When a Witness encounters injustices engendered by the Watchtower and considers them
with clarity of mind, he is likely to suppose that , at worst, the old men who run things
are sincere but misguided. There are many of us who still cringe at the thought of deliberately
lying to anyone about anything - and think that other people feel the same way.
I believe this "presumption of innocence" on the part of Watchtower leaders has been
stretched beyond reasonable belief. In recent years, statements made by the Society
look more and more like the wandering plot of a cheap soap opera that fired its "Continuity
Department" years ago. Examples:
From Crisis of Conscience: They would disfellowship people who disbelieved their
'1914' chronology - while members of the Governing Body treated it with private
skepticism or even sought to get rid of it.
They preached against college for publishers -- while sending Bethelites to
college.
They proclaimed that Jehovah's Witnesses "are the happiest people on earth"
while writing many articles dealing with depression AND telling elders to fend off
any outside attempts at surveys conducted on JWs.
When a natural disaster strikes, they give the impression that faithful Witnesses are
somehow protected while ignoring evidence that proves otherwise. They can't seem
to make up their minds.
More recently, they proclaimed that Armageddon is "Soon" (Keep On The Watch
pg.31) ... but then told congregations that "Children can begin learning to help
from an early age.... Such training can help them to become the pioneers, the ministerial
servants, and the elders of tomorrow." ( KM Dec. 04 page 1).
Circuit Overseers in particular, seem unbound by concerns about consistency, coming up
with "clear direction" from the Society, according to whatever suits them at the moment.
Many more examples could be cited. At some point, the "sincere but misguided"
theory breaks down under the sheer weight of their own contradictions. Instead, we see
something like a lothario who will "say anything" to seduce his victim of choice. "Truth"
to them becomes a handy tool to hoodwink the eagerly gullible.
How else can we explain the bizarre existance of a 120 year old institution that centers
itself on the proclamation that the End is Soon??!!. If it wasn't so tragic, it make an
excellent cartoon in the pages of the New Yorker magazine!
As time passes, I think more and more Witnesses will grow tired of the excuse that
their cold-hearted leadership is "sincere".
metatron