by KW13 7 Replies latest jw friends
Why does the Watchtower exist in this modern day world?
It started off because someone wanted power, authority and control. Are those still the main reasons? Is money or rather providing a good lifestyle for those at the top the main reason now?
Maybe its useful to have a Publishing Company to cover-up several operations as well as making money.
Because there's a sucker born every minute.
KW13,
It started off because someone wanted power, authority and control. Are those still the main reasons? Is money or rather providing a good lifestyle for those at the top the main reason now?
It does not make sense that Watchtower started because someone wanted power, authority or control. Nor would money be the objective initially. Cahrles Taze Russell was the benefactor of his faither's clothing chain. It would make far more sense to have continued the family business, as this would provide plenty of power, money, and control.
Maybe its useful to have a Publishing Company to cover-up several operations as well as making money.
Possibly, but that may be putting the cart before the horse. The publishing company was simply the vehicle that Russell used to market his books. Although initially the Society used outside printers up into Rutherford's time. The Finished Mystery, for example, was printed and bound by an outside company in Hammond, Indiana. As the Society grew and decided to self-contain most all of its operations from printing, binding, shipping, and even food production, it needed additional corporations. They are self-insured, and extend their coverage for cars of Circuit and District Overseers. Of course, over time it has developed well over 100 corporations. Some years ago I was the first person to publish a list of the majority of these corporations. The Society has created more since that time, and others have identified these. They do not, to my knowledge cover-up their other operations and corporations. But, I believe that they have lost their original vision and maybe some of them are being used for purposes other than what they openly represent.
Why does the Watchtower exist in this modern day world?
The Watchtower exist, in part, because one man believed that God was using him to reveal truth. Whether this was an elevated ego, or for some altruistic reason is anyone's guess. But, it is safe to say that the Watchtower is among the many Bible groups that emerged out of the 1800s at a time when higher criticism of the Bible and religioin was developing. Also the emergence of various social and political philosophies such as communism created new challenges that taxed traditional religious views. The existing mainline Protestant and Catholic churches were not completely able to rise to the challenge fast enough. Whereas Eastern Orthodox did not really suffer the same developments in their part of the world and they continued on largely unscathed and undivided.
The reason that the Watchtower has been able to continue on after many prophectic and teaching errors is that they became skilled at adaptation. This, I believe, was learned during Rutherford's administration and was perfected under Fred Franz. Ray Franz, his nephew, made reference to this in his books when he quoted comments by other Governing Body members that his uncle Fred was able to engage in very creative ways of interpretation and reasoning (not the exact words, but captures the thought). Organizations of any kind tend to not have an exit or closure strategy when their mission is accomplished. So they seem very adept at finding new ways to continue operations when the initial reason for their existence no longer remains. For example, the North Atlantic Treaty Organizaton (NATO) was formed after WWII as the response to contain the spread of Soviet communism. That threat ended in the 1990s when the Soviet Union collapsed into its original 15 republics, and many other communist nations and the Warsaw pact left the communist block. Yet, here was are many years later with NATO still finding reasons to exist and function with relevance. Likewise, I have no doubt that the Watchtower Society has succumbed to this same trend in these modern times.
Jim Whitney
Asimov wrote a very interesting, although fictitious book about it: Foundation-series. ...Herbert wrote about the same subject from a different angle, although again fictitious: Dune-series.
These book are not scientific studies, far from it. But you may find somne interesting analogies and mechanisms there.
Cheers
Borgia
As a psycho-historian, I believe the reason the Watchtower is here has a lot to do with the tremendous emotional toll taken from America as a result of the Civil War (April 12, 1861-- approx. May 1865). Very nearly every family in the US at that time was affected and traumatized by the war. People were looking for something they could hang their hat upon: oh, LOOK! Jesus is coming Back! How lucky for us!
The stage was set by William Miller, a veteran of the War of 1812 and the "father" of the Adventist misology. The doctrines of Millerite Adventism were published before the civil war (1838). Christ was expected in 1843. When Jesus didn't show, people were all too willing to accept another guess about when their pie in the sky would be served. And another. And another. The war-plowed American psyche proved a fertile field for such speculations and expectations. Miller died disappointed in 1849. Others took up the flag. In the fullness of days Chuck Russell entered from stage left. Russell further refined the doctrines, but he also borrowed heavily (and without attribution) from those Adventist preachers who came before him. Russell pointed to 1878, then 1914. He saw 1914 come and go without an advent, then he died, disappointed, in 1916. Joe Rutherford took over the reigns of the organization Russell started. Rutherford continued the guessing game until he died in 1942. His chief lackey, Nathan Knorr, became the next president of the WTB&TS. Knorr died in disappointed 1977. The presidency of the WTB&TS went to Fred Franz, who previously was Knorr's seer. Franz died disappointed in 1992. The WTB&TS instituted a re-organization in the year 2000 that greatly reduced the authority of the president of the WTB&TS, but they continue to die disappointed that their speculations and expectations remain unfulfilled.
