Any Bethelite posters on here could not care less. By the time they are in that position their mind is so strongly set to believe that only they have truth that they feel 'apostates' leaving the WTS deserve what they got. For instance, the Bethelite Elder that dealt with my JC said all Worldly people are like Nazi's and would do whatever they were told to do no matter how evil, so they deserve to be destroyed. Cognitive Dissonance is a powerful force.
Say You're a Bethelite & Monitoring JWD - How Would You Feel About THESE??
by Seeker4 356 Replies latest jw friends
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I quit!
She stayed for 13 years after I left, giving every reason possible. I think she stayed because she wanted it to be the Truth so badly. In the end, she left because finally the dysfunction of the organization touched her.
It has been longer than that with my wife but you give me hope Big Tex.
Hey Zarco, nice to meet you!
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becca1
Once in a galaxy far, far away... a little girl was born to a JW mommy and daddy. They had been married a long time and had no other children. When this little girl came along, she messed up their life. They had learned the "truth" form missionaries and the mommy aspired to being the "perfect witness". Daddy was soon a "cong. servant" and was determined to be the best one ever.
Mommy and Daddy's life revolved around the "truth". Service, studing for meetings (on their own, not with the little girl), meetings, pioneering,helping the brothers, serving where the need was greater... these where the things that occupied their time and energy.
The little girl had an active imagination and rich inner life. This was a good thing, or else she'd of died of boredom. The daddy was always on the go with either work of cong. duties. He was very conscious of appearences and did not want anything bad to be said about him. If the little girl acted up in any way, he would yell at her and call her "disobedient". Sometimes he would spank her really hard, especially at meetings, so others could see what a good daddy he was.
One night after a meeting a teenaged boy at the KH asked the little girl to play a game with him. They went outside, behind the KH. The boy told her that if she told anybody about the game he would tell her daddy that she had been a bad girl so he would spank her. She believed him. She did not like the game and it made her feel funny but somehow they continued to play This went on for about 2 or 3 years, until the little girl's family moved to another town where the need was greater. She has never told her mommy or daddy about the game even though she she is now a 47 year old grandmamma.
The mommy (perfect witnesses), always had lots and lots of Bible studies and she took the little girl her to conduct them. This and the meetings is how she learned about Jehovah. Nobody ever studied with the little girl. When she was 4 years old she became a publisher and when she was 10 she was baptised. She made her dedication by saying a prayer, while jumping on her mommy and daddy's bed and watching Neil Armstrong land on the moon.
When the little girl was going to start the fourth grade the mommy realized that her school schedule would mess up her pioneer schedule. She then decided to home school the little girl. For three years she woulg fight with the little girl to do her schoolwork. When the little girl did not do well on a test, the mommy would give her the answers. This way she would alwasy make good grades and not shame the family.
Most of the time was spent going out in service with the mommy. In this way, the little girl was able to put in lots and lots of field service hours and make mommy and daddy look good.
Another thing the little girl did to help mommy and daddy look good was to wear her dresses no shorter that exactly the middle of the knee. She knew it was exactly because daddy measured them for her.
After three years of homeschooling the little girl had had enough. She confronted her daddy and said she wanted to go back to school. He told her she was ungrateful, disobedient and wordly. He yelled and screamed. The little girl, cried and yelled and screamed back. This family discussion lasted three days. At this time the daddy gave up. The little girl was put back in school. The daddy barely spoke to her for days after.
When she started back in school she misbehaved a lot at first because she no longer knew how to act . She also had forgotten how to do things like multiply and divide. The little girl worked really hard though and by the next school year was at the top of her class.
The little girl grew up and graduated from high school. She applied to a university 2 hours away from home. This scholl was really hard to get into, but one day she got a letter saying she was accepted. She was very excited! She could not wait to show her daddy the letter. After her daddy read the letter, he said she could not go away to that school. They then had another 3 day family discussion. In the end, the daddy said: if you go to that school I will step down as an elder". The girl knew how much he loved being an elder so she did not say another word. The next day, she applied to a junior college in her home town and was accepted.
She went to the junior college for two years and lived at home. In her junior year, she trasferred to a school awy from home. Daddy said he was no longer responsible for her choices since she was 20 years old, so what she did was not a reflection on him. After just two months, the girl had a nervous breakdown due to the guilt she felt form living away from home. She quit school and called her daddy to pick her up. One the way home they were having a nice talk and the girl thanked her daddy for not letting her go away to school in her freshman year because she may have had a nervous breakdown then and at least know she had an Associates Degree at least. She also told her daddy that she could not have lived with the guilt of his stepping down as an elder because of her. Her daddy then said "Oh, I never would have done that. I just said that to make you change your mind".
