Pete Zahut

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Posts by Pete Zahut

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  37

  Elders who dislike other congregation elders

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my congregation had four elders who had different personalities.you would see a little friction among themselves.. #1 self-righteous and the 800 pound gorilla.he would push everyone around in the congregation and even some fellow elders.. # 2 elder was around 80 years old and looked like he stuck around a little too long.it looked like he was around because he never decided to give up the position.his duty became very light as he aged.. # 3 elder was in his early 30's and newly elected.he made no waves and whatever was asked of him in the congregation he would do.easy to push around like a little puppy dog.. #4 elder (who everyone liked ) was easy to get along with and had a family who everyone loved.

  he didn't like elder # 1. they had a power struggle amongst each other which everyone observed while the meetings were in session.. here are 2 small verbal fights that i observed while the congregation meetings were in session:.

  while elder # 1 was giving a talk ( heavy rain storms are brewing outside with loud thunder and lightning ) the microphones and lights are knocked out.we lost all power and could barely see.

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  Pete Zahut

  I was once in a Congregation where the original Presiding Overseer (and his wife) continued to rule the roost even though i long ago had become a revolving position. When there'd be a matter brought to the congregation for consideration from the platform, he'd take the discussion over from his seat in the audience, talking back and forth across the Hall back about the matter with the other Elders and leaving the audience and the Brother on stage who was conducting the meeting, completely out of it.

  One time when our Hall was due remodeled, the new color scheme was put to a Congregation vote. The congregation chose one scheme but this Elder's daughter was due to be married and his wife vetoed the colors because they wouldn't "go" with her daughters Bridesmaids dresses.

  This former P.O's wife's comments during the Watchtower study, were often condescending lectures to the audience. It got to the point that the C.O. said during such an occasion, that Sisters need to refrain from preaching to the audience when commenting at meetings. Everyone worked hard that day at suppressing their laughs.
  
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  23

  Sales of Watchtower headquarters could total $1.2 billion, real estate pros predict

  by MaybeSo in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  we let the qualified buyers participate in a competitive bidding process and see where the market goes with it, devine told the eagle.. doesn't this logic reflect the same expectation of gambling or buying a lottery ticket?

  you don't know if you are going to win big or if you're just going to come out even or lose your $1 investment.. how do they know there's not going to be another market or housing crash the next day and get pennies for their properties?.

  how can they honestly say: "...see where the market goes with it" and at the same time condone other for playing lottery tickets or gambling or leaving things to chance like not getting higher education.

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  Pete Zahut

  MaybeSo 6 hours ago

  “We let the qualified buyers participate in a competitive bidding process and see where the market goes with it,” Devine told the Eagle. Doesn't this logic reflect the same expectation of gambling or buying a lottery ticket? You don't know if you are going to win big or if you're just going to come out even or lose your $1 investment.

  I took this to mean that since these are such unique properties and many of them haven't been in the market since the turn of the century, they can't easily put a value on them as one normally would by doing a market analysis of similar properties. That being so, they are going to let interested parties bid on them and this will give them a more realistic idea of what the properties are worth to those who would be in the market for them. The Watchtower isn't gambling anything and must know exactly what their bottom Dollar amount is. For the purchaser, buying any property is somewhat of a gamble but not so much if he knows the approximate worth of the properties and knows what his budget can bear should the worst case scenario occur with the economy.

  It's sort of like antique cars or certain collectors items, they are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. and if you want them and you plan to keep them, you don't worry so much about their resale value in the immediate future.
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  11

  What are the comments from JW's in your KH about recent events, Muslim attack?

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  are we near the end of days, is this a sign of the end????

  i'm surprise they are not out.

  in full force, they love this kind of stuff..

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  Pete Zahut

  When Sputnik was launched back in 1957 they thought it fulfilled the prophesy about "fearful signs in the heavens" in the last days and if I remember correctly, the middle east and Muslim's weren't included in their old interpretation about King of the North.
  

  I think these days, they shy away from being specific...it's more a general end time malaise they have going on.
  
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  26

  Old, Faithful and Forgotten...

  by rrb2016 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  had a conversation with my jw mother the other day.

  she has been baptized for over 50 years.

  i've been out for 30 years, but because both my mother and mother-in-law are jw's i keep up with all things jw.

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  Pete Zahut

  That all being said, does anyone know if the KH's have internet, or provide FREE WI-FI?

  My 84 year old Mother in Law (a real sweetheart) has an iPad and despite mild Dementia, pretty much knows how to use it but for folks like your Mom, even if the Hall does have Wifi, it wouldn't be much use to them if they don't also have it at home. During the meeting they'd be able to follow along with the program but when they have time to study and read at home, they would be unable to access JW.org etc like everyone else does and might not be able to keep abreast like the others. Elderly JW's are often marginalized as it is and this is a new form of it.
  

