Posts by Pete Zahut

10

Sign of the times

by recovering in

oh i have waited for this for many years.

it used to really irritate me when i looked out my office window at long island college hospital.

dang the witnesses presence in brooklyn even out lasted a117 year old hospital.. https://nypost.com/2017/12/06/iconic-brooklyn-sign-taken-down-after-70-years/.

Pete Zahut

I used to walk under those letters during my night watchman duties while at Bethel. I used to look out at the night skyline of New York City and think to myself "Just look where you are Pete! "

I also wondered all those years ago, why they didn't put the name JEHOVAH in lights since it was his name we were trying to vindicate / proclaim / spread throughout the world. Instead, they went with 15' letters spelling out the name of the magazine they were trying to sell.

18

The '' other and remaining '' Faithful and Discreet Slaves are '' useless ''

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

faithful and discreet slave parable.

matthew 24:45-47 "who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?

happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so.

Pete Zahut

They are of no use in the congregations. They don't help any member in any way. If they were really ''appointed over his domestics,'' they would have real functions in field service, assemblies, and heading the congregation

Many JW women are recognized as "of the anointed" yet according to JW's they have no authority to be in charge of anything in the congregation, because of their gender. So it seems to me, they are rendered doubly "useless" not only because of their gender but also because they aren't (and will never be allowed to be) members of the governing body.

29

Congregation dwindles

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

i think we are going to be seeing lots more of this stuff.

.

http://www.capjournal.com/news/pierre-jehovah-s-witnesses-put-up-smaller-kingdom-hall-to/article_e05d9c36-d8b9-11e7-acb3-9f63fb65c896.html.

Pete Zahut

It seems odd that a religious group who goes around recruiting new members with the intent to grow the congregation, bring in new members and supposedly save lives, would tear down a relatively new and larger building to install what looks to be a double wide mobile home, in disguise.

It's almost as if they've resigned themselves that there's no hope for growth. Perhaps, the building they had, needed repairs or renovations and the cost of doing so was more than Warwick would allow them to reinvest and the mobile home was the only option they had to avoid having to drive to another town for their meetings.

At least this new building can be moved if things get worse and they eventually get merged into another congregation.

58

Non JW wife/JW husband Christmas tree debate

by spacegirl443 in

jw
friends

first post here and looking for advice and help.

sorry in advance for it being so long :(.

i'm a happily married woman (no kids) who is a non-jw, presbyterian to be precise.

Pete Zahut

JW's insist/demand that their religious rights are upheld in the workplace and in public. When these matters go to court, they are treated fairly and their rights are usually upheld, even though JW's themselves have high disdain for the authorities of this world.

Ironically, in their personal lives when dealing with non JW's , they expect others, even spouses and other family members, to alter their religious beliefs and their lives around their JW beliefs. For instance, non JW relatives would expected to attend the Kingdom Hall weddings and funerals of their JW family members (most have no problem doing so) yet the JW family members would never set foot in a Church under any circumstance, even for a wedding or funeral of a close relative.

All I can say is when it comes to religion and just about everything else, get used to being the odd man out, in your own home. Your husbands family may seem as if they have accepted you but you will always be looked upon as a unenlightened unbeliever who is part of Satan's wicked system of things AKA "Babylon the Great". They believe anyone who is part of "Babylon the Great" will soon be destroyed by God and that means you. If they are making an effort to cover up their attitude and are being decent to you, it is because they view you as a possible convert and are hoping to win you over with their good example.

11

A very interesting conversation with my father today.

by joe134cd in

this is how the conversation went.

decide for your selves.. dad : joe if ever i need an operation i've told them i don't want blood.

not a drop.. joe : well what about blood fractions.

Pete Zahut

Joe : well what about blood fractions. Where they extract a component out of blood cell.
Dad : Well it's still blood isn't it so the answer would still be no.
Joe : Oh really
Dad : well its not such a problem now as a lot of the vaccines are made artifical now. So no need to worry.

