Posts by Pete Zahut

16

Another brother steps back

by konceptual99 in

jw
friends

so at the meeting this week it was announced that a certain brother was no longer serving as a ministerial servant.. this is a guy who was brought up in a different country as his family went to serve where the need was greater.

this is a guy who was home schooled and went straight into pioneering.

he then went and worked on building projects in various places in europe and africa.

Pete Zahut

His wife was crying after the announcement, no doubt shamed at the step down and lamenting that she no longer can live her WT goals vicariously anymore.

Ha...that's so true and it's encouraged that single JW women seek out single JW men with positions in the congregation. Perhaps he was privately reproved for something, hence the tears. Either way, any move backwards, planned or otherwise, is a big deal in JW land.

When I returned from my year at Bethel, an Elder asked me in front of a bunch of people why I only stayed for one year. I said " You grew up in the truth....why didn't you go to Bethel at all?"

I remember a nice young pioneer sister in our congregation became engaged and decided to stop pioneering so she could work and save for a place of their own. At the end of the Thursday meeting, the P.O got up and said "I have a sad announcement to make...Mary Smith will no longer be among the ranks of our pioneers".

But for the sound of Mary sobbing at her seat, you could have heard a pin drop. It was like they announced a death.

19

Listing Bros cv's in their intro

by purrpurr in

at the assembly i noticed something new and disturbing.

when a brother is introduced before a talk the audience is now given their life history/ major accomplishments .. "brother arsehole who served at bethal for five years, pioneered in the foreign language territory for ten years, is an elder in x congregation and serves in the construction projects blah blah blah".

this puffing up never used to happen?

Pete Zahut

Matt 6:2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

Ones "service" to Jehovah is meant to be done out of love for him and love for ones fellowman. Listing a speakers JW related accomplishments before he gives a talk is a way of boosting his personal credibility and a way of humbling the audience so they will be impressed enough to listen obey and be blessed.

I heard one such (late 50ish )brother give a talk where all of his Watchtower related accomplishments were listed before he got on stage. (Circuit Work, Pioneer, Gilead, etc) He proceeded to give a very authoritative talk that was peppered with disdainful comments about the world and its so called accomplishments.

The very next week I saw him wearing a hair net and and apron, handing out cheese samples at Costco. Not that there's anything wrong with that but It was ironic to go from seeing him in a $500.00 suit being lauded by thousands and making scathing remarks about everything and anyone non JW to handing out bits of cheese to cart pushing shoppers.

Since leaving the Circuit Work for health reasons, he and his wife/are were living in the apartment attached to our Kingdom Hall and the congregation pays for their utilities in exchange for special talks once in awhile on Sunday. One part of me felt sorry for him and the other part was annoyed at his arrogance and condemnation toward those in the world. After all....what is he really doing...what is he really accomplishing himself to be able to condemn all those who actually are helping people in a real way in the here and now.

13

I just saw this on Kim Mikey you tube channel.

by joe134cd in

i just saw this on the link below.. https://youtu.be/tigp4huuigy.

the question that's raised is.

why would wt want to use a 3rd party in order to recieve donations.

Pete Zahut

"I couldn't believe they would allow an outside vendor handle it, and it sounds like each congregation is gonna be charged $10 a month to use the service"

I haven't listened to the video yet but I wonder if the "outside vendor" is a subsidiary of the Watchtower or owned by a JW? Or perhaps there is a security issue that is too involved for them to monitor at Bethel.

In either case, it's odd that bad don't use an outside vendor to handle the printing so they wouldn't need a factory and workers to work in the factory and workers to maintain the factory and workers to support the factory workers and a farm and dormitories to feed and house them all. Their properties and the personnel to maintain the properties are their biggest expense.

10

Wife having lunch with her nosey Mother.

by Darkknight757 in

so my wife is really nervous about having lunch with her mother today.

she is an über-dub who is always asking probing questions as to our spirituality.

i think she knows that we are fading out.

Pete Zahut

Mom: How did you like the assembly? How's your field service going? Did you read that article in the last Magazine about...

Daughter: I don't want to come off as being overly touchy about this but I notice that whenever we are together you ask me a lot of questions that lead me to believe you are worried about my spirituality or my relationship with Jehovah.

Mom: Well yes....I am worried that you might be getting spiritually weak.

Daughter: I appreciate your concern for me Mom but you do realize that an individuals spirituality and their relationship with God is personal thing and asking those kinds of questions, sort of comes off as if you are monitoring that relationship. Its so nice when we get to talk about day to day things and you treat me as someone who is capable of managing her own life.

Mom: So I'm not supposed to talk to you about anything having to do with the TRUTH?

Daughter: I don't mind you want to tell me what you've been doing but you have to let me do the same, if I chose to. OK? Here...try some of this new salad dressing....it's wonderful !

Mom: You're my daughter after all and I want to make sure you're doing ok.

