DRUNKINESS AND ALCOHOL AT BETHEL (page 2)

minimus

Let's face it. What else can they do? No sex. No drugs. No rock & roll. Drinking is the only thing they can do a lot (in moderation).

Kaethra

"Drunkiness" - is that like truthiness? That would fit very well at Bethel actually!

I don't know about Bethel but on the outside... all of my friends drank to excess except me. They would go out in service, comment at meetings, etc., etc., etc. but when it came to partying... they partied alot hardier than me. Three or more of my JW friends and aquaintances (on occasions that I know of) actually drank till they puked and passed out. As far as I know they probably still do... the buch of Pathetic losers. My worldly friends never did that on a regular basis. I think the only reason someone does that is to try and escape. Makes you wonder... what are they trying to escape?????????????????????????? I don't think you need any hints.

Seeker4

I knew that there was a LOT of drinking at Bethel, and I knew a lot of Bethelites that loved to drink.

There's an old JW joke about four Witnesses at a bar: a publisher, a Pioneer, a Bethelite and a missionary and a fly lands in each of their beers.

The publisher asks for a new beer; the Pioneer takes the fly out of the beer and finishes drinking it; the Bethelite grabs the fly, holds it over the beer mug and squeezes it while yelling, "Spit it out! Spit it out!" and the missionary finishes the beer and eats the fly, as it's his only source of meat for the week.

S4

badboy

BTTT

greendawn

For celibate JWs as most of the Bethelites are it's the only thing they have to let out steam and prevent the inner pressure from reaching explosive levels. After all Rutherford himself the true spiritual father of the JWs was extremely fond of alcohol. Perhaps that's why the dubs are not as hard on it as they are on other issues.

fjtoth

In fairness, I have to say that in my 40 years at Bethel, it was rare to hear that somebody got drunk. Perhaps we heard of such a case about every 5 years or so, at the most. Occasionally someone got dismissed for alcohol abuse. Of course, in a place where everybody is supposed to be exemplary, one would expect that there would be even less such cases.

But keep this in mind: There are areas in New York City where people are quite hospitable. I was assigned to a congregation where most members were Italian or Jewish, and both nationalities often take wine or beer (or both) with their meals. That's where I tasted wine for the first time in my life, and I suspect the same was true of others who were assigned to congregations in that area. So I don't blame Bethel itself for introducing alcohol to the staff. Still, I'm also not saying that you can't get into a wrong group of friends at Bethel and find one day that you've developed a problem with alcohol.

Frank

White Dove

Wrong crowd? WRONG CROWD?! That would be the RIGHT crowd for me! I hate a hangover so I would just appreciate their down to earth company with a couple of drinks.

DRUNKINESS AND ALCOHOL AT BETHEL