What happens when Bethelites are too old, infirm, or disturbed to work? (page 2)

Elsewhere

They turn them into glue for making more books...

At least that is what the bethel tour guide joked. She said that nothing is wasted.

What I heard from career bethelites was that there was a minimum (I forget if it was 15 or 20 years); after you'd been in Bethel for that long, they'd keep you no matter what health problems you developed. Basically, you would still have a job (or in Bethel terms, an "assignment") as long as you could sit up in a chair, even if they had to make up something just for you to do. Once you could no longer sit up, you'd be transferred to the infirmary.

The problem, however, is that none of these benefits are vested. So if, as has often happened, a couple who've worked at Bethel all their lives have to leave in their 50's to take care of their parents (who may be in their 70's or 80's), they forfeit their benefits and they have jack-squat. (Not even Social Security, because Bethel technically doesn't pay wages.)

As for an old bethelite going 'apostate' and leaving... I'm sure the Watchtower wouldn't voluntarily give them a penny. But they'd probably offer a settlement, for fear of lawsuits.

onacruse

Euph:

As for an old bethelite going 'apostate' and leaving... I'm sure the Watchtower wouldn't voluntarily give them a penny. But they'd probably offer a settlement, for fear of lawsuits.

The best explanation for why "they" gave Ray Franz $10,000.

Oh, how the love just oozes.

Jesus must be proud.

cruzanheart

VM44 stole my comment! LOL!

Nina

got my forty homey?

When I served in Bethel, in the year I served two close friends of mine had nervous breakdowns. Generally they were kept in the infirmary for a little while to calm down and rest up, and then it was a one way ticket to Palookaville.

I'm kinda glad I left after doing my year because I would have ended up commiting a mass murder in my department.

Farkel

Bethel is not a place of nurturing, nor is it a place of love. Therefore, it is a place which has NONE of God's so-called "Holy Spirit." It is a place to work. It is a place to suffer. It is a place to give everything you have to give and never be thanked for it. It is a place to be abused by people who were abused before you were abused and have been their long enough to now to their own abusing. In short, it is like any typical corporation, and NOTHING like the model Jesus laid out. Besides that, if you have to go through that crap in a Corporation, at least you get paid for it. In Bethel, you are a pauper and made to feel grateful that you are. To make matters worse, they ADMIT it is just like I've described and they are PROUD OF IT.

:In Barbara Grizzuti Harrison's book Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah?s Witnesses

I had the nice privelege of talking for about an hour with Barbara a few months before she died a few years ago. She was a delightful lady: full of ideas and very smart. She said that I should come to New York City and that I was welcome to stay with her. She promised to send me copies of all of her books. Then she became tired, and we had to end our conversation. She was a lady by any definition of that word and sharp as a whip before she tired out. She was startled to learn (and sounded very sincere about this) that her "Visions of Glory" had touched so many people, including me.

Farkel

Mary

what is WT policy towards Bethelites who become too old, infirm, or disturbed to work?

They promote them to become members of the Governing Body.

XQsThaiPoes

Actually mary that is sad but true. They redefined the GB as any anointed that works at the World Headquarters. Since they no longer control anything I assume this is like WT SSI. Remember this is a 2002 quote from the worship book 2 years after the GB resigned. This is the new spin take heed.

***

wt chap. 14 p. 132 How Does Jehovah Direct His Organization? ***

In our day the Governing Body of Jehovah?s visible organization is made up of spirit-anointed brothers from various lands and is located at the world headquarters of Jehovah?s Witnesses.

Euphemism

XQs... I think you're reading a bit much into that. It simply says that the Governing Body are "anointed" and are located at the headquarters. It does not say that all anointed men at headquarters are part of the GB. (Although given the way they've been scraping for GB members, I would guess there are few who aren't.)

Yerusalyim

I remember going through some of my wife's old papers. Her Ex had been a Bethelite: there was a bill of 35 cents for an X-Ray at Bethel, cheap even by 1980 standards, but why charge at all?

What happens when Bethelites are too old, infirm, or disturbed to work?

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