Years ago, there was perhaps the most pathetic JW funeral talk in the whole history of the Watchtower.
An old Bethel brother named Adam Baurlein ( sp, not sure) had died. He had a long history of alcoholism and misbehavior.
He had been at Bethel so long that Bethelite sons of former Bethelites would inquire "Dad, did you know this really old guy
who drinks and tells dirty jokes?". Lyman Swingle did the honors - it's pretty sad when the only praiseworthy aspect of his whole
life in summary was that "he always said he was sorry". ( !!??). And so, he was laid to rest.
How did he survive so long? Why was he retained while an old man, who stuck up for principle, like Ed Dunlap got tossed
out into abject poverty?
He always said he was sorry! He cried, apologized, and pleaded. He was never marked as a "rebel", just an old drunk
- and the Society was stuck with him for most of a century.
Here's another story based on the same tactic: back when they had big conventions at Yankee Stadium, various brothers
came to Bethel to do set up work and brought their wives/daughters with them. What bugged the Bethel overseers about women
was that if they screwed up, they would start crying and you couldn't yell at them! Some sisters knew that they couldn't be
pushed too hard because of this.
Now, think back about whatever congregations you've ever known ( especially if you were an elder). Weren't there always
some publishers who created endless problems for the elders BUT never got disfellowshipped? Pain in the butt types who
made ceaseless trouble but never got expelled?
Welcome to the fruitful world of passive-aggressive behavior! It's the best strategy when dealing with a more powerful opponent.
There's a hilarious short film called "The Passive-Aggressive Gunfighter" featuring Bob Baladan and Charles Rocket, as the fearsome
gunslinger who is driven to distraction by an opponent who keeps changing his schedule for a "showdown".
Your kids use it all the time. ( "Can I Mom? Can I?, Can I? Why not?" whine, whine, whine.....).
If everyone acted this way, the gnarled old Theocrats who run this mess would hardly know what to do.
..... but then again, that's exactly what Witnesses are doing with their ( lack of ) contributions, isn't it?
metatron