They're just guys who never lived and worked in the real world. What kind of respect have they earned?
No respect! It's more of a fear of them in their powerful positions!
But, I think you're leaving out the female element. A lot of older sisters I see are the true pillars of their congregation, they put in amazing time in service and can tell you stories of how things were in the olden days. They are the wives, the mothers and the ones who give a lot of private counsel, always letting their opinion be known, even to MS's and elders. They see some younger elders as unqualified and ignorant and in need of a talking to.
The younger generation sisters, except for some true devoted ideologically-loyal and younger pioneers much like I USED to be, pretty much just go along with things and want to enjoy the company/associating in service, going here going there and spending time together.
I also agree with Moshe in that the vast majority of Witnesses eat up the slop being fed by the GB like it is some really good spiritual meat in due season. At a hospitality get together not long ago several people brought dishes to share and one elder-sister had made this meatball in sauce dish that tasted just gross, I was going to say something to the sister I was with and before I said anything several people started saying how good and tasty the meatballs were. For X's sake they were store bought meatballs, they were in some sauce that had mild salsa and duck sauce thrown in with stewed tomatoes out of a can and hardly cooked all through. And there's this young elder who gave the talk raving about the great meatballs and how good they were. The thing was gross! Anyway, on the ride back home the sister says, "Did you like the meantballs?" And I spoke my mind. She agreed and said it was the grossest thing she'd ever tasted. Well, it's the same thing with the slop the GB is dishing out. Privately a lot of Witnesses realize it doesn't taste good, but in front of a lot of other Witnesses they don't dare say anything negative because they know there'll be back room meetings to re-adjust attitudes quickly following any transgression of the tongue.
Is the GB crumbling? Well what I'm seeing is more and more elders mentioning the F&DS, and the GB and how grateful we are for them, and laying it on really thick during prayers and inserting it during comments too. People you'd think would be more "conscious" but their tongues in public may not really tell what's going on inside their heads.
There will always be people who want things laid out for them... To be told what to do and when to do it. It takes less time worrying and thinking, yes thinking and using your brain, it's hard for people to accept the responsibility of thinking for themselves, because they are afraid of consequences, I know I was like that for quite a while. So by putting their trust in others who tell them what to do they don't have to worry about much. They're just following orders. And we know where that mentality can lead.
--CATTAILS of the "Conscious Class"
