I just got a call from Ted himself. He says he appreciates everyones concern and says you have sinned against HOLY SPIRIT bla bla bla ... no forgiveness for you bla bla bla and to have a good day.
One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday
by AndersonsInfo 426 Replies latest jw friends
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Nostromo
What a fascinating thread.. thanks Barbara (and others) for all this info!
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Mickey mouse
Not tired of the subject at all Barbara. I've enjoyed your insights too BonaFide.
The reason this subject is of interest to me is the effect that TJ's potential passing on may have on myself and family.
Frankly, the thought of Gerrit Losch as head honcho os somewhat disconcerting.
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asilentone
WAC, Are you serious?
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AndersonsInfo
I gotta say Yknot, your points are well-taken. Yep, Ted was a service geek. You are so right. We knew that of all the GB, he was the only one that went out in service as often as he could, with his wife, of course. He was extremely comfortable talking about field service and the organization. Interacting with humans on other issues was another story. So sad that of all people in this organization, he was the one that ruled the roost for too many years. If he only had supported Harry, Lloyd, Swingle and Sidlik in the child abuse issue, the outcome of this horrible chapter in their history would have been so different.
Jaracz was into the spiritual end of the org. He was on the Teaching Committee. Harry recd his District Assembly writing assignments from him. I have a copy of the short letter he sent to Harry assigning him to write the main Sunday talk for a DC. Without me looking it up, I believe it was something like, The Light Of The World. Jaracz gave directions to Harry about the theme to follow along with a few suggestions. I did all the research and practically made up the entire outline. Joe gave that talk at a dist. convention in Virginia and it was almost identical to what I submitted to Harry. It could be said that the faithful and discreet served up food in this instance because the Teaching Committee sent out the writing assignment with the title of the talk along with suggestions. If only the flock knew how it really works! Well, I bet they wouldn't even care; just explain it away with some sort of specious argument.
Barb
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Big Tex
It appears to me what the organization lost were people who loved "Jehovah." Now, the people taking their place are in it for all the wrong reasons. I remember wonderful COs and DOs. (I also remember the other kind but they seemed to be in a minority.) When I was leaving the org. in the late 90s, I saw what winstonchurchill is talking about and it was very discouraging. After Joe left some four years after me, he told me how the elders argued like children in their elder meetings. He was so disappointed in what he was seeing but tried to hang on.
Howdy Barb! Give Joe a big howdy for me. I hope you both are doing well.
Interesting news about Jarecz. If indeed there is a god, this fellow has a great deal to answer for.
I would add one other thing to what you said Barb, and that is they lost intelligent people who not only believed in Jehovah but could thoroughly back up their beliefs in the Bible. There used to be real weight, remember scriptuer chains for service for example, in nearly every congregation.
I've been out 20 years but listening to folks it sounds the organization is made up of mindless drones who neither care what was or what is. Mindless obedience is nice, but one drawback is the inability to defend beliefs; another is the willingness to accept structure without reason. It makes for a hollow place full of hollow people.
Their 'comfort words' are so hollow, pre-fabricated and un-sincere that it's sickening. This is what I hear from those who are reaching out and speaking to me in private. If anything, this org. is in the process of destroying itself from within, but as it goes down, guess who is getting the blame? Yep, the "apostates." I have it on good authority, disgusted observers inside are saying that it will implode. And it's okay with me. It's the system that has to go, but the misled people will eventually (once they get their heads on straight) be happy it's gone once they taste freedom from the power and control. Who knows, maybe a rebellion will make it a kinder and more gentle organiztion.
Again, it didn't used to be that way. I can remember comforting and being comforted by those who really did care, and I cared for them.
I wish I could agree with you that this thing will implode but I can't. There's always going to be a Jehovah's Witnesses. It's full now of people who really don't care how or why the Society changes teachings, what orifice it pulls those teachings from or whether any of it has anything to do with the Bible, much less God.
The place sounds zombie-like and apathetic. I think the time for rebellion has come and gone. Those of us who might have joined in are mostly out now don't you think?
