JF Rutherford about Watchtower's Hedge funds department

by Gorbatchov 2 Replies latest jw friends

  • Gorbatchov
    Gorbatchov

    Today I found the following quote from JF Rutherford's publication Riches (published in 1936). It directly applies to the Watchtower Society in current days.

    So, from this point of view, our Watchtower Society becomes "a snare and a racket"!!!

    Gorby

    "False riches, consisting of money, houses and lands, acquired by selfish means at cost to others and thereafter used selfishly, are almost always used for the oppression of other persons. In this present time a few men own or possess almost all the money, houses and lands, and the great mass of humankind suffer in need of the very necessities for their daily living. Riches thus selfishly acquired and wrongfully used the Scriptures describe as "filthy lucre". Selfish men love the power that a great amount of money gives them, and for that reason it is written in the Scriptures that "the love of money is the root of all evil". (1 Timothy 6:10) The evil is not in the money, but money results in evil because of the love of gain and power that money brings to the one that possesses and wrongfully uses it. If one honestly obtains money and properly uses it in a righteous cause to the glory of God, that money does not result in evil, but in good.

    The few men who possess the wealth of the material things of the earth at the present time are not truly happy. In almost all cases such men are proud, haughty, severe, unkind and extremely selfish. While possessing much more than they need, they are always fearful of losing what they possess. The money of the ultrarich is often used to oppress others, and men who thus use it appear to be proud that they have such power. Concerning them God says: "Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens; and their tongue walketh through the earth. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches." — Psalm 73:6-9,11,12.

    Now perilous times have come, exactly as God's Word foretold they would come, and this is due to the fact that we are in the "last days", when men have become agreement-breakers and unfaithful and seek to exalt themselves at the expense of both the rich and the poor. (2 Timothy 3:1-4) Selfish political rulers, desiring to keep themselves in power, and overreached by other wrongful influence, proceed to "soak the rich" in order to create more political jobs and thus increase their opportunities of keeping themselves in office. Men who are thus endeavoring to wrongfully take away from the earthly rich that which they possess are both unhappy and extremely selfish. Those who possess much material riches now, and the others who are trying to grab the same, are both moved by a selfish desire; and pursuing that course, they are certain to be sorely disappointed within, a very short time. "Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart upon them." (Psalm 62:10) "He that trusteth in his [material] riches shall fall." (Proverbs 11:28) "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool." — Jeremiah 17:11.

    Such a person becomes a fool for the reason he makes selfish gain, otherwise called "money", his god and relies on the power and protection that his money might bring to him. He disregards God and true wisdom and by his course of action proves that he is a fool; as the Scriptures declare: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." (Psalm 14:1) By pursuing such a course of action, he discloses his motive, which is here represented by "his heart", and in harmony with this he in effect says that he is a fool. By disregarding God's provision made for man, and by pursuing a selfish course, man becomes entirely blind to his best interests. The multitudes of people on earth have gone practically crazy by reason of their insatiable desire to acquire material wealth. Such false riches endure but a short time. Man dies, and that is the end of his riches which he has acquired in the wrong way: "Riches profit not in the day of wrath; but righteousness delivereth from death." (Proverbs 11:4) "Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away, as an eagle toward heaven." (Proverbs 23:5) These texts here quoted apply to what is termed "false riches".

  • rather be in hades
    rather be in hades

    do you remember what page number?

  • diamondiiz
    diamondiiz

    Was he referring to himself? Beth Sarim surely wasn't acquired for betterment of mankind nor did bible students of the day live anywhere as stylish as Rutherford. But the prick was a haughty bastard who had no problems pointing a finger at everyone else but himself. Rutherford expanded on Russell business model and pushed his followers to peddle his books. Today's wts has much to thank Rutherford for their riches but too bad for them that education was such a bad thing and now they have a house full of ignorant uneducated men who can't move the cult further ahead and the stagnation will soon turn to downward spiral.

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