I followed a link from a thread yesterday - don't remember which. It is a transcript of a judicial committee meeting. Unbelievable. A very good read. There are many excellent points & observations made. This one in particular caught my eye. Hope it is ok to post.
http://www.disfellowshipped.org/index.html
The fundamental fallacy JW's and many Christians of varying denominations and traditions commit is that they view "the church" or a religious organization as a person. As former Bethelite Tom Cabeen rightly observes:
Association with an organization can influence its members to copy the viewpoints of its leaders, express themselves in a similar way, or act in a uniform manner. It may appear that the organization has a "mind" of its own. But that is not so. An organization has no capability for independent thoughts, feelings, or opinions. It is not a separate entity like a person. Organizations are formed when individuals wish to pool their efforts to accomplish a task, achieve an objective, or share fellowship. The organization may be small or large, tightly or loosely knit. Members of the group may form a legal corporation in order to conduct business. They may appoint leaders or spokespersons for the group, and assign jobs to various members. They may establish rules of conduct and operational methods to be followed as they go about achieving their objectives. But, although it is common to speak of an organization as accomplishing something, no activity attributed to an organization is actually done independently of the individual members, working alone or together. Every thought or action comes from an individual. Apart from its members, an organization is absolutely incapable of generating, communicating or carrying out ideas. This means that any communication that comes from "the organization" is really coming from an individual, even though that member may be sincerely attempting to speak on behalf of the group. An organization simply provides a way to get things done. It has no viewpoint, memory or con-science of its own. It can neither love nor hate. It has no emotions or feelings. It cannot do right or wrong. An organization can do nothing of itself. Only people can do things. And only a person can have a relationship with God (or anyone else). After World War II, the Nazi organization never went on trial for war crimes. But individuals who were associated with it did. An organization cannot commit nor be punished for crimes. It bears no accountability. But people do.
No wonder no one dares attach their name to anything printed coming out of Brooklyn! Rubber stamp it! Like trying to indict the easter bunny, tooth fairy and santa.
Like Bart Simpson ... "I didn't do it!"
Tough question
"And who is this person that is (silently) symbolized as the organization?"