no sympathy for the Tower Heist they probably made sure to have millions saved(money that is) before it all falls down mwahhahaha
Sympathy for the (Devil),, I Mean Governing Body
by frankiespeakin 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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NeverKnew
Franz wasn't enough. I'm SURE one if not all of the GB knows it's a big snowjob. I have spent a lot of time wondering why the lie continues to be perpetuated.
I have to wonder if those that serve as GB members realize (or are warned/made aware of) the possibility of fraud charges if outed.... If the religious component were removed (as would be the case if the snowjob were acknowledged), this entity is stripped down to a corporation selling bad goods.
It has been said there hasn't been any new light. Could this be why? Are the new members realizing that seeing ANY light could entangle them with the reponsibility for this lie?
Laws have changed since Franz's time. We've seen cases such as Enron where the leadership pays dearly for the actions of those before them (compare with former GB members and WT presidents) and subordinates below them (compare with writers). We're seeing clergy classes at higher levels pay for actions of those under their direction...
To avoid imprisonment, is it possible that they are now prisoners of their forefathers making?
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ziddina
I don't think so.
After all, these are the people who condone "Theocratic Warfare". Lying in the "service" of "jehovah" feels natural to them.
I suspect that they simply lack the charismatic factor. There are no "Fred Franz"s or "Rutherford"s or "Russell"s nowadays. Their many failed "Armageddon is coming!" prophecies of the past, combined lack of the stimulation that higher education could bring, and fear of being further challenged by internet questioners, has made them so afraid of innovation that they've become completely stagnant.
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nuthouse escapee
I have no sympathy what-so-ever for the GB. I think they are totally aware that it is total BS. There are many of us who left the organization and gave up friends and family because we have something they don't, Personal Integrity.
Someone who is knowingly misleading others for personal selfish reasons doesn't even get my pity. So maybe they're staying because they want financial security in their old age? Tough! Look how many JW's & ex JW's are living in poverty because of the education policies of the GB. Sorry for the rant. Leslie
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Quendi
I think of the families torn apart, the friendships destroyed, the lives ruined and lost due to the policies of this group and I feel no pity, no sympathy and, when their day comes, no mercy. There is only one thing for them to do and that is, in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien to “atone for their evils and depart then forever.” Nothing less will suffice or satisfy me.
Quendi
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nuthouse escapee
Quendi. I like the depart forever part. -Leslie-
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smmcroberts
I may be the sole dissenting voice here.
I don't like the GB as a concept anymore than anyone else here, but I do feel sympathy for them as individuals. I knew Bill Jackson personally. He was not a scumbag. He struck me as someone who was stuck in a delusion just like the rest of the congregation. I remember one time when there was "new light" being informally discussed in the KH after a meeting. Bill shrugged, chuckled, and said "We use to say: 'you take the truth from this shoulder and place it on the other,'" and he demonstrated by moving an imaginary object from his left shoulder to his right. It was as if he were subject to the whims of the Society just like the rest of us were (rather than being at least partly responsible for the change). It makes me think that he really believed the new light was coming from Jehovah rather than the committee he chaired.
Maybe he was the only naive one in the GB, but maybe there are others who really believe what they're shovelling. In which case they are to be pitied as victims who are so deluded as to be blind to the consequences of their actions: victims and victimizers at the same time.
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Quendi
I’d be inclined to give some credence to your view, smmcroberts, were it not for the fact that the Governing Body knows damned well now and has all along about the impact their decisions have had on rank-and-file Witnesses. These men are not operating in the dark. They know people have died as a result of the decisions they have handed down. They know that families have been torn apart and friendships have ended because of their shunning policies. Otherwise, there would not be Watchtower study articles defending these decisions and strict orders given that they must be complied with.
If there are those among this ruling clique who do not know, that does not make them any less culpable. There is a community responsibility involved here and simply going along with the crowd or “following orders” is no excuse or reason for their actions. That was made clear at the Nuremberg Trials of the last century, and as far as I’m concerned the same principle is in play now. Were any of these men haled to some court or judicial tribunal and charged with crimes that had resulted in harm, injury or death of others, there defense would ring hollow and they would be convicted and punished. They can be thankful for the First Amendment protections which have shielded them from liability. I can only hope that “their end shall be according to their works.”
Quendi
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Theocratic Sedition
I believe Slimboyfat made the observation that we may underestimate just how much the GB believes in what's printed. Much of the negative comments towards the GB comes from the perspective that they know it's a scam, but really how do we know that? That said, if they truely believe all that's printed, just like the JWs who believe what's printed, can it really be labeled a scam at that point? On that train of thought, we get upset when we think about the families broken up, the psychological stress resulted from shunning, the emotional stress resulted from remaining in the religion while not believing but fearful of the consequences, unfulfilled hopes, lost goals, lost youth, etc.. However what does that matter to someone who believes this is all part of God's will?
What's a broken family to a die hard JW that believes over 7 million other JWs will more than make up for that? What's a death to a die hard JW who believes in a resurrection? What's a wasted youth to a die hard JW that believes their on the right track to live forever in a paradise? To the die hard believing JW, these ordeals are simply speed bumps along the way on the road of life. I believe the GB believes this just as much as the most delusional JWs we've known throughout the years. In that sense, I do have some sympathy for the GB because they know not what they do.
One other thing, the apostate community amongst JWs both out in the open and undercover only represents a fraction of the JW community. That said, I'd bet some of the GB if not all would believe that those who suffer within the religion while not believing is an acceptable loss to preserve the unity of the organization as a whole. I don't agree with that way of thinking, but can understand it.
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smmcroberts
I don't want to defend or excuse them.
I'm just trying to picture myself in their shoes. If they think they are truly God's organization, trying to discern what God wants and then laying down that law to the rank and file... Then when it turns out badly for individuals (e.g. people dying for want of an organ transplant) they must feel, "Oh, that was our best understanding at the time, so even though it appears we were wrong, we have done no wrong. At least we don't believe in hell or the trinity! We're still the best source of light from Jehovah, even though there may be casualties along the way, those people chose to follow us and to give up their lives for Jehovah if need be -- we didn't hold a gun to their heads." Or something along those lines.
It's complete idiocy, but I feel sympathy for idiots too. I would not want to see the GB (or anyone) living in cardboard boxes on the streets of New York. Maybe a low-priced nursing home.