The Transformation Into Cult Religion: Jehovah's Witness Empire In 15 Steps.
By Terry Walstrom\JWN
There are only 15 steps from a widely scattered readership of
2nd Adventist speculations published by Pastor Russell into a world wide
monolithic control cult.
It reads like a Machievellian discourse of Absolute Power:
1. Nine years after the death of Pastor Russell his publishing company was being operated by an editorial committee which would review articles pre-publication for the Watchtower society.
In 1925 the President of this society (Rutherford) offered up an article of extreme controversy. It was titled The Birth of the Nation. The editorial committee (Russell had created) would not approve it. Rutherford would not permit changes. He was outnumbered in the vote!
2. Rutherford removed all opposing members from the committee and published the article anyway! Dishonestly, the "Judge" pretended publicly that no such high-handed action by him had ever happened. He allowed the names of the removed members to continue to appear as editors for the next six years!
Rutherford controlled absolutely the "faithful and discreet slave" throne of dictatorial supremacy. Inside the corporation he could plot the takeover of local congregations (called ecclesias) to wield his will there as well.
3.With no input outside of his own, Judge Rutherford next turned his attention to the independent local congregations begun by devotees of Pastor Russell (Russellites, International Bible Students).
Russell had been dead set against outside control for these congregations. No list of members existed. Local deacons and elders were elected by voting. However, Judge Rutherford craved total control. He came up with a method of replacing local elections. It was subtle, clever and effective.
Local congregations had been asked to register as service organizations with the Watch Tower Society. This gave Rutherford the list of targets for takeover!
4. A Service Director (not subject to yearly election) was appointed to "visit" these target congregations. Rutherford's man on the scene could usurp local control in this way by "helpfully" organizing the preaching work, assigning territory and encouraging participation in the field work in the congregation.
5.What pretext would Rutherford use to convince local congregations they needed such control?It was the colporteur work begun by Russell. It was to be enlarged and concern itself with all Watchtower books and magazines rather than the Studies in the Scriptures 7 volume sets as before. Thus, the actual purpose of the door to door work was a ruse to link up Judge Rutherford with complete autonomy over local congregations under the pretense of making the preaching work more organized.
6.Little by little every targeted congregation had its own public discourses side railed and replaced.
Bible studies were disconnected and Rutherford's own Watchtower Studies (replacing the bible) substituted. Group control was sought and unified indoctrination. Rutherford wanted all congregations on the same page; his page with his ideas.
7. The system of local elective elders was completely eradicated and replaced by something now called a Service Committee. These men took their marching orders from Brooklyn, NY.
"The Theocracy is at present administered by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, of which Judge Rutherford is the president and general manager." Consolation p.25
8. Rutherford sought to create a famous brand name religion by a method of churning publicity out of throwing people of conscience willy-nilly into dangerous situations. (Avoiding military service, refusing blood transfusions, ridiculing other religions, railing against political parties, refusals to salute the flag, decrying the cross, etc.) JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES was the brand and it smacks of Rutherford's legal background influence. It was a legalist cult being built.
9. Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom as having arrived in 1914 and warning of the impending event Armageddon was the "public face". There was a private face, however. Corporations acquire legitimacy by earning a profit. In the case of a religious corporation the "profit" must not appear as mere monetary gain.
10. The Watch Tower Corporation had to generate a kind of marvelous "machine" you could pour money into and make it disappear in the form of the preaching work while avoiding all taxes.
Watchtower rank-and-file members would be used as volunteer labor staying very busy appearing to be doing something important. What they were really doing was generating publicity which served to hide the actual purpose of the Watch Tower corporation.
CONSTANT EXPANSION was the key! This was a kind of maniacal pyramid scheme to grow and grow ahead of the curve of waves of cash.
11. Every once and awhile a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE would have to be run. This would be in the form of date setting. Date setting (determining when Armageddon was to arrive) was an Investment.
The publicity was golden.
The threat level was heightened.
The cash flow was extraordinary.
The need for more investment property increased. The grip of absolute power was made real.
The downside was practically nil!!
Weak members were eliminated and replaced by eager recruits.
12.To the rank-and-file there was no Bill of Rights. The could be worked to death grinding out book and magazine sales. In fact, they had no choice but to comply since their very identity as Jehovah's Witnesses depended on demonstrations of door to door sales and hours devoted.
13. An outside body of apostates could be created as a target for vilification that served to drain off anger as a target away from the Governing Body itself. This Apostate group would feel the brunt of frustrations and not the actual perpetrator's of date-setting fraud.
14. A mindset of cognitive dissonance would be reinforced because anybody who stayed would have to justify being made a fool of for believing in the Faithful and Discreet Slave nonsense in the first place.
15. Any slowdown in the worldwide conversions would be a bonus since it would "signal the end" of the preaching work was drawing near and that would mean Armageddon really was imminent!