Honestly the only thing I can see them modifying in a kind and gentle way is the blood policy, and that won't happen until the old guard are dead. I can't see them change anything about child abuse or shunning or disfellowshipping, can you?
Chris
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willyloman
My only "personal" encounter with TJ was from about row 15 at an ice hockey rink where a "special meeting" was being held. Only elders and their wives had been invited. There was a lot of buzz about it (much of it here on JWD, back around 2002-03).
The rampant speculation was there there was going to be some major announcement. Having the elders bring their wives was unusual and that fueled the speculation, especially among those of us secretly hoping for signs of reform.
Several of these meetings were being held simultaneously around the country. At ours, TJ was the speaker. We all knew this meant something big was up. When the meeting began, Ted stepped up to the mic and said: "I understand there has been a lot speculation about this meeting." He paused. The crowd stirred, there were some chuckles, but it was largely subdued. We all knew speculation was "bad" and didn't want to seem too amused.
Then Ted said, "Well, brothers, you should never try to second guess Mother."
That brought some nervous laughter, which shortly turned to stunned silence as Ted went on to present the "special program." The entire meeting turned out to be a sales pitch for the upcoming international convention and related WT tours!
After it was over, there was a mass exodus to a nearby pub, a place that featured dozens of varieties of beer on tap. The elders and their wives all consumed massive quantities of alcohol to (in many cases, I believe) mask their pain.
I had quit drinking by then and was able to fully digest what had transpired. Looking back, that was the day I stopped drinking the Kool Aid. And I owe it all to Ted! So, thanks, mother#%&*er. I owe you big time for the freedom I now possess.
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Dagney
I really am enjoying the comments on this thread. Thanks for all the insight given here, especially yours Barbara.
I find myself thinking more and more about this as I keep checking this thread. I agree with Big Tex, there will be no implosion of the WTBS. When I was in and just leaving I sure thought there would be, that it just could not continue. But if you have seen and heard the new crop of GB, it will continue, not how we knew it in the old days...but it will continue. The old blood is almost gone, even with the strictness of the past decades, it still had a more human feel. My take is in these days with more and more political correctness, most institutions have changed from the "good old days." (Which didn't usually turn out to be that good.)
But an era has come to an end as the voice of the teaching committee for so many decades is silenced. I wonder who will or who is now that overseer? I could not believe there would not be more of a reform situation in the wings, for the sake of the flock. But it has never failed to dissappoint...all moves are made for the benefit of the corporation. I have a strong feeling I know the man behind this...he is a clever and savvy business man.
Keep the comments coming...I hope more and more newbies read this...
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BonaFide
I think something worth commenting on is the power and celebrity that the GB have. And the effect they have on others.
Brother Jaracz is known by Witnesses all over the world. Even in my assignment, where a lot of families didn't even have a phone, and their houses had a dirt floor, I was surprised how many knew who brother Jaracz was. Although they pronounce his name brother Ha-raks. Ha ha Spanish pronunciantion! He came to that country several times as a Zone Overseer, and the whole country felt "privileged" that he had come, he filled the stadium on Sunday, 30,000 people.
So no wonder he felt like it was all Holy Spirit. Especially after I became a missionary, I realized how important it is for the "masses" to see that you are a hardworking, loyal, Witness. I listened carefully to brother Jaracz, how in almost every concluding talk he mentioned the young ones, the older ones, the pioneers, the regular publishers, the elders and servants. If you listen to any of his talks, he is very careful to mention everyone that is a Witness in a positive way. I guess I should say, his way of being positive.
His suits were gray, his ties were boring, he didn't draw attention to himself, none of his experiences drew attention to him personally. He was all about the "Organization."
