Pete Zahut

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Posts by Pete Zahut

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  23

  Odd choice of words

  by Nevuela in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  why is it that when a jw gives someone a magazine, they use the word "place" instead of "give"?

  as in "i placed a magazine with him".

  and why do regular door-to-door jws of no special rank refer to themselves as publishers?

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  Pete Zahut

  It's all about projecting a certain image and to use the word place or placement gives the idea that some thought and care was put into rather than it being a random haphazard occurrence such as "left" or "dropped off", "deposited" or handed out.

  When you give away a litter of puppies, it sounds better if you say they were "placed " in new homes or "placed" with a new family, even if they were just gotten rid of to whomever would take them.

  As far as the term "Publisher", again this is about projecting a more elevated image. A paperboy or paper carrier, delivers, drops off or distributes newspapers yet he is not considered to be a publisher. The Newspaper Publisher is a usually the owner of the Paper such as a large corporation. JW's used to use the magazines as an avenue to speak to people about their message and since they were part of a printing organization, the probably went with a newspaper term that projected a certain importance to what they were doing..

  Now that they're silently standing by carts full of literature, I'm not sure what they'd call this. Possibly Cart Attendants?
  
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  19

  When 2 JWs have the same call...

  by schnell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as i was driving past a certain gas station today, i recalled that the family who own it are called on by a friend of mine, and in a territory where it's hard to find interest.

  it reminded me of an incident months back when this friend, brother d, discovered that another friend, brother b, was calling on that family too.

  hey, gotta make your time.. those two went at it.

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  Pete Zahut

  I forgot to mention in my post above....

  At one point, the Sisters in the Hall convinced my Mom that some of the stuff she'd picked up at garage sales might be demonized and that could be why she was having such a hard time. I was in high school at the time and I vividly remember the sisters burning clothes and other things in the fireplace.

  I remember suspecting that my Mom's recovery had to do with them giving her an "out"....blame it on the demons rather than your own weakness or immaturity. As kids, we didn't care so long as she back on her feet again.
  
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  19

  When 2 JWs have the same call...

  by schnell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as i was driving past a certain gas station today, i recalled that the family who own it are called on by a friend of mine, and in a territory where it's hard to find interest.

  it reminded me of an incident months back when this friend, brother d, discovered that another friend, brother b, was calling on that family too.

  hey, gotta make your time.. those two went at it.

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  Pete Zahut

  I remember how after decades of knocking on doors and auxiliary pioneering, my Mom finally found someone to study with that was actually making "progress". She was over the moon when this 20 something young woman started coming to meetings. It was as if she had a new purpose in life.

  After a few meetings, another sister in the Hall befriended the young woman and talked her into studying with her instead. I remember my Mom going into a deep depression over this. She was hurt that the other sister would do this and that the young woman would agree to it. She began to feel that Jehovah wasn't blessing her efforts for some reason and quite literally took to her bed for several months.

  It was awful...my fun beautiful fashion model-like mother got extremely thin and couldn't even bathe herself or do her hair. My Dad had to go to work and didn't know what to do for her so it was up to us kids to look after her and the house. Back then, JW'd didn't go to doctors about this sort of thing. They believed that reading and applying scriptures and prayer was all that was needed. Some of the other Sisters used to come by and admonish her with scriptures and eventually they convinced her that Satan was testing her faith and that she was failing. They convinced her that the important thing was that someone was studying and it didn't matter who was studying with her.

  Little by little she came around but she wouldn't go back to the same Kingdom Hall. We eventually started going to another Congregation so she could make a "fresh start". She was never the same about "the truth" after that.
  
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  19

  When 2 JWs have the same call...

  by schnell in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as i was driving past a certain gas station today, i recalled that the family who own it are called on by a friend of mine, and in a territory where it's hard to find interest.

  it reminded me of an incident months back when this friend, brother d, discovered that another friend, brother b, was calling on that family too.

  hey, gotta make your time.. those two went at it.

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  Pete Zahut

  This post reminds me of the time me and another brother were going from door to door and a householder answered the front door with the most perplexed look on her face. She stepped aside and through the open door I could see that there was another set of JW's at the back door. The woman said " Do you people even know each other??" then started to laugh at us. It was kind of embarrassing but hey... I've had more embarrassing moments while out in field service.
  
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  31

  Well, the Apostasy Accusations Begins...

  by Sorry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, it finally happened.

  the first time i have been called out for being an apostate.

  it started out innocently enough: my family and i were watching a tv show.

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  Pete Zahut

  Good Job SORRY. I've found that things work best if I simply ask my JW family questions that I sincerely want to understand and no matter what they say... just leave it at that.

  Often in the process of answering your simple questions, they see the lameness of their answers and they begin looking at their beliefs in a literal way and you come off as someone who is wanting to understand "the truth" better.

  For example:

  You: Have you ever wondered why Jehovah needed the Israelites to have an army when sometimes he used angels to wipe out his enemies?

  Them: Well Jehovah always has his reasons.