For the same reason all other religions are, I think they are here because the government needs them or thinks they need them to exist in order to keep the people passive, orderly and paying their taxes like good little drones. The government give's religions tax exempt status and other perks, they wouldn't do this if there was nothing in it for them. Most mainstream religions get mixed up in politics and politicians are only too happy to cater to them in exchange for their votes. The JW's on the other hand don't vote, but if they did what would they be, democrats or republicans? I think that they would probably vote republican with the rest of the christian conservatives, by staying out of politics they automatically favor the democrats, which may be the reason Hillary Clinton and Marilyn Allbright donated money to the Watchtower, maybe my conspiracy theory ideas are in overdrive, but it's a thought. Also, I think they help keep the stores in business, if we tallied up the yearly cost of all those suits, ties, dress shoes and briefcases for the males and the dresses, purses, matching accessories for the females that's quite a bit of money the stores are making off of the JW's. The assemblies, meetings and memorial are mini fashion shows, I remember well, damn I'm glad those days are over!
IC
C. T. Russell explained in the Supplement to the first issue of the Watchtower in 1879 the reason for starting the magazine. Russell had been a believer and financial supporter and Associate Editor and writer and preacher in Barbour's Herald of the Morning magazine, which proclaimed that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874 and would rapture the saints in 1878. Barbour's magazine claimed that the wise virgins who would be raptured first would be the ones who were aware that Christ had indeed returned. Barbour's mission was to alert them. However, the year 1878 came and went without the rapture. Barbour and Russell had a falling out, probably over the time proofs and also the ransom, but also over business dealings. Russell decided to start his own magazine.
No other reason makes sense for this other than that Russell believed that Christ had returned in 1874 and would rapture the saints shortly, as he expected, in 1881, and that he believed it was his mission for the few years he had left on earth to tell the others who would be raptured.
Russell was still in his 20's, operated a successful men's clothing business, that grew to 5 stores, which he ran, and eventually sold for over $300,000, a lot of money in those days. Russell did not need the Watchtower for power or money, he had it already. Only a true believer would be willing to risk their money and reputation on such a cause.
For years the Watchtower did not make a profit, it had only a few subscribers, and few believers, maybe only a few hundred. Russell's initial time frame was very short - only a few years, before he would be raptured. He was not even the first president - Conley was, no doubt because he was able to contribute the most money, Russell's money was tied up in his business.
It is apparent that a true belief in the nearness of the rapture and the endtimes is highly motivating, and the feeling must be a kin to being in love. It seems to be addictive, and once the vision captures one, the intoxication is so strong that failure and disappointment often cannot destroy the belief. They get a taste of immortality and being a part of a cosmic mission, and they can't let go of it. If one date turns out to be wrong, they set other future dates.
The year 1881 came and went without the rapture. But Russell set his sights on 1914, years in the future. He had years to elaborate on a grand complex end times scenario. However, this was not the only reason for his movement. He saw the Divine Plan of the Ages as being more important, and he held to different doctrines than the mainstream, even though unorthodox, which appealed to some. If Russell had based the Watchtower solely on his chronology, it likely would have fallen apart like the Miller Movement.
The endtimes urgency eventually loses it power, and a group needs more than this to last. Belief, not power and money, is the initial motive, but as the group becomes stronger, power and money are needed to maintain the group. But belief is the driving force that keeps a religious group alive. Without the belief, a religious group can last a while on the secondary benefits, the value that results from the belief. But eventually without belief, it will die. On the other hand, a group does not grow and last for any length of time on error and abuse alone, without providing some good in return. The Bible Students/JWs lasted because it provided a framework for explaining reality, which had some measure of truth to it, and offered them a religious experience, that the believers could not find elsewhere.
While the endtimes urgency provided the fuel to start the Watchtower, it also has produced much of the warped thinking, abuses, and revisionism.
