3/3 By clinging to a once-relevant interpretation, the JW organization maintains strict guidelines that limit personal freedoms (eg right to vote), showing how a singular historical viewpoint continues to shape practices today. Now they use other arguments to maintain the view.

2/3 But the neutrality doctrine which was based on the identity of the “Higher Powers” was never updated to reflect that change in identity!

1/3 The neutrality doctrine came about because Rutherford interpreted the “Higher Powers” to mean God, Jesus, and by extension himself, giving him authority over #JW. Today the “Higher Powers” are understood by JW to be secular governments ➡️

Similarly here is another example of the old teaching about the “Higher Powers” being used for the neutrality doctrine (and to give authority to Rutherford).

A doctrine can completely flip, but doctrines that stem from it remain.

Governors and neutrality remain.⬇️

6/6 But forget logic.

As we know, JW today must still obey a Governing Body, currently made up of 11 governors who claim to "take the lead" rather than rule, but in reality, they do rule.

5/6 Using WT’s logic used to explain governors, when the teaching changed, and the "higher powers" were reinterpreted to refer to secular governments, the governors' authority would now be derived from these secular powers, not directly from Jehovah and Jesus!

4/6 Later, the teaching changed, and the "higher powers" (or “superior authorities”) were identified as worldly governments rather than Jehovah and Jesus.

3/6 …governors, as representatives of Christ's authority, were seen as ruling under the supreme authority of Jehovah and Jesus. This meant that governors had to be obeyed, as their rule was understood to be divinely appointed.

2/6 It is important to note that the idea that "governors" were to rule over Jehovah's Witnesses stems from the old teaching that the "higher powers" referred to Jehovah and Jesus. According to this view, Jehovah was the Supreme Ruler, Jesus was the appointed King and➡️

x.com/ron_pomo/sta...

5/5 Everyone else was essentially told to remain on standby for what they may or may not be used for.

4/5 In short, all regional spokespersons have been let go from their duties. As my source understands it, the plan is to have one spokesperson per country in Central America and for certain key regions in Mexico.

3/5 The source shared that the branch representatives explained a worldwide directive from the Governing Body to shift from a "proactive" to a "reactionary" approach. No reasoning for the change was provided, but the emphasis was placed on obedience to the directive.

2/5 During the session, they reviewed their 2024 efforts, which focused on creating articles and reaching out to journalists. It was announced that this approach will no longer continue.

2/2 Governing Body Member Stephen Lett isn’t short of income considering he signed a Vow of Obedience and Poverty.

Of course they have different images for different “lands”, I just thought it was interesting that they didn’t bother to reshoot but just darkened the skin on their original image.

3/3

2/3 News story here:
info.dingir.cz/2024/12/cest...