by cabasilas 44 Replies latest watchtower bible
Question for old timer Bethelites here.
I was looking at that picture on page 3 of the PDF of the 1928 Messenger again (the one posted by Lady Lee on the first page of this thread). Is the building in the background the old Hotel Margaret (the one across from the 107 C.H. building that burned down and then later was rebuilt by the Watchtower Society)? It looks familiar, but I'm not sure if that's it.
Some great comments by Farkel about an article in the 1928 Messenger:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/178740/1/Found-a-Real-Gem-Here
I find it interesting to see the many Rutherford's photos (including the photo showing a portrait of Rutherford hanging on the wall at Bethel!)
Obviously the religion was focused around Judge Rutherford at that time. This is interesting as Rutherford said once at a convention that he was "not the Boss" of the Witnesses.
It is also VERY interesting to note that after Rutherford died, the photos and talk about him ceased, and his books were discontinued and replaced by other books written by anonymous Watchtower authors.
One would think with all the attention given to him while he was alive that someone would have published a biography of him after he died, but what appears to have happened that everyone kept quiet about him, and continued to keep quiet, as if they didn't want to talk about them man.
Even today no biography of Judge Rutherford has been published!
Very strange.
Cabasilas, Thanks for making this available. It provides insight about the early pre-JW years that is hard to come by today.
Obviously the religion was focused around Judge Rutherford at that time. This is interesting as Rutherford said once at a convention that he was "not the Boss" of the Witnesses.
If Rutherford was not "the Boss" of the JWs, then why did he take over the Editorial Committee of the Watch Tower magazine? After Russell died, there was a 5 man committee that supervised whatever went into the Watchtower. 3 of them had to agree on publication before it would be published. Starting in 1925, Rutherford overruled the Editorial Committee. He wanted to publish the "Birth of a Nation" article and the majority of the editorial committee disagreed. But, Rutherford had it published anyway. Later (about 1938) Rutherford actually referred to this event as the beginning of the end of the Editorial Committee. Oddly, the Watchtower magazine contained the statement about the Committee supervising the content up until 1931 -- for 6 years after it no longer functioned.
What is even more wacky is how the Watchtower Society now presents the history. From the March 1, 1987 Watchtower, pp. 13-14:
How would The Watchtower maintain the purity of its printed message? The magazine’s first editor, C. T. Russell, instituted safeguards to make certain that what was printed in The Watchtower was the truth as then understood. One of those safeguards is identified in his will made on June 27, 1907. (Russell died on October 31, 1916.) His will states:
“I direct that the entire editorial charge of ZION’S WATCH TOWER shall be in the hands of a committee of five brethren, whom I exhort to great carefulness and fidelity to the truth. All articles appearing in the columns of ZION’S WATCH TOWER shall have the unqualified approval of at least three of the committee of five, and I urge that if any matter approved by the three be known or supposed to be contrary to the views of one or both of the other members of the committee, such articles shall be held over for thought, prayer and discussion for three months before being published—that so far as possible the unity of the faith and the bonds of peace may be maintained in the editorial management of the journal.”
17 Each member of the Editorial Committee, according to Russell’s will, had to be “thoroughly loyal to the doctrines of the Scriptures” and had to exhibit, as prominent characteristics, “purity of life, clearness in the truth, zeal for God, love for the brethren and faithfulness to the Redeemer.” Also, Russell stipulated that “it shall not in any manner be indicated by whom the various articles appearing in the journal are written . . . that the truth may be recognized and appreciated for its own worth, and that the Lord may more particularly be recognized as the Head of the church and the Fountain of truth.”
18 To this day the Governing Body follows similar guidelines. Each article in both The Watchtower and Awake! and every page, including the artwork, is scrutinized by selected members of the Governing Body before it is printed. Furthermore, those who assist in writing articles for The Watchtower are Christian elders who appreciate the seriousness of their assignment. (Compare 2 Chronicles 19:7.) They spend many hours in researching the Bible and other reference material to make sure that what is written is the truth and that it faithfully follows the Scriptures. (Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10; 2 Timothy 1:13) It is not unusual for one magazine article—that you may read in 15 minutes—to take from two weeks to over a month to prepare.
19 Therefore, you can read The Watchtower and Awake! with confidence. But you can do more. You can enthusiastically offer these magazines to others so that they also can learn the truth and benefit from hearing the messages of the ‘watchman standing upon the watchtower.’ (Isaiah 21:8) Yes, along with the modern-day watchman, you too can champion Bible truth.
The falsity of this history that they've held to "similar guidelines" of an Editorial Committee until this day is well documented by Tony Wills in A People For His Name. See "Rutherford V The Editorial Committee" at this link:
http://books.google.com/books?id=iTt2EphfPr8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA119
Rutherford with his two secretaries, from the 25 July 1931 Messenger (p. 3):
Thanks, Leolaia, for the pic. The one secretary is Bonnie Boyd. Who is the other one? Where do you think it was taken? Brooklyn? Beth Sarim?
At long last I'm please someone found that Awake! issue of Jan 8,2003. I knew that was the Judge standing next to his caddy in Brooklyn.
The Messenger had a lot of info and photos. Somewhere in the archieves in Brooklyn are those revealing photos.
Blues Brother, it is the Judge in that photo published in the Jan 8,2003 issue of Awake! His dress has not changed from the other photo of him next to his Cadillac.
btt
