Posts by Pete Zahut

56

ALL JW's to be at the meeting this week...

by Newly Enlightened in

.

we asked this person if it could be aqbout the terminology change and they said that was already read last week...... we remember the last time they did this.

got everyone all excited thinking the big "a" was coming and all it was about, was the literature would now be donated instead of charging for it.. .

Pete Zahut

Dear Brothers,

As a cost cutting measure and to eliminate costly slip and fall insurance claims, baptisms will now be performed in the bathtubs of private homes rather than at the Conventions or Assembly Halls.

Local Elders may perform baptizims for anyone wishing to be immersed. Be aware that a Husband or Sister must be present when Baptising a female.
A Husband in good standing may baptize his wife and children but women must not baptize anyone.
Congregation members may volunteer their personal bathtubs for use by those wishing to be immersed but may have an unbelieving or opposing mate or as is the case for many of our recent converts, live in homes without indoor bathroom facilities.
Each Baptismal Candidate must fill out a (B-1975) Baptism Application form and answer the standard two questions checking either Yes or No in the appropriate box.
Applications must be submitted to the Society within 30 Jewish Calendar days.
A contribution of 150.00 has been suggested in order to cover the Watchtower Societies administratibe costs.
Each Candidate will receive a gold leaf Certificate of Authenticity (C.O.A) signed by their favorite Governing Body Member.

In addition to the foregoing adjustments, we are pleased to announce that for a small contribution, Baptized Witnesses will now receive a gold plated pin for each year they have been Baptized. It is highly recommended that these pins be displayed on Publishers Bookbags or Lapels as an encouraement to one another as well as a means for us to identify any non believers in our midst.

With the assistance of our Creator's Holy Spirit, we are certain you will adjust easily to these fine new arrangements and will find spiritual refreshment knowing you too are moving forward with Jehovah's growing organization.

15

"Holy cult hypocrisy, Batman!": Wow! I just have to share TheUnwitness' call to WT HQ!

by Island Man in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iykyoyygu4s.

Pete Zahut

I think I might have left the disfellowshipped part out and simply asked him what the societies recomendation is on how to treat baptized family members or friends who join another religon or simply leave the Watchtower becasuse they don't believe it anymore. He might have said that you should avoid any unecessary contact with them. At that point you could direct him to the article where they said one should be free to change their religion without being punished.

Either way, you can tell this guy is just sick of once again being on the defensive over some out in left field statement made in the magizines and or has a really low opinion of anyone who is disfellowshipped. I didn't hear any compassion or concern for the "lost sheep" or the possibility of gaining a brother back. His voice and demenor really reflects the true tone of this organization as a whole.

36

An Anti-Witnessing Campaign, Please Join Me!

by What Now? in

in the past few weeks, the shunning issue has become a very personal one for me, and i have begun to realize that it is not just enough for me and my family to fade out.

after some recent events, i am motivated to start some anti-watchtower activism of my own.. i, like many others, have hoped that there would be a scandal of epic proportions within the organization, something that would wake others up and trigger a mass exodus.. while i am still hopeful that this may happen, it seems that the organization is too good at damage control, and heightening the paranoia surrounding apostates.. but what if the ex-witness community tried a different approach?.

what if, to borrow a hockey term, a sort of shut out situation was created?.

Pete Zahut

Assuming that there are people who already know who JW's are and already don't want them bothering them, I wouldn't go into the JW beliefs aspect too much on the flyer. It may make the householder want to ask questions the next time a JW calls rather than put them off.

I think it might be good to give them a brief explanation of the "Do Not Call" option along with a pre-printed do not call form letter that could be easily sent off to HQ or the local Hall. Or if one wants to be truly devious, one could send a Do Not Call request in for every house in the neighborhood and bypass the householder altogether. If we all did this, what do you think would happen? You'd have to make sure the letters were all different looking. Heck....you could just open the phone book and start writing down names and addresses.

Of course you know that in a year or two there'll be and assembly experience about how a study was started as a direct result of someone having received one of these letters and being interested enough to ask for a study.

44

Is there a slowdown in congregation get togethers?

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

i was just reading thelisteners post from an earlier thread, and it got me thinking just how little time dubs have to associate togther.. it seems to be more and more the fact, that the only time dubs see each other to "associate" - if you can even call it that - is at meetings and conventions.. even at conventions though, the dubs are told not to go outside for lunch, regardless of whether it is a nice day of not.

(note, this may not be true at all conventions).

where is a jehovah's witness supposed to get this period of refreshment so he can do more?

Pete Zahut

The social aspect is the only part of it that made it bearable and is what is keeing it alive. Take that away and they'd stop going altogether.

27

The zeal has gone out of the preaching work , their is no more urgency to the work.

by smiddy in

this is an observation i have made .

yesterday a group of jw`s entered the street where i live , i`m at the end of a street and they stood around and obviously joked and mucked around for about 10 minutes as a group opposite my house .their were 3 teenage girls ,1 teenage boy , and 3 older men .

this was about 10:30 am on a saturday.

