It's interesting how relatively small incidents in people's lives can permeate and often adversely affect major decisions they will make for the rest of their lives. It becomes tragic when decisions under those circumstances also adversely affect millions of others for the rest of their lives.
In 1917 the Watchtower Corporation under Rutherford's direction released a book called "The Finished Mystery. It was a surrealistic and downright loony book and a harbinger of many wacky things to come under his helm. The United States also entered into World War I that year.
The Finished Mystery vilified the Catholic Church, religions in general, the military draft and the United States Government. Rutherford drew first blood and the religions fought back. Until that time other Christian religions left the Bible Students pretty much alone. But not this time. The Government prosecuted and convicted Rutherford and 7 others of sedition and sentenced them to long prison terms. Unfortunately for future generations, he did not receive a fair trial.
After the War was over and after Rutherford had spent about 9 months behind bars, he and his cohorts were released and the Government dropped all plans for another trial. But while Rutherford WAS in prison (according to Hayden Covington), he gripped the bars of his cell and swore he would spend the rest of his life getting revenge on the "old whore," that is, Christendom. He kept his word.
His books "Religion", "Enemies", "Government", "Vindication" and others were non-stop tirades of hate towards all other Christian faiths. He planned and had executed numerous schemes to piss off and taunt other religions. He placed vehicles with large speakers in front of Churches during Sunday Services and disrupted those services by having the speakers scream that religion was "a snare and a racket." He had his worker bees distribute millions and millions of his books which were full of every sort of vile accusation against other Christians faiths. He had his worker bees parade up and down streets with sandwich boards over their necks which mocked, insulted and vilified the faith of other Christians.
Many of his worker bees were beat up, tarred and feathered, threatened with their lives and run out of town while Rutherford stayed drunk and lived in one of the several mansions he owned, writing even more books full of hate.
During his years as the undisputed Watchtower Dictator, Rutherford was known as "Pappy" at Bethel, or "Pap" for short. He was considered the "Father" of the Bethel family, not to mention the "Father" of the modern Jehovah's Witness Cult, or the "Father" of the Watchtower Lie.
One has to wonder if Pappy would have gone to all that trouble had he not been imprisoned for that short period of time and while there, had not sworn a vow to his God that he would punish the "whore" for helping put him there. He conveniently forgot that it was HE who egged the "whore" on, not the other way around.
One thing we do know, is that between 1932 and 1938 he totally transformed his religion and removed all independent thinking and authority from its members and that tragedy continues to this day.
What Pappy did had nothing to do with "Vindicating" the name of Jehovah, and everything to do vindicating himself and with his own personal revenge against his pet "whore." Yes, Pappy suffered for nine months, but the millions of followers in the religion he established have suffered for 90 years. And it still continues.
Farkel
Side note #1:
When Rutherford was young, some ice broke under his feat and he fell into the lake. A book salesman rescued him. Rutherford swore he would always be kindly to book salesmen as a result of that rescue. Later, a book salesman visited him in his law office and so, to keep his vow, he bought the books. They turned out to be Russell's books. As a result, Rutherford became the greatest book salesman in world history. As I said, little events can have huge consequences.
Side note #2:
Here is only one of many, many wacky examples found on page 85 of the 1926 edition of The Finished Mystery:
The account starting at Job 40:15 is quoted where it discusses "leviathan". Leviathan is thought by many scholars to be another name for a crocodile.
"Thou wilt lengthen out leviathan with a hook or with a snare to drop down. Wilt thou not place a ring in his nostrils or pierce through his cheeks with a staff? Will he make repeated supplications unto thee? Or will he utter soft tones unto thee ... Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens Companies will feast upon him.."
Here is the reading of Job which includes the interpretation of the Scripture as presented in The Finished Mystery:
"Thou wilt lengthen out the locomotive with an automatic coupler or with a coupling-link to drop down. Wilt thou not place a piston in his cylinders or pierce through his piston-ends with a piston rod? Will he make repeated supplications to get off the track? Or will he utter screeches with the whistle? ... Wilt thou play with him and make him whistle at will)? Or wilt thou enslave him for thy maidens so that you can take them to a picnic or convention? Stockholders will feast upon his earnings.."
Apparently, Jehovah thought that it would be nice to introduce locomotives to people 2,500 years before they were invented.