Behaviour in bethel are they like the jw dramas?

purrpurr

What I mean is, I've discussed recently how odd the behaviour of jws is on the drama films that they show at the conventions. I'm wondering is the reason why it's so odd because that how's the jws at bethel talk and act in real life? Is the behaviour at bethel so warped from the outside world that they actually think that their behaviour is normal?

stillin

I have at times been shocked when a brother gets up for a part or to do the prayer. It actually sounds like somebody else! Totally!

sparrowdown

There is such a massive grand canyon sized disconnect between the perfect JWs, the idealized jw life shown on the screen of borgbroadcasting and regular jws in real life it' not funny. I have never evr met a single jw remotely like the ones portayed in the videos. And I think that gulf of difference only becomes more apparent the further you get from Branch offices and into poor urban and rural areas.

The videos paint this impossible standard of what an ideal jw looks like which ultimately just adds to existing feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy for many striving to be perfect but always falling short.

Being a jw is bad for your mental health.

zeb

Go seek and read some of the many, many accounts written of bethel life.

smiddy3

I think the G.B. base their videos on shows like "The Brady Bunch" ..."Father knows Best "..." Happy Days " ..."My Three Sons " etc,etc. ...they have just added a Jehovah`s twist to the roles played out.

All very idealistic and unrealistic in the real world .

fulano

It's more like " some mothers do ave 'em".

StephaneLaliberte

I have said it for a long time: Jehovah's witnesses teach one thing and than foster an environment that rewards the other.

They teach that you should be doing good deeds without concerns of other's knowing about it. However, the more you do visible things, the more you will be rewarded. Even worst, if you don't do enough visible good works, they will start to talk against you and even outcast you as a weak JW.
They teach the husband to treat their wives with love and respect, and yet, do not recognize abuse as ground for scriptural divorce.
They teach not to judge others, yet, are invasive in your personal life even commanding members to report the unchristian activities of their brothers and sisters.
They do preach about helping the neighbor with charitable works, however, they demand so much energy for everything else that their is almost non left for charity.
They preach that you should have time for leisure time, but give you so much activities that you bearly have anytime for it.
They say you should do as much as you personally can, but if you miss to many saturday field service, you'll never be "exemplary".
They say you should care about your preaching quality, yet, ask people to report hours AND gauge their spirituality based on those reports!

In short, they present an ideal life and principles, like a dangling carrot, that is unattainable.

jwfacts

When I was at Bethel there were a few types of Bethelites.

1 - constructionites who had not pioneered and seemed very “worldly.”

2 - bethelites that were representative of your normal, “strong” JW. They had pioneered, so been active in their congregations, and often were really nice people.

3 - eccentric ones. Often so-called spiritual young brothers that would never fit in the world, and probably didn’t even fit into their congregations. The longer they stayed the stranger they got.

4 - long term Bethelites that ended up losing touch with reality after being in Bethel for decades, never worrying about earning money, paying bills, cooking for themselves or cleaning after themselves. Single brothers or couples without children, yet giving talks or writing articles on such topics.

Now the headquarters has moved out from Brooklyn they will become more insular and out of touch. At least before they could spread throughout congregations and get some interaction with people living normal lives.

sir82

long term Bethelites that ended up losing touch with reality after being in Bethel for decades,
never worrying about earning money, paying bills, cooking for themselves or cleaning after themselves.

We have a couple like that. Got kicked out in round one of the Great Purge over a decade ago. About 25 or so years in, then boom - out the door.

You can still feel the resentment they have at having to give up the cushy life they had, and now have to fend for themselves - shop for themselves, cook for themselves, wash their own dishes & clothes & floors & bathrooms, make their own doctor & dental appointments, unclog their own toilets, etc.

A decade later and they are still resentful. They don't say it in so many words, but....you feel it.

Vidiot

After a while, I started to really notice just how bland a faithful, spiritual JW was portrayed by the WTS (dramas, pics in publications, whatever).

Realizing that they wanted me to behave in that way and look that way would put me in a serious funk.

Behaviour in bethel are they like the jw dramas?

Share this