If any place on this planet is stuck in a time warp, it's Bethel.... You're expecting me to believe that the old birds that run the place are any less misogynistic than before?
LOL! And since when is becoming any less misogynistic, racist, ageist, sexist...whatever, a prerequisite for recognizing where one can take advantage of the intellect, talents, skills, and abilities of individuals of the despised group? All manner of histories is replete with documentation of just such raging opportunism.
Given the evidence that the so-called principles they claim to embrace are jettisoned in a NY minute when it suits their interests, Bethel heavies can ill-afford to allow their notion of the inferiority of women risk the whole scam unveiling. It does what it must to survive.
So while women continue to be devalued by the WTS as a lesser species, they also continue to make up the vast majority of gullible dupes who cling to the "security" craved from a religion claiming to be "the truth," shoring up this creaky organization (and all other religion of which I am aware). Men, otoh---intelligent ones and imbeciles alike---are bailing (or "slowing down") in droves and have been for some time, leaving the WTS little recourse but to employ those they deem to be "faithful" women in places they'd much prefer to have men---without awarding them the "promotions", of course---and keeping it well out of sight and earshot beyond Brooklyn's walls.
Nothing less misogynistic about it. No evolving or enlightened ideologies. It's business, plain and simple.
(Undoubtedly a comparable expediency opened the way for the "holy spirit to [finally] appoint" Herd as a GB member at the end of the 20th century. You got religion-loving black folks comprising a disproportionately high percentage of the faithful and not a a chocolate chip in the vanilla expanse. As much as black JWs love "Jehovah's organization," it was getting harder and harder even for them to justify to non-JW blacks and liberal-minded whites why all the religion's heavies were white. I'm betting Jehovah's spirit will be reaching out and touching someone of Latin surname in the not-too-distant future.)
Irony is, in Barb Anderson's case, they totally misread her easygoing femininity and "quiet and mild spirit" as just another one of the female drones herded about in the congregations and territories before whom they could reveal possibly their vilest crimes with smug confidence she'd do as all JW women are ordered to do---"stay in her place" and "wait on Jehovah."
ROTFLOL!
The disastrous consequences of such an ironic miscalculation regarding this particular woman will ricochet for some time to come. If you are skeptical the old bastards have become less misogynistic before this...
AMNESIAN
Edited by - AMNESIAN on 26 December 2002 15:42:24