JWs will give a collective big yawn over this new direction by the WT publishing Corp. It's been really amusing watching the GB continue to put the big squeeze on JWs over the years- and they just keep taking it up the keester.
Watchtower Switching Horses?
by Marvin Shilmer 23 Replies latest jw friends
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BluesBrother
Mind you, last week's Watchtower study article said:
5.." Like them, do you have a desire to study and
recount the history of the earthly part of
Jehovah’s organization? The more you
learn about God’s organization and how
Jehovah supports his people, the more
real God’s Kingdom will be to you. "
So, Where is the history without CTR and JFR??, after all they have just elevated the writers of "spiritual food" to being the FD Slave alone without the rest of the 144K. .......Oh hang on ! if the FDS only came into existence in 1919 then that is after Russell died - so maybe you have a point Marvin.......
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King Solomon
Well, of COURSE it's smart for JWs to distance themselves from ANY person, as real-live humans are messy, many with dirty laundry, pecadillos, and skeletons in their closet. That's the entire point of this recent move, downplaying the individual and glorifying the role of the GB.
That's the allure of basing a religion on a fictitious character (or at least a dead one who existed before things were documented). Barring that, you shift power to an organizational body, which is somewhat of a trade-off in that it limits the "cult of personality" aspects, but DOES provide immunity from misbehaviors of a "leader".
This isn't just religion, eg Steve Jobs was the charismatic leader of Apple, and some thought Apple would go to hell in a handbasket without him. The challenge of the board of directors and Jobs was to de-emphasize HIS role, even when he was in charge, so as to shift the focus to the company and away from him. It's the same idea in ANY business: you want to create and build "good will" in not just on the person, but create the BRAND. It's the same with JWs: they're building WT as a brand.
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Marvin Shilmer
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“It's the same idea in ANY business: you want to create and build "good will" in not just on the person, but create the BRAND. It's the same with JWs: they're building WT as a brand.”
It’s a page out of Rutherford’s book.
Under Rutherford’s regime the Watchtower organization experienced the single largest schism in its history. From the Spring of 1927 to the Spring of 1928 the Watchtower organization suffered more than an 80% decline in those associating with it! (See Watchtower — emergence of the business end available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/08/watchtower-emergence-of-business-end.html
Rutherford initiated an immediate rebranding of the Watchtower organization. The culmination of this rebranding occurred in 1931 when Rutherford placed a new label on his followers, calling them “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. With that stroke Rutherford completed his rebranding, and the rest is history.
Today’s Governing Body is facing the business-end of a chronological double-barrel shotgun. 2014 is just around the corner! Unfortunately, a previous Governing Body set an uneasy precedent that will have impact in the year 2014. (See Watchtower on Kingdom Centennial Birthday? Available at: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2012/07/watchtower-on-kingdom-centennial.html
Chickens are coming home to roost, and today’s Governing Body is readying to avoid an avalanche of discontent, if that is possible.
Marvin Shilmer