As far as dangerous mind-control cults go, Fred Franz worked behind the scenes under Knorr and was given the full reigns of the organization after him. Fred claimed scholarship and was mostly responsible for the New World Translation and most of the whacked doctrines. He gave the organization the biggest Doomsday and the momentum to pay for expansion in the 70's.
WHO WAS WATCHTOWER BEST LEADER?
by badboy 18 Replies latest jw friends
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Mary
could be KNORR.
I used to think that Knorr was the lesser of several evils, but it was under Knorr that the harsh practice of disfellowshipping and shunning really took off. Even though Rutherfraud was a drunken asshole, neither he nor Russell were keen on wholesale excommunications, because they condemned the churches for practicing that.
I believe it was also under Knorr that blood transfusions were forbidden, hence condemning numerous Witnesses to die before their time.
And to top it all off, the house to house preaching became mandatory for eternal salvation when Knorr was president.
So in actuality, three of the biggest problems in the Organization came to frutation under Knorr-----psychos like Freddie Franz and Ted Jackass Jaracz have simply carried it on and stubbornly refused to lighten the reigns, even though the policies have caused untold damage.
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jws
It's been a long time since I read the histories, but from what I remember, Russell (false prophecies and crazy ideas aside) had a more loosely based religion with more freedom of thought. It didn't really sound like Russell was a leader of the religion, just the president of the magazine they read.
I thought it was Rutherford who clamped down on all of that and put a "company man" into each congregation to force them to conform and to report back to HQ.
Knorr, from what I've read was angry and vindictive. In the book "Mama's Club", Richard Kelly relates stories of him reveling in exposing the gory details of why somebody was kicked out of Bethel. And as Mary has pointed out, most of the org's more restrictive and hurtful policies came about during Knorr.
Franz was in a world of his own. I'm surprised he got the reigns. All of those crazy interpretations. Having to sit through all of those detailed Watchtowers about the modern-day this class, the arch-class, etc. He's responsibile for the most boring watchtower and book studies ever.
Was out before the others came along. Initially I thought Knorr was the most respectable. Now I'd go with Russell. After him, Franz. Because he just seemed nuts, not vindictive or egotistic.
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jws
Forgot about Miracle Wheat. I think I'm changing my mind to William Conley.
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badboy
bttt
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unclebruce
Whadya bttt for badboy? .. waiting for someone to say NOAH aren't you!?
:::
Interesting info Mary, thankyou.
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greendawn
Russell was the best of them because though he dabbled into occultism he was otherwise reasonable, he was not an absolutist dictator, had no disfellowshipping policy to speak of, no anti blood transfusion policy and no sharp division between us JWs (Bible Students) and the rest of the world.
When Rutherford took over things went downhill fast and when Knorr and Franz took over (remember Knorr was somewhat dumb on religious issues and focused on the business side of the WTS while Franz was running everything else) things became much worse so that with them the WTS was transformed to what it was not under Russell: a satanic cult, a very evil religion that turns its followers into dysfunctional human beings alienated from society and unable to absorb any information that doesn't fit in with their JW programming.
A rather harmless but misguided religion ended up as an insidious cult, highly toxic to all those embracing it. Put simply the WTS despite its facade of love and goodwill towards mankind, exists to serve its own interests its own profitability even at the detriment of those of its members.
The subsequent JW leaders just kept up the legacy they found from their predecessors.
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JustHuman14
The best one????
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winstonchurchill
Define "Best"
Best for their growth and good for controlling everything?
In that case, hands down it was Knorr. He defined and established controls and limits on every little aspect of every members life, from shunning to reporting hours, from movies you could watch to sexual practices... everything. He was and still is the mastermind behind the every cult-like aspect within the organization.
Or Best for what is fair and just?
Then it would be Henschel. I knew him and he was evidently not too happy about a lot of things. He wasn't to much into control and going beyond 'what's written'. Think about it: during his brief tenure at the wheel (late 80's when Freddie was too sick, then all 90's when he was the president) all this took place:
- Some sins could be taken care of by two elders (No JC needed)
- 1914 generation was done away with. He didn't like this "chronology" stuff to much.
- Ok to College
- Blood fractions allowed
- Sustitutive service (in lieu of Military service) was OK
- Non-Baptized Publishers arrangement replaced the "Approved Person" stuff. made it easier on NBP to exit without being shunned.
- I know for a fact (I was a CO at the time) he fathered the idea of eliminating one meeting (he wanted to nix the book study), and two magazines per month. He also wanted to eliminate Bible studies reports (later done in 04 I think). And I believe (but can't be sure) that he was all for eliminating all hours reporting, but he never said it openly that I know.
- Most important, he ended the glorification of the GB and the President. He diluted power to the point that most JW's don't know who the president is now.