Is A 'Moderate' Opinion of the Governing Body Possible?

by metatron 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  Incognito

  JWs on the whole seem to think everything is either Black or White, right or wrong.

  In reality, few things are 100% right or 100% wrong.

  JWs cling to any example of the WT being correct on any matter as broad proof that it MUST BE God's organization and is being directed by Jehovah.

  I think that many JWs have invested so much of their lives in the religion, it's virtually impossible for them to even entertain the idea that it isn't what they were lead to believe.

  Many JWs often look to others as having 'special' insider knowledge and insight.

  A family member indicated that her cong had a visiting speaker from Bethel and he said: Armageddon is so close and that we wouldn't need to wait much longer (I think she mentioned no more than 5 years). She stated that 'he knew' and that her cong was privileged that he had provided them with this special info. I think it is now more than 5 years since this occurred and if we were to bring it up, I'm certain that she wouldn't recall the statement ever being made.

  A recent conversation with a JW acquaintance revealed that instructions recently given from the KH platform are that 'although we may not understand the reasons, if the Faithfull Slave instructs us to do something, DO NOT ANALYSE OR QUESTION but to carry it out, whatever it is without hesitation'.

  My immediate thoughts went to 'Kool-Aid' cults.

  Although this JW guy seemed all proud to be informed of this new found information, I expressed the silliness of the statement and my disgust in the expectation of not using our brains and reasoning abilities as God had intended and instructed. Although this same guy would be the first to criticize any other group or religion for making a similar statement, the WT is not held to the same standard.
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  willyloman

  Events in my own congregation led me to realize this was a man-made organization and its leaders had the same failings for which JWs often criticized other institutions. A come-to-Jesus moment for me was early one Sunday morning when my eyes opened and it was all too clear. I was so shaken I told my family I wasn't going to the meeting that morning. Instead, I drove 60 miles to a scenic lake and sat on a deserted dock alone with my thoughts. In those moments, I knew this dub thing was nothing special and that I would need to get out and take my family with me.

  That was in 1992.

  We left in 2003.

  That's how strong their hold is and illustrates how difficult it is to get out when you are so invested emotionally, intellectually and socially.
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  peacefulpete

  It seems too big, too fully developed at this point for any serious course changes, either toward extreme cultism or liberalism. It would take a truly charismatic person to induce reforms of any sort and as others have said, the bureaucracy is fully mature and tends to smother individulism. This church's evolution will plod along and slowly fade just as it's sister Adventist churches are doing. The message will eventually become less and less attractive, less pertinent and something new will prevail. My guess is that the role of the GB will continue to shrink till they become symbolic, figurehead speakers and handshakers while precedent directs the future. Maybe Scientology is a harbinger of the new face of religion.