Posts by Pete Zahut

9

Did You Feel Guilty As A Witness Because Of Your Sexuality?

by minimus in

jw
friends

did you feel guilty over your sexual feelings or actions, while you were a jw?

the watchtower always wasnts people to feel guilty.

i know of many witnesses that would pioneer or volunteer for something, as an act of penance for their sexual sins or desires, even if they were married!.

Pete Zahut

I know of MANY Witnesses that would pioneer or volunteer for something, as an act of penance for their sexual sins or desires, even if they were married!

It would have been the opposite for me. Whenever I felt extra sinful, my conscience wouldn't let me go from door to door, recommending my way of life to other people when I wasn't living it properly myself.

The funny thing is, looking back....other than the occasional temper tantrum or cuss word, I never did anything to be ashamed of....but I sure felt like I did. Then I find out that a bunch of people I know, were living double lives while knee deep in organizational activities.

23

The epitome of cognitive dissonance

by sir82 in

jw
friends

it is rare to get such a startling, sparkling, perfect example of this.. here is a snippet of a conversion going on at jwtalk.net regarding israel/gaza:.

http://jwtalk.net/forums/topic/16268-peace-security-news/.

every one who is in the world today and dies tomorrow is in line for a ressurection.this is their best way of being in the new world.

Pete Zahut

If the wages of sin is death and if dying means one's sins are blotted out making one eligible for everlasting life, what's the difference if one dies of old age or of an ilness or at the hand of God at Armageddon ? By JW logic, death in any form is a punishment from God. If you die at Armageddon or beforehand, one way or another you've paid the wages of sin and should be resurrected.

50

thinking of leaving

by justme67 in

i am 46 and have been a jw for only 6 years.

i was doing ok until about a month ago.

we were having an international convention and i heard the brother that had to pick up 2 of the members of the governing body had to get a background check done on him and his wife.

Pete Zahut

JustMe.....really?? a background check??? This is an all time low. It's as if they think they are rock stars or celebrities. I suppose in the JW world that's exactly what they are. They've lost touch with the real world. They are probably paranoid about encountering too much reality....perhaps a disgruntled former Witness or some situation where they are viewed as the ordinary people they are.

The funny thing is, they think nothing of sending children and little old ladies out from door to door or standing on steet corners like sitting ducks for god knows who, to come along and do whatever they please to them. Missionaries and Bethelites have to rely o Jehovah as they face all kinds of unsavory situations ranging from tropical diseases, primative living conditions and serving in dangerous lands or neighborhoods.

That comment about kids in school being "refuse" is typical. They say they have a love of their fellow man but in reality they distrust them, look down on them and view them as a nusience they have to put up with until God finally gets around to killing them.

Take your time....be smart.....don't burn any bridges unecessarily.

90

PEER PRESSURE!!! I gave in to Pioneering during August...I feel dirty...

by stuckinarut2 in

ok, i'll admit it...i am weak.... as everyone knows, the pressure to "pioneer" during "the most momentous, awesome, amazing, centenary anniversay of jesus invisble kigdom rule, & distribute tracts about a dodgy website" campaign is very strong at the moment.... also, many will have read my threads about the extreme views and expectations in our cong for "all appointed men to pioneer" etc..... every elder and ms and their families have been announced as pioneering....i mean everyone's name was read out except mine..... i was not going to do it, as i do not believe anyone should be forced...(and of course its the last thing on earth i would rather do anyway since learning ttatt).

but i am not quite ready to make the break yet, so i realised that i would stand out more if i didnt put in a form to pioneer.

yes it would make me more conspicious, and make fading harder to do...it would bring more heat on me if i didnt pioneer.. so i gave in and submitted a form.... now, of course, i'm only going to make sure i'm seen at the key field service groups etc...but then go and do something more interesting...like count blades of grass..... ahh....i feel hypocritical to myself now......

Pete Zahut

Pioneering out of Peer Pressure.....there are worse things you could do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MePOG81yMY

6

Heartwarming

by Pete Zahut in

http://www.jw-archive.org/post/92932133208/preaching-to-rude-people-until-you-find-someone#sthash.vpamsbev.dpbs.

Pete Zahut

This video may seem cute but when you think about it, you realize it is just feeding the martyr syndrome many JW's have. It makes them feel extra virtuous and improtant to think people are out to get them when in reality they hardly even realize they exist.

All those householders in the video were likely friends of the JW kid who helped him make his video. In all my years of going from door to door, including in New York City, I never had anyone throw my literature down, throw something at me or even be remotely rude. If anything, most were very patient with the guy who came to their door, interrupetd their morning and out of the blue, started asking them personal questions about their beliefs and values.

One day this kid will look back on this video and be embarrassed that he was so taken in by all of it and will realize that he was only parroting off pat phrases and one sided logic spoon fed to him by his parents or peer group. That's when the resentment will set in.

6

Heartwarming

by Pete Zahut in

http://www.jw-archive.org/post/92932133208/preaching-to-rude-people-until-you-find-someone#sthash.vpamsbev.dpbs.