The grown up girl is now married and two children. She takes care of the old mommy and daddy. She and her husband are "fading out" because of all the wrong things they have seen over the years. The last straw was the UN/NGO situation. She feels cheated out of her childhood and sometimes is overcome by bitterness. Most of the time she tries to think positive thoughts and is pretty happy. Most of all, she wishes that no other little girls or boys were robbed of their childhood in the name of their god, an ideal or a parents ego.
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BizzyBee
Zarco,
You are supported by us in whatever you need to do. Only you know how to make this work for you and for your personal circumstances. I believe that you are moving in a positive direction and will ultimately get to where you need to be. We are all pulling for you to become truly free - of course! But it is up to you exactly how and when you do it. Best wishes on this important journey!
The Bizz-meister
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sspo
A waiting attitude is not without precendent. Micah who observed deplorable conditions and a coorupt leadership says in Micah 7:7 ?As for me it is for Jehovah that I shall keep on the lookout. I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation" Additionally David showe tremendous restraint in waiting upon Jah's direction regarding Saul.
Not trying to preach to you, just explaining my perspective
Zarco
Well Zarco
I am still in the organ. after 31 years, 28 of them serving as MS and mostly as an elder.
You mentioned about a waiting attitude,are you talking about the many things that you see wrong with the people?
That's the least of my problem, i always looked upon the brothers as imperfect and that they are doing the best they can.
Will Jehovah thru the GB body give new light about 607/1914 and that God's Kindomg was never established, how about the blood issue, 144k going to heaven, other sheep and we could go on and on with the doctrines.
Jehovah would have to completely do an overhaul job and clean up what we have beleived for decades and the Mighty GB does not have the humility to do so.
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ronin1
Zarco:
Just remember the account of the sons of Korah, Dathan, and Abirim.
The sons of Korah, Dathan, and Abirm did not stand with their fathers when their fathers went against Jah.
"WE do not sit with wicked men of lies".
Ronin1
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I quit!
I was thinking that, if I was still an active elder, or at Bethel, and was reading this, it would really get to me. I'd be thinking about how I could get this information to the GB, or somehow try to make a difference, and I would know it wouldn't be possible
I wonder if they bother to monitor sites like this. The lies they have told that are posted here they already know about. They already know a lot of witnesses and former witness post on sites like this and they know there is nothing they can do about it be cause most of what is said is true and they would only draw attendion to them selves. If they had people monitor it they stand the chance of loose those people or having what they are seeing get out to and spread to other witness. I think they are just wishing the whole internet thing would just go away.
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earthtone
Becca, I feel sorry for that little girl, but I'm happy the grown woman is doing what makes her happy now.
Welcome to the board becca!
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becca1
Thanks Earthtone!
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dozy
I'm also an elder - currently giving talks at circuit assemblies / special days / pioneered for years etc. Disillusioned - putting my energy into "looking after the flock" and encouraging Christian qualities rather than a blind devotion to the org.
A brother gave the baptism talk recently at an assembly who I know feels similar to myself. The outlines for baptism talks currently involve a discussion of the 2 baptism questions and I was interested how he would develop the controversial second question which was changed in the '80s. He deviated from the outline , stressing that this was the most difficult part of being a witness as the Org was run by imperfect men and had made many mistakes. His argument was that all he had ever learned from the bible was by being a witness and that no other org was conducting such a huge preaching campaign. He spoke about the love and brotherhood that exists. Nevertheless , we didn't dedicate ourselves to a religious corporation - ultimately we were dedicated to God and individually accountable to him , regardless of the actions of others , including those in authority. This was carefully phrased to avoid being pulled over the coals by the Bethel rep (if he was listening anyway - most don't bother).
It does involve a degree of "mental accommodation" to come to this position and there undoubtedly is difficulty in maintaining it on a long term basis - in a sense I am awaiting the final nail in the coffin. My hope is that reform isn't far off - perhaps the liberal "coup" that was quashed in the late 70's will succeed in the second half of this decade as the old school (including Jarasz) die off. Perhaps even now , as in Thailand , the forces are gathering.
As to whether Bethel would be affected by any experiences or information on this site - I doubt this. They have an institutionalised mentality - dismissing any criticism as "Korah" like apostasy. Even feedback from senior Branch representatives is ignored. A friend who has long worked in international construction all over the world and who has had many dealings with "higher ups" told me "The GB don't listen. They never listen."