Just a bunch of book hawkers???!

by onacruse 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  onacruse

  Naw...

  w12/1/1892 1479

  ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM EARNEST WORKERS

  DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL: I take the first opportunity of fulfilling my promise, and herewith enclose Money Order for Young?s Concordance, and the surplus for anything you please. Our little band will all send together in a month or so subscriptions to TOWER and Tract Fund.

  You will be pleased to learn of our spiritual welfare. Brother W-- has just returned home after a week?s stay with us. We have the meetings in our home, and he was much impressed by the quiet work which is being done. I feel assured that the Lord sent him, and in so doing has blessed us all: and I trust he may be stimulated to further work in his neighborhood. He has thrown light upon the difference of colporteur work here and in the United States, having spent some years there himself. Colporteurs are looked upon with suspicion here, being either connected with Evangelical Associations, or hawkers of encyclopaedias and larger works. Whereas in America much of the book selling is done in this manner, in England all has to be done through

  w12/1/1892 1480

  booksellers. Still I think we might be doing more than we are, although much is being done in a quiet way.

  [The fact is that America is overrun by book agents, and the people often feel very much annoyed by them. It would seem, therefore, that if there is but little done in England in that line, that field would be all the better for our colporteurs. The people would give them a heartier welcome than here, where two or three sometimes call in one day. And we heard recently that nearly four thousand copies of a high-priced American book, containing much unpopular error, were sold not long since in Dublin, Ireland. The sale of this book at a high price gives us great confidence that at its low price thousands of DAWNS could be sold there .

  We find that many, even here, do not make a success of the colporteur work until they have received some personal instruction from some experienced and successful worker. There is a particular knack required that all do not possess naturally, but which can be acquired by intelligent perseverance. When the way opens, we hope to send some experienced Brother from here to Great Britain in order to start the work there. EDITOR]
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  little witch

  Is this for real Craig?

  If so HOLY COW!!!
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  onacruse

  lw, yep...if I could figure out how to post the .pdf copy of that page, I would...more to follow
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  little witch

  again, Holy Cow!

  People who are still "in" are loathe to believe when we publish onto the net such things.

  All the more reason for you out there who have paper trails to hang onto your sources!

  Scan them and keep the copy. We must be able to prove that our information was published by the tower, and not apostate.
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  onacruse

  Here're a few more, for your "amusement":

  W7/15/30 215

  Who, then, on earth today is included in the class bringing forth or bearing the fruits of the kingdom?

  There is but one organization; and that we call ?the Society,? which forms a part of God?s organization. Those who are wholly devoted to God and who are diligent in proclaiming the message of his kingdom and testifying to his glory and his works are bringing forth the fruits of the kingdom. Every one of the kingdom class must preach the gospel. The majority of them preach the glad tidings by carrying the message of the kingdom in book form to the people. The ?evil servant? class represent the great enemy, and under his influence insist that the Society is a book-selling arrangement operated for the benefit of man. This charge not only is false, but is a blasphemy against God because it brings reproach upon him and his work. Anyone who believes that charge should at once cease the work of placing books in the hands of the people.

  W11/15/30 342

  The total number of those who have withdrawn from the Society and now oppose its work is comparatively large, when such are taken all together. These are now divided into many companies, all claiming to be followers of Christ and claiming to be God?s little flock, while at the same time they speak evil things concerning those who are faithfully endeavoring to serve God. They denounce the Society and its work, saying that its activities are due to a man-made theory and that those who go to make up the Society are carnally minded and are engaged in a book-selling business and not in the service of Jehovah.

  W12/1/30 359

  With words of vitriolic sarcasm, scorn and reproach the enemy?s agents say to the remnant: ?You are merely engaged in a book-selling scheme. You are not serving God.? Some of less knowledge and weak faith are hindered by such attacks. The faithful will remember, however, that Jesus, the Head of the ?servant,? commanded his followers to preach this gospel as a witness before the final end and that God commands that those of his house must be his witnesses and that all of the temple do show forth his praises. (Matthew 24:14; Isaiah 43:10-12; Psalm 29:9)

  In what manner could this witness work be done except by means of the radio and by a publication of books containing the message of the truth? The Lord himself has made this provision, and it is the duty and privilege of his anointed ones to make use of that which the Lord has provided. The more books containing the message of the truth that are placed in the hands of the people, the greater will be the witness to the glory of God and in obedience to his commandments. The small amount of money taken for the books does not cover the expense of publication and delivery. The Lord is giving the people of goodwill an opportunity to bear some of the burdens of the publication of the message for their own good. The true and faithful will not permit these cruel and unwarranted assaults to hinder them in the witness work.

  w8/1/31 230

  Let each one of the remnant ask himself now, Am I doing my part? Be not deceived, nor permit yourselves to be browbeaten, by the false claims that you are engaged in a book-selling scheme. The work of the remnant is to make known the truth that God commands now must be declared, and he has chosen the means by which this shall be done.

  There's a fair bit of history to Rutherford's apoplectic animosity to the "elective-elder-man-of-sin-covenant-breakers class."
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  BeelzeDub

  Anyone who believes that charge should at once cease the work of placing books in the hands of the people.

  And so, I took the advice of the WTS when I quit publishing.
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  dustyb

  heh. hey onacruise. the way you put .pdf files on the web is to upload them and make them into a link ;) works every time. daddy wanan seee
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  garybuss

  Good post! Pioneers (called colporteurs) made their living selling books. That was their purpose, not distribution of magic. Many built homemade camper trailers from plans provided by the publishers and were traveling sales people.
  
  The history of the traveling booksellers is laid out very well in 30 Years A Watchtower Slave. Rutherford replaced the Holy Spirit, Knorr replaced God, Franz replaced the family, and Adams replaced the human brain.
  
  
  
  
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  Odrade

  Interesting read. So this accusation (being a "book-vending co.") has been around for decades. Now the stock answer is "We are not peddlers of the good news..." Riiiiiight! But I found it intriguing that in the 30s, while denying being in the book sales business, they still addressed the issue of book "territories," sales tactics and competitively priced merchandise. Things that make ya go "hmmmm...."

  O
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  garybuss

  Odrade, Do you think that which they deny most is that which they do most? We don't sell books, we PLACE them. We don't hate, shunning is LOVE. We don't abuse children, we DISCIPLINE them. We don't pass a collection plate, we just ask for DONATIONS. We aren't false prophets, we admit our MISTAKES. We really are a religion, we are not a CULT.