The Watchtower Society must indeed suffer from a severe lack of humble people.
In their search for an example of humility and humbleness they actually name their second President, J. F. Rutherford, a man still known for his complete lack of anything resembling humility.
Hoping for the usual total ignorance among the R&F the Watchtower wrote this:
*** w93 2/1 19 What Godly Subjection Requires of Us ***
19 A fine example of humility and godly subjection was once furnished by Joseph Rutherford, the second president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. When Hitler banned the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany, the brothers there wrote to him asking what they should do in view of the ban on their meetings and their preaching activity. He mentioned this to the Bethel family and frankly admitted that he did not know what to tell the German brothers, particularly in view of the severe sanctions involved. He said that if anyone knew what to tell them, he would be glad to hear it. What a humble spirit!
Sure, Rutherford was almost as fine an example of humility as Moses, you know the guy who “wrote” about himself that he was the most humble man on earth. In Rutherford’s defense we can say that the Watchtower Society had to wait a long time before they dared promote him as humble.
*** w93 12/1 14 Examples of Humility to Imitate ***
JOSEPH F. RUTHERFORD had a commanding presence, being more than six feet [180 cm] tall and weighing well over 200 pounds [90 kg]. He also had a powerful voice, which he used not only to make known the name of Jehovah as it had never been made known before but also to expose the duplicity of the religious leaders of Christendom, terming their religion “a snare and a racket.” But as powerful as his speeches were, when he prayed with the headquarters Bethel family, he sounded just like a small boy talking to his daddy, thus giving evidence of both his intimate relationship with his Maker and his humility. Yes, he was as humble as a little child.—Matthew 18:3, 4.
When Rutherford occasionally collapsed in a drunken stupor in the corridors at Bethel it is said that that it took 5-6 brothers to carry him to his rooms, so he must have weighed far more than 90 kg. Not even “Jehovah” could get him to his rooms singlehandedly.
*** w93 12/1 14 Examples of Humility to Imitate ***
2 Undoubtedly, all true servants of Jehovah God are humble. In this regard they stand in striking contrast with people of the world. Today, more than ever before, it is filled with proud individuals. The high and the mighty, the rich and the learned, and even many of the poor and those disadvantaged in other ways are proud.
Of course all the Watchtower Society leaders are extremely humble, that evidently goes with the territory. What a “striking contrast” the upper echelons of the Watchtower Society is to their haughty counterparts in the WORLD! I mean aren’t you all very tired of all those proud people out there in the world who think they are somebody?
We all know that the absolute height of humility and a sure sign of humbleness is to be found among those who are able to tell us who have the favor of God. Those who can tell us who deserve to live and those who deserve to die. Isn’t that extremely humble? The Watchtower Society repeatedly tell us that no one who do not accept their reality have no right to exist. Isn’t that astonishingly humble?
Take a look at this extremely humble statement from Brooklyn:
*** w94 7/1 13 At Which Table Are You Feeding? ***
16 Shortly, the great tribulation will suddenly break out, moving quickly to a climax in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14, 16) It will reach a crescendo as Jehovah destroys this system of things and the figurative table at which the world’s nations have been feeding. Jehovah will also overthrow the entire invisible organization of Satan the Devil with its hordes of demons. Those who have continued to feed at Satan’s spiritual table, the table of demons, will be forced to attend a literal meal, no, not as partakers, but as the main course—to their destruction!—See Ezekiel 39:4; Revelation 19:17, 18.
Aren’t you all impressed by the humility that flows from the words above. Those pesky “worldly people” with all their worldly education don’t know this, somehow and strangely enough the majority of those “worldly” don’t seem to think that anyone disagreeing with them should be wiped out from the face of the earth, how haughty! Of course we can find examples of the same Watchtower-like humbleness among worldly people too. Hitler showed much of the same humility when he humbly admitted that only those belonging to the master-race should be allowed to exist, much like the humble representatives of the Watchtower Society.
But in Brooklyn they wax eloquent in their praise of their formerly extremely humble President:
*** w93 12/1 18 Examples of Humility to Imitate ***
17 Another faithful servant in modern times whom Jehovah God used mightily was Joseph F. Rutherford, mentioned at the outset. He was a bold advocate of Bible truth and in particular of the name of Jehovah. Though widely known as Judge Rutherford, he was at heart a humble man. For example, he once made some dogmatic statements as to what Christians could expect in 1925. When events failed to support his expectations, he humbly told the Brooklyn Bethel family that he had made a fool of himself. An anointed Christian who had quite close association with him testified that time and again he heard Brother Rutherford apologize in the spirit of Matthew 5:23, 24, both in public and in private, for having hurt a fellow Christian by some ill-advised expression. It takes humility for one in a position of authority to apologize to those who are in subjection to him. Brother Rutherford set a fine example for all overseers, whether in a congregation, in the traveling work, or in one of the Society’s branches.
