Wikipedia article on the GB falsely claims the GB has existed since 1884

by neverendingjourney 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • neverendingjourney
    neverendingjourney

    I'm currently in the process of reading Crisis of Conscience. In it, Franz meticulously goes about debunking the notion that the WTBTS has always had a governing body. In fact, through a variety of documents, and using the Society's own literature, he shows that the Watchtower's board of directors was powerless. The society had always been run by the president of the WTBTS, first Russell, then Rutherford, then Knorr. The concept of a governing body did not begin to emerge until much later, and Franz says that the governing body did not obtain any real authority until the 1970s. He should know since he was a governing body member during that time. He shows that the year 1976 marked the time when the Society's corporations were finally put under the control of the governing body. That year also saw the beginning of the governing body committee arrangement.

    Despite this, the wikipedia article says

    The Watchtower Society was incorporated as Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884. Its directors served as the central Governing Body overseeing the global preaching of God’s Kingdom. This initial Governing Body was comprised of five men and two women.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governing_Body_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses

    What source or authority is used to back up this assertion? Answer: a 1999 Watchtower article.

    I understand that Wikipedia may be edited by any user, so this line may be a result of a wave of pro-JW revisions. However, this line is a piece of revisionist history designed to lend authority to the current GB power structure. There is no doubt that the president of the Watchtower was in charge of things throughout the early history of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Russell was believed to be the "faithful and discreet slave." Rutherford saw himself in that role. In fact, Ray Franz quotes from a talk Fred Franz gave in the early 1970s (Fred Franz was then the Society's vice-president and eventually went on to become the fourth president of the WTBTS) in which Fred completely trashed the notion that the governing body should have any authority over the WTBTS's corporations. The evidence shows that the idea that a GB has always been in control of the Jehovah's Witness religion is false. I'm ashamed to have spent so many years in a religious organization that is okay with blurring the truth in order to appear to be something they are not.

  • AlphaOmega
    AlphaOmega

    The Photodrama of Creation also claims that the Witnesses were around in the first century as the IBSA !

  • sacolton
    sacolton

    This is so sickening.

  • MacHislopp
    MacHislopp

    Hello neverendingjourney

    I do repost some informations that are iun my

    archives and I do believe believe that you'll find

    them useful

    From the book

    " RICHES " by J.F. Rutherford (publishers WTBS in 1936)

    show ...where the WTBS ...got
    the idea of the “governing body”.

    Let’s start with page 80:

    " The Roman Catholic Hierarchy , the governing body, together with the clergy of the other denominations, claims to be the representatives of God and the ones to whom the right is delegated to proclaim his Word."

    "…The Roman Catholic Hierarchy , that governing religious-political body , has misled and greatly deceive millions of honest persons."

    Then let’s continue on pages 228-229:

    "The Roman Catholic Hierarchy is defined in its own pubblications as follows :" The Catholic Hierarchy, or the governing body of the Catholic Church, consists of His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff, assisted by the SacredCollege of Cardinals and by several Sacred Congregations, or permanent ecclesiastical committee,of which the Cardinals are the chief members; by the Patriarchs, Archibishops and Bishops; by the ApostolicNuncios and Delegates, Vicars and Prefects, and by certain Abbots and other Prelates."

    YET, a few years later – as the following Watchtower article states, what a change!!!

    *** w71 12/15 755 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***

    ”The official magazine of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses is The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom.

    In the year 1944 the Watchtower magazine began to speak about the governing body of the Christian congregation.”

    *** w71 12/15 757 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation ***

    GOVERNING BODY

    “According to the apostolic example of the first century C.E., these dedicated, baptized Christians known today as Jehovah’s witnesses have a governing body, as specifically noted from the year 1944 onward. “

    *** w54 3/15 163-4 Aid to Understanding ***

    Jehovah uses a visible organization, entrusts the Biblical truths to it, and expects it to abide by and clarify these truths to others. Many religious organizations today claim to be this visible organization of God, but by their fruits they show they are not. All along there have been such false pretenders, who have been exposed by faithful priests and prophets before the time of Christ, by Jesus when he came and by his apostles afterward, and by his footstep followers even to our day.
    Today the facts of the past few decades show Jehovah has been and is using the Watch Tower Society and Jehovah’s witnesses as a teaching organization, anointed witnesses who make up the promised “faithful and discreet slave” appointed to give spiritual “food at the proper time.”

    So can we ask what facts are they?

    As we stated earlier, anyone who makes the claim that they are Jehovah’s channel has to be able to prove it. So how has the society “proved” that Jehovah is using them?

    Not one of their predictions has proved true. Not one.

    In light of all the forgoing, how can this statement be made in good conscience by the Faithful and Discreet Slave?"