  You: Yeah... I know but I wonder if any Israelites were killed or injured in any of the battles? The Bible talks about them having won these battles but surely some of the Israelites must have gotten killed or injured.

  Them: Well if any were killed they'll be resurrected in the new system.

  You: Yeah that's true....I'll bet they're going to be surprised to find out that the resurrection happen 2 thousand years later or maybe more if it doesn't come in our lifetime. I wonder if they thought the new system would arrive in their own lifetime like we do.

  Just leave it at that and let them say whatever they want. Tthe next time ask them something simple like:

  You: So when the Angel was posted at the entrance of the garden of Eden, he had a spinning sword that kept Adam and Eve away. I wonder what it was made of since steel and even the sword itself hadn't been invented yet?

  Them: Well Jehovah's intellect and ability to create is far beyond mans.

  You: True....I suppose you could say Jehovah was the inventor of the first weapon.

  Anyway you get the idea, just get them to think beyond what they've always thought about, but don't argue with them or contradict them. JW's are used to the comfort of thinking they have all the answers and they have it made. Don't be confrontational....help them save face while they sort out this new way of looking at things, that you are presenting to them.
  
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  19

  Do you have a Virtual Reality headset for your smartphone yet? Be prepared - Soon all the press will be using VR to tell stories

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for your information, i'm absolutely not in the virtual reality (vr) headset business, but take it from me, you should get one.

  soon all the press will be using vr to tell stories, so get prepared for extraordinary experiences using your vr headset and your smart phone.

  “virtual reality!

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  Pete Zahut

  My phone has a crank on the side of it and making phone calls involves asking Flora the town operator to connect me to the party I'm trying to reach. Do you think I'm ready for this thing they are calling V.R.?

  Seriously though... I'm looking forward to watching videos featuring Brother Lett, in Virtual Reality....can you imagine??

  
  
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  31

  Well, the Apostasy Accusations Begins...

  by Sorry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, it finally happened.

  the first time i have been called out for being an apostate.

  it started out innocently enough: my family and i were watching a tv show.

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  Pete Zahut

  Good story SORRY but tread lightly. Tempting as it is to have the last word, be sure you have a plan and know how you want things to turn out. Try to work it so that you don't loose your family just for the sake of having the satisfaction of having your say. It's possible in many cases (if you play your cards right) to have your cake....and eat it too.
  
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  43

  If this system goes on.

  by karter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i heard my hard out jw sister say that for the 1st time in many years and i'm hearing more and more jw's saying that.

  years ago when i was in they talked about the new system coming any minute..

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  Pete Zahut

  Me, a kid who was told I'd never graduate from high school, did in fact graduate in the pivotal year of 1975 while many of my JW contemporaries were dropping out of school to Pioneer because the end was so near. If anyone would have said back then that the system of things would still be here in 2016, they'd have been branded as an apostate or at the very least, someone of weak faith.

  I went to Bethel and I sat at the Governing Body table for all of my meals. I realized back then that these somewhat "well meaning" men were just that....ordinary men. Although I continued as a JW for many decades, thankfully I had that eye opening experience and knew better to bank on what they said.

  My Bro in Law and his wife have been in Bethel since they were in their 20's and if they're laid off, will have nothing to fall back on.
  

  My Son was told that he'd never graduate but in fact he did graduate in the year 2000 and has recently given us our first grandchild. I'm 59 and about to retire relatively young, in a few months with a full pension. Thank goodness I didn't put all my eggs in one basket as I was instructed to do. I'm hearing about the different JW guys I knew who were a few years ahead of me who now have nothing to live on in their old age. Knowing how much I'm looking forward to stepping of the "tredmill", it saddens me to think of them not having a way out when one was so available.

  When predicting the "end of the world", no one (other than Nostradamus) predicts it will happen after they've died. They are all worried about it coming in their lifetime or like the JW's are hoping it will come in their lifetime so they won't have to grow old. It's easy for them (especially young ones) to dismiss the failed predictions of the past. We all think the time we are living in is the most important and different time period of all and things will somehow be different than the times past.

  I can say all of this as someone who lived through the 1975 fiasco and saw how easily my youthful trust, hopes and life's experiences the have been readily dismissed by the current batch of JW's who think it will be different for them. I did the same thing when I was younger in regard to the JW's who came before me and who counted on the end coming in their lifetime.
  
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  20

  Putin cronies caught again placing banned lit at the KH

  by Sanchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can these guys not see that there are surveillance cams all over the kh??

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  https://tv.jw.org/#en/video/vodourorganization/docid-802016753_1_video.

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  Pete Zahut

  lol.. I had to look at the vid again to see what the heck was going on. Turns out they had just broken the gate open while this guy was still at the top climbing over.

  This reminds me of a comedy sketch where the cops bust down a door that's already unlocked.These guys must be quite organized. I wonder what that person walking by is thinking.
  
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  20

  Putin cronies caught again placing banned lit at the KH

  by Sanchy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can these guys not see that there are surveillance cams all over the kh??

  .

  https://tv.jw.org/#en/video/vodourorganization/docid-802016753_1_video.

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  Pete Zahut