Caught with his pant’s down after his miserable 1925 failure the Watchtower seem to think that it was a sign of humility to admit to the obvious. Yet we never see anything even resembling such an admission in the Watchtower literature at the time. The R&F who had pushed his false bullshit never heard any apologies. The legacy of J. F. Rutherford is apart from creating the monster Watchtower organization we see today, he instigated and lead the “Millions campaign” which preached 1925 as the final year, from 1918 to 1925, a complete falsehood and failure. He was also the man behind the publishing of the book, “The Finished Mystery”, which still stands as a monument of some of the worst crap and insane drivel ever produced by a millenarian cult. This complete fiasco and failure, is today hailed as:
”faithful servant in modern times whom Jehovah God used mightily was Joseph F. Rutherford, mentioned at the outset. He was a bold advocate of Bible truth and in particular of the name of Jehovah.”
Well, as mentioned above, what astonishing Bible truth there was in the “Finished Mystery” and the “Millions campaign”.
*** jv 220 15 Development of the Organization Structure ***
However, it has been claimed by some that by advocating this organizational change, J. F. Rutherford simply was endeavoring to gain greater control over the Witnesses and that he used this means to assert his own authority. Was that really the case? There is no doubt that Brother Rutherford was a man of strong convictions. He spoke out forcefully and without compromise for what he believed to be the truth. He could be quite brusque in handling situations when he perceived that people were more concerned about self than they were about the Lord’s work. But Brother Rutherford was genuinely humble before God. As Karl Klein, who became a member of the Governing Body in 1974, later wrote: “Brother Rutherford’s prayers at morning worship . . . endeared him to me. Though he had such a powerful voice, when addressing God he sounded just like a little boy talking to his daddy. What a fine relationship with Jehovah that revealed!” Brother Rutherford was fully convinced as to the identity of Jehovah’s visible organization, and he endeavored to make sure that no man or group of men would be able to hinder brothers locally from receiving the full benefit of the spiritual food and direction that Jehovah was providing for His servants.
The only remarkable feat with Rutherford was that he was indeed able to gain complete control over the Watchtower organization and make it into the totalitarian entity it is today. There is a lot of interesting material in the quote above. Take a look at this for example:
“There is no doubt that Brother Rutherford was a man of strong convictions. He spoke out forcefully and without compromise for what he believed to be the truth.”
Yes indeed, he spoke out forcefully about the “Finished mystery” and “Millions campaign”, where the end was fixed for the year 1919, 1920 and finally 1925. When the year 1925 and it was clear to everybody what a complete failure it was he suddenly became “humble” and confessed what a fool he had been to a few in his inner circle.
“He could be quite brusque in handling situations when he perceived that people were more concerned about self than they were about the Lord’s work.”
Yes, he was very brusque when he in an insane article declared that an entire Biblical prophecy was fulfilled on Walter Salter, the former Canadian branch overseer who dared criticize him.
Rutherford which by that time (in 1937) had his own cult, with unlimited access to publishing books and magazines no matter what insanities they contained was loony enough to dedicate a prophecy to smear Salter’s name. (If the people on Jehovah's Witnesses.com is interested I can post an article I have written about this quite interesting incident)
Anyway, back to the humble President Rutherford. Did you know that when Russell was the leader of the Watchtower Society he was a self appointed leader:
*** jv 72-3 7 Advertise the King and the Kingdom! (1919-1941) ***
A convention was scheduled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 2-5, 1919, during the time that Brother Rutherford and his associates were in prison. But this was no ordinary convention—it was combined with the annual meeting of the Watch Tower Society, on Saturday, January 4, 1919. Brother Rutherford was well aware of the significance of this meeting. That Saturday afternoon he searched for Brother Macmillan and found him at the prison tennis court. According to Macmillan, this is what happened:
“Rutherford said, ‘Mac, I want to talk to you.’
“‘What do you want to talk to me about?’
“‘I want to talk to you about what’s going on at Pittsburgh.’
“‘I’d like to play this tournament out here.’
“‘Aren’t you interested in what’s going on? Don’t you know it’s the election of officers today? You might be ignored and dropped and we’ll stay here forever.’
“‘Brother Rutherford,’ I said, ‘let me tell you something perhaps you haven’t thought of. This is the first time since the Society was incorporated that it can become clearly evident whom Jehovah God would like to have as president.’
“‘What do you mean by that?’
“‘I mean that Brother Russell had a controlling vote and he appointed the different officers. Now with us seemingly out of commission the matter’s different. But, if we got out in time to go up to that assembly to that business meeting, we would come in there and would be accepted to take Brother Russell’s place with the same honor he received. It might look then like man’s work, not God’s.’
“Rutherford just looked thoughtful and walked away.”
If indeed the conversation went as reported it is a very interesting insight into the minds of the Watchtower leadership. First of all it offers us the evidence of the level of superstition of it’s leaders and the whacky reasoning obviously common to the same leadership. But when we read the following it becomes clear what the above was alluding to:
*** jv 74 7 Advertise the King and the Kingdom! (1919-1941) ***
The next day Brother Rutherford knocked on Macmillan’s cell wall and said: “Poke your hand out.” He then handed Macmillan a telegram saying that Rutherford had been reelected president. “He was very happy,” Macmillan later recalled, “to see this display of assurance that Jehovah was running the Society.”
In this quote immediately above, we are presented with the ultimate proof of the immense humility of J. F. Rutherford. He became “very happy” because him being reelected was proof that “Jehovah was running the Society”. Talk about having an inflated opinion of yourself.
Norm