Singles Were Exploited
Most singles lived in Training Houses, even into their thirties and forties. As mature adults they were strictly controlled and kept in a subservient role where they lived. Singles were relied on heavily for most of the ministries. Betty taught that a single person was 'of more value to the Work of God' than if they were married.
Singles conducted Children's Hour and the youth ministries, under the supervision of Workers. They were camp counselors and Teen Team counselors. They labored in the printing ministry, the banner ministry, the puppet ministry...and the list went on.
Single women were responsible for extra-curricular child care in the Assembly. They were constantly called on to babysit--for couples' meetings, for Workers meetings, for the week-long Workers Seminar, for Workers wanting time alone, etc. etc. Singles helped everyone move (and there was a lot of moving). They had no choice about 'volunteering' for these duties. They were not remunerated for any of this. In today's world this is called labor trafficking. A typical weekly schedule for a single guy looked like this. Eulaha's week was typical for a single woman.
Casual dating was prohibited. "Spending time together" had to be approved by the leadership. In many cases this resulted in the extinction of budding relationships, and in others it resulted in something close to arranged marriages.
Relationships between the sexes were strained, unless they were working together in a ministry, which provided a somewhat natural setting. Many singles in the Assembly were prevented from finding a life partner.
Even relationships within the same sex were scrutinized for the possible development of a 'special friendship'. Betty got this idea from the Catholic concept that in convents and monasteries everyone should be friends. Betty's slant on this, though, was that 'special friendships' were suspected of being lesbian. Single women whose close friendships she suspected were broken up and separated.
See also "What is it like for a single person?", " Brainwashing"?, "Rites of Passage", "Serving the Lord--You Don't Get Paid... "
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