The sobriety of J.F. Rutherford

by wasblind 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  wasblind

  " In the 1920's, another instrument became available to give wide publicity to the Kingdom message. Brother Rutherford felt strongly that the hand of the Lord was manifest in it's developement. What was it ??? Radio.

  Less than two years after the world's first commercial radio station began to broadcast (in 1920 ), J.F. Rutherford, president of the Watchtower Society, went on the air to broadcast Bible truth.

  Here was an instrument that could reach millions of people simultaneously.

  Within two more years, in 1924, the Society had it's own radio station, WBBR, in operation in New York. By 1933, the peak year, 408 stations were being used to carry the message to six continents.

  The Broadcast did not replace the need for house-to-house witnessing; but they did carry Bible truth to places that were hard to reach."_________Proclaimers of God's Kingdom book page 562 paragraphs two and three

  This is proof that Rutherford had one sober moment, and understood the meaning of an urgent message
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  cedars

  Sobriety? Rutherford? Are we talking about the same man?

  Cedars
• 

  james_woods

  Sobriety? Rutherford? Are we talking about the same man?

  When I saw the title, Cedars - the thought crossed my mind that this would have to be the shortest thread in the history of JWN.
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  wasblind

  Have mercy on me James, you got me laughin' so hard I caught a cramp in my side

  I have truly laughed my part today, one thing witnesses are right about

  we are a crazy bunch :))
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  Finkelstein

  Even drunks know how to sell and attract attention to oneself to make a sale.
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  Disillusioned Lost-Lamb

  Hmm, seems how reaching as many as possible by any means necessary was A-OK back then, but not now?
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  wha happened?

  Lamb exactly. Where were the arguments back then about going door to door. Rutherford certainly wasn't going to do so, unless it was door to door bars. Back then they used the best means of reaching people. Now since the work is basically, make work, there really sin't any interest in reaching as amny people as possible. Look what's available nowaday, and the WT finally figured out that this "internet" thing is getting used quite a bit
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  blond-moment

  I had to laugh at the title. Was he ever sober?
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  wasblind

  Hello there Blonde-moment,

  that was just a hook to reel folks in to look at my thread
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  Band on the Run

  My mom told me about the radio station. We lived in the area. It was extremely popular with Witnesses. So popular that the main announcer became more popular than Rutherford. End of radio station. I can't recall the details but she said the announcer was great, did nothing wrong and was a victim of Rutherford.

  Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, I found it hard to believe that they took phonographs with them in service or had any sort of mass media presence. The typical comments are here that they could send the message much more effectively and reach further with mass communications. It makes one wonder why field service is so important.