Rutherford Letter To Moyle

cedars

Does "SOB" stand for what I think it stands for??!

Cedars

apostatethunder

This doesn’t sound like the letter of a peaceful Christian, but the letter of an agitator.

This organization represents everything I despise, and I am disgusted that I was ever a part of it.

Behind their kingdom smiles, they are a destructive cult, that wants to destroy not only individuals, but most importantly with a very strong political agenda.

You can know a person (or organization), not only for their friends, but also for their enemies. The Catholic Church, has a lot of enemies, even to the point of trying to kill the previous Pope, (before the fall of Communism), and I will never be on the side of any of her enemies, in whatever front they choose to fight.

Sometimes the only way to destroy an organization is by infiltrating it, and I think the Church has been seriously infiltrated in order to undermine it.

If it is so much of an obstacle, it is a sign that it does a good work.

The Church was the keeper of knowledge for many centuries, valuable things always arise envy.

Those who seek to destroy it by infiltration, discredit, propaganda, etc, are the ones that should be put out of the picture.

Cagefighter

I find the stationairy interesting. America is in the great depression and Rutherford is on cruise in the South Pacific. Someone figured this game out quick!

Quendi

@ Cagefighter: Rutherford’s letter is interesting on several points, the stationery being one of them. I’m not one of Rutherford’s defenders or apologists, but in this case I will say the trip could perhaps be justified as simply a case of visiting Witnesses in Oceania who were very anxious to see him. Russell traveled extensively as well, and by 1938 Witnesses were active in many different countries. Rutherford may also have wanted to check on branch operations in Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, intercontinental air travel was still relatively new and so most overseas travel would have been done by ship.

In this case perhaps the more relevant question would have been did Rutherford and his entourage travel first class. It would not have surprised me if they did. After all, Rutherford was living in the lap of luxury at Beth Sarim during the winter months all the years of the Great Depression, so why not engage in foreign travel the same way? Nor was Rutherford the only Society bigwig to do push that envelope. N.H. Knorr flew around the world, and he certainly did not travel in the coach or business sections but flew first class.

Quendi

Bangalore

He seems to have lived like royalty during the Great Depression.

Bangalore

AnnOMaly

Thanks Bangalore! Interesting. Where did you get it from?

The 'Acts' book referred to the Griffin case this week:

Bearing Thorough Witness, chap. 25, "I Appeal to Caesar!" box on p. 200

On March 28, 1938, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned state court decisions and exonerated a group of Witnesses who had been arrested for distributing Bible literature in Griffin, Georgia, U.S.A. This was the first of many appeals made to that high court regarding the right of the Witnesses to preach the good news.

Also,

Proclaimers, chap. 30 p. 684 'Defending and Legally Establishing the Good News'

One of the first cases involving the ministry of Jehovah's Witnesses to reach the Supreme Court of the United States originated in Georgia and was argued before the Court on February 4, 1938. Alma Lovell had been convicted in the recorder's court of Griffin, Georgia, of violating an ordinance that prohibited the distribution of literature of any kind without a permit from the city manager. Among other things, Sister Lovell had offered people the magazine The Golden Age. On March 28, 1938, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the ordinance was invalid because it subjected freedom of the press to license and censorship. ...

So it looks like, in the wake of a Supreme Court victory, Rutherford wanted to sue the pants off anyone and everyone involved with bringing an action against JWs regarding their distributing literature and door-to-door evangelism, especially the Catholic clergy. I wonder if he did bring a successful suit against Griffin. Anyhoo, Rutherford was on a roll:

[Proclaimers cont'd] ... The following year J. F. Rutherford, as attorney for the petitioner, presented arguments to the Supreme Court in the case of Clara Schneider v. State of New Jersey. This was followed, in 1940, by Cantwell v. State of Connecticut, for which J. F. Rutherford drafted the legal brief and Hayden Covington presented oral argument before the Court. The positive outcome of these cases buttressed the constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.

More info:

http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/303/444/case.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovell_v._City_of_Griffin

Oh and a quick side point. This letter, of course, was a little over a year before Olin Moyle resigned over many grievances he had with Rutherford, one of which was his "filthy and vulgar language."

Bangalore

Thanks Bangalore! Interesting. Where did you get it from?

I found it online several years ago. Don't remember where exactly.

Thanks for the links.

Bangalore

LoisLane looking for Superman

This is the letter that finally moved me to register and log in.

If you go to Ancestry.com fill out the form for Joseph Rutherford you will receive a lot of documents pertaining to his travel and census for where he lived and all at Bethel at the time that lived with him. (Side note: Very interesting to look up 1940 census, as well as the other ones. They ask how many years of schooling have you had 1-8 years, H1-H4, C1- C4. Big surprise. Not many went to college but a number of women at Bethel at the time had gone. I encourage you to look it up). I haven't counted how many ship trips to and fro to England & France he has/had made. The trips that are startling/upsetting to me are his long cruises from New York to Los Angeles and LA to NY with Bonnie Boyd and no one else from 124 Columbia Heights. No. Just them. First class. Seperate but adjoining cabins. He's the boss. She's the secretary. If anyone else did it they would be DF'ed in a NY minute, but no, not when your the President of the Watchtower, Bible and Tract Society and the presidents private secretary.

Pertaining to the above letter dated On Board March 31st, 1938 on Matson Line departing Sydney, Australia arriving 16 May 1938 from the ships manifest page 25, two people were travelling with Rutherford on this First class trip. William Heath age 34 and his wife Bonnie age 41, the previous named Bonnie Boyd, Rutherford's long time lover. At customs, Rutherford has his address as of course, 124 Columbia Heights. The very rich Heath's address is 4440 Braebura Road, San Diego, Calif.

If you care to look them up, there are quite a few/many trips where Bonnie Boyd is in attendance. Going through American customs on the ships manifests you'll notice she and Joseph are usually in different line ups so their names are usually not on the same page. Same ship, first class, she's the secretary, has adjoining cabin, both live at Bethel so home address is the same, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Not embaressed, no not them. They are the entitled people. Brazen. Reminds me of Leona Helmsley talking about "only the little people pay taxes". This is a big time, money making business that walks all over us little people. Do as I say. Not as I do. Heartless. Cruel.

SOB. SOB? In a letter? In 1938? And he doesn't get called on the carpet for it? Oh. That's right. He's the president of a charity (note charity not charitable) religious organization. He's The Big Cheese (or little shrimp wizard sitting on a stool, hiding behind the curtain aka Wizard of Oz) and can do whatever he likes. And he tells people, God talks to him and chose him to go to heaven? Isn't there a medical term for those kind of people? lol but not.

Finkelstein

Sounds like President Rutherford didn't like other people messing with his business venture namely the Watchtower Corporation.

Rutherford was truly a manipulator and exploiter of people and the WTS. was the baby that brought him that elevated power and wealth.

In this understanding its no wonder he put up such a objectionable strong front when situations arouse that apposed his sales distribution.

So much power surrounded the guy that he carried on a adulterous lifestyle and no one would say or do a thing about it, he was the President

after all of god's solemnly chosen organization.

Rutherford Letter To Moyle

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