Pete Zahut

Joined

• started 56 topics
• posted 3,252 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Pete Zahut

• 
  27

  Embracing, Not Running From, My Repressive JW Heritage, Finding A Few Things Worth Salvaging

  by TMS in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  yes, we could have been born in an alley in calcutta or with the physical deformities associated with thalidomide.

  instead, we were born into or introduced to a repressive, american, religious cult, that shielded us from the warmongering game of chess, the militaristic boy scouts, fornication-inducing sock hops, the twist, as well as the hokey pokey.

  we heeded the warnings, avoiding the greedy self-worship associated with masturbation, decadent rock 'n roll and anything preceded by the word "extra-curricular.".

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  As far as what it was like for JW kids in the past, you really summed it all up really well. I too often wonder if I did this well after growing up in a Cult-like religion, where would I'd be if I had spent as much time in activities that would have not only have given me more employment choices but also made me a more rounded person and would have enriched my life.

  My twenty something son is almost done with his Degree but laments at how behind he is experience wise as well as socially compared to his contemporaries and my wife and I feel badly for not having awakened long before we did and possibly sparing him this problem.
  

  Like any of the experiences we have in life we can extract good and bad aspects from them and make the best of things....play the had your dealt.  Even those in Nazi concentration camps must have come away from the experience with some skill that would give them an edge in the rest of their life. (strength, endurance, appreciation etc) . Even so, there are plenty of better and more pleasant ways for them to have acquired those particular skill and for us to have acquired the ones we may have gotten from being JW's.

  As a former JW, you can choose to regret your past and lament the lost time or look for the positive aspects about your experience and play them up in your current life. With both of those choices, you are still a former JW but with one of them you get to feel a whole lot better about things.
  
• 
  8

  Japanese Still-ins are outraged with this Video

  by nakanozzi in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a youtube video posted by jwfairytale , japanese edition.. http://youtu.be/_adktmq-rba.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  I don't understand how the JW on the phone didn't pick up on the fact that he was talking to someone who was obviously much more informed about JW's than the typical householder could be. It seemed like the guy calling in, started to believe his own story about the $100.00 donation...got quite worked up about it.

  I think I would have pointed out the fact that they say the end is so close and countless millions of men women and children are about to be annihilated, yet they took the time out to make a video of themselves prancing around looking to a song written by someone they figure is doomed, and they looked quite unconcerned about the whole thing....quite giddy even, which demonstrates that they are convinced they have it made, in terms of surviving Armageddon and don't really have a true and literal grasp of how horrific of an event they are looking forward to.
  
• 
  18

  Meet Joy Grant - Struggles of Jehovah's Witness Women

  by JT-LadyC in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  My wife and I enjoyed listening to this interview . I was reminded of a time when I was about 16 or so and I had to conduct the meeting for service because I was the only Male present. I had no idea what to do even though I had been a JW all my life and I was mortified to be put in charge of these much more competent older Sisters. I also remember how nice they were as they coached me along making suggestions from their seats. Some of them were Pioneers and it was commonplace for them to met for Service without Brothers during the week and they seemed to manage just fine. The Sisters were always the ones doing the "heavy lifting" when it came to the door to door ministry.
  

  I remember my Mother who was very smart and who was also a"Critical Thinker, being very angry when they said from the platform that the whole 1975 issue was nothing more than overly zealous individuals who made speculations on their own. They said the Society never made any claim about 1975 and scolded us about serving with a date in mind rather than simply because we loved Jehovah. During the meeting my Mom spoke up from her seat and said " Oh yes they most certainly did ! " There were murmurs of agreement here and there in the audience.  I remember her being quite depressed and stumbled for a good period of time over that and "the truth" was never quite the same for her afterward.

  My non JW Father died from not taking blood because of what he had learned while studying . His non JW sister is a RN in England and we had to visit her and explain what happened. She was so angry saying " This such nonsense about these blood extenders and the like....you have to have the red blood cells...there's really very little that can be done without them...this was all so unnecessary and such a waste"A short time later the society came out with the "fractions" ruling which would have saved my father had it come in time.

