Posts by Pete Zahut

19

Hello again

by BlackWolf in

jw
friends

hello everyone, it's been a while since i've posted anything on here so i thought i might give an update.

next month i turn 18 and my mom is constantly berating me about getting baptized, so much so that my siblings have even told her to stop.

ive just been flat out telling her no which i know is irritating her.

Pete Zahut

Just a few thoughts and questions to get a better sense of things as they are now so as to be more helpful:

I hope your money is in the bank rather than in your house somewhere, just in case your parents find it and decide to hold it hostage or if you lost it because house was broken into.
I'm assuming you have some sort of job, hence the savings you've accumulated.
It would be good for now to hold on to your money and use public transportation until you figure out where you're going to live, rather than buy a car which will eat up your funds and drain the rest on gas, insurance,repairs etc.
If your parents suspect you are influencing the rest of the kids, it could be the straw camel that broke the camel's back in terms of there being a chance you can continue staying at home. It might be good to curtail doing that.
I'm curious why it's taking so long to get in touch with your relatives as it seems like you've working on that for quite some time now.
Did you check with your local school district regarding help available to you in terms of counseling and education?
Some Towns/Cities /States have services to assist teens with seeking accommodations, have you checked to see what "Human Services" your State has to offer?
Sometimes when we are focused on outcome, we don't really think about what it will be like, the day after we reach our goal. Have you thought in detail what you imagine your first week, month, year away from home will be like and what your specific goals are?

10

Whether Jesus was a historical figure or not matters not

by venus in

when i suffered some loss what jesus said came to my mind: “if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.” (mathew 5:40) principle behind this statement made flash to me: ‘here shirt is only a symbol of material things/comfort.

if you suffer a loss, have the mind-set that i have no problem even if i suffer some greater loss,’ and my worry immediately disappeared.

whether jesus was a historical figure or not matters not if what he (supposedly) said happens to be of great practical help..

Pete Zahut

I'm sure the words of Confucius were beneficial to many but one wouldn't want to shun their family members for not building their world around his sayings, or let one of them die because of misapplying his words to a medical issue.

I'm guessing he wouldn't have wanted that either.

23

JUNE 2017 Watchtower - Lost a loved one? Go out in service!

by pale.emperor in

apparently going to the kingdom hall and getting out in the door to door ministry is the best way to get over the loss of a loved one.

who'dve thunk it?.

stash: /intesoft-inc.appspot.com/post/80e3cef960fd4eee9fd5cd757c438581.html

Pete Zahut

Field service is the WT's answer to everything -- loss, loneliness, apostasy in the family, temptation...
There's nothing that can't be fixed by putting in more time faithfully serving the borg.

Yep...when did you ever hear of anyone with a product or service to sell, recommend that you not use it? If you go to a surgeon with an illness 9 times out of 10 he's going to want to operate on you cause that's what he does.

Can you imagine seeing a Watchtower where they recommended to those who find themselves overly tired or feeling burned out, to take a break from pioneering, service or meetings? Everyone knows that to do something long term, you need to pace yourself and take breaks, however it would be unthinkable for them to recommend such a thing. It's always more more more....even more if it's the worst thing you could do.

29

Disfellowshipped for being complicit in someone else's sin - really?!

by Isambard Crater in

a close friend of mine who is pimo (only staying in for family reasons) in a neighboring congregation called me in tears tonight saying her dad (elder) is telling her he is seriously considering reporting her to her local elders and she could get disfellowshipped.. the reason?

because she is complicit in a gross sin, according to him, by going with her best friend (not a j.w.

) when the friend had an abortion.

Pete Zahut

By that logic, a JW could be complicit by knowingly bringing a friend or neighbor to the hospital for a surgery that involved a Blood Transfusion.

24

Do WT Publications Make Us Feel Unworthy, Unlovable and Helpless?

by jp1692 in

it is my contention that the wtbts, (as do all high-control, authoritarian cults), deliberately cultivates dysfunctional beliefs among its members.

in particular, the most destructive of these beliefs are those that undermine one's feelings of self-worth.

for a research project i am doing, i am looking for direct quotes from wt publications that seem to be specifically designed to manipulate the readers into feeling: unworthy, unlovable, inadequate and/or helpless.

Pete Zahut

I'm guessing a search of JW literature under the terms "thinking persons" or "thinking persons will agree", will bring up all sorts of quotes wherein it is insinuated that unless the reader agrees with whatever point is being made, he or she is not "thinking person" and is therefore unworthy.

