under_believer has joined the Mason/Illuminati/shapeshifting lizardman conspiracy theory crowd! Not quite.
Everything the Watchtower writes for Witness consumption has a subtext. There is a difference between what they actually write, which anyone in the public can read, and what they actually mean. Only relatively experienced Witnesses can parse this hidden subtext.
Why is this important for the Society? Because it allows them a wide latitude to lay down laws and commands for their followers without actually appearing to do so. The followers receive the messages and act accordingly, but the general public doesn't see it. This means that members of the public and newly converted ones are less likely to notice that they are entering a high-control group until they've been thoroughly conditioned and don't care anymore. It even allows experienced JW's to rationalize the high-control environment when they have a rare flash of rationality, something I've seen again and again when I gently prod any more intelligent Witness into thinking for themselves.
Here is the already-infamous Question Box from the 9/07 KM, as an example of this phenomenon. Thanks to fjtoth for typing this out. In the quoted material below, the Society's masking phrases have been stricken and the hidden subtext that every experienced JW instinctively will understand has been appended in italics and bolded.
Q UESTION B OX
- Does "the faithful and discreet slave" the Watchtower Society endorse allow independently thinking groups of Witnesses who to meet together to engage in Scriptural research or debate?–Matt. 24:45, 47.
No, it we do es not. And yet, in various parts of the world, a few associates of our organization dangerous individuals with too much time on their hands have formed borderline apostate groups to do independent research on Bible-related subjects. Some have pursued a n self-important independent group study of Biblical Hebrew and Greek so as to analyze question the accuracy of the New World Translation Bible. Others explore scientific subjects related to the Bible. They have created apostate Web sites and apostate chat rooms, which are always very dangerous, for the purpose of exchanging spreading and debating their views. They have also held apostate conferences and produced non-inspired publications to present their findings and to supplement replace what is provided at our Christian the Society's meetings and through our inspired literature.
Throughout the earth, Jehovah's people all of you are receiving ample spiritual instruction and encouragement at the Society's congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions, as well as through the publications of Jehovah's organization the Society. We are under the guidance of his holy spirit. and On the basis of but by no means limited to his Word of truth, Jehovah provides what is needed through the Society so that all of God's people you may be " fitly united completely identical in the same mind and in the same line of thought" and remain " stabilized conformant in the faith." (1 Cor. 1:10; Col. 2:6, 7) Surely we are You had better be grateful for Jehovah's our inspired spiritual provisions in these last days. Thus, "the faithful and discreet slave" does we do not endorse allow any literature, meetings, or Web sites that are not produced or organized under its our oversight.–Matt. 24:45-47.
It is commendable for individuals to want to use their thinking ability in support of the good news to arrange car groups. However, no personal selfish, dangerous pursuit should will detract from what Jesus Christ is accomplishing through his congregation on earth today us. In the first century, the apostle Paul warned about getting involved in exhausting, time-consuming subjects, such as "genealogies, which end up in nothing, but which furnish questions for research rather than a dispensing of anything by God in connection with faith." (1 Tim. 1:3-7) All Christians should strive to "shun foolish questionings and genealogies and strife and fights over the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile."–Titus 3:9. [Editor's Note: The average Witness will skim over these citations, assuming that they apply unequivocally to the situation being discussed, happy that they are there since it proves that this discussion is Biblically based.]
For those of you who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend require that they you explore Insight on the Scriptures, "All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial," and our other inspired publications, such as those that discuss reveal the truth of the prophecies found in the Bible books of Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation. These provide abundant inspired material for Bible study and meditation, whereby we you can be "filled with the accurate knowledge of [God's] will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension, in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him as [we] you go on bearing fruit in every good work placing literature in the field ministry and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God."–Col. 1:9, 10.
Anybody here who used to be a hardcore JW knows that good Witnesses parse the above article in that way or a way very similar to it.
Later when articles like this are criticized by the media or by ex-Witnesses, the Society or for that matter faithful Witnesses need only point to the literal text of the article to handily disprove the point, even though they know in their hearts exactly what the meaning of the passage is, why it was written, and how Witnesses interpret it in practice.