Arrogance, Anger, and the Watchtower

czarofmischief

Do any of you guys recall, from your dubbie days, the deliberate attempts to form a caste system within the org? How every prophecy was applied to the "anointed" alone and not to us. How Freddie tried to make Jesus the mediator only for the anointed's prayers? How the anointed were the only ones that God cared about? How every prophecy, every judge, prophet, king and warrior was the foreshadowing of the anointed's mighty preaching work in this time of the end?

But the Great Crowd was allowed to help - to be the vinedressers and the slaves in the anointed's new world. How only the anointed were the true spiritual Israelites, and the rest of us were the resident aliens; the slaves, etc...

I wonder if that arrogant application of the Bible was deliberately structured to break the spirit of the average dub...

CZAR

Gopher

In 1983, "Brother" Franz and 3 of his Governing-Body cronies came to St. Paul, Minnesota for the district convention. That was one of the two times in the 1980's when they linked a bunch of conventions by radio so that all could hear the same talk (about one or two such talks each day).

Anyhow...He gave a talk about the anointed being the "firstfruits" and rambled on about the wonderful anointed class for about 28 minutes. When it came time for the guy who came up beside him to give him the "two minute warning" that the talk was about to end, he wrapped it up with about a minute or two talking about the "other sheep" class that had the "privilege" to work alongside the anointed. (He was mostly blind, which is why he needed the two-minute warning.)

So I do think that the Governing Body thought (and still think) that they're very special and that the 6 million who are the lesser "other sheep" ought to be grateful to have such a wonderful "anointed little flock" to associate with.

Bubbamar

Yes, Yes and Yes!! I do think it is a deliberate way to break the r&f's spirit. I think the BG are a bunch of narcissistic sociopaths who walk all over average JW's. Its disgusting - but also sad to think that so many people allow another human to have that much power and control over them. Where do they get off telling people that they have a line of communication with god and nobody else does. And why do people believe that?

ezekiel3

I agree with this topic. I would also add that this produces a strange mindset with most JWs who have the "earthly hope." It is a pattern of thinking on the verge of human-worship:

1) Ever been to a furneral for an anointed and heard "He/she is looking down on us right now?" JWs finally able to use the "worldly" Christian's consolence. Plus an anointed's furneral is very different that a R&F JW. Why? Because most JWs will never see them again. So bitter-sweet.

2) There is a weird reverence around anointed in the congregation, after all, they will be our "kings and priests" right? This results in a strange deference to that person. Ever had a field service meeting conducted by an anoited person? Or heard the behind-the-back whispering, "She's anointed!"

3) There is a marked mysticism to the anointed concept. Immediate immortaility (according to JWs even Jesus did not receive immortality until he was resurrected), "How do they know they are anointed?", being able to see Jehovah face to face, "They are really just normal people that have been selected by Jehoavh", etc. (See emperor with no clothes.)

Even if R&F JWs do not overtly worship the anointed as humans, they are encouraged to pay special reverence to the concept. With more and more congregations and fewer anointed, the personal interaction is now missing; many JWs have never really known an anointed one. So it is easier to deify "the anointed" as a concept and further turn the R&F into a lower caste.

But the most wicked game that JWs buy into is that the FDS are the elite decision makers, apart from the rest of the anointed. Here we have "pharisee-ism" squared. Oh wait, have you heard the urban rumor where anointed ones from around the world will begin to send in letters about a matter, almost magically at the same time, and then the FDS will make a change. Yeah right.

minimus

"It's a privilege!" is what is typically heard in the organization----whether it be being of the "anointed" or having the privilege of scrubbing the shitty toilets at the assembly.

blondie

Some interesting things to show that it was hard for the anointed to accept the presence of the great crowd.

Although identified in 1935, the GC were not invited to the Memorial until 1938.

The GC were not considered "Jehovah's Witnesses" only the anointed.

Only anointed brothers could serve in positions of oversight in the congregation until about the 1940's when there was not enough of them to do so.

It was not considered necessary for the GC to be baptized.

Blondie

XQsThaiPoes

Considering that the annioted are born again christians and the great crowd are... well wishers that serve the big boom it should revert to the old way. And being anointed is a curse unless you are at bethel everyone conspires behind your back about how you are crazy. They wts is trying to deprogram that because they need more born agains to keep the ruse going hence the abandon of the 1935 year. Notice they dont print the average age of the anointed which is probally late 50's early 60's.