by frankiespeakin 36 Replies latest jw friends
what makes them perpetuate a fraud on the rest of Jehovah's Witnesses?
I don't honestly think they feel it is a fraud. I think they feel it is Jehovah's work and what ever we see from the outside is not seen by them. I met people on the Governing Body when I was a Witness and always felt they were very spiritual people who wanted to do God's work. Right or wrong, I think they meant well and mean well. Much like all Witnesses.
I agree mostly with Free2beme - even though I have never met a member of the GB, there has to be some members who are genuine (as indeed Ray Franz was). They may be disillusioned - imagine being sincere only to realise those messages you received were not from God and now you are too old and fragile to make waves.
Psychoanalysis is strictly Freud, and we all know what he thinks - lol.
Something I don't understand is the vast amount of property the WTBTS own. Why is it being amassed? And NOW I've mentioned that, I have started to think of Beth Sarim (?) - wasn't this built for the ''men of old''? I only wonder because IF they did return, surely they would have had their pick of luxurious property vacated by the recently dead.
Why is it being amassed? And NOW I've mentioned that, I have started to think of Beth Sarim (?) - wasn't this built for the ''men of old''? I only wonder because IF they did return, surely they would have had their pick of luxurious property vacated by the recently dead.
Actually, the WTS taught back then that the "ancient worthies" were going to live and rule in earthly Jerusalem, the new theocratic capital on earth. So maybe it was going to be a vacation home. Shows the arrogant frame of mind they had in the Borg administration back then.
As to the other property, the WTS has gradually grown as a publishing company. In the beginning they hired people to do it for them. Then bit by bit they bought land, built buildings, purchased printing equipment, trained Bethelites to do the work. Today, the Watchtower has a monthly printing of over 26 million and the Awake almost 24 million monthly. That is quite a large undertaking financially and logistically and shows why the WTS has grown bit by bit. The WTS has purchased much of this land when it was dirt cheap but now it has a much, much greater value on the open market. That is why I say the WTS is property rich but cash poor or poorer at this time.
Today, Newsweek has a worldwide circulation of more than 4 million weekly.
The most widely distributed magazine in the world is Reader's Digest (founded in 1922). Its worldwide circulation including all editions comprises 21 million copies and over 100 million readers. The Watchtower is the most widely distributed religious magazine in the world, with an average circulation of 26.4 million copies semimonthly in more than 150 languages.
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Magazine
This doesn't take in all the books the WTS prints, tracts, and specialty items such as the KMs. The WTS is a big multi-million publishing which is readily seen when compared to other magazines such as Newsweek and Readers Digest.
Of course, we know how many magazines end up in the back closet, in the basement, gathering dust and even the ones "placed" with non-JWs are not read. Even the over 6 million copies supposedly received by JWs are not read with any regularity. That is why it is said, the most widely distributed, not the most widely read.
Blondie
Don't know enough about GB to judge. But I'd say it’s a self-delusion. I’d like to know if those 12 guys also go from house to house preaching and if they stand on corners with magazines. If they do it would tell (at least to me) that they do believe what they preach even if being questionable.
But if they don’t go …. Well there’s your answer.
Or perhaps they just go like COs to “help” others with bible studies and visits, i.e. never from house to house. Well again .... there's your answer.
BTW, I would like to say that the GB is not limited to nor requred to have 12 members like the 12 apostles. The LDS/Mormons have the approach though. Originally, I think there were 18 members on the GB. There ae currently only 10 on the GB.
http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/gb.htm
Since very few of us have actually heard a talk by these men that reflect their personal thoughts but rather a manuscript prepared by the WTS, it would be hard to accomplish this task, assuming we had the profesional qualifications to do so. May be some ex-Bethelites who had a chance to observe these men during the Monday night family study, or discussion of the day's text, or attended the same congregation, or worked under their direct supervision, might have some clue. These men hold their true feelings close to their vest and share it with few people. The GB functions much like a big BOE with the same politicking and passive-aggressive infighting seen in the congegation BOEs.