He came to the country I served in 3 times as a Zone Overseer. All the missionaries from the different missionary homes would be invited to the Branch, standard procedure. He would meet with us, and then we would have a big dinner with all the Bethelites and missionaries. All 4 of us MTS boys sat at his table once. He was nice to us, I remember him offering us more dessert, he said to take advantage or something like that. I said to his wife that we 4 feel like we are out of the loop because we are in a foreign country. She said No, you are in the loop, and that many Bethelites would like to be in our shoes. Brother Jaracz asked me personally what joys I experienced in my assignment. I picked up that cue right away and I told him I felt privileged to be a graduate of MTS and that I enjoyed training the younger brothers to take on responsibility in the congregation. I knew he had phrased the question like that, but I did the same thing in talking to elders. Anyway, then we took a photo together. I was helping his wife clean the tables after dinner, everyone sort of helped out, and she said something like "Bonafide, my husband spoke of you on the plane as we came down here, he really is happy you are a good representative for MTS."
So perhaps you can see why I felt proud to be sort of part of an "inner circle." For someone whose father wasn't "in the truth", to have a Governing Body member encourage you to go to MTS (previous post), then apparently he assigned me as a missionary. (He is on the Service Committee, and the Service Committee of the GB used to make the MTS assignments) And then to have him personally encourage me and remember me while I was there, that meant a lot to me at that time. I felt the weight of doing what's right FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
What else I remember about that time is that the Bethelites there at that Branch were impressed that he wore his jacket all day in the heat, no air-conditioning in that Branch. And they were SO excited that he went around the Branch and visited all of them INDIVIDUALLY at their jobs. He asked all of them through an interpreter EXACTLY what their job was at the Branch. He was very detailed. They were all impressed at his personal interest in each one of them.
Then a few weeks later came the announcement, that the Branch Bethel Family was going to be reduced from 45 to 28. Many Bethelites were reassigned as special pioneers, some as circuit overseers. This was way before the US Bethel reductions. So that was a major shock.
The funny thing was, very few of the Bethelites put two and two together.
But getting back to the point, SO MANY PEOPLE LOOK UP TO THE GOVERNING BODY, I know I did. Brother Jaracz must feel he must be loyal to the Organization in everything, so that the masses will be loyal as well.
I remember once I danced at a party in my circuit. This was when I was first appointed CO. Wow, what a ton of flack I got for that. The friends talked about that NONSTOP for months in my circuit. That was it for me and parties. Why? Because that was all the friends would talk about. They didn't remember my talks, my experiences, nothing. It was all about, "Hey Brother Bonafide danced at that party and HE'S A CIRCUIT OVERSEER!"
So I got from that that you can't show the MASSES anything other than "BE LOYAL TO THE ORGANIZATION." I became careful for the most part, and in conversation and action, I tried to imitate brothers like Brother Jaracz. I worried that the numbers in my circuit wouldn't grow if I didn't put forth a spiritual, strong, zealous, serious front. The Branch really drilled that into us, that if no growth, its our fault, not the brothers.
Imagine the pressure brother Jaracz must feel. He wants the Organization to continue to have Jehovah's spirit, and he works at keeping it that way. His talks, his manner, his way of dealing with the Worldly Media. He wants Jehovah's Organization to be "without spot from the world" as he sees it. Individuals are not important, the Organization is important. If someone suffers an injustice, well, "wait on Jehovah."
I can't believe I was like that, that I imitated him in a small way, but I did. You work so hard trying to put up a "good" front, that you never stop to examine whether the "front" itself is good or not.
BF
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yadda yadda 2
Barb, Reading your comments is the most fascinating inside information I've read besides Ray Franz's books.
This was an especially interesting comment Barbara: "If he only had supported Harry, Lloyd, Swingle and Sidlik in the child abuse issue, the outcome of this horrible chapter in their history would have been so different."
Does this mean those men did not want the 'two-witness' rule to apply to child abuse allegations? Were they opposed to the legalistic, harsh policy on child abuse?
Do you know of any current GB members who would like changes to certain policies?
I must admit it's always surprised me that there is not more confidential information and rumours being 'leaked' at a very high-level in the organisation. You would think there would at least be 1 very-high level 'apostate' at the Watchtower who wants to seriously undermine the status quo, reveal 'inside' information and foment for change. It's always surprised me there have not been more resignations from the GB too, like Ray Franz did.
yadda