"The Four Presidents of the Watchtower Society"

by RR 51 Replies latest jw friends

  • RR
    RR

    This is the new book edited by Edmund Gruss. I just finished reading it and must say a one word description would be "DISTURBING".

    The book focuses of course on the characters and motivations of the first four presidents of the Watchtower Society.

    The parts on Russell were tame, delving into his personal life (e.g. marriage/divorce). The rerst of the book is disturbing to say the least, delving behind the scenes of the lives and motivation behind Rutherford, Knorr and Franz. Showing how from the very beginning of Rutherford's hostile takeover with the help of MacMillan and VanAmburgh, that the main thrust of the movement was selfish and self-pleasing.

    Well documented, why anyone will stay in this cult after reading this book is beyond me ... or rather shows the hold it has on these por people.

    This book is not doctrinal, but deals with personalities, and shows without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt that Society is nothing more than a pubishing house, and the Jehovah's Witnesses are its salespeople. That truth has no place, but control. sad!

    RR

  • kls
    kls

    RR, where did you get this book? I have never heard of this one, but sounds like something i would like to read. KLS

  • wannaexit
    wannaexit

    Thanks for the write-up. I'd like to get that book to.

    wannaexit

  • blondie
  • gitasatsangha
    gitasatsangha

    President Curley started the whole thing as first president of the International Bible Stooges. Yes he was wierd, and yes his leadership abilities tended to compare evenly fingernail clippings, but he was the first, the progenitor. Even if everything President Curly ever thought up was symbollically smacked up side the greater-head of the memory of him, the religion began with Curly. He had style, grace, and was goofy enough to not take too seriusly. nyocknyoknyoknyock. He is best remember for his key debates with leading theologians of the day. When asked by Swami Vivekananda at the 1893 Paralement of World Religions in Chicago Illinois if he felt that theistic dualism's primary method of self awareness was destruction of the ego through methods of ecstatic love, or rather was it a "wisdom" tradition tempered by a code of ethical solutions, the resolution of which would lead the soul to higher understanding with the scriptures written within one's heard, President Curly replied "Soitenly."

    President Moe took over in the wake of Curly's death. His organization was at a crossroads. Moe took the organization in a very different direction. "Advertise Advertise Advertise" became the mantra of the newly renamed Jehovah's Stooges, along with "Why I Oughta Murder the Bum." and other uplifting speech. Always keeping the flock on his toes, he forced them to test their own convictions by giving the date of the end of the world incorrectly several times. He asked to be released from his earthly duties to join the bride of christ, wherein his prayers were heard and he was liberated from his sufferings on earth, by means of cirrosis of the Liver in 1942, while peacefully smoking a Cuban to get his mind off the good work that Stooge nurses had to do to aid him in the priapsm he was often afflicted with, in his palatial estate in Sandy Eggo.

    The administration of President Shemp was not revolutionary but rather evolutionary, as the Jehovahs Stooges began to spread worldwide. Shemp, always wanting to be like his predecessor, missed the mark. He simply was just a goofier version of Moe with a really bad haircut. The Stooges continued to grow in number. A lot of fundamental changes to the organization were done throughout this time, with the Governing Buddies taking the lead, as Shemp was more of an enforcer. The bulk of the theoretical work of Stoogism was handled by the same man who had earlier helped Moe, the brilliant Larry.

    Larry became the fourth president of the Jehovah's Stooges as Shemp was taken out to the burial plot for annointed stooges sometimes jokingly referred to in Bethel as "the launch pad"., Larry was finally in his own environment, and he set out to make all of his own views of Stoogism stick, and went even further by rewriting the very history he'd been so deeply involved in. By the time of his death, Stoogism had millions of followers, and any attempt at organized reform by dissident stooges had been totally removed by tactical purges.

  • kls
    kls

    Blondie, is there anything you don't know? Thanks for the info.

  • minimus
    minimus

    Do you really think JWs are simply the "salespeople" of the Society? I don't.

  • garybuss
    garybuss

    When I was a Witness, all Watch Tower Society (Corporation) activities have to do with the books the leaders published.

    Personal study was reading the books the leaders published. Meetings were studying the books the leaders published. Service was distributing the books the leaders published. Bible studies were sessions indoctrinating new workers by using the books the leaders published.

    Kingdom Halls were distribution centers where inventory is stocked and a special literature counter is provided and staffed with volunteer workers for the sales people to pick up the books the leaders published. Contribution boxes were conveniently placed for "publishers" to pay by donation for the literature the leaders published.

    The worldwide ministry was designed to increase the distribution of the books the leaders published. The Corporation's school for missionaries was called Gilead, and it's purpose was to teach members how to start new congregations using the books the leaders published.

    Our weekly schedules revolve around the study and distribution of literature the leaders wrote and published. That schedule was set up by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation.

    Saturday morning was devoted to distributing magazines the leaders wrote and published.

    Sunday public talk meeting was given from an outline the leaders wrote and published on a topic selected by the leaders and referenced by books the leaders wrote and published.

    Sunday Watchtower Study meeting was reading from and studying a magazine the leaders wrote and published.

    Tuesday book study meeting was reading from and studying a book the leaders wrote and published.

    Wednesday was preparing for Thursday night meetings by reading books the leaders wrote and published.

    Thursday Theocratic Ministry School was speaking from and reading from books the leaders wrote and published.

    Thursday Service Meeting was a sales meeting training for presentations to distribute books and magazines the leaders wrote and published. The Service Meeting was also used to announce staff additions, changes, or deletions as approved by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation.

    Daily texts were read daily from a book the leaders wrote and published.

    Yearly conventions were sponsored by the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation. The highlight was the release of new publications the leaders wrote and published and the water baptism of new "Publishers" who agreed to be identified with the Publishing Corporation, calling themselves the "Spirit Directed Organization".

    Members were called "publisher" and only qualify to be recognized as members if they engage in the distribution of books and magazines the leaders wrote and published and then report that engagement on Field Service Report forms that the leaders published.

    ("Publisher" is dictionary defined as One that is engaged in publishing printed material.)

    Minimus, what about this in NOT about book distribution and advancement of the interests of the publishing corporation? GaryB


  • minimus
    minimus

    Nodody cares about the books anymore. Thet don't publish new books---only recycled ones. The "publishers" don't even go out and place books. They don't sell. They get no money from people anymore. I see no salespeople.

  • gitasatsangha
    gitasatsangha

    Even where the witnesses were banned, such as Kenya in the 80's, their main covert goals were secret publishing and distribution. Folks were getting jailed, beaten and worse, a terrible crime against human rights: but the big deal was making sure the magazines looked nice.

    Case in point, the Watchtower used (what was then very bleeding-edge) desktop publishing kits that could fit in an old ratty bookcase.. small laser-printer, laptop, batteries.(some one at Walkill showed me that when I was on a "Special tour". They could have used what books they already had, memorized scriptures, borrowed an old mimeograph for special bulletins, or just laid low, but instead they felt it best to operate covert presses.

    Publishing is the cake, everything else is only ingrediants.

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