Actually, on one level i agree with fisherperson on this.... Some people wernt laid off, they were fired. That dosent actually make the situation or the story better.
You Tube Video Ex-Betheliite Ex-Walkill Worker Layed Off!
by cha ching 116 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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rebel8
According to his story: His dismissal was Illegal
He says if Bethel was his employer, they would have to give notice. He doesn't say, but I believe he is referring to the WARN law (which covers plant closures).
Bethel was not his employer.
If his story is true, that was really sucky on their part. But, volunteer organizations are often sucky to volunteers, in my experience.
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AFRIKANMAN
Fisherman - Take time to read the postings - eg the info I provided here may assist you. My Point: Regardless of the reason - whether at Bethhell you did a "naughty or a haughty" you are an employee and have to be taken through a procedure as dictated by Caesars laws - otherwise the "employer" is breaking reasonable labour law. Get the Point ? -
life is to short
I was at Bethel and though I did not experience the same things he did I realize enough of his story to know it is true.
I was a married sister and my overseer hated me from the start, the first day I was there. I was in construction, I thought as a sister I would be placed in housekeeping or some such thing, no I was assigned construction. I knew nothing about it. The CO's wife told me to bring only dresses as at Bethel sisters were not allowed to wear jeans. My overseer was so MAD at me for not having jeans with me, he told me that NO CO's wife would ever tell me such a thing. We had no money for me to buy cloths so I got jeans out of the hoppers, they did not fit well but it was the best I could do.
My first three days my overseer had me sort nuts and bolts and screws that were in this file cabinet. I spent three loooooong days doing the mind numbing job. I sat there most of the time by myself wondering why my overseer hated me so much. I will never forget the hurt I felt on the fourth day when my overseer in a fit of rage over something that one of the bothers did dumped all the nuts, bouts, and screws into a huge pile that I had just spent the three days sorting out all back together. All my mind numbing work destroyed in just seconds right in front of me.
My overseer took great joy in telling me that I was there only for the free food and such. That he knew most about 70% of the Bethelites were there only for the free stuff, One of his sayings was that most of Bethel just drags themselves around not willing to work.
It sadly funny now looking back I never remember seeing my overseer work. All he did was walk around complaining and yelling at everyone. I never saw him truly work.
One time he decided that I needed to hang out the window on scaffolding three stories up. I am petrified of heights but I felt that Jehovah was telling me to do it (mind over matter) so I stepped out three stories up on wobbly boards. I just instantly got down and hugged the railing. I was not tied off, the boards were set right and moved like crazy the whole thing was swaying, I was so freaked out and my overseer was SO MAD at me. He yelled at me to just back inside.
There was nothing I could do that was right, everything I did was wrong, even things that I did right he found something wrong with it. Never once in the whole time I was at Bethel did he ever say a kind word to me. NEVER! It was always we were "just good for nothing slaves" quoiting from the Bible.
I know ones like fisherman will say I was stupid that no one asked me to go that I was probably truly lazy that I did not want to work that I was there for the free food and room, etc.
Fisherman and ones like him are a huge reason why I do not post here much anymore. When we pioneered where the CO told us to, where the need was great we qualified for government aid welfare, food stamps. I would not take it. I have never once in my life taken government help. I pioneered because I was mislead to believe that Jehovah wanted me to. It was my idea and I was not going to be a burden on anyone especially tax payers who were not Jehovah's servants. I have always worked and supported myself, working 30 plus hours a week while pioneering 90 hours a month.
Yet here I was at Jehovah's house and being accused of being there for the free stuff. It hurt like crazy than and it still hurts like crazy now 21 years latter. I will never get the words of hate and anger from my overseer out of my head. So go on fisherman and slam me and those who put ourselves out to be so stupid as to believe that Jehovah wanted us. I know I was stupid and lazy like my overseer told me. I was lifting 90 pound over my head for my job and I was a woman who weighed 120 at the time but hey yeh I was just a lazy no good human.
LITS
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freddo
LITS - don't get wound up by fisherman. It seems to me you were at worst naive and gullible in your depth of belief that Bethel was the centre of true worship and that you simply believed you must be wrong. I know several in the London Bethel or who have been there and the negative stories that come out are enough to make me not recommend Bethel life to anyone who feels he or she must not go against their conscience to please men.
It is grimly satisfying that you are free and that the overseer who caused you so much grief is trapped. Unless he is dead or awake.
Fisherman is wilful in his behaviour - he defends the WT on a forum that they would describe as "apostate." He is going against what they say every time he puts his defence of them in a post on here.
