I'm thinking around 20% have serious doubts and 99% have some doubts but keep them from becoming conscious to avoid cognitive dissonance. This is becoming increasingly harder to do over the fact that the Governing Body are showing their true colors and the contridictions are so great.
How Many Circuit Overseers And District Overseers Really Believe The Governing Body Is Really The Faithful and Discreet Slave and That The Watchtower Is God's Earthly Organization?
by frankiespeakin 41 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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steve2
frankie, you are inclined to offer your opinions as percentages, kind of using the language of statistics. If that's just your opinion, fine. But as you presumably do not have access to the Witnesses beyond your local circle, I do wonder how you reach your conclusions?
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frankiespeakin
It's all projections no hard facts. I'm simply imagining how much bull shit people cant take seriously until they have had enough and start wrestling with their doubts and suspicions.
I don't see how 99% of DO and COs can not have supressed doubts and 20% having serious doubts and perhaps 5% outright disbelief but stuck in the situation trying to make the best of it.
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designs
Its like the Wizard of Oz. Somebody has to look behind the curtain.
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OUTLAW
How Many Circuit Overseers And District Overseers Really Believe The Governing Body Is Really The Faithful and Discreet Slave
and That The Watchtower Is God's Earthly Organization?
Everyone who wants to keep their job..
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......The Faithful and Discreet Cat..
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...OUTLAW -
Vidiot
frankiespeakin - "I'm thinking around 20% have serious doubts and 99% have some doubts but keep them from becoming conscious to avoid cognitive dissonance. This is becoming increasingly harder to do over the fact that the Governing Body are showing their true colors and the contridictions are so great."
Like I've said before, I think that on some level, the WTS wants to prune down the size of the R&F; 1 or 2 million hard-core followers are easier to manage than 6 or 7 million fence-sitters (not to mention that authoritarian high-control groups don't like fence-sitters).
Increasingly draconian and/or weird-ass behavior on the part of the leadership can definately help accomplish that.
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Apognophos
I agree with your suggestion, frankie. Here's a remark made by a DO at an assembly I was at:
"It could be that when we're in the new system, we'll look back at what we believe now and say, 'We thought that was the truth?!'"
I sensed a certain amount of shock from the audience, though I've heard similar thoughts expressed from the platform on a couple occasions before.
I think that when someone has been in the religion for long enough, at a high enough level, they've encountered most of the arguments against WT teaching, and they're also more familiar with the "old light" than the rank and file Witness. So, yes, I think they inevitably become aware that the Society's writings are a highly speculative endeavor. The rationalization that takes place is one we've probably all heard verbalized: "Well, it's still the closest thing to the truth. God is using this organization."
Ultimately the nature of the org. filters out the ones who are too sincere, too objective. Only the ones who are experts at willing suspension of disbelief are allowed to progress upward through the ranks, so it's not surprising that COs and DOs are able to maintain their "faith" even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the Society is constantly screwing up one thing or another. They are the elite, the chosen few, the 99th percentile that can handle this knowledge and still do their job.
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bjc2read
Or, how about this post recently made by kneehighmiah :
See Link:
Comment:
I find it odd that the district overseer today made
1. Zero yes 0 references to the FDS in any of his talks.
2.He also told elders that the brothers worship God and not them.So therefore the elders have no authority to order the friends around.
3. He also talked about the Stanford prison study and said that people who receive authority over others often abuse it.
4. He mentioned that when he disagrees with the branch (aka the FDS) he's learned to just do what they say.
5. He was a '75er convert. Aka came in around 1975.
6. Mentioned unkind treatment from an overseer in bethel. Said he was shocked to find that in gods house. Told the elders not to be like that.
This is guy is super cool. I bet he's woken up.
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Rattigan350
They have to do the bidding of the Governing body or they will be replaced with ones that will.
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bjc2read
I agree Rattigan350 ,
...maybe "the jury is still out," on whether possible disgruntled JW Traveling Overseers will ever, stand up to the Governing Body, one day.
However, here is a very, very interesting thread, and debate among members of this discussion board from years ago [board originally owned by "Simon"], on whether this will ever happen. (First read initial post by "Iloowy" and then comments that follow his highly controversial post, just below the thread. Interesting debate I think.)
See link:
[not sure if the link will work...but if you copy the web address above in your browser, it should work. Remember, the comments that follow are four (4) pages long.]
... after reading, you decide.
...OUTLAW