Your most DISTURBING WATCHTOWER Bethel/Branch experience? (No full names please)

by Balaamsass 165 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Balaamsass

  OK.. you 70 plus Bethelite members.... this is your chance to share stories! Inquiring minds want to know ! ( Watchtower Bible and Tract Society legal/service/and IT departments are closed for the weekend..but no full names please..follow T.O.S. to avoid BORG libel lawsuits).

  I will start the ball rolling with week ONE.

  My first DAY at Bethel, I go to vist a family friend, a Bethel Elder. He tells me his wife just left him and Bethel that week... with another married Bethel overseer.

  My second DAY at Bethel sitting down half asleep at breakfast and hearing how 30+ got disfellowshipped for "Homosexuality" at massage parties that week. My new-boy response: "Whaaaaat"???

  My third Day at Bethel and first meeting in the "Projects", when I voiced my concern about gunshots and the wisdom of 3 white kids in cheap suits walking through that neighborhood at night, and being told: "Brother, our hope is in the resurrection". My thought,..Oh, my, my,..KrAzY talk.
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  seenitall

  Listening to new boy talk by N.H. Knorr my first day (after Mon. night WT study) at Brooklyn (don't touch it except to pee).

  Watching old-timers shuffle around and fight (argue, yell, cuss) with other old-timers.

  Parties that had so much booze, acid rock music, fighting - dismissals the next day.

  A new-boy who got sick, wasn't treated right and died of pneumonia - his family came out and were treated like royalty (avoided lawsuits).

  Bethel housekeepers snooping around in your room, busting you are out of line.
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  exwhyzee

  It was a hot New York afternoon and I walked in to my room and saw my new room mate (who I hadn't met yet) laying on his bed in only his boxers. From what I could tell, he was having an erotic dream because his "little Bethelite " was out and having a look around and seemed to like what it was seeing. I quietly backed out of the room and shut the door softly. I waited a minute then knocked loudly and waited a tic so he would have a chance to wake up and put things away.

  Another time I was at the Bethel pool. (more like a very large hot tub) I was by myself until Bro. Sydlik came and got in the pool as well. (old guy in a bathing suit ewww) I knew him from sitting at the GB table so we sort of just nodded to eachother and didn't say anyting. (awkward) Then the door to the mens changing room opened and a guy walked out stark naked. He looked completly exhausted as if he was sleep walking. He climbed in the water but as he lowered himself into the water he suddenly realized he didn't have anything on. He quickly went back in the changing room and Bro. Sydlik followed him. I could hear Sydlik giving him a lecture in a raised tone. Sydlik came back but the other guy never returned. I didn't know where to look or what to say (even more awkward)

  One evening at dinner time a guy suddenly burst through the double swinging doors into the dining room swinging his arms and bookbag in the air shouting " I'M GOING OUT IN SERVICE IN HARLEM....ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GO WITH ME...COME ON !!" A couple of brothers grabbed him under the arms and dragged him kicking and screaming out of there backwards....he was never seen again. By the time I had been there a few weeks, the Bethel laundry had shrunk all of my clothes and underear. (hot water and industrial dryers) I replaced what I could afford to replace and was determined this wouldn't happen again. I started doing my own laundry in the regular washing machine and dryer they had in the basement. I had my stuff on washing and was sitting there reading and waiting when a middle aged "sister" came in to the laundry room with her basket of clothes and was pissed that the machine was in use. She opened up the washer and just took my soapy wet stuff out an threw it in a laundry cart and put her things in the machine. I protested, but I was a lowly "newboy" so she completly ignored me as if I wasn't there. Being new and young, I didn't know if she was the wife of somebody important and I didn't want to make waves....boy I'd love to have that happen now !
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  Balaamsass

  seenitall- the parties!! Lol. I got a great brownstone to live in because everyone at a Cigar/hooker party got kicked out of Bethel pronto. VACANCY!!

  EXWHYZEE- was Dan wearing a speedo? LOL!!!! Now Chitty in a Speedo in his 70s on the roof...THAT.. could blind you..and lead to nightmares!!

  Dan, lived a few doors away at first. We shared a bathroom.Sharing a bathroom with a GB member. Weird. Dan, was worse than any house keeper. Before locks he would just wander into my room and look around and start up a conversation. No knocking. STRANGE.
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  3rdgen

  XYZ, hahahahaha "little Bethelite" hahahah shrunken underwear....sounds painful! LOL
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  Balaamsass

  exwhyzee,

  eeeww LOL!!!

  Mocha Java, Wow.. I remember your post on the first time this thread went up. How horrific. No down or quiet time to lick your wounds. The intense sense of betrayal by your husband and the Governing body. So sorry.

  One of the WEIRDEST things I could not talk about before at Bethel or after because of the 2-3 Witnesses to an "Incident" rule. One sunny afternoon I was off work due to having to work a night shift my first few months. I had heard some weights were on the roof of the Squib building, so I went up on the roof to check it out. The roof was empty except for one old guy(70s) in a speedo getting a tan. (eeww..old dude in speedo- I was about 20 ). That old guy was one of the Governing body. No names here..(but his nick name was Bam Bam).

  He "perks up" and starts a conversation..are you new? Where are YOU from ? I said "San Francisco"..whooo I think backgroud music must have suddenly started ("The Look of Love")..he gets all moony eyed and asks me to spread suntan oil all over his back side! Since I grew up in S.F. I was used to old "Queens" so I said "Sorry..I got to go" and simply left. Wow-WTF. Latter some whispered about not going up on the roof alone.. it took years for more stories to "comeout". Eventually he was quietly invited to leave N.Y.C. and the G.B. and serve in a less sunny location..but in "good standing". :)
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  Broken Promises

  That rooftop incident would certainly have had to be "disturbing". Ewww...
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  Balaamsass

  Broken Promises.:) Yes that just about blinded me!! eeeeoww... Talk about a mixed message from the "Faithful Slave" !!
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  Open mind

  I never was a Bethelite but on a visit there I'll never forget getting on an elevator in the Executive Offices and an older brother (whose first name was Lyman ) also got on. Two floors down, the elevator stops and a very attractive 30ish sister gets on. Lyman was checking her out all the way down to the lobby.

  I guess that wasn't so disturbing but, for me, who had Lyman on a bit of a demi-god pedestal, it was certainly memorable.

  om
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  ziddina

  "Two floors down, the elevator stops and a very attractive 30ish sister gets on. Lyman was checking her out all the way down to the lobby. ..."

  Rutherford's spirit lives on....