Joseph Rutherford with the iron glove

Because of the Bijbelvorsers Webs website perhaps closing down soon, we wanted to repost some writings from us on the Bibleresearchers Association’s website onto our own website.

On September 14, 2011 at 8:11 we wrote

Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869–1942), also known as “Judge” Rutherford, second president of the incorporated Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. He played a primary role in the organization and doctrinal development of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which emerged from the Bible Student movement established by Charles Taze Russell. – Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869-1942), ook wel bekend als “Rechter” Rutherford, tweede president van de Incorporatie van het Wachttorengenootschap. Hij speelde een vooraanstaande rol in de organisatie en leerstellige ontwikkeling van Jehovah‘s Getuigen, die zich uit de Bijbelstudenten groepering opgericht door Charles Taze Russell vormde.

Joseph Rutherford, second president of the Watchtower, had a proclivity to look up Bible passages that he could use to change the organization politically. When the elders got too much power and some began challenging him, he rendered the word “elders” void and deleted many outspoken elders, and the bootlickers that were left were given the title “Congregation Servants.” Of course, Rutherford appointed those whom he wanted in power; it had really nothing to do with the Bible so much as his way of “kicking butt” look like a provision from God; i.e., scriptural.

Rutherford’s manipulation and/or erasure of the old Russell teachings, along with other factors, did bring success in numbers. The religion also grew and prospered both in money and power.

 

After Rutherford’s death in 1942, Nathan Knorr took over the iron glove and was not afraid to do the same, keeping his real cronies in power and stripping out those whom he despised. Either that, or like “Black Thursday” he would make them look like jackasses and assign them demeaning jobs at Bethel. This included high-position circuit overseers like Fred Maes, Fred Fredean and Fred Barnes.

+ On 10/31 (Halloween evening late-ha ha) Randy Waters posted “Watch the complete fragmentation of the Watchtower Begin” on the JWN Discussion Board which was a prediction of the splitting up of the Watchtower organization into sects.

+ http://www.freeminds.org/organization/governing-body/the-watchtower-s- shocking-2010-elders-manual.html

++

Additional reading:

1. Male domination and tyranny giving opportunities to defile the Name of God
2. Was Russell and Rutherford “Illuminati”?
3. Looking at the Facts – Jehovah’s Witnesses and Charles Taze Russell
4. What About Jehovah’s Witnesses? – A Response
5. 7 Bones To Pick With C.T. Russell & The Jehovah’s Witnesses

+++

Further reading:

1. Jehovah’s Witnesses Branch Correspondence Guidelines
2. Watch “Jehovah’s Witness church elder Ronald Lawrence arrested over sex abuse claims dating back to 1980s” on YouTube
3. Soviet Witnesses
4. Jehovah’s Witnesses – Group Action Lawyers Fighting for Justice
5. JW’s Long to Have Jesus As Their Mediator
6. Talking About Jesus With Jehovah’s Witnesses – Part 2
7. Are we really ‘just youth’?
8. The Government of the Church
9. Church Order and Offices
10. The Thing About Elders
11. 7. Qualifications for Elders (2)
12. 3-23-2015 Bible Study – The Ekklesia; Past, Present, and Future Study 22
13. The Effective Prayer 4.17.15
14. What It Means to Be An Overseer

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