Posts by Pete Zahut

6

Interviews to select new Governing Body members

by Lostandfound in

imagine the scene, a comfortable conference room in brooklyn hq, with a round table with a handful of current gb members on one side.

a lone chair opposite is for the prospective new gb members to sit and be questioned as to their fitness.

lett asks, "have maintenance fitted your room with new light bulbs?".

Pete Zahut

...and will you be wiling to occasionally provide urine samples for random Kool-Aid screening throughout the year ?

25

2016 death of my father who told me don't come back if your a Witness...still hurts my soul! Warning you all!!

by Witness 007 in

i last spoke to my father in march 1990. we finished a "quick build" kingdom hall and i had a 17 year old spiritual awakening and decided to drop high school to pioneer full time.

(yes i was a dumb ass) he was not happy since my parents were divorced he was catholic.

we had a arguement and he said stay in school get a degree...and dont come back if your a witness!!

So sorry that things happened this way. If it helps your grieving process, try and remember, you were an immature kid (which is to be expected...that's what kids are) and he, as an adult, was the one to tell you not to come back if you were a JW. As a parent, I'm sure he realized that most of how was things went, was his doing and that you as a young JW, were not entirely to blame.

There's no good way to explain all of this away, but time will be a friend to you as you come to grips with all of this. Family is like good health, you miss it only when it is gone, so thanks for putting that reminder out there...I'm sure there are those who will reconsider their own situation based on your experience.

21

Org Is RACIST! Towards Sisters Of COLOR In Particular--IMO!

by HiddlesWife in

i'm sorry--i'm getting this very sensitive vibe that the org (mainly those at the top) don't have any respect--forget about love--for sisters of color.

i'm coming to this conclusion from a couple of videos on jw broadcasting about single sisters.. after watching this video: .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnjrbkggp4g.

Pete Zahut

I understand your point HW and I'm not saying their isn't any truth in what you're saying but I also think that depending on ones point of view, they can find a problem and a reason to complain over just about anything.

Just for the sake of argument, if one of these videos shows a woman of "color" being warned about dating issues, one could conclude that they're being oppressive and singling out women of "color".

If a video shows a white woman being warned about dating issues, one wouldn't necessarily conclude that they're being oppressive to white women but instead one might conclude that they are being oppressive to women in general. However if only white women are used in these videos, one wouldn't necessarily conclude that they're picking on white women but they could conclude that women of "color" are being left out of their videos as if they don't exist.

If a video were to show a white man being warned about dating issues, it's unlikely that a white men would feel that they're being singled out or oppressed and a man of color probably wouldn't feel he's being left out. If a man of color was featured in the video, it's unlikely that he would think that men of color are being singled out in regard to dating issues. However in either case where a man was being counseled, a woman, if she chose to, could conclude that women are being oppressed because the men are being taught to be overly cautious and restrictive about the women they are interested in, thus making it even more difficult for women to find a man to date.

When men watch these videos, I'd be willing to guess that in general, they see them at face value and don't read anything more into them than just another stern warning and another restriction in their lives. They don't typically feel victimized because they haven't been conditioned to see themselves as victims nor would they ever be allowed to. Men (especially JW's) are expected to uncomplainingly take everything on the chin and never blame their problems on anyone else, lest he be viewed as a wimp or a whiner and to some degree, women have been conditioned not to tolerate men sticking up for themselves even when they're being "bashed" and men in general, go along with this or just let it slide.

Depending on how you look at it, it could be said that JW men are the "highly oppressed" ones even thought it looks like they have all the (so called)" privileges and power". Most of them don't want it ! JW men are viewed as failures or weak by women and other JW men, if they don't "reach out" "take the lead" and "set an example". JW women are advised to only be interested in men if they have a position in the congregation and if they are a "good provider" "spiritually strong family head" so they, as women, have the option to stay at home or pioneer if they choose, rather than know how to fully support themselves. Men are expected( by the GB) to organize everything, conduct the meetings, be the head of their households and have the trade skills and do the heavy lifting when it comes time to build a Kingdom Hall. They are the ones that are supposed to handle everyone's problems in the congregation, enforce the rules and they're the ones who are at the brunt of a lot of thanklessness and whatever complaints the women may have about them for their own personal limitations.

No matter how you look at it, men and women regardless of their race can find something to complain about when it comes to the way the society manipulates everyone into playing roles they don't necessarily want to play and the weight of the unnecessary burdens that have been added to them.

13

Jehovah's Witnesses DO break up families

by UnshackleTheChains in

this recording was the final straw for me.

https://youtu.be/ks2ld6pjybo.

Pete Zahut

This is a case of humans intervening in someone's personal relationship with God. It's crazy what one must do to prove to others that their relationship with God has been "mended". The thing is....this recording will be proof to them that she was unrepentant and they were in the right to continue shunning her.

Who knows...she may be a bit of a flake and they may have a history of her being unreliable or untrustworthy. If they insist on doing something, they should just make an announcement that they're going to restrict her from participating and associating with others in the meetings and let others decide for themselves whether or not to associate with her on their own time..

