The Watchtower's Reverse Cleansing

by metatron 19 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  metatron

  For years now, the WTS leadership has been closing its collective
  eyes to the internal moral decay of the organization. From the
  Governing Body all the way down to local elders, more and more
  corruption quietly goes unchallenged. The process easily feeds on
  itself as the men in charge compromise themselves into silence
  when wrongdoing arises. If you know about my adultery/business
  fraud/theft/child abuse, how can I say anything about your kid's
  smoking/fornication/trouble with the law?

  Because of the exposure of scandals in recent years - child
  molesting chief among them - this process must become radical.
  The only path open to them involves deepening the already astonishing
  ignorance of JWs in general and repressing any open attempt at
  moral reform.

  The result will be an organization that is ever more stupid, inept,
  mentally ill - and cruel. People who object to this trend will
  come under growing pressure to conform - or leave. Suicides
  and discreet trips to the local "behavioral clinic" (the part of
  your hospital that won't tell if you're there and hands out Prozac/
  Zolof/Paxil/Clonopin like it was candy) will accelerate.
  Elders that are still honest will find themselves, first, feeling
  'out of the loop' and 'not part of the inner circle'. After that,
  they will be compelled to conform, resign, or face disfellowshpping
  on whatever charge can be invented.

  Once, I got into trouble at my work by complaining that employees
  were being watched and spied on. Shortly afterward, I was 'called
  on the carpet' to explain my remarks to the boss because someone
  had reported them!!

  In time, the boss was fired in disgrace along with all his rotten
  cronies. The Watchtower's current situation isn't much different
  with good men being persecuted into leaving - and stripped of any
  freedom even to acknowledge the ethical swamp they've sunk into.

  I forsee that many brothers and sisters will hide their affiliation
  as Jehovah's Witnesses because of the cloud of disgrace that is
  decending over the organization. Time is running out......

  metatron
• 

  orangefatcat

  interesting analogy Metatron.
• 

  L_A_Big_Dawg

  Great post. I wonder what will happen to the honest and good-hearted eldes that do exist in the various congregations.
• 

  Analysis

  Metatron

  I normally agree with your postings and agree that the level of the standard JW is going down. However, not because of Moral cover-ups of Elders etc., but because of the dogmatic refusal of the GB to realize that they are wrong about key articles of faith. I am certain that all of the yes men in the Brooklyn have such harden consciences that they don't give proper consideration to the well being of the flock. So most thinking individuals with any level of a Christian conscience walk away from positions within the organization.

  But, do I believe the moral decay of the masses is that widespread? No at least not where I am from. If what you say in this area is common in all congregations, then the only thing I can say is that I was so far out of the loop when I was an elder that I didn't know the inner circle even existed.

  Edited by - Analysis on 24 July 2002 12:55:44

  Edited by - Analysis on 24 July 2002 12:56:41
• 

  waiting

  Hey metatron,

  Once, I got into trouble at my work by complaining that employees
  were being watched and spied on. Shortly afterward, I was 'called
  on the carpet' to explain my remarks to the boss because someone
  had reported them!!

  In time, the boss was fired in disgrace along with all his rotten
  cronies. The Watchtower's current situation isn't much different
  with good men being persecuted into leaving - and stripped of any
  freedom even to acknowledge the ethical swamp they've sunk into.

  Even though you were "called on the carpet" - you were vindicated in the end. Your boss was the one who was part of the spying/reporting, etc., and then was fired in disgrace. The WTBTS is currently using all the nasty tricks you stated (and I agree).....but they are firing the ones who speak out (you in your analogy).

  Your company won because they got rid of the Bad Seed. The WTBTS has become the Bad Seed and killing all the good plants.

  I come from a congregation as you speak about, btw. One old fool ran the cong. elders for over 50 years....still does - and all that the r&f do is roll their eyes, whisper and say "That's not how it's SUPPOSED to be."

  They live for the fantasy in the future. I believe the WTBTS promotes the living of fantasy so that they can continue to feed upon their own in reality....and kick out those who no longer want to be their slaves.

  waiting

  Edited by - waiting on 24 July 2002 13:13:10
• 

  Amazing

  The root of the problem is that the Watchtower is really a business, and religion is simply its merchandise. Any sense of religion it once might have had is now gone, and only a business empire remains ... and it will eventually die a long, slow, painful death.
• 

  metatron

  Replying to your post makes me feel like a fool.

  Once I gave up, resigned and left - it was as if I could suddenly
  see. I began to hear about all kinds of wrongdoing and coverups
  RIGHT IN THE CONGREGATION where I had been serving! I was astounded!
  When this happens to you, you start wondering if you were stupid
  blind or just nuts. When I found out about child molesting, a sister
  actually SAID that 'we knew you would be upset if you knew'!

  SO many , many of you don't understand how "compartmentalized"
  the secrets in this organization are. The whole organization
  is a kind of spiritual 'Potemkin' village where everything looks
  great - from a distance.

  Really, once you understand the dominant role of pretense in the
  Watchtower ( repetitive meetings, an unproductive 'ministry,
  phoney statistics, publishers uncritically cheerleading), it CAN'T
  BE ANYTHING ELSE but a grand illusion, as spiritual paradises go.

  metatron
• 

  zenpunk

  Amazing - You are so right!

  However, I don't think brothers and sisters will hide their affiliation due to the scandal. Most witnesses I've heard talk about it say that the media is just blowing everything out of proportion and Satan is turning against them because they are so close to the end.
• 

  Sam Beli

  Met, good observations as usual.

  However, I may be out of step here, but I am not sure that SUNK is the correct word here to describe where the Borg is headed. By that I mean that Im not sure but what they have always been there down in the mire.

  I recall as a kid 60 years ago hanging my head, ashamed to be associated with the JWs. My parents could not see it, but many of the JWs in our congregation were "goofy," silly, dirty, bullies or just plain liars. I hated telling my school buddies that I was a JW; they saw the "goofy" JWs that were doing street work.

  A former long-time Bethel family member and director of the society who had married a lady in our congregation (back when marriage equaled leaving Bethel), was caught lying right from the platform. He tried to paraphrase a letter from Brooklyn and when another brother insisted on having the letter read, the truth came out. He had lied!

  I was unaware of child molestation if it was present in those days, but sleaze and lying was wide spread. We know that Russell, Rutherford, Knorr and F. Franz had plenty that today needs to be hidden.

  They have always been corrupt. The public is the one now becoming aware of it. Eventually, some of the R & F will catch on too.
• 

  metatron

  I understand your point about the past - Knorr and Franz probably
  covered up Rutherford's mistress and alcoholism, etc.

  Yet, I can remember when being an elder really involved maintaining
  some praiseworthy standards. If you read Ray Franz's stuff, I believe
  he refers to this period also.

  Now, becoming an elder is a combination of being a company salesman
  and 'Cosa Nostra wiseguy'. The original promise of the arrangement
  is gone, replaced by ignorance and silent decay. The organization
  is also becoming more arbitrary and ruthless in the face of obvious
  scandal. While the exposure exposes existing problems, it also
  galvanizes the drift towards corruption. I can see this happening
  in the fact that elders were commonly removed in the past for things
  that today are ignored - as long as the rest of the body agrees.

  Consider that the qualification "irreprehensible" and "free from
  accusation" have been nearly discarded relative to what I saw
  in the past.

  metatron