I don't follow how the conversation went from talking about blood transfusions and blood fractions to talking about vaccines.

7

do you tell doc ur father doesn't want blood

by cobweb in

here's a hypothetical: you find your elderly jw father - a lifelong witness, unconscious in his home - you are alone with him.

you ring an ambulance.

at the hospital the doc says they need to give him a blood transfusion straight away or he'll die.

Pete Zahut

My non JW Dad (studying) died a horrible death by not taking blood at the advice of JW's. Then they wouldn't let us have his memorial at the Hall because he wasn't baptized.

Knowing what I now know about the history of the JW blood doctrine and the changes that have been made to it over the years (fractions) and having lived through that experience with my Dad, I would say nothing about blood unless the Doctor specifically asked me about it.

Typically the question or whether or not to use blood, only arises if the patient is a JW and he or a relative brings it up, or a blood card is found on their person in the case of an accident. My understanding is that a blood transfusion is given as a matter of routine procedure.

If I could do it over again, I'd beg my father not to sign the blood paperwork and fill him in on the background of the doctrine and I'd give him as much of my blood as he needed. He'd still be alive today and would have gotten to know my Sons and his new great granddaughter.

16

Candidate for the Governing Body???

by DATA-DOG in

.

dd 😎.

Pete Zahut

He's far to well educated.

26

"In a human moment before Jehovah grabbed her"

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i often wondered how far back the witnesses had been involved with my family.

my grandmother died at the end of 2013 and while going through her photos we found some of my great-grandmother, dora, who was born in 1901 and died in 1994. there is a photo of dora dated 1946 standing outside her house in east riding, yorkshire.

on the back of the photo her husband had written "in a human moment before jehovah grabbed her".. my great grandfather, who died before i was born, did not like the witnesses.

Pete Zahut

Thanks for sharing those interesting photos.

It's my understanding that many folks from that time period in England, Ireland and elsewhere used the name Jehovah.

My mother was called upon at the door by JW's when she arrived in the US and was asked if she knew God's name. They were astonished that she knew the name Jehovah but she had been taught that at the school in the village where she grew up. Her mother was the teacher.

The caption on the photo saying "Jehovah grabbed her" seems like it may have been made by someone who believed that at death, God "takes" people to heaven at will, rather than waiting for a future resurrection.

15

Read this Pretty Good Advice!

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

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Pete Zahut

To me, the high road is the noble, just road. Taking it doesn't always mean being a pacifist or passively walking away or being nice. To me, it sometimes requires action and confrontation; it requires pointing out wrongs and injustices. It requires action to defend self. It requires fighting.

I see your point but when I read the MEME, I assumed that passivity wasn't the issue and that a discussion or confrontation of some sort had taken place. A line was drawn in the sand at some point and that's when a "monster" was made of the person who spoke up for him or herself or made their true intentions known. I also assumed that an amicable agreement could not be reached. According to the Meme, when that happens, it's better to walk away from the ensuing drama and be at peace with oneself rather than continue to fight an losing battle.

For a former JW, it's nearly impossible to get anyone to change their mind before they're ready to. No matter how well intentioned one is, forcing others to see things your way, typically makes things worse.

(P.S. I wasn't the one who "disliked" your well thought out comment.)

15

Read this Pretty Good Advice!

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

.

Pete Zahut

Sounds like passing the buck on personal responsibility. Blaming others for what you do. Everyone can think of bad things that have happened to them as justification for doing bad things back.

I'm not seeing it that way.

I'm seeing someone who is taking personal responsibility by walking away from the drama of a given situation and because he has done so, those he walked away from are condemning him.

Instead of returning to the drama by blaming anyone or justifying his actions or getting back at anyone, he chooses peace by staying out of the conflict altogether.

In this forum I'd say that this is referring to a former JW who left the religion and has been made out to be a demonic apostate by his former friends and family for having done so.

Instead of being nasty back to them, he chooses to say noting one way or the other about his personal decision and has chosen to stay out of the drama they've created.