At the 'Big House' you go either one of two ways, company man or apostate. I think for many that went, it demystified the whole organization and you saw firsthand that there wasn't holy spirit influencing anything - only the muses of sheltered, out-of-touch old men and political bureaucrats. I work in the corporate world and I saw just as much if not more politics in Bethel. It wasn't a paradise, it wasn't God's House on earth, things weren't done by some mystical force (holy spirit). This is where my doubting first began. To this day, I wonder if I hadn't gone, would I still be trying to hawk books for the BORG? Bethelites, when in your time there did you begin to doubt?
Bethel: Pathway to Apostasy
by Black Man 72 Replies latest jw friends
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FreeWilly
Yep, Bethel did it for me too. If you think the control issues are big in the congregations, just go to Bethel. Home overseers sifting through your personal stuff without your knowlege to find damning items. The litany of rules. Politics. Oh what a creepy little world that is. I think I actually began doubting when one of the Overseers reasoned that Bethel was a "forgleam" of the new system. I almost hurled.
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Black Man
Oh, yeah....those housekeepers. Generally, I had some decent ones, but there were some horror stories with others. I know they went through my record collection to try and find anything objectionable during what we dubbed the "hip-hop witch hunt." Fortunately, I had a stash of hip hop records/CDs at some friends house in my congo, so I came up clean.
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LongHairGal
FreeWilly:
So, it is true that they search your stuff in Bethel. Tell me. Did they do this to couples as well as singles? I knew of Bethelites who stayed there and left. When I attempted to question one of them they wouldn't tell me exactly what was wrong - like it was some insider secret. But that would do it for me.
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Black Man
Actually in addition to going through your things they can also bug your phones. I had a buddy there that the powers-that-be were trying to get rid of and he was doing some g-jobbing on the side. Anyway, to trip him they bugged his phone and when his g-job employment called, they busted him and they gave him the boot.
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LongHairGal
Blackman:
This is just nightmarish and about as far from a spiritual paradise as you can come! What bothers me is that this is a well-kept secret from the people in the congregations because I never heard any whispers about this. Unless, of course, they only whisper it to those "higher-up" in the cong. and tell them to keep it under their hats!!! This would be typical along with all the other secrets they keep! I wonder if they would have as many applicants for Bethel if they knew what really happens there.
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tijkmo
interesting about the g-jobbing as most bethelites used to do some outside work just to survive financially...i also know a central-american branch overseer who refused to sign the vow of poverty for that very reason...he was allowed not to although im sure soldier ants wouldnt be given that allowance
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AK - Jeff
Never went - had no desire to be part of such institutional life myself.
Had a freind who spent 7 years there - and he has never uttered a single word to me about it one way or the other. But something changed in him after he went - the friendly, happy lad that went off to the House of God, came back meloncholy and unfriendly to say the least.
But he still holds the 'Bethel Power' dear, as he has always been a PO or at least a prominent elder since returning. Although I have not been friends with him for a long time, when I would see him at CA's he never seemed to be very pleasant to be around.
He may have a demon or two haunting his 'Bethel closet' a bit!
Jeff
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Black Man
LHG you'd be surprised.
I'd say well over half of the Bethelites that come home usually don't do so of their own volition. Many have been "ASKED TO LEAVE" especially if it's before their year is up. I know before I left, Bethel was down-sizing (just like any corporation during tough economic times). So, instructions were giving to building, home, work overseers to keep a closer eye on any infractions that Bethelites may be violating (things ranging from being late for morning worship, to not being sociable with co-workers), and they were asking many Bethelites to leave - not so much for the infractions, but in reality because they were downsizing. So, little Johnny who gave up going to college and had that grand going away party and was the great hope of his local congregation is now being asked to leave under the veil of a minor infraction when in reality it's just a budget cut and downsize for the company.
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zugzwang
BTW, "G-Job" refers to doing work outside of Bethel for money. It went against the whole vow of poverty thing. (Which I don't actually remember making.) For me, when I was at Bethel I did a lot of studying of older publications that are kept there at the big house. That was an eye opener! A lot of the stuff that used to be taught didn't even sound like the WTS. That was really disturbing. And of course at Bethel you had all of the brothers who were "big fish" back home all crammed together with all the other "big fish" from other congos and everyone with their ego still trying to be a "big fish." The expression "serving shoulder to shoulder" was a joke at Bethel. It was more like "shoving shoulder to shoulder." Everyone muscling for position and rank and the almighty "seniority." Bethel for me was definitely an eye opener. I don't think I would have been as aware of the WTS BS if I hadn't of spent time there.
zugz