Researching the WBTS is painful and shocking

restrangled

After Lady Liberty gave a link to the new re-examine site, I found some details that are so disturbing its boggling my mind.

First, The original Presidents were voted in, but not one vote per person but for every $10.00 contributed you received a vote. So those already in power and with much money had tremendous sway as to who got in and who didn't. This little scheme was not stopped until 1944.

So When Rutherford was "elected by a unanimous vote" we can assume it was mainly of his own doing based on money contributed. In about 1935 they found this was not in keeping with the Bible but kept it up until Rutherford ousted those against him and got in power those who supported him. He then made the proclamation that this business organization was God's channel and sent out a resolution to all the congregations for them to adopt. (no voting mind you).. Those who did not agree were removed from the Society. After all the congregations cooperated, he then promptly dropped the democratic vote to a now theocratic governing body.

This is a very abbreviated synopsis of what went on, but explains how the WBTS decided they became God's sole Channel to Mankind.

I have never been angrier in my life or ever felt so duped.

Any comments?

r.

candidlynuts

it is shocking.. especially when you've been a jw all your life or for a long time and heard so many times how its different from other religions when it comes to money. and again, the history of the religion is whitewashed and rarely spoken about by members or current publications

crazyblondeb

Is there a new link to reexaimine? Or is it the same as the old one?

shelley

Mary

The original Presidents were voted in, but not one vote per person but for every $10.00 contributed you received a vote. So those already in power and with much money had tremendous sway as to who got in and who didn't. This little scheme was not stopped until 1944.

WTF?? Are you serious?! Holy crap, I never knew that....I knew they used to vote but I didn't realize it was based on bribery......geezus...Just when you think this religion can't shock you any further, they manage to surprise.

jaguarbass

It sounds like the golden rule to me. He who has the gold makes the rules.

return visitor

Before last month I would have said that that was a lie, but now nothing supprises me.

RV

restrangled

Mary, I was as shocked as you are. I spent my entire day researching this and had to print it out. You can see a copy of the Proxy and voting form at the end of the August 15, 1938 Watchtower on Re-examine.

Also the info on the $10.00 per vote was in the 1959 publication called Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose. In chapter 11 page 64......Entitled "A change in Administration Tests God's Servants"

I have quoted directly the following but please read the entire chapter for yourself......

"The next regular annual meeting of the corporation was scheduled for January 1917, which, that year, had the chief business of electing the president to replace C. T. Russell. There were 600 in attendance at this meeting on January 6, with approxcimately 150,000 votes represented either in person or by proxy to be cast.

"In those days every $10 contributed to the Society entitled its donor to one voting share. That is why before this, Pastor Russell himself would cast 25,000 votes at most of these corporation meetings. He had contributed in his lifetime around $250,000. When he died, of course, according to law his votes died with hiem. So these 150,000 votes, active for the meeting in 1917, represented that those holding them had contributed, at one time or another, $1,500,000 to the Society for its preaching work. This voting method was amended in 1944, eliminating entirely this method of acquiring votes.

ITS CALLED SHOCK AND AWE WATCHTOWER STYLE!

R.

RR

ACtually, Russell left ALL his shares between three sisters. Rutherford, then had them void, because, being the women hater he was, women shouldn't have a say in the affairs of God. So he took the shares for himself, giving him the majority.

Then, there were those who were confused as to whom they should vote for, so they gave their blank proxies to MacMillian and VanAmburgh, knowing that they woked with Russell for decades, they would know best. These clowns then wrote Rutherford and their names down.

RR

VM44

Hi RR,

"Rutherford, then had them void, because, being the women hater he was, women shouldn't have a say in the affairs of God. So he took the shares for himself, giving him the majority."

How did Rutherford do this legally? Shares in a corporation cannot just be made void because they are worth $$$. Did he buy them out? If he did void them then he would have stole money from them along with violating Russell's will (in still another way)

--VM44

Kaput

Eventually we all come to realize this was never "the truth" but just a business run by self-serving s.

BTW, RR. On page 60 of Crisis of Conscience I find this information about Russell's wishes as provided by Ray Franz: "He (Russell) also willed all his corporation voting shares to five women named by him as Trustees, and provided that if any members of the Editorial Committee should be impeached, these women would serve along with the other corporation trustees (evidently the Directors) and the remaining Editorial Committee members in acting as a Board of Judgment to decide the case of the Editorial Committee member accused."

Do these five women include the three sisters you mentioned?

Researching the WBTS is painful and shocking

Share this