All the bethel stories I read on JWN or other sites make me realize that I would never want to live in a world where everyone is micromanaged to the point where everything is decided for you. Some of the rules at bethel make absolutely no sense - clearly they are imposed to fully control individuals. For exemple, bethel workers at our branch have to change into meeting clothes to go take their meals, regardless of what type of work they do. So the mechanics, landscapers, warehouse workers and shippers must go shower and change, go eat lunch and then change back in working clothes during their lunch hour...and do the same for dinner...That control is also exercised on those who visit bethel...Who else than cult members would accept to wear their best clothes to visit a printing facility or maintenance shops? Can you imagine what life would be like if the same kind of authority was exercised over all JWs during the new system...being told when to rise, what to eat, where to live, what job to do, when to rest, what to read, when to have sex, when to procreate, what to think...dying at Armageddon may be the better option!
A Bethel Memory #15 - The hangermen also die
by LivingTheDream 42 Replies latest members private
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LivingTheDream
NVR2L8,
You speak truth my brother. It's funny that you said that because one of the last things I said to the elders who came to visit me to "encourage" me to go back to meetings was this: "Seeing what I've seen over the years in the congregations and at Bethel, if I have to live forever with a bunch of Jehovahs Witnesses, then I'd rather die at Armegeddon. At least then I'd have peace."
LivingTheDream
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NVR2L8
One day my wife and I were traveling with another couple and the brother played talk from a Bethel speaker on CD...it had to do with the loving kindness David showed toward Mephiboseth, how when he was sitting at the king's table with all the lovely looking people like Absalom, his infirmity was "covered" by the table cloth. The speaker said that our loving kindness should cover for other people short comings. Later in the same talk the speaker talked about a brother serving in Bethel who didn't want to have his hair cut according to the 3 week schedule at Bethel, so he left is assignment. Later this brother ended up working at Disney World, where there are strick rules for hair and grooming - so this brother did get his hair cut to work for the Magical Kingdom of Disney over Christ's Kingdom and now he serves Mickey Mouse instead of Jesus. You could hear the audience laugh. I asked the brother driving if it made sense to talk about loving kindness and in the same talk make fun and mock a brother who may have dreamed his whole life to work at Bethel only to be released because he wanted his hair to be cut when it needed it...and not because of a date on a calendar? What if this fellow was still a brother, how could the speaker demean him that way? What about others JWs that may work at Disney? Our driver said that there was a plan to invite that Bethel speaker and I could ask the questions directly! Later in a local needs part my "friend" used the same story...with a demo using a brother with a fake afro wig...everyone laughed - strange because in the Ministry School there was a part about not bringing attention to other brothers' shortcomings and mistakes!