FCCC/League on Nations/UN/Watchtower/Rare Article

by hawkaw 26 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  hawkaw

  I noticed we have been dealing a lot with United Nations issues. So I thought I would share something that doesn’t seem to be found anywhere with respect to the United Nations or its predecessor the League of Nations and the Watchtower.

  Since September 1919 at Cedar Point, J.F. Rutherford (past President) and the Watchtower have condemned the League Of Nations and now the United Nations.

  They also have condemned the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America (FCCC) who adopted a resolution that lent “favor” to this new League prior to its formation.

  There has been many a quote over the years by the Watchtower, condemning the FCCC over this issue. The Watchtower seems to quote a January 1919 Federal Council Bulletin that was published by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. Recent Watchtower and Awake! magazines tend to use these quotes from the 1919 Bulletin:

  1) According to Watchtower writers, the FCCC suggests that the League is the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth. Some articles stated “As Christians we urge the establishment of a League of Free Nations at the coming Peace Conference. Such a League is not a mere political expedient; it is rather the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth” (Oct 15, 1985 Awake! pages 4 to 7).

  2) According to Watchtower writers, the FCCC believed the League was “rooted in the Gospel”(Oct 15, 1985 Awake! pages 4 to 7).

  3) According to Watchtower writers, the FCCC also is quoted in some WTS publications as “The church has much to give and much to gain. It can give a powerful sanction by imparting to the new international order something of the prophetic glory of the Kingdom of God” (Oct 15, 1985 Awake! pages 4 to 7).

  So just what exactly was stated by this FCCC. Well below you are looking at a very rare publication titled the “Federal Council Bulletin”, Volume 2, No. 1, published by the FCCC in January, 1919. The article is from pages 12 to 14 and its title is “For a League of Nations”. (Note the article ends after the first paragraph on page 14. Also to copy any image, please move your mouse cursor over the image you want. Then right click and save the image to your hard drive. Then open the image up in your word processing or graphics package and then print away. My source for this document is found a few posts below this post in this thread).

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  One thing I notice right away is that the Watchtower writers love (as usual) to take parts of the entire article and make it sound like the portions they have quoted are all in one paragraph.

  I also observed that the Awake! writers in an October 8, 1985 article (presented in a post below) left out sentence 1 and the word’s “To this end,” in sentence 2 of paragraph 4 for the “Declaration” section on page 12 in this January 1919 Bulletin.

  If a reader leaves paragraph 4 in tact, I think the FCCC was trying to “favor” this new League for “truth and right, justice and humanity” only. The fifth paragraph of the January 1919 article on page 12 tends to support this as well - where the paragraph explains what the role of “agencies” are in the mind of the “Church of the Living God”. Thus, I wonder if the Watchtower writers took the declaration out of context and made it sound like it was more than what the FCCC intended?

  Further to that, I also observed paragraphs 8 and 9 on page 12 of this Declaration:

  "We must have a governed world in which the security and rights of each shall rest upon the combined strength of all. Humanity must be organized on a basis of justice and fair dealing. The law of brotherhood must supersede the law of the jungle.

  A League to attain these results must be democratic in spirit and in form. It must be capable of continuous adjustment to the advancing life of separate nations and also the world. It must be directed by the enlightened conscience of mankind. The heroic dead will have died in vain unless out of victory shall come a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

  The above paragraphs along with paragraphs 4 and 5 in the Declaration suggest to me that the FCCC was looking for a League that would protect the rights and freedoms of the innocent and create order.

  Paragraph 14 in the Declaration section of this article (at the bottom of page 12) has the “The League of Nations is rooted in the Gospel” quote that the Watchtower writers like to use.

  But if you read the entire paragraph, it seems to me that the FCCC context (ie. what the FCCC was trying to say) was that the League, just like the Gospel, has an appeal to bringing “peace on earth” and being “universal”. I don't think they were actually saying that the League was "literally" rooted in the Gospel. I could be wrong but that is what I am reading right now.

  Please read this through and tell me your thoughts on the article. I will post more Watchtower articles on this when I get a second.

  hawk
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  hawkaw

  Oh one other thing I noticed was this was not passed by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America but by the executive committee of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. This organization represented 30 church organizations (protestant only). The members are shown below in the 1919 Yearbook produced by the FCCC.

  I have had some Witnesses explain to me that this FCCC represented all of Christianity. But I guess the facts show that this organization (executive committee) didn't represent a whole lot of churches - just a few protestants - and thus, did not represent all of the Chrurches when they presented the "resolution".

