Metatron,
The Governing Body can't have it both ways. They make the claim to be God's only channel. That claim would mean that the GB has some special communication going on with God. There is no evidence to support that. When God chose Moses to lead the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, God demonstrated his backing of Moses by performing miracles through Moses. To the average Israelite, God was unquestionably using Moses. What miracle has the Governing Body performed to prove that they are God's channel of communication?
They criticize any rank and file Witness that dares understand the scriptures using their own reasoning. If that rank and file Witness refuses to stop asking pertinent questions that conflict with the WT Society's view on matters, that person will be disfellowshipped. That is an attitude of intimidation. That is an attitude of Godlike power over the average Witness that the Governing Body is not authorized to use.
We were all misled into thinking that God is using an organization to dispense spiritual food to the domestics. We were misled into thinking that we couldn't possibly use our own mind to read the Bible and with the help of God's holy spirit understand what we were reading. After all, we were being led by the prophet aka The Watchtower.
Ray Franz makes an excellent point in his book "In Search Of Christian Freedom." On page 429 he quotes the February 1, 1952, Watchtower, pages 79, 80: "Jehovah and Christ direct and correct the slave as needed, not we as individuals. If we do not see a point at first we should keep trying to grasp it, rather than opposing and rejecting it and presumptuously taking the position that we are more likely to be right than the discreet slave. We should meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarification...
On page 430 Ray Franz continues: "They thus place themselves far above correction or instruction by ordinary fellow Christians, "by any brother or sister in the household." Yet they unblushingly warn others against the dangers of an isolated, self-important viewpoint! It seems almost ludicrous that-in articles so loaded with self-approval, self-praise and self-glorification-the organization can simultaneously accuse as prideful any who conscientously believe that this praise and reverence given to men should rightly be given only to God and Christ, and who are appalled at the idea of humans assuming the seat of exalted superiority over fellow Christians that the organization self-assertively assigns to itself."
So the Wt Society, by virtue of their pseudo God appointed qualifications are, by their speech and actions, making themselves infallible. Any Witness that doesn't agree with every prevailing understanding of doctrine and prophecy at any given time will be disfellowshipped and subsequently labeled apostates and devils. However, the Governing Body can make constant adjustments in beliefs, doctrines and prophecy with hardly a blinking of their eyes and then make the claim that, oops!, We're imperfect! We're just men. Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge! In the meantime they have disfellowshipped the innocent Christian who already understood the scripture in the correct way in the first place.
The point is Watchtower, that you can't claim that you are imperfect and make doctrinal or prophetic mistakes and in the same breath claim that God is guiding you to dispense spiritual food. Such a claim means that you are inspired to write what God directs you to write, just like the Bible writers were inspired by God to write the scriptures. If you claim to be imperfect, then you have no authorization to disfellowship a fellow Christian that has a difference of opinion over the understanding of a particular Bible verse or a particular Bible doctrine or a particular Bible prophecy.
You are found to be complete and total dictatorial hypocrites, Watchtower. Where is the freedom to use our own God given reasoning and conscience to direct matters in our own life? By what authority do you replace the authority of God and Christ with your own authority? Why have you replaced Christ with your own organization when only Jesus is the way and the truth and the life? By directing people to the Watchtower organization instead of Christ you have made yourselves into an idol. Didn't the apostle John tell us, "little children, guard yourselves from idols?"
The Watchtower has often criticized the Catholic Church over its authoritarian rule and structure over their adherents. Yet, the Watchtower's Governing Body has a very similar authoritarian structure. There is a doctrine in the Catholic Church concerning the infallibility of the Pope. The Governing Body by virtue of its hardline stance on its authority and rigid stand on opposing scriptural viewpoints, also embraces the infallibility doctrine. So Watchtower, you are contradicting yourself by claiming to be imperfect and simultaneously rigidly assserting your authority against any alleged scriptural dissenters.
Mr. Shakita