Daughter: I know you do Mom, but there comes a point where youre just going to have to trust that I am able to handle that myself, just as you'd do for anyone else, OK? (smiling) So how's your Salad....is it everything you hoped it would be ?

13

Theocratic Greeting Cards?

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

somebody in the uk has started a theocratic card business.looks like there is good money in jw businesses.. https://www.bennettcards.co.uk/product-category/47/theocratic-greetings-cards/.

bangalore.

Pete Zahut

13

Theocratic Greeting Cards?

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

somebody in the uk has started a theocratic card business.looks like there is good money in jw businesses.. https://www.bennettcards.co.uk/product-category/47/theocratic-greetings-cards/.

bangalore.

Pete Zahut

13

(A Childhood Memory) THE MYSTERY OF THE LOCKED CABINET

by TerryWalstrom in

the mystery of the locked cabinet.

when i was about 10 years old, there was a tall, white handmade cabinet back in one of our storage sheds (a converted chicken house from back in the 30's, when my grandparents raised chickens in the great depression).

affixed to its door, there was a big padlock on the cabinet.

Pete Zahut

13

(A Childhood Memory) THE MYSTERY OF THE LOCKED CABINET

by TerryWalstrom in

the mystery of the locked cabinet.

when i was about 10 years old, there was a tall, white handmade cabinet back in one of our storage sheds (a converted chicken house from back in the 30's, when my grandparents raised chickens in the great depression).

affixed to its door, there was a big padlock on the cabinet.

Pete Zahut

Great Story Terry. I hope you don't mind but I googled the address you gave and came up with the photos below. The first one (if correct) would be your grandparents house. The photo below that one shows the house across the street (Prince's house).

Your Grandfathers perspective of the KKK was new to me. It seems like you only hear about that group terrorizing black people rather than also handling problems with criminals that the law couldn't touch for whatever reason. Your perspective of "white flight" being a good thing in the eyes of the other whites who remained in their homes and who were glad to see the "haters" leave town, was one you don't hear about. Listening to some folks, you'd almost think at one point practically every white person in the south owned a slave or was a supporter of segregation and bigotry.

75

I came here three years ago for support and to make friends

by KateWild in

jw
friends

this site is such a great and valuable resource and simon is to be commended for running it for so long.

when i first came i was in such a bad state and really needed support and friendship.

so many posters commented on my threads and showed genuine care some are real life friends, some are facebook friends, some i talk to on the phone and some are forum friends.. i have just realised though that everyone online is not your friend.

Pete Zahut

Howdy Kate,

I have to remind myself that the friendships we create on this forum are "virtual friendships" and these friendships exist only in the imagination.

It's easy for those of us who were around before the Internet, to employ the same social skills we developed for use in the real world, while socializing in cyberspace. Even when we are aware of the difference between real life friends and Virtual friends, it's easy to forget ourselves and "project our own "virtual warm feelings" onto others and have our real life feelings "virtually hurt" when they don't "respond virtually", in kind.

I've found myself feeling a little hurt or offended when someone misunderstood one of my poorly written comments and half baked ideas or when someone hit the dislike button after reading something I had written. I have to remind myself that the narcissistic side of my personality needs to be kept in check when interacting online with those I consider to be Virtual friends. It would be easy to become preoccupied with wanting ones comments to be admired by everyone or to develop and inflated idea about our own importance to this forum, only to be hurt by the realization that we are not the center of the virtual universe.

Also, it used to be that in order to be considered a bully, you actually had to do something mean to someone weaker than yourself. These days you can be labeled a bully by just typing a few disagreeable words in response to a comment made by someone you've never even met. I've read most of your posts Kate and I'm imagining you as someone who would be far from being easily bullied, virtually or otherwise.

Anyway, the nice thing is, it's up to us to choose how we will react in the physical world, to the goings on of our imaginary friends in the virtual world.

You always have something interesting to say or add to an ongoing discussion so I think you should just keep going as you have been only try not to wear your virtual heart on your virtual sleeve, (learned that lesson myself).

Pete

33

Sixty People Murdered in Nice Terror Attack

by cofty in

crowds celebrating bastille day in nice, france have been targeted by a terrorist driving a truck.. initial reports of 60 dead and 100 injured.. i am losing track of how many similar attacks there have been in europe in recently..

Pete Zahut

I don't think a news item has ever caught me so off guard and made me so upset. After the string of upsetting news items that have pummeled the U.S lately, I didn't realize I was in such an emotional state. This news really upsets me.
I'm tired.

I think we are all getting tired of this kind of thing. It's terrible, an attack on everyone, innocent people just trying to have a good time, just senseless, pointless violence. I am almost afraid to turn on the news anymore.

In view of the "critical times hard to deal with" teachings we had drummed into our heads, I'm curious what other former JW's think the explanation as to why this is happening so much lately.