The Watchtower religion(JWS), that really couldn't fail, from beginning to ........

by Finkelstein 57 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  LostGeneration

  thedog, what would happen if you let your local BOE know that you would no longer serve on judicial committees? Would they find that acceptable?

  Would they simply dismiss you with a "Oh, thats fine old boy, you don't need to participate in those nasty judicial meetings anymore"

  Highly doubtful. I'm sure you know this, but you are simply a cog in the machinery. I was too at one point. What happened when I was found out as a someone who no longer believed in 1914 or the blood policy? I was quickly removed, tossed aside, and business continued as usual for that body of elders.

  No matter how you try to spin it, you are simply a part. If you break, you are replaced. Only parts that meet "JW code" are used, the rest are thrown away.

  I realized that while I was only a small cog in massive Watchtower machinery, I was participating in the underlying abuse. It wasn't overt, I wasn't a dick demanding people answer for missing meetings, and I was commended as one of the "good guys" by publishers. But when my number was called for a judicial committee, I was expected to play the part of a spirital abuser, passing judgement on my fellow man.
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  UN informed

  I have read all the posts and want to add one element that has not been injected into the conversation.

  not all elders are in it for the power that they can wield over others----but ALL elders enjoy the elevated position and recognition that they receive. This is especially true re: elders like thedog. They delight in being "nice, sweet, concerned, kindly, watchful, helpful"----because they gain a recognition that the "enforcement" types cannot achieve.

  i know this to be true. I was an elder for 30 years. For about half the time I was young and 'pushy' a real enforcer---I thought I was there as a cherub or seraph, can't remember which angels were in charge of enforcement and keeping the organization clean, but whichever, that's what I thought it was.

  Later, as I matured, I became an elder like the dog is imagining himself to be.

  Most people want recognition so I am not downing the dog, but he does need to understand that, like it or not, he loves the recognition that he gets from being a "loving" (and all the rest of the adjectives) elder.

  thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

  Brant
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  Finkelstein

  but ALL elders enjoy the elevated position and recognition that they receive

  certainly and one could see that of all the men from elders right up to the GB.

  A position of stature and prominence, privilege, but most important a position of entailing power

  and control within the operative structure of the WTS.

  .

  Of course what created and delivered that power and prominence is another entailing question .
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  Phizzy

  Good thread Fink, in that it has shown how even nice guys like TheDog1 can fool themselves, and justify their position in their own eyes.

  I was intrigued by the Thread Title, becaus knowing the history of the WT/JW's as I do, it could have indeed failed in the early days. Russell took a gamble,which because of his personal charisma, and the times in which he lived began to pay off.

  Rutherford seized control, and did fairly well, but his 1925 nonsense nearly finished him, and the WT.

  By the late 40's and in to the 50's the whole thing was beginning to roll big time, but that was because Nathan Knorr was a great follower of Corporate America and its successful business models, if Freddie Franz had beeen in total control it would have gone down.

  The structure you have outlined has been successful so far because of what has been pointed out, control is absolute in the upper echelons, and when you get down to Elder level all that is required is for Ego to take over, the power is enough, or the self-delusion that you are a self-sacrificing Shepherd, or perhaps a combination of the two.

  All the while we have such narcisism it will not fail.
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  thedog1

  Lots of interesting posts, not been able to get back here until just now, and still got to chew over what has been posted.
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  humbled

  Dear Dog,

  the sure evidence that you have the mind of christ is to be thrown out ot the organization for simply stickingup for a low-status person who said they wanted to read the bible instead of parroting the "literature".

  My friend and elder couldn't say that a t the first committee meeting at which this was the topic. he always said that he had the mind of christ as his focus. But when I asked him in front of the other elders if I had to read the answer from the bible or from the Book of Bible stories---He wouldn't even answer.

  Not the mind of christ--and he was the best elder I ever knew or heard of.
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  RunAsFastAsYouCan

  But please do not believe that all elders are simply mindless servants, doing the bidding of the org <<<

  YES, that's exactly what they are. and i would add. Castrated gutless worms....
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  thedog1

  that last post really makes me want to stay on this forum
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  LostGeneration

  But please do not believe that all elders are simply mindless servants, doing the bidding of the org <<<

  YES, that's exactly what they are. and i would add. Castrated gutless worms....

  Is that our old friend Narsissistic Supplier of all JW information? Sure sounds like it.
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  compound complex

  Take your time, thedog, to digest what you've experienced here so far.

  In real life, when dealing with people face-to-face, we can read them as a whole (not truly possible here). No matter their words and however expressed, we tend to read either good or ill into what they have said.

  While some points made here may be valid in this or that circumstance, to make blanket assertions that cast doubt upon one's intentions and motivation shows bias. So what if one remains an elder because, for the time being, one feels this is what one must do? Is it necessary to berate that person for pursuing what he deems the correct path at this particular time? His conscience is not your conscience.

  'I do not agree with what you say, but I will give my life to defend your right to say it.'

  CC