Great stories. I once made the very bad choice of gently correcting Gangas in the 124 library when he came through with one of his quizes. He wasn't that meek.
A Bethel Memory #7 - My GB can lick your GB
by LivingTheDream 43 Replies latest members private
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pirata
LivingTheDream, I have been immensely enjoying your threads precisely because they are not full of overt bias and negativity. Please keep them coming, it sounds like you have many awesome stories to tell!
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blondie
That's how I met Gangas the first time, in an elevator at Brooklyn Bethel...I had no idea who he was since I was a rank and file from the sticks who had never seen him or heard of him. But he asked his question, and I answered correctly, and everyone laughed in the elevator. Later my Bethelite hosts explained. So it's not an urban legend.
I just think he was getting older and was afraid of forgetting things and kept his mind sharp by quizzing others.
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WingCommander
I don't think it's all that innocent of Gangas. Maybe he just liked making people look like fools, and making himself look like some kind of wise old owl?? Belittling people when they're off gaurd isn't too kind in my opinion.
- Wing Commander
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jookbeard
agree with Scott77, enjoy the humorous mild anecdotes and light hearted ditties but it's important to expose and highlight the negativeness and scandal that the so called "house of Jeehivah" is anything but and newbies can get the full inside story from Bethel, that this shithole is based on slave labour and has undergone more suicides/homosexual scandal then the headquarters of all of Christendom put together.
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peacefulpete
The impression it gave us at the time was that Gangas was subtly interjecting his interpretation which at times differed from the opinions of other GB.
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Joliette
Great stories living the dream! The mods need to make a sticky so we can get a collection of all of your stories.
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AudeSapere
jookbeard wrote: but it's important to expose and highlight the negativeness and scandal that the so called "house of Jeehivah" is anything but
I agree with you that it's important to expose the hypocracy but THOSE stories have been told. A quick search of this site and Freeminds will give you a plethora of information.
While the author of this 'Bethel Memory' series does not seem to have been high-up on the Bethel ladder, he does seem to have had some very real personal acquaintance with a good variety of personalities. I think his stories help give a texture to the people that influenced policy both inside and outside Bethel.
What I'm *really* enjoying about this series is that it's helping me to put things in perspective. Sometimes, after reading sooo many horror stories on this site, I feel incredibly stressed. And I feel hateful. And short-tempered. With little to no patience for people - especially active JWs in my life. This series has helped me remember some of the nicer times while in the org. Don't get me wrong, the bad is still bad. I still believe it's a cult (or 'high control group' for those who still bristle at the 'cult' reference). But every waking minute of every day was not mutilated by psychotic monsters. And as we all grow up (even in our 50's), it's important to but things in perspective. Just as very few things are ALL good, very few things are ALL evil.
It seems that the balanced view that LivingTheDream is helping to create is also refreshing to others here on JWN as evidenced by some of their comments.
You have to admit, it's a much more credible style than some of the sensationalistic posters we've seen.
My guess is that if the series creator does have knowledge of some crazy stories, those will likely come out later. And if they don't, well that's OK, too.
With the way he's described his current life, it seems that he has somehow shaken off the chains of JW indoctrination and actually made a good and happy life for himself. I would love to hear *how* he did it and what woke him up to the possibilites in creating a life that he wanted to live.
In the meantime, I am looking forward for the next 'Bethel Memory' installment!!
Please keep them coming!!
-Aude.
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darth frosty
I liked both these men as they were real people and did and acted pretty much as they pleased, but in a good way. They seemed completely oblivious to the stodgy, careful and calculated way many senior Bethelites handled themselves and they seemed to have a genuine love of people.
I agree! Somewhere buried deep I have a picture of my mother and sister kissing bro Gangas on the cheek at the same time. He is giggling his ass off and holding a toy octopus he had making a squeezy noise.
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lrkr
I really liked the personality of Sydlick too- he always seemed "real" and larger than life and charming. Then I read Franz's accout of what an a-hole he was during the purge of 79-80 and I lost a lot of respect for him. It seems that his charm and bigness hid the fact that he was just another tool. "We're not here to answer your bible questions!" he said in response to one of the contentions posed by Dunlap.