Posts by Pete Zahut

42

"Just don't overthink the truth"

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

so after almost a year of complete inactivity and non attendance, i ran into a nice brother from the local congregation.. after some nice chit-chat, he says "we really miss you and your family...etc...you were always the kind and supportive one, the approachable and encouraging one in the congregation.

your absence has confused so many".

i thanked him and said "oh no, no individual has stumbled us.

Pete Zahut

"He replied "oh, just don't overthink the truth!. Finding out things will only cause you to lose faith. Just come back"

Under thinking is definitely the way to go if you want to remain a JW and not loose your mind.

12

Lett facial ticks from a stroke/aneurysm?

by azor in

jw
friends

i was speaking to my mom the other day.

she stays in the group to retain a relationship with the rest of our in family.

she told me that she heard from one of my brothers that the reason lett makes all those weird facial gestures has something to do with a stroke or aneurysm when he was a younger man.

Pete Zahut

It seems he has no trouble animating his face as is often the case with a medical issue. The problem is that his facial expressions and gestures are above and beyond what is necessary and he comes off as condescending and annoying to most people.

If they are concerned about beards distracting people from the "message", it's not a kind thing to say but maybe Lett should grow one just to cover up his distracting facial expressions.

50

Does the governing body know what they are doing?

by Gefangene in

what do you guys think?.

are they only some uber religious zealots or do they pursue hidden agendas beyond religiosity?.

Pete Zahut

In a way, they remind me of rich kids who inherited the family business from their hard working, self sacrificing Grandfather who built the business from the bottom up. They like wearing nice suits, wearing pinky rings, being treated like celebrities wherever they go and they like the idea of being influential businessmen but it sure appears they haven't a clue about what it took to get the organization where it is today.

As I said in another post, they have been given a prestigious job to do and a role to play and have become overly "officious" about it. Since the simpler, grass roots days of the "International Bible Students" the WT organization has taken on a life of it's own. The current leaders are riding along on a freight train that was put in motion back in the day when people were quite gullible about what those in positions of power were really up to. In the early days of the Bible Students, they offered information to the public and answered questions from readers. Before long they began thinking of themselves as the final authority on all things Biblical and that's when this business of running the religion as if were the nation of Israel, began.

Things have changed, printing isn't what it used to be and the general public isn't afraid to ask questions of those in authority. I think todays GB may really believe in what they are doing but their "officiousness" has caused them to become unnecessarily bureaucratic, providing unwanted, unrequested and unnecessary advice and services and they have become meddlesome in their followers personal relationship with God and in their personal lives.

11

Something you won't see on JW.org ... They discourage music education

by Greybeard in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz4tfrt1nk0&list=plcd6f28c13a0a9ac2&index=4.

Pete Zahut

I'm so sickened and angered by that violin video.....I hardly even know what to say.

I hadn't seen this one before but I heard this same crap 40 years ago. "Wait till the New System Pete where you'll have all eternity to pursue your interests." Here I am about to welcome my first grandchild into the world !

Was asked to be on the H.S. Swim Team and wrestling team (didn't do it...what fun it would have been. Thankfully I let my Sons do it and it was amazing to see how much confidence it gave them)
Wanted to become a Pilot (didn't do it....regret it and may still give it a go)
Wanted to become a Dentist (didn't do it and wish I would have...to this day, my Dentist always is surprised by my knowledge of the field, Instead I was sent out into the world to make a living taking any job I could and having to be around some pretty lowlife uneducated people at times.)
Skiing (Naughty Pete did it anyway and its been a life long joy)
Guitar Lessons (Disobedient Pete took them anyway....another life long joy)
Art Lessons ( Spiritually weak Pete took them anyway...another life enriching ability)
Architecture (Nope....Good Boy Pete went to Bethel...now I work in the Engineering field and am asked by College educated co workers from foreign countries (Engineers) who barely speak English "Why you no go to College Pete ...you grew up in America....I am from India and I have 2 degrees? " I'm the one who reviews and approves their Engineered drawings yet they make more than me because I don't have a Degree.

What about Prince.....he continued pursuing his dream after becoming a JW and even wore make-up and women's clothes in the process and was considered to be in "Good Standing"???

It's a good thing I don't know what number to call because the phone lines would be on fire and somebody at Bethel would be getting their head bitten off right about now.

11

Something you won't see on JW.org ... They discourage music education

by Greybeard in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz4tfrt1nk0&list=plcd6f28c13a0a9ac2&index=4.

Pete Zahut

My Mom played the Harp in the Orchestra and there was a lot of infighting among the musicians. Who should play what part, who was too loud, who should be asked to leave etc. I think they finally got fed up with the whole thing and went with recordings. Too bad because they weren't as good as the real deal....at least in our area anyway.

11

Something you won't see on JW.org ... They discourage music education

by Greybeard in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz4tfrt1nk0&list=plcd6f28c13a0a9ac2&index=4.