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  hawkaw

  Here is on example of what the Watchtower writers talk about when it comes to the FCCC (Watchtower CD ROM 1999 version)

  June 1, 1996 The Watchtower magazine
  Article - "Flight to Safety Before the "Great Tribulation"" Pages 14 to 19

  Page 17

  Modern-Day “Disgusting Thing”

  13 Remember, the Hebrew word for “disgusting thing” is used in the Bible principally with reference to idols and idolatrous practices. Was the League idolized? Indeed it was! The clergy put it “in a holy place,” and their followers proceeded to give it passionate devotion. The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America declared that the League would be “the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth.” The U.S. Senate received an avalanche of mail from religious groups urging it to ratify the Covenant of the League of Nations. The general body of Baptists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians in Britain lauded it as “the only available instrument for attaining [peace on earth].”—See Revelation 13:14, 15."

  I "bolded" the quote for you in the above paragraph.

  hawk
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  hawkaw

  Here is example 2 of what the Watchtower writers talk about when it comes to the FCCC (Watchtower CD ROM 1999 version)

  Awake! magazine October 8, 1985
  Article Title - “The Vision for Peace”
  Article Section - “The League of Nations Is Rooted in the Gospel” (Pages 6 and 7, paragraphs 2 and 3 in this section)

  Prior to the above, in December of 1918, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America issued a declaration that said in part: “As Christians we urge the establishment of a League of Free Nations at the coming Peace Conference. Such a League is not a mere political expedient; it is rather the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth.” (Italics ours.) It then went on to say: “The Church has much to give and much to gain. It can give a powerful sanction by imparting to the new international order something of the prophetic glory of the Kingdom of God. . . . The League of Nations is rooted in the Gospel.”

  If the League was truly “rooted in the Gospel” and was truly an “expression of the Kingdom of God,” then the League’s fate was going to reflect on both the Gospel and the Kingdom. Was Wilson presumptuous in believing that he was God’s instrument to bring permanent peace to the nations? And an even more fundamental question is, Did the League of Nations really have God’s backing?

  I again have bolded the part dealing with the FCCC.

  hawk
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  sf

  Hawkaw,

  What is it exactly you are scanning? A hard copy or something from the internet? IF it is a hardcopy, where did you obtain it?

  sKally
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  hawkaw

  Its a hardcopy - you won't find this on the internet.

  I obtained it from the Presbyterian Historical Society in Phil., Penn., USA.

  They house all of the old works by the FCCC. The FCCC is now called the National Council of Churches of Christ in America - the name changed in the 1950s as more members were added.

  I will give you the full address and contact this afternoon when I get back.

  Do you want to comment on it?

  hawk
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  one

  WT writers of specific UN articles do not seem to be in 'sync' with other WT writers that mention the UN on other articles.

  The 'other ariticles' writers may not even know about the NGO/UN association.

  It is like the WT publication about the bible book of James published over two decades ago. It was a totally different type of publication, as far as content. Much later I got an idea about who wrote it, no wonder.

  About the FCCC, the WT has always quoted basically the same, out of context, portion you mention I have read such a quotation a thousand times from the WT, they really like it.

  In my opinion this UN issue is very important, the WT has said so much about the UN. I used to be a "book study" conductor using the book that explained all the UN "revelation". I think it was titled "babylon the grape..." it was a red book by the way.

  Most jw did not understood the book, there are three (3) beast mentioned with 'seven head' each, 21 heads and 30 horns to talk about, not to mention other animals here and there. hehehe

  Like I said before just quoting or displaying WT and UN documents plus some individual experiences with the WT should do the job.
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  Norm

  Excellent work Hawkaw.

  You went to the source and discovered that the WTS as usual is less than honest when they quote anything.

  They have harped incessantly on this FCCC thing ever since 1919, and of course it was fake as verything else these snake oil tricksters touch.

  Norm
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  hawkaw

  Thanks for your comments one,

  I look forward to more.

  With respect to the location of these documents.

  A photocopy can be obtained from the

  Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia
  Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
  425 Lombard Street
  Philagelphia, PA 19147
  Fax - 215-627-0115
  Phone - 215-627-1852

  The person I contacted was Eileen Meyer Sklar, Reference Archivist.

  Ask for the Federal Council Bulletin, Volume 2, No. 1, January 1919. As you may have noticed the article is on pages 12 to 14.

  Of course they do charge for the photocopying. However, you can always go back up onto the image (picture) with your mouse cursor. Then right click and save the image to your harddrive. Then all you have to do is open the image in a wordprocessing or graphics package and print to your hearts content.

  These are pretty rare documents - not even available anywhere in Canada. So I hope they are useful.

  hawk
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  hawkaw

  Thanks Norm.

  I have found some more quotes in the Watchtower magazines on this issue. When I get a second I will try and post them.
  
  hawk