Much has been said about this oft-cited scripture: "The light gets brighter." This is, of course, used as justification for the apparently arbitrary changes in doctrine handed down by the Governing Body. Examining this scripture in its context may help us understand its meaning.
Proverbs 4:14-19: "Into the path of the wicked ones do not enter, and do not walk straight on into the way of the bad ones. Shun it, do not pass along by it; turn aside from it, and pass along. For they do not sleep unless they do badness, and their sleep has been snatched away unless they cause someone to stumble. For they have fed themselves with the bread of wickedness, and the wine of acts of violence is what they drink. But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established. The way of the wicked ones is like the gloom; they have not known at what they keep stumbling."
Given the context of this verse, is it reasonable to conclude that this justifies an infinite number of reversals of doctrine? Is this talking about one's understanding of the scriptures? Well, what does the context imply?
The context refers to "the path of the wicked ones", detailing their evil ways and deeds. It is hardly likely we would assume that any reference is being made to THEIR understanding of the scriptures, as they obviously don't particularly care about scripture. This is referring to conduct, to one's course of life.
Whereas the wicked dwell in darkness and commit wicked deeds, the righteous live in the light, and as they live according to God's will, their life course gets brighter and brighter. In short, they can see where they're headed in life. Wisdom causes them to ponder the consequences of their actions (which Solomon discusses in great length in Proverbs, especially in chapters 5 and 6), and just like a man walking down the road on a sunny day, the righteous person can see what's ahead, what's in front of him, and he can choose a good path. The wicked just do whatever they feel like doing, without regard for consequences, and just like someone on a dark road, they're bound to trip over something they can't see right in front of them.
This is a contrast of one's path in life. It's that simple.
Obviously, to end the discussion on that note would be too simplistic. As economist John Maynard Keynes once said, "When I realize I am wrong, I change my mind. What do you do?" There's no harm in making changes if one realizes one's beliefs are incorrect in light of scripture or in light of clear, verifiable evidence. Being too rigid can lead to stagnation. So that leaves us with a question for the Governing Body:
Do you make adjustments in doctrine based on recognition of error, or would you allow errors to remain in place simply to maintain your authority over men? Worse yet, would you make adjustments for that very purpose--maintaining power?
Does "the light get brighter" when you keep 'adjusting' your beliefs about Bible chronology and the nearness of the end, or are you doing it merely for convenience and to save face? It would be fine if adjustments were 'relatively minor' as the Reasoning book claims, but adjustments that would have been unnecessary had you just read the Bible? Romans 13 isn't that hard to understand. Why did it take decades to figure out what was clearly spelled out in God's Word thousands of years ago?
Millions of innocent lives are involved. I know those 9 men aren't listening, but if they were, I would ask them for one simple favor: freely admit your errors i