Also: "Honest hearted ones realize", "Lovers of truth know" "reasonable persons will agree" etc etc.

9

An Elder/retired service member cashing their military pension??

by HereIgo in

there is an elder currently still serving in my old congregation that is retired air force and from what i have heard, still gladly and discreetly cashes his monthly pension.

granted, he did "earn" it, but i always felt it was rather odd to supposedly be anti-government but yet still benefit from government money.

would the society consider this a conscience matter?

Pete Zahut

Then another poster referred to the "disadvantage" faced by JW males who face prison lags for military-service refusals and compared their lot with JWs with a former military background who draw pensions. Again, what has one got to do with the other?

That would be me....

No judgement on my part toward either one.
If you re-read my comment, you'll see that I was simply pointing out the irony between one person who supposedly did the "godly thing" and ended up in prison and one who went to war and they both end up in the same place only the one who did the supposedly "godly" thing, is still working because he was never able to get a decent job with benefits. This happened in the congregation I grew up in, time and time again and it didn't go unnoticed.

9

An Elder/retired service member cashing their military pension??

by HereIgo in

there is an elder currently still serving in my old congregation that is retired air force and from what i have heard, still gladly and discreetly cashes his monthly pension.

granted, he did "earn" it, but i always felt it was rather odd to supposedly be anti-government but yet still benefit from government money.

would the society consider this a conscience matter?

Pete Zahut

Granted, he did "earn" it, but I always felt it was rather odd to supposedly be anti-government but yet still benefit from government money

Rather than anti-government I'd say JW's view themselves as anti war/killing.

I don't have a problem with someone getting the military pension they earned but It does seem ironic that some young JW's went to prison when they were young and their prison record made the rest of their employment life difficult, and the likelihood of having a pension of their own, possible. Years later, one of the elders in their congregation who did go to war and may have possibly killed someone, is now able retire (and possibly pioneer) on the pension he got for doings so.

It seems to me if the elder in question had a sensitive conscience, he might reason that according to his new beliefs, what he did in the past was displeasing to God (according to JW's) and to benefit from pension that was earned in that activity, might be considered a compromise of ones faith by some.

I think the Society leaves it up to ones conscience and I'm sure they'd gladly take the pension money for themselves if the elder in question couldn't bring himself to spend it.

17

Isn't there a better way

by FedUpJW in

just got done clicking streets signs, store fronts, vehicles, mountains, and roads capcha squares.

and yes, i clicked what was requested.

each time i login i get one or two more capcha challenges added to the number.. isn't there a better way to login?.

Pete Zahut

Yes...its not a big deal but I've noticed the same thing and wondered if anyone else has.

I'm not sure what all the security is about but I figured there must be more need for it than I realize.

25

Whats in it for them?

by Moster in

i have been out for nearly 40 years now - baptized at 14 (although not to the org), but faded away.

but i am wondering about this:.

aside from the obvious power they wield, what's is in it for the gb?

Pete Zahut

I believe they are victims of their own cult. Like many of us here, they were taken in by it early on and have come up through the ranks and have ended up where they are now. As difficult as it is for an ordinary JW to walk away from it all when he or she figures out what's going on, imagine how it would be for them. They are merely weak human men who've invested their whole lives on the organization and banked everything on it all being true. They'd be nobodies with nothing if they walked away and It would be quite easy for someone in that position to rationalize away all of their doubts and justify their actions rather than to shock and disappoint everyone they know and end up being a homeless friendless nobody.

33

Wanting Less Involvement (long newbie story)

by DepthsResounding in

i was raised a jw and am currently pioneer in a foreign language congregation.

i have been unhappy on and off with my involvement in this religion and am ready to step back again.

growing up i was always active but extremely reserved and a low hour publisher.

Pete Zahut

Welcome DR...thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings.

I don't have a lot of time at the moment but in a nutshell I'll say this.

Like the rest of us, you have altered every major area of your life because of your affiliation with the JW's. From this point on, do things the way YOU want to do them and not because you are trying to correct other decisions that were altered by the JW's. It's called damage control.

You don't want to end up with a life full of hodge-podge results because of neither being one thing or the other. Figure out what you really want and set a plan in place to get there. You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders and have articulated your story briefly and succinctly. I have a the feeling you're only a few well placed steps toward being where you want to be.