Recently this question was posed by "PerFect" on "Beliefs, Doctrines & Practices" Forum.
Recently the WT have been stating more then ones that they got liberated from Babylon 1919. That they got "out from her". My logic is that if many Bible students at that time still were members (although inactive) in other churches, and wasn't told to leave, then their statement that they got liberated is proven false.
The following information may not be what you are looking for, but I think it is in keeping with the title of your post which is:
"When did JWs really get free from Babylon the Great?"
I'd like to add the following in addressing that particular question.
First of all, the question is a good one, and one that was given serious discussion in a Pioneer School I attended back some 20+ years ago...one of the earliest classes in the U.S.
In that class, the question of re-baptism came up, for JWs who came in BEFORE 1919?
What seemed to concern the brothers the most in the class was the statement made that BEFORE 1919, rebaptism was NOT a requirement among those of the "anointed" who had decided to leave the churches of "Babylon the Great" or Christendom. It was an option. Their personal choice...whether to get rebaptized or not, if they wanted to, before 1919.
In the School, we learned AFTER 1919, it became a requirement. However, no written literature was produced to show such a stand or position of the WTS. The information was passed on verbally to the class. So, I thought to myself personally, the instructors could have been in error. That is possible.
However, the instructor presenting the information, insisted to the class that this was the "official position" of the WTS on the matter. Obviously, this is not a subject the WTS relishes in discussing, nor particularly wants brothers digging, and thoroughly "researching", if you know what I mean. So, you may not find IN PRINT, in the printed literature, yes, all of what you are looking for on such a "delicate" and sensitive subject as what you are researching. This would not be to the WTS best interest to provide such "details". The real truth of the matter is the subject is taught and presented cryptically by the WTS, on purpose, to keep inquirers "in the dark."
Looking back, we know for a fact that Pastor Russell and many of his earliest associates did feel they had "escaped" Babylon the Great back in their day. This viewpoint prevailed for many years, right up to his death and after.
On the question of the letter of resignation...perhaps, there was no formal mandate or requirement to write a letter of resignation to show the separation of the new convert from his former church organization and his formal acceptance of his newfound religious convictions as an "International Bible Student" back in those days. Maybe just serving "verbal notice" was all that they required, if there was any kind of requirement at all, back in those days. I know that is the question you are trying to get at.
If you don't find what you are looking for, perhaps, we can reason if one publicly taught that the churches were guilty of teaching falisities like "hellfire" and "trinity", as CT Russell and followers did, I'm sure the churches got the hint...that you were no long among them. And CT Russell did have many "adversaries" among the churches of his day.
Nevertheless, its clear this published stance on escape from Babylon since 1919 then, was taught to us in the Pioneer School, to suggest and give specious basis to the thought that the "ANOINTED WHEAT" class, anointed disciples of christ, had supposedly been allowed by Jesus to linger closely with the "Weed" class of fake christians while held fast within the clutches and "captivity" of Babylon the Great, since the "infiltration", pollution and infestation of the first century congregation with "leavenous" teachings, some 17+ centuries ago, right up to 1919, when supposedly Jesus made the critical separation...as taught today in the publications. -- Matt. 15:8,9; 16:12
However, based upon what we know about one who is truly "anointed", the above conditions simply could not exist. It would be impossible for the truly "anointed" to exist within the powerful clutches of Babylon the Great, where false doctrines have been taught for any great length of time, and certainly not centuries!. This would be impossible!
And this is where the WTS has made its mistake...A FATAL mistake.
Take for example, the following post made a few days ago on the "Main forum." It clearly reveals the fallacy in the WTS' perspective on this matter. This "flaw" in their viewpoint makes the entire "house of cards" come crumbling down. Please examine the following info to see if this is so. It centers around the thought that the "ANOINTED", that's the "spirit-begotten" Anointed Congregation of God, can be left in total "ignorance" toward God's requirements for them. And yet be found somehow, faithful to God, in the "final inspection" based upon Luke 12:42-48. In short, a scriptural "justification" to "overlook" the WTS' wickedness and remain among the WTS' "fold."...A Satanic and ludicrous assumption!
Copied from main forum:
---- post from "bjc2012" to "You Know"-----
You Know,
If Luke 12:42-48 applies to the body of the anointed Witnesses on earth today and Jesus’ final inspection finds them in one of two conditions described below:
a) anointed who have full understanding but persist in wrongdoing, and
b) anointed who do not understand and have unwittingly persisted in wrongdoing;
then, in which of these two categories do you fall as you claim to be of the anointed?
You have demonstrated to this board that you do understand the entire situation fully, which means that Jesus has revealed this to you as one of the anointed. If he has revealed this to you then he has also revealed it to others of the anointed. A Logical assumption, wouldn’t you say? Therefore, if Jesus has revealed this to the “anointed” on earth, the conditions of total ignorance described by you CANNOT exist and are an impossibility. Amos 3:7 shows that Jehovah ALWAYS reveals his “confidential matters” to his “prophets”, the anointed.
Therefore, Luke 12:42-48 does not describe an “anointed” group since Jehovah’s Witnesses are not anointed as a people, as of yet. However, these verses will apply in the future to some of Jehovah’s Witnesses while they are still in a non-anointed state. You, yourself, stated in another post that Jehovah was going to (future) pour His spirit out on His people after they have been disciplined by Him. As the Bible reveals it is a future situation among God’s Name People.
