Visions of Glory:
A History and a Memory of Jehovah’s Witnesses
by BARBARA GRIZZUTI HARRISON
http://www.exjws.net/vg.htm
The Mystery Years of "The Judge"
Joseph Franklin Rutherford in Missouri
http://www.freeminds.org/history/mystery_years.htm
Hi Tyrone: I finally read your post. Thought you might find the above links interesting. At first I was going to absolutely agree with you. I had always thought Russell was deluded but benign and that Rutherford was the ruthless controlling one but reading the above I have changed my mind slightly.
I feel that Russell contributed greatly and the affects are still felt; how he felt about women and how to raise children. (see http://www.exjws.net/vg3.htm)
It's amazing and very sad how these two unbalanced men continue to influence so many people.
edited to add: From their Watchtower magazine: The Purpose of this Magazine, The Watchtower................This magazine has been published by Jehovah's Witnesses continuously since 1879 and is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.
If Rutherford, and the Jehovah Witnesses of today, rejected Russells teaching why do Jehovah Witnesses still claim that they have preached the message since 1879?