Hi Sleepy, For whatever it's worth, I was at Bethel from 1965 to 1969, and still retain several contacts there. I personally knew the vast majority of the characters mentioned in Ray's book, and can attest to the accuracy of all that I know about the issues raised. It's dead-on accurate and unassailable. Therein lies its power.
What you have to understand is that before this whole ``apostasy'' business blew up, most of the discredited people -- Ray, Dunlap,. Sanchez, et al, were among the most highly respected members of the Bethel family.
The decision to publish the ``Aid'' book, with an accompanying mandate from then-president Knorr, to be bound only by the Bible and not necessarily what the Society had published heretofore-- was the great catalyst.
The resultant research, and its implications that significant structural changes in administative policy and doctine were overdue,polarizd the leaderhip into two classes: the old guard, who were frightened by the prospect of structural reform, and the liberals, who sought to implement a less authoritarian, with mroe autonomy for local congregations, less centralized control, and de-emphasis on works.
In the ensuing struggle, the powerful conservative element prevailed, and discredited the liberals, pushing them out. Overnbight, the atmosphere at Bethel darkened, from one of relative openness (wherein one felt quite free to discuss almost any topic or pose any question provdied it was done discreetly, among friends, with the lone proviso that one not do so disruptively or out amongst the locals), to one of total paranoia and witch-hunt.
Once the dissenters were expelled, draconian expulsion rules were enacted, centralized control reasserted, the Society circled the wagons, and the ``us-against-them'' bunker mentality took over.
That's where we are today, and it's a situation exacerbated by Armageddon's non-eventuation. Ask any former Bethelite willing to talk--there's no shortage of these that contribute to this board-- and you're likely to get confirmation.
What you have to understand is that before this whole ``apostasy'' business blew up, most of the discredited people -- Ray, Dunlap,. Sanchez, et al, were among the most highly respected members of the Bethel family.
The decision to publish the ``Aid'' book, with an accompanying mandate from then-president Knorr, to be bound only by the Bible and not necessarily what the Society had published heretofore-- was the great catalyst.
The resultant research, and its implications that significant structural changes in administative policy and doctine were overdue,polarizd the leaderhip into two classes: the old guard, who were frightened by the prospect of structural reform, and the liberals, who sought to implement a less authoritarian, with mroe autonomy for local congregations, less centralized control, and de-emphasis on works.
In the ensuing struggle, the powerful conservative element prevailed, and discredited the liberals, pushing them out. Overnbight, the atmosphere at Bethel darkened, from one of relative openness (wherein one felt quite free to discuss almost any topic or pose any question provdied it was done discreetly, among friends, with the lone proviso that one not do so disruptively or out amongst the locals), to one of total paranoia and witch-hunt.
Once the dissenters were expelled, draconian expulsion rules were enacted, centralized control reasserted, the Society circled the wagons, and the ``us-against-them'' bunker mentality took over.
That's where we are today, and it's a situation exacerbated by Armageddon's non-eventuation. Ask any former Bethelite willing to talk--there's no shortage of these that contribute to this board-- and you're likely to get confirmation.