by hubert 37 Replies latest watchtower bible
hubert, what you want is in this book. --VM44
Jehovah's Witnesses: Their Monuments To False Prophecy
by Edmund Gruss and Leonard Chretien. Ever wondered just what happened to Rutherford's body? Why did Bethel erect a pyramid on a grave site in Pennsylvania, and why is Russell buried there? What did the Watchtower teach about the Great Pyramid of Gizeh? This 8.5x11 format book with 306 pages is full of photo-documentation, and includes deeds, news items, etc. paperback.
Hey! Have you noticed that freemind's "Watchtower Store" is now "Freemind's Store"?
I wonder if The Watchtower made Randy change the name?
--VM44
Lady Lee, I was able to figure a way to print out the full page on the deed.
vm44, I will check out the link you posted. Thanks for the link.
Beth Sarim was from the very beginning meant for Rutherford.
Yes, this seems so, but this also shows that according to the "Salvation" book, the Watchtower deliberately lied to the R&F, which is what I am looking for.
Thanks again.
Hubert
Digging through the Best of I found these
Beth Sarim Revisited 4 Newbies
A house for yourself or for the Lord?
Not too long ago there was a discussion about the issue of sending Rutherford off to San diego to get him out of the way. In Gruss' book the Four Presidents of the Watch Tower Society the says the following:
After his failed prophesy of 1925, the Judge became a disillusioned, abusive drinker and bully. The old-timers say his drinking was covered-up as much as possible, by Franz and Knorr, who made the arrangements with Walter Salter, the Branch Servant of canada, to smuggle cases of liquor over the border into the States.(p.37)
Earlier Gruss stated:
After his failed prophesy of 1925 (Millions Now Lving Will Never Die," highlighting expectations for that year), the Judge was never the same. With Rutherford drinking to excess, the headquarters staff felt the wrath of his cursing tongue. Knorr and Fred Franz showed a brilliancew for manipulation, by encouraging Rutherford to build a mansion (Beth-Sarim) in San Diego, California in 1929 to get him out of Brooklyn, where they could, durin ghis absence, begin forming alliances of support to take over.
Society attorney Hayden Covington, who would certainly be in a position to know, told the author {Gruss} that Fred Franz concocted the cover story to justify the considerable outlay of money, saying the house was for the ancient Bible prophets due back "any day" in the pre-Armageddon resurrection. (p. 31)
In the notation for the above quote Gruss adds:
This information came from a conversation near the end of Covington's "service" at headquarters. Disillusioned, and perhaps drinking too much (although the author [Gruss] never saw him have more than two drinks), the big man quoted Franz as saying they built the judge a mansion out in California just to get him out of Bethel." The deed was made out to Joseph F. Rutherford and was to be held in trust for the soon to return pre0Christian "princes." (p. 214)
Greendawn:
Lady Lee, back in the mid twenties did Knorr and Fred Franz have enough power to make such senior decisions? My impression is that they were very much Rutherford's lap dogs. I don't think they cared about Rutherford being a hypocrite anyway, because they were of the same mentality.
From the above it seems that they really did have that power. And knowing what we now know about Rutherford I doubt it took much persuasion on their part.
Hubert:
Lady Lee, Thanks for the info on Beth-Sarim. I wasn't able to print out a copy of the deed. My printer would only capture the left side of it. The page was too wide. Is there any other way I can acquire a copy of it?
I googled Beth Sarim Deed and came up with quite a few links. You also might want to try Elsewhere's website. He might have a copy of it there.
Do you happen to know where I can get a copy of the sales transaction for Beth-Sarim that the Watchtower sold to a private party to? That would give me the whole "pie".
If I recall correctly there was some discussion here recently about who it was sold to. Check out the links I posted above but I don't think anyone knew who bought it from the WTS. A properties search might find it but I think someone would have to go to San Diego to search the files
Here is a section from the Golden Age article I mentioned. --VM44
From Norm's post, "A house for yourself or for the Lord?"
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/6207/1.ashx
“It is not always convenient to get a comfortable place to live when it is necessary to rent a house for a few months. For the past two years I and other brethren close to Brother Rutherford have urged upon him the necessity of a house in San Diego where he can live and do the work that is so necessary to be done. Last year, in company with a few other brethren, we pressed this matter upon him, at that time the Lord having provided the means for the building of the house so that it would not be a burden on the Society He finally consented that the house might be built only upon condition that it should be exclusively for use of the Lord's work, henceforth and for ever, and not for any private gain for any one. In October, 1929, I went to California and acquired the title to the ground in my name and entered into a contract with the builder, and the house was constructed in my name. I again went to California at the beginning of the year 1930 to close up the building arrangements. I am happy to have any part in this because I know what it means for the Lord's work.
I feel sure that the Lord loves Brother Rutherford as much as he loved David. David built a house for himself and afterwards thought about building one for the Lord. After repeated urging by loyal brethren the San Diego house was built, but Brother Rutherford refused to have it for himself except to use it for the Lord's work. A deed was made conveying the title to the house. This deed was written by Brother Rutherford himself. I am certain there is no other deed to any piece of property like it under the sun. I am grateful to the Lord that I had anything to do with it. The deed is a matter of public record on the deed records of San Diego, California, and therefore I am at full liberty to publish it, and I do here submit the deed for publication so that all may see and understand how much Brother Rutherford has been libeled and slandered by those who would injure the Lord's work.
I am certain that the loyal ones would have been glad to help finance the house had opportunity been given, and that they will rejoice when they know that this property will be for ever for the Lord's people; that when Brother Rutherford is through with it somebody else in the Lord's work will have it, and when David and Joseph or some of the other ancient worthies return they will have it.” Golden Age, 03.19.1930 pp. 405, 406.
What did the people back then desire so much that they would believe this stuff? One wonders about their collective soundness of mind. --VM44
hubert, Guess who wrote the Salvation book? Yes, it was Rutherford himself! --VM44
hubert, Guess who wrote the Salvation book? Yes, it was Rutherford himself! --VM44
I know, vm, I got the book, found it at a used book store. (One "Salvation" book ....priceless)
edited to add: Thanks again, Lady Lee and VM44 for the extra info.
Hubert
