Posts by Pete Zahut

17

Celebrations?

by Freedom rocks in

does anyone celebrate valentines day since leaving the borg?

and which other celebrations if any do you now take part in?.

Pete Zahut

JW's ruined God and religion for me so I don't see any point in taking part of anything that is in any way religious but I do put up lights on the house in winter because it's kind of cheery.

It would have been nice to celebrate holidays as a kid but now, I don't participate in anything that has anything to do with religion. If I'm invited to some sort of holiday party,I'll go but it's not because the holiday means anything to me.

I have always acknowledged my kids birthdays even when I was a JW....never could buy into all that nonsense about John the Baptist etc.

The rest of the holidays such as Valentines day and Mother's day etc seem like a nice thought but they also seem so obligatory and cliche'. I don't like anyone telling me when it's time to give someone else a gift and that I'm a bad guy if don't buy them one, especially if that person is trying to sell something. (luckily my wife agrees)

We celebrate our wedding anniversary without fail.

25

...and so it begins

by Phoebe in

jw
friends

i've had an email from a sister who tells me that out in field service this morning a long standing route call has told them she won't be taking any more magazines and doesn't want them calling on her again because she has heard about the jws child abuse scandals and cover ups.

she was quite angry with them and said your elders say there is nothing wrong but there is and it will all come out.. this is the first time anyone i know of has been challenged on the doorstep and they were absolutely shocked and also angry.

angry that the organization is not preparing them for dealing with this and for not being honest with the brothers about what is going on ie: lawsuits etc.. just thought i'd share that with you..

Pete Zahut

Phoebe 4 hours ago

A little update to this tonight is that the sister has emailed me again to say they are very upset and would like further information from me about child abuse scandals.For example they were looking for Stephen Lett saying 'it's all apostate lies' on the broadcast but couldn't find it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYxG2F3Wd8c

14

Raising children - thoughts

by CovertsadJW in

just some thoughts for today - let me know what you think.

i grew up in the jw faith / cult - .

i can’t prove i am a better person because of it , but in some ways i can prove how it has damaged me.

Pete Zahut

"Ships are always safer when they're tied up in the harbor, but that's not what ships are built for"

Except for the thousands who died needlessly because of the blood issue, some aspects of the lifestyle have been a protection but it's the same protection that one would have had if they were living in an institution or some other altered state of reality.

In my view, anyone who grew up as a JW has on some level been effected by what's known as "Arrested Development". Like those who use drugs or alcohol to avoid reality, they've all been stunted in some way either socially or economically by hiding behind their beliefs. Sooner or later "reality" wins out and it's at that point that the hard work and often the suffering begins.

17

A conversation with M. James Penton (Watchtower historian, author and former elder)

by oppostate in

john cedars' youtube channel has a new video interview with james penton.

lloyd asks some good questions and jim provides excellent insights about jw history and where the movement may be headed.. i had the pleasure of meeting jim and his former wife, now passed away, at the christian believers conference (of bible students).

http://www.cbconference.com/.

Pete Zahut

Tony Morris says that if you've been missing out in field service, Jehovah looks down and sees on your hands, the blood of those you missed calling on.

By that logic, what would be the point in ever going in the ministry again once you already have someone's blood on your hands? It seems to me, no amount of field service from that point forward, could ever undo the damage you've supposedly already done.

152

Is Trump Doing Better Than You Thought As President!

by minimus in

jw
friends

i know that some here detested him while others may have simply accepted the reality of who is president.. do you think he is better than you might have thought as a president?.

Pete Zahut

All I know about Donald Trump is what I've learned through the media and we all know how reliable a source that is in terms of seeing things as they really are.I 've never met him personally, so what do I really know about him or his ways ?

Having said that, as much of an embarrassment as President Trump appears to be each day from what they choose to highlight about him in the news, from a distance, life in the U.S. looks pretty much like the same old same old. It seems to me that no matter who's in office, things stay pretty much the same. We have the same complaints no matter who's doing the job and Americans end up despising whomever is in office, by the end of their term.

To hear people talk, you'd think we'd have been on the brink of utter chaos and nuclear annihilation by now but when I drive down the street and go about my daily life, things are pretty much the same.

