Much of what they do, seems to be reactionary. They make changes in an effort to make it seem that everything is as rosy as ever... but it isn't. The world around them will continue to change, but they don't seem to have the capacity to exploit change to their advantage.
Interesting thoughts, Billy. My sense is that their leadership structure is the reason there has been a lack of big changes, especially with respect to their crumbling and out-of-date eschatology.
The power of the WT had always been vested in the president of the WTBTS, that was until the 1970s when President Knorr began to shift the power center from the presidency to the newly-formed GB. After the 1975 debacle, the transition was sped up and Freddie's power began to slip even more. The focus of the WT currently is to exalt the GB above everybody else. As we know, the presidency of the WT has been stripped of its former power.
We know from Ray Franz that a 2/3 vote was required to get any major changes passed in the governing body back in the late 70s. Assuming this is still the case, we can imagine that passing any major reforms must be exceedingly difficult. You'd have to convince 6 of the 9 GB members to go along with a proposal.
I have a feeling that these guys must all be megalomaniacs of varying degrees. After all, they believe that they've been chosen to reign in heaven with Christ (even though it was official WT policy for years that the sealing of the anointed had happened in 1935, before some of these guys were even born). Not only that, they've been further chosen to direct God's people during the last days, a position akin to being an apostle during Jesus' time!
Therefore, I think these guys must all have their own pet theories and views on a whole host of doctrinal matters, and they feel that it's their job to convince the GB that their view is the correct one. Getting 2/3 of the GB to go along with any one particular view in that environment, especially if it involves a major overhaul of official doctrine, must be exceeding difficult, if not impossible. So, I think we'll see more of the same, minor adjustments that amount to nothing more than plugging holes in the dam. Their eschatological framework needs a major overhaul, but I don't see that happening when it requires a 2/3 vote.
One way way of analogizing this is the process required to amend the American Constitution. It requires a 2/3 approval from both houses of Congress and ratification by 3/4 of the states. Because of that hurdle, the constitution has only been amended 16 times in the last 200 years, and a mildly controversial amendment stands no chance of passing. Assuming the 2/3 hurdle is still in place, I can't see the WT coming up with any significant new light that amounts to an overhaul of their dated doctrine. They can come up with a consensus to drop certain dates that are no longer tenable, like 1935, but circumstances will have to force their hand for them to reshape their doctrine.
The power of the WT had always been vested in the president of the WTBTS, that was until the 1970s when President Knorr began to shift the power center from the presidency to the newly-formed GB. After the 1975 debacle, the transition was sped up and Freddie's power began to slip even more. The focus of the WT currently is to exalt the GB above everybody else. As we know, the presidency of the WT has been stripped of its former power.
We know from Ray Franz that a 2/3 vote was required to get any major changes passed in the governing body back in the late 70s. Assuming this is still the case, we can imagine that passing any major reforms must be exceedingly difficult. You'd have to convince 6 of the 9 GB members to go along with a proposal.
I have a feeling that these guys must all be megalomaniacs of varying degrees. After all, they believe that they've been chosen to reign in heaven with Christ (even though it was official WT policy for years that the sealing of the anointed had happened in 1935, before some of these guys were even born). Not only that, they've been further chosen to direct God's people during the last days, a position akin to being an apostle during Jesus' time!
Therefore, I think these guys must all have their own pet theories and views on a whole host of doctrinal matters, and they feel that it's their job to convince the GB that their view is the correct one. Getting 2/3 of the GB to go along with any one particular view in that environment, especially if it involves a major overhaul of official doctrine, must be exceeding difficult, if not impossible. So, I think we'll see more of the same, minor adjustments that amount to nothing more than plugging holes in the dam. Their eschatological framework needs a major overhaul, but I don't see that happening when it requires a 2/3 vote.
One way way of analogizing this is the process required to amend the American Constitution. It requires a 2/3 approval from both houses of Congress and ratification by 3/4 of the state legislatures. Because of that hurdle, the constitution has only been amended 16 times in the last 200 years, and a mildly controversial amendment stands no chance of passing. Assuming the 2/3 hurdle is still in place, I can't see the WT coming up with any significant new light that amounts to an overhaul of their dated doctrine. They can come up with a consensus to drop certain dates that are no longer tenable, like 1935, but circumstances will have to force their hand for them to reshape their doctrine.