I am sure some are "true believers" living in the land of denial. Others may know what they are doing is not quite "christian" but the end justifies the means. Others are just hoping that God sorts it out in the end. That is what is most scary to me, that they truly believe that they are doing the right thing.
Blondie
I don't have a DSM-IV handy but there are so many psychiatric diagnoses that can be applied to the collective GB that it's frightening.
First of all is the grandiose delusion that they are appointed by God to carry out his will (Faithful and Discreet Slave).
That one belief alone is the cornerstone out of which all their other psychotic and delusional behaviour stems.
If they didn't believe they were appointed by God to carry out his will, would they impose that thought on the followers? Would they "execute" (by DFing for apostasy) anyone who no longer believes in their divine appointment? Would they engender and foster group paranoia and phobias about demons, about apostates, about the Internet? Would they engender and foster group delusions of grandeur that create an "us v. them" attitude between JWs and Worldly People™? Or delusions of persecution whenever the directives of the Governing Body are challenged by authorities?
The delusion that they are God's Appointed Channel™ gives them licence to demand that God's Work™ be funded by the followers, and demand a standard of conduct from the followers. It allows them to engage in Theocratic War Strategy™. It allows them to believe that they have the God-given right to take whatever action necessary to further the interests of God's Work™.
Once JWs realize that the GB is not the Faithful and Discreet Slave™, it is easy to unravel the rest of the belief system. When that happens, a JW realizes that he doesn't have the right to try to convert anyone to that belief system anymore, or even follow the mandates that have been expected of him anymore. When a JW no longer recognizes the authority of the GB/FDS in their life, they lose the fear of being killed at Armageddon™, they don't worry about not living up to Jehovah's requirements and they start living their lives for themselves and their future and their kids' futures.
When the FDS doctrine is decimated in the mind of a JW, so is the entire JW belief system.
I think they were sold on their current ideas by their predecessors, and believe somehow that Jehovah really is guiding the group. I also think on the grand scheme of things everything ends up being a numbers game, thus the policies that most of us have problems with, i.e. the child abuse scandals and disfellowshipping. The percentage of people they are losing to these issues and the exposure they are subjecting themselves to has not yet become significant enough to bring real change. While there may be some grumbling in rank and file these days, they have had success from tightening the reins every few weeks, reminding everyone where their loyalties should lie. The revenues must still be in line or surely there would be more information coming out on "give give give" instead of "Godly Obedience" which seems designed to stop the loss of people.
They have to be stressing out for real right now if they have any vision (I know they haven't really demonstrated much so far), the information age has opened up so many issues and will continue to do so. As the information systems of the world become easier to access for everyone, I can't help but wonder how they will keep the r&f on lockdown.
Scully's post got me thinking: can psycho disorders be "learned"??? How does the DSM-IV categorize delusions, paranoia, etc, that has been learned through others?
BTW I completely agree that the GB demonstrates those conditions; I'm just wondering what is the current thinking on learned behaviour? Do psychologists make a distinction between learned paranoia vs. internally generated paranoia?
I believe that what drives them is the belief of RIGHTNESS. They have all the ANSWERS to every question. Life, death, how to live, the future and on.
The great questions are all distilled into hokey one liners like, Millions now living will never die!. You can live in paradise on earth. That is why they will not admit mistakes, because it is seen as personal failure. Jws are supposed to be winners not losers. You don't need a degree to figure their framework.
I fully agree with Scully the GB are a bunch of con artists who know well that they are not what they claim to be but like modern day Pharisees prefer to ignore that because it's better not to know. The typical psychology of the hypocrite that can't bear to admit to transparent facts and pretends he is not intelligent enough to understand.
They just can't be that naive and ignorant to not know the harm they cause to tens of thousands of followers with their oppresive regime broken families, getting shunned by family and friends etc and if the ends justify the means you might as well stop accusing the popes and their holy inquisitions. They had the same excuse.
