by exwhyzee 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
When I look back at history, I see the great lengths people have gone to, to prove their devotion to God and to carry out what they though to be his will.
Do you think the Watchtower Organization is truly trying to deceive people and cover things up or do you think they are honestly misguided or mistaken in some of their beliefs and policies ? If so, what purpose would they have for doing this?
Both
Some are misguided with good intentions. Their motive is to help humanity find it's way to salvation
More, especially the ones in power, are deceptive. Their motive is power, control and money
It can be both. These guys are mostly misled and learn to justify their deliberate deceptions "for the good" of the members that cannot be trusted to guide themselves.
More, especially the ones in power, are deceptive. Their motive is power, control and money
I can understand that they are trying to save face and to preserve their own credibility to the the rest of the Witnesses and to the "world" that they've set themselves at odds with. If they admitted that they made mistakes it would prove that they aren't directly guided by God and the whole thing would collapse. All those at headquarters who have made a career out of this religion would be out of a job and may not have a place to go at their advanced ages.
However as far as the money issue is concerned, if each of the 7 million Witnesses, donated one dollar a month (most give much more) to the society, that would be $84 million a year in donations on top of their already existing investments. But I don't see money being a factor because supposedly they use it all to perpetuate the work and no one person is getting rich...or are they? How do we really know where all the money goes?
Remember that they rise up through the ranks like any jw male, just further than most. They learn the "truth" and come to believe it like any other jw. So having risen to the pinnacle of the power grid they are just as deluded as any other witness. The sadness is that when they continue to accept the stuff that they have doubts about, because they have convinced themselves they must, it affects not just themselves like it does in the rank and file but flows out to affect that same rank and file. Just my thought on the matter.
But I don't see money being a factor because supposedly they use it all to perpetuate the work and no one person is getting rich...or are they? How do we really know where all the money goes?
Isn't it awesome when you answer your own question?
As financially big as the WTS publishing cult has become with a large and involved accounting & legal department, it is just a matter of time before a money scandal occurs. Some of the lawyers & accountants involved are surely smart enough to see the man-made organization behind the curtain. Someone will be slick enough to bilk them out of a fortune.....if it hasn't already happened. The WTS can clamp down on info leaks better than the KGB, so it will be hard to know the extent of it.
Think About It
The Watchtower Society is deceptive. Many, maybe most, individual Witnesses are simple mistaken. I'm not sure that any individual since Rutherford has truly gotten wealthy off his leadership with the WTBTS, but power and control over the lives of millions of people is a strong incentive to keep your subjects in the dark.
When my wife was a believer she always asked me, "What is the GB getting out of this if they aren't really appointed by God?" I totally agreed that it didn't seem like money was their personal motivation.
Like VB said, I think there are other incentives like power and control for some members who hunger for that. But I also agree with Booby, that there may well be sincere GB members who moved up through the ranks like any other elder... misguided but working hard for something they believe in. I've seen such examples in the R&F publishers so why couldn't such a man make it to the top?
Along with that theory, surely there have been relatively humble GB members who had doubts or concerns but lacked the courage to stand up and admit they couldn't see the emperor's new clothes. Who wants to be that guy??
Having said all that, I once met Stephen Lett when he was visiting speaker at our DC and I couldn't put my finger on it but he seemed incredibly superficial and slimy. Honestly, I try not to prejudge anyone based on looks but there was something about this guy that came across like a smarmy televangelist who keeps Heidi Fleiss on his speed dial. He seemed to be the deceptive type but I've been wrong before.
The way they immediately denied their 1975 prophecy starting in 1976 and claimed that they never said it was the very height of deception.
The current way they have totally misconstrued their prophecy of christ coming in 1914 is deception.
The denial of ever joining the UN as an NGO (to the public and internally to the publishers) is high deception.
These are not simple mistakes - they are deliberate deceptions.
