| Testimony of
Randall Watters
(served
at Watchtower headquarters from 1974 to 1980)
Having been a pioneer for two years and anxious to live at the hub
of "God's organization," Bethel seemed like a wonderful
place to be. From the start, I learned to run a press, printing the New
World Translation, the Aid book, and many other
publications. By 1977 I had been appointed a floor overseer and a
Bethel elder. I was in charge of the presses that printed their
Bibles, and help start an offset printing training school. Later
projects involved helping to renovate the entire printing operation.
Traveling regularly around New England as a speaker, I made many fine
friends and enjoyed my work. I was convinced this was truly
"God's organization," and was even zealous to report those
who were entertaining thoughts contrary to those of the "faithful
slave." I was well-known as an "organization man."
The big change in my perspective came in early 1979. On a business
trip to Massachusetts with three other factory overseers, we were
discussing the importance of faith for salvation and how the
organization makes one's works the big issue (rather than true
faith) through the counting of time (going door-to-door), keeping
personal activity records, etc. From this time I began a study that
intrigued me more and more, as I studied Paul's letters to the Romans
and Galatians. At Bethel, I attended a Monday night Bible study after
the family "Watchtower study." We used different
translations of the Bible and went through the New Testament chapter
by chapter. It was becoming noticeable to those within our group that
there was a significant difference between studying what the
Watchtower said about the Bible and actually studying the Bible.
Word leaked out that the Governing Body had discussed the validity
of the 1914 date; or, rather, the issue was brought up for discussion
but was quickly dropped. Also, the matter of the importance of
developing one's conscience rather than living by a code of rules had
been repeatedly brought up, and it seemed that a measure of freedom
would be tolerated within the organization. Articles had been
published that appeared to give the Witnesses more freedom in their
consciences as to matters of employment and their private lives.
Take as an example the Oct. 1, 1972 Watchtower article on
"Your Conscience and Your Employment." It was clarified that
a person who worked on a tobacco plantation could choose to remain
there or quit his job; it was up to his conscience. Then not a few
months would pass by, and elders would complain to the Governing Body
that the flock was taking too many liberties, and rules had to be laid
down. Thus, the Kingdom Ministry of September 1976 stated on
page 3 that a Witness most certainly "could not engage in the
manufacture, sale or promotion" of cigarettes. Milton Henschel, a
member of the Governing Body, once said over another matter of
conscience, "If we let the brothers do this, there is no telling
how far they will go." While in direct conflict with Paul's words
at Romans 7:6 and Galatians 2:16-21; 3:10, the Governing Body deemed
it necessary to lay down rules to "keep the brothers in
line." Over and over I would hear it echoed among those in
positions of responsibility at Bethel, "You just can't trust the
brothers to themselves." In other words, the average JW's love
for Jehovah was seemingly not able to keep him out of trouble, he
needed to have rules, curfews and restrictions to govern all aspects
of his life. Yet, my experience as an overseer told me otherwise. When
you trust people, they feel comfortable and work all the more to get
the job done. Unfortunately, this was not the pervading atmosphere at
Bethel.
Up until the latter part of 1979, personal opinions could be
discussed among close friends, and it was well known among the more
"seasoned" Bethelites that most of the members of the
Governing Body and the Writing Department had differences of opinion
as to matters of doctrine. For example, Colin Quackenbush, former
editor of the Awake! magazine, believed that all of the
"144,000" (the heavenly class) must have been chosen by the
end of the first century, for history testifies that there were
millions of Christians even in the early years of the church, many of
these having been martyred for their faith. Fred Franz, the fourth
president of the organization, at times expressed beliefs that he had
to qualify as his opinion, and not the general consensus of the
other GB members. Yet, by the end of 1979, none would dare to
admit such differences. Those who did were disfellowshipped.
During the time that the Sanchezes were disfellowshipped and Ray
Franz was put on trial, I would hear through the grapevine who was
going to "get the axe" next. The junior members of the
Governing Body took turns at defaming the characters of these
"apostates" in order to prove their loyalty to the older
members of the Governing Body. A popular Bible commentary (Barnes'
Notes On the New Testament) was banned from the libraries for a
time, as some Bethelites who had used it in their studies had seen
through the shallow scholarship of the JW publications and criticized
them. Revealing their insecurity over their own doctrinal foundation,
the Aug.15,1981 Watchtower (p. 28, 29) stabbed at those
who wanted to study the Bible without The Watchtower: "They
say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone
or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible
reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that
commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years
ago."
The crux of the matter is this: The JW is not allowed to interpret
the Bible, but must rely on the ever-changing interpretations of 14
men in New York, none of whom are Greek or Hebrew scholars, and have
no business translating a Bible, let alone controlling the lives of
millions of people.
Christianity is meant to be an experiential faith. You come to
Christ as your mediator, ask forgiveness for your sins, and you
receive the "new birth" (John 3:3-7). Christianity is God working
through man, not man working for God. |
