The JW's in some other countries have no real understanding of the GB

by BonaFide 2 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  BonaFide

  I don't know if many of you know this, but in the "developing" countries, such as South America, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and the Governing Body is hardly ever mentioned on a Bible study, or at the meetings. I know this because I served there, and in Spanish congregations here in the U.S. where there are a lot of immigrants from those countries.

  The friends do talk about the faithful slave at the meetings. Sometimes they say Governing Body. But exactly what is the faithful slave? The friends comment vaguely about the anointed, and how the "slave" or the "anointed" provide spiritual food. And that's it.

  But no one, and I mean, NO ONE thought that the teachings originated from a group of men in New York. Some knew the magazines were printed there, but when the printing started to come from Mexico, that made the origin of the magazines even more vague.

  They all think the Watchtower comes from Jehovah God through his "earthly organization" and that's it.

  A Bible study will learn the teachings about hellfire and trinity, and then they accept everything else as being the truth.

  How in the world can they be shown what the origin of the Watchtower really is?

  What do you think?

  BF
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  neverendingjourney

  I think it's a problem throughout the organization, although it may be more pronounced in foreign countries. Let me give you an example.

  Years ago, governing body member Gerritt Losch gave a series of talks at various district conventions where he specifically condemned American football as being inappropriate for Christians because of its violent nature. I had several conversations with various American JWs who all disregarded what he said because "it was simply one man giving his opinion." As far as they were concerned, it wasn't official until they saw it in print in the Watchtower.

  You would think the Watchtower gets magically handed down from Jehovah himself. These people could not appreciate the fact that the governing body is the absolute last word on all things JW. They set the policy. They decide what gets written in the Watchtower. There is no higher authority than a governing body member. What he was saying wasn't simply an opinion, it was JW policy. I tried to explain this to people, but I kept getting deer-in-the-headlights looks.

  What I learned is that most JWs that I dealt with knew very little about how decisions are made in Watchtowerland. They simply accept whatever is in print as coming from God himself without giving much thought to it, and it's sad, too, when you think about the magnitude of the decisions being made on these people's behalf. They're being dictated to in personal matters from what kinds of medical procedures to accept to what kinds of sexual acts are allowed in the bedroom.

  I agree with you about the root cause of the problem. Most JWs, especially those who convert to JWism, buy into a few aspect of the religion and they simply accept everything else they're taught. That's why JWs have so much success attacking other religion's doctrines first. They convince people that other religions have it wrong, so they must be right by default. Once someone buys into the fundamental concept of "organization" as taught by JWs, he simply follows along with whatever the WT teaches. God has one organization, and that organization is the JWs. Therefore, whatever the society publishes is from God. No need to question it. Just accept whatever they tell you.
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  BonaFide

  Good points, neverendingjourney. I remember my buddies in Bethel telling me about the NFL. Not For Losch. But they watched it anyway, but with the sound turned down in their Bethel rooms.

  I think since the Live Forever book the Knowledge book, and the Bible Teach book don't emphasize the WT society, the student doesnt realize what he is getting into.

  Until its too late.

  BF