Someone on another thread asked about Schnell's book, Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave. I have a copy of it, but hadn't looked at in many years. I reviewed it again, and understand its importance better now that I know more about the JW history.Let me summarize some of the information that struck me. William Schnell was born of a German immigrent family in 1905. In 1914, his family took a trip to Germany. Because his father was not a US citizen the family could not return to the states. In 1921, Schnell became a Bible Student (former name for JWs). He writes that at that time the congregations followed many of Russell's ideas. The members had Bible studies, not book studies. Charity for both poor members and outsiders was encouraged and practiced. Preaching was encouraged, but time was not counted and quotas were not set. The elders were elected locally, with no input, approval, or disapproval coming from a central headquarters. Individuality of expression was encouraged, and each congregation had a great deal of autonomy.In 1925, Schnell joined the German Bethel. At the same time that the organization was preaching the end of the world by the end of 1925, they were building and expanding their printing facilities in preparation for expansion when the end did not come. Some of the brothers noted this discrepency.Schnell points out that 1925-26 were pivotal years. At that time, the organization set out to change all the characteristics of the congregations I described above. Quotas, reporting time, book studies, central control and approval were all instituted in those two years. Congregations that balked at the new requirement, were systematicly destroyed.This apparently was the time that beards were outlawed. Schnell over heard a conversation between the Bethel overseer and Rutherford. The overseer asked Rutherford for one more modern printing press. Rutherford thought for a minute and said he would if the overseer would shave his beard. The overseer went away and came back a few minutes clean shaven. According to Schnell, Rutherford's "no beard" policy was because Russell had a beard, and Rutherford wanted to get rid of everything that reminded people of Russell.There is much more to the book, but these are the parts that struck me.
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| larc | 30 years a WT slave | |
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| DIM | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
what a joke, there is no basis for the "no beards" policy. | ||
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| Fredhall | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Larc, Bill Schnell wine up in a nut house. Plus, do you have anything better to read beside reading a book from a fruitcake? | ||
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| larc | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Fred,If I want to read the words of a fruit cake, I would rather read your words. If find your feigned lack of grammar to be interesting. How's everything at the factory. Still printing the Parade magazine there? | ||
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| Fredhall | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Larc, I'm printing Bill Schnell books. | ||
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| hippikon | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Russell had a beard, and Rutherford wanted to get rid of everything that reminded people of Russell. Now that is the most logical reason I have been given - Makes more sense than the "House Rules" argument. | ||
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| OUTLAW | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Good post LARC,interesting and informative.///Fred,wheres your picture it dosen`t come up with your posts.Have you lost your ability to be photographed,if thats true you don`t have a reflection either.Have you gone from multi horned,red faced demon to a stalker of the night VAMPIRE?OH-NO the evolution of FRED,say it isn`t so. | ||
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| Fredhall | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Outlaw, Do you know why my picture doesn't show up? Because I'm an OUTLAW cat!! | ||
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| OUTLAW | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
And a funny cat at that!!! | ||
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| nytelecom1 | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
what a joke, there is no basis for the "no beards" policy. yes believe in anything you read or see on the net....and be quick to commit to it.........and the basis for the story can i interest you in a bible study? According to Schnell, Rutherford's "no beard" policy was because Russell had a beard, and Rutherford wanted to get rid of everything that reminded people of Russell. according shnell or the wts? | ||
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| crittersitter | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
i cannot make up my mind about fred... he makes stupid one liner comments on many threads( sounds like a 13 yr old) and a couple of his comments actualy sounded adult like a mature..NOT the content but the spelling etc.... he likes cats...i like critters... so there is one redeeming quality. fred...are u a jw or not? me thinks you are not , but were..yet you defend those beliefs... a weird cat that fred switch to pearls fred...easier on the paws!! | ||
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| larc | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Nyt,I clearly stated that the beard rationale was Schnell's opinion. Perhaps, you could find some official WT statements as to their rationale.I have read here that their reason was that a beard would make a bad impression to the world. Beards might be associated with druggies and biker types. This rationale doesn't seem to wash since their are high level professionals, politicians, professors, etc that wear beards. A man is an expensive suit, sporting a well trimmed beard is quite distinguised looking.Any comments, nyt? | ||
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| Francois | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Well, there is damn sure SOME basis for the no beards policy, even if it is a puddle of liquid shit ten feet deep, because THERE THE DAMN POLICY IS. It's based on SOMEthing. And that's as good an argument as I've ever heard.BTW, are you aware that Rutherford died of metastatic rectal cancer? There's a great joke in there somewhere, if I could just find it.Francois | ||
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| larc | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Francois,How about this one. The doctor talking to the Judge, "I told you it was a health risk, but you wouldn't listen. The reason you have rectal cancer is that you talked out of your ass all the time. I know, I read your books." | ||
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| Satanus | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
FrancoisDoctors tried to save rutherford from the cancer with an asshole transplant, but the asshole rejected him. | ||
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| Ranchette | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Ranchette, snickering at you guys' for your dark sense of humer.  I did find the beard thing interesting. My mom used to tell me that beards were a sign of rebellion and disrespect. I knew this stemmed from the hippie days and after that period passed I used to ask why it was still an issue. I never got a satisfying answer.Lark, this explaination is better than any I've heard in the past.But I just think it all boils down to Power and Control issues as the main reason beards are still a no no in most Congs in the USA.Ranchette | ||
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| DIM | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
ok NYtelecom, I'm just down the New Jersey turnpike in PA. Let's say I decide to grow a beard. My elders would say to themselves "now there's a rebellious person" and make attempts to limit how they use me. Now what is the basis for that? My post was just a general comment that there is no basis for the no beard rule, not just in regards to what was said in the book. | ||
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| larc | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Since there is considerable interest in this subject, I will provide the exact quote. Keep in mind this is one man's opinion. However, it is a man who had considerable knowledge of the inner workings of the society at that time."An amusing incident took place at the time of the Judge's visit. The director of our German branch, as had many before him, had grown a large beard, patterned after Charles T. Russell's beard. The judge did not want anything at all to remain which might remind him of Russell - not even the cultivation of a beard. So, sitting at the table for dinner one night within my ear shot, the Director asked the Judge for one more large rotary press. The Judge said nothing for awhile, merely ate. Then suddenly he looked up, his eyes pinned severly on the Director's huge beard and said, 'I will buy you the press if you take that thing off,' pointing to the beard. It surely shocked the Director's sensibilities, but he meekly heeded the warning and soon shamefacedly appeared minus his beard." | ||
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| Room 215 | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Larc, I would like to read Schnell's book but haen't as yet located a copy. From what you say, it seems fair to conclude that he considered the Bible Students of Russell's a far more attractive fellowship than what followed with Rutherford, et al. Is that correct? | ||
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| Room 215 | Re: 30 years a WT slave | |
Sorry for the ``spam'' but I felt I had to comment on the beard prohibition: whatever its origin, it's a sily, arrbitrary rule and just another example of how sadly out of touch with reality the gerontocrats in Brooklyn's ivory tower are. It's been decades since anyone associated well-tended facial hair with rebellion or the counterculture; anyone vaguely in touch with current society knows that whether professionals sport beards or not has no bearing as to how the community regards them. Just another case of being different for being different's sake, a childish bid to be noticed and talked about. Hello Brooklyn .... anyone home? These buggers are stuck in a time warp.... they still think $150 a week is great pay, Eisenhower's still in the White House and Elvis leads the charts. And these are your chosen career/lifestyle counselors? | ||
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