It turns out the WT leadership isn't the batsh-t craziest, there is another even worse

by dropoffyourkeylee 1 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  dropoffyourkeylee

  The belief that the Governing Body must be of the anointed (Little Flock) has led the WT to jump through some hoops in recent years to find their leadership candidates. The problems inherent in their beliefs:

  The number 144,000 is literal.

  The anointed received their consecration before 1935 (this has had to be relaxed in the last few years).

  The years have passed and most of the original anointed are dead.

  The new GB members have become anointed (or claim to be so) many years after 1935, and however it is spun, the pool of candidates for GB membership is very small.

  Much of the organizational work is done by 'helpers' to the governing body, who are of the great crowd. These were referred to as Nethinim at one time but I haven't seen the term recently.

  The whole scheme stretches belief, but surpisingly hardly any of the current JW's see the conflict. It is truly ridiculous how they have backed themselves into a corner in their leadership succession. But guess what, there is another organization that is even worse! I just received a copy of 'The Bible Standard' from the LHMM (Laymen's Home Missionary Movement) which was an early spinoff from the WT. Apparently they have been going down the 'helper-Nethinim' type of reasoning since the 50's, and have different names for all the ones since then. Instead of Nethinim, their leaders have been:

  Little Flock

  Ancient Worthies

  Great Company

  Youthful Worthies

  Consecrated Epiphany Campers

  I guess their current leaders are the Epiphany Campers - gotta love it...
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  LisaRose

  It's a case of gradualism. I remember the societies use of an old scientific experiment, as an illustration, where a frog was put in a frying pan that became increasingly hot. The frog never jumped out of the pan because the heat happened in tiny increments, it sat and cooked. It was used as an example of letting your conscience become used to bad things. They didn't mention that the frogs in the experiment had had their spinal cords severed, but none the less, it can also be used as an illustration about Jehovah's Witnesses, namely, that each time there is a change, it is presented as a refinement, the "light getting brighter". Whether it is or it isn't doesn't really matter, the point is, each change is incremental. With each incremental change, an individual JW chooses to accept it or not. The problem is, an individual JW could reject this change, but at what cost? Their family, friends, their whole way of life. The deck is loaded to accept this change, because it seems so minor, especially when compared to what it at risk.

  It's a manipulation.