What an Anointed sister Said to me (page 2)

Will Power

Shouldn't god's people display, share & be thankful of the talents their god gave them every day? instead of on "special" days?

"Family Days?" - isn't everyday a family day?

Their own logic makes no sense in this busy corrupt world.

will

obiwan

Man I about barfed halfway through the story...gives me the willies just thinking about it.

Realist

cassandra,

i am not surprised you got sick by listening to this BS story....i got sick by just reading the summary!

do these idiots have anything in their head besides the bethel, street work trash???

herk, that was a good summary. I was "privileged" to attend several Family Nights and attended the rehearsals. They used to be held more often, but they started taking up too much time. They are held about 3 times a year now. With about 1,000 Bethelites in Wallkill and over 2,500 (?) in Brooklyn, there is quite a pool of talent to pick from. I heard one brother play a classical piece with great skill and talent and I have heard some of the greats, including Farkel. There were some parodies of life at Bethel as well.

Blondie

ChakkaConned

Well, isn't this a fine howdy do?! I'm glad the brother's at Bethel have such a great time several times a year at their LARGE elegant gatherings. I have never heard anything about such events. Why don't they let the rank and file hear about these fun times so they too can be encouraged to plan more recreation in the congregations instead of the usual mantra of "do more"?

blondie

Chakka, good observation and one I made the first time I heard about Family Nights. I learned that they view the Bethel family as a family and it is considered no different than if your family had a little event like this at home with you and your children doing little skits and musical performances. A pretty lame excuse, I thought.

Blondie

herk

I used to worry sometimes what "the friends" on the outside of Bethel would think if they heard about such a thing. But once in awhile someone who did hear would say, "You hard-working Bethelites deserve a break like that once in awhile."

I cringed with the thought that many family breadwinners on the outside were working just as hard as most Bethelites and probably most of them in "worldly" surroundings where their co-workers swear, tell dirty jokes and poke fun at their religion. Yet, the elders and others would frown if they took a Saturday or Sunday off to have a good time with their family at a ball park, a circus, or some other entertaining event.

Similarly, it bothered me to see the Society's swanky vehicles and how lush and beautiful the Society's property is always kept, while on the outside everybody is counseled not to try keeping up with the Joneses and not to spend too much time in beautifying their home since field service should be of high priority.

Room 215

Great comments all. What it does for me is to reinforce just how Bethel and the WT power structure really views the rank and file, which is with equal parts patronizing, condescension and contempt.

Beyond the precincts of Patterson or Columbia Heights, large gatherings for the rank and file are taboo because, idealized portrayals of a ``spiritual paradise" and in the Watchtower aside, the ``real message" implicit in the annual KM articles lecturing dubbies to ``behave themselves" when attending assemblies or at wedding receptions, etc. that the vaunted ``international brotherhod" is a rather unruly rabble incapable of civil behavior, and indeed liable to debauch, unless rigidly supervised and circumscribed by ``spiritual police."

amac

I'm proud to say, I never bothered to attend any talent show during my stint at Bethel. Me and my buddies wouldn't have been caught dead at one of those. However, I never saw any problem with them having them. Every congo I've ever been in has had their own talent shows and gatherings. Why shouldn't those poor midwestern boys at Bethel get to do that too, if they really want to?

blondie

amac, how many congregations have you attended? Around the early 80's, such gatherings were no longer allowed at any congregation in the circuit I was in and the surrounding circuits. The gatherings were too large and it took up too much valuable time that could be spent in the ministry per the CO and elders. That policy still exists today. I am from the midwest but have lived out east and in the northwest where it was the same policy. We had elders calling Brooklyn to find out if 15 was a large party and at what number was it too large. When I attended the Family NIghts, it was after all this so I was surprised that a large gathering (over 15) was allowed at Bethel where a similar event in my circuit would have been condemned and those giving the parties would have lost privileges.

I guess it depends on the clout of the elder body and how much money they have given the CO/DO.

Blondie

What an Anointed sister Said to me

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