Witnesses will personally invent various explanations to describe why the change has been put forward. Nothing new there.
For the most part JWs buy into the idea that the governing body knows special information that they do not know. When they see changes happening within their organization their initial thoughts are that such things are being brought about not by some sort of practical logic, but because this special body of men 'knows' something about what the group is expecting to happen in the future.
When JWs talk about how changes in their organization reflect something to do with end times I view it as proof of a mode of thinking they constantly deny is contained within their faith.
The memberships eagerness to see things as proof that the end is near shows just how naive and vulnerable they really are. It shows how dependent they are upon the utterances of their religions leadership. It also shows how episodes such as the 1975 fiasco are completely the fault of the Watchtower leadership. They create an atmosphere in which people become fanatically obsessed with every action of their religions leadership, viewing it as a 'sign' that the end is near. Then when those people overreact on such hints dropped by the leadership (or very big hints such as 1975) the leadership blames the members for getting over excited.
Watchtower leadership is so irresponsible in the way it treats its members. I say they should keep doing it. It makes them a weak and vulnerable religion.
For the most part JWs buy into the idea that the governing body knows special information that they do not know. When they see changes happening within their organization their initial thoughts are that such things are being brought about not by some sort of practical logic, but because this special body of men 'knows' something about what the group is expecting to happen in the future.
When JWs talk about how changes in their organization reflect something to do with end times I view it as proof of a mode of thinking they constantly deny is contained within their faith.
The memberships eagerness to see things as proof that the end is near shows just how naive and vulnerable they really are. It shows how dependent they are upon the utterances of their religions leadership. It also shows how episodes such as the 1975 fiasco are completely the fault of the Watchtower leadership. They create an atmosphere in which people become fanatically obsessed with every action of their religions leadership, viewing it as a 'sign' that the end is near. Then when those people overreact on such hints dropped by the leadership (or very big hints such as 1975) the leadership blames the members for getting over excited.
Watchtower leadership is so irresponsible in the way it treats its members. I say they should keep doing it. It makes them a weak and vulnerable religion.