The Harp of God book (page 3)

blownaway

Picked on up on eBay. 13 bucks. Looks like a good book to have in ones library.

careful

SBF:

I wonder what happened in just five years to so radically alter his view.

He/they embraced spiritual Israel as the fulfillment of OT prophecies.

Ha! I had in fact already formulated that obvious response to myself in my head, and mocked myself over it. But thanks for giving it concrete expression, and allowing me the opportunity to state more clearly what I was trying to say.

There are some of Russell's teachings that Rutherford was clearly never fond of, in particular the pyramidology. Rutherford downplayed it and eventually dropped it altogether.

But zionism is not such an obvious case. Rutherford didn't carry it forward reluctantly, he wholeheartedly embraced Zionism, as can be seen reading "Comfort for the Jews". And neither did Rutherford quietly drop Zionism, but he did a complete 180 and totally trashed Zionism in his later years.

So I wonder what made Rutherford re-evaluate and radically alter his position between 1925 and 1930. It's presented as simply a new consideration of the scriptures. Penton says it's because Rutherford was anti-Semitic and possibly had particular experience of Jews in Brooklyn. Was it simply either of those, a combination, or something else?

dropoffyourkeylee

The WT stand on Zionism is one of the things that brought the Nazis down on them in Germany.

slimboyfat

I don't have the quotes to hand. But at one time I did look into this closely. Rutherford abandoned Zionism before the Nazis came to power in 1933. But you are correct in the sense that Nazis didn't tend to recognise the niceties of "new light" and continued to ascribe Zionist beliefs to JWs anyway.

More pointedly some JW critics have suggested that JWs abandoned Zionism to appease the Nazis. But the chronology doesn't support this. Rutherford rejected Zionism before the Nazis came to power.

dropoffyourkeylee

Good points,

I hit the ‘dislike’ several times by accident. Dont see how to undo it

OrphanCrow

Sbf: some JW critics have suggested that JWs abandoned Zionism to appease the Nazis. But the chronology doesn't support this. Rutherford rejected Zionism before the Nazis came to power.

Hitler wrote Mein kauf 1925. Widely read by everyone who was anyone in a position of power

And Coca Cola

slimboyfat

Are you arguing that JWs rejected Zionism in response to Mein Kampf? That's so ridiculous you can't mean that, can you? But otherwise I don't know what your post is meant to say. Maybe you could explain.

It's true that Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and was quite popular in Germany even before Hitler came to power. It wasn't translated into English until 1933. Rutherford rejected Zionism before 1933. Watchtower literature also criticised the Nazis even before they came to power.

OrphanCrow

Yes I am.

Rutherford spent a lot of time in Germany in the years leading up to his reorganization of the WTS in 1931. Germany was the testing ground for all his changes. And besides, the lawyers for the German WTS were members of the Nazi party.

slimboyfat

Have you got evidence for these claims?

The Harp of God book

Share this