What happens if someone actually takes the Bible serious? Really acts upon it’s message? History have provided us with many examples of this and the Watchtower Societies second President personally had one particularly spectacular go at it.
The Watchtower Society second President J. F. Rutherford was in a hurry to get the “new system” going while he was still alive. He had several attempt’s at it. 1918, 1919, 1920 and 1925. After that he had an understandable aversion of presenting any more concrete dates but he concentrated on just babbling on how incredibly close the end was.
“During the few remaining months until the breaking of that universal cataclysm the powers that rule the nations of the earth will continue to make treaties and tell the people that by such means they will keep the world peace and bring about prosperity.” Universal War Near, 1935, page. 27.
As we know the Bible and particularly Paul was pretty hysteric about the imminence of Jesus return, and how urgent the “times” was. Paul thought that marriage and such matters was very immature because people didn’t have the time to indulge in such “worldly” matters now that the new system was at hand. As we know Paul was a gullible idiot and nothing of what he babbled about ever happened. But in “True Believer” style one complete failure do not deter another complete idiot. Rutherford health was deteriorating and he wanted the “end” to come before he died so he became very impatient. All idiots like to drag as many people as usual with them in their idiocy, if they can convince more people to buy the crap it somehow make their lunacy seem less loony. Rutherford was quite fortunate in that department, because he had a comparatively large number of extremely gullible people in his cult already so he had little trouble in selling his latest fantasy. Everybody had to participate in his weird world.
Anyway, Rutherford had a last insane stab at it and wrote the book “Children”. In this book he took Paul dead serious and admonished the R&F not to get married and those poor dopes who were already married shouldn’t have children. He wrote:
“Should men and women, both of whom are Jonadabs or "other sheep" of the Lord, now marry before Armageddon and bring forth children? They may choose to do so, but the admonition or advice of the Scriptures appears to be against it.” Children 1941, page. 311.
With Armageddon a “few months away” the true believers wouldn’t risk such an added inconvenience as children. Children was written as a dialog between two Jehovah's Witnesses John and Eunice. John want her to set a date for the marriage, but Eunice being a complete idiot of course had to check with the “scriptures” first. I mean a book written by obviously superstitious people several thousands of years ago should always be consulted before marriage, right?. Before going to the bathroom, buying a car and crossing the street you should always consult the “scriptures”. Particularly Paul and his fantasies about an imminent end which obviously never happened back then either. But in the Book Children we get to follow the insane reasoning first hand:
“That would seem to mean that those who would have infants during Armageddon would suffer much greater woe because of their care of the same. it is a great responsibility to rear children and care for them now, and it would be far greater difficulty to care for them during the time of the great tribulation upon the earth.” Children 1941, page. 312, 313.
John, is also catching on to the idiocy and says:
“Armageddon is surely near, and during that time the Lord will clean off the earth everything that offends and is disagreeable. Then, by His grace, we shall begin our life with a greater vision and prolonged joy. Now we see by faith the great THEOCRACY, and we are wholly and unreservedly committed to that righteous government. From now on we shall have our heart devotion fixed on THE THEOCRACY, knowing that soon we shall journey for ever together in the earth. Our hope is that within a few years our marriage may be consummated and, by the Lord's grace, we shall have sweet children that will be an honor to the Lord. We can well defer our marriage until lasting peace comes to the earth. Now we must add nothing to our burdens, but be free and equipped to serve the Lord. When THE THEOCRACY is in full sway it will not be burdensome to have a family . . . We shall not see each other very often for a time, but we can have like thoughts every day of the glorious prospect that is set before us. Children 1941, pp. 366-367.
Here we get a good look at how tragic and insane things get when someone actually take the Bible serious. In Paul’s days they scurried around waiting for the end to occur any day, very “soon”. An end which of course never happened in Paul’s lifetime. Do “Believers” learn anything from this? Of course they don’t. Here Rutherford got it into his head that now finally was the time for what didn’t happen in Paul’s days. Based on what? His own fantasy and wishful thinking of course. After all wasn’t it going to happen “soon”? So then it was yet again time for more madness in following Paul’s insane “counsel”.
Like Paul, Rutherford died and as usual the much hyped Armageddon didn’t materialize. After Rutherford died the Watchtower Society continued this completely idiotic not marrying policy until Knorr and some other big shots suddenly got married, then the whole embarrassing incident was slowly forgotten.
A pity they didn’t continued to follow Paul’s advice of not getting married and having children, that would have lead to a healthily dwindling number of Jehovah's Witnesses. I for one think that all “true” Christians should follow Paul’s advice, that would make the world a much better place.
But I am afraid that in the end of this millennium there will still be some “believers” ranting on about Armageddon coming “soon”.
Norm.