Society Would Never Free Its Slaves

by metatron 2 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  metatron

  Consider this little known 'theocratic' event:

  Knorr and his cronies held on to a standard that Bethelites
  must sign an application promising four full years
  of service. This standard began to create disaster as it
  became obvious that many brothers served at Bethel ('70's)
  with little or no faith in the organization. They stayed
  because of the draft(Vietnam) or limited employment
  opportunities or pressure from friends and relatives.
  As a result, the 'average stay' kept dropping lower
  and lower, despite the four year promise. Also, all kinds
  of morale problems developed with stealing, immorality,
  materialism, pornography,lying, - you name it.

  Finally, the GB changed the arrangement into a kind of
  trial period of one year to attempt to staff Bethel
  without so much 'employee trouble'. They also improved
  working conditions to remove some of the 'sweatshop
  conditions'. When they announced this change, there was
  wild applause and rejoicing, as many just wanted out - or
  at least that option.

  Why not do the same with all publishers? Why not say if someone
  stops turning in time for one year, they are no longer subject to
  judicial action at all? Why not just let unhappy Witnesses go?
  After a year being gone, you could join any church or group you
  want, as if you were no different from any worldly person.
  The understanding would have to be absolute - that no judicial
  committee would do anything - the elders I know wanted to
  investigate and possibly df a guy who stopped going to meetings
  ten years ago when it rumored he was getting divorced!

  I can probably answer my own questions here - the Brooklyn/Paterson
  gerontocrats lust after control and never give it up voluntarily.
  They would have to be truly enlightened to do otherwise - and
  inspiration has never been their strong suit.

  metatron
• 

  Rex B13

  >Why not do the same with all publishers? Why not say if someone
  stops turning in time for one year, they are no longer subject to
  judicial action at all? Why not just let unhappy Witnesses go?
  After a year being gone, you could join any church or group you
  want, as if you were no different from any worldly person.
  The understanding would have to be absolute - that no judicial
  committee would do anything - the elders I know wanted to
  investigate and possibly df a guy who stopped going to meetings
  ten years ago when it rumored he was getting divorced!

  That is such an easy and common sense solution to their many problems. That cult control is what keeps these forums and sites alive. If JWs want to get rid of all of us malcontents, do this and also make the view on blood transusions truly one of conscience.
  We would all go away very quickly.
  Rex
• 

  Flip

  the Brooklyn/Paterson gerontocrats lust after control

  Met, I think another term would be, ‘fearing loss of control.’

  Disfellowshiping has served the WTB&TS very well over the years because many Jehovah’s Witnesses who’ve stayed would’ve left sooner without the threat of losing the support groups of family and friends. And as we all know, that task is accomplished by curtailing the free flow of un-censured information and the freedom to come and go as you please as with most mainstream churches. Which illustrates with regards the WTB&TS, one cannot be both, either you’re ‘in’ or you’re ‘out’.

  More importantly, the WTB&TS Corporation has to walk the fine line of credibility through volume of adherent population in an effort to maintain the status of a government sanctioned, tax-exemption on religious publication sales and investment revenues.

  The WTB&TS and the financial pressure that can be brought to bear, in conjunction with six million Jehovah’s Witnesses, has served to prove that the organization is somewhat of a lobby group. But if too many Jehovah’s Witnesses begin to speak their minds by questioning the Society as well as 'walking', that could make it harder for the Society to convince the Government tax revenue departments that the WTB&TS serves some useful social-economic purpose, which might cause the Corporation to be more easily viewed as a self-serving cult.

  In my opinion, the need is so important to the Corporations survival, that without their status of tax-exemption, the WTB&TS would dissolve their ‘religious’ heritage very quickly just as many borderline religious organizations in the past, that have taken more than they’ve given.

  However the WTB&TS has a history of guarding their Government tax status religiously. Unlike many ‘religious’ organizations that have been lax in this regard, and thankfully, fallen by the wayside, whoever controls the WTB&TS seems to have recognized the importance of keeping production costs at rock bottom while maintaining a relative high volume of cash sales to expenses, coupled with no taxes on revenue for their Corporations continued financial success.

  Whether a higher power exists or not, likewise for example, as with the National Inquirer or Amway, there is simply no evidence of alignment between the WTB&TS and any cosmic significance, only that which can be conjured in the minds of Jehovah’s Witnesses through mass marketing by the WTB&TS ever since the day ‘Judge’ Rutherford bellowed, “…Advertise, Advertise, Advertise.”

  …inspiration has never been their (WTB&TS) strong suit.

  I agree Met, (spiritual) inspiration, doesn’t pay the bills, marketing prettily colored publications containing a message that's worn thin and can't stand on its own without the ‘glitz’, does.
  
  Flip