The Much Hated Walter Salter
Posted by N.H. [Pravo] on January 19, 2000 at 03:41:04
Have you ever hated someone? I mean really hated! Hated so much that you consider him to be the Beast of Revelation or similar? Well, some of us might at one time have hated someone to this extent but very few of us have actually been crazy enough to go out and find a Bible prophecy which we could twist and bend into being fulfilled on this abominable person(s).
Then again, very few if us have our own cult, with unlimited access to publishing books and magazines no matter what insanities they contain. But suppose you were in that position and were loony enough, would you do it? Well, good old "Booze" Rutherford did. Let us take a look at this masterpiece of "Biblical scholarship" and "meat in due season" from "Jehovah's channel".
In a series of articles in The Watchtower in 1937, Rutherford was showing his madness in full flight.
In The Watchtower of April 15, 1937, he printed part 6, which had the title: "DRAMA OF VINDICATION". Rutherford, like all Watchtower leaders after him put great emphasis on obedience training.
As usual unquestioning obedience is an absolute:
"The creature that receives God's approval must be obedient. That unchangeable rule applies to all of his creatures. When God made a covenant with Israel he emphasized the necessity for full and complete obedience." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 115]
Of course Rutherford wouldn't stand for anything less than Jehovah. So he naturally wanted full unquestioning obedience too.
To cut a very long winded story short, here is where the article explains the plot and identifies the good guys and the baddies:
"5 The "accursed thing" at that time was Jericho, and at the present time it is the religious organization and allies called "Christendom". The thing is accursed because doomed for complete destruction by Jehovah's Executive Officer, and to be destroyed for the reason that the thing is an abomination in the sight of God and a reproach to his holy name. Achan, in violation of the expressed command given by Joshua, had greedily taken away from Jericho some things that his avaricious heart desired. The manner of his taking such things is described in verses twenty and twenty-one of the seventh chapter of the book of Joshua. "Achan" means "trouble", and those who follow in his course always get into trouble. Mention is made of the incident in another place in the Bible, where he is called "Achar", meaning "troublesome". "And the sons of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed." (1 Chron. 2: 7) That Achan, or Achar, therefore, pictures those spirit-begotten ones in line for the kingdom and who become unfaithful and who bring trouble upon Jehovah's organization." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 116]
As we can see, Jericho was "at the present time "Christendom". But Rutherford wasn't just an ordinary lunatic, when he was displaying his idiocy he liked to do it thoroughly, so he even timed his insane prophecy:
"This part of the prophetic drama occurred immediately following the siege of Jericho, and applies in the fulfillment after 1931, and more particularly after 1933, after which the march around the antitypical Jericho had begun." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 116]
Well, apparently in some state of delirium he cooked up this utterly insane stuff and from here on, everything only gets worse. But by all means, try to hang on. According to the Bible Joshua sent people to spy on the town of Ai after Jericho was laid in ruins. Now what was the antitype of Ai?:
"Look now to the fulfillment of this part of the prophetic drama, and the action taken by Joshua against Ai pictures the activities of the remnant of Jehovah's witnesses from and after A.D. 1933 against Satan's organization, particularly the religionists on the earth. Some serious details are shown which are not set out in relation to the siege and destruction of Jericho. Joshua sent men as spies to get a close-up view of Ai, foretelling Christ Jesus would send his men to get a closer view of the Devil's visible organization, that it might be more particularly exposed by his faithful servants. After 1933 the profound exposure of the Devil's chief earthly instrument took place, which gave Jehovah's witnesses an additional close-up view of that wicked organization." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 116]
So Ai was "Satan's organization, particularly the religionists on the earth." And "after 1933" it was "exposed" by the Jehovah's Witnesses. As usual we get the typical ranting about some totally unknown and insignificant event that is supposed to be a fulfillment of a Bible prophecy and which of course not a Jehovah's Witness alive today knows anything about:
"On April 23, 1933, the speech was broadcast on the subject "Effect of Holy Year on Peace and Prosperity", disclosing the close alliance and association of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy with the political and commercial elements that misrule the nations; and that forced the Hierarchy into the open and exposed them, as being against Jehovah and his Kingdom. The facts brought forth in 1935 by the Lord's direction clearly disclosed that the Roman Catholic Hierarchy constitute the modern-day Philistines, fighting against the modern Samson, God's anointed people on the earth." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 116]
Today, not even the "faithful Jehovah's Witnesses'" here on H2O has a clue about these "fulfillments". Anyway, the attack on "Ai" went wrong for Jehovah's Witnesses. Who was the culprit? It was Achan. Who then was the antitypical Achan? Well, maybe you have guessed it already. We get to know that he was very active in Canada:
