The Early Days......
I don't claim to be a Rutherford expert, but I was doing some thinking the other day about this man and the impact he has had on millions for decades. What started out as something a little whacky, but more people freindly by C.T. Russell, was harmless enough. Christmas and birthdays, smoking and other practices were still indulged in those days. Predicting the end was nothing new even then, as Russell was preceded in these fortelling adventures, by Miller in the 1840's.
Nontheless he was still a good con and salesmen. His miracle wheat scam , and his ability to concoct utter tripe, regarding the end times, from the Great Pyramids made this evident.
. So what then was the core of this new religion that held peoples attention and made folks willingly devote themselves? Was it the truth? Was it the love of their creator? No, it was their beleif, that everything Russel said, and his interpretations therof, were coming directly from God. Russell was the core! Without him none of this nonsense would have gotten off the ground. When Russel realized that people beleived in him, he definately saw the market potential. Being a mouthpeice for God was indeed an extremely powerful position without even mentioning the money. Invest Invest, this is a liquidation sale! A one time event! The end is coming! Advertise, Advertise, Advertise the king and his Kingdom! What he forgot to tell those poor folks is that he was the king and it was his kingdom! It should have been clear what Russell was all about when he first started rejecting what was written in scripture when he young. He didn't like the idea of hell so there was no hell. He obviosly didn't like the scripture that said " No man knows the day or the hour, not even the son. Only the father in heaven knows." He picked and chose what he liked. The Laodocean Messenger was really the Laodocean Conman!
The Conman Meets his Maker........
. Russel was good, but of all the leaders of this cult, Rutherford was the best! Keep that in mind, because I will show you how the poison of this mans soul, has seeped through generations and has remained virtually unchanged to this day.
Rutherford grew up on a farm in Missouri and being the fat ass, drunk prick that he was, he didn't much like farmwork. In all fairness there's no doubt he was on the ball and did practise law, but I wouldn't exactly call him a Perry Mason. The only thing he had in common with Perry Mason was a robust midsection. To a bunch of uneducated farmhands however, he must have seemed like the Friggin President! In actual fact he did sit in as a replacement judge once or twice but that was it! It didn't matter. Folks gave him the nickname "Judge Rutherford" and that was that. He knew the power that that title gave him and he rode it for all it was worth. His first con was afoot. Who needs credentials? They already veiwed him as a judge. Rutherford knew the importance of the way he was perceived in his dealings with what he considered underlings and always used it as leveredge to bolster his personality and charisma. If people could call him a Judge, and he wasn't, then they could certainly call him president too. This undoubtebly fueled his ego which turned out to be a bottomless pit.
They say you can't con a con, but if you are one, you can certainly recognize one when you see it. Oh yes Charlie saw it coming. At first he had Rutherford defend him in some of his legal battles but how might that be perceived by those followers of Russell. I'll tell you how. It was seen as Rutherford having to save the mouthpiece of God from imminent doom. It meant Rutherford had more power.( Russellites by the way is very good term to define the fact that they were following Russells personality and not scripture.)
Russells time was running out and he prepared a will to ensure that what he had created would remain intact. He also gave Rutherford 1000 dollars to disappear to some far off destination so he wouldn't have to worry as he saw Rutherfords influence and appetite for attention and power increasing. It didn't work!
Russells untimely death in the middle of WWI and his failed 1914 prophecy along with being buried in a Roman Toga, weakened his platform and opened the door just enough for Rutherford, who with a few unexpected legal maneuverings, was able to wrest control of this org smoothly, after being veiwed as a martyr by being thrown in jail. In jail is where he should have stayed. Unfortunately so, just as Hitler wrote Mein Khemph in prison, so Rutherford plotted his vengeful takeover and domination of Russells empire. It must have been the greatest high of his life. His ego must have been bursting at the seams.
Rutherfords ego was like a black hole that ran on liquor and now that he had conquered by grabbing power rather than being appointed, the first thing he thought of doing was to eliminate all those that disagreed with any word that came out of his mouth. Well, that's not totally accurate. The first thing he probably thought of doing was putting liquor in his mouth to fuel his ego. People must have been shocked beyond understanding and undoubtebly left in droves. Not that he gave a God dam. Not only was he now perceived as a judge by those that remained, but he had almost limitless power as the right hand of God and he dam well used it. Just as the great purges of Stalin, he eliminated all enemies and ruled with an iron fist! Never had anyone seen such audacity in this cult and truly to this day he has not been equaled. I can't remember if it was Olin Moyle or Walter salter that quoted Rutherford as saying " I have suceeded by bluffing all my life."
Rutherford was a ruthless liar and hippocrate. He had no mercy on anyone. After his great purges he started seeking ways of getting even more power and booze even during the depression. The first thing his ego couldn't bear was anyone having anything to do with Russels ideas or following. He wanted their devotion based on his merits. His bullshit bore no resemblance to anything Russel wrote and it didn't matter either. Anyone that disagreed was toast anyways. He learned from Russell that to be seen as a mouthpeice to the almighty it would be most beneficial to predict the end,as he outrageously did building a house for himself which he deeded to the ancient worthies. God he must have had a good laugh!
People at Bethel worked for peanuts with no air conditioning. Yes the Judge had even that in those days. He had two of the most expensive cars during the depression and five homes. Sure, the end was coming but he didn't really beleive it himself. Girlfreinds at Bethel were strictly forbidden except for the fat ass. He was dating Berta Peale. Can you say " double standard". The contrast in living standards between him and his bretheren did not bother him in the least.
When Russell was in power, people used to get elected as elders. Rutherford saw this as a power vacuum. To many possible usurpers here that might have enough fire and brimstone to unseat him based on their popularity. Again he wrested power away this time on a locale level which is where he started out. Now the elders would be carbon copies of himself and would be appointed based on his criteria. His criteria, was obedience and submission. The pecking order was now set up. Keep shining shoes,kissing ass and swallowing as much garbage as I can spew,and you will be awarded a small peice of my personality. What kind of reward is that? Think about it. A nobody with no real training can have power over other peoples lives. How? By sitting as judges just as Rutherford did, and having the ability to do away with whoever you like. It has the fake Judge Rutherfords stamp all over it. It takes care of anyone on a local level who wishes to have any aspirations or delusions of grandeur. Thats is why there is an aging brotherhood, or boys club at the top. This system is still in place today!
Yes, maybe no one reads Rutherfords rubbish anymore, but the majority of whats wrong with this religion as it stands today stems from what he put in place. The arrogance of many an elder and publisher has Rutherfords stamp as well. It comes from this pecking order mentality. The abscence of love from Rutherford to his peers is alive and well today, in local kingdom halls. No mercy, No real training as magistrates and the legal legacies which have mushroomed into a monster from double standards which the judge was famous for. ie ( condeming someone whilst doing things yourself that are questionable, or allowing someone close to you to have a lighter if nonexistant punishment.
So I go back to what I said earlier when I asked what is the core of what people are following. The witnesses may not know it on a conscious level, but they are still following in the footsteps of Rutherford today. His poison has seeped through even though he has been long dead. No other President has had a deeper impact than he. No one follows Freddy Franz's ways. No one follows Nathan Knorrs ways, or Milton Henchel for that matter. It is they who have followed Rutherfords structure for the most part.
It was the So called " Judge" conman Rutherford who gave this cult its name and created the first oppostions in civil society with authorities. Some may call this cult "Jehovah's Witnesses" but I'm gonna call the Judges bluff and name it what it really is. The personality cult of " Joseph Franklin Rutherford. Con man, bully, liar, and drunk.
I have always saved my worst words for this man. Now you know why.
Tyrone van Leyen