Posts by Pete Zahut

13

Jw style encouragement - Return or perish....

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

i haven't been able to post much recently, just started a new job with long hours... but i'm thinking of you all and drop in when i can.

anyway i've been meaning to tell you about this because thought it would tickle some of you.... 5 months after my last meeting, i've just had two "kind and loving" 'come back' messages/cards from different people both using the same days text from dec. 31st which says: .

"it is not a desirable thing with my father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish" matt 18:14. jehovah cares deeply about all those who have expressed love for his name, even if they are not actively serving him at present.

Pete Zahut

JW: Oh look...a new brochure.....Return to Jehovah. Just reading it makes me feel warm and fuzzy and extra virtuous about myself. Who do I know that is surely going to die at Armageddon if I don't give them one of these? After all, it's my responsibility as a Christian to look around me and decide who is and who isn't in God's good graces ( like I am) and do my part to wake them up. Oh...I know, I'll give one to Tornintwo because let's face it, she (unlike myself) is a goner if she doesn't shape up in a hurry. She needs to return to Jehovah and start going to all the meetings or she'll wind up receiving the same eternal punishment as the likes of....oh, I don't know...Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Charles Manson and any number of other horrible horrible sinners who've lived on this planet down through the ages.

Yes...Tornintwo hasn't been to a meeting in at least 5 months (I've been keeping track) and when she did go, I saw her looking up additional scriptures and cross referencing things during the Sunday talk and during the Watchtower study. If she's not careful, she'll end up like that one guy....what was his name...Pete Zahut...he apparently is so cut off from Jehovah's spirit, he can't even grasp the simplest of concepts such as overlapping generations and blood fractions (sigh).

40

Returning

by Doubtfully Yours in

i was a member of this community a long time ago and have lurked for years.

well, i am back and still thoroughly conflicted, with my heart/loyalties as divided as ever.

please welcome me back, hear me out, and make me feel as welcomed as before.. the wtbts has changed so very much in recent years that i feel trapped in a completely different religion altogether.

Pete Zahut

My basic story is that I, being a multigenerational JW, cannot emotionally handle losing my loved ones if I walk out on this religion.

Welcome DY....the first thought that came to mind after reading your post is whether or not you may unknowingly have family members who are sticking with the religion for the same reason you are, each thinking they are the only ones having doubts. There could be many of them who think that you'd shun them if they left or brought the topic up and have no idea you are struggling with it just like they are.

I think there are a lot of JW's who are thinking along the same lines as you are but have been silenced by the Organization. It makes life easier from day to day to keep ones mouth shut or do nothing but in the long run the problem festers and more and more people become victims just like you did.

If someone in the previous generation of your family would have been courageous enough to open up the can of worms or simply do a quiet fade, you and many of your relatives may have had the freedom to decide for yourselves what they wanted to do in regard to religion and God rather than be forced to believe or be shunned.

This is how it has always been for those who are being oppressed by others. Thankfully there have always been certain ones who had the courage to say "No More !" and were willing to do whatever it took to take their own personal power back.

There is something very wrong with an organization that harshly and forever more punishes anyone who simply chooses not to attend their meetings or recruit others. After all, that's all it takes to be a JW and that's all you'd have to stop doing to leave them.

13

2 go bags

by johnamos in

will any of you post here if you hear anything in this coming thursday (1-14-16) meeting in regards to 2-go-bags being pushed again...

Pete Zahut

Nothing calms the "restless JW natives" better than to start talking about the end of this system, survival bags, heading for the hills and by making cryptic comments about obedience to the mysterious instructions that will soon come from the Governing Body.

When the common folk down at the congregation level, get a little too mouthy, nothing puts them in their place and brings them to their senses than to remind them of the upcoming "Great Tribulation". Works every time and has for over one hundred years.

133

The new service meeting

by John Aquila in

i wanted to relate an experience that happened this morning.

it is regarding the new format for the meeting on thursdays in my area.

its not word for word but im summarizing what i heard, the best i can remember.

Pete Zahut

32

Are the 2015 Belgium Concert for Delegates and Kingdom Hall Cowboy Footloose Videos on Youtube for real?

by Maryo in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo0fxyk4iba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qxdgtaskfm.

i find these shocking.

Pete Zahut

At another wedding a few years later, a few brothers and me danced on a stage with make-up and the well known cleaning supplies from Queen's "I want to break free". At that occasion, one elder came to me, laughing, and said: "It was on the edge, actually a little bit over it." But no big deal really. They seem to acknowlege that it's healthy to let off some steam now and then

I agree...it's no big deal to ME it never was, but according to THEIR OWN teachings and directives NOT OURS , the Kingdom Hall is NOT a place to let off steam. It's Jehovah's house of pure worship. That's what millions of us were taught and we lived with it no matter how dull it was. Now suddenly, it's ok to blow off steam inside the Kingdom Hall and dance to "worldly" music on the Platform...the same Platform where "spiritual truths" are taught. "Spiritual Truths" that condemn the world and it's many forms of entertainment.

im just calling for balance
jehovah has full intention of disciplining his people because of the way they have treated us.

How does anyone really know for sure what Jehovah is or isn't going to do?? I've had a lifetime of hearing people claiming to know what God wants or doesn't want or what he is or isn't going to do and no matter what, it always turns out that God is going to whatever they think he should do. Sorry to be blunt but I just can't stomach it when people make unverifiable, unprovable claims like this. They come off sounding as if they think they are on some kind of inside track with God when it reality, like the rest of mankind, they haven't a clue what God is going to do next or if he even exists.

