bethelite kills self because of guilt 10/31/73

new boy

I was working on my car in the factory {bld. 1} on friday Oct. 31 1973, when all hell broke loose, the fire alarm in bld. 4 went off at about 9:30. The night watchman could find nothing. Monday we were all coming back from lunch, I was taking passengers up the east freight elevator when we saw fire trucks behind bld. 4. There to our surprize, they were taking the stiff body of James Olsen out of the bushs. Tom Combs {overseer of 4th job press} said "he MUST have done something REALLY bad to have killed himself!" Norm Brecky {overseer of the 5th floor ink room} said "I'm glad he jumped off the back of bld. 4, we don't need the publicity" --------DEAD and already judged! The Thursday before Oct. 30th I saw him on my elevator, fighting back the tears, "whats wrong?" I asked. He said "he just couldn't take in any more and left bethel a week ago,{A.W.O.L} went home---------and told his parents. They said "You are a reproach to us the family, and the organization---- and you wiil be going back!" They called Max Larsen {the factory overseer} and begged for another chance for their son. -----------Well after 2 hours in Max's office telling him what a disapointment he was to his family, he left, the loneliest person on the planet. With another chance? "well you only got 3 years 6 months left".-------- I got problems of my own, I thought.------"You will know them ----by their love"-----------I along with everone at bethel-- KILLED James Olsen---with our APATHY-----I can still see his face as he walked out of my elevator.

Perry

That is truly a frightening story. I was not your fault at all my friend. The blame lays at the feet of his family and the
WTBS.

Satanus

Thanks for sharing that. The watchtower system is wicked. I is supremely skilled at controlling it's people w guilt, fear and intimidation. Guilt took another victim. You don't need to feel guilty anymore, if you don't want to, new boy.

SS

ros

I am so sorry for this terrible memory that haunts you. Yes, it was tragic. It is unconscienable for a religious dogma to become so obsessive that it blinds to the lives of people it is supposed to serve.

"When will they ever learn, when will they e-ver learrrn,
The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind."

Ros
"A religion that teaches lies cannot be true"--The Watchtower, 12/1/91 pg. 7

VioletAnai

You didn't kill him. He had a chemical inbalance in his brain whereby he couldn't handle critisism the same way as a normally functioning brain. I suffer from depression, and with tablets can control this dippilidating illness. I have many a times fought back the thoughts of suicide, once I did not, and well, I'm here today so...

He really needed to talk to someone about his depression but in 73 I don't think too much was known about most mental illnesses, well, not as much as they do now, they can practically look at a kid and tell you whether he/she's gunna have behavioural problems due to the way they communicate and their actions.

It wasn't your fault and Jah knows the reason why he killed himself. Leave it to him to sort it out and forget the cold-hearted people who just don't understand how depression and low self esteem can be a deadly combination.

patio34

Dear New Boy,

I'm sorry you have the weight of that burden on your mind for so long. Even if you had talked to him more, you don't know at all that that would have changed his mind. You were a victim of the same organization as he was. Thanks for sharing with us.

Pat

Candle

I believe New Boy is saying by staying in and helping at Bethel he felt he had been part of the system that so unloving. Leaving Bethel relieved him of the guilt and in looking back he just wishes he had left sooner.

New Boy names the suicider as James Olsen and says James suicided because Max Larson and others in the Olsen family made James feel guilty for having leaving Bethel when James unable to take the stress that being there caused him. Mental harassment in the Bethel, "the House of God," led to the suicide.

Max Larson, innocent blood is crying out at you. The real Jehovah knows what you did.

Hmmm