One of the scriptures you never hear quoted is a thought from
Jude about "admiring personalities" for one's own benefit.
Other translations speak about flattery - basically it betrays the
same sickening, servile attitude that infests the organization.
The higher you go , the more of it you see - AND, make no mistake
about it- this mindless, obsequious frame of mind HURTS PEOPLE!
It not only retards the abilities and spiritual interests of those
who 'bow' before their 'betters', it causes REAL SUFFERING because
the isolated and uncaring leadership CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON THE BEATEN
'SHEEPLE' to abjectly comply.
Need a promotion at Bethel? How 'bout getting everybody to contribute
for a special gift for the floor overseer? Need some understanding
from the C.O.? How 'bout a $50 - better yet a couple hundred in his
palm? How 'bout taking him (with his special diet/allergic-to-
everything wife) to a nice restaurant? Fixing his car? Games of
golf? How many elders do you know that actually have the courage
to contradict or reprove one of these arrogant jerks, even in
private? (answer none: they're not elders anymore).
The congregation falls in line the same way. Brother Nobody may
give an excellent talk and be full of kindness, but get Brother
Sociopath (on his CO visit) and suddenly the meeting attendance
shoots up - and everyone nods their empty heads with every
utterance out of his mouth.
Anybody remember the brief (nanoseconds?) mistake the Society
made when the elder arrangement was new and they goofed by
saying that a C.O. was just another elder??!! Boy, they cleared
that one up quick! You can't maintain the HIERARCHY without
field commanders, can you?
I can't tell you how much suffering has gone on simply because
no one says "no", no one objects, no one quits, no one says
"screw this" and just walks away.
After a while, you begin to think that this is all JUST in the
end. You get tempted by the P.T. Barnum notion that "if God
didn't want us to fleece them, why did he make them sheep?"
You begin to wonder if most Witnesses deserve whatever they
endure because they've lain down in front of the wolf, the thief,
the spiritual predator - instead of fighting them off.
But if I really felt that way,
then I'd be no different from the wolf, the thief, the
spiritual predator..
And I don't want to be 'one' with them...
metatron