Will "Bethel" cement a young person in or convince him out?

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I teach in a public high school. My favorite student is a 17 year old great kid named Tyler. I teach band so he's been my student for 6 years now. I found out 7 months ago his entire family have become JWs in the past 2 years. He managed to hide it from me as long as he could. He's so smart, so mature, so personable, I actually considered him a friend. His parents have become hard-core. No more girlfriend for him, no dramas or musicals, he had to delete all his non-JW Facebook friends, he's not allowed to speak to his Christian (best friends since 4th grade) anymore. He also is not allowed to speak to me. His parents told me not to speak to him but, of course I still do and he responds to me. So far, he's still in my class.

I found out he is going to visit Bethel twice next summer. Does this mean he's thinking of attending Bethel? If he does, will this increase or decrease his chances of leaving someday? I've heard it's a miserable place. He could do or be anything he wanted to, and now this had to happen to him. He seems fully indoctrinated himself. Will attending Bethel convince him it's not "God's spirit led organization" like I was unable to do? I case you can't tell, I'm grasping for good news.

sir82

Lots of families visit Bethel with no intention of having anyone join up.

However, if they are as gung-ho as you make them out to be, they may well pressure him to elect Bethel as a "career choice".

Bethel seems to be quite polarizing. A certain percentage experience it and come to the conclusion that it really is "God's organization" and it cements their commitment & dedication.

However, there is also a large percentage who see the politics, hypocrisy, and incompetence there and reach the opposite conclusion. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of ex-Bethelites who have come & gone on this board over the years.

The harder you press him, the more likely he is to view it as "persecution" or "temptation" and resist.

He will only leave if he himself reaches the conclusion that he should leave. The trigger for that moment varies from person to person.

elderelite

My experiance is that bethel has made more apostates than anyone or anything else ...

TheClarinetist

6 years? Did you move up a grade with him?

I feel for you... I'm going to school for the same thing, and dealing with JWs on the job, especially students I like, is not something I'm looking forward to. :-/ I don't have any idea about bethel, but he sounds smart so hopefully he'll see through the BS in a couple years.

EDIT: Worded that weirdly. Schools around here are only 3-4 years. Did you happen to get a promotion when he moved on, or do you teach at both the middle AND high school.

drewcoul

If he's that age, I don't think you have anything to worry about. He is old enough to remember the freedom he's had in the past, I don't think they'll be able to keep the chains on him for long. I wouldn't think he's even inclined to go to Bethel. I've only known 2 people to go to Bethel who weren't raised as JWs.

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I teach grades 6 thru 12 everyday (11-18 year olds) so I almost get a part in raising some of my students. Mostly encouraging feedback here about Bethel. Tyler would never consider disappointing his parents. He does know about 1975, Beth Sarim, and other WTS's greatest hits. I have to think it's got to be eating at him somewhere inside. I know he's being pulled in every direction trying to make everyone happy, including me, which is impossible in this situation.

Aussie Oz

When i was applying for bethel construction i was warned:

"Be careful, it's real eay to lose ones spirituality there"

Which at the time i found really odd... I mean, its the house of god, the hub of the work...

now i understand!

oz

wobble

A guy in my old Congo who spent some years in Beth-Hell said that he would never send his children there, he said it was just work and no spirituality.

He is still a hardcore JW though, I just hope your young friend finds the strength to assert his own right to make up his own mind based on having all available information to help him do so.

If he was thinking of going to live in North Korea would he just listen to commited NK people,

and just get info from their party HQ ? Silly boy if he did.

discreetslave

I was 16 when I studied with JW's and I went to Bethel at 19. I left when I was 22 still a strong JW but damaged. I was a married sister so it's a different experience than for a single brother. My friends grandson went into to Bethel lazy and on the fringe he left there a hardcore JW. I've seen te opposite happen as well. In my experience it's a toss up. A lot depends on who he becomes friends with while there.

You say he knows about 1975 which version does he know? JW's will admit 1975 but they've been fooled into saying that it was the publishers who thought more of it and got carried away. As an educator I would suggest reading Releasing the Bonds Empowering People to Think for Themselves by Steven Hassan. To help him and other other cult students you come across like Mormons.

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Thanks for all the insight. 2 years ago I had zero JW students, today I have 9 from 5 different families. I've read almost every JW exit counselling book out there including both of Hassan's. I'm glad I did my homework and have shared info carefully & correctly with their parents. After an evening band practice there have been as many as 20 JWs gathered together. At this point, I think some of them are kind of "figuring me out". I even got a little talk from their elder. The kids love me and love my class. The younger ones run up and give me a hug. I try to give my JW kids a little extra attention daily and a little extra information their senior year.

Will "Bethel" cement a young person in or convince him out?

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