In just fifteen steps a scattered readership of 2nd Adventists keen on End Times articles were transformed into 7 million cult adherents in the absolute grip of Governing Body authority!
It reads like a Machievellian discourse of Absolute Power:
1. Nine years after the death of Pastor Russell his publishing company was being operated by an editorial committee which would review articles pre-publication for the Watchtower society.
In 1925 the President of this society (Rutherford) offered up an article of extreme controversy. It was titled The Birth of the Nation. The editorial committee (Russell had created) would not approve it. Rutherford would not permit changes. He was outnumbered in the vote!
2. Rutherford removed all opposing members from the committee and published the article anyway! Dishonestly, the "Judge" pretended publicly that no such high-handed action by him had ever happened. He allowed the names of the removed members to continue to appear as editors for the next six years!
Rutherford controlled absolutely the "faithful and discreet slave" throne of dictatorial supremacy. Inside the corporation he could plot the takeover of local congregations (called ecclesias) to wield his will there as well.
3.With no input outside of his own, Judge Rutherford next turned his attention to the independent local congregations begun by devotees of Pastor Russell (Russellites, International Bible Students).
Russell had been dead set against outside control for these congregations. No list of members existed. Local deacons and elders were elected by voting. However, Judge Rutherford craved total control. He came up with a method of replacing local elections. It was subtle, clever and effective.
Local congregations had been asked to register as service organizations with the Watch Tower Society. This gave Rutherford the list of targets for takeover!
4. A Service Director (not subject to yearly election) was appointed to "visit" these target congregations. Rutherford's man on the scene could usurp local control in this way by "helpfully" organizing the preaching work, assigning territory and encouraging participation in the field work in the congregation.
5.What pretext would Rutherford use to convince local congregations they needed such control?It was the colporteur work begun by Russell. It was to be enlarged and concern itself with all Watchtower books and magazines rather than the Studies in the Scriptures 7 volume sets as before. Thus, the actual purpose of the door to door work was a ruse to link up Judge Rutherford with complete autonomy over local congregations under the pretense of making the preaching work more organized.
6.Little by little every targeted congregation had its own public discourses side railed and replaced.
Bible studies were disconnected and Rutherford's own Watchtower Studies (replacing the bible) substituted. Group control was sought and unified indoctrination. Rutherford wanted all congregations on the same page; his page with his ideas.
7. The system of local elective elders was completely eradicated and replaced by something now called a Service Committee. These men took their marching orders from Brooklyn, NY.
"The Theocracy is at present administered by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, of which Judge Rutherford is the president and general manager." Consolation p.25
8. Rutherford sought to create a famous brand name religion by a method of churning publicity out of throwing people of conscience willy-nilly into dangerous situations. (Avoiding military service, refusing blood transfusions, ridiculing other religions, railing against political parties, refusals to salute the flag, decrying the cross, etc.) JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES was the brand and it smacks of Rutherford's legal background influence. It was a legalist cult being built.
9. Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom as having arrived in 1914 and warning of the impending event Armageddon was the "public face". There was a private face, however. Corporations acquire legitimacy by earning a profit. In the case of a religious corporation the "profit" must not appear as mere monetary gain.
10. The Watch Tower Corporation had to generate a kind of marvelous "machine" you could pour money into and make it disappear in the form of the preaching work while avoiding all taxes.
Watchtower rank-and-file members would be used as volunteer labor staying very busy appearing to be doing something important. What they were really doing was generating publicity which served to hide the actual purpose of the Watch Tower corporation.
CONSTANT EXPANSION was the key! This was a kind of maniacal pyramid scheme to grow and grow ahead of the curve of waves of cash.
11. Every once and awhile a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE would have to be run. This would be in the form of date setting. Date setting (determining when Armageddon was to arrive) was an Investment.
The publicity was golden.
The threat level was heightened.
The cash flow was extraordinary.
The need for more investment property increased. The grip of absolute power was made real.
The downside was practically nil!!
Weak members were eliminated and replaced by eager recruits.
12.To the rank-and-file there was no Bill of Rights. The could be worked to death grinding out book and magazine sales. In fact, they had no choice but to comply since their very identity as Jehovah's Witnesses depended on demonstrations of door to door sales and hours devoted.
13. An outside body of apostates could be created as a target for vilification that served to drain off anger as a target away from the Governing Body itself. This Apostate group would feel the brunt of frustrations and not the actual perpetrator's of date-setting fraud.
14. A mindset of cognitive dissonance would be reinforced because anybody who stayed would have to justify being made a fool of for believing in the Faithful and Discreet Slave nonsense in the first place.
15. Any slowdown in the worldwide conversions would be a bonus since it would "signal the end" of the preaching work was drawing near and that would mean Armageddon really was imminent!
In just fifteen steps a scattered readership of 2nd Adventists keen on End Times articles were transformed into 7 million cult adherents in the absolute grip of Governing Body authority!
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