The Jehovah Witnesses, Conspiracy or Religion

Originally posted by WellerWhen nothing supernatural happened in 1918, the Watchtower Society looked forward to momentous events in 1925.

Again, I cannot say that nothing happened in 1918. At the beginning of the year, the Joint Arab-Jewish agreement on the Jewish homeland was signed, which laid the grounds for a greater influx of Jews into land that once belonged to Israel.

As a whole, I would say that the Bible Students rejected Rutherford's thoughts on 1925. The date, 1925, however, had been discussed long before 1914 -- it was not a new date introduced after 1914 or 1918. In the Overland Monthly of 1910, Russell presented some calculations which would result in the year 1925. Although he presented those calculations, he did not accept them as having any importance, but some of the Bible Students thought they were indicative of when the church would be completed and began holding expectations concerning 1925. Russell produced a letter from one of the Bible Students concerning 1925 in the March 1, 1911 Watch Tower, beginning on page 76. Russell, at that time, made no comment on the calculations presented.

In the April 15, 1916 issue of the Watch Tower, beginning on page 126, under the heading "Spirit of a Sound Mind", Russell presented a letter from one of the Bible students concerning the year 1925 and concerns that some were saying that Russell was teaching that the church would be completed in 1925. Russell wrote in response to that letter:

We cannot help it that many of the dear friends continue to tell what THE WATCH TOWER believes, and to misrepresent its teachings. Our kindest thought must be that they are not giving much heed to its teachings. Otherwise they would know from its columns that we are not looking forward to 1925, nor to any other date. As expressly stated in THE WATCH TOWER, we are simply going on, our last date or appointment having been passed more than a year ago.

We believe that the dates have proven to be quite right. We believe that Gentile Times have ended, and that God is now allowing the Gentile Governments to destroy themselves, in order to prepare the way for Messiah's Kingdom. The Lord did not say that the Church would all be glorified by 1914. We merely inferred it and, evidently, erred.

Thus, this shows that in April of 1916, that Russell was not looking forward to any date beyond 1914. He also admits that he erred in expecting that the church would be glorified in 1914, but not in his expectations concerning the time of trouble as having begun in 1914.

In the July 1, 1916 issue of the Watch Tower, the matter regarding 1925 came up again as one of the Bible Students wrote another letter which begins on page 207 under the heading: "False Reports Injurious". Except for the heading, Russell made no comment on the letter, but the heading indicates his agreement that it was false that he was expecting that the church was to be gathered in the year 1925.

Throughut, Russell appears to have been acting in accord with his policy that each was to come to his own conclusion, and not just accept what he said because he said it. Nevertheless, in this case, it appears that some were attributing Russell himself as having said something that he did not say, that is, that the church would be all gathered -- glorified -- in the year 1925, which was a different matter.

Originally posted by WellerWhen nothing supernatural happened in 1925, the Watchtower Society lost three quarters of its members.

The Bible Students themselves did not claim to be "members" of the legal entity, except possibly that one could say they were members of the association that was associated with the Watch Tower Society. Some had voting shares due to monetary contributions, and these could be considered actual members of the legal entity, but, as a whole it is somewhat deceptive to think of the Bible Students as having been members of the Watch Tower Society. Nevertheless, the matter of Rutherfor's failure regarding 1925 is actually a minor point in their rejection of the Rutherford's new organization. About 1925 Rutherford began actively separating the Bible Students who had were rejecting his new teachings and organization from those whom he considered to be loyal to Jehovah's organization. As a result, the Bible Students were being forced to either accept what amounted to membership in Rutherford's new organization, or reject such membership. The majority rejected such membership, and thus continued to be Bible Students. The issues were much more involved than Rutherford's teachings on 1925.

Originally posted by WellerCharles Taze Russell had been held to be the "Faithful and Wise Servant" of Matthew 24:45-47, but by 1928 the Society applied that to its leaders.

Although Russell himself never taught himself to be "faithful and wise servant", he did allow that belief to circulate with little objection on his part, which I believe was an error on his part. Such beliefs lend themselves to sectarianism.

See my studies:
The Faithful and Wise Servant and Other Servants
ctr.reslight.net...
The Parable of the Four Servants
prophecy.reslight.net...

The Joeovah's witnesses is a sect and is satanist one. Here is a french site which tells it all. Very very disturbing.
Link