My parents brought us to the U.S when I was a kid so I'm not a citizen yet. They didn't expect this country to change the rules for them, rather they conformed to the established ways. They taught us to behave as guests so that we'd always be welcome here. After all they went through to get here, they were always astonished at the ironies they saw, for example how someone who proudly displayed an "America...Love it or Leave" or "Support our Troops" bumper sticker on the back of their car, could toss garbage out the window and or completely disregard the traffic laws of the land they claimed to love.

I've applied for my Citizenship and as far as I can tell, regardless of Trump, so far the process seems quite well thought out and user friendly. As far as I can tell 3/4 of the way through it, there should be no problem so long as I follow the rules and go through the established process.

18

WT studied by all congregations 4th Feb 2018.

by skin in

from the wt dated dec 2017 - study 1 para 11 studied by all congregations 4th feb 2018. the question asked on this paragraph is:.

what did the physician luke report happened to a young man, and how did that affect others?”.

paragraph 11 in this wt reads:.

Pete Zahut

”11. What did the physician Luke report happened to a young man, and how did that affect others?”

To me, that question indicates that they don't quite believe what Luke reported. I'm guessing that they don't believe Luke had such special "powers"so as to be able to bring someone back to life. Perhaps they feel that the man was likely only unconscious rather than dead and he "came-to" at that precise moment with Luke. Then the story grew into something more than it was and eventually became so. (We all know how Gods people love to speculate and find significance where none exists)

13

Watch Tower Farms

by Lost in the fog in

i know that the farms have been around for decades but i was wondering if the watch tower farms ever abbreviate their name simply to wtf?

.

Pete Zahut

Yeah.... "WTF" was stencil-painted on everything. Trash cans, carts, tools....

I'm guessing at Bethel Headquarters in Brooklyn everything was stenciled with WTH. (what the hades?)

13

Try this on a JW

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

this is not intended to expose wrong teachings etc, just to promote thinking and asking questions.. 1) ask if imperfection and death automatically follow sin.

jw will answer yes.. 2) ask if satan is imperfect then.. 3) sit back and watch them try to work out what the right answer should be.. sf.

Pete Zahut

I hadn't looked at it that way before but I'm guessing a JW would say that Satan was/is a free moral agent and of his own free will, chose to sin. Because of his sin, he is no longer perfect and will eventually die. God has allowed him to live this long so that he can use the suffering and death of countless millions of humans,to prove his point to Satan. Once his point has been made, Satan's sin will be followed by death.

6

The Shocking Truth Why Pope Benedict Resigned

by Brokeback Watchtower in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot84m6ncs0w.

Pete Zahut

Am I the only one who didn't know there was a Pope who resigned? Where was I when all of this was going on? This must have been all over the news!

10

Shouldn't the literature carts be covered by insurance?

by Isambard Crater in

i mean, they're in a public place and may get blown into someone by the wind, perhaps hurting a child.

surely because of their position, some kind of public liability insurance or similar should cover the literature carts/trolleys?

other charities like oxfam require insurance, i'm pretty sure, or a licence..

Pete Zahut

In our City, this is considered a freedom of speech issue. If they are on a public sidewalk they aren't required to have a permit so long as they leave 4' of clear space on the sidewalk, but if their cart were to cause someone to trip, it would be a civil matter solely between the injured individual and the JW as to how to deal with the legalities. If you were standing on the sidewalk and someone tripped over your foot as they walked past, they could sue you and they could name the City in the lawsuit, but they wouldn't likely win unless some blatant negligence on the part of those named, could be proven.

When JW's put their carts on private property such as at a shopping center, they'd have to get permission to do so and the shopping center official becomes responsible for any injury that might occur as a result of allowing this activity to take place. This would likely be covered by the shopping center's Liability Insurance

In the case of the JW's carts on public sidewalks, if there were to be some accident, I'm guessing the Watchtower would throw the publisher under the bus and say that use of the literature cart is part of the individuals personal ministry and is done of their own volition. I'm guessing they'd say that the individual JW is therefore responsible for any outcome.