Paradox: Are Faithless Watchtower Leaders Reform's Best Hope?

by metatron 17 Replies latest watchtower scandals

metatron

While many among the Watchtower's leadership are no doubt sincere, there is no proof
that all are. More than this, in examining the life of a man like Rutherford - complete with
his habits involving cruelty, alcohol, greed , reviling others, neglect of his family and contempt
for women - it becomes evident that cynical men may take the lead in particular. Such
individuals may possess the needed talents and unabashed drive required to zealously
recommend rank deceptions that fuel the Watchtower's growth.
Underneath the Society's exterior of plastic smiles, this week's Watchtower Study
reminded me of just how contemptuous their deception can be ( WT. Jan. 15, 2005 pg. 14)
The "Do You Recall" section asked "What did Jesus mean when he said John would
remain until he came?"
I was astonished. The scripture, quoted in plain sight, said "If it is my will for [John]
to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?" ( John 21). Anybody in the
audience could simply read the cited text and reason that Jesus didn't promise anything to
John. He simply said "if". Yet, here was the Watchtower ignoring the text for anyone
to see ---- and no one did!
Have they lost it completely? Are they even trying anymore? Do they even have to,
if no Witness even bothers to read the text word for word?
It should be evident that , to the Watchtower, the Bible has any meaning they care to
impose upon it and no one will even notice. It just doesn't matter.
If this really is the correct state of affairs in the organization, then they can change
anything because the Bible means anything they wish. It would only take a
successful lawsuit here or there, or some external obstacle that gets in their way,
for them to dump any of the many obnoxious features of this cult, without a second
thought about a Holy Book that holds them back. You just 'spin' the change and and
voila! , the Witness thralls/drones/zombies fall into line!
So here's the paradox: Is the greatest hope for reforming the Watchtower actually to
be gained from its worst leaders and not the most sincere?
Maybe our best hope, as 'apostates'
comes from other 'apostates'!
metatron
Neo

It should be evident that , to the Watchtower, the Bible has any meaning they care to
impose upon it and no one will even notice. It just doesn't matter.
(...) They can change anything because the Bible means anything they wish.

Bingo!
The Witnesses seem to have the mind of a zombie. They swallow any kind of "food at the proper time" the WT provides them. The Bible is not a Holy Book to them; it's just their boy scout's manual that only means what the Chief tells it means. They throw isolated verses around and stretch them as much as they want. They put any spin they want on any Bible verse. So much for "love for God's Word".
Neo
doinmypart

Have they lost it completely? Are they even trying anymore?

Y'know Metatron, I don't think they are trying anymore. They are coasting along, making insignificant changes, and hoping that something will happen to divert the attention of the members.
And you are correct...the leaders change what they want (like the Generation change), ignore what they want (UN inquiries and no KM announcment explaining their position), spin, spin, spin...and the sheep fall in line.
Maybe Jaracz and his ilk are the Org's own worst enemy.
Neo

The "Do You Recall" section asked "What did Jesus mean when he said John would
remain until he came?" I was astonished. The scripture, quoted in plain sight, said "If it is my will for [John]
to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?" ( John 21). Anybody in the
audience could simply read the cited text and reason that Jesus didn't promise anything to
John. He simply said "if". Yet, here was the Watchtower ignoring the text for anyone
to see ---- and no one did!

This example illustrates the clear lack of reading comprehension existing among the dubs. But I seriously don't think it is limited to them. It's very frustrating that such thing is not a problem limited to that specific group; reading and interpretation skills are lacking everywhere I turn to, in many countries, and even among many educated people. That is indicative of a poor educational formation in a person's early years.
The fact that you came up with this example is very, very ironic. Why? Because the writer of John 21 says that the same kind of interpretational problem existed among the early Christians! The immediately following verse says:
Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ?If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you??
ROFLOL!
And that's the clincher: it illustrates how the WT treats individual Bible verses isolatedly, as textual "islands"; they didn't even bother to take the Scripture that just followed into consideration!!
Pistoff

