The Story of Randall Watters part II - Trouble at Bethel

by Dogpatch 44 Replies latest jw friends

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  Dogpatch

  Thanks guys and gals!

  It was only because I was young (20) and from the country and didn't give a damn what buildings and personality squabbles and titles there were. I knew before I got there from an ex-Bethel elder what to expect, but I was a true believer like Jaracz (except my heart ticked) and could separate my love for God from an organization of men. I can smell people's control games a mile away, because I HATE BULLIES. When you live on a ranch or in the country, you respect even your smallest of creatures. When the GB started calling these simple, humble people names like "spiritual fornicators," mentally diseased" and "insane" and "worms," I lost all respect for these men. They were power-hungry bullies, and some still are, especially in the old school. There are still many good Bethelites there though.

  If someone treats friends of mine like that, better keep one eye behind your back because I'm a wolverine.

  Darth, it was ONE INCIDENT that finally made Knorr make all work on Saturday; some bros from Calif. took a weekened to drive back home (Cali) and one was killed or something because it was a long trip. He TOLD us that himself!

  Nuances are everything; that's why I take most things people say with a grain of salt unless I watch them speak... catch the posture, the attitude, the cattiness, and look them right in the eyes. If you weren't there and didn't really know and work with these men, you get about 20% of the real person just hearing their words. And those can be lies!

  That's why I don't get upset over tiny icons that say unkind words in a forum like this, and hide behind their anonymity. You're not worth a person's time to even respond if you don't come out of hiding and show yourself. On the other hand, meet or talk personally and then I'll respect you and probably even like you! :-)) But no one has been unkind to me, thank you.

  In my next part you will see that I didn't buy into church politics after I left any more than I did at Bethel. Learn to love people more and believe their nonsense in their heads less.

  Randy
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  palmtree67

  I can't wait for part 3.

  BTW, I ordered COC through freeminds. Really fast delivery!
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  TastingFreedom

  Thank you Randy for sharing your experiences. Most of us have only been exposed to the deception at the local level, not at the World Headquarters.

  Looking forward to part III.
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  BabaYaga

  The Kingdom Ministry report on these events:

  "Branch Letter", Our Kingdom Ministry, August 1980, "We are saddened to report at this time that five members of the Bethel family, and a few others in the New York city area have recently been disfellowshiped. There has been some apostasy against the organization and the promoting of sectarian divisions in some of the congregations of God’s people. (Titus 3:9-11) Living as we are in times difficult to deal with, it should not be surprising that such things occur. The first-century congregation also experienced deviations as we well know from our reading of the Holy Scriptures.—1 Tim. 1:20; 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:17, 18; 1 Cor. 15:12, 13; Acts 20:29, 30."

  (posted per CoCo's request, who found the exerpt above, and who is presently unable to post to the forum.)
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  Scarred for life
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  ESTEE

  Hi Dogpatch,

  Powerfully moving story. Thanks for sharing it with us.

  Have you thought about putting this in a book? I think it is a good read and easily publishable material.

  ESTEE
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  Dogpatch

  I hate writing books, Estee. :-))

  Done a few on stuff but my story is not finished yet and won't be for awhile.

  The yet unwritten part will be far more interesting.

  Randy
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  flipper

  RANDY- Thanks for sharing this information . Excellent ! Like yourself I hate injustice and people bullying others for the sake of control and power. It's one of the big reasons I exited the JW cult in 2003 after 44 years in. The mind control tactics of the WT society are well documented through your experiences , Ray Franz's, and Barbara Anderson's experiences- and the list could go on and on with hundreds if not thousands of similar stories. One reason this cult is so dangerous and in time either has to self destruct from within gradually by becoming more demading and fanatical - or be brought down in time by somebody high up within , or huge scandals of a financial nature.

  The end of this organization could not come too soon for me - as I have many JW relatives still trapped under the spell of WT cult mind control. Thanks for sharing your story- it will help many here who read it
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  hotspur

  Thanks Randy.... excellent read.
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  Butterflyleia85

  As Bert Schroeder said, this whole matter is not an apostasy from the Bible, but from the organization. Sure, if you leave any religion over doctrine you could be considered an apostate from that religion, but not necessarily an apostate from the Bible. Many ex-Mormons and ex-Moonies are “apostates.” This is a smoke screen for the real issue, “Who really grasps the message of Christ?”

  I love that this was mentioned btw. I couldn't spit out the words but that is what I been saying all along. Going through this change I want to be tactful to my family and honest but it's hard when they fear the word apostate.

  When the GB started calling these simple, humble people names like "spiritual fornicators," mentally diseased" and "insane" and "worms," I lost all respect for these men. They were power-hungry bullies, and some still are, especially in the old school. There are still many good Bethelites there though.

  Control… that’s my thought in this… That attitude btw is what comes stemming down to the congregations… So it makes a lot of sense when you say this because if it’s happen locally why wouldn’t it happen up in the main head quarters. To think we thought it was like a heavenly spiritual place. Ha … well if we believed in the paradise we would have believed in anything that is feed to us by them.