criticism of a man's teachings is always proper." J. F. Rutherford

garybuss

The Watch Tower June 15, 1917

"J. F. Rutherford, addressing an audience which crowded the Academy of Music yesterday afternoon, arraigned Billy Sunday with having appropriated to his own use Pastor Russell's published views on the second coming of Christ. The speaker charged the evangelist with preaching questionable theology, declaring it wholly inconsistent. "Are we at the End of the World?" was the subject of Mr. Rutherford's address. This was his first public appearance in Brooklyn since the death of Pastor Russell. "Criticism of a man is hardly the proper course for a Christian,' he said, 'but criticism of a man's teachings is always proper."

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Another thing I agree with the Judge about! Anyone seen this one before? GaryB

Brummie

I cant say I've seen it before.

'but criticism of a man's teachings is always proper."

But he probably meant it in the context that his teachings were Gods and not mans, so question everyone elses but not his.

Brumm.

DanTheMan

Along similar lines -

"It is not a form of religious persecution for anyone to say and to show that another religion is false. It is not religious persecution for an informed person to expose publicly a certain religion as being false..." WT 11/15/63 p. 688

cat1759

Hi Gary,

Do you have privy to the older issues of the magazines? Golden whatever? Is it called Golden Dawn, Golden Era, Golden Fleece, Golden Joke? Just teasing of course.

Isn't it true that Russell used pyramidology and that Rutherford changed all the views up to that time? Also Theodore Roosevelt was brought up a JWS but at that time they called it the River something Congregation? His Father was upset at the changing of the guards and stopped believing in the organization but the mother continued on till her death. There is mention of her being the Mother of the president in the older issues and I believe they were produced by Rutherford, especially at her death. I can't seem to get a hold or no where no the net to look all this up. Young Roosevelt had turned away as soon as he could. I would just like to know if the information I recieved is true. I don't usually believe in anything unless I can see it in writing.

I personally think that Russell was on the right track. Leading the world to a higher consciousness.

Thank you

Cathy

berylblue

"It is not a form of religious persecution for anyone to say and to show that another religion is false. It is not religious persecution for an informed person to expose publicly a certain religion as being false..." WT 11/15/63 p. 688

Unless, of course, it is "apostates" trying to expose the WTS.

garybuss

Hi Cathy, I had never heard that Theodore Roosevelt had connections to the Bible Students. Jim Penton or Jerry Bergman or Alan Feuerbacher would know. I do have access to many of the older publications but not the Golden Age. Dwight Eisenhower's mother was a Witness. GaryB

rocketman

Interesting quote there Garybuss.....too bad, as berylblue mentions, they never apply the quotes to themselves.

cat1759

HI Gary,

Sorry got the name wrong. Yes Eisenhower Ike...my son and i were talking about the presidents and I thought it was really interesting. I am interested in the oldest editions if possible. Actually the very first editions of the Golden Era.

Since I no longer visit kingdom halls in my free time I don't have access to anything good, new, interesting. The net is ok but you can't always find what you want.

Because of Russells beliefs in pyramidology I have been trying to figure out the very basic start of this religion. What was the whole concept before it got screwed away with religious piousy and egotism.

Was it true they used Ike's Mother to propagate further non believers?

Thanks for all your help!

Cathy

garybuss

Brumm, Doesn't it seem that the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation has a slight problem with the concept of equal application of principal?

Thanks for the quote Dan. That's a very interesting quote. More?

Bery, Yes, the same principles used by the ones who disagree are now suspect huh? Thanks, Hope you are doing good. GaryB

garybuss

Hi Cathy, I have no access to the Golden Age except for a few loose copies I have in my library.

The group got it's start with William Miller in the early 1800's. Miller's end time predictions failed, and he quit his own group but his group lived on, and one student of Miller's students was 20 year old Charles Russell. Russell became a writer and operated a book publishing business. Russell was revered and a natural following formed around him.

When Russell died, his attorney, Joe Rutherford hijacked that following as well as the publishing corporation, and diverted the message as well as the direction of the corporation to establish a hate club, changing the name in 1931 to Jehovah's Witnesses.

Rutherford inserted service directors in the congregations and subverted control from the elders, sought publicity by staging riots, and elected the services of martyrs to give him basis to practice law at the Supreme Court level in the USA.

Essential history books to read are Jehovah's Witnesses, A Comprehensive And Selectively Annotated Bibliography by Jerry Bergman, Apocalypse Delayed by M. James Penton, and Crisis Of Conscience by Raymond Franz. GaryB
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The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

criticism of a man's teachings is always proper." J. F. Rutherford

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