Hi everyone
I've been giving some thought recently to what's going on in the minds of the individual Governing Body members, and what makes them tick. The process of listening to their talks for my "getting to know you" YouTube video series, though draining, has been very enlightening. I now feel I know some of their individual personalities a little better than I did previously.
Then there has been the tumultuous events of 2012. It's been interesting to note the way the Governing Body has responded to some of these issues, and how in most cases their responses have been woefully inadequate or even counter-productive as regards their long-term interests.
For example:
Sparlockmania and the viral masturbation video - the society responds to both of these events by getting some but not all of the offensive/damaging material pulled from YouTube on grounds of copyright infringement. By claiming copyright infringement, they admit that they produced the material in the first place. Furthermore, their actions prove to anyone looking into the matter that they take themselves EXTREMELY seriously and will clamp down ruthlessly on any attempt to portray their teachings/beliefs out of context or in a less than flattering light. The DMCA takedown option is a "sticking plaster" fix over a gaping wound, because although the notices stem the tide somewhat on the more viral videos, the material still gets replicated on other channels albeit to smaller audiences.
For example, try searching "jehovah deaf masturbation" on YouTube, and there is still a full screen of videos to view on the subject, some of which are accumulating many thousands of views. It's a similar story if you type in "become jehovah's friend", although the majority of videos on offer for that keyword are far more vitriolic against the Watchtower. Whichever way you look at it, the DMCA takedowns were woefully inadequate as a response in the long-run, and only made the Society appear more cult-like to the thinking YouTuber. Not a smart move.
The Candace Conti verdict - this was a volcano that has been waiting to blow for some time. The only reason this hasn't happened sooner is because the Society has been very successful in the past in its policy of silencing abused plaintiffs through out-of-court settlements and gag orders. It was only a matter of time before a victim emerged with a suitably robust case who would reject these offers and go through the ordeal of giving testimony in the interests of seeing justice served. This finally happened with Candace Conti, and the Society suffered arguably their most damaging legal defeat in their history back in June. Their response was to appeal the decision.
Obviously, it remains to be seen whether this strategy will pay off in the long run. The fact that they had their JNOV motion denied would seem to indicate that their arguments against the verdict do not hold as much water as they would have us believe. And in Candace Conti, they have an opponent who is in this for the long-haul, and isn't afraid to make tough decisions in the interests of seeing this through to the bitter end.
But, putting the appeal move to one side, what has been their additional response to the verdict? The now-infamous October 1st letter, in which the Society is actually taking on even MORE liability in the handling of cases of alleged child abuse than ever before. This is definitely NOT a smart move. It is motivated by a belief that the Society is backed by God and will triumph regardless if they stick to their interpretation of his word the Bible.
The Governing Body MUST have rubber-stamped this elders' letter, and the fact that they have done so proves to me how out-of-touch and deluded they have grown. The clever response would have been to take the medicine, re-group, make changes, and reorganize the Society to be more legally compliant and therefore more prosperous in the long run. Had they done this - just think of all the millions of dollars that they would save in avoiding future lawsuits and settlements! Instead, they have effectively taken a huge gamble with dedicated funds, and said "we don't mind spending millions in defending our child abuse policy, because it's from Jehovah and Jehovah will help us prevail!" A flawed decision based on a flawed perception of reality.
The new light on the Faithful and Discreet Slave - the more I've delved into this and checked recent publications, the more I feel stupid for not seeing this coming a long time ago as others on this forum have (step forward mickey mouse and donuthole). For a few years now, whenever the issue of the faithful and discreet slave has been touched upon in the literature, the understanding that it comprises ALL of the anointed ones on Earth has been expressed in increasingly vague terms. In that sense, it's difficult to make the argument that this "new light" represents a direct response to any outside pressure as such, although the haphazard way in which the Society has made the announcement to a select few 15,000+ at an annual meeting rather than the entire organization simultaneously via the Watchtower indicates to me that this decision may have been a touch on the impulsive side. It's hard to say for sure.
