Posts by Pete Zahut

posted

5
Saved by the Bell Reunion
by enigma1863 in
1. jw
2. experiences
how many people saw the saved by the bell reunion on the tonight show?

i completely forgot lark voorhies is a jw.

do you think being a jw was the real reason she didn't join the reunion?.
Pete Zahut

I understand she suffers from Lupus and some kind of mental disorder but they are saying she wasn't on it because of her intense work schedule. Haven't seen her in Movies or T.V in decades....so maybe she's Pioneering this month.
27
It must be of concern to the GB with all the information that is been leaked now
by joe134cd in
1. watchtower
2. scandals
i was just watching cedars prank call to tomo3.

by the way lloyd very well done and totally funny.

but on a more serious note (and i think what must be of concern to the gb) are the amount of leaks that must be occurring at a senior level or at least by a person who has access to sensitive information.
Pete Zahut

They're in a self imposed prison cell whose bars are made of secrets that aren't really secrets rather paranoid delusions about their own importance and significance in the world scheme.
51
EXPERTS ONLY! A Pop Quiz on (current) Watchtower teaching
by TerryWalstrom in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.

1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.

2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.
Pete Zahut

1. Was Jesus’ 2nd coming in 1914?
He would have been too old by then to come twice especially since they hadn't invented Viagra yet.
2.   Is Jesus’ 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his ‘coming?’
No, although he was in deed present, there was no second coming, (see above)
3. Is the doctrine of the ‘faithful and discreet slave’ still regarded as a prophecy instead of a parable?
It was a prophecy that was made into a mini-series called Roots starring Lavar Burton
4.   Were the FDS appointed over ‘all His belongings’ in 1919?
Yes they were and they were appointed over your belongings as well.
5.   Did the Gentile Times end in 1914, or is that yet to come at a future date?
Yes, the Gentile Times was bought-out by the International Bible Students and was run into the ground. Eventually it resurfaced as The WATCHTOWER
6. Is the ‘great tribulation’ in the past, the present, or yet to come in the future?
Anyone who lived through the Bush years knows the answer to that one.
7.   Did Jesus die in order to save the ‘Great Crowd’?
No...because there was nothing that great about them.
8.   If the Bible was only written for the anointed, why should non-anointed bother to read it ?
The non-anointed read it just so they tell the Anointed what it's about in case someone asks them for advice..
9.   Was Charles Taze Russell a member of the anointed 144,000? If so, since what date?
Yes he was and so was his wife Maria . After she died and joined him up yonder, they took up where they had left off. The marital discord and the constant bickering over these many decades resulted in the two of  them being posthumously removed .
49
Ode to the trolleys in Feb's broadcast
by konceptual99 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
check out the song about the trolley at the end of this month's dubcast.. http://www.jw.org/download/?fileformat=mp4&output=html&pub=jwb&issue=201502.

.
Pete Zahut

I half expected a couple of cartoon Lobsters to start snapping their claws in time to the music like they did in The Little Mermaid.
It wouldn't surprise me if they came out with a Caleb video, featuring "Wally The Singing Trolley". as a way to get the next generation of little kids on board with the new literature cart preaching method,
30
Translating and deciphering witness expressions.
by stuckinarut2 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
i wanted to start a thread with correct explanations of what witnesses really mean when they say stuff... please add to it!.

"we missed you at the last meeting" = "where were you?

why did you miss a meeting!?".
Pete Zahut

Consoling the depressed souls among you. = Sorry you're depressed...my advice as an Elder and as someone who is shepherding the flock with kindness is to go read the account of Job and see how he was covered with boils and Jehovah allowed all of his children to be killed but made everything right again by giving him 10 other children. (poor Mrs. Job...carried 20 kids)
Superior Authorities = Government agencies who are scorned and condemned in our literature yet are the first ones we turn to when someone infringes on our right to preach or more importantly when we need Police protection, a welfare check, unemployment compensation or government cheese.
International Assembly/ Paying more than the usual attention. = Spending a months shopping for a new outfit for each day of the assembly then zoning out the minute you hear the speaker say "Good Morning Brothers".
30
Translating and deciphering witness expressions.
by stuckinarut2 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
i wanted to start a thread with correct explanations of what witnesses really mean when they say stuff... please add to it!.

"we missed you at the last meeting" = "where were you?

why did you miss a meeting!?".
Pete Zahut

Satan is blinding their eyes.  = They are too smart to swallow all of our failed prophecies and predictions
                                                      about the future anymore.
Regular in the Ministry  =             Driving around the territory handing out leaflets and avoiding questions
                                                        often enough this month so no one can give you grief about or feel superior
                                                        to you.
Serving where the need is greater. = Serving where the need is more fun.
Newly interested one =     Someone who's life is falling apart and has nowhere else to turn/ Someone
                                             who has'nt been told the entire story.
Fight the fine fight of the faith = Feeling good about not bursting into tears or clobbering a householder
                                                   when they showed you from your own Bible or an older publication where your
                                                    beliefs are incorrect and you don't know the history of your own religion.
24
So my dad comes from vacation and ???!!!
by Kool Jo in
1. jw
2. experiences
hello folks.....so in an earlier thread i started, you'd realize that my father and i are quite close, we talk about almost everything/anything.. he traveled outside the country (he's semi-retired), enjoying the fruitage of his hard labor during his younger years.

