Some Bethelites and Governing body members are amazingly well "preserved" for their age. So if you had no mortgage, no kids to worry about, didn't have a stressful job with bills to balance....does bethel EXTEND LIFESPANS?
Do Bethelites and Governing body members live longer due to less work/life stress and not having kids?
by Witness 007 8 Replies latest jw experiences
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jaguarbass
Its good work if you can get it, if your cut out for it and your willing to sell your soul to the devil.
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jwfacts
People live longer when they have something to live for. It is common for a person to die soon after retirement. By keeping Bethelites working until they die, they do live longer. Lower levels of stress probably helps, as does not smoking.
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Scully
No, they live longer because they are living off the generosity of other people, and they don't have a conscience that bothers them for doing it.
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leavingwt
Less stress? At Bethel? It's a veritable pressure cooker, man.
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Mad Sweeney
Do people actually live longer at Bethel? Before addressing "why" we probably should establish whether it's even true.
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WTWizard
There actually is less pressure at Beth Hell, if you are up high enough. If you are in it for the power and you are very close to those making up the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger class, chances are good that you will fulfill your desire to ruin others' lives and live longer. Of course, there is the threat that common sense will make inroads--where people practice fully integrated thinking, they almost never become Jehovah's Witlesses (and, if they do, it is because they are dragged in and will eventually become apostates).
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sir82
For Bethelites, it is a job.
They have the same pressures that may or may not come with any other job - tight deadlines, inept bosses, uncooperative coworkers, etc.
Remaining Bethelites are probably feeling pressure to be more productive, what with about 1/3 of the US workforce being "laid off" over the past 3 years.
There would also be the increaed fear of losing your job - as happened to 1/3 of the US work force at Bethel. With little or no practical training, and no savings, and no severance package, and being in your 40's or 50's - the pressure to "not mess up and get fired" would be pretty high.
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daniel-p
Bethel is NOT stress free. It is a most hectic existence, and for those higher up, there is a lot of politics to deal with. I couldn't imagine the level of stress at the GB level.
There are sick people at Bethel, chronic illnesses, depression, cancer, etc, so I don't think being at Bethel necessarily enhances your lifespan. However, that perception could be from the fact that the old timers are able to get comfortably old because they have great health coverage and assisted living facilities (e.g. the "D-Res" at Wallkill) in a perceived spiritually nurturing environment, and there are a lack of younger sick people simply because Bethel doesn't take them or finds a way to get rid of them. If you grow old and are able to go about your work and life productively, you can last a long time at Bethel. But if you start breaking down, Bethel will most likely look to divest itself of you, and send you out into the world, unless you've spent 25+ years there and they wouldn't be able to get rid of you without looking really bad.
[What I say is from experience as a Bethelite, not just off-the-cuff speculation like some comments above.]