It’s a world of political wonks we live in, people obsessed with the machinations of authority. Outside of actual politics, few are such a target for examination as those taking the lead in the Witness organization. Let one of these guys so much as belch and those who dislike them relate it forever.

It is ‘cart before the horse,’ 180 degrees backwards. It is reasoning more likely to wow them at theology school than to result in any significant advancement of God’s will. It’s more akin to something out of political science than worship of God. It treats specific teachings/beliefs, often not even mentioned, as though they were planks on a rising politician’s campaign platform.

The way it should work is thus: Shake the faiths down as to beliefs and teachings. Weed out those fundamentally misrepresenting the Bible, those who insist God is a trinity, for example, and those who think the earth is but a launching pad into heaven or hell. Hoe out the ones who think Adam and Eve are for simplistic chumps and who have made no attempt to integrate them into the overall picture.

You’re left with very little at this point. Some might think the job is done. However, of what scraps remain, look for those who realize an obligation to preach the good news to everyone, not just the tech-savvy, not just the educated, not just avid readers. Look for the ones who will take it directly to where people are, directly to their homes, on the theory that everyone lives somewhere.

Then look for groups conscious that the majority of people are quite simply not deep readers. Many have all they can do to keep body and soul together. One sixth of the world population today cannot even read. Look for someone conscious of that fact, who does not focus primarily on the educated when the Bible plainly states the greatest response will be from those who are simple and childlike. “Not many” will be “wise” and “intellectual.”

Then, I suppose you can say, if the collapse of human endeavors to rule the earth really is truly fast approaching, it’s a little late to start building from the ground up. Look for those who have organized and have been at it for awhile, and who have something to show for it.

Then and only then do you give consideration to the ones taking the lead. Primarily, you say, ‘Well they must be doing something right to be the only game in town.’

You don’t start off with consideration of those taking the lead. It’s the last thing you look at. To fixate on the last thing first is to deny God knows how to lead his people. It is to assume direction of the people of God comes through the tried and true method of this system of things: King of the Mountain,’ in which one king takes his place only by shoving the other off. Veil it as ‘academic’ king of the mountain, but it is still king of the mountain. It is  but a manifestation of the evolutionary‘struggle for existence’ and not anything from God.

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