the national average is used by some as a barometer of spiritual health. <<We can't appoint this man as a ministerial servant because his hours are below the national average.>> It is admittedly a mathematically difficult task to maintain an organizational standard wherein everyone is above average. See caveats under {time}.

nationalism

A sense of national consciousness that exalts one nation above all others; one of the most divisive and destructive forces in history. <<Waves of nationalistic fervor led to great persecution of Christians during the two world wars.>>

neologism, neologist

A neologism is a newly made-up word. A neologist is one who makes them up. I like to neologize, and use the term several times in the Glossary, so I have included a definition here.

neoproverb

A proverb is a short saying that concisely expresses a general truth or fundamental principle. The word neoproverb is a personal {neologism} coined to describe a new proverb, one first spoken in modern times. Because Jehovah's Witnesses are all teachers, countless memorable sayings worth preserving have been spoken from Kingdom Hall and assembly platforms over the years. Here are just a few.

• Do someone a favor and it becomes your job.
• If we are wrapped up in ourselves, we are overdressed.
• There are no food fights at Jehovah's table.
• There is no sacrifice without sacrifice.
• It's not so much where you serve, but whom you serve.
• Nothing is easy to the unwilling.
• Success comes in cans. Failures come in can'ts.
• Attack the problem, not the person.
• Obstacles are what you see when you lose sight of your goal.
• A job tends to fill the time allotted for it.
• Beware of brothers with {green Bibles}.
• It pays to be the bearer of good news.^[136]
• Brilliant men and beautiful women: two of the heaviest burdens that Satan can place upon mankind.
• Noah didn't let the bad weather keep him out of the ark.
• Don't let the sheep get your goat.
• Women talk.

[136] I first heard this in connection with business, but it takes on a special flavor in the context of the {Truth}.

nepotism

Favoritism shown on the basis of {fleshly} relationship, e.g., in granting an appointment of responsibility, or in rendering a biased judgment. Remarkably, although this is rarely a problem among Jehovah's Witnesses, who are known universally for their fairness and impartiality, one European brother tells me an entire congregation in his city was dissolved because of nepotism some years ago. <<The presiding overseer abstained from the vote to recommend his son as an elder in order to avoid influencing others to make a decision based on nepotism.>>

Nethinim

See {given ones}.

neutrality

The position of those who do not take sides with or give support to either of two or more contending parties; the stand that Christians take toward affairs of this world. (Rom 13:1-7)

NOTE: Neutrality is not apathy. Many Christians have lost their lives because of taking a neutral stand. Apathetic persons without conviction will ultimately compromise and take sides to save their skins. (Job 2:4)

new creation

A scriptural expression describing those who receive God's spirit of anointing, thereby becoming ones begotten to a heavenly hope, with the prospect of becoming rulers in God's heavenly Kingdom. Jesus Christ, as the King designate of that Kingdom, became the first of these at the time of his baptism. (See 2Co 5:17; [w93 1/1 5-8].)

new heavens and new earth

A scriptural phrase found in two places in the Bible. The new heavens represents the new governmental arrangement of things made up of Jesus Christ and the 144,000 resurrected members of the {new creation} bought from among mankind that will replace Satan's political systems. The new earth pictures the new righteous society of mankind, the earthly subjects of the new heavens, that will replace today's wicked human society. (Isa 65:17; 2Pe 3:13)

new in the Truth

A description of one who has recently accepted the Bible's teaching and begun practicing {true worship}, including participation in the preaching work, making a {personal dedication}, and getting {baptized}. In some cases one who is not yet baptized but has expressed his intent to be baptized at the soonest opportunity, e.g., at the next assembly, is considered new in the Truth. How long does one remain new? There is no clear limit. The Bible at 1 Timothy 3:6 states that a man who is recommended for the office of overseer should not be a ``newly converted man''. I know of no cases of persons appointed as elders in less than three or four years following baptism. I felt like a new guy for at least three years after my baptism.

new light

See {light}.

new personality

A scriptural expression describing the behavior characteristic of a Christian, which is modeled after the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as children of God. (Eph 4:22-24; Eph 5:1)

New Testament

See {Old Testament}.

New Things Learned [obs]

The former name for a meeting held during the circuit overseer's visit, later called {Continue in the Things That You Learned}. The meeting is no longer conducted. Although this name for it became obsolete, it was still used in conversation because it was shorter. Some people wryly called it ``Old Things Remembered''.

New World Bible Translation Committee

The anonymous preparers of the {New World Translation}. Some persons have erroneously believed that the work of translating NW was done by sympathetic Bible language experts and scholars who were not themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, and that the finished work was then contributed to the Society. Common sense alone should tell one that this could not be so. It is comparable to saying that the works of Shakespeare were written by someone else. But it took a Shakespeare to produce his work, just as it took a Jesus Christ to produce Jesus' teachings. The New World Translation is so utterly free of sectarian, critical, and philosophical bias that it could not possibly have been produced without the assistance of Jehovah's holy spirit. Because it has been the {faithful and discreet slave} that has been appointed over all of Christ's belongings since about the end of WW I, it is logical to assume that the supremely important responsibility of supplying a reliable translation of God's Word would also have fallen into the hands of {spirit-anointed} men.

