What's in it for the Governing Body? (page 2)

JWoods

I was thinking as well, true I don't feel it is for the money. But they have to be tickled to think, that although, they own little, they control billions of dollars, like corporate directors do.

That pretty much hits the nail on the head.

Also consider that they are being taken care of very comfortably (by normal JW or Bethel standards) without anyone to fear except a hostile majority of their own body. And, of course, that probably 40% of them are just along for the ride, perhaps already senile. The other more powerful ones really call the shots - as Ray Franz explained in COC. Or, of course, the powerful writing, legal, and service hotshots.

It might actually be a GB self-illusion that they are REALLY in charge of the day-to-day workings of the worldwide WTS. My money would go down on service and legal department heads.

Elsewhere

Some people just crave power over others and prestige.

That is something I've never craved.

Excuse me while I go and teach my cats to dance for me.

JWoods

Excuse me while I go and teach my cats to dance for me.

You may possibly be gone for more than a week...

moshe

Well, what is their option? To leave and go back to carpet cleaning/janitorial work? Try and survive on a puny Social Security check, because they haven't paid much into SS? Those old guys are trapped in the Tower at Bethel and they can probably never leave, except in a casket. I believe, Ray Franz left Bethel with only $10,000 for his WT service.

dissed

J Woods - "My money would go down on service and legal department heads."

I think to what Gayle had said, they have a vested interest in the financial welfare of the WT. Not unlike a brokerage firm would have for its clients. Its clients have the final say, but the firm really makes the decisions to grow their money

The GB hasn't a clue how to run the money and has to trust legal to help them run the show. Which has been very evident to all of us, how much legal is making key decisions.

But still, this has to a real trip for the GB to have this much 'inherited' control, when many of them started their careers as simple pioneers and Bethelites.

JWoods

Yup, dissed...that is so. So long as the GB "believe" they have great authority, they are happy as clams.

The only one of them that I actually had time to talk with (back in my ancient day), was Schroeder. Schroeder himself led a pretty luxurious life for a Bethelite - he was married, (while in Bethel), stayed in Bethel, had a kid, had an outside apartment paid for by the society (at least when I met him in 1970), had a new Buick Electra 225 (also paid for by the society), had yearly vacation trips paid for to go to some "international convention" or another, and had a pretty easy day job as instructor in the servant/overseer school in Pittsburgh, PA.

He was also a massive egotist and mostly got off on the special position of grandeur and the perks. I truly believe that he really enjoyed getting to break the rules held out for an ordinary single bethel boy.

TardNFeatheredJW

I have thought about this question many times. I am a firm believer that if you want to sort out corruption, follow the money trail. If something doesn't make sense, see who benefits. There may not be money in some cases, it could be power, sex, or perceived affluence.

Let's consider each:

1) sex. Unlikely, the culture does not lend itself to the "free love" of some other cults. This is not to say there couldn't be a secret little sumthin-sumthin, but I think its highly unlikely.

2) power. There is some power, getting to decide who lives/dies spiritually, set procedure, rulings, etc. But the changes in doctrine seem to follow the change in the presidents, to me. So, in reality, there is very little power, although to someone who would otherwise work plunging toilets for Steven's Janitorial Services, that little bit of power could go a long way.

3) money. Here in lies the big ticket item... A retirement. These guys are not spring chickens. If the society collapsed, they would be broke and homeless with a few $ from SS, maybe. While the money may not be that great, and the accomodations are sparse (in theory), they are living at least as well, if not better than the average citizen who is that age. Perhaps not the biggest house on the block, but its 4 walls and a roof, meals, and medical care all paid. And they can keep it as long as they are GB or dead, as long as they don't get DF or DA, and the WT$B$ doesn't collapse.

4) perceived affluence: A combination of 2 and 3. This is not "wealth" or "power" that is measureable. It is completely relative. A guy in a trailer is rich to the guy in the shelter, but poor to the guy in a 1500 sq ft house. Likewise they are all poor to the guy with 15K sqft house, and all rich to the guy lying in his urine on a park bench freezing to death. The perceived affluence is huge for the GB. The make a call and it gets done, they want something, it gets done. They show up anywhere and its like the pope has visited. They don't eat at conventions, the ride in nice vehicles to 5 star restaurants and have the best food. They get limo service. The have the finest luxuries and best medical treatment. They would be zeros outside the GB, but they are rock-n-roll because they made it to the top. And yes, they lose all affluence, influence, family, and friends if they misstep, so they don't misstep. And, having conversed with CO and DO, I would assume the the GB would be even more arrogant and elitist.

Of course, just my $.02 and opinion. I know nothing, I theorize often.

JWoods

1) sex. Unlikely, the culture does not lend itself to the "free love" of some other cults. This is not to say there couldn't be a secret little sumthin-sumthin, but I think its highly unlikely.

Possibly - but we do remember the case of Greenlees, who pretty much got away with Bethel homosexuality (in the sense that he was not DFd, but sent out to special pioneer). There were behind the scenes questions about Freddy Franz and his young special boys hot tub club. And, of course, the mistress issues with Rutherford, and accusations during the divorce of Russell.

The GB members are also free to marry if they want (even in one case to have children) while ordinary Bethel people are not allowed in almost all cases.

But it really all boils down to their perceived rank & power over all other witnesses.

bobld

2 COR4:4.If a child is brought up to believe(.................) that is what it will believe.Money ,power,etc does not matter to the child.You could train a child to do just about anything and it will be happy to do it.This senile GB are just big babies,they have not learned yet.

B

Lady Lee

In CoC Franz admitted that many of the men on the GB were true believers.

Here is what I think"

Even true believers who live apart from the people they rule over they lose touch with the realities of life in the real world. They lose touch with the very real problems those people have to cope with. When I first learned about the hypocrisy of the WTS I found a scripture that to me clearly addresses the issue of "Why do they do it?"

Matt 23. The whole chapter. Jesus is talking about the Scribes and the Pharisees and how Christ's followers are to NOT be like them. And as you read the chapter you can see how the GB have forgotten about this chapter or are so busy pointing at everyone else and applying the scripture to them that they have forgotten to make sure they are not falling into the same traps. So Woe to you men of the Governing Body.

For those who want to read it http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/35854/1/Matthew-23-and-the-WTS

Excuse me while I go and teach my cats to dance for me.
You may possibly be gone for more than a week...

If you have a smart cat who loves to eat teaching him how to damce isn't that hard. Mine would even dance on his hind legs for a treat.

What's in it for the Governing Body?

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