Freedom or Romanism

[Dustparticle]

Freedom or Romanism was released in Australia by Judge Rutherford in 1938. By reading this 64 page booklet, you will see that Rutherford did not hold back of throwing punches. He was throwing punches. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52790543/view?partId=nla.obj-93652892#page/n4/mode/1up

 

Get it few seconds if it does not show instantly. Enjoy. 

Edited August 28, 2021 by Dustparticle

[daydream]

LIBERTY-        LOVING   PEOPLE   of    Australia,   as   well   as   of   other   parts   of   the   earth,  are   confronted   with   a   

situation   that   cannot   be  

  ignored.   Shall   the   people   be   permitted   to   enjoy    freedom   of   thought   and   speech   and   freedom   to  

  know   and   to   worship   Almighty   God   or   must   they   submit   to   the   arbitrary   and   dictatorial  

  rule   of   the   Fascist-Roman   Catholic   Hierarchy   combine?  

 

  The   Roman   Catholic   Hierarchy   arbitrarily   rules   the   “Catholic   population”   or   common   people   that   support   their  

  church   organisation.-   The   Hierarchy   claims  to   serve   God   but   in   fact   serves   the   Devil, as  the   undisputed   facts   show. 

 Fascism   is   ‘ the   instrument   of   Satan   the   Devil,   fatally   bent   on arbitrarily   ruling   or   ruining   the   nations,   and  

 the   Roman   Catholic   Hierarchy   fully   supports    the   Fascists.   The   honest   Catholic   people,  known   as   the   “Catholic   

 population”,   are   kept  in   ignorance   of   the   truth   and   the   Hierarchy uses   its   power   to   hold   them   in   ignorance.  

Edited August 29, 2021 by happiness IS

[jwhess]

Our look back at theocratic history helps us appreciate how we have changed our message.  We have gone from defining truth to an audience by confrontation to appealing to an audience to see the love in the Kingdom Good News.

 

We have gone from "Religion is a snare and a racket" to our theme last year of "unending love".

 

...times, they are a'changin...

[Dages]

10 minutes ago, jwhess said:

Our look back at theocratic history helps us appreciate how we have changed our message.  We have gone from defining truth to an audience by confrontation to appealing to an audience to see the love in the Kingdom Good News.

 

We have gone from "Religion is a snare and a racket" to our theme last year of "unending love".

 

...times, they are a'changin...

We could go back to the previous message for the Hailstone...

[jwhess]

20 minutes ago, Dages said:

We could go back to the previous message for the Hailstone...

The same thought crossed my mind.  Only this time we will not be looking for converts.

[daydream]

Romanism is a derogatory term for Roman Catholicism used when anti-Catholicism was more common in the United States.

The term was frequently used in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century Republican invectives against the Democrats, as part of the slogan "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion" (referencing the Democratic party's constituency of Southerners and anti-Temperance, frequently Catholic, working-class immigrants).

 

The term and slogan gained particular prominence in the 1884 presidential campaign and again in 1928, in which the Democratic candidate was the outspokenly anti-Prohibition Catholic Governor of New York Al Smith

[Dustparticle]

Although Rutherford was not always tactful, Jehovah was using him.

[daydream]

*** w93 12/1 p. 18 par. 17 Examples of Humility to Imitate ***

 

17 Another faithful servant in modern times whom Jehovah God used mightily was Joseph F. Rutherford, mentioned at the outset. He was a bold advocate of Bible truth and in particular of the name of Jehovah. Though widely known as Judge Rutherford, he was at heart a humble man. For example, he once made some dogmatic statements as to what Christians could expect in 1925. When events failed to support his expectations, he humbly told the Brooklyn Bethel family that he had made a fool of himself.

 

An anointed Christian who had quite close association with him testified that time and again he heard Brother Rutherford apologize in the spirit of Matthew 5:23, 24, both in public and in private, for having hurt a fellow Christian by some ill-advised expression. It takes humility for one in a position of authority to apologize to those who are in subjection to him. Brother Rutherford set a fine example for all overseers, whether in a congregation, in the traveling work, or in one of the Society’s branches.

https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1993883&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=23

[Semer]

I think the tone of our publications in times of Rutherford was a reaction to the level of persecution we were suffering.

I think that the tone of our attacks against Christendom has always been several notches below the level of their attacks against us.

In times of Russell, opposition was farily civil; dishonest and nasty some times, but not too cruel. Our publications in times of Russell mentioned "our Catholic friends", "our Methodist friends", etc.

