I'm on the second page, so if I am repeating someone else, sorry!
I have been of the mind lately that the WT needs to get away from the "Organization" mindset altogether. In the early church, there were those 'appointed' elders by Paul, but there seemed more to be a guideline as to what would qualify men to get that kind of respect-so that they had more of a reputation than they did a title-if you get my drift. Elder in many churches I have gone to was not 'conferred' on anyone as much as it was understood.
On another point-JCs-what if they DID eliminate the JCs and did go back to the truly biblical way of doing things. You have an issue, bring it to your brother. If it is not resolved, bring it to the entire congregation. Then shunning becomes a matter of ones own conscience, rather than a order from the top. They should have done that years ago. If they do that, and stress that criminal actions should be taken to the police or other govt., then they would be absolutely losing their liability with how they handled that 'process'. The change itself could be argued to open them up to lawsuits from past actions, but I really don't see that it would apply if the past actions themselves were not illegal. This is all about legalities. Their judicial process and breaking up families has been allowed all along. If they change it, it can only benefit the org., not to mention causing a 'stop loss' in the congregation from much of the foolishness that has come about from DFing those who speak to someone that is DF'd, etc. Families breaking up over this issue. How many are going to go public with some of the nonsense that has happened to many of the posters here? It could not only remove their liability, but boost numbers and lessen the secret/distrust/paranoia going on. No more anonymous accusations and 'confessions' without proof. If they won't confront you to your face, they can't accuse you.
Losing the entire ORG. altogether, would be an idea, but that may be more fantasy than anything. But if the WTorg. was entirely dismantled in some way, there would be no HISTORY for them to be fighting all the time. Have a magazine, but lose the religious authority. Perhaps make a missionary guild or whatever that other churches have, donated and paid for as desired by the membership.
The trick is they need to keep their authority SOMEHOW, but they could be a lot more backgrounders/admin, rather than rulers, particularly if they separate the missionary/magazine/KH's and end the GB authority over the ind. cong.'s.
I think this would force certain level of purity back into their speculations and teachings, and bring them back to the Bible, or TO the bible, really. Russell had his motivations and agenda when he started the WT mag., and they weren't evil. He was made too much of, and got to much power-as did his successors. The problem is it all started because they were playing the doomsday game and reasoning their way out of hellfire. The agenda has changed so deeply that if they got back to ind. cong.'s and the basics, they would not be a huge 'organization' but they may actually GROW. They could still hold to the essentials, and decide what the essentials actually are as a religion. Then stop playing with the little power trips and legalism and get on with preaching SOMETHING more real than that people need to be part of an organization.