In any case, once again it's a terrible move for the Governing Body that undermines their long-term interests. Their success in getting people to take them seriously has traditionally hinged on a carefully groomed facade in which they present themselves as being humble servants of a multitudinous and vague group of people, namely the anointed. When I hinted at the new light to my Dad, a die-hard JW elder, his response was that the role of Governing Body member is "just a job" like any other in the organization. I know what he meant by this. Until recently, the impression given was that those serving on the Governing Body are merely fulfulling a commission to represent the anointed slave class internationally. This tricks the rank and file into thinking that they are just a humble group of men who are doing a job that has been given to them by others. Only the more cynical would ever realise that there is actually no link between the anointed and the Governing Body, and in that respect they have been self-appointed cult leaders all along.
Now the Governing Body has severed the tenuous doctrinal umbilical chord linking them with the anointed that served them so well in portraying them in a more humble light. They've decided to link themselves directly to the First Century apostolic model, even though apostolic succession is not a biblical concept but, essentially, a catholic one. They have become the papacy they spent decades mocking, and many of the more switched-on and cynical Witnesses will never forgive them for it.
Sure, there are always those who will be oblivious to this change. My wife mentioned the "new light" to her father, and he didn't bat an eye-lid. My own father's reaction was slightly more intriguing. He said he would need to look at the explanation given to see if it is sound enough. I personally think he will run with it regardless, but not everyone in the organization will be so passive when this new light becomes widely known. Make no mistake, some Witnesses WILL leave because of this. It will trigger some with doubts to do further research, and we all know where that leads. Whether it's in the hundreds or thousands, only time will tell - but people WILL leave over this, given time. Count on it. Furthermore, the revised teachings of the Society make them less credible for future potential converts with critical thinking skills in this information age to accept. In short, it was a bad move. A VERY bad move.
I was talking with MrsCedars recently about these obvious gaffs on the part of the Governing Body, and I feel in the past I have over-estimated them as an "opponent". The situation reminds me of a situation touched upon by the Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie (based on a true story), in which Cruise plays a Nazi officer who fails in an elaborate conspiracy to kill Hitler. There were actually many assassination attempts on Hitler, some of which were supported by the Allies. However, as the war dragged on, the feeling among the Allies was increasingly that Hitler was far more damaging to the Nazi war effort alive than dead. In other words, he was growing so irrational and paranoid that his poor decisions made him a liability to his own long-term goals.
I'm not suggesting for a moment that the Governing Body members should be likened to Hitler, nor am I remotely insinuating that they should be assassinated!! I merely use this analogy to demonstrate that the Governing Body has become its own worst enemy, and they are doing our cause (the cause of those like me who want to see this Society come to an end) the world of good simply by allowing their own delusions of divine guidance and approval to influence their decision-making.
I used to think that only a change of personnel on the Governing Body could potentially lead to the meltdown of the organization, as young savvy and intelligent GB members realized that it was all a sham and started taking the brave decision to wind things down over time. Now I feel differently. Things will happen much more quickly if the status quo is maintained. Sure, the Society will always be around in some form - but if terrible decisions like those above continue to be made, then the Watch Tower Society will shrink to a level where it is just a faint blip on the "quirky cults" radar, along with new age groups and pyramidologists. The golden days of global spread are slowly starting to diminish in the rear view mirror.
I know many of you think the Governing Body members are cynical and are treating this as one big game, but the more I listen to their talks and observe their actions, the more I feel that, for the most part, they are serious. They have bought their own publicity, and are acting accordingly. I obviously can't speak about Mark Sanderson, because he's new on the scene. However, the other 7 strike me as being naive, deluded, vain, pompous, arrogant, and frankly lacking in intelligence. It wouldn't surprise me if they are stuck in a spiral of only recruiting those who share these characteristics to join the body in the future. For example, I can imagine the incumbent dim-witted Governing Body members feeling quite threatened by any up-and-coming brother rising through the ranks who demonstrates himself to be quite savvy and intellectual. They would think "this guy's a know-it-all, let's keep him at arm's length". However, a benign, smiling "yes man" who doesn't know too much would fit right in, so I can imagine this being the basic profile that Governing Body members look for in making new appointments. Whether Mark Sanderson fits this description remains to be seen, but I suspect he does.
So carry on Governing Body, you're helping our cause immensely. Remember at all times: Jehovah is blessing your decisions, and with him on your side you will always prevail!!
Cedars