Pete Zahut

http://www.jw-archive.org/post/92932133208/preaching-to-rude-people-until-you-find-someone#sthash.vpamSBEV.dpbs

90

PEER PRESSURE!!! I gave in to Pioneering during August...I feel dirty...

by stuckinarut2 in

ok, i'll admit it...i am weak.... as everyone knows, the pressure to "pioneer" during "the most momentous, awesome, amazing, centenary anniversay of jesus invisble kigdom rule, & distribute tracts about a dodgy website" campaign is very strong at the moment.... also, many will have read my threads about the extreme views and expectations in our cong for "all appointed men to pioneer" etc..... every elder and ms and their families have been announced as pioneering....i mean everyone's name was read out except mine..... i was not going to do it, as i do not believe anyone should be forced...(and of course its the last thing on earth i would rather do anyway since learning ttatt).

but i am not quite ready to make the break yet, so i realised that i would stand out more if i didnt put in a form to pioneer.

yes it would make me more conspicious, and make fading harder to do...it would bring more heat on me if i didnt pioneer.. so i gave in and submitted a form.... now, of course, i'm only going to make sure i'm seen at the key field service groups etc...but then go and do something more interesting...like count blades of grass..... ahh....i feel hypocritical to myself now......

Pete Zahut

I've read about individuals on this forum who would "pad" or completley fake their hours, or who were in charge of the monthly congregation report and altered the entire groups report in order to stay in the good graces of the Circuit Overseer.

Then there's the whole business of having two people at the same door or an entire car group waiting in the driveway, all counting time while one person talks to an occasional householder. The whole thing is such a joke....don't waste your energy feeling bad about it. Sometimes it's enough just to get by as best you can.

19

Why are 'most' of the people fighting in the Middle East MEN???

by NAVYTOWN in

jw
friends

it seems that in every war or revolution, 'most' of the participants are men and young boys.

aside from the occasional female suicide bomber.

does this have something to do with their religion and/ or cultural traditions?

Pete Zahut

It's ok to blame Men (who do most of the heavy lifting) for all the worlds problems but if you asked why it has always been men that have made most of the Scientific discoveries and Modern inventions that have benefited the world, you'd likely be considered a sexist.

Men bad....women good.

If you are wondering about Womens role in Historical Violence you can't forget:

Catherine the Great, Queen Mary (bloody Mary), Queen Issabella of Spain ,Margaret Thatcher, Maria Theresa of Austria, Empress Elisabeth
Queen Tamara of Georgia
Joan of Arc
Queen Elizabeth I
Cleopatra
Gudit
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Sikelgaita
Wu Zetian
Irene of Athens
Trung Sisters
Empress Matilda
Tomyris
Kahina
Ana de Sousa Nzinga Mbande
Raziyya Iltutmish
Zenobia
Hind al-Hunud
Khawlah Bint al-Kindiyyah
Boudica

13

Wow! Are You Stumped By Anything This 'Still-in' X-JW says?

by Island Man in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbzn9aric28.

i think he needs help.

i feel pity for him..

Pete Zahut

My Comment Posted:

1. Jehovah's Witnesses leaders make corrections when their prophecies don't come true or are about to fail....they have no choice. They never admit to being wrong, they only say that God didn't think it was necessary for them to have the correct understanding at that time, even though the end was supposedly so close and their own salvation was based on having an accurate knowledge.

2. Jehovah's Witness leaders find it necessary to change their understanding of certain significant doctrines they've held for decades while having claimed to be the mouthpiece of God and the bearers of "the truth". At the same time, they condemn other religions for having incorrect understandings of the scriptures and don't recognize any progress or improvements made by other religions and their understandings and practices over the years. Their message and belief is basically "We are good....they are bad....we are saved....they are doomed "

3.They claim to have an urgent and time sensitive message yet for over 100 years have spread misinformation across the planet through their publications. And their members have spent their lives making and spreading literature all over the world with information that is now considered incorrect. They are responsible for millions of people not having accepted the message because it was obviously inaccurate and unbelievable.

4.Since their beliefs weren't actually the truth, It's a good thing Armageddon didn't arrive years ago like they claimed it would. If their members would have pointed out these incorrect understandings decades ago, they would have been shunned even though since then many of the understandings have been changed back and forth.

5. Most Jehovah's Witnesses don't really care what they are told to beleive or understand where their beliefs originated. They like the social aspect of the religion and the warm fuzzy feeling of superiority they get when from having their ears tickled with dreams about being the only ones who won't be killed by God and will live forever. This belief proves to be a distraction for them and a way to cope with the day to day unknowns of life.

6. Unlike Jesus, they are trained to punish anyone who disagrees with them.

55

for those still "in" what's the mood

by lastchance in

in my area the general sense is bleak.

many are in survival mode.

even at the convention the appearance of the majority was unhappy and tired.

Pete Zahut

From the youtube videos one would get the impression that being at the conventions was like being in Disneyland. We all know that part is seeing old friends and has nothing to do with excitment about worshiping God or learning Religious truths.

My feeling is that there is an anti-climactic feeling happening as they return to the day to day grind of meetings and service and real life in general.

It's hard to keep the fantasy alive after another assembly has come and gone and nothing has changed. This time next year it will have all faded into the past.