The Watchtower's Achilles Heel

by metatron 12 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  metatron

  Recent events strongly suggest that the Watchtower has a
  severe, if not fatal, weakness.

  Lack of education - and intelligent management.

  Over the past several years, the Governing Body has emphasized
  a program of 'simplification' - a plain response to the demands
  of an international organization that LACKS ENOUGH MONEY AND
  TALENT to make it efficient. This alone generates the possibility
  of making huge mistakes - legally or politically.

  Ask yourself why they must train trusted Bethelites in legal,
  medical, and other practical subjects. Basically, they can't
  GET TRAINED, EXPERIENCED BROTHERS to volunteer for what they need.
  This may be the primary reason why the Society suddenly allows
  COLLEGE educations. Word was leaking out of Bethel and there was
  concern about the congregations' reaction.

  Ask yourself why, after many decades of printing, the Society
  now looks to downsize operations. While money (lower contributions)
  is part of the problem, the subject of productivity shouldn't
  be overlooked. They can't run an efficient operation with the
  often untrained cannon fodder that kept Bethel going in past
  decades.

  Ask yourself why so much of what the Society says and does
  seems detached from present reality - why they stubbornly pound
  away at policies that clearly don't work - why they have so little
  depth in dealing with young people or families - why the meetings
  and magazines are so vacuous and dumbed down. There's nobody to
  make it much different.

  Take a good, hard look at the 'depth' of Governing Body members.
  Feel confident in what you see?

  Was Fred Franz the only 'scholar' they had? Why does a G. Stafford
  even exist to write their apologias? Because there ain't nobody
  else!

  The talent, the skilled management isn't there - AND WHAT TALENT
  THEY HAVE is under constant pressure to quit - whether from
  work loads or the plain ennui of being a zealous Witness.

  Now, I wonder why they must send JR Brown to take care of matters
  far from Bethel? Is there no one else? Won't a phone call
  suffice? No one else they can trust to 'get it done'?

  This is the greatest threat to them. Not everyone in this sad
  organization CAN BE uneducated and inept. There are a few who
  keep it all going - without which, they are defenseless.

  Pin down those few, cause them to leave or give up, wear them
  out, - or wait for aging to stop them

  and the Watchtower is defeated.

  metatron
• 

  gsx1138

  This is my only source of emotion toward the WTS, anger. Otherwise, I really don't care if they all burn to the ground, continue on their happy way, or start a porn business. Years of my life were wasted in the belief that going to College would be useless. When I did go to Community College they had a couple Elders come over to "council" me on the dangers of higher education. I truly believe I would have been in a much happier place sooner rather than later if it weren't for the Borganization. I've been away from the cult for awhile when did they change their policy? I was DF'd in 1990.

  Dear Lord, please save me from your followers.
• 

  dungbeetle

  As far as J.R.Brown goes, maybe there aren't very many Witnesses left who are willing to stand up and LIE TO THE PUBLIC like he is about expulsion/shunning/blood and whatever else he's willing to do.

  WATCHTOWER..WE GONNA GIT YOU SUCKAS...
• 

  Seeker4

  It is interesting that Bethel was sending several Bethelites off to college before they eased up on their stand on higher education. I remember hearing that Rob Pollock was taking engineering courses, and he eventually served as one of the main engineers on the Patterson project. At that time he was being sent to college it was made very clear that this was to be kept very hush-hush.

  Wouldn't want to stumble the poor, ignorant friends now, would we? But I agree, most of the best minds have seen through the WTS and left. Poor leadership is rampant in the Organization, from Bethel down to the congregations.

