Why did/does there appear to be an unusually high number of "Germanic" names in the Governoring Body compared to others?

by StoneWall 21 Replies latest jw friends

  • StoneWall
    StoneWall

    Today as I was researching past and present members of the Governoring body of J.W.'s something stood out to me that seemed out of proportion towards other name origins.

    The vast majority appeared to be from the Germanic peoples. Either they were originally from Germany themself or their parents immigrated from Germany.

    Here are some of the ones I researched and you should be able to spot just from their names a hint of their origins:

    Karl F. Klein

    Albert Schroeder

    Fred Franz

    Raymond Franz (former member)

    M.G. Henschel

    Gerrit Losch

    The reason I'm researching this is because I noticed something equally puzzling to me as regards the local Kingdom Hall I used to attend.

    The majority of Elders that are/were appointed were of Germanic ancestory. Even the C.O.B.E. (formerly P.O.) has a very Germanic name.

    Two of the Elders that aren't of German ancestory both married wives from families that are.

    A good number of them can speak both English and German.

    Is this just coincidence?

    Do you think your odds of being appointed were increased depending on your last name?

    Is this just me grasping at straws or do you feel there might be some substance behind it?

    If you remember some of the last names of the Elders in your hall, it might be interesting experiment to type it in google search then type name origin and see what you come up with. Even if it don't give you a specific country of origin it will give you a general region for it.

    And last but not least, if the anointed do indeed come from all parts of the earth, why are there no oriental, latino or arabic peoples been appointed to the Governoring body?

    It only took what a hundred years for them finally to get a black man on the G.B. (Samuel Herd).

  • ProdigalSon
    ProdigalSon

    Interesting observation, and undoubtedly not a co-incidence. Germany has been a hot spot for secret societies for many centuries. The Watchtower is run by a group of dynastic families at the top just like almost everything else in this world..... and they appoint their own.

    As for Sam Herd, a token? Maybe, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if he had some of that blue blood in him. You'll never see representatives from the other races due to the "anointed" supposedly coming from all over because the whole "anointed" thing is bullshit and a delusional scam. People who fulfill the prophecies about becoming as Christ are those who attain Gnosis, not idiots who spent their lives peddling Watchtower rags that are full of lies.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    Funny that you missed out the only actual German, Martin Poetzinger!

  • StoneWall
    StoneWall
    Funny that you missed out the only actual German, Martin Poetzinger!

    Slimboy I didn't list all of them is why i said some of the ones in my opening post. There is more but didn't list all of them.

    A question for you though...where did you get your information about Martin being the only "Actual" German?

    Maybe you might want to check out this link I provide and look where Karl Klein was born. Have you got any other reference to state otherwise than him being born in Germany? If so could you list it.

    Here's the link I'm going off of for Karl's birth:

    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=50946030

    Edited to add: Slimboyfat I just checked the WT CD and it also list Karl as being born in Germany. So once again I ask what do you base your statement about Martin being only "actual" German on? Curious to research it myself since I'm into this today.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    I did not know Karl Klein was born in Germany. The link says he moved to the US when he was a child.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat

    Plenty of Scots ancestry in the leadership of JWs over the years too, even if the names are not so obvious.

  • Weana
    Weana

    In the early decades of the work, a very high percentage of the publishers lived in Germany.

    Field service reports of 1933: (nearly all of the publishers were "anointed" at that time!)

    United States 20,719 publishers

    Germany 19,268 publishers

    rest of the world (75 countries) 18,817 publishers

    Considering those figures, the actual rate of German GB members is not surprisingly high.

  • slimboyfat
    slimboyfat
    Considering those figures, the actual rate of German GB members is not surprisingly high.

    But as pointed out, only two GB members were actually from Germany. (Oh and one from Austria too, can't forget) The rest are Americans with German names. Probably none of those spoke German. (Apart from Fred Franz of course who could speak 1546 languages anyway)

  • metatron
    metatron

    Yup, I always wondered about that, too. Even the secondary officials tended to be rather Teutonic (Max Larson, etc. )

    Enemies grow to resemble each other - such as Israelis and the Nazis - as the Israelis understand blitzkreig concepts, as they have practised ethnic cleansing in the 1940's in Gaza by mass executions of ordinary civilians in Gaza as well as by murdering Egyptian Prisoners in the Sinai, little different from what the Nazis did in the Battle of the Bulge. (I'm actually pro-Israel, by the way, because I think Arabs are culturally hopeless).

    It should not be surprizing that the Watchtower grows to resemble their enemies. If you doubt this, I ask you to consider the most recent statements by the Governing Body as regards brothers avoiding using their conscience in enforcing commands from the Watchtower Society. Brothers are being told to obey, no matter what, even if they think the decision is wrong. This latest command is the very opposite of the Nuremberg morality. The Watchtower Society is explicity endorcing the ethic of 'I was just following orders', like the Nazis.

    The Watchtower Society also effectively uses leverage against families to survive and grow, as Nazis and other authoritarians did.

    They seem to be moving towards a 'Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer' mentality.

    metatron

  • blondie
    blondie

    Not all are from the US. Martin Poetzinger from Germany (surprise) and Loesch from Austria...

    Also, 1 out 4 people in the US have a German background. When WW1 broke out, Milwaukee WI had the largest German speaking group in the world, it became disadvantageous to speak or have a German name...so that declined. German Americans were also put in jail. But they are still one of the largest ethnic group in the US whether they speak German or not.

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