(Cont. from Page 7/8/89A).
 


 

(PAGE 2).
 

Ms. Harrison tells of the false visions of glory expressed by past presidents of this sect. One of these, Joseph Rutherford, after being convicted and sentenced on a charge of espionage, proclaimed: '"This is the happiest day of my life. To serve earthly punishment for the sake of one's religious belief is one of the greatest privileges a man could have." He had, however, gone to great lengths to avoid the "privileges" of earthly punishment.' (Pg.115). He served only nine months' imprisonment. JWs 'view Rutherford's conviction on the charge of espionage and his nine-month imprisonment in the Atlanta penitentiary as proof of a special relationship with God; they ignore the fact that clergymen of all denominations were sent to prison     sometimes for doing nothing more than reading the Sermon on the Mount.' (Pg.113). Referring to Rutherford, she writes: 'But under his leadership, the organization became monolithic, and proselytizing techniques became uniform and highly structured. The days of fiery individualism were over. (Russell was fire; Rutherford was acid and ice; Knorr was rock and grey.' (Pg.112).  None of these are qualities to be emulated by true followers of The Christ.

But only when their leaders' statements of belief were placed on trial by the US Government was their hypocrisy revealed: '"We are not against the Government in any sense of the word. We recognize the Government of the United  States as the best government on earth. We recognize that governments, being political and economic institutions, have the power and authority, under the fundamental law, to declare war and to draft their citizens."' [TWT. 1917. P.6221]. (Pg.115). What happened to Christian "wrestling... against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness"? (Eph 6:12). 'Watch Tower leaders had conferred with government authorities and agreed to delete objectionable portions of The Finished Mystery. They took the further step of advising colporteurs to halt distribution of the volume. When none of this served to keep their leaders out of prison, the Bible Students, at a convention in Pittsburgh on January 2-5, 1919, unanimously passed a resolution attesting to "their  loyalty to the government and people of these United  States."' Further: 'The  Watch  Tower instructed its readers to honour President Wilson's designation of May 30, 1918, as a day of national prayer and supplication for the success of the American war effort.' [TWT. June 1. 1918]. (Pg.115).  So  the  political  "wild  beast" that JWs denounce in their books compelled  them to receive its "mark"!  (See Rev 13:8 16,17).

As further proof that their leaders never were faithful anointed sons of God:  They did not, and do not know who the 'higher powers' or "superior authorities" are. (Pg.116,117). They are, in fact, the laws of God     the One whom they hypocritically claim to worship!  (See Rom 13:1).

'JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES':  A TITLE CREATED BY RUTHERFORD     NOT GOD.
According to Macmillan, a colleague of Rutherford: '"he began to think about" what he would say to Bible Students that was new and of any consequence at an international convention scheduled for July 24-31 in Cleveland, Ohio. "Isaiah 43 came to his mind"... What Rutherford had come up with at 2 o'clock in the morning was a new name for Bible Students: Jehovah's Witnesses.' (Pg.119). But according to the Word of God, only faithful anointed sons of  God and the "great crowd" of "other sheep" chosen by God are His witnesses. (See Isaiah 43:1-11)  (Rev 7:4, 9  17). Of the apostate members of the sect calling themselves 'Jehovah's Witnesses', not one among them could truthfully make such a claim.

Members of this sect still make some extraordinary excuses for their continued acceptance of the "dungy idols" that form their governing body, '(an all-white, all male group with a median age of 60); elders and governors form a self-perpetuating elite', and all with their false proclamations and duplicity. (Pg.37). An example of this was when those attending a particular assembly at Cedar Point, Ohio, were all proclaimed God's anointed ones! The one who made this proclamation on behalf of each one attending acted as their god. A mere human declares that merely by their attendance they were thereby anointed of God? ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!

(Cont. on Page 7/8/89C).

7/8/89B.
 

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