Question for xJW historians (page 2)

unclebruce

G'day Larc,

I think Russell truly believed delusions of his own making. Rutherford? God knows. The bloke certainly did his best to live a life fitting one personnally chosen by Jesus in 1919 to look after all his earthly belongings ;) It would have been interesting to see C.T.Russell after a period of imprisonment. I believe his eccentricities and eventual self deception and 'most reverend status' were heavily influenced by the wide spread privations and deep emotional and spiritual instability permiating the United States immediatly following the American civil war. (war sends populations crazy ya know)

Whereas it was MrRatherflawed's period in jail, more than anything else that heightened his paranoia against Church, State, big business, small business, unions, Christmas tree decorators and just about anyone else who dared question his authorita! Rutherford, Stalin what's the difference? sorry, i'm no Sigmund Freud so i just gotta say it the only way i know how ... the man had a small dick (or at least he had issues along that line)

Spot on Refiners Fire! Most JW's suspect Rutherford was a dogmatic oger in contrast to Russells milder pragmatism. (officially of course Rutherford was working under a much brighter light than Russell .. perhaps he had headaches? .. booze coupled with bright light and looking after all jesus stuff .. no wonder he was such a grumpy bastard LOL)

unclebruce

ps: Is there a psyciatrist in the house? Has anyone produced a detailed examination of these men? It'd be fun reading.

Edited by - unclebruce on 12 October 2002 7:37:16

garybuss

Russell honestly and ethically continued that started by William Miller while he kept the tradition and the dates of the Second Adventist movement, making publishing a business and enabled a religion to be a religion.

Rutherford dishonestly and unethically manipulated control of the assets of the Bible Student aggregate, purged many Bible Students, made publishing a weapon, and made hate and resentment a religion.

Franz and Knorr mostly purged religion from the religion and turned it all into a huge secular publishing corporation, expanded the hate and resentment, initiated dishonest recruiting practices and Theocratic warfare, isolated members, established blood medical treatment guidelines, entrenched the family merit doctrine, and enforced disfellowshipping orders by shunning any not practicing shunning.

The Henschel era until the 2000 restructuring, was kept busy with damage control due to the huge numbers of dissidents caused by the 1975 fiasco and major changes in core doctrine like the dispensing with the "1914 generation" doctrine in 1995. Doctrinally the era was marked by reversals, such as the alternative military service issue, compromise, like the blood medical teaching that blood fractions are a conscience matter, and introductions of new power classes like the Chieftains.

The post reorganization period, after October, 2000, has been a time of reaction as shown in the creation of a public relations department, a press desk where replies are instant rather than sometimes taking months as in the past, and easy communication of dissenters via the Internet. 2002 has brought international media attention and lawsuits by victims of the Society's policies and agents.

hippikon

I think Russel and Ruderford both lived in a fantasy world - Some of that pyramid stuff of Russels was off the wall and Ruderford was a spiritual meglamaniac - I bet he thought the the sun that shone out of his prohetic ass. So much for the light getting brighter.

A Paduan

The self appointments -

they looked at the scriptures, and not seeing, they made their own stories up,

and they looked at the scriptures and not, seeing they made their own stories up,

then they looked at the scriptures not seeing they made their own stories up!

paduan

RR

Russell and Rutherford came from very different backgrounds. Russell came from a an affluent urban setting. He and his sister were their parents only children so Russell got more attention from his father and mother than Rutherford who came from a more humble rural background.

Hate to burst your bubble, but Russell was the second of seven children. Only he and his sister lived to adulthood

RR

Right; there are Russell followers who survive to this day.

You mean the Bible STudents are still around, not many of his day still live ... www.biblestudents.net

However, early JWs were called Russellites. Actually, it is the case that JWs should properly be called "Rutherfordites".

Actually, the term "russellites" was never adopted by them, it was a derogatory term given them by the Churches.

MikeMusto

actually, if you study the writing of Russell, you will see that indeed his start was genuine,

he didnt feel the need for an org. etc..However, in the end it seems he let his ego start to win

over him. Feeling that all must follow his bad chronolgy etc. Rutherford was crazy from the start.

Pork Chop

I think Russell was a true believer, Rutherford was an authoritarian jerk who only believed in control.

JanH

When I first started studying JW history, I considered Russell a true believer, if mistaken, while I considered Rutherford a total powerfreak and a jerk.

I haven't really changed my mind about Rutherford.

However, after reading about how Russell treated his wife, I now consider him a total hypocrite and a cruel, manipulative bastard. His language and manner was polite, but his actions were cruel. He got rid of everybody in the movement who didn't rever him as a god. Whatever you can say about Rutherford, you at least knew where you had him. He said what he meant. Russell was a cruel, two faced hypocrite, IMO.

- Jan

Blogging at Secular Blasphemy

mustang

I was called a "Russellite" at someone's door, but since Russell never lived to hear the name Jehovah's Witnesses and Rutherford purged all Russell influence, "Rutherfordite" would be more accurate.

I would say that Rutherford is the epitome of the saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely". I don't believe that Russell exuded so much evil.

Mustang

Question for xJW historians

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