Are Bethelites more likely to leave the JWs than others? (page 2)

Honesty

I can't understand why anyone would want to leave after being ~~subjected~~ privileged to be part of such a spiritual ~~desert~~ pair-o-dice as can be found at Beth-el.

Klaus Vollmer

Katiekitten here is the liondon branch office number: JW Bethel Mill Hill: 0208 906 2211

0044-208-9062211 international

I was thinking about 'whistleblowers' yesterday, I don't know if you know them by that name in the US and other parts, but these are people who will tell and inform on people and organizations they work for if they're breaking the law for instance, or not living up to health and safety regulations etc. We even have laws to protect whistleblowers in the UK. However, these people who are willing to stand up, be counted and inform are very very few and far between. Most people just knuckle under and accept the crap that they're involved with and don't rock the boat.

The Ray Franz's of this world are few and far between. But there must be another Ray Franz out there, or in the case of the WTBTS, in there. I wonder if any top members have to sign some kind of secrecy document now so that they risk being sued should they reveal any wrong doing going on 'up at the ranch'? Any one know?

sweet tee

the Society have now got a scripted funeral talk and I can't deviate from their script.'

That's some sick cult bulls**t ... I'll subdue the urge to rant.

To the thread though; I know of 1 ex-bethalite who turned apostate. Very intelligent young man, could have gone to college but was recruited to the full-time-magazine sales service at about 19 yo by his mother. Then went to Bethel and was asked to leave. I agree with the character comment. I can't imagine him finding out it wasn't the truth and just sticking around for the hell of it. The other two from our cong. who went came back changed people. You could tell something was wrong but they wouldn't talk about it.

It's funny, I THOUGHT JW's were a cult after I left. Now the evidence is overwhelming! The GB is getting worse and worse.

blondie

Ray Franz said to me once............"once you've seen the kitchen, you know what the resteraunt is really like "

Good point, joy. The Bethelites I have known that left Bethel, had no illusions but were cautious about who they told. Some finally left the organization after other issues piled up in their life re the WTS. There is no special holiness at Bethel. If anything the flaws and failings seen in the congregation setting are intensified in the climate at Bethel. Blondie

Elsewhere

I don't know if this counts or not, but I was a two-week temp at the Brooklyn Heights facility.

lawrence

I was in a congo outside of Boston where the brethren had a sendoff for a brother to go to Bethel. He returned a few years later with a wife (a no-no) from a Queens congo. When he returned he was never the same. Bethel elder and at the local congo didn't want to be a servant, stopped doing field circus, and just shut down. Now I understand what happend to Brother W. Totally shut down and refused to speak to anyone except his wife.

sweet tee - Thanks for bringing back that memory.

rebel8

I think they were given about 24 hours to get out.

...they probably thought giving notice was loving and patted themselves on the back for not kicking them out on the spot!

Black Man

As a former bethelite, the experience is a jaded one and it does accelerate your seeing the flaws in the borg and wanting to get out. It was like dorothy, when she peered behind the curtain and found that there is no wizard............

thom

I had a friend that went to Bethel. Before he went, he was a very conservative JW. Would leave if we rented a movie and something offensive (nudity) turned up in it, would shut off the radio if the song bothered him, that kind of stuff. Being a JW was his life.
He came back to visit once and I was shocked at his attitude. He had a pretty negative view of his life there. Eventually he left. I think he's still a JW, but hearing his comments about being there was so different for him, I never would have believed he would have negative things to say about the org.

Are Bethelites more likely to leave the JWs than others?