  The Watchtower convinced these folks that they can't get along with Bible reading on their own and has them programmed to expect bi-monthly magazines to direct their thoughts. Suddenly, the Watchtower and Awake which were once considered the JW "lifeline", have been practically dispensed with now.

  I'm beginning to wonder what will happen when these JW's start reading their Bibles on their own and begin understanding what they read, for themselves rather than being directed to connect the dot scriptures that are used to support the JW agenda.
  
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  16

  A 'Paradise' for mice turned out not to be so

  by Petraglyph in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in this experiment, mice were given a perfect environment in which to live.

  for the mice you would think this was 'paradise'.

  but due to their nature it did not take long for this to become a horrible place to live.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z760xny4vm.

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  Pete Zahut

  If the WT were given a small country to govern as they see fit, I guarantee...

  They'd have nothing to look forward to....no reason to feel superior to anyone.....no one to blame their problems on and they'd be sick of each other, sick of being watched and their every move directed and they'd out of their minds with boredom in no time.
  

  
  
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  28

  Sundays without the indoctrination session...

  by Tornintwo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what are you doing instead of the meeting?.

  i'm ordering cool personalised pressies for all of my non jw family online, whilst listening to some great 80's classics (currently fade to grey, visage).

  .

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  Pete Zahut

  The fireplace is lit and our little dog is stretched out in front of it, coffee is perking, pancakes on the grille, Christmas music is on the local station, Sons are on their way over and I'm happy to be facing another day rather than re-hashing how terrible and in need of destruction everyone and everything is.
  

  Oh...what's that sound? Mrs. Zahut is steaming some milk for our coffee, it must be about ready. ...gotta go !
  
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  155

  Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi people,.

  i want as much data as possible on the effect of the internet on the time captured by the cult.. please answer the three following questions about yourself or about someone you know (for example, if your parents or grandparents were jw's and left).

  1) were you raised as a jw, or did you convert?.

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  Pete Zahut

  Raised

  Pete

  1974

  2008 (faded)
  

  34 years

  Mrs. Za'hut

  Raised

  1979

  2008 (faded)
  

  29 years
  
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  17

  I made a bet...

  by Garrett in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...with a sister.

  she says she knows an elder that can prove me wrong in everything i say about the organization.

  i bet her that he will not be able to answer my questions and if he does, that he will tell me to have faith.

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  Pete Zahut

  I think you will flat out win but as a result, they'll finally be able to disfellowship you for apostasy and the Sister will be publicly reproved for gambling, which will open her eyes to everything else she's been blind to and you'll both live happily ever after.
  
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  36

  Elders now ORDERED by the Org to fleece the sheep

  by The Searcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the org is now demanding money from the witnesses, via the latest letter sent to elders regarding the circuit's excess funds.

  succeeded in getting elders everywhere to hand over their own congregation's "excess funds" - now their circuit's bank balances are going to be plundered.. the spineless and subservient elders will cooperate without a whimper, because they're afraid of losing their little bit of power which the org has bestowed upon them.

  (john 11:48).

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  Pete Zahut

  To me there is a difference between "should" and "must" and this letter with it's "should do this and should do that" seems mild when compared to what we've seen happening in the recent past in terms of the taking of congregation bank accounts and selling of properties that were paid for by donations etc.

  What I do see however, is that in spite of the huge sums of money that has come to them recently via the sales of the Brooklyn properties, they are still pinching pennies (relatively speaking) when it comes to the comparatively small amounts of money generated at the congregation level. I mean how much do the need ? On top of the regular donations that are always coming in, they now have the equity from several multi million dollar properties that have sold. They are letting people go by the thousands, cutting back printing and cutting corners every possible way. Why do they still need to guilt little Sophia into giving them her ice cream money as well ?
  

  Part of me thinks they are wealthier than ever and the other part of me wonders why they are cutting back and being so watchful of the congregation funds. Were the Brooklyn properties mortgaged to the hilt and the equity in them already spent trying to keep afloat these past several years? How is one to know? I'm sure the flock is clueless as to what is really happening, financially speaking, with the organization they have built their lives around.
  

  It does appear that something serious is going on. I look forward to seeing how this all pans out and would love to know what is really going through the minds of the JW's I know.
  
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  67

  Scriptures that will never be the YEAR TEXT

  by ttdtt in

  1. social
  2. humour

  so what scriptures do you think will never make the cut?i will start off with one to warm you all up.. 1 corinthians 4:6 - do not go beyond the things that are written,.

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  Pete Zahut

  Genesis 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."