Harry Peloyan DEAD!

cyberguy

Well, the guy hasn't contributed to Awake for some years, but from what I understand, he died recently, and his wife too! He had been in charge of Awake! Magazines for decades! I do not believe his death has influenced the pull-back to once-a-month publication of Awake! Magazines! However, I'm sure his death has given pause to the "generation" that thought they'd see the "end" in their lifetime.

ljwtiamb

Do you know exactly when?

wunce_wuz

I briefly lived next door to Harry and his wife while at Bethel. For the most part a nice couple. If I recall, Harry was in the Navy during WWII. He was on one of the first ships that had radar. One night they spotted a Japanese convey, the first salvo was a direct hit. One of his other neighbors used to play their stereo to loud, evil rock music, and the excessive bass would set him off. Apparent flashbacks to those big guns from the ship he served on.

blondie

bttt for those ex-JWs on JWD who might have known Harry and be closer to the source.

AlanF

I'm not surprised Peloyan died. His health had been bad for a long time.

Peloyan was editor-in-chief of Awake! magazine for many years, and it wouldn't surprise me if his poor health caused the Society to cut back Awake! publishing to once a month next year. I understand he'd been in Bethel since the early 1950s, and that because he had a partial college education, he was Knorr's darling for awhile.

Barbara Anderson says that Peloyan did a lot of good in trying to get WTS leaders to properly hand child molestation in the 1990s. In that, he was a real reformer. He was also a typically conservative JW in some ways, totally buying into the nonsense that "the end is near". He was extremely disappointed and angry about being passed over for the position of Governing Body Helper (Nethinim, Given One) in the early 1990s. Anderson told me that he just wandered the Bethel halls in a kind of stupor for several days, mumbling. GB member Lloyd Barry told him not to be so bothered, since his position as editor of Awake! was a truly important position, whereas being a GB helper was more of a do-nothing position.

Peloyan was the compiler and editor of the 1985 Creation book, and likely of the 1998 Creator book. The 1985 book is among the most dishonest things the WTS has ever published, in terms of the way it misrepresents source references to uphold the Society's position on evolution. I've written an extensive expose of the book, and I know that some of the criticims were sent to the Society -- which of course, never dealt with them. In 1997 I happened to be in New York, and went to Bethel to try to talk to Peloyan. I eventually succeeded in getting him to come down to the main lobby of the 25 Columbia Heights headquarters building, and we had a "conversation" for about 45 minutes. Peloyan was confrontationally defensive about his book, and refused to admit that any source references were misquoted, much less deliberately so. I found the man arrogant, because he refused to talk about evidence, instead mosty trying to attack me (who he knew from a hole in the wall) personally for no longer being a JW. I put up with a lot his nonsense because I know that letting people like that rant is a good way to get them to reveal their true inner selves -- and it wasn't pretty.

Peloyan was also intimately involved in the Society's getting itself official Associated NGO status with the UN. A day or two after the Society announced its withdrawal in 2001, I called Peloyan on the phone to see what he would say. He immediately became so angry he could hardly speak, launching several tirades and refusing to listen to anything I wanted to say. I told him I was simply asking for information, but he wouldn't listen. He ended with a two-minute, ranting monolog and then hung up the phone. I could hardly avoid busting out laughing!

So Peloyan gets mixed reviews from me, having done some good things and bad things. Now that he's dead, I don't think the Society has anyone left in Bethel with even the slightest understanding of science, so I expect their handling of science to get even more putrid.

AlanF

Sunspot

Wow! Thanks Alan, for the additional insight. All his ranting and raving must have shown that you had hit a nerve---dead on! So much for a "mild answer turning away wrath" and "displaying the mind of Christ", huh?

Annie

brooklynNY

I remember

brooklynNY

sorry for the double post

I remember Harry Peloyan and his wife Rose from the time I attended Brookyn Center Congregation in the early to late seventies as a kid. My family use to have them and other Bethelites over for meals and gatherings. They always appeared to be nice and easy to get along with. Now that I recall there were several

bikerchic

Wow, thanks Alan, that was very insightful.

Now that he's dead, I don't think the Society has anyone left in Bethel with even the slightest understanding of science, so I expect their handling of science to get even more putrid.

Another reason to cancel my subscription to Awake!

catchthis

and it wouldn't surprise me if his poor health caused the Society to cut back Awake! publishing to once a month next year.

I would have to disagree on that point. Other moves that the WTS has made in recent years points to reducing capital expenditures. I imagine it won't be long until the Watchtower magazine is also reduced to a monthly periodical. And if the cash flow continues to decline, then we may see a combined Awake/Watchtower magazine or the Awake may be done away with altogether.

I still say that in another decade, JW's will only be offering tracts in field service. Magazines will only be for current, active publishers. Just like the new Organized book is only distributed to those enrolled in the TMS.

Harry Peloyan DEAD!

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