Skeleton's Come Tumbling out of Bethel's Closet - Ray Franz- Book ISOCF (page 2)

leavingwt

Leaving, what was it your friend got railroaded for? I had another friend who was sent home for, and I'm not making this up, "reading commic books". they gave a talk about it at morning worship.

I remember the 'Comic Book' purge. Looking back, it seems almost unreal/unbelievable.

This friend was asked to leave Bethel, after more than 19 years of service, because of "potential" health issues with his heart. (Keep in mind, that at the time, the Branch Organization book was very clear on this topic. If someone had served for 15 years, the Society was obligated to care for them. Also, keep in mind, that EACH WEEK, the Governing Body was telling the Bethel Family to "make Bethel your home" and "never leave".)

mann377

Yeah.............I remember............Lets see..........

'73: Colon Lake, #4 man in dispatch at Brooklyn runs off with a Gilead student

"73: I open up the housekeepers closet and find a married sister in the embrace of a new brother at Bethel. I was amazed at the number of affairs at Bethel. Of course you must understand that many of the couples that came to Bethel came from small towns that they grew in. Now they find themselves in the company of people from all over the country. They begin to realize that there is a big world out there with lots of people that they are now attracted too.

'73: Sister was raped at the Farm. She and her husband were there on construction and so was her rapist. The only sight she could remember was a red plaid shirt the rapist was wearing. After lunch all the brothers had to report to the parking lot north of the E building. While there the brothers from the Bethel office went through all the rooms of the single brothers looking for a "red plaid" shirt. Thank god I did not have one but there were some who did and they were "interviewed". To this day, after almost 37 years, I will not buy a red plaid.

'74 I saw on numberous times "married sisters" coming from rooms that were occupied by single brothers. This was always around midnight and they would turn off the lights in the hallways around 10:00 with only night lights to show the floor.

'75 Two of my best friends that were fellow press operators would stay with their wordly girlfriends on the weekend. They found their girlfriends while working at a bar in a local town nearby.

'76: Although not bad but funny: I was working late on a friends car and came back to my room around 11:00 Sat. night. I laid down on my bed to watch Sat nite Live. I had all of my dress clothes on and the lights off. The only light on in the room was from the TV. (my room mate was gone on vaction) After about a half hour the door opens to my room and a young (married) Gilead sister walks into my room and drops her bath rob to reveal a real sexy negligee. She says"I'm ready now sweetheart". At this point I sit up in bed and say "You have the wrong room". She grabed her bathrobe and proceeded to to run from my room and made a slight screem. At this point I think- How in the hell am I going to explain this! Fortunately no one noticed a half naked sister running from my room at midnite and nothing happened. When I went to breakfest the next morning my eyes could not help but fix on her. Thank goodness she did not notice me.

undercover

Keep in mind, that at the time, the Branch Organization book was very clear on this topic. If someone had served for 15 years, the Society was obligated to care for them.

LWT, Can you expand on that?

I'm not familiar with that "code".

Thanks

leavingwt

LWT, Can you expand on that?

I'm not familiar with that "code".

I'm going from memory, here, so others can feel free to edit/amend my statement with more specifics.

1. Once you had been at Bethel for 5 years, you were considered a 'Regular Bethelite'. You could still be replaced, but Bethel felt a certain obligation to work with you on job assignments, minor medical stuff, etc.

2. According to the "Branch Organization" manual, copies of which were available for reading in the Bethel Library, volunteers who had reached 15 years of service at Bethel, had achieved (for the lack of a better word) tenure. This meant, for example, even if you became disabled and could not work, it was understood that Bethel would care for you. You had essentially put enough time in to earn your keep from there on out.

At the time that my friend was asked to leave, it was the year 1995 or 1996. This was many years before the Branch Organization manual was changed. (The excuse they gave him for not sticking to the 15-year agreement, was that his wife had only been there for 14 years or so. Barf.)

As we all know, about the year 2000 and 2001, the Governing Body (or Service Committee) re-visited this topic and made radical changes. Individuals and couples who had been at Bethel for more than 15 years began to receive pink slips and were re-assigned to "the field", etc. In other words, the old 15-year mark now means nothing.

I would assume, then, that the Branch Organization manual has been updated to exclude the previous language about the 15 year threshold.

Anyway, the lesson of this incident, for me, was that Bethel has ZERO loyalty to its volunteer workers. From this moment forward, I was there for ME. (I was still captive to the concept that it was God's Organization, but I was looking out for Numero Uno while at Bethel.)

Mad Sweeney

I almost checked ISoCF out of the library but it was HUGE. I just knew I would not have time to read it in a typical library loan period of time.

It also seemed too doctrinal, based on a quick flip-through and excerpt reading. I couldn't get through the free blood chapter on Ray's website it was so tedious and dry. Good information, but just ugh. It seemed much more like a textbook than a narrative to me.

I've read Coc but didn't feel the need for ISoCF. So, is it really worth reading? Should I give it another try?

I've read Coc but didn't feel the need for ISoCF. So, is it really worth reading? Should I give it another try?

Absolutely. IMHO, if you read it, you'll never regret it. Ray takes ALL major WT doctrines and gives them a good, old-fashioned beat down.

Skeleton's Come Tumbling out of Bethel's Closet - Ray Franz- Book ISOCF

agonus

leavingwt

mann377

undercover

leavingwt

Mad Sweeney

snowbird

Meeting Junkie No More

PSacramento

leavingwt

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