This thread was very illuminating for me. The comparison to the Bolshevik collectivism made a lot of sense. There were overseers in my day. Yes, it was the best public speaker. Our overseer was creative. During a demon phase, he imported British JW audiotapes about flinging teapots. Next, when you had to be 95 or something to be a member of the remnant, he announced he was one at 40. We lived near Brooklyn so some people asked. They did not disfellowship him. I was certain he would be disfellowshipped. He had more traction than the rest of the brothers together.
JW leadership vacuum - explained!
by sir82 32 Replies latest jw friends
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alias
creativity saved my life post-jw
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meangirl
Excellent post
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Aussie Oz
When i read COC i was amazed that Ray Franz had so little time before joining the GB to do any real study. To busy doing what was expected rather than needed in the assignments...
That culture has continued i think. Each 'generation' of leaders over the years simply promotes to leadership roles others who have come up the same way. The leadership rot really got stinky when Knorr died and Freddy lost the mantle.
It's become a boys club, except no cigars and whisky. (not that we know of) with the GB simply asking those who they 'like' to join the club. Between them all i doubt there is a serious theocratic mind to go around. What there is, is a bunch of old guys out of touch, relying on service departments around the world to promote the same ilk from the lower echelons. And so it filters down to the congregations.
The rot in any organization can always be traced to its highest level managment. The WT is no different.
They sure have a problem!
Oz
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Heartofaboy
Fascinating thread, just fascinating.
The ones at the top must know something is dreadfully wrong with the org'.
When I was a kid even reading a newspaper was looked down on as the 'society prints all we need to know'
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WTWizard
Hopefully, they will get "caught in irons" the next time they try to "tack" with their doctrines. The "a generation" is a prime example of such incompetence. How is that supposed to "tack" toward the truth? If anything, they are getting farther from the truth, and it is getting more ridiculous every time they try and change things.
And "Even if you can prove a doctrine wrong using our own Bible, you still have to abide by and teach the bad doctrine until we ourselves fix it". This guarantees that they will never fix it properly. They have a bad doctrine, even if an honest mistake (and I don't think "a generation" was an honest mistake), and are stuck with it because they will not listen to anyone. This means that their "tacking" will either take them away from their destination, get them caught in irons (that is, losing membership), or both.
If they were trying to get me across the street that way, I would not even know whether I am in Spain or New Zealand (exactly halfway around the world). Or, in the tropics or the South Polar region. Going by what they insist is their way, you are assured to find yourself where you do not want to be.
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DesirousOfChange
Their inablity to change with the times will lead to their death.
You can keep hoping that will happen, but I doubt it.
Plenty of "ordinary and unlettered" (uneducated, unthinking) folks out there looking for a place to settle in.
DOC
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WontLeave
Adherence to "the old ways" would be great, if they'd made any sense or had any legitimacy when they were created. Many doctrines were invented by men just to spite mainstream religions and not because of any Scriptural reason. Most of the rules were invented by men just to wield as much control as possible over the congregations. Each new round of GB members invented its own new rules just to make their mark as overlords.
Let's face it; the doctrine has actually gotten less crazy than it used to be, despite "overlapping generations", blood fractions, etc. Like any bloated entity - e.g. government, corporations - the rules just keep piling up because the "bosses" create their pet rules without ever going to the trouble of eliminating previous ones.
Judaism got progressively worse as humans had their way with it. Christianity got progressively worse as humans had their way with it. Why should this man-made religion be any different?
Even if C T Russell had been the most righteous man on the planet, just trying to do right by God; his vision has been lost and his religion has been hijacked. He wouldn't even recognize it as having any relationship to what he started. Every new president and governing body had to make sure everybody knew who was in charge by seizing ownership of the religion. Each established new doctrines and made very flamboyant papal decrees of beliefs, practices, and attitudes. Basically, if you don't like the religion, just wait a while; it'll change. But in what direction? Who knows, because the JWs are a ship without a rudder.
Right now, there are 7 hands on the wheel claiming to speak for God. In the past, there have been more and as few as 1, but always with the same insane claim. Mormons are a prime example of what happens when someone claiming to be a prophet is encouraged to embrace his insanity rather than seek treatment. Flip-flops of doctrine, backpedaling, revisionist history, denial, etc. Can't bash the past nuts who claimed to be prophets, because that will destroy the illusion of the position. Once the people realize just any politically-connected weirdo can sit in the "god" seat, the jig is up. Have to be very careful about addressing the actions of prior crazies, so nobody sees the current crazies for what and who they are.
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scotoma
Leadership vacuum = they really suck
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Quendi
Two factors that I'd like to bring up have also contributed to the leadership vacuum on the Governing Body and elsewhere in the organization. Their aversion to technology is evident. First they cursed the Internet every way they could before somewhat reluctantly embracing it. Once they did, they have continued the same drumbeat as in their printed literature, telling the brothers that the Internet is dangerous and satanic. That's called speaking out of both sides of the mouth. But that has backfired on them as the Internet has thrown a flood of light on the organization's past history and teachings. The old publications are available online and elsewhere. The chat rooms and websites have allowed people to openly discuss their doubts, exchange news and information, and freely question the Society's authority. The result has been a rising tide of discontent that may grow to tsunami proportions, threatening the organization in ways its leaders never dreamed could happen. Their old school leadership failed to see this coming precisely because they never thought to consult with or include those whose technological savvy would have given some advance warning.
Secondly, as others have pointed out, they promote people into leadership roles who are cast in their image and likeness. They prefer people who are steeped in American culture. Yes, there have been exceptions but those were very rare. And their racism can't be overlooked. Despite the presence of Samuel Herd on the Governing Body, the organization has avoided using people of color in leadership roles unless they felt compelled or there was no other choice. I don't know how Sam Herd rose to the top, but you can be sure he had to jump through a lot of hoops to get there and probably more than a white American candidate would. And as far as I know, no Asians, Africans, South Americans, or Pacific Islanders have ever been considered. They serve as circuit and district overseers and may even sit on a branch committee, but that is as far as they will go. And, needless to say, no women will ever be put in a leadership role no matter how talented they may be.
They need "new blood" but have stubbornly refused to recruit it. Now all the years of narrow-minded thinking have caught up with them. I don't pretend to believe that entirely new leadership will solve all of the problems the WTS faces since it has never had divine backing or support. But new leaders would make the kind of changes that would refresh the membership, attract new recruits throughout the world and not just in poor countries of Asia and Africa, and maybe even entice those who have left to return (not that I would even then). But taking those steps requires both courage and humility, qualities the WTS leadership has never had in sufficient quantity.
Quendi