Yes. The present leaders are not only corrupt and cynical, that has been proven beyond doubt by the blood and child sexual abuse policies, but they have NO one to write with any clarity and real ability to motivate.
So I think you are right.
To get better, it has to, and will, get worse; if it will actually get better is doubtful.
Consider the really stupid article on the pearl of high value.
The recent WT does an article on it, a whole article. I picked it up in the crapper the other day because anything connected to Jesus interests me. So I read the snippet about the pearl merchant. To me, it's message is clear; the merchant sees the pearl, realizes it's great value and goes all out to buy it. Thus, when seeing something of great value, as the good news about Jesus [to me his destruction of the oppressive religious system] you go after it with all you have. VALUE. That is the message, and why the pearl works. The merchant knows it's value, and does not hesitate to exchange his valuables for it.
Well, it is not good in WT land to value anything of material value. So the WT says this:
"A common merchant might first figure out the market vaule of the pearl so as to determine how much he would pay for it in order to make a profit...but not so the merchant in Jesus' parable. His interest was not monetary or material. In fact, he was willing to sacrifice all the things he had." HUH?
Are you following this twisted sophistry? It is greatly valuable, but...um... not for it's material value. Hmm.. so this means he liquidated his entire assets in order to hold a shiny rock? It gets worse:
"In the eyes of most merchants, what that man in Jesus' parable did was probably unwise. An astute businessman would not think of undertaking such a risky venture. But the merchant in Jesus' parable had a different sense of values. His reward was, not any financial advantage but the joy and satisfaction of possessing something of surpassing VALUE. This point is made clear in a parallel illustration that Jesus gave. He said: 'The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and for the joy he has he goes and sells what things he has and buys that field.' "
So, they reason: it is not the material value he is after, but instead owning something of surpassing value!
And it is like a man who finds....a treasure....I suppose the treasure is not valuable either, huh?
This concept invalidates the entire point of the parable!! If there is no material value, the point is gone and the merchant looks like an idiot in pursuit of a bauble.
But this illustrates my point: they have no one who can take the amazing parables of Jesus and motivate the rank and file. It isn't writing anymore; it is a careful avoidance of anything they might have to defend; they tiptoe because they fundamentally MISUNDERSTAND the parable. It is about VALUE, and all they can think is materialism. Since they cannot get the idea that it is a PARABLE, they think we can't either. And so the merchant becomes instead an ascetic!
When you can't even motivate with the use of Jesus teaching, you should go home and SHUT UP.
Honesty

At least they are consistent with their madness. The script hasn't changed a lot in 120 years. Boring, stupid, boring, stupid..........
Neo

Pistoff,
Simply brilliant. They reinterpret and sterilize the parable. One more good example like Metatron's.
Neo
garybuss

It's my understanding that Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation are no longer connected. I think getting those two confused is why some people have so much trouble dealing with either of them.

Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe what the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation prints, the Witnesses I know don't even know what the publishing company prints. To think they do is a delusion.

More than a few Witnesses believe the Bible and have not read much of the publishing company produced literature at all. For many Witness people the Kingdom Hall and service is little more than a social club for them. Most Witnesses will not believe it when they are told of the writings of the publishing company and they absolutely do not believe the shenanigans pulled by the publishing company like the United Nations association arrangement.

Ex Witnesses most often confuse the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation(s) and Jehovah's Witnesses but few Witnesses of the loyal type confuse the two.

To understand Witness people, they need to be thought of without the Watch Tower Publishing Company in the picture. Then a real profile emerges and that profile is very different than the descriptions sold by the publishing company.
what_Truth?

I heard a similar story about that parable 'it's easier for a cemel to pass through the eye of a needle then it is for a rich man to get into heaven'.

Some bible scholars claim that Jesus was talking about a middle eastern market town who's domed gates were shaped like the eye of a giant needle. The merchants would all pass through that gate to sell their goods. sometimes the greedier merchants would load so many goods on the back of their camel that the poor beast would have to bend and crouch to struggle their way through the arch. Taken that way Jesus parable means "Be balanced in your pursuit of riches and spiritual matters." Makes sense right?

No sooner had I read that quote I get an AWAKE in the mail with a picture of Acient Robed Jewish Guy #47 holding a sewing needle with a camel walking behind him. The caption said "Impossible?"

Maybe you're right. They're could be those in the org that are purposly trying to make the publications so dumb and hypocritical that even the dumbest JW will say "Nah, that can't be right". Why not? Even the GB must excercise a sick sense of amusement from time to time.
metatron

Empires get downsized when the cost and difficulty of maintaining them become unacceptable. The Soviets
ran out of money and disciplined soldiers. I'm very hopeful that the Watchtower is headed in the same direction.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the WT hierarchy simply lost interest in congregations, thinking of them as bothersome?
They could print tracts, enjoy their positions and stock holdings and let the congregations go.
Once cynicism becomes deeply entrenched at Headquarters , who knows.
metatron

Paradox: Are Faithless Watchtower Leaders Reform's Best Hope?

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