TheListener,
Are individuals under spirit direction more or less prone than individuals under inspiration to make mistakes in spiritual matters?
Is someone claiming spirit direction less accountable for spiritual errors than someone claiming inspiration?
All good questions and I knew I was opening a can of worms in making that distinction but just couldn't help myself. In the Roman Catholic Church my understanding is that when the pope speaks on doctrine it is only viewed as infallible if he speaks ex cathedra. Anything else he says still carries his authority but doesn't have the same weight as scripture. The GB or any other individual among JWs can never speak ex cathedra in the sense that what is said has the same weight as scripture.
If you must do what they say or lose God's grace then they've gone too far...If someone who is anything less [than inspired] tells me what to do why MUST I follow them?
Exactly. Only scripture should carry weight, everything else should simply be guidance.
Earnest