GB is out of touch with reality! Why? (Ray Franz observation)

by 00DAD 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  00DAD

  In his book, In Search of Christian Freedom, Ray Franz make the point about his uncle Fred that he lived a detached, cloistered, isolated existence. He was separated and far-removed from the day-to-day issues of ordinary people.

  Like him, I suspect that many or even most of the WT leaders fall into that category. They have no first-hand knowledge or experience with earning a living, finding and keeping secular employment, what it is to raise a family and maintain a house and home. What is involved in being married, having and raising children.

  Does anyone know how many WT Leaders--Presidents, VPs and current GB members--have ever:

  • Had Regular Jobs?
  • Been Married?
  • Raised Children?
  • Received Higher Education?
  • Done any of the usual, normal things that average people do?

  Some biographical info is available on some of the WT leadership, but especially since the invention of the GB, it's always very sketchy at best.
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  cedars

  00DAD - your suspicions are well founded. The Governing Body has a LOT to say on the minutae of everyday life, considering that evidently many (if not all) of them don't even have children.

  As you hint in your OP, personal information on Governing Body members is extremely hard to come by. The Society only publishes snippets of what they say in talks (such as the Annual General Meeting) and sketchy details on their "spiritual" background. Absolutely nothing is printed about their real lives as normal human beings. I think this is deliberate. They don't like people to know too much, because they need to maintain a pious air of detachment from normal life. They don't want their followers to feel overly "familiar" with them, because we all know what familiarity breeds...

  I think that's partly why CoC and In Search of Christian Freedom are such eye-openers. They are arguably the only written material that says anything of real value about men who have served in that position. I very much doubt we will ever hear even the most basic personal information about those individuals currently serving for the reasons mentioned above. Your only hope would be to track down a disaffected relative. Good luck with that!

  Cedars
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  darth frosty

  Actually (just to get an overview) the biographies of most of the older and past GB was in the WT. You can read there stories and see their history. I dont think the new GB stories are out but most of them were groomed lap dogs basically.
• 

  00DAD

  Ray Franz said about the GB members that they have (assumed for themselves) the responsibility of making decisions in a very broad range of areas where they have absolutely no personal experience whatsoever! - paraphrased from ISOCF, p. 255

  "In their self-contained 'city' of Bethel, … all their needs were supplied. At Bethel their rooms were cleaned, beds made, clothes washed and pressed, meals cooked and served, shoes repaired or suits cleaned and pressed for a nominal fee, and they never had to think of rent, property upkeep and repair, health insurance or anything more than a minimal amount of taxes. They shared in the good things others 'on the outside' [non-Bethelite JWs] offered them, but rarely if ever shred in their difficulties and hardships." - from ISOCF, p. 255
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  00DAD

  Cedars: They don't like people to know too much, because they need to maintain a pious air of detachment from normal life. They don't want their followers to feel overly "familiar" with them, because we all know what familiarity breeds...

  Contempt. Also, then we'd know that these Guys from B rooklyn are out of touch with reality and have no clue what it means to be living the life of the average person, let alone the R&F JW.

  Proverbs 27:23 - You ought to know positively the appearance of your flock. Set your heart to your droves.

  darth frosty: Actually (just to get an overview) the biographies of most of the older and past GB was in the WT.

  The trouble is those are "sanitized" versions for the masses. They only tell what the WT wants to tell. Of the few I've read, you can't get the answers to the questions that really matter. See my OP.
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  00DAD

  Cedars: Absolutely nothing is printed about their real lives as normal human beings. I think this is deliberate.

  Agreed, likely because the are NOT normal human beings!
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  00DAD

  Ray Franz said this about the GB that he knew and worked with:

  "Out of all the GB members only one, Albert Schroeder, knew what it was to be a parent, and even in his case he did not know what it was to do so as the average working man does, since even after the birth of his son he continued to be employed by the Society in teaching assignments as a Kingdom Ministry School instructor, with his housing and other needs cared for." - ISOCF, p. 255
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  cedars

  As a side point, I find it interesting that Anthony Morris was initially heralded as "Anthony Morris III" when his appointment was announced (w06 3/15) as well as in a picture caption in the 2007 yearbook. However, from 2007 onwards he is always listed in the publications as plain old "Anthony Morris". What's going on there? Did he insist on the numerals when they appointed him, but over time did his colleagues talk him out of using them, fearing (rightly) that they would make him appear too pretentious?

  I think that anyone who insists at any stage on having numerals printed after his name (without being the member of any royal family) has a seriously inflated ego. It bugged me when I was still mentally "in" the organization, and it bugs me even more now.

  Here's the man himself:

  

  "Hi, I'm Anthony Morris THE THIRD!! Not to be confused with my Dad, Anthony Morris II, or his Dad, Anthony Morris the First."

  Cedars VIII
• 

  freetosee

  I think, what adds to the detachment, is the way they are treated by their followers. Very few, if any dear to voice a critical thought regarding their leadership.
  GB is as close as you can get to jehovah.
  I thought it was bad how the brothers put up a show when the CO visits, but experiencing how the GB get worshipped was really eye-opening.
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  00DAD

  Are you really Cedars the VIII? That's exciting, I've always wanted to have someone of your most majestic-ness as an acquaintance.

  Although, it would have been a bit nicer had you been Cedars the IX, but I guess I'll take what I can get! ...