Posts by Pete Zahut

62

Well my JW elder dad has lost his job...

by BU2B in

as a little background, my dad became a jw in 1980 i think, went to bethel, married my mom in 86' went back for another year and then i came along... he worked in the auto repair shop at bethel while he was there, and upon leaving, continued working in this field.

my whole life they have been the type of jw parents that tell you how you will never get to high school, never graduate it, never get married in this system, never have children in this system etc.. i say this to illustrate the end is just around the corner attitude they have always had, probably because they fully bought/buy into the hype at the conventions/wt articles.

my father has no plan in place for retirement, and he is physically slowing down doing such hard laborious work.

Pete Zahut

I think it would be unfair of them to expect you to take them in under these circumstances. As a parent, the last thing I want to do is be a burden on my kids. It would be one thing if they were too sick or old to help themselves but to expect you to foot the bill while they choose not to have an income is too much to expect.

There is a scripture at Thessalonians 3:10 that says basically that if you don't work....you don't eat. By Pioneering, they are choosing not to spend their time engaging in income generating work and should not expect others to suport them. In my area, in order to obey Cesar's law, one who is receving unemployment benefits must be actively persuing employment and is not allowed to turn down suitable work.

Once you let them move in, it would be difficult to get them out without a huge family blowout. If they have their own home, it's likely they could stay there less expensively than it would be to rent an apartment. Maybe they should look for another Pioneer couple or Border to move in with them and they can charge rent.

57

This photo woke me up

by krejames in

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i was already on my way to my second fade when i went to the wildlife photographer of the year 2012 exhibition, but this photo made me lose faith in the idea of a loving creator......(the gazelle has been injured by the mother cheetah so she can use it to train her cubs to hunt).

Pete Zahut

So are we humans any less loving?

I hear what you're saying Tornapart but humans, according to our JW upbringing,although made in God's image, are cursed, wicked and flawed . He supposedly wants us to obey his laws and expects our actions to reflect his good qualities. I think the original poster was reasoning that if God is so loving, just and perfect, why would he create animals with teeth and claws and cunning skils to hunt and also instill in those same animals the instinct to survive and the ability to feel utter terror and horrible pain while being shreadded by a faster,stronger animal ? Seems like an almighty loving father/creator could have come up with a better plan . Even wicked humans fight to ensure there are laws that punish or prevent animals from being treated cruelly.

19

What's the next big organizational change you predict could happen?

by Island Man in

jw
friends

yadda yadda 2 predicted a change in the bookstudy arrangement.

what future changes do you predict could/would happen?.

Pete Zahut

1. As was done with the word "Generation", they will change the meaning of the word "Abstain" claiming that in Hebrew, the word abstain can also mean to "Hold in" as well as to "refrain from". Therefore the use of blood to "hold in" ones life force during a medical emergency, evidently wouldn't be breaking God's law.

2. To avoid the problem of identity theft,bounced checks,declined credit cards and "missing" donations, they will start using Pay-Pal at the Kingdom Halls and Conventions.

3. Sisters can wear pants to the meeting provided they also wear a headcovering and out in service so long as they wear them under a dress.

36

The eldaaaars again!!

by ILoveTTATT in

jw
friends

after two months of not coming to my house, today about two hours ago, one of the elders that came two months ago came to my house.

he was in serve-us with other brothers from the spanish cong and came into my house with a friend of mine (not another elder).

he said he wanted to talk to me, and he said it in front of my mom and my dad (both were there).. what was interesting is that it seems like it will be a one-on-one for half-hour.

Pete Zahut

They dropped in on you unannounced and sort of put you on the spot. To be considerate, if you really don't want to go, I'd text him that I wasn't able to meet him after all as planned. I'd offer no excuses, explanatons or appologies and wouldn't answer any replies he might make on this subject or any other. If he doesn't get the hint that you don't want to talk to him, that's his problem. I wouldn't base any actions regarding your life and employment, on trying to get away from JW's.

58

What do you say if you get asked "Are you an Apostate?"

by KateWild in

i am reuniting with past students and return visits.. i met up with a young lad i used to call on.

he is not baptised, but at university in his 20's and living away from home.

his mother is a jw and his father is not.

Pete Zahut

If someone asked me that question I'd ask them what their definition of the word Apostate is. (most don't even know for sure how to define that term)

I'd ask them if they thought that being an apostate was a bad thing.

I'd ask them if Charles Taze Russell was an apostate from his church when he left it to start the Bible Students and if so, was being an apostate in that instance, a good thing?

I'd tell them that I was baptized based on an understanding of certain doctrines they taught me and because of certian claims they made. Their claims proved to be false and they've changed enough of those doctrines that my original dedication has been invalidated. My dedication was made under false pretenses and has therefore become null and void. I didn't change....they did.

52

trying to convince my wife not to confess...

by wafflesandpancakes in

during our engagement, we fooled around and touch each other down there.

it's not a "tap" but definitely is not "stimulation".

i tried to convince my wife, who, after 5 years of marriage, strangely felt guilty all the sudden, that its not do called porneia.

