my field trip to Bethel

themonster123

A few years ago, when i was an active Witness, I went all the way from California to the East Coast for vacation to visit my Witness friend. Her family took me to Bethel (one of the many things we did)...Seriously, WHAT WAS THE BIG DEAL I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT MY WHOLE LIFE HOW ," Oh BEthel is so great! You have to see it!" When I finally saw it when I was 18, it was like walking through a building with a bunch of walls with pictures of Paradise on the walls and watching random people do printing press stuff.

IT WAS booooo-ring! It was no spiritual mecca, just a bunch of printing stuff!!! When I got back from my vacation and I woudl tell people about my vacation, My highlight was seeign Conan O'brien live, NOT BEthel, but when I would tell them about BEthel, they would get this warm fuzzy glow like "Oooooo you got to see Bethel?" It's like the same thing as when after a SUnday talk, everyone goes "THat was SUCH a good talk." Welll, poele my whole life have been going "Bethel is SO amazing." Whatever.. I call that all "witnesspeak."

Save My Soul

I went a few years ago to Bethel. It was a terrible experience. I come to realize that this is a giant slave labor camp. If a worker gets sick, give him the privillege to go home without health care as a special pioneer. My wife went to visit a friend, she mentioned how "Serious" lunch is. So organized and diciplined. My 3 Year Old loved it. I hope to never go again. I tell witnesses that I would never allow my son to go. After giving valid reasons (no healthcare, pension ect) they say with a straight face, "We are Sooooclose to the end". You do not need any of that materialistic stuffff. I actually told an elder, Ohhhh yeah, remember "Millions now living will never die". He shook his head and walked away. There is NO answer to that statement.

jaguarbass

Oh BEthel is so great! You have to see it!"

What do you expect from people who have orgasims thinking about quickly building kingdom halls?

Zico

I went on a 'Bible tour' a few years ago, in the morning, I went to the London Bethel. I enjoyed the tour, and I met some lovely people. In the afternoon, I went to the British Museum to have a tour of some historical bible stuff, and I was really fascinated by what I was shown.

rebel8

I totally understand, monster!

We went on a bus trip to Bethel once when I was a teen, with the rest of our kh. My mother was priming me for applying. I was horrified at the thought of living there dorm-style with NO privacy or independence and doing that type of boring work. It seemed like a very unappealing way to lead one's life, with most your time 24/7 controlled by the borg.

I spent the evenings weeping in the hotel room. My mother kept telling me to get a grip and get in touch with myself. Good advice. ;)

ex-nj-jw

When I was growing up, we often took trips to Bethel (it was only 14 miles from where I lived), anytime we had out of town guests, it was a guaranteed trip to Bethel or the farm.

Each time it was more and more booooring, and the farm smelled so bad it took days to get the smell out of my nose.

nj

moshe

Not on the regular Bethel tour:

alt

Paralipomenon

The draw to the average dub is the implied "spirituality" of bethel.

Most dubs begrudge going to work where they are forced to rub elbows with those wicked "worldly" people. At bethel they get to see their utopia, spiritual contact, 24/7. They view bethel as the closest thing to paradise on earth.

When I was still trying to be supportive of my wife's witness efforts I suggested going to the Canadian bethel when we visited Ontario. She frowned and asked why. I was rather confused, it was every dub's dream to go see bethel so I asked her why she didn't want to go.

"Growing up, only the losers went to bethel. Why would I want to go see them?"

She may be a dub, but I love her.

kitten whiskers

1st trip to Bethel: Starry-eyed young girl. (Canada branch)

2nd trip to Bethel: Starry-eyed 19 year old searching for "Mr. Spiritual" and hoping to find him amongst friends that were working (enslaved) at New York Bethel.

3rd trip to Bethel: Engaged and on bus tour with fiance. Skipped the tours and went around city by ourselves! Lots of fun kissing in back of the taxi cab, walking the Brooklyn Bridge and going to the top of the Empire State Building! New York can be fun if you avoid the Bethel tours!!!!

my field trip to Bethel

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