Governing Body arrogance vs. Legal Department's pragmatism - do you think there will be a slip-up at some point?

by sir82 31 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  sir82

  The recent & surprising developments in the UK and Australia got me thinking....

  The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is nothing if not arrogant. They consider themselves "God's channel of communication", stopping just short of claiming divine inspiration. They believe that they and they alone are the masters of "Christ's belongings" and are answerable only to him.

  The Watchtower Society's Legal department carefully crafts GB decisions so as not to put the Watchtower Society's assets or prestige as risk. Why did the wording of the announcement for disfellowshipping change a few years ago? Why did the questions for baptism change 20+ years ago? Why is the instruction to JW elders, upon first learning of an allegation of child abuse, to "call WT legal" before doing literally anything else?

  It seems to me that given the massive egos that must exist among the GB, there would have to be some sort of resentment that they can't do everything they want to, because "legal" would have a problem with it.

  I have to imagine them thinking, at least privately, "We're the Governing Body! Jehovah talks to us! Why do have to run everything past these #$%#@!! lawyers?"

  I think the GB, by and large, believes their own hype. They really do think that "Jehovah talks to them". They think that the organization has some sort of "special divine protection", and as Isaiah 54:17 says, " Any weapon whatever that will be formed against you will have no success, and any tongue at all that will rise up against you in the judgment you will condemn". They think the organization just simply can't get into serious trouble.

  Do you think at some point their arrogance will cause them to be careless? Would they ever override their own legal counsel? Would they ever say "We don't care what the lawyers say, we're printing it in the Watchtower!"
• 

  TimothyT

  What a good thread. :)

  I reckon they have already made some GRAVE careless mistakes and i bet they are now suffering because of them. Lets hope that it spirals out of control soon so we can see the mental liberation of our friends and family! :)

  Timmy xxx
• 

  skeeter1

  The legal beagles at Bethel are slick. Slick, slick, slick attorneys. But, if they got too slick in their dealings and word got out, it could really tarnish the Watchtower's "honest" image. Then, the Governing Body would have to distance itself from the legal department.

  Anyway, that's how I think it will all come out in the wash. But, it's only Wednesday afternoon.

  Skeeter
• 

  TimothyT

  Wednesday evening here in the UK. But just think, in the time it has taken me to write this post, one JW in this world may finaly realised what the WT is up to and has woken up. :)
• 

  metatron

  I think it needs to be pointed out that vetting by even a good legal department does not necessarily prevent the kind of disasters you're talking about.

  Here's why: even the best lawyers may never be expert enough to judge all of the potential traps across all of the different legal and political systems on earth. The great Pax Americana appears to be ending, along with its cultural hegemony. The rights due a religion in Europe may differ from what is allowed in the US as time passes. Also, they can get caught flat-footed by cultural shifts that their ivory tower ignorance misses - in fact, this is what happened with the emergence of the child molester issue and James Brown (speaking for the Society) admitted as much!

  They are headed ever deeper into trouble because their empire is stretched paper-thin across the globe and they don't have the money to sustain it. Such expert protection costs are high and, being against higher education doesn't help in creating Witnesses who would be able to help.

  At this point, various apologists for the Watchtower will offer a 'the Lord Will Provide' argument, as to skills needed. I reply to the contrary, we already seen that isn't happening. Donation shortfalls, literature cuts, magazine cutbacks, laid-off Bethelites, closed Branch Offices and reduced printing facilities tell you all you need to know.

  metatron
• 

  Shador

  Indeed. At 30, I expect one of two things will happen in my lifetime:

  A. The JWs were right, the big A comes, and I go down spitting in Jar-Hoover's face.

  or

  B. The WTB$ completely collapses.

  As more and more people gain access to the real facts about the WTB$, as the flow of information becomes ever freeer - especially in the 1st world, where most of their financial support comes from - I don't see how WTB$ can last another 70 years (figure assumes I will live to 100 - I hope, I hope). Plus, they have created their own death spiral by discouraging higher education. As their support base becomes smaller, dumber, and poorer, they will eventually collapse under their own weight. You can't sustain a multi-billion dollar publishing house on the backs of people who live in abject poverty, especially when you have basically forbidden them from improving their lot in life. But of course, if they allowed higher education, more JWs would find out they are being taken. They've created their own little Catch-22.
• 

  sir82

  I'm not convinced they have such major cash issues, at least in the short term. They are sitting on $100's of millions of property with fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline - even at today's prices, selling those Brooklyn properties will give them loads of cash to last decades.

  They might have a cashflow issue right now, but it should ease up considerably when they move out to their countryside compound in 2 or 3 years and can begin marketing their brooklyn properties in earnest.

  Of course, a handful of Catholic-scale pedophile lawsuits would whittle that down in a hurry.
• 

  Shador

  ... as would taxing religion. As society becomes more and more secular, religion does not hold the priveleged position it once did in the hearts of many. If the economy continues downwards, I do believe the governments will begin to eye all the wealth that is owned by the world's religions.
• 

  Mad Sweeney

  Just like every elder, every Governing Body member KNOWS they are nothing special and are receiving no special insight or holy spirit. They each are betting everything on the hope that the other six guys ARE, or they believe the ridiculous concept that "as a body" they are guided by holy spirit, but not as individuals. I don't see the arrogance going too far. Legal knows how to put the scare into 'em.

  That said, they're working on the declining end of the business model.

  Also, as the karmic expression goes, "truth will out" and I believe that the Internet and the publicity surrounding the various legal actions against the Borg, plus the thinkers of the world getting fed up with the extremist religionists, will add up to a serious decline in the Watchtower over the next few decades. I believe it has already begun. (invisibly, of course)
• 

  breakfast of champions

  Here's the thing that boggles my mind:
  To be a successful lawyer, you have to have logic and a pretty "worldly" philosophy of life to boot. How is it that they can cull from their members the amount of lawyers required to defend their nonsense?
  What could bring the WT down is having TO PAY "worldly" attorneys to defend them, as opposed to the freebies they get from within.