Is It possible for a GB member to ABSTAIN from voting a proposed doctrine into 'law'.

by african GB Member 12 Replies latest jw experiences

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  african GB Member

  Would that member be hunted down and removed from the 'board' for fear of apostacy?

  How discreet is their vote?

  Is it conducted like 'worldly election' with secret voting booths?
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  sir82

  Would that member be hunted down

  Hunted down?!? There's only 9 of 'em! Not too hard to find out where anyone is.

  If the meetings are anything like elders' meetings, there are no secret ballots. Everybody knows how everybody else votes.

  I wouldn't worry too much about the GBers. You don't rise to that level without being very politically savvy.
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  minimus

  African GB Member should know.
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  Mad Sweeney

  I think I recall Ray Franz mentioning an abstention in CoC. A savvy guy can couch the abstention in terms of humility: "I honestly don't know and defer to the wisdom of the rest of the body," and they can't do anything about it.

  Also, the current crop are mostly handpicked by Jaracz, I think. Nobody's going to dissent any time soon.
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  african GB Member

  African GB Member should know.
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  Paralipomenon

  If I remember correctly from CoC, most votes are akin to something like a show of hands, so the fear of standing apart from the group keeps most things from passing.

  A few outspoken "senior" members lay down their opinion and for the most part the majority rubberstamp the approval.
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  freddo

  I think that the GB operates just like any body of elders except that it is made up of old elders with little direct experience of parenting. So if you've ever been an elder remember your elders who were 70 plus and imagine 9 of them in a room with their 1950's outlook and their haughty chosen by Jah, self willed ways and you will get:-

  1 strong-willed, sharp minded, iron hand in velvet glove alpha type who rule the roost.

  1 as above but who smiles a lot and shows mock humility while waiting his chance.

  3 yes-men who always agree with the above two. One of whom is of an ethnic minority.

  1 who salivates and drools "post-stroke" in the corner.

  1 who thinks differently but won't rock the boat because "where else would he go?"

  2 who are on the point of a nervous breakdown.

  Now filter their decisions through the legal dept. and watch them go nowhere fast and only change things when they are low on money or are doctrinally painted in a corner.
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  Gayle

  Maybe by falling asleep.
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  changeling

  I think they have to have 2/3 of the votes to get something passed. This implies someone may abstain from voting or vote differently.
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  hubert

  Ray Franz wrote in "Crisis of Conscience", page 163....

  (Regarding alternative service instead of military service)....September 15, 1979..."When a motion was finally presented, the vote was split right down the middle, eight in favor of changing the policy, eight against doing so." (Further on)...."Remarks by the various members during the session made it evident that NO TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY would be attained either way on the alternative service issue and there was not even a motion made. The matter was "shelved".

  Hubert