Your treatise is good however, since it shows clearly that the “faithful steward” is not anointed. The ‘anointed are taught directly by the spirit and they have knowledge.’ 1 John 2:20 says: “And you have an anointing from the Holy One; all of you have knowledge.” Verse 27 says: “You do not need anyone to be teaching you; but as the anointing from him is teaching you about ALL things.” Therefore, it is impossible for the ‘anointed’ to exist in conditions of ignorance such as you have described in your post. They also have an ‘incorruptible seed’ that is implanted within them and leads them. They cannot deviate from its leading for any length of time lest they blaspheme it. The Bible shows that first century Anointed Christians “did not practice sin,” nor did they teach an ‘artfully contrived false story’ for over 120 years (like the 1914 teaching)! -- Please see 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9; 2 Peter 1:16.
Therefore, there are no anointed Christians among the Jehovah’s Witnesses today!!
bjc
-------end of post-------
To teach that "anointed" individuals were held in captivity to "Babylon the Great" is an "impossibility" within itself. To teach that the "spirit-begotten anointed" of God have been left "in the dark" in total ignorance by Jesus Christ, is also false and an impossibility, based upon 1 John 2:20, 27. It is impossible.
Critical conditions of "ignorance", as "You Know" has asserted, then CANNOT exist among the truly, spirit-begotten Anointed Congregation of God. Cannot exist at any time down thru the centuries since Jesus established the Christian Congregation. Great "ignorance" cannot exist among the "anointed." So Jesus' discussion of events at Luke 12:42-48 cannot refer to nor have application among the truly "anointed congregation" of God at all. The "Faithful Steward/Evil Steward" and the "Faithful Slave/Evil Slave" parable then, CANNOT represent in FINAL FORM, the "anointed congregation" of God.
It is impossible.
And because of that fact, nor, are the truly Anointed as a body, to be found among JWs either, as an organization...as a congregation. This is especially true and easily provable when candidly and objectively viewing the WTS' TEACHING OF 1914 FOR OVER 120 YEARS now -- truly an "artfully contrived false story." A proven fact today. -- See 2 Peter 1:16
The Bible clearly shows, the truly "spirit-anointed" disciples of Christ as a unified congregation, are "led by the spirit" as "sons of God" would not foster such a teaching over such a long period of time without discovering its error. If such were to happen, this would constitute a continual "practice of sin," on behalf of the "Anointed" congregation, namely lying! Something Jehovah God & Jesus truly "Hate," detests, as Proverbs 6:16 & 17 shows. Thus meaning the "Anointed of God," had failed their "test" and "inspection." An impossibility! -- See also 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9; 2 Peter 1:16; Rev. 21:8; 22:15.
And yet, the WT Society continues to say the "anointed" have existed, yes, since the time of Jesus, on earth within the churches of christendom and Babylon the Great, some 1700 years in "captivity," while in an "anointed" state. These are the very same churches that that the WTS says continually teach, false doctrines like "hellfire" and "trinity." These false teachings, false doctrines according to the Bible which as Jesus said, would make one's worship, "IN VAIN" to God. -- Matt. 15:8,9
How could this be? How could the "anointed" exist within such a spiritual condition, for some 1700 years?
If the "anointed" have an "incorruptible reproductive seed" within them, "leading them as sons", as Romans 8:14-16 brings out, how could they have existed with the unsavory environment of the churches of Christendom, Babylon the Great, for over 1700 years, and NOT LOST THAT SPIRITUAL HOPE? That would mean that many of the "anointed", actually died while in captivity to Babylon the Great, during those "in between" years, between now and Jesus' and first century christians time. ALL "ANOINTED" ARE TO BE FOUND IN A "PURE", UNCOMPROMISED, STATE WHEN FINALLY FOUND AND EXAMINED BY JESUS IN THE PROMISED "INSPECTION." -- 1 John 3:3; 2 Peter 3:13, 14
If this were the case, how could those particular "anointed" disciples, been found "finally by Jesus," at their death, "spotless, unblemished, and in peace," with God, as 2 Peter 3:14 says. The "Anointed" during those "in between" years. What of them?
...If they died, within the clutches of Babylon the Great, died within the churches of Christendom, the home of all "leavenous" false teachings and practices, as taught by the WTS. -- Matt. 16:12
And finally, when we speak of CT Russell and followers, who also claimed to be of the "Anointed"...what about them and their "escape" from Babylon, prior to the year of 1919 where the symbolic "wheat" was supposedly separated from the symbolic "weed," and "Babylon the Great" had "fallen," allowing the "anointed" to finally "escape" Babylon the Great, as taught by the WTS?
Clearly, this teaching and viewpoint does nothing to address CT Russell's OWN STATED POSITION, as published in the many pages of the Watch Tower magazine and other publications where he clearly and emphatically stated he and thousands of others had personally "escaped" Babylon the Great, separated themselves and started their "own" religion, the "International Bible Students," some 4 decades BEFORE 1919.
What the WTS teaches on this matter, then, is an impossibility, based upon what we know is taught in the Bible about the truly "anointed congregation" of God.
MDS