Hi minimus. Those are good questions you asked me. I don't think of myself as an apologist for Rutherford, especially considering that I am an atheist who promotes atheism. But I also am not quick to believe accusations about someone made on a blog site without seeing any evidence to back up the accusations. Though I am an atheist, I still read the Bible (in multiple translations), some WT books, and other religious books. It is true that I can't seem to fully leave the study of the WT religion (and of religion in general) behind, including the study of WT literature. Maybe I am like a college professor of mythology and fiction literature who does not believe (at least literally) in the stories of mythology or fiction, but who still finds them fascinating to read and to study. I also own a book about Greek mythology and a book about teachings attributed to the Buddha.
There is much I disagree with and disapprove in WT literature, but there are also some things I agree with and approve of in WT literature. One thing I like to do is look for ways to show people that religion is false and that they should stop being religious. As a result I have to study the Bible and other religious literature to find the flaws in them so I point them out to others. But also, in the process of studying them I find some good ideas in them and some good literary styles in them (as works of fiction literature). Some of what Rutherford wrote about religion are true and useful talking points in those regards. I really like his slogan of "religion is a snare and racket".
For the first 10 years after I became inactive as a JW I became more interested and studious of the Bible and religion. That is because I was (and am) free to study it my own way (and ask myself critical questions about it) and use whatever books I wanted to (such as some from "Christendom") to help study it. As a result I ended up becoming an independent Christian and was such for a few years (or several years) before I became a non-theist. About 20 years after I ceased being active as a JW I now find myself being engrossed in reading some of the WT literature (and currently being unwilling to sell it), though I have sold off most the bound volumes I had of the Watchtower. To my shock and worry I now find myself thinking that some of their teachings (ones that I didn't accept for a period of time) now seem sensible (if one accepts some suppositions, presuppositions, or propositions/premises) of theirs as a starting point in a line of argumentation). For example the idea that the United Nations can be thought of as the image of the 7 headed wild beast of Revelation in some ways now seems to be a more supported idea than when I thought about it as a former ministerial servant and as a former regular pioneer. That is because now I do much more in depth study and contemplation of the argumentation used by the WT on that topic than when I was a JW, for when I was a JW (and especially when I was an unbaptized pre-teen who had a very hard time understanding the in-depth books at the time) I was mostly only studying it because I thought it was my obligation to do so. Now when I study it I do so out of curiosity.
Many years ago I obtained some of Rutherford's (and Russell's) books so I see if they contain evidence that the WT was not chosen as the channel (and representative) of Jehovah God. I did find much evidence of such, but now I have moved past only using Rutherford's books for that purpose, for now I also study Rutherford's books to see if there are any good ideas in them. Some of what Rutherford says about politics, big business and organized religion seem true to me. Some of his interpretations about the Bible seem to be what the Bible writers meant (even though I think the Bible writers were wrong on many things, for example I now know that Jehovah God is not real). Some of the advice in the WT literature about beneficial ways to live (including how to treat others and how to prosper) are correct. I have found some of the sources (including secular ones) quoted in some WT literature as having good information, and some of those sources agree with some of the WT's teachings. If I hadn't read the WT literature I would not have learned of most of those sources.
Rivergang, what evidence (circumstantial or otherwise) is there of Rutherford engaging in improper conduct (at least by JW religion standards) with any females? One thing that might support the accusations and also which is interesting, is that somewhere I read that Rutherford wrote condemnations about the Roman Catholic church's policy of excommunication and/or anathema - things similar to JW disfellowshipping). It seems that Rutherford claimed that "disfellowshipping" was a bad practice. I think I read in the WT book called Jehovah's Witnesses In The Divine Purpose that the WT taught in that book that excommunication is wrong.
Note: I began writing this post before the two prior posts (the one by Sea Breeze and the one by Rocketman123) had been made. Thank you Sea Breeze and Rocketman123 for those posts.
