Posts by Pete Zahut

37

The new 'classes' jehovahs-witness.net has created. Which one are you?

by Esse quam videri in

over time a number of different 'classes' of members have arisen on this forum.

1] apple watch watchers - this group takes a great interest in watches worn by members of the governing body.

2] cult escape consultants - one who freely offers advise on how to flee from a cult - mainly the wt society.

Pete Zahut

The Keep On Believing / Ignore the Obvious, class.

They are somehow able to dismiss and even mock any and all information that sheds an unfavorable light on the Watchtower Society whether it comes from their own personal experiences and observations, from reliable news sources or from false teachings and failed prophecies found in the pages of the Watchtower itself. They even go so far as to view themselves as faithful followers, even though they frequent and participate in the discussions found on (so called) apostate sites,which is explicitly forbidden by the same leaders they protect and defend.

Perhaps they should be referred to as the "No Class" class.

210

TV.JW.ORG (September 2015) - Generation explained again

by Designer Stubble in

guess the overlapping generation concept is difficult for most to comprehend.

david spane does his best to explain it again.

the cutoff date for this generation has now moved to 1992 (was once 1935), the year that fred franz died.

Pete Zahut

They can make pretty charts that show who lived when and who was anointed after 1914 but let's not forget, there is no proof that 1914 is in any way significant in the first place.

11

Does this ever happen to you?

by stillin in

jw
friends

not very often, something will come up that makes me get a sense of having lost something.

maybe a television interview with a witness who does an exceptional job of explaining the kingdom preaching or something.

maybe accolades from the medical community for their stand on blood, how that has helped some other, supposedly superior alternative to be developed.. or maybe it's just a particularly poignant meeting.

Pete Zahut

I have fond and melancholy feelings when I think back on my days in high school and the freedom, fun and friends I had. I also remember at the end, very much wanting to get out of there and I also know I wouldn't want to go back. It's better as a memory that it was in day to day reality.

11

Does this ever happen to you?

by stillin in

jw
friends

not very often, something will come up that makes me get a sense of having lost something.

maybe a television interview with a witness who does an exceptional job of explaining the kingdom preaching or something.

maybe accolades from the medical community for their stand on blood, how that has helped some other, supposedly superior alternative to be developed.. or maybe it's just a particularly poignant meeting.

Pete Zahut

Naturally there are some good and redeeming qualities about JW's and or the organization. Obviously these were what attracted us to it or kept us in it long after it stopped working for us.

Those positive aspects were eventually overshadowed by the not so positive ones. For my family and I, it was a death by a thousand cuts. Little by little the changing doctrine, the revelation via the internet of what is really going on behind the scenes at H.Q., the nonsensical changes made in the generation and blood teachings and the fact that nothing they've ever claimed has ever turned out to be true or accurate, all led to the realization that we were involved in a farce. The few nice friends and JW social aspects weren't enough to keep the charade going. My big regret is that we didn't exit before we lost one of our family members in death because of the blood issue. That one was/is hard to bear.

56

JW Threatened me with Violence Today :)

by cofty in

i popped into the supermarket for a few things after work today and found myself walking up an aisle alongside a couple who used to be in my tuesday group.

i see them reasonably often and always say hello much to their obvious annoyance.

i noticed that ian was sporting a shaggy beard.

Pete Zahut

Cofty,

Sorry, you must be misunderstanding what I've said. I have relatives in Wales and London and the same thing happens when we email, we often misunderstand each others meaning, even though we are speaking the same language.

I wasn't intending to express an opinion of you or suggesting that you should care what I have to say or think nor was I intending to give legal advice. I loved your post and thought your reaction to the situation was spot on. My reply was just a obviously poorly written optional reply that came to mind, of what could have been said when that guy threatened to hit you.

I was thinking at that moment when he threatened to hit you, you could have said to him that if he did indeed hit you, he could be charged with assault and he could end up having to pay a civil fine and pay you for any damages to your face, should there be any. Perhaps a comment like that would make him realize that threatening to hit someone who is simply talking to him in the aisle of a grocery store, could have some serious consequences and it might be prudent of him to think twice about such an over reaction.

