"the 80+ year old I talked about never had children, I assume because of believing all the JW hype thru the years and 10 years ago his pioneer wife was killed in a car crash by a drunk driver."
My pimi mother was at a Rutherford Convention that released the Children's Book that discouraged marriage or children. Perhaps these stories told could give me hope that she COULD change her condemnatory attitude and shunning for me. It would be nice to have "Mom" back but I'm not getting my hopes up. I've considered the "what if's" but there is not a lot to talk about with her other than my secular work.
I don't think the present GB has the hunger, creativity, talent, imagination, or know-how to navigate the present or future of the organization that has existed in years prior by Russell, Rutherford, Franz, or Knorr. The GB 2.1 should have sacrificed/"character assassinated" one GB for the Child Sexual Abuse worldwide and put all the sins on that one sacrificial lamb/goat and delivered it to Jehovah as the "scapegoat". Proclaimed that there was an apostate in their midst who was a pedophile, but now they have "cleaned the spiritual temple" and Jehovah will bless them as never before. Then, just watch the money roll in! (It happened in the 1979 purge)
One of the tools that the organization had working well is that they kept people busy enough that they couldn't think about the "why are we doing this"? or have discussions that were not narrated by WT paragraphs and questions to divert and channel thinking. In the last two years the common publishers have had a lot of time alone and in small groups to drink coffee/whisky and talk. I remember one CO's saying that the "Society" didn't recommend that individuals move away from their "families in the truth" because many times the younger couple wouldn't come back to the KH. The WTBTS leaders have the numbers in front of them of what they will lose in publishers and financial support and I believe they are willing to adjust to a smaller "great crowd" that they can control and is not such a financial burden.
Look, they have been setting up publisher's wills and trusts for 140 years, they hobnob with the elite trusts and hedge funds and financially, the crazy-wack-o "Governing Body" doesn't take care of the financial means of the organization they only have a decisive influence over the "spiritual" food. The real "corporation" is a money-making machine and it is obviously run it to make money by the President/Board of Directors. The GB can bash the governments for trying to get back to normal because their "interest is in their own financial means and taxes". lol, like the WTBTS is not. No, WTBTS is interested in the bottom line, but they have some cushion and realize it and are willing to lose some baggage and cargo for the ship to roll on for another 100 years with a smaller kingdom of great crowd supporters.