Pete Zahut

The same thing happened to my wife and I. After we were married at least 5 years or more and had a child there was this talk given at the meeting about how Jehovah wasn't blessing our Congregation. There hadn't been any growth in years and they said it was because someone was hiding some wrongdoing. They urged anyone who might have something to tell the Elders to come forward. My wife, after me asking/pleading for her not to, told the elders we engaged in "Heavy Petting" (still kinda' angry with her about that). It was totaly humiliating for her and they asked detailed questions, especially this one clod of an elder who used terms like "probing" and "fondling". Afterward she never felt the same about the Elders or the congregation (a good thing I guess) even though they said it was "all water under the bridge" and not to worry about it. I'm surprised they didn't come after me because I didn't go with her to tell on myself.

At the Circuit Assembly a few days later, we both noticed independantly of one another, that the fat, nosey wife of that "Clod" elder started giving us knowing looks and smirking and giving us sideways glances . She kept looking me up and down every time I walked by her, I even saw her glance at my crotch. It was as if she was trying to let us know that "she knew" about us.

That Elder was disfellowshiped shortly (weeks) after that himself for cheating on his disgusting wife with some woman he worked with. That was probalby the wrongdoing that was supposedly hinderig Jehovah's spirit on the Congregation. We often wondered who he or she told and what records are still on file about us especially now that we have both faded. What if someday one of our JW relatives starts going to that hall and reads our file ?

After that all happened is when I started to phase myself out of the Ministry School and eventually quit going in service altogether. Until my wife faded herself, she always felt guilty for causing my eventual demise as a JW for having been disloyal to me about something that should have been kept between only us.

17

This will be fun. What is your generation count?

by Defianttruth in

the wbts teaches a overlapping (generation) will not pass away since 1914 right?.

what is your personal genealogy.

(1) my great grand father was born in 1901. he became active with the bible students around 1910. .

Pete Zahut

My family carries the gene for Dunlap's Disease. One generation Dunlaps right over the next.

5

Facebook Friend

by Pete Zahut in

mrs. zahut made facebook contact with a friend she grew up with.

the friend is from a large jw family.

so far she's only sent the following brief message.. " ....no one in our family are jw.

Pete Zahut

I am thoroughly convinced there are more ex-JWs than JWs in the world.

The organization keeps detailed account of everything except their own failures. No one knows how many people have come and gone and the untold permenent damage done to individuals or families over the decades but every JW know's or is related to at least one person who for one reason or another, called it quits or was kicked out. These people just vanish into nonexistance as far as the Watchtower is concerned. It would be quite an eye opener (and an embarrasment to them) if there were a well publicized EX JW Convention somewhere and see how many turned up in attendance. Youtube videos could be made as individuals related their own experiences on stage.

20

Wow... you WERE right! The KH was to teach you how to SELL!!

by ILoveTTATT in

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as you can see from the picture, in the kingdom hall there was a board with "publishers, books, booklets," etc... aparently for the entire congregation.

not sure what the other line is, maybe it is a goal?.

Pete Zahut

This photo reminds me of something I'd forgotten about.

When I was growing up as a JW, there was a 4'x4' curtain on the wall next to the stage, but instead of there being a window behind it when you opened it, there was a tote board. They'd open the curtain and swing the board out toward the audience. On it was a record of all the literature,hours,studies conducted and meeting attendance for the year to date. There'd be an entire part in the meeting once a month where the brother would stand in front of the board and review it with the audience and they'd compare our Halls activity to the rest of the Halls in the country and remind us where our quotas were lacking.

I also remember there'd be "campaignes" for certain literature or for offering magazine subscriptions to the householders. I could never get up enough nerve to ask someone if they wanted a subscription. After all, why anyone who wasn't a Witness want to read the magazines let alone have a years subscription to them.

I remember all those nice older sisters and brothers who'd take those of us who were kids of women with unbelieving mates, out in service and would keep such careful record of our activities in the territory they'd have checked out. I saw one of those old Brothers recently (at least 80 by now) after all these years he was still at it. It was a dark foggy rainy morning and as I waoted at the light near a lone bus stop on a rural road I saw him step out of the darkness wearomg the same dark overcoat and black fedora and offer a tract to a startled terrified man who was standing alone waiting for the bus. This old brother's two kids by the way, turned out to be total train wrecks yet he is out at the crack of dawn recommending his way of life to total strangers.

I realize I have a whole lifetime of odd JW tales to tell that would mean nothing to anyone except maybe a former JW. I guess that's why I came here.

2

Sometimes the real world gets in the way

by JeffT in

jw
friends

as a few of you may have noticed, production of my fiction and articles stopped a couple of months ago.

since early november, caring for my 91-year-old mother has consumed most of my available time, energy and emotion.

i keep hoping that this will change, it does not show any sign of doing so.

Pete Zahut

Would one of those tiny ball point pen sized digital recorders help releive the frustration you must be feeling, by allowing you to record the ideas or dialogue you have running around in your brain while caring for your Mom ? At least you'd feel like you were making some progress while you are otherwise detained from your project. You also wouldn't have to worry about forgetting some really good ideas that pop into your head randomly.

P.S. Good on you for caring for your Mom....not an easy job.