Why were Watchtower officials (Rutherford) imprisioned in 1917/1918/1919 ??

run dont walk

I though it had to do with the book The Finished Mystery,

Why were they imprisioned ???

run dont walk

Revelation Climax book (1988) chap. 6 p. 32 Unlocking a Sacred Secret

A

Time of Testing and Judging

Jesus was baptized and anointed as King-Designate at the Jordan River about October 29 C.E. Three and a half years later, in 33 C.E., he came to Jerusalem’s temple and threw out those who were making it a cave of robbers. There appears to be a parallel to this in the three-and-a-half-year period from Jesus’ ‘sitting down on his glorious throne’ in the heavens in October 1914 until his coming to inspect professed Christians as judgment began with the house of God. (Matthew 21:12, 13; 25:31-33; 1 Peter 4:17) Early in 1918 the Kingdom activity of Jehovah’s people met with great opposition. It was a time of testing earth wide, and fearful ones were sifted out. In May 1918 Christendom’s clergy instigated the imprisonment of officials of the Watch Tower Society, but nine months later these were released. Later, they were completely exonerated of the false charges against them. From 1919 the organization of God’s people, tried and refined, moved zealously forward to proclaim Jehovah’s Kingdom by Christ Jesus as the hope for mankind.—Malachi 3:1-3.

As Jesus began his inspection in 1918, the clergy of Christendom no doubt received an adverse judgment. Not only had they raised up persecution against God’s people but they had also incurred heavy bloodguilt by supporting the contending nations during the first world war. (Revelation 18:21, 24) Those clergymen then placed their hope in the man-made League of Nations. Along with the entire world empire of false religion, Christendom had fallen completely from God’s favor by 1919.

from Blondie on another thread.

Sobeit

I don't remeber why, but pretty certain he was in the Federal penitentiary in Atlanta.

Elsewhere

I believe the charges were something to the effect of being anti-American or critical of America during a time of war.

I wonder if the court papers can be tracked down so we can know exactly what the charges were about.

blondie

http://www.exjws.net/museum/jfrtrial1.htm\

Review of the 1919 Trial of Joseph Franklin Rutherford

ISP

It was all foretold in the Bible..............and fulfilled a dramatic prohecy....didnt you know?

ISP

in a new york bethel minute

blondie that link didn't work for me... is it my computer or are other people having trouble with it?

bethel minute

z

blondie that link didn't work for me

not working ...

Leolaia

4th October 1917
From: Camp Dix, Company D, 307th M. G. Battery
Military Branch, Camp Dix, Trenton NJ

To: Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.

Dear Brother in Christ:

I will let you know that yesterday, October 5th, while the company was getting ready for military training, I made a good confession of my faith. Since we arrived here in camp I was allowed the same freedom as others in going about. I have told the captain many times that I would have not training myself for military service, because it was against my conscience, and in each case he answered me that with military training I would never kill anybody.

Things went along this way until yesterday afternoon, Oct. 5th, when the captain ordered everyone to take a stick in his hand to use instead of a gun. As I did not take the stick the captain shouted at me, 'D'Onofrio, take the stick.' And I answered him, 'I cannot take it because my conscience will not permit me,' and he shouted again, 'D'Onofrio, take the stick; don't you know that you are now under our command?' And I replied, 'No, I am not under your command; my commander is God and nobody else.' Then he called on a company of eight persons to force me to take the stick and I threw myself on the ground saying, 'Do what you want with me; God's will be done.' Then the Captain run on me with a gun and bayonet, as he was the only one who had a gun while all the others used sticks.

He came at me and pointed the bayonet of his gun on my chest, saying: 'Don't you know that you cannot refuse military service; take the stick right away, otherwise you will be punished with death by martial law,' and I answered: 'Is the martial law greater than our Lord, Savior and Creator of the world?' He answered, 'No, but you must obey our command; otherwise you will be punished by death.' I answered: 'I don't care; I read in the Bible where it says: "Thou shalt not kill." I don't want to kill; do what you like with my life, but I will not kill.'

