I wonder what would happen if publishers stopped listening to stuff from Bethel if it didn't say "This is what Jehovah has said". I mean they would have a valid point. The GB can hide behind the phrase "we never said Jehovah told us this, so you just misapplied or misunderstood what we said", what though if people started being more literal minded and asked from where the commandments come from? I think the GB does this to protect themselves from legal action if their words cause harm or death to others. By phrasing it this way, the courts would give them the benefit of the doubt that their words had simply been misunderstood.
It's not as though anyone is fooled by their rhetoric, least of all God who can read hearts, still it would be nice if this was put into practice by publishers.
I learned long ago that the only power someone has over you is what you allow them to have.
With that in mind, I hold people to be accountable for their words. So if a WT makes a statement about a belief, I ask elders on who's authority is this being stated? If it's from men who have said in the past they aren't inspired (though oddly enough they say the organization is spirit directed) then by whose authority are they seeking to ask for submission to their doctrines? If it's from God, then the GB needs to put it in writing, otherwise it will get ignored.
As to not allowing others to have power over you, the publishers could put a stop to the GB's nonsense very quickly. It would take a united stand of the majority to say "enough". The whole disfellowshipping procedure can be stopped within a year if publishers, elders, CO's, DO's and whomever else started doing theings their own way. Sure some would be DFed for their rebellious attitude, but in the end, the GB would have to submit, otherwise they would stand a chance of losing everything.
This has been done in other churches and was done in the past amongst the Bible Students.
I suppose the overall problem is people put so much faith in the GB (rather than in the scriptures) that any thing that comes from Bethel is seen as coming from God, which is a shame. Also I suppose God might hold many publishers accountable for this, considering we all have free will and know right from wrong. Some might say they were deceived, yet Eve who was also decieved was still punished because she knew God's laws and still went along with what she saw as another authority figure (Satan as the serpent) rather than going to God and getting His input (which any publisher can do by picking up a Bible and reading it).
If it conflicts, then it's not legit.
