Regular readers of this website will be familiar with former Jehovah’s Witness Howie Tran.

Tran served at Brooklyn Bethel for a number of years, eventually ascending to the role of helping aged Governing Body member Karl F. Klein to fulfil his duties before ultimately leaving both Bethel and the Witness religion behind him. He was recently interviewed by Trey Bundy of Reveal news as part of Bundy’s ongoing investigation in to Watchtowers child abuse scandal; and indeed we have Tran to thank for pointing out GB member Antony Morris to Bundy on the street, which resulted in the now infamous audio recording of Morris scurrying away from a reporter as fast as his anointed legs could carry him.

Now Howie Tran has given another interview to former Jehovah’s Witness and human rights activist Louise Goode on the long-running JW Podcast show. In this interview, Tran expands on some of the information he gave during Bundy’s report, and tells an incredible story of astonishing hypocrisy at the highest levels of Watchtower.

Under the influence of the “Holy Spirit.”

For example, it is well known that Watchtower publications condemn heavy drinking, to the point where a person can be disfellowshipped for habitual drunkenness. This standard of moderation in consuming alcohol is especially important for appointed men according to the Insight Book volume one page 656-657:

The same publication also condemns those who would engage in official religious duties whilst under the influence of alcohol (bold is mine.)

As shown in the Law, it is not fitting to indulge in alcoholic beverages just before engaging in religious service. The priests of Israel were commanded that they must drink no wine or intoxicating liquor while engaging in their official duties, lest they should die. —Le 10:8-11.

However, it has long been known that heavy drinking has historically played a signifiant part of life in certain areas of Bethel. Many stories from different sources surround Watchtower’s second President Joseph Rutherford and his fondness for consuming signifiant amounts of alcohol, and many ex Witnesses (including myself) can relate accounts of heavy drinking taking place in the various Bethel buildings around the world.

Tran’s accounts however are shocking in that they relate not just to younger bethelites or those who could be considered “weak in the faith.” He alleges that heavy drinking and drunkeness were a regular problem amongst members of the Governing Body. He relates for example one astonishing account of how the breakfast routine of Governing Body member Karl Klein involved a jug of Amaretto being poured into a bowl of oatmeal. He also relates how another former GB member, Lyman Swingle, became such a foul mouthed, abusive drunk in his later years that ultimately no Bethelite could share a room with him, and that he had to be transferred to Bethel’s medical rooms for 24 hour observation until he died.

This is not all.

Tran relates that some members of the Governing Body would arrive to their official Wednesday meeting under the influence of alcohol; stating that one GB member would take a “shake” made of a few raw eggs and a lot of wine to the meeting. He also states that he sometimes heard loud arguments and the banging of fists on tables from these meetings, and attributes this behaviour in part to the consumption of alcohol.

To re-iterate; Watchtower’s own insight book states:

As shown in the Law, it is not fitting to indulge in alcoholic beverages just before engaging in religious service. The priests of Israel were commanded that they must drink no wine or intoxicating liquor while engaging in their official duties, lest they should die. —Le 10:8-11.

One need not imagine how a rank and file Witness would be treated were they to arrive at a congregation meeting or to undertake official Watchtower business after a couple of drinks; shift chastisement, possible loss of privileges, and even disfellowshipping could follow if they were habitually drunk on (or off) Watchtower time. Yet according to Tran, for those taking the lead at the very top the rules did not apply.

Tran also relates how he would frequently be instructed to keep the hypocrisy and troublesome conduct of senior Watchtower officials to himself. For example, he relates how Governing Body member Jack Barr once instructed him to be like a “walking stick” whilst assisting GB member Karl Klein: a useful tool that would carry out its function, but that would “hear nothing and see nothing.”

There is actually a lot more that in the episode. Tran discusses in the podcast, everything from his experiences growing up gay in the religion, to the long road that eventually took him out of Bethel and the Watchtower religion altogether.

I strongly recommend listening to the full interview on JW Podcast, and also recommend listening to Howie Trans’ interview with Trey Bundy on the Reveal News Podcast if one has not already done so.

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