32

Are the 2015 Belgium Concert for Delegates and Kingdom Hall Cowboy Footloose Videos on Youtube for real?

by Maryo in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo0fxyk4iba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qxdgtaskfm.

i find these shocking.

Pete Zahut

Why?....the KH s are not holy places.

most on here hated the strictness,.....so why complain about this .

seems to me they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't.

i would have loved this in my time

You're right, it's nice that people get to have a bit of fun finally but you're missing the point.

I think the reason we are complaining is that Biblical evidence was given from the platform showing why our behavior in the Kingdom Hall was to be reverent and serious and we weren't to be imitating the world in our dancing an music. Philipians 4: 8 "...Whatever things are pure, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are upright, you must dwell on these things...."

We weren't even allowed to have a nice conservative worldly songs played at our Kingdom Hall weddings. For example, my Sister wanted her JW friend to play some classical music on her flute quietly in the background as people took their seats and waited for her K.Hall wedding to begin, The elders said it was unscriptural unless she was playing kingdom songs.

As you can see from the video, they are dancing to music from the movie "Footloose" which ironically was about teenagers rebelling against their religious parents who wouldn't allow them to have a school dance because it was unchristian. The JW men in this video are shaking their behinds at the audience and the women are whooping it up. In the past, people would have been "counseled" for doing this at a private get together let alone in the Kingdom Hall.

They told us from the platform and in the literature, quoting the Bible, that these things were wrong. If it was wrong back then why is it ok now. What else are they going to approve that used to be considered unscriptural?

My Father Died from not taking a blood transfusion. A year or so later they approved the use of blood fractions which would have saved him. They claim they are being directed by Jehovah. It's funny how Jehovah always changes his mind about what's ok and what's not ok, at the same time they want something changed.

Dancing, music and having fun isn't the issue here. Are they being led by Jehovah or not when they make the directives that Jehovah's Witnesses are supposed to obey and even die for?

8

Obeying YHWH can make you sick

by fulltimestudent in

we were once told and re-told that obedience to yhwh and his side-kick would save our lives..

so how about this bit of real-life research that's currently emerging in academic circles?.

there were strict rules in the law code about how and where you could sh*t..

Pete Zahut

Looking forward to part 2

Post number #2 should be quite moving.

59

Would I lie to you?

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

given recent posts on the forum and discussion, maybe we could play this game: would i lie to you?

in the uk we have this tv programme where minor celebrities tell weird or embarrassing stories about themselves and the rest of the participants have to guess if it is a true story or made up.

when the others have voted then the person reveals if the story is true or false.

Pete Zahut

Pete that's four stories! I guess the naked GB member and the Diana stories are TRUE!

Slim, you are correct on both accounts.
When I was at Bethel, I sat at the Governing Body table where they conducted the morning worship every day so I got to meet and get to know them all including Fred and Ray Franz, Nathan Knorr and Dan Sydlik etc. Late one evening I went to the Bethel Pool . It was deserted which is what I was hoping for. I walked into the tiny locker room and there was Dan Sydlik (60+) standing there in the "altogether"(ewww). He looked startled and kind of P.O'd that I'd walked in at that moment and we both sort of froze. I didn't know what to do...just squeezed past his Lily white bulk, put my towel in a locker and got out of there. It was awkward to see him at the table for awhile after that. When I told my room mate about it he started cracking jokes and asking me if I'd seen his Governing Body "Member" or his Little Bethelite.

The story about Diana is true. I also have a cousin (who's name you'd recognize) who designed some of the gowns Diana was famous for. Some of them ended up in a "Diana" museum somewhere. My Uncle used to work security at the Palace and used to ride dirt bikes with Prince Charles.

59

Would I lie to you?

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

given recent posts on the forum and discussion, maybe we could play this game: would i lie to you?

in the uk we have this tv programme where minor celebrities tell weird or embarrassing stories about themselves and the rest of the participants have to guess if it is a true story or made up.

when the others have voted then the person reveals if the story is true or false.

Pete Zahut

in my opinion by encouraging this it paints everyone here in a bad light and only feeds the negative connotation jw'lurkers and WT adherents feel about apostates anyway that all we do is lie.

So now that I'm a NON JW, I'm supposed to display "exemplary behavior" lest I bring reproach upon other Non JW's ??

Sorry, I thought this was just a little game. Hopefully a "lurking" JW will realize this and be more concerned with why he or she is visiting an apostate website rather than trying to find fault with the posters on it. Besides, I left all that kind of pressure and nonsense behind a few years ago.

59

Would I lie to you?

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

given recent posts on the forum and discussion, maybe we could play this game: would i lie to you?

in the uk we have this tv programme where minor celebrities tell weird or embarrassing stories about themselves and the rest of the participants have to guess if it is a true story or made up.

when the others have voted then the person reveals if the story is true or false.

Pete Zahut

Would I lied to you??

I traveled with Aerosmith during their 1999 "9 Lives" tour, as a crew member setting up their sound system and lighting. Steven Tyler would fly in just before the concert. I was asked to pick him up at a private airport in Atlanta (his manager trusted me, an honest fresh faced JW) I had been reading the latest magazines while I waited for his plane to come in. He asked me about them as we drove to the Hotel but was absolutely not interested in anything that serious.

Would I lie to you??

My Great Great Grandfather (on my Mother's side) and Lady Diana's (Princess of Wales) Great Great Grandfather, (on her Mother's side) were brothers. When Dianna married Charles, we didn't attend because the wedding was held in Westminster Abbey (Babylon the great) and also because of the fact that we simply weren't invited.