The GB: evil manipulators or misguided fools

by New Worldly Translation 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  New Worldly Translation

  I've been pondering this question for a while now and I haven't come to a conclusion yet.

  On the one hand there is evidence of psychological manipulation in their publications. They discourage questioning of their authority or even their fallability and try to whitewash past mistakes. So called 'worldy' knowledge & education is discouraged thereby making most followers unimformed and sometimes even ignorant of what's going on in the world and therefore more likely to accept the GB's view. They also use big promises to entice people into the religion and then fear and intimidation to keep them in.

  On the other hand they could actually believe that what they tell followers to do is for their good. They could genuinely believe that they are inspired by God to pass on his edicts to the masses. I don't think it's ever been alleged that they personally gain financially or socially from being heads of the religion, so what would their motive be in deceiving everyone?

  I'm not sure which option is worse really. If they are evil manipulators there would be some hope of them being uncovered at some point for what they are. If they are genuinely misguided then the cycle could go on with other elders ready to take their place when they step down and firmly believing it's an honour to be part of the GB. All of them and their followers living in hope and dying in despair.

  Any thoughts?
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  Neo

  Human personality has so many intricacies that it's really not easy to have an answer. I'd that they are a bit of both. Humans can be both things at the same time.

  Neo
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  Jaypeeto

  I agree with Neo, I think they are a bit of BOTH.

  They really believe they are right, and yet they have no qualms about misquoting sources, misrepresenting their "opponents", libelling in print 99% of the human race, yada yada yada.

  Jaypeeto
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  Big Dog

  I have often wondered that. Neo makes a good point and the only thing I would add is I think they are products of the WBTS system. It takes a long time to get to the top of the org, by that time they have been well and truly indoctrinated.
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  metatron

  Now, you're getting to the question I keep bringing up!

  They are shifting from sincere self-deception ... into deliberate deception. Oddly enough, this deliberate evil

  might be the for best in the long term. As more pressure is put on the organization, cynical men will be more likely

  to compromise than sincere fanatics.

  metatron
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  IT Support

  I think some are genuine but misguided, perhaps frightened of rocking the boat ("You're not another Ray, are you?"): others definitely are evil manipulators.

  For proof, consider the publications: lying about their own history, deception over chronology, allowing children to die for the sake of a blood transfusion...
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  zen nudist

  reminds me of a book I am reading about Sigmund Freud....

  its called WHY FREUD WAS WRONG

  and goes into his messiah complex that lead him to believe he had made a radical discovery which

  would lead to the psychological salvation of mankind where what he really did was to repackage some old concepts

  and remove their divine origins... this lead to a cultish following where he played an active role in making sure his

  materialistic church was pure... he chose those who would be its priests and excommunicated those who undermined

  his dogmas... in the end he created a cult no different from any religion only devoid of any reference to a god.
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  Room 215

  There's no question that they're in a large measure sincerely delusional; a lifetime of Bethel insularity and the incessant reinforcement they offer each other around the table has done the trick. Also, the worshipful adulation and fawning lavished on them by their drones in the rank and file has made them supremely arrogant. It seems they operate on the premise that what's good for the organization is ultimately good for its individual members.
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  truth_about_the_truth

  The most influential GBs (or possibly GB) are (is) the evil manipulator(s). The rest are misguided fools.
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  frankiespeakin

  I beleive the Governing Body are deliberate liars and frauds.

  It is hard for me to imagine they really think they are God's organization while dealing with all the issues they are dealing with presently. They have legal issues to deal with,,they have the failed predictions to deal with,,and they have stratagy of how to keep the organization afloat to deal with. They need lots of information to deal with these issues in order not to make any costly slip up and sink the whole organization.

  Dealling with these issues they can not possibly believe they are being enlightened by jehovah. I would even think that most of the Governing Body don't even believe the bible is god's word. They are rank selfcentered hypocrites that want to keep thier place of honor among the ass kissing members of "thier" flock.