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Your most DISTURBING WATCHTOWER Bethel/Branch experience? (No full names please)
by Balaamsass 165 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Balaamsass
Jwfacts;I agree: "Although being an average JW publisher cannot really be compared to a commune cult, Bethel certainly can, with the intensity of the rules, the menial use of free labour and living in a compound." I wish I had another commune to compare it with.
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Quendi
When I was still studying with the Witnesses back in the epoch-making year of 1975, I was told I was a prime candidate for Bethel service. Being young and naive, I was flattered and gave it some consideration. Fortunately, I never acted on it. I knew I hated New York City and would never adapt to living there. After I got baptized, I met different Bethelites and found there were only a very few that I actually liked. Most of the ones I knew were sociopaths and I began to realize there was no way I would ever have been happy there.
When I attended Pioneer Service School many years ago, one of the students was a former Bethelite, a man I actually got to know and like. He never spoke much about his experiences there except to say that on his first day at Bethel an old hand took him aside and said, "The most important thing to understand about living here is to remember this: HALF OF US ARE HERE TO TEST THE OTHER HALF." Hearing that made me glad I never went there for a visit, let alone to serve.
Quendi
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Scott77
I think what is often forgotten is that JWs are constantly reminded that this is God's organization! So, you expect much from the so-called House of God (Bethel). Also, when someone is studying with JWs and making progress (to the point of baptism) they are pumped - by the so-called friends -with all these wonderful stories of how wonderful Jehovah's Witnesses are and how demonized everyone else is. (I mean, Jehovah's Witnesses and this religion is elevated to a very high pedestal!) It is no surprise that when reality hits, it can be difficult for many JWs to appreciate the chasm between what they were taught [in the beginning] and the true realities of this religion! While they hang on to the teaching that man is imperfect and so are all JWs, many eventually learn that this excuse could be used by ALL religions! Thus, the religion of JWs - in so many ways - is just like every other religion. A hoax! Just another man-made religion "claiming" to be something it is NOT.
Joepublisher1 Very excellent and critical analysis of the Watchtower religion. I could not agree more. If the Watchtower claims to be who its is, please be honest and say so instead of claiming what its not.
Scott77
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talesin
B-a, I had a boss/friend who had his own commune back in the late 70s, based on Skinner's book
If you haven't yet, read Walden Two, by B.F. Skinner.
It's a horrible thing you've all been through; institutional slavery is what I call it. It makes me sad to know my young cousin is at the TO Bethel for many years - I wonder if he is broken, or a bastard. SMH
:'(
tal
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jemba
bump
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Dogpatch
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Magwitch
Marked
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Fernando
As a young city dwelling kid I was told to go and herd the cows and sheep at the Bethel farm - with no instructions at all.
After gleaning a few tips from kind passers by, I just started getting the hang of it, when one day the sheep suddenly went on heat and started jumping around like totally uncontrollable mad goats.
I'd hate to think what I could have seen and heard if I had the inclination to follow up some of the weird stories of comparable human behaviour at Bethel at the time.
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LongHairGal
Quendi:
Interesting post. I was never impressed with bethelites. Anyway, the phrase you repeated: "half of us are here to test the other half" was a stupid statement I heard from time to time.
I thought about it: How dare anybody imagine they should presume to test anybody?! To me, this statement in and of itself betrays a lack of belief in Jehovah. If somebody really believed in Jehovah and that he supposedly sees everything, why then would they try to "test" their brother and especially in a place called bethel? What a crock of shit the whole thing is.
This religion was and is full of delusional people who use emotional or spiritual blackmail to get other people to do what they want. I saw this from time to time with "difficult" personalities in the hall. The only people who I would ever humor would be the very elderly or somebody suffering from a serious illness. Any other wannabe could take their attitude and shove it.