so he recently returned home after he and mum went away to catchup with some old friends in another country.. upon his returning home, and subsequently to the meetings, he was told that a decision was made to strip him of his "field overseer" role, but will still continue to be an elder.. the reason...he goes away for too long too often...you can't be away from your congregation for three months out of the year!!!???

has anyone else had this experience before?
Pete Zahut

I have seen these things handled poorly and they end up making the holder of these volunteer duties feel as if he's being punished, however it makes sense that if someone is gone for months at a time, they'd assign the Field Overseer duties to someone who was able to be physically present to oversee the main "mission" of the religion.
50
Hello
by Garrett in
1. jw
2. friends
hello forum,.

i'm new here and not sure where to post.

so, i'm 21 years old and currently a baptized witness, however, i'm slowly making my mind up to leave and here's why.. first, there are certain things that make no sense to me in the organization.
Pete Zahut

Good post Garret. I hesitate to give you advice since I know very little about your situation, especially about something so varying as depression. Hopefully you are seeking professional help to get to the bottom of what's causing it.
Having said that, I do know that unless there is a physical condition at the root of your depression, often it can be your body's message to you that something in your life needs to change.
If you are forcing yourself to put up with or go along with a situation that has become intolerable to you, depression can be your body's way of forcing you to make a change that you on some level already realize, needs to take place. It doesn't even have to be a big one, to cause your depression to ease off a bit.
Perhaps a break from all things JW for a few weeks, might be a way of testing the waters in terms of seeing an improvement in your depression. They offered to help you and you gave them ample opportunity to help but they didn't. From here on in, at least for awhile, I wouldn't mention your plans to them. These folks seem well meaning but they are ill equipped to do anything but keep you on the same treadmill they've been conditioned to stay on themselves.
The good news is, you are only 21 and you sound like an articulate and sensible fellow. Although it may seem like it, this isn't an emergency, you're just a young guy trying to figure out where he stands in regard to the "church" he's attending. You have more power over this situation that you probably realize.
Keep talking, keep questioning and keep listening to your inner voice. Keep your nose pointed forward and aimed toward positive and healthy thoughts and activities. You're only 21 but some of the most interesting 40, 50 and 60 year old's I know, are doing the very same thing.
39
received revealing "witness" in parking lot
by Magnum in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
a few weeks ago i was working out of my home state and was in a grocery store parking lot when i received my first jw witness since leaving jwdom.

a youngish-looking lady was sitting in an suv parked next to my car and i was about to get in my car to leave.

she opened the door and asked whether she could give me something to read (had a tract in her hand)..
Pete Zahut

Those of us who's parents became JW's back in the 60's or before, had no idea of the changes that had occurred in the religion before their time, back in 1930's and 40's. They knew nothing of the failed prophecies, miracle wheat or Bethsarim for example. We, their children, were indoctrinated before we knew anything about these things either. We were too young to do anything other than go along with what our parents told us to do. 1975 came and went but we were in it up to our ears before we started seeing the flaws in what we were taught. That's how the religion has grown and taken on a life of it's own over the decades. There's been a long history where a revolving door of people have been coming and going, each group having no knowledge of the other.
It's the same today but the difference is, the younger generation have been taught a dumbed down version of what it is to be a good JW. We didn't really know about the history of the religion but at least we could defend it's current beliefs. The young ones now have neither knowledge of the JW history or the skills that it once took to be a considered an good JW. Because of this, it wouldn't take much to knock them off the JW treadmill. That's where the internet comes in but the thing is, these days, you can be a "good JW" with very little effort or understanding of the bible or even the ability to teach or defend your beliefs. There's a feeble premise of wanting to save others but first and foremost, today's JW wants something to assuage their inner sense of mortality, even if doesn't make sense. In fact, the less they look into things the easier it is to maintain the notion that they have the truth. They enjoy the virtuous "I'm saved" feeling that can now be had by simply handing out a few tracts or reciting a few pat phrases. Those who are able, leave or have already left the organization. The others are choosing to ignore the evidence out there that is readily accessible. It's much easier to be comfortable and feel safe by not doing much, than it is to leave and have to face reality that you've been raised in a Cult.
109
Happy at Bethel. Can't believe what I'm seeing.
by Pubsinger in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
apologies if this has already been posted but i am speechless.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnbmyudrwgs&x-yt-ts=1422327029&x-yt-cl=84838260#t=72.
Pete Zahut

I try not to harbor resentment as much as possible because in the end, it's me who suffers.
Despite having said that, it's difficult not to be resentful when I view this video. I'm all for people having fun and the Society lightening up a little when it comes to music and dancing but when I think my younger years and the admonishment from the platform not to emulate the world, I can't help but be resentful.
We weren't supposed to even like worldly music let alone dance to it or include it in any JW activity, Non society sanctioned music was said to be from people who didn't love or know Jehovah, performers who live immoral lifestyles and modern dance moves were suggestive and promoted the world's immoral ways.
So far in recent months we've seen dancing and worldly music in the Kingdom Halls and now they've allowed this video of Bethel to include the very dance moves and worldly music that was vilified not so long ago. We weren't supposed to emulate the world in any way. They emphasized that young ones should be serious minded and held up as examples those who lived austere lives in order to serve Jehovah. When Bethel service was promoted, hard work and dedication was the thing they highlighted. You weren't supposed to come there expecting to have fun or to see the big City.
This kind of thing in a way, makes a mockery of my growing up years. It confirms my resolve that anyone who was a JW in the recent past and has seen these changes yet continues to alter their lives around this organization, deserves whatever future regret and disappointment that's in store for them.