Bethel Downsizing Spin (page 4)

cruzanheart

Calls are made to the congregations in the area desired to see where the former Bethelite would best be situated. Though the former Bethelite will only be serving in one of the congregations, all of the Presiding Overseers are contacted so that they can give full support to any arriving brothers.

The local friends information regarding job opportunities and housing is really beneficial. As more and more former Bethelites are being placed, the Society is receiving calls from congregations asking for Bethelites to come and serve in their area! Many of the local publishers, after learning that a special or regular pioneer is coming, have said that they will pioneer along with them the first month they arrive! Certainly the effects desired are already being seen.

TRANSLATION: We [Bethel] aren't spending a penny to help these people adjust to life in the "real" world. Let the congregations pay for it.

Nina

metatron

I think the one factor this discussion lacks is in regard to the timing: Why a sudden downsizing?

Why not a gradual downsizing, thru attrition? Are we to believe that hundreds, perhaps a thousand Bethelites were simply hanging

around with nothing to do all day? No important tasks to take care of?

While there may be many factors at work in this, the one that "pulled the trigger" I believe to be the sudden emergence

of liability issues in regard to worker's comp and religious volunteers. The Society got hit with the realization that they were

looking at a potential disaster.

metatron

Joe Grundy

My impression as an outsider is that they are liquidating assets in NY and reorganising their corporations to redistribute those assets toother jurisdictions.

If they are sending many people from HQ to their missionary work, it will be interesting to see how many new converts the extra missionaries will produce.

Tea4Two

is slated for completion by the latter half of 2005, and the entire project, by September 2006. The renovated building will accommodate over 300 Bethel family members and have a commissary. Kingdom Hall, library, lobby, offices, personal laundry, and a new courtyard garden.

300 ELITE Bethel family's?........personal laundry...does that mean a washer and dryer in each unit.

They don't have to go anywhere......everything is at their beck and call.

It's the rank and file Bethelite that will suffer.

Personal laundry used to mean there were personal machines in a room for the Bethelites to do their own laundry rather than send it through the "laundry cycle" and industrial machines. Some women don't like the idea of some stranger washing their underwear assuming the underwear will stand up to the hard treatment commercial machines give. Also, the idea of all your underwear together in one load with 50 other people is bizarre.

I don't think they have individual machines in their "apartments" but I could be wrong.

Blondie

Elsewhere

Some women don't like the idea of some stranger washing their underwear

No kidding... given the reputation of JWs and their sexual repression, there's no telling what those guys might be doing with the women's "dainty things".

daniel-p

"Personal laundry used to mean there were personal machines in a room for the Bethelites to do their own laundry rather than send it through the "laundry cycle" and industrial machines."

Not necessarily. At Wallkill we had laundry rooms in the basements of most of the residential buildings which anyone could use like a regular laundromat. After 8 months of getting my clothes beat and ripped to shreds in the main laundry system, I used these alternate facilities to take care of my own needs.

About the letter above, it's just one more Bethelite trying to maintain the strained belief that everything that happens at Bethel is a product of Jehovah's hand. I know, I tried to see it the same way for years but walked away disalusioned. It's his own personal spin - I've talked to several more level-headed Bethelites recently and there is no vagueness about it: it is simplifaction, otherwise known as downsizing. A lot of younger bethelites are ultra-concerned about the image of Bethel and their image along with it. Many older ones, however, have usually left this pettiness behind and will not mince words.
It is very interesting to see different reactions though.

blondie

daniel-p, I did not mean the w/d was in their private abode but in a room elsewhere in Bethel, like a laudromat. Even these machines are used by many other people.

Blondie

Breakfast at Cranberrys

"A lot of younger bethelites are ultra-concerned about the image of Bethel and their image along with it."

Yep, been there, done that. I think that's where this letter is coming from. Another positive I see here is that some disillusionment and disarry may wake some of these former bethelites up. That may not have happened if they stayed in their little world at bethel. (I know it did me a world of good.)

mkr32208

Even the wicked military in satan's world gives you a retirement after 20 years!

I know several snot nosed kids who went into the army right out of high school (1993 for me) now the ones who've stayed in (the majority) have college degree's, good training, lots of technical certificates and plan to leave the military in 2013 (20years) or 2018 (25 years) Now it's not a HUGE retirement a couple grand a month though! FOR LIFE! Plus they will only be 38 or 39 when they get out! They have first pick of police fire department post office government jobs! Heck if they make officer they have a pretty GOOD retirement and the same perks!

One of my military friends was trained to be a AP certified airplane mechanic he's been offered a job making $45 an HOUR! He showed me the letter! He said he's not going to take it he wants to get the 20 year retirement but he is allowed to do "side work" on weekends and stuff for this company! Last year he made almost 30k working part time for the other company! Plus his 26 or so from the military!

Now how does Bethel treat it's retiree's? Like crap is how! Thanks for throwing your life away now get the heck out!... Makes me physically sick!

Bethel Downsizing Spin

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