I've commented offhandedly about this subject a number of times in the past, but it is worth discussing because it speaks volumes about the JW religion and the cognitive dissonance that is endemic to it.
Dubs are never satisified with their "current light." They weren't satisfied four decades ago when I was active, and they are not satisified now. They won't come out and say that of course, but we all know it is true. Why do they flock to District Assemblies? To get some "new" light, of course. Why do they look forward to new releases at District Assemblies (otherwise known as World-Wide book promotion events)? To sift through them in the hopes of finding "new light", of course.
When a doctrine or policy is so obviously wrong and one points that out, the answer is invariably, "we'll just have to wait on "The Slave(tm)". Maybe they will come up with some new light on the matter."
I used to ask myself decades ago when the 1975 feeding frenzy was in full swing if the end is so close, why is the Watchtower always changing stuff and replacing old doctrines with new doctrines? The "day of deliverance is at hand" and the light of truth is supposed to be the brightest then, so why the constant changes at this late date? Why is Jehovah messing around with us in these remaining few months in the old, currupt system of things? Why doesn't Jehovah just tell us what is the absolute truth instead of dribbling it out here-and-there?
Chuck Russell frequently used the terms "present truth", "past truth" and "future truth," as if TRUTH was something that was always morphing with the times. The WTS doesn't use those terms, but implies them. For example, "new light" implies some sort of light (or truth) existed before it, e.g. "present light". "Old light" implies that while old, it was still "light" or contained at least some of God's revealed truth.
A classic example of the absurdity of this is the WTS flippy flops over the meaning of Romans 13:1 and superior authorities. Reasonable people can read that verse and see clearly that Christians are to respect and submit to secular authority. Russell taught this. Rutherford came up with "new light" and said the superior authorities were Jehovah and Jesus. Decades later the WTS came up with more "new light" which was really "old light" resurrected and said the superior authorities were secular authorities after all. So, could any reasonable person say that Rutherford's interpretation was "light" that contained truth and lighted the way to truth? Not at all. Any reasonable person would say that Rutherford was full of shit and made up the whole thing.
Karl Klein in his classic braindead article on WT flip flops where he said they weren't flip flops at all, but were like a sailboat always going forward, but sometimes traversing by "tacking in the wind" must have startled many a thinking JW at the time with that pile of crap.
Why don't JWs who still have a pulse and a braincell or two left hardly ever like the "current light" and why do they always eagerly look forward to some newer, better "new light" down the road? Isn't the answer obvious, folks? They know something is wrong, but don't dare speak up about it except in the code term "new light" to show they are wishing for changes. If they were honest about it, they would say they know their leadership is totally clueless and not at all guided by God, but they hope their leaders just might get lucky and do and teach the right things.
How sad it is for you dubs to announce to the world you are a member of the one and only true religion in the universe and are chosen by God to speak for him, yet at the same time you are also earnestly living for the day when "new light" will replace the crap you must now practice, believe and teach.
Farkel
...OUTLAW