Hope that make's more sense (not that it matters)

56

JW Threatened me with Violence Today :)

by cofty in

i popped into the supermarket for a few things after work today and found myself walking up an aisle alongside a couple who used to be in my tuesday group.

i see them reasonably often and always say hello much to their obvious annoyance.

i noticed that ian was sporting a shaggy beard.

Pete Zahut

Pete Zahut

Ian - (Getting up in my face) "Do you want me to hit you?"
Cofty : "Sounds like there could be assault charges coming your way and a healthy monetary settlement, coming mine."

The above was meant to be Cofty's reply to Ian after he made the threat of assault, indicating that such an assault could result in legal charges brought against Ian and a monetary settlement in favor of Cofty.

56

JW Threatened me with Violence Today :)

by cofty in

i popped into the supermarket for a few things after work today and found myself walking up an aisle alongside a couple who used to be in my tuesday group.

i see them reasonably often and always say hello much to their obvious annoyance.

i noticed that ian was sporting a shaggy beard.

Pete Zahut

Ian - (Getting up in my face) "Do you want me to hit you?"

Sounds like there could be assault charges coming your way and a healthy monetary settlement, coming mine.

32

How many of you left the Org since 2015?

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

i have noticed that many lately have left the org or are in the process of leaving.

how many of you have left since 2015?.

this month will be my 21 years out of the org into the road of freedom.

Pete Zahut

Great question Paul....looking forward to the answers !

16

A passing thought when driving past an inactive JWs place today.

by joe134cd in

i'm going to tell you of a family i knew of when growing up as a jw.

she was a solo mother who had 2 daughters and these 2 daughters were absolutely stunning both physically and personailty wise.

i remember thinking at the time how commendable it was that such beautiful looking women would choose to stay in the organisation.

Pete Zahut

My first thought after reading your post was that maybe the family you knew, has moved and the women you saw that day weren't the same ones you used to know. ( hope so )

My second thought was that often, when people leave the JW's and don't have a firm conviction that they were right in doing so, will sometimes gravitate towards the things in life that aren't worth having or doing, simply because they feel they are now wicked. They subconsciously think that since they aren't JW's anymore, they are part of the wicked world they've heard oh so much about. Instead of realizing that non JW's can lead clean healthy productive lives, they go straight toward the destructive behavior that is always highlighted in JW literature and in the stern admonition at the meetings.

Ships are safer when they are tied up in the harbor, but ships were designed to sail the seas and be useful. The vast majority of them are able to safely navigate the stormy seas unscathed. Like a ship tied up in the harbor, there is a certain amount of protection from bad habits (smoking drugs etc) that can be attributed to the JW way of life. However, like the ship that safely navigates the sea instead of staying safely tied up in a harbor, people who cut themselves free from the overbearing restraints and misguided and untrue teachings of JW's, can and often do, live a healthy positive life without being bound forever to a cult.

37

feeling of hopelessness and fear

by 060702015 in

jw
friends

do you have feelings of hopelessness and fear for not having a religion?.

do you envy happy jehovah witnesses and living their lives carefree?.

Pete Zahut

I felt anxious, hopeless and afraid when I was a full on JW and Bethelite doing all I could in the "ministry".

I only realized once I left, how negatively the weekly meetings affected me. Being constantly reminded how inadequate and undeserving I was, how hopeless and broken the world and everyone in it is and how unlikely it was that I'd ever survive Armageddon, was a heavy mental burden to bear and it took it's toll on me.

After leaving, I came to realize that if there is actually a God and if he does have a long term plan for mankind, there is absolutely no reason I shouldn't be a part of it. I finally feel good enough as I am and at peace with the things the way they are. I feel that lending a hand to make a difference now, instead of waiting on a magical cure-all, is a much healthier way of life.