"Disaster followed that assault, and the Israelites were compelled to run away after the men of Ai chased them. Ai ark now some of the facts that came to pass in fulfillment. The aforequoted unscriptural and unsound argument was put forth vigorously in some parts of the earth, and for a time the field work, particularly in Canada, lagged behind and many became indifferent." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 117]
The article winds on about Achan and "his modern day antitype" which is again alluded to here:
"20 It was about 1933 or shortly thereafter that one occupying a position of responsibility in the Lord's organization, and who was aided and abetted by some of his personal admirers, tried to gain something for selfish reasons. A course contrary to instructions had been taken concerning the Canadian radio stations, while at the same time that party pretended to be striving solely for the vindication of Jehovah's name and for the downfall of Satan's organization." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 119]
Anybody who knew about W. F. Salter was of course able to understand who it was. But in true Watchtower doublespeak and tradition Achan was also a "class":
"True, there must be some outstanding individual that takes the lead in such matters, but the fulfillment of the picture applies to all who are of that class; and therefore Achan pictured not particularly an individual, but all of that class of persons who become members of the "evil servant" class." [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 121]
Elsewhere in the article it is made abundantly clear who Achan really was:
"That one person, together with some of his supporters, continued to trouble the Society by sending letters to radio stations and to religionists known to be avowed enemies of God's organization, and to others, wherein threats were made "to break up the organization of the Society within two years". [The Watchtower, April 15, 1937, p. 124]
There is no doubt that Rutherford really was having problems with all the information that Salter had provided for the general public. The way he heap scorn and hate on Salter (Achan) page up and page down in The Watchtower really gives us a good idea to which extent this was bothering him.
This was of course not a very sophisticated way of dealing with the problem, but Salter apparently had been so successful in broadcasting his information that Rutherford thought he had little to loose by this tactic. Anyway, in true Watchtower spirit he was taking every possible step to prevent the individual Jehovah's Witnesses from reading any of Salter's material. This is how it was done:
"The sinful course of Achan caused the Israelites to determine that they would be more diligent in obeying the Lord; and the subsequent facts show that a like influence directed the course of God's faithful people of the remnant, as shown by resolutions adopted and published by them, a sample of which resolutions appears in The Watchtower June 1, 1937, and, amongst other things, contains the following:
"Almost a year has now passed since (under the Lord's direction) as president of the Society you removed from office one W. P. Salter, to whom we had long looked for leadership in the service, but who had become unfaithful to his charge.
"At that time some could not quite clearly see the reason for such action. We had, however, implicit confidence in Jehovah and that the steps there taken were under his direction.
"Subsequent events not only have fully justified this faith and confidence in Jehovah, and yourself as the one used in this connection, but also have made clearly to appear why this action was necessary.
"Because of the fact that the Lord's people are being, from this source, now subjected to a barrage of literature calculated to undermine and overthrow their faith, we, the Toronto company of Jehovah's witnesses, at a joyous assembly on this the eighteenth day of April, nineteen hundred and thirty seven, unanimously adopt the following resolution, to wit:
"1. That we fully endorse the action of our president, Brother Rutherford, in thus removing from office one who so manifestly had, by his course of action, said, 'The table of the Lord is contemptible,' and who had 'snuffed' at what is spread on that table, by 'offering polluted bread upon the altar'.
"2. That, as a means for our protection, we will meet this latest move of the enemy with (a) Increased activity and interest in the Lord's service, especially in the new 'strange work' just beginning and also the studies in The Watchtower and other publications of the Society. (b) That we will destroy without reading any such literature received through the mail or otherwise. (c) That we will turn a deaf ear to any, either among us or outside, who manifests a desire to debate or argue respecting this course of action.
"3. That we acknowledge as the visible organization of Jehovah on earth the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and recognize the Society as the channel or instrument through which Jehovah and Christ Jesus give instruction and meat in due season to the household of faith.
"4. Further, that we pledge our faith in and loyalty to the Society, and its servants, Brother Rutherford at Brooklyn, and also the branch servant, Brother Chapman at Toronto; that we are pleased and thankful for his appointment in charge of the Lord's work in our midst. We wish to say that, the company following your instructions, working under the unit arrangement, and because of the zeal manifested by the branch servant, Brother Chapman, never before has the interest in and on behalf of the Lord's work been so keenly aroused nor has there ever been such a manifestation of activity as now. We pledge our co-operation to the fullest extent with him in the work, and, together with you, pray that the Lord will smite His enemy to the dust and shine forth in Kingdom glory.