But in times of Rutherford the pressure of our enemies was more savage and inhuman than ever, with mobs, physical violence, concerted attacks, false criminal accusations to send our brothers to jail (Rutherford included), etc. Let alone what was happening in Nazi Europe. So I think the tone in our publications was just a reaction or a protest, but nothing remotely comparable to what we were enduring.

Now the pressure of our enemies in most  countries is softer, and the tone in our publications is even softer.

I mean, today our enemies use malicious lies and false accusations, but they don't invade our conventions armed with clubs to beat us.

So, when some critics accuse our publications of being too verbally aggresive in times of Rutherford, they fail to mention the complete picture.

[jwhess]

In many lands in the 1920s to the 1930s there whole nations of individuals under the mental and cultural control of various members of false religion (political or religious).  And their eyes were blinded by such authority.  Outspoken and direct exposure of these enemies of God and Christ were used to get their attention.  Words of Bible truth were made prominent.

 

What you said about the angry attacks is very true.  But we must remember that as God's servants were imitate Jesus and do not respond in kind.  Romans 12:17 says..."Return evil for evil to no one" and earlier in verse 14 Pal said..."Keep on blessing those who persecute; bless and do not curse."

 

So we tell the truth in God's Word, we continue to speak in face of persecution and we do not water down the message.  But we do not use the truth as a battering ram to injure or harm our friends, our neighbors or even our enemies.  We speak the truth and let them make the choice.

Edited August 30, 2021 by jwhess

[Dustparticle]

28 minutes ago, jwhess said:

In many lands in the 1920s to the 1930s there whole nations of individuals under the mental and cultural control of various members of false religion (political or religious).  And their eyes were blinded by such authority.  Outspoken and direct exposure of these enemies of God and Christ were used to get their attention.  Words of Bible truth were made prominent.

 

What you said about the angry attacks is very true.  But we must remember that as God's servants were imitate Jesus and do not respond in kind.  Romans 12:17 says..."Return evil for evil to no one" and earlier in verse 14 Pal said..."Keep on blessing those who persecute; bless and do not curse."

 

So we tell the truth in God's Word, we continue to speak in face of persecution and we do not water down the message.  But we do not use the truth as a battering ram to injure or harm our friends, our neighbors or even our enemies.  We speak the truth and let them make the choice.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are the most persecuted religion in the 20th and 21st centuries. Yet the message got out and still getting out today with Jehovah’s help. Many who came into the truth in the 20’s and 30’s became anointed sons of God. After that, most became of the Great Crowd. No matter what message goes out, Jehovah will make sure it will be done and he did so in the 20’s and 30’s too.

[carlos]

14 hours ago, Semer said:

I think the tone of our publications in times of Rutherford was a reaction to the level of persecution we were suffering.

I had a discussion with an Orthodox Priest from Romania. He said I was very nice and kind but all the Witnesses he had met in Romania were belligerent and quite hostile to the Orthodox church. I know he's right because I have seen it myself: Many elderly brothers in Romanian are quite hostile when they meet a priest. But then I explained many of those elderly Witnesses had been sent to jail and tortured during the Communist era because Orthodox priests kept reporting them to the secret police. Even to this day some priests set their parishioners on to form mobs and attack our brothers in the most backwards areas of Romania where they still have much influence.

 

You cannot be beating people and then expect them to be nice and friendly to you. Even Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites and offspring of vipers.

 

Of course that doesn't mean it's ok to be hostile and rude to anyone. But it's understandable if some are.

[Dustparticle]

34 minutes ago, carlos said:

I had a discussion with an Orthodox Priest from Romania. He said I was very nice and kind but all the Witnesses he had met in Romania were belligerent and quite hostile to the Orthodox church. I know he's right because I have seen it myself: Many elderly brothers in Romanian are quite hostile when they meet a priest. But then I explained many of those elderly Witnesses had been sent to jail and tortured during the Communist era because Orthodox priests kept reporting them to the secret police. Even to this day some priests set their parishioners on to form mobs and attack our brothers in the most backwards areas of Romania where they still have much influence.

 

You cannot be beating people and then expect them to be nice and friendly to you. Even Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites and offspring of vipers.

 

Of course that doesn't mean it's ok to be hostile and rude to anyone. But it's understandable if some are.

He must be a very old priest because for the past 20 years our message has become softer. I can not deny what he is saying, yet there is both sides of a coin. I wonder what the Orthodox have done to the Witnesses back then a now? And if my memory serves me right, in the 90's the Catholics were mad because the Witnesses received legal recognition before they did. Bad bloods still exist.