Bethelites - did they read the Bible in a year?

jack2

As many of you know, Bethelites are "required" to read the entire Bible within a year when they serve there. My question, to any who served there or who may know any who did, is: did they really read the entire Bible in year's time? Frankly, I wonder how this "requirement" could be met, seeing how long the scheduled work hours are plus the other things that are expected of them. Thanks!

writerpen

I was raised a witness and never read the entire Bible. I doubt that many of them did read it in a year. How would anyone have known if they didn't?

blondie

Did they have discussions of that week's assignment? I know that the "new boys" usually have to stay for an hour after the Family Study on Monday night for a year. Do they discuss it then? I know the Gilead students have the same requirement. Maybe there is a written test at the end of the year.

funkyderek

I read it in six months. It's not that long, just boring.

Joyzabel

Yes, damn it, I did. You are right about not having enough time to do so. So everyday I would get to my assignment early to be able to read for 5-10 min in my "hopper". (housekeeper's storage closet) The question I have is did any of the Bethelites understand what they were reading or did they just burn through the bible to be able to say they read it! Doh!

MikeMusto

Hello there,

Yes I read the entire book in a year my first year. This is in harmony with the theme of one district convention.

"lovers of God's word"...and in harmony with that theme we were required to write a letter to the teaching committe

saying we had completed our Bible reading. Usually, when asking other new boys and long timers that letter

consisted of the following

Teaching Committe,

This is to inform the teaching commitee that I have completed my Bible reading for the first year. This is inded

an excellent provision by the Governing Body

signed

new boy

As much as you may not want to believe. Most of em there do read the Bible the first year. But is nothing more

than a speed reading. You can usually identify the new boys becuase they walk around with a Bible, reading

it at every opportunity

new boy

I read about 80%. I got sick of the letters asking if I was none. So I sent the above letter {mikemustos post} to them. It was my first lie, to the borg, I was sure I was going to hell.

Not that it mattered, but we were working 50 hours a week, had primary class after monday WT study. Tuesday it was a 2 hour subway ride for and 1 hour book study. Wedsday it was the home work for the primary class, and study for the thursday night meeting. Thursday we went straight from work to the meeting, got home about 11:00 pm. Friday we came home got a hero and a quart of beer, and crashed. Saturday we worked half a day, maybe had a dish duty to 2:00 pm. We had watchman duties at the towers hotel sometimes, Sundays it we got up early and back out to the cong. for meetings and service until about 4:00 p.m.

There was no reason to lie. But since they already ask me to lie anyway. What the hell.

My overseer at the time said, "Gary Kennedy will die at armageddon Keith. You do believe that, don't you?"

"yes brother overseer"

Good old fear of man.

metatron

originally, the deal was that you didn't get assigned any talks
in the Bethel Ministry School if you didn't finish your reading.

So, a lot of us held out a year or more so we didn't have to give
talks - Just another way to waste your personal time, which worried
them , given the fornicatin', drinkin', stealin' and general
cynical outlook most guys I knew had.

Ditto on the judgements of overseers - they didn't hesitate
to label other Bethel brothers as headed for death at Armageddon.

metatron

ThiChi

"It is not how many times you have been through the Torah, it is how many times the Torah has been through you."

Jewish Proverb

Edited by - thichi on 8 August 2002 11:22:8

Mulan

Two friends of ours, brothers, were both accepted to Bethel, within two years of each other. In their letter inviting them, they were informed of the "reading through the entire Bible in a year", so they started right away. Of course, they were the studious type, so read it quickly.

By the way, they are both out!! Both left Bethel in the mid 70's, pioneered, became prominent elders, talked to my husband about lots of stuff, and they all faded out.

Bethelites - did they read the Bible in a year?

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