Pete Zahut

Nope....this video doesn't feed into their belief that all non JW's are evil oriented.

I'm glad you posted this G.Beard, you've inspired me dust off my Ukulele and have a bit of a sing along with the family this evening. Going to have to do this more often... I'd gotten out of the habit of playing and had forgotten how much fun it is.

Thanks !

Pete

26

I think I figured out their strategy with all the creepy videos

by JeffT in

i came in during all the hype over 1975. the predictions about that date were the real driver behind all their activity.

since then, they haven't had a good goad to prod the sheep.

they seem to be smart enough not to try another date.. i think they plan to use fear instead.

Pete Zahut

I think they plan to use fear instead.

I doubt if they actually sat down as a group and said...."OK fellas, we've got to get these people under control. We saw what happened when we used a specific date, so why don't we trick them to doing what we say by scaring them into it".

However I do think JW leaders really believe what they are preaching and don't think they are trying to trick anyone but instead have become officious about the role they are playing. When people are acting in an official capacity they often start out being eager to help others but somewhere along the line out of a misguided sense of duty, they stop being themselves and start coming up with complicated policies and unnecessary and unwanted ways to control the same people they were trying to help.

The original Bible Students met and studied the Bible and published a Magazine. The next thing you know, people are writing to them in New York and asking for scriptural advice and clarification. Eventually they had a following and began thinking of themselves as having real authority. It took on a life of it's own until decades later they believe that they have the responsibility to intervene in and govern everyone's personal relationship with God and the members personal lives by any means necessary.

I think they really believe what is being said in these " creepy videos" and that they are necessary but instead of simply teaching people what the Bible says and letting them act accordingly as they see fit, they believe they need to control them and force the desired outcome.

96

New Shunning Video - RC 2016

by wifibandit in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g20rww_-7ua.

Pete Zahut

Yes, Jehovah is ready to forgive.....but your sins have been chronicled in detail in the file that will follow you from Congregation to Congregation for the rest of your life and some snooping Elders wife or kids may get a hold of it when it arrives in the mail.

The parents waited 15 years to be given permission to talk to their daughter and her kids....what a tragedy. I noticed they left out the awkward scene where the Grandparents meet the Grandchildren they've been shunning all of their lives. Of course the husband was missing, which indicates she hooked up with a looser and the JW's were right. So many obvious subliminal manipulation techniques employed throughout the video...fortunately most young people see right through these.

27

Embracing, Not Running From, My Repressive JW Heritage, Finding A Few Things Worth Salvaging

by TMS in

yes, we could have been born in an alley in calcutta or with the physical deformities associated with thalidomide.

instead, we were born into or introduced to a repressive, american, religious cult, that shielded us from the warmongering game of chess, the militaristic boy scouts, fornication-inducing sock hops, the twist, as well as the hokey pokey.

we heeded the warnings, avoiding the greedy self-worship associated with masturbation, decadent rock 'n roll and anything preceded by the word "extra-curricular.".

Pete Zahut

As far as what it was like for JW kids in the past, you really summed it all up really well. I too often wonder if I did this well after growing up in a Cult-like religion, where would I'd be if I had spent as much time in activities that would have not only have given me more employment choices but also made me a more rounded person and would have enriched my life.

My twenty something son is almost done with his Degree but laments at how behind he is experience wise as well as socially compared to his contemporaries and my wife and I feel badly for not having awakened long before we did and possibly sparing him this problem.

Like any of the experiences we have in life we can extract good and bad aspects from them and make the best of things....play the had your dealt. Even those in Nazi concentration camps must have come away from the experience with some skill that would give them an edge in the rest of their life. (strength, endurance, appreciation etc) . Even so, there are plenty of better and more pleasant ways for them to have acquired those particular skill and for us to have acquired the ones we may have gotten from being JW's.

As a former JW, you can choose to regret your past and lament the lost time or look for the positive aspects about your experience and play them up in your current life. With both of those choices, you are still a former JW but with one of them you get to feel a whole lot better about things.

8

Japanese Still-ins are outraged with this Video

by nakanozzi in

a youtube video posted by jwfairytale , japanese edition.. http://youtu.be/_adktmq-rba.

Pete Zahut

I don't understand how the JW on the phone didn't pick up on the fact that he was talking to someone who was obviously much more informed about JW's than the typical householder could be. It seemed like the guy calling in, started to believe his own story about the $100.00 donation...got quite worked up about it.

I think I would have pointed out the fact that they say the end is so close and countless millions of men women and children are about to be annihilated, yet they took the time out to make a video of themselves prancing around looking to a song written by someone they figure is doomed, and they looked quite unconcerned about the whole thing....quite giddy even, which demonstrates that they are convinced they have it made, in terms of surviving Armageddon and don't really have a true and literal grasp of how horrific of an event they are looking forward to.