Judge Rutherford, True Believer or Con Man?

by VM44 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  VM44

  Did "Judge" Rutherford really believe the doctrines he wrote and spoke about?

  Or was he a con man that bluffed his way through life? as he once remarked to an associate.

  If he was a true believer, how could he justify the land and house Beth Sarim, both of which were specifically bought for and built for his use?

  Also, if he was a true believer, how could he justify the personal air condidtioner he used in Brooklyn while the other workers suffered due to the heat during the summer? (Rutherford claimed that the air conditioner was a gift)

  If he was a true believer why did all the books and articles published by The Watchtower become anonymously published during the 1930s, except for his books which were all "authored" by J.F. Rutherford?

  If he was a true believer, why did he use the dubious title "Judge" extensively when promoting his lectures?

  If he was a true believer, why did he put his likeness on record player recordings and have people go from door to door playing his voice to the poor people who answered the door? (Was Rutherford the only one who could speak the message?)

  If he was a true believer in this THEOCRACY, why was most of the "preaching work" during the 1930s essentially promoting Rutherford himself though books, recordings and convention advertisement?

  Just by asking the questions provides the answers to them.

  --VM44
• 

  trevor

  I believe he was sincere but was also on an ego trip, enjoying the attention and recognition - like some of the prolific posters here!
• 

  Honesty

  He was a snake oil salesman disguised as a man of God.
• 

  Confession

  This is a great question; right up my alley. I think people are often accused of doing (or being) something intentionally--when in fact they're not. Yes, they may be horrible people--but convinced that they are correct. As for Rutherford, it's tempting to conclude that he was just a con-man, bluffing his way through. And he may well have been.

  When you compare various powerful and/or charismatic leaders, you often find they share a certain understanding. They understand that if they are going to be successful in promoting their cause or movement they'd better demonstrate wholehearted conviction to their adherents. Any hesitation, concession or compromise is shunned for fear their leadership will be undermined.

  Rutherford may well have been convinced that Russell had been used by God--and that he, as the successor, had a responsibility to carry the torch. The possibility that he may have occasionally questioned whether he was indeed being 'led by God', and the fact that he was a ruthless, power-hungry, profane drunkard doesn't mean he didn't think he was doing the right thing. "Didn't King David have certain luxuries not available to common Jews within the nation of Israel?" he might have reasoned.
• 

  Bonnie_Clyde

  If he was a true believer, why didn't he go from door to door?
• 

  littlerockguy

  Rutherford may well have been convinced that Russell had been used by God--and that he, as the successor, had a responsibility to carry the torch.

  If that is the case, why then didn't he honor Russell's last will and testiment instead of finding a legal loophole as an opportunity to further his own agenda on how the organization should be run. Instead, since Russell's last will and testiment was not legally "confirmed", it was tossed out and he later lied and said there never was one--- according to Raymond Franz's book Crisis of Conscious.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  The more that is known about how things actually happened back then, the harder it is to believe that Rutherford was a True Believer for very long. For example. the Watchtower Society doesn't discuss the fact that Rutherford had been dismissed from Bethel by C. T. Russell and was working in a California department store when he read the news of Russell's death. He contacted his buddies who were still in Bethel, and the game was on!
• 

  littlerockguy

  For example. the Watchtower Society doesn't discuss the fact that Rutherford had been dismissed from Bethel by C. T. Russell and was working in a California department store when he read the news of Russell's death.

  Really? Where is this info published?
• 

  BluesBrother

  It is a common belief , and that seems sufficient for most folk on here, that JFR was a drunkard. However , I have never seen any hard proof of this .

  Can anyone direct me to evidence of his overdrinking. I mean the sort of evidence that one could use with a J W? ... That would be something..
• 

  DannyHaszard

  'perfect storm' of deception-in a word they are the cult of Innuendo