  My Son's G-friend is a recent RN graduate. Her first hospital job orientation went into how to deal with JW's. She told us that she was told that more often than not, as soon as the Liason Committee people are gone, JW's beg the nurses not to let them die...especially teenagers. She was told to make sure to do a private follow up with patients on their own once the Elders leave.
  

  I agree with the point brought out about how sad it is to see X-JW's who still think Jehovah's Witnesses are right. They carry around this terrible burden unnecessarily. Thanks for all the time you and your husband invest in these videos. They are really quite enjoyable and helpful and will not only open the eyes of current JW's but will also serve to free many those who are still mentally burdened by their past JW experience.
  
• 
  36

  I was helping a Mature Sister with her tablet for downloading the meeting and then noticed ...

  by Quarterback in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this sweet older sister needed help and while trying to download the clm on her tablet, the history showed some porn pictures.

  how does someone overlook that and carry on?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  Since all things on the internet eventually lead to porn, she probably Googeled the words "Governing Body" and stumbled onto something a little more "Spiritually Enlightening" than she had intended.
  
• 
  11

  Bearded Danish Elder: WORLDS APART

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you remember our interest a few years back in the film, worlds apart?.

  http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2245498624/tt1065318?ref_=tt_ov_i.

  coco.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  Yeah...I remember. It was the first thing I though of when someone made a post about the latest W.Tower  that mentioned the acceptability of Brothers in certain regions, wearing beards.

  What happened to worldwide unity?
  
• 
  98

  Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

  it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

  the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  in fact, having one may hinder a brother from bringing glory to God by his dress and grooming and his being irreprehensible

  JW's decided long ago that dressing in the style of "Corporate America" fit into their idea of acceptable even though they view Corporate America as corrupt and say it's wrong to emulate the worlds standards of dress and grooming.

  There are people who highly distrust anyone wearing a suit and tie because of their past dealings with those in positions of power whether they are Buisiness Men, Politicians or Religious Leaders.  Often, such as in court, someone who is trying to appear more respectable than he really is, will put on a suit and time.

  For some people, there may be less hindrance to the Glory of God if his message came to them from someone wearing a beard and casual clothing. For others, just knocking on their door like an annoying salesman is a hindrance to the message of God as well yet no one suggests dropping the door to door work lest it turn anyone away from the message.
  

  In this matter of Beards, there is more going on than beards being a hindrance to the message. I suspect that, someone in authority back in the day, wanted themselves apart from C.T. Russell supporters or perhaps they didn't like them or couldn't grow one themselves. As is so often is the case, they found a way to make man made notions appear as if they were about concern for Gods will.

  In the early days of Disneyland, Walt Disney banned his employees from wearing beards and moustaches because in his growing up years, he associated them with "Carnival Barkers" and the Villains in his stories always had moustaches or beards. He wanted to set his theme park apart from trashy carnivals and wanted his employees to look like the good guys in his stories. But at least he owned up to it and didn't try to insinuate that it was about God.
  
• 
  98

  Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

  it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

  the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  Russell skirted around the Law by not having a Moustache.
  
• 
  7

  A story of two JW families after the resurrection...

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this is a story of two jw couples, brother jerk and his wife sister pleasant, brother easy going.

  the ocean.. sister pleasant: wife!

  brother jerk.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  A few moments later, Bro Easy Going and Sister Pleasant were hurled into the Lake of Fire for swearing in the New System.

  Problem solved.
  
• 
  6

  Another Brooklyn building listed for sale...

  by sp74bb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the old sports recreational area in brooklyn is listed for sale :).

  source: http://therealdeal.com/2016/05/17/jehovahs-witnesses-list-another-dumbo-dev-site/.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  A JW sports and recreation center....did anyone else not know about this besides me???

  I thought our donations were for building Kingdom Halls in impoverished countries. No wonder we were always in the RED on the first day of our Circuit Assemblies even though our Assembly Hall was paid for decades ago.
  
• 
  96

  New Shunning Video - RC 2016

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g20rww_-7ua.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Pete Zahut

  Loved the dark circles they painted under the DF'd girls eyes.....nice touch.