They go too far with things...they're behaving as if they are rulers of a nation or tribe and can supersede the law of the land. They should restrict their authority to within the walls of the kingdom hall and shouldn't intervene with she and her family's personal life.

14

Fudging The Numbers JW Style

by pale.emperor in

i know most of us have probably figured this out already, but remember the good old days where you could only count full hours in the ministry?.

then one of the gb get some "new light" from their ass and proclaim that they lovingly will allow people to report 30mins, then even 15mins of time.

this was, supposedly, so that the old and infirm could have a joy in the ministry and report what little they could do.

Pete Zahut

JW`s would be happy to count hours preaching to their dogs..

IT WOULDN`T SURPRISE ME,IF SOME DO..

And why shouldn't they?? After all, God is Dog spelled backwards

42

Learn To Speak Like A Jehovah's Witness

by pale.emperor in

for those who were never a jw, here's a fun guide to passing yourself as one:.

privilege [priv-lij] - a duty nobody would volunteer to do which is assigned to you without your say so.

such as cleaning the toilets, picking up other brats candy wrappers in the back row and being stuck on locking up duty for the 7th time in a row.. df'd [dee-eff'd] - disfellowshipped.

Pete Zahut

Behooves [ you'd better do it...or else]

Spiritual Edification [ information that didn't make sense so it must be really important and intellectually deep ]

Paying more than the usual attention [ any mental alertness above and beyond ones usual near comatose state]

Spiritual refreshment [ often used to feel less guilty about being overjoyed that the meeting is finally over ]

Enduring/Endurance [ The world is often blamed as the reason this quality is needed, when in reality, ones JW induced unrealistic demands and high expectations of life, of oneself and of others, is the true source.]

14

Fudging The Numbers JW Style

by pale.emperor in

i know most of us have probably figured this out already, but remember the good old days where you could only count full hours in the ministry?.

then one of the gb get some "new light" from their ass and proclaim that they lovingly will allow people to report 30mins, then even 15mins of time.

this was, supposedly, so that the old and infirm could have a joy in the ministry and report what little they could do.

Pete Zahut

Yes, the yearly report will show more hours in the "Ministry" but I'm guessing if anyone does the math, they will see that the already high ratio of service hours to new baptisms, will now be even higher.

Since JW's are "footstep followers" I wonder how the Apostles and early Christians kept track of their time and literature placements and if this new loving arrangement falls in line with what they did ?

21

My Story

by SamTheGinge in

jw
friends

so, i joined just yesterday after coming across this forum looking at beth sarim, and i though that i would share my story with you.

it will no doubt be very similar to a lot of others, but it's a way of getting to know me at least.. i was brought up as witness from the age of 4 years old, my dad picked up the 'truth' from one of his friends in the pub and it seemed to go from there, he would quickly get baptised and progress to becoming a ministerial servant and then an elder.

from a young age i wanted to be like my dad and become a pioneer, a ministerial servant and then an elder... perhaps even becoming a co. the world, spiritually speaking, was my oyster.

Pete Zahut

Welcome STG,

A a father, it saddened me to read that you've gone from being a young boy who wanted to be like his father to one who has been shunned by him for the last decade or so. Other than for being axe murders or similar, I just cant imagine shunning either one of my 2 grown sons and I especially can't imaging shunning them for (supposedly) "scriptural" reasons yet keeping in contact with a girlfriend who is Wiccan. How much sense would that make?

Unfortunately you are one of millions who've had their lives and family lineage forever altered because of this religion. All the best to you as you navigate and triangulate your way around all of this, just as the rest of us are.

80

Major Doctrinal Changes Must Be On The Way

by notsurewheretogo in

the statement in the article "who is leading gods people today?

" in the feb 17th study edition of the wt is very interesting.. it states: ""the g.b.

is neither inspired nor infallible" ..we can err .in doctrinal matters....".

Pete Zahut

To me, it's the same old double speak....
"We're imperfect...we make mistakes yet we are being directed by Jehovah ... we are his mouthpiece....we are being blessed....we are his faithful and discrete slave and he's chosen us to direct you, so even though we may misdirect you....you still need to obey us if you want to make it ".

What I want to know is why the February 2017 issue has been out since late October 2016 !

I can't remember, but is this earlier than normal ?

Did they need to get this statement out there earlier than normal as a reminder because something is pending?

If not, what's the purpose of putting the issues out, so far in advance?

29

If the GB changed a major teaching, would all witnesses just go along with it?

by stuckinarut2 in

so if the gb changed its "bible based beliefs" on some teaching, would witnesses all of a sudden change their individual beliefs too?.

witnesses like to claim that "their bible trained hearts and minds" make them believe as they do, but we know that the reality is that all witnesses hold their "deep seated beliefs" according to what they have been told to believe.. so what would cause the average witness to question those that dictate their "personal convictions"??.

thoughts?.

Pete Zahut

So I am wondering what it would REALLY take for a witness to wake up and question the authority?

On the whole, JW's will accept anything the Governing Body say's does or changes. Even when presented with the most feeble of reasonings, they are able to do an about face on just about any doctrine.

Individually however, if they are affected enough personally by a change or by an injustice done to them....that's when they'll wake up.