"5. That we once more express our united determination to do the will of Jehovah as expressed through his executive officer, Christ Jesus. That, in obedience to God's commandments, having heard the call, 'Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle,' we will carry forth the fruits of the kingdom to our brethren, the great multitude, who must be led and fed by Christ Jesus before Armageddon and may be preserved at Armageddon in vindication of Jehovah's name." [The Watchtower, June 1, 1937, p. 175]
This resolution was of course "adopted unanimously" by the "faithful" in the various assemblies, also by those who had no idea who Salter was. This "modus operandi" has been followed by all "faithful" Jehovah's Witnesses to this day:
"2. That, as a means for our protection, we will meet this latest move of the enemy with (a) Increased activity and interest in the Lord's service, especially in the new 'strange work' just beginning and also the studies in The Watchtower and other publications of the Society. (b) That we will destroy without reading any such literature received through the mail or otherwise. (c) That we will turn a deaf ear to any, either among us or outside, who manifests a desire to debate or argue respecting this course of action.
"3. That we acknowledge as the visible organization of Jehovah on earth the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and recognize the Society as the channel or instrument through which Jehovah and Christ Jesus give instruction and meat in due season to the household of faith.
"4. Further, that we pledge our faith in and loyalty to the Society, and its servants, Brother Rutherford at Brooklyn, and also the branch servant, Brother Chapman at Toronto; that we are pleased and thankful for his appointment in charge of the Lord's work in our midst." [The Watchtower, June 1, 1937, p. 175]
We all naturally understand that in a free and thinking society it is necessary to "destroy without reading" anything critical of the Watchtower Society. That is the only way Jehovah's Witnesses maintain their "truth". Information and facts are mortal enemies of the Watchtower "truth".
And as we get so many excellent demonstrations of here on H2O every day where we can observe the "faithful and loyal" Jehovah's Witnesses: "will turn a deaf ear to any, either among us or outside, who manifests a desire to debate or argue".
The Watchtower Society has come a long way since Rutherford. Not that it has changed for the better, but it is far more sophisticated. It would never write an article branding Raymond Franz by name, Achan, thus advertising his books. The "resolutions" passed in today's assemblies aren't quite that obviously boot licking as they were in Rutherford's days. I think that even the most die hard loyalist Witness would choke a bit on this:
"Further, that we pledge our faith in and loyalty to the Society, and its servants, Brother Rutherford at Brooklyn, and also the branch servant, Brother Chapman at Toronto; that we are pleased and thankful for his appointment in charge of the Lord's work in our midst."
But of course there doesn't seem to be any limit to what the Theocratic obedience training can accomplish with the truly brain dead. Rutherford's interpretation of the Jericho story is of course not receiving much attention in today's Watchtower literature, although there are some people today who actually remember this insane drivel. One such person was actually stupid enough to mention it in The Watchtower, March 1, 1998, p. 29. And as with all the other insane blunders of the Watchtower Society it was of course "meat in due season". What a mess!
None of us modern "apostates" have reached such repute that we have been personally honored with our own prophecy fulfillment. These days the Watchtower restrict itself to ordering every loyal Jehovah's Witness to hate us all and an occasional invitation to a banquet, not as guest mind you, but as "the main course".
Posted by hippikon at http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/ on May 8, 2001 at 18:21:58:
Thanks Norm -- must research that one. OK, here is the offical line:
"It became known that Salter felt he was to be a new channel of communication for Jehovah's Witnesses and that The Watchtower would in time print his views, such as those on 'universal salvation.' He also wrote to a European branch manager saying that he (Salter) expected to be the next president of the Watch Tower Society. Laura French, a member of the Toronto Bethel family, reports that some of Salter's remarks during the Bethel family Watchtower study on Monday nights were disturbing, so that eventually, when a vote was taken as to who would conduct the study, the majority voted against him and for Frank Wainwright.
"Matters had to come to a head. Brother Rutherford came to Toronto, had a five-hour meeting with Bethel family members and let some of them read the letters they had written in complaint against Salter. Then Rutherford produced evidence that Salter had been trying to influence brothers away from the organization and to himself, evidence not only from Canada but also from England and Germany. Salter was replaced as branch manager and was given two weeks to move out. (Seven others were asked to leave at that time, most of them being in sympathy with Salter.) Rutherford was very patient with Salter at the meeting and during the time that evidence was accumulating against him.
"Percy Chapman, who had served zealously for many years at London Bethel, was made the new branch manager, and peace returned to the Bethel family. But a barrage of letters and literature from Salter, sent to many Witnesses and his followers, made it plain that there was no repentance on his part. Hence, in 1937 he was disfellowshiped by the Toronto Congregation." [1979 Yearbook, p. 135]