Then he grabbed me by the chest and took me before the colonel, and the colonel said: 'Take him in the prison right away,' but when they saw I was very strong on the Lord's side, they said, 'Let him do other work.' So they have put me in the kitchen. They already knew my intention but tried to frighten me and thereby cause me to change my purpose. Now they make me get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and work until 10 at night for spite, but I don't care for the Lord will overrule their bad treatment.

If you don't believe that I made this confession of faith you can inquire of the following persons: Robt. Picciotti and Joseph Bernardo who were in the same company at the same time, because when I refused to take the stick the whole company of 185 persons shouted at me, and I was continually saying while they were shouting, 'I don't want to take the stick because it means to kill humanity. This is against the Lord's commandments.' They don't even look at me, but they can do with me what they like; the Lord's will be done.

I ask that this letter be published in the next issue of the WATCH TOWER. I have not received the WATCH TOWER here in the camp; maybe you have sent it to Wilmington.

Will close now. I have many things to say which I cannot express so well in a letter and would like to talk with you personally to be able to tell you about all of the experiences thry which I am passing. With greetings to all the brethren of the Italian and American classes, I remain, affectionately,

Your brother in the Lord,

FRANK D'ONOFRIO

(I don't know what more they will do to me. Now all the officers are against me.)

Leolaia

19 Ottobre 1917
From: John DeCecca
15-17 Hicks Street
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

To: Jerry De Cessa
Co. A. 304th Infantry
Camp Devens, Ayer, MA

Dear Jerry:

We received your card of the 17th inst. Glad to hear from, and that you went to Lowell, Mass., and saw the class there.... I hope that you will not be surprise when you see Bro. Nicita. I understand that the captain have convince him to put on the uniform. Il capitano gli dissi Domenica Ottobre 14th, that if he want to gone see his brethren in Springfield, the brethren in the Truth, he could go, but he should put the uniform on him, and so he did. The friends were non so pleased when they saw him with the uniform on. He did not realise what that meen, if he had he would not have done it. It meen Soldier. I think he will see the great mistak, if he has not already see it. What is the use to be arrested because donot want serve, and then turn around a put the uniform on. If we believ it to be a wrong thing at one time it is a wrong thing at all times. If we have consacreted ourself to the Lord and have accepted Christ as the captain, can se serve another captain? No; we cannot serve two masters. Only one at a time. In the past we have been serve the wrong master -- Satan and sin!! Now we are serving GOD. We know that those who have not consacred, and donot understand us, but, it is for us to let them see what we believe, and what is the wright thing for us to do. "Do what is wright and come what may." We are not to be faithful one day or one week or one year, we are to be faithful unto 'death', Revelation 2:10 ecc. 8.

I hope Jerry that you will not go back on your covenant which you have made you God at your consacration. That covenent meen to serve the Lord and no one else. God is above everybody else, dose not make any difference who it is. There is no one under the sun that he can say that he is above. And we have consacrated ourself to God, therefore we must be faithful to Him! We must not manefest a wrong spirit, in umility, but in ferminess, positive. It sould not take but e moment to see what is the right thing for us Christians. We can serve only one Master, if we obey the heartly captain we must diobey our Heavenly capitan. If we obey our Heavenly captain, we must disobey our heartly captain, one of the two, which shall we obey! Is foe each one of us to dicide. I decided to obey Christ Jesus, don't you?

Jerry will you let me know if can read Italian, I can write you better Italian if can read it. So plase let me know. Remember that will you?

Try to see Bro. Carmelo Nicita, and the same time see if the address he gave is right.

Riceveid lots of love from all of us,

I am you Bro. JOHN DECECCA

P.S. Read al you can the ward of God -- The Scripture Studey.

Why were Watchtower officials (Rutherford) imprisioned in 1917/1918/1919 ??

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