He thinks enough of himself that the WT rules and guidelines don't apply to him. That should tell you the kind of person he/she is.
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rebel8
you are an employee and have to be taken through a procedure as dictated by Caesars laws - otherwise the "employer" is breaking reasonable labour law
This is not true.
NYS laws are online. You can confirm this yourself if you'd like.
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cultBgone
And Fisherman cannot understand why he has so few friends here. Personally, I've always found that people trying to defend the indefensible resort to name-calling when they are countered with logic.
- There are no "layoffs" from B in spite of what some uninformed morons like to believe.
- Most people that posted about this, don't know what they are talking about, cannot read , or are deliberately posting bunk.
- You need to learn how to think or read (read DD post) maybe you should shut up and listen to those who know and learn something instead of arguing for the sake of arguing.
- Try thinking instead of asking stupid questions.
- Listen Einstein, didn't you read my post explaining the difference between layoffs and firing?
- Another mental defective.
- There is no reduction in work force, dummy.
- Another dummy.
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cha ching
Thank you..... ALL of you ex-Beth-hell-ites, for surviving, for telling your life experiences, for not letting the evil overtake you. When other people can see that it is not a 'one time deal'. a 'local.. "Jehovah will take care of him" situation.... it helps the rest of us survive.
That is the "way the Watchtower dog hunts." Like an abusive relationship, they ask the most of you, accuse you of the worst... belittle you... devalue you... make it all "your fault", and then? ask you why you are upset!
So sorry, life is too short, I really do believe what happened to you, I have experienced such things myself when working on assembly hall builds. Some people are just like the WTS, trying to downplay all the personal, monetary sacrifices that people truly have made. Good point about the "ones who supervise," as in "do they get their hands dirty? work hard?" The people from Beth-Hell, that 'supervised' at the build, always had 'breakfast & their daily text' while all the good, honest-hearted, giving people, who woke up early, drove 2 hours to get there, were outside working hard.... giving their "all."
The GB get their airplane tickets paid, suits bought and tailored for them, meals, deals, hotel rooms.... They are certainly NOT "tent makers"... They are the "rent takers"!
*** w06 1/1 p. 21 How Firm Is Your Trust in God? ***
A Balanced Viewpoint
6 Of course, Jesus did not encourage his listeners to stop working and wait for God somehow to provide for their families. Even the birds have to search for food for themselves and their young. Thus, Christians had to work if they wanted to eat. .........The apostle Paul often worked as a tentmaker to support himself. (Acts 18:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:9)
Yes, there is a double standard. Congratulations to all of us who have escaped!
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LongHairGal
I was shocked to see this young guy's videos and believe him to be truthful. However, he might have been more convincing to JWs still in if he were wearing business attire!
The part about them sending him a bill for the meager lunch he got when he left shocks me most of all!! I am also horrified about all the other horrible experiences others had at bethel. I am specifically referring to LITS's experience with the cruel overseer.
Bethel sounds like a black hole of misery instead of the "spiritual" place some make it out to be.
I always felt the few ex-bethelites I met were somehow hiding something when you asked them about their experience there. What a terrible burden to try and make this religion look good.
I am convinced the reasons for downsizing and closing bethels the world over is partly due to the reason the religion increasingly can't get away with paying pittances in this age of labor laws and human rights.
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flipper
Holy s***.
My first thought is: fisherman - snap the hell out of it already.
It's important to remember what strong forces denial and cognitive dissonance are and this guy is a great example to observe.
I was never a witness but have followed this board for 8 years because of the bizarre and mean spirited behavior of the witnesses in Flipper's family.
I have made so many great friends here and heard all their stories - here in writing and many in person or phone call.
Fisherman - it is something to see just how many similar stories there are from people who live far apart, don't know each other, and whose only thing in common is the jw religion.
This young guy's story doesn't surprise me at all. It's like the closer they get to the top of the organization the worse their behavior - like a pack of hyenas, I swear....
Life Is To Short is one of my closest friends. She is one of the most kind, generous and honest people I know. After what she has been through since birth at the hands of Jehovah's Witnesses in "good standing" it's amazing she has her wits about her and is a high functioning hard working person. And never lost her sense of humor to boot.
She was treated particularly bad for trying to care for and help older or distraught congregation members. It's as if the saying "no good deed goes unpunished" was originally made for the jws.
I spoke to a psychotherapist friend about that - he said people like that will hate you because they know they will never have as much heart as you.
I've seen people treat others that way here occasionally. It's a shame.
This thread really hits home. Thanks, cha ching for posting.
Mrs. Flipper