JT,
You said that the local elders are powerless, that there is no value in confronting them about organisational issues. I beg to differ. The Borg has been legaly seperating themselves from local elder decisions for about the last 10 years, so they can not be held lible for any decisions the elders make, even though we all know all the shots are called in Brooklyn. This plausible deniability works in favor of those of us who want to destroy this mentaly diseased cult and release it's victims.
Let's ay an elder is charged with acccessory to a crime, because he failed to report because there is only one witness. In court he tries to defend himself by saying that this is a doctrine beyond his control dictated by HQ in Brooklyn. The DA gets on the phone to Brooklyn's legal Dept. who assures him that ALL such decisions are made at the local level, and ALL responsibilities for said decision fall upon the elder in question.
Meanwhile, back in the courtroom the elder is found guilty as an accessory after the fact, and Brooklyn escapes unharmed.
As these outcomes become more common, how many elders are going to let the Borg hang them out to fry as scapegoat sacrifices for their sick and twisted doctrines. How long before the brothers start rethinking appointments as elders as something undesirable?
Seperating themselves legaly from local congregations may save them finnacialy from lawsuits, it will bite them in the ass when local congregations refuse to enforce doctrine because they personaly will have to take responsibility for for any libilous situations they find themselves in. I have seen this happen already within the local congregations here.
So, hang in there folks we don't have to destroy them, they are doing quite well on their own.
Ciao,
Anton