  S4
• 

  proandcon

  Interesting post...in 1995 I was serving as an elder in a congregation near WT Farms...at the time the WT article on "Education with a Purpose" was released, I had a conversation with a bethel farm "heavy" (since deceased - and an absolutely great, caring and loving man) who told me why the society had written the article. He had had a conversation with Mr Hentschel (Fred F was still alive)about this very matter. He said the society (even then in 1995)was having a very difficult time attracting qualified help to run the ever more sophisticated equipment. As a matter of fact, the WTS basically felt that with the state of most high schools, the education and knowledge level of the newbies was very deficient. Basic skills were missing in many instances. So, they decided to open the doors to higher education - "with a purpose". (ie get a college education locally with the goal of pioneering or maintaining the pioneer spirit).
  It was so bad at bethel at that time, that brothers who were teachers in the local schools would come in to WT farms and teach basic math and reading skills to those many in need. It was real bad at the entry level for sure. This still may be ongoing...although they have greatly reduced the number of new workers of late. Money is definitely an issue. So also is streamlining and better efficiency. (Despite what the visitors saw, the farm was quite inefficient in its processes and procedures. There was the "right way; the wrong way and the bethel way" - as the bethelites would say! They shut farm #2 around 1996 (cattle)and later stopped growing much food. Local temporary workers were sent packing. They built a large refrigerated storage facility. They found it was cheaper to buy food on the wholesale market to feed the thousands 5000 at the farm, Brooklyn and Patterson. Further changes will come inevitably. the fixed expenses are huge...the full time qualified resources dwindling. I believe they think they are just downsizing in time for the end. Question is: What end?
• 

  mustang

  WTS should 'Get a clue', really. Compensation and Retention are in a DIRECT proportion, not indirect. Any modern management knows this.

  Simply put: more money and the talent stays. Less money and the talent goes. Theocracy, spiritual principles or what, 'money talks & B******t walks' actually works.

  And don't use that 'sprit guided' argument. IF THE SPIRIT WAS THERE,
  A FAST AND EFFECTIVE ANSWER WOULD ALREADY HAVE BEEN IN PLACE AND THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN CURED. So it is obvious that the 'spirit directed' guidance is not working. (C.T. Russell said as much in his opening statements.)

  Another example: Frankly, the poor Field Service efficiency and selection of wrong media/mode goes to prove that they are without the 'spirit' and lost in direction. If they were truly doing an effective preaching work, they would be into the Internet, would they not?

  Again, why did they bail out of BROADCASTING? Look at HCJB, the VOICE of the ANDES. It is a religious station known world wide and 50 years old if a day. WTS got rid of WBBR and basically dropped the network hookups they had from the 40's onward.

  Right, wrong or indifferent, look at the effect of 'Televanglists'. I recall Sunday Field Service and encountering people who were watching Armstrong on TV, while we were at the door.

  Would the 'spirit' truly hold onto the worst possible media and say that 'we are doing the good work' and doing it correctly? NO!!!

  If the 'spirit' is gone, what is happening? If one is of a mind to regard prophecies, the WTS should look to the books concerning the Judges. It looks like Judges are rising up to smite the WTS wickedness.

  Mustang
• 

  ARoarer

  I was talking to a friend in a congregation where a Bethel Elder and his wife were asked to go to law school for the Society. He will be graduating this year. They were known as "ken & Barbie".
• 

  metatron

  Your comment about 'the right way, the wrong way, and the Bethel
  way' rings in my memory, too.

  I think there was considerable jealousy between old timers in
  Bethel - who had little formal education - and new boys,
  a few of whom had college or army training. They felt a need
  to put them down, that 'we know what's best' when superior
  education was encountered.

  metatron
• 

  Teirce

  They also have that delightful overhead of interrupting perfectly productive momentums to go wash up for mealtimes. They could save a few cents just piping in all the spiritual spew to the various worksites so the workers could eat cheaply-produced boxlunches/grabbags. Maybe only have the hot meals at breakfast and dinner. Hear that, guys? Just an idear.
• 

  worf

  Metatron, Seeker4, Proandcon and the others,

  This is a very interesting post. If the bits of information provided here from personal conversations and experiences were generally known by dubs, it would help more of those who can still think for themselves to leave the borg.

  worf