The facts are confirmed by the following quote from the Proclaimers book. [jv 607-8] The footnote is part of the quote. I added the slanted font emphasis myself:

It was early in October 1946 that Nathan H. Knorr ... first proposed that the Society produce a fresh translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures.... The complete text was carefully reviewed by the entire translation committee, all of them spirit-anointed Christians.... [Brother Knorr] announced to [the corporate boards of directors] that the New World Bible Translation Committee had completed work on a modern-language translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures and had turned it over to the Society for publication.^[a]

[a] This translation was assigned to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania for publication, with the request that the names of the translators never be published. They wanted all honor to go to Jehovah God, the Divine Author of his inspired Word.

To what degree the Committee depended on outside assistance will never be known, and is irrelevant. The important point to remember is that it is here documented that the entire Committee was made up of spirit-anointed men.

A translation of similar purpose, the Greek Septuagint version was produced in about the third century BCE for the use of Greek-speaking Jews, who were God's people at the time. It was still being used in Jesus' day. [si 307] It was a translation that likely was made with God's own approval and direction. It is my personal opinion that the New World Translation will ultimately come to be regarded in the same light as the Septuagint version.

New World Society

The worldwide society and culture of {Jehovah's people}.

NOTE: The New World Society exists today and will continue to exist for all eternity; it is not something we are waiting for the {new world} to bring. <<We want to welcome our newly baptized brothers and sisters to the New World Society.>>

New World Translation

The translation of the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses, originally in English, now retranslated into many other languages, with careful comparison to the best original language versions. Its full name is New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. (See also {New World Bible Translation Committee}.)

new world, new system, New Order

The {Kingdom} arrangement for human society beginning with the {Millennium} and extending into eternity. The Society last used the expression New Order in 1986. (Note the upper case) A {Questions from Readers} article in [w87 5/1] explains why the term new world is a more appropriate expression.

newly interested one

A person who has recently begun to respond to the {Kingdom message}, usually by beginning to study the Bible and attending meetings at the {Kingdom Hall}.

NH

AMOOFL for ``not-at-home''. This is seen as a column header on the S-8 {house-to-house record} form.

no blood card [obs]

A former term for the {Advance Medical Directive} card.

no doubt

An awful word whisker that pops up more often in meeting talks than in daily speech, usually meant to imply: ``I'm sure you will agree''. It sometimes seems appropriate. <<Since Monday is a holiday you will no doubt want to schedule some time for field service.>> Often it adds little to its surrounding sentence. <<No doubt Jesus felt a great deal of stress when he was on the torture stake.>> No kidding. But when used as much as twenty times in a single talk, it is no doubt a distraction to the listener. Worse yet, the habit is contagious.

No Trespassing

A sign so labeled indicates that strangers are not welcome on the property, and might be subject to legal repercussions if the sign is ignored. Because of the legal complications, it has become the policy in most areas of the USA to honor No Trespassing signs. In doing so we also attempt to get the name of the residents and will write down the street address to hand over to the {territory servant} or {service overseer} to be added to {letter writing territories}. (Compare {solicit}.)

non-theocratic

See {untheocratic}.

non-Witness

One who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The meaning is obvious, but I believe the coinage is unique to us because of the way we view things: <<There are two kinds of people in this world: Witnesses and non-Witnesses.>>

noon meal

For reasons unknown to me this term is used often by some brothers in preference to lunch. <<The circuit overseer and his wife will be having their noon meal with Brother and Sister Stuffem.>> <<Some field {experiences} from eastern Europe were shared with the {Bethel family} at yesterday's noon meal.>>

not-at-home

A home that has been visited where no one was found. The primary content of {house-to-house records} is the addresses of not-at-homes, so usually the term really refers to that address record, as opposed to a family or a house. <<I have enough not-at-homes to keep three car groups busy for the morning.>> More and more often these days the only ones home when we call are dogs. One circuit overseer referred to such homes as expensive dog houses.

not-at-home record

See {house-to-house record}.

not-interested

A compound noun meaning a person not willing to listen to the message of the {good news}. <<Today I had mostly not-at-homes, and the rest were not-interesteds.>>

NS

AMOOFL for {new system}.

nucleus, nuclear

A central mass around which a larger structure is built. <<The great crowd gathering today will form the nucleus of the ``new earth'' of righteous human society.>> (2Pe 3:13) The word is sometimes {grievously} mispronounced as NEW-cue-lus, and the adjectival form as NEW-cue-lar.

number [one, two, three, four] talk

The {instruction talk}, although not considered a {student talk}, is frequently called the number one talk. The {Bible highlights} is likewise not considered a student talk, and is not numbered. The remaining talks on the Theocratic Ministry School are therefore commonly referred to as the number two talk, the number three talk, and the number four talk, though they are third, fourth, and fifth on the meeting respectively. There used to be one more student talk on the school, and it was called the number five talk. Some people who have been around a long time still inadvertently refer to the last school talk as the number five talk. (See {Bible reading}, {Bible highlights}.)

NW

Official {publication code} for the {New World Translation}.

NWT

AMOOFL for {New World Translation}. NW is used more commonly.

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