Why does the average JW remain ignorant of who write WT publications??

by Gill 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  Gill

  I have just been reading Randy's thread on the Blood issue and Gene Smalley and found it fascinating, but fascinating NOT because of the life threatening doctrine of No Blood Transfusions for Jehovah's Witnesses but because of the fact that the name of a writer of Watchtower publications is such obvious public knowledge.

  My parents INSIST that NO ONE EVER KNOWS WHO wrote any of the Watchtower publications and yet on this site the names of many a writer is often mentioned without a second thought.

  Why are the Rank and File JWs so ignorant of who write the publications and why do they accept this state of affairs and right and good!?

  I have mentioned names of writers and my parents just shout that I'm believing apostate lies whereas everyone of this site knows who the writers are.
• 

  blondie

  Ever since Rutherford died, authors of WT publications have not been officially identified. Most of what we know are through insiders at Bethel, who either worked with or heard from people who did, who actually worked on various publications.

  Until I met Barbara Anderson, I did not know that women played a part in compiling and writing articles.

  Before Fred Franz died, most of the rank and file I knew attributed writings to him saying, "I can tell Fred Franz wrote that." Nowadays the persons who write the articles don't have the personality imprint outside the walls of Bethel like Fred did.

  If any rank and file do know something, it is through the Bethel grapvine and they like having that special knowledge and don't share it with many.

  Blondie
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  Kaput

  If any rank and file do know something, it is through the Bethel grapvine and they like having that special knowledge and don't share it with many.

  That's what makes 'em SOMEbody. One of the few...the proud...the machines.
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  Dismembered

  Re: Why does the average JW remain ignorant of who write WT publications??

  Also, the watchower printing corp. disguised as a religion, goes out of its way to hide, who the authors of all that fiction are. They would not want anyone getting a swelled head.

  Dismembered
• 

  Gill

  Blondie - Like you, I had no idea that women were part of the writing of the publications. However, I always found the secrecy about who was writing this stuff to be very suspicious. Being a English literature student from a very early age, I was always interested in 'the angle' and without a 'face' to the writings, something was badly missing in the publications.

  I suppose nowadays, if you KNOW who wrote what it shows that either you're 'In' with the Bethel crowd, or you've been on the internet with the other apostates!!

  Having 'no face' to the writer also seems to allow for lack of responsibility for what they write, which is probably one of their main motives of secrecy, in my opinion!

  Imagine - 'This is the face of the bloke who decided that JWs could not have blood transfusions! In that case, lets do some research on this bloke, check out his character and find the flaws in it and see what reasons he had for coming up with such BS! Let's see if he's got some kind of psychiatric history or medical history that might cause him to be so unstable....' See what I mean. It's then easier to knock the doctrine!
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  AK - Jeff

  I suppose nowadays, if you KNOW who wrote what it shows that either you're 'In' with the Bethel crowd, or you've been on the internet with the other apostates!!

  I have found this cultural phenomenon to be interesting. I often will be aware of the inworkings of the organization far ahead of my former companions in the 'truth'. I will generally make them aware of such, in the few cases where I have someone inside who still allows me minimal contact.

  I am sure they find it distressing when I have copies of their tracts and BOE letters before they do. I hope it aids them to develop some minor conflicts within - they see me revealing accurate documents [or such] and it might just give a little more credibility to what I have said in the past about other things they have refused to believe [the UN deal and so forth.]. One never knows. Some things stick - sometimes they click.

  Jeff
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  blondie

  Well, I think the WTS had it one way with Russell and Rutherford's name all over the WT publications and having personality followers in the organization. Many others had their names associated with articles in the WT publications during the Bible Student years. Many of those broke off from the WTS. The WTS attributed it to being too full of themselves because of the names being so public in the publications. Then it was just Rutherford's name and he brought his hand down hard. After that the WTS probably thought it would cause less trouble to keep the names off the books not creating a platform for personalities, followers and discord to develop.

  I was remembering how I found out Gangas had something to do with the research on the WTS Bible "dictionary." It was not from him though I had had many conversations with him. Another Bethelite had to share that special tidbit with me. Almost everything I have learned about members of the GB has been through Bethelites wanting to impress me with their special knowledge.

  So I guess the WTS is damned if they do reveal the writers and take a chance of a sect following around those people, or seem secretive and not put the names on. Rest assured, whatever decision they make, will be the one that benefits them.

  Blondie
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  greendawn

  They are ignorant because the WTS simply doesn't state who writes the books and the articles except on rare occasions leaving everyone ignorant on the issue. Supposedly it's for humility. They also want to hide the fact that most of these are written by the non anointed dubs as Ray Franz tells us.
• 

  Mad

  They are written by Brother Benefit More Fully!

  Mad
• 

  Kaput

  I thought they were written by Brother No Benefits From Folly!