Pete Zahut

Looking back, we as publishers felt an urgency but if there was ever truly an urgency, the Watchtower Society would have used the television and or the radio and made publicaly distributed videos and could have gotten the word out within a matter of weeks. They had the capability to do that. Everyone knew that and felt the futility of their efforts to get the supposed warning message out there at a snails pace. Hence all the depression and anxiety in the organization. The door to door work is more for the Witnesses themselves than it is for the householder. Give them a unpleasant task to bond over and rally around that feeds their need to feel like virtuous martyrs. Keep them scared and busy, keep supplying them with and endless supply of inexpensively made books and magazines month after month. 7 million JW's with bookbags and closets full of unused back issues, and the occasional househlder who took them now and then adds up to a lot of money and more will be on the way next month. Remember the subscription campaigns? Why on earth would a non Witness want a years subscription to the Watchtower which is often full of termanology or topics only a JW could relate to. Nowadays I'd say the real money is made from the contributions, the estates of elderly JW's who have passed, assemblies and the selling of old Kingdom Halls that were built with free labor and have gone up in value and are paid for and replacing them with new ones that have money owing on them. On some level I think the individual JW knows this and it shows in their demenor but as is the case in a lot of organized religion, so long as you make them feel safe and feel as if they have all the big picture answers in life, they'll be only too willing to buy into it.

27

Nigerian restaurant sell human meat burger.

by jam in

jw
friends

i have nothing to say on this matter..

Pete Zahut

This is doubtfulnews but it does make me wonder what type of wine they serve with it. Maybe it depends on what race or gender the meat came from.

Anyway, I don't have a problem with it so long as it is cooked to the proper temperature and properly kept and handled and from an approved source. (sarcasm)

7

Comfort for the Brokenhearted facebook page

by Pete Zahut in

i think the jw comfort for the brokenhearted facebook page needs a few more well placed comments from the other side.

i see that a lot of jw's i know have friended this site.. the poem below is one of their offerings.. .

https://www.facebook.com/pages/comfort-for-the-brokenhearted/344767848880643.

Pete Zahut

I think the JW Comfort for the Brokenhearted facebook page needs a few more well placed comments from the other side. I see that a lot of JW's I know have friended this site.

The poem below is one of their offerings.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Comfort-for-the-Brokenhearted/344767848880643

H.E.R.E.

A times I will greet a brother or a sister at the Kingdom Hall and I will ask them how they are.
They look at me with tired eyes and say, I'm H.E.R.E.
This poem is for all of us who are glad that you are H.E.R.E.
The kids were cranky, your husband was late.
The dinner you had ready on time just had to wait.
But you're H.E.R.E.

A long week in service with 'I'm not Interested' and most not at home.
You just like to have some time all alone.
But you're H.E.R.E.

The job was exhausting, you come home feeling beat.
You keep thinking you have that deadline to meet.
But you're H.E.R.E.

Your eyesight is failing, you can't hear all the talk.
Your legs feel feeble, it's a challenge to walk.
But you're H.E.R.E.

You've faced challenges, you've faced trial.
You pushed yourself that last mile.
But you're H.E.R.E.

So we're happy you made it, we know it took courage.
You didn't let the world get you discouraged.
Because when you're H.E.R.E. at the meetings you're really

H-elping E-veryone R-emain E-ncouraged

24

CIRCUIT ASSEMBLIES KEEP SHRINKING IN SIZE - WAY TO GO!!

by steve2 in

the recent boe letter announcing changes to the duration of circuit assemblies was warmly received by congregations the worldover.

it was as if the brothers and sisters were already in the new world for, upon hearing this news, there were no tears at all.

instead, it is a humble acknowledgement from the gb of the mind-numbing, yawn-inducing 2-day circuit assemblies.. .

Pete Zahut

What ever happened to all the emphasis that used to be placed on Hebrews 10:25 ? Was it omitted from the new Bible?

"Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together as some have the custom, but do it all the more so as you behold the day drawing near"

17

Patterson New York JW Tourist Destination

by Pete Zahut in

jw
friends

i saw a photo on facebook of a jw couple i know, apparently you can now get your photo taken with the stars of the jw animated children's videos, at patterson.

i've tried to share it here but it isn't showing up.. basically, you stand in different cartoon scenes of the door to door activity, holding a bookbag and the hand of one of the children's characters from the viedo.

the houses are pastel colored, the cartoon brothers are wearing brightly colored shirts and ties , no jackets.

Pete Zahut

I saw a photo on Facebook of a JW couple I know, apparently you can now get your photo taken with the stars of the JW Animated children's videos, at Patterson. I've tried to share it here but it isn't showing up.

Basically, you stand in different cartoon scenes of the door to door activity, holding a bookbag and the hand of one of the children's characters from the viedo. The houses are pastel colored, the cartoon Brothers are wearing brightly colored shirts and ties , no jackets. The kids are skipping and it all looks so fun. Very Disneyland tourist destination like. I wonder if they charge for the pictures.

It seems like with the lessening of meetings, assemblies and service hours and the availability of this kid friendly stuff, they are trying to step away from the scary serious religious craziness we had to deal with as kids. At least the kids won't ahve nightmares like we did after reading the Paradise book and hearing about the tribulation non stop.

15

Tainted Love: Your JW wedding

by Julia Orwell in

mine was actually great because my non-jw parents decided to pay for the reception, limo, cake, dress, honeymoon, and more.

i can thank my non-jw parents for what a totally fun day it was.. but, half or more of the guests were jws, jws who don't speak to me anymore.

some have even slandered and abused me.

Pete Zahut

The only thing I don't like when I look at our wedding photos is the "yearly text" written acorss the front of the platform, in every shot taken at the Hall.