The importance of Rutherford...

by drew sagan 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  besty

  great post drew, and great responses farkel, sbf, leolaia and nej

  How much concern do you think current true believer JW has in this type of debate? I think we find it of interest to speculate, but 'captives of a concept' overrides most everything else.

  I just re-posted this on the new freeminds site http://www.freeminds.org/organization/rutherford/did-j-f-rutherford-lie-about-being-exonerated.html

  It's pretty compelling as a trashing of the 1918 trial, and therefore gives lie to much of Rutherford's positioning.
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  neverendingjourney

  How much concern do you think current true believer JW has in this type of debate? I think we find it of interest to speculate, but 'captives of a concept' overrides most everything else.

  I think you're take on this is pretty spot on. Most JWs will swallow up anything the Society gives them in the form of "new light." Mention inconsistencies in dates (1914, 1919, 1925, 1975, etc.) and you'll immediately see eyes begin to roll. For the most part, JWs don't care. They accept the fact that a lot of what they currently believe will soon be discarded, and they don't place much stock in it.

  Someone said that JWs don't have beliefs as much as they have loyalties, and I think that's exactly right. I never fully bought into the notion that Armageddon would come in the 20th century. I though there were too many Bible prophecies that had yet to be fulfilled, so I was excited when the new light on the generation came out in 1995. So long as JWs believe the Society has the God-given authority to change doctrine at the spur of the moment, pointing out inconsistencies in their eschatology will not have much of an effect on them. Wait on Jehovah! They have to realize on their own that the Society is not directed by God. Then and only then will any of this matter.
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  drew sagan

  Great commenets everybody.

  Leolaia I just wanted to comment on a few specifics you pointed out:

  I suppose there was an inertia to this system and Franz did not see it as a matter of concern. Today, with 2014 approaching soon, the longe durée is becoming more and more conspicuous.

  I feel the same way. Neither Franz or Knorr ever put as much of themselves into the theology of the religion as Rutherford did. Franz especially was a man who elaborated and refined the ideas of Rutherford. That was always his foundation. Franz and Knorr actually did have the power to move past Rutherford, but they never really did. Instead they kept the teachings of Rutherford at the center. They where the "disciples" of Rutherford in every way, maintaining the traditions of their "master" throughout their entire lives.

  Up untill the past decade those who continued the traditions of Rutherford have continued to dominate the leadership of the faith. As time progresses however there are very few people inside the organization that where alive during the Rutherford years. They are quickly dying off and will be mostly gone within the next decade or so. Once they are gone we are left with the followers of the followers.

  One thing I feel that makes the Jehovah's Witness so confusing is that those who took the lead after Rutherford decided to systamatically keep and refine his philosophy without ever giving him proper credit. While other modern "restorationist" faiths show a great deal of respect for their founder (mormons, christian science, adventists) generations of Watchtower leaders have continued to downplay the importance of "individuals" and instead directed the credit towards the Watchtower corporation in general. This has created an "image" of Jehovah's Witnesses that is mostly fantasy, namely that the organization (and no single person) is the source of the majority of teachings.

  Understanding exactly who and what Jehovah's Witnesses really are and why the believe what they do becomes rather complex. Are them from Russell, Rutherford, Knorr & Franz, a mix of all of these? I firmly believe it's all Rutherford. The myth told by Watchtower leaders that the organization has been refined by God is just that, a myth. Rather Rutherford set up the religion and his loyal followers that continued to lead the watchtower refined his ideas. Because of this it's no surprise that in Watchtower theology Russell never fulfills any scripture and Rutherford fulfills dozens of them. Additinally, nobody fulfills scripture after Rutherford according to current truth.
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  greendawn

  I agree that the spirit, the soul, of the JWs derives mainly from Rutherford and not from Russell. Russell wanted decentralised power with each congregation choosing its leaders and running its affairs. Rutherford centralised all power into his hands moving the JWs from substantial democracy under Russell to a rigid dictatorship. And as mentioned above he removed all emphasis from developping love and a christian character to preaching as the main by far worthwhile activity. Attitutes that continue to this day. Your life may be morally exemplary and faultless but if you don't preach the WTS message you are nothing to them.

  His successors made things even worse by initiating total intolerence to any criticism of their idology and actions, ie total dictatorship, the disfellowshipping policy even for a range of ridiculously trivial issues such as attending birthday parties or wearing a crucifix, and the blood ban that needlessly terrorised and killed thousands of JWs who were made to expect an appalling eternal damnation if they took blood to survive disease or accident, a fear potent enough to make them bend the mighty instinct of survival for themselves or hapless children under their care which though often unbaptised and underage they insisted that they should be subjected to the JW blood ban rule.

  All these finally made for a wayward, man serving, unloving organisation without a trace of christian love, spirit or orientation that basically wanted serfs to promote its prosperity and finances without any cost to the corporation. Such are the subtle nuances of religious intricacy and deception.

  In my view Franz was the most bitter, relentless, insidious and destructive of all JW leaders whereas Rutherford was more of an exploitative happy go lucky clown who claimed to be the only god appointed religious leader in the world when his personality and lifestyle were obviously quite at odds with such a dignified office. He would send out the JWs to preach in an intentionally and needlessly provocative way so that they would often get beaten up and abused while he was enjoying a life of opulence and ease, with plenty of alcohol, luxury accomodation, cars, and trips.

  To all these scoundrels the R&F are stupid dumb animals to be manipulated and exploited for their own profit.