Yep!..Rutherford probably played Soapy Bum in the Prison Showers!......................................................LOL!!...OUTLAW
The Finished Mystery Book---Was The Gov't Really That Upset With JWs?
by minimus 33 Replies latest watchtower bible
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steve2
There was a narcissistic element to Rutherford's personality that promoted an attitude of "Bring it on". He deliberately set out to inflame his "opponents" and was a vicious critic of every single view that he did not agree with.
The extent to which the government of the day really cared needs to be seen in the light of his extraordinarily provocative statements - aimed especially at the Catholic Church whose reach into the government of the day was significantly greater than currently. He was a verbal and organizational bully who left the rank and file to deal with the mess he created.
There is no doubt that when local communities turned against JWs in the 30s and 40s, it was in large part due to Rutherford's inflammatory speeches and publications. He also expected the rank and file to take the same approach, even though the local JWs did not have the protective means to escape from counterattacks. Meanwhile, Rutherford always had his "palace" to give himself a break.
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minimus
Yes, Rutherford cultivated inflammatory followers. I used to study with a former JW in the 70s who yelled, "JUDGE RUTHERFORD MADE MY WIFE LEAVE ME!!!". Evidently, his wife talked to Da Judge about her husband's waning commitment to him and the movement so he told her to leave him. Once I got to talking to this guy, I started to realize how strong Rutherford was.
We had an old Rutherfordite in our Hall and he'd give the neighbors the Devil if they refused his books. Rutherford's bunch were bombastic, to say the least.
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minimus
"A People For His Name" by Tony Wills is a book I googled and many interesting facts are presented showing how Rutherfraud misstated Russell's comments and intentions. Very fascinating excerpts!
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AnnOMaly
Found it! I knew it was somewhere! Jim Whitney read through the court transcripts and put together a piece on this whole episode. It's nicely presented on the shiny new Freeminds site.
This is the part I wanted:
"By July 1917: The Watchtower Society publishes and releases the book, The Finished Mystery. This book went into circulation up until the late fall of 1917. Early on complaints and allegations were made that the book contained seditious material. However, there were also other charges being made that the Society officers were attending and giving depositions to help Bible Students avoid the draft, claiming conscientious objection ... when there was no such organizational doctrine at the time ... and worst of all, some of the Society officers were corresponding with members of the military on active duty during wartime, and trying to induce them to dessert[sic]." [or sick - they tempted them with big bowls of toffee ice cream - Ann (sorry, Jim, couldn't resist)]
Full article - worth a read - http://www.freeminds.org/organization/rutherford/did-j.-f.-rutherford-lie-about-being-exonerated.html
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minimus
I could see them jumping ship for some toffee ice cream.
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JeffT
From "The Cult of the Presidency" by Gene Healy (a must read in my opinion but not JW related)
"The Espionage Act and Sedition Act were the Wilson Administration's two key legal tools for the supression of dissent....the Sedition Act went even further, proscribing "disloyal" and "abusive" statements about the US Army or the American form of government and making it criminal to "by word or act oppose the cause of the United States." During the course of the war, there were over 2,000 prosecutions under the Espionage Act alone. All told, over 30 people received 20-year sentences and 70 got 10 year terms." (p 67)
So no, it was not so much about JW's.
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minimus
So these others were "persecuted for righteousness' sake".
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Room 215
I believe it's also overlooked that Rutherford excised the offending pages in later editions of The Finished Mystery... how is that not a cowardly cave-in and compromise of principle?
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