@RagingBull
I used to be under the same impression, but articles from as far back as my CD-ROM goes and older mags I can find online make many presumptuous claims. For example in the '20s they spoke of a "composite Christ", where Jesus is only a part and the anointed make up the rest. Through the '50s, the idea of the "mother organization" was a big deal, making themselves nearly equal to God; and with Jesus being "the Son", I'm wondering how that works out.
Let's face it, the whole twisting of "faithful and discreet slave" into an earthly rulership is not a new teaching and is the central doctrine of JWs. Granted, the open multi-level power structure didn't come about until 1935. Now, the "faithful and discreet slave 'class'" number up to probably 12k, this year, whereas only 7 make up the Governing Body. The 7M "other sheep" are at the bottom and are "Jehonadab" sidekicks of the "Jehu" class of self-proclaimed "anointed".
Since 1935, they've been very careful who they'll allow into the fds club, but they had to "open the door to Heaven" back up because the GB are all too young to have been around and baptized before 1935. So, even though 12k people are snacking at the Memorial, I'm pretty sure most JWs write them off as apostates and crackpots.
Basically, nobody's getting into the GB club unless they have some political clout with the voters. That would explain why God only seems to want old white men (and one token black guy) who speak English to be his "prophet" class. It's all politics and a popularity contest. The guys there now are politicians and nothing more. Their whole lives have been a plan to wriggle their way into those few seats at the top, so they'll never have to sweep floors or get dysentery in a 3rd-world country "for Jehovah" again.
