Hello Aussie Oz,
Ahhh the Lone Ranger...I remember those days. I spent many years playing that part in the Watchtower as many brothers and sisters have as well.
Why do I remain? Let me first pose a question, is there any major religion that has never caused harm to anyone? Do governments cause harm at times? Do multinational corporations always do good? Are there large institutions that can claim the honor of never causing harm to anyone?
The problem is not religion or government etc, but actually mankind. Every religion is subject to the stupidity and the calamity that its leaders can cause or instigate. This is also true of all governments, all corporations, and all institutions.
Many Americans disagreed with President Bush when he sent young soldiers to Iraq and caused the deaths of thousands there for what many in the U.S. thought was an unlawful war. How many of those Americans left the U.S. over this? How many American parents who thought the war unlawful and who lost a son or daughter left the U.S. over it? The reasons are legion for not leaving I suppose. So are the reasons for remaining with the Witnesses. How many Americans are leaving the U.S. over the recent problems and the political stupidity that is occurring? How many Americans are leaving the U.S. because they see that their leaders are not always honest or even worthy of respect? They stay because they love and appreciate that this country is not only their home but that for all the problems it is still based on those principles they know are good and worthwhile.
I agree with most of the teachings in my faith. Most of those teachings cannot be found outside of the Witness faith. I know the leadership is faulty. I know they are just as faulty as many of the leaders of ancient Israel were, as many older Christian men of the first century were and as many leaders of the U.S. are. This is human, this is mankind. There is no leadership without fault, a sad but true reality.
Can I not disagree with my leaders while also loving my faith? Can I not feel that blood transfusions should be left to conscience and that shunning is unscriptural while also remaining in my faith? Jesus remained in his faith though he knew the wrongs. The wrongs are caused by men, men do not make our faith itself wrong. They only prove themselves wrong! We are each free to live according to our conscience. Whether we chose to remain or to leave we do what in our hearts we believe is right. There is no charge against such.