Jehovah's Witnesses developed feelings of self-importance and craved worship. Satan influenced Adam and Eve to disobey God, and humanity subsequently became participants in a challenge involving the competing claims of Jehovah and Satan to universal sovereignty. Other angels who sided with Satan became demons. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Satan and his demons were cast down to earth from heaven after October 1, 1914, at which point the end times began. They believe that Satan is the ruler of the current world order, that human society is influenced and misled by Satan and his demons, and that they are a cause of human
Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses network of anointed ones." At the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Watch Tower Society, the "faithful and discreet slave" was redefined as referring to the Governing Body only and the terms are now synonymous. The following people are members of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (year appointed in parentheses): Prior to 1971, various Watch Tower Society directors were informally identified as members of the "governing body". Jehovah's Witnesses publications began capitalizing "Governing Body" as a proper noun in 1971; "The Watchtower" that year announced "The present Governing Body comprises eleven anointed witnesses of Jehovah." These eleven members are indicated