XPost: alt.bible, alt.religion.christian.biblestudy, alt.religion.christianity   
   XPost: alt.christnet.bible, alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic   
      
   We noted that bethel, the name of the various jw vatican monastery's, was   
   inthe bible a name ffor a place of golden calf worship.   
      
   Friend james took exception saing there were no monastery's with vows of   
   poverty; alas he like most jw vaticanfollowers is kept ignornt on many many   
   such topics.  Here a part of a scanned documents sent to the monks/nuns at   
   u.s. bethel monastery because of a change in the name of the "order" to   
   which the monks/nums took the following vows, easily found on the web by   
   its title:   
      
   Bethel "Vow of Poverty"   
      
   VOW OF OBEDIENCE AND POVERTY to the ORDER OF SPECIAL FULL-TIME SERVANTS OF   
   JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES   
      
          As an ordained minister, wholly dedicated to Jehovah God. I hereby   
   express my solemn desire to be recognized as a member of the worldwide   
   Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah's Witnesses ("the Order"). I   
   vow as follows:   
      
          1. While a member of the Order, to live the simple, nonmaterialistic   
   life-style that has traditionally existed for members of the Order;   
          2. In the spirit of the inspired words of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah   
   6:8) and the prophetic expression of the psalmist (Psalm 110:3), to   
   volunteer   
          my services to do whatever is assigned to me in the advancement of   
   Kingdom interests wherever I am assigned by the Order;   
          3. To be submissive to the theocratic arrangement for members of the   
   Order (Hebrews 13:17);   
          4. To devote my best full-time efforts to my assignment;   
          5. To abstain from secular employment without permission from the   
   Order;   
          6. To turn over to the local organization of the Order all income   
   received from any work or personal efforts in excess of my necessary living   
          expenses, unless released from this vow by the Order;   
          7. To accept such provisions for members of the Order (be they   
   meals, lodging, expense reimbursements, or others) as are made in the   
   country where   
          I serve. regardless of the level of my responsibility or the value   
   of my services;   
          8. To be content and satisfied with the modest support that I   
   receive from the Order as long as I am privileged to serve in the Order and   
   not to   
          expect any further remuneration should I choose to leave the Order   
   or should the Order determine that I no longer qualify to serve in the   
   Order   
          (Matthew 6:30-33: 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Hebrews 13:5);   
          9. To abide by the principles set out in God's inspired Word, the   
   Bible. in publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. and in policies dispensed by   
   the   
          Order, and to follow the directions of the Governing Body of   
   Jehovah's Witnesses; and   
          10. To accept readily any decision made by the Order regarding my   
   membership status.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)