    *** w59 5/1 269
    Attain Completeness in the New World Society

    7 To hold to the headship of Christ, it is therefore necessary to obey the organization that he is personally directing. Doing what the organization says is to do what he says. Resisting the organization is to resist him."

    *** w72 4/1 197 'They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them' ***
    This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses... Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record.

    They had ...confused the dates.. about the « governing body «

    *** w90 3/15 14 'The Faithful Slave' and Its Governing Body ***

    21 In 1918, when Jesus Christ inspected those claiming to be his slaves, he found an international group of Christians publishing Bible truths for use both inside the congregation and outside in the preaching work. In 1919 it truly turned out to be as Christ had foretold: “Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings.” (Matthew 24:46, 47) These true Christians entered into the joy of their Master. Having shown themselves “faithful over a few things,” they were appointed by the Master to be “over many things.” (Matthew 25:21) The faithful slave and its Governing Body were in place, ready for a widened assignment.”

    But, never mind they are modest...

    .

    w.1.06.1997 p.14--“Modesty on the part of the faithful and discreet slave class prevents it from presumptuously running ahead and wildly speculating about things that are unclear. The slave class strives to avoid being dogmatic. How reassuring it is to know that the channel Jehovah is using today does not do so! It is both faithful and discreet. "

    and give alook at these:

    *** w65 6/1 352 Questions from Readers ***

    In 1938 Jehovah revealed this correspondency to his servants and it was published in The Watchtower in a two-part article entitled “Organization.” (°)
    This appeared in the issues of June 1 and 15 and proved conclusively that Jehovah’s organization must henceforth be guided and directed by Jehovah’s spirit through the visible governing body made up of those servants whom Jehovah himself would appoint. The concluding paragraph in this series stated: “Jehovah’s theocratic government is now in full control of the people of God.”

    (°) w 1.6.1938 Organisation part I; w 15.06.1938 Organisation part II;

    with this:

    *** w71 12/15 757 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation

    GOVERNING BODY

    According to the apostolic example of the first century C.E., these dedicated, baptized Christians known today as Jehovah’s witnesses have a governing body, as specifically noted from the year 1944 onward.

    and this:

    *** w71 12/15 760 A Governing Body as Different from a Legal Corporation

    HOW THE GOVERNING BODY CAME TO EXIST
    According to the facts available, the governing body became associated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. C. T. Russell was patently of that governing body back there in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

    I do hope that most of you will find this interesting, although
    I do believe that 99% of the R&F, don’t know anything about thismatter...like many other things.

    Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp

  • neverendingjourney
    neverendingjourney

    Thank you for the sources, MacHislopp. I found them very interesting and helpful.

    It appears that someone has since edited the wikipedia entry to more accurately reflect the facts. It's sad because the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses have no idea that the Watchtower's governing body narrative is simply not true. Since they now claim that the first century leadership model was one of a centralized governing body in Jerusalem, they would have their members believe that "Jehovah's organization" has always had a governing body. This is simply not the case.

    But how are newer members to know this isn't the case if they weren't around in the days when the Society's president had the final say on things? Even if they were around at the time, most witnesses have no idea how key doctrinal and policy decision are made at headquarters. The society tells their followers that there has always been a governing body, so the rank and file believes it to be truth. The degree of control that they have over millions of people is appalling.

  • MacHislopp
    MacHislopp

    Hello neverendingjourney,

    thanks for your kind words. You're right

    "most witnesses have no idea how key doctrinal and policy decision are made at headquarters. "

    and also :

    " the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses have no idea that the Watchtower's governing body narrative is simply not true. "

    Furthermore, not only the R&F but also eleders, circuit overseers and even ...D.O.
    are ignorant of the following information concerning the days when the president
    brother C.T. Russell and his...wife had all the ...powers (most of the money).

    This fact is blatantly ignored in an article published on " The Watchtower"
    November 1st, 2007 page 17 § 3 where it is written:

    " In 1879 when the faithful and discreet slave class began publishing this journal,
    then called Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence it contained..."

    What is not revealed is the truth about that time, written in an extra edition of
    "The Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence" " volume XV, NO 8, published
    on April 25th , 1894, with C.T. Russell as Editor.

    page Ref. 3 H 132 § 4 and 5 it is written:
    'The object in taking out a charter is succinctly stated in the Watch Tower for
    January 1891, page 16 as follows:

    'This is a business association merely.

    ....It has no creed or confession. It is a merely business convenience in
    disseminting the truth.

    ...The affairs of the Society are so arranged that is entire control rests in the care
    of Brother and Sister Russell as long as they shall live."

    So much for the existence of a 'governing body ' or a ' faithful and discreet slave class '!!!

    I hope you'll like the above. I do have many more.

    Greetings

    J.C. MacHislopp

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    Yes even the WT says the 1970s

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