@TheOldHippie
If you think that the idea of the WT leaders being spirit directed/inspired or having truths revealed to them by Jehovah is just an old idea that is not really mentioned in the last few years/decades, you must have not attended meetings in a while. Either that or you are attending but not paying attention, because it comes up often.
Even if they have not mentioned it in the last 20 years say, that really does not matter. At what point were they chosen by god to represent him as an organization, and when did they get these truths revealed? They live by this claim that they have been appointed by god, it justifies there existence. It does not matter if they have not emphasized it recently. ( they have anyway)
At the last elders school there was a big deal made of being obedient to the slave. Jehovah requires obedience to the slave, even if it seems wrong in our minds. Jehovah can forgive the errors of the organization (org=slave=gb), but he won't accept any disobedience to the slave.
Those 8 men in Brooklyn are the only people on earth that Jah and Jesus communicate with, and everyone has to acknowledge these men as receiving this position if they want salvation. That is the sad reality of the JW religon.