Customer Reviews

Rutherford's Rainbow

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This set is an excellent addition to any library! Mr. Roberts review is obviously prejudiced and biased in an attempt to promote the sale of his own book, which he refers to in conclusion. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses (40+ years, five states and 20+ different congregations), I have NEVER been discouraged from reading ANY of Rutherford's publications. In fact, I have most of the original publications in my personal library and have enjoyed them very much! I also take GREAT exception to his statement that Jehovah's Witnesses will take great 'pleasure' in the 'painful(?)' destruction of those not serving Jehovah! Even the Almighty God does not take pleasure in the destruction of the MOST wicked! I am very disturbed that MR. MCROBERTS is the one promoting prejudice and ill will with false propaganda! The next time a Jehovah's Witness comes to your door, ask THEM how God feels about the destruction of the wicked! Do NOT let this man speak for us.

I was thrilled to be able to purchase this item. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and this is part of our history. I'm too young to have acquired the books that are on here when they came out, although I do have a couple of them. I am always looking and here they are all on one disc. Thank you so much.

Mr McRoberts is quite the lair: "Oddly enough, today's Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged ("forbidden" might be more accurate) from reading Rutherford's books (known as "old light")"

Dont these people who are trying to save JW's from "lies" ever get tired of lying themselves?

Update: April, 2011.
Instead of reviewing the contents of these books, others have seen fit to review my original review. I stand by that review and would stress that the main point there (which my reviewers have glossed over) is how the Witnesses view these books as part of the great plagues of Revelation. If they must critique my review, let them defend this absurd stance.

In the meantime, let's actually review the contents of these books.

I want to quote from a small sample of the idiocy which abounds in Rutherford's writings. The great thing about the release of this product is that Witnesses can no longer claim that their critics are misquoting them: purchase the CD and see for yourself that these are verbatim quotes:

From The Harp of God: "Proof conclusive that millions now living will never die" (subtitle of the book). This book bears the date of 1921. So the millions who were alive then are all dead except for those 90 or more years old. How much longer will it be before even Witnesses will have to admit that this "conclusive proof" was a failed prophecy?

From paragraph 4 of the same book:
"Josephus, a writer of Jewish history, is authority for the statement that the harp usually had ten strings, but that at times it was smaller and had only eight strings. The number ten is used in the Scriptures to symbolize that which is complete or perfect as pertaining to man. We would understand, then, that the harp with ten strings pictures the great fundamental truths concerning the divine plan. When two of these strings were absent, there being only eight, the indication is apparently given that there would be a time when two important features of the divine plan would not be seen by men."

Because harps were sometimes made with 8 strings instead of 10, Rutherford extrapolates from this that two of his 10 "fundamental truths" were hidden from the world until his "time of the end". That's a flimsy basis for a foundation of truth. 8 strings versus 10 strings could be taken to mean anything, or nothing at all (with the latter being far more likely).

From paragraph 13: "The New Testament consists of the spoken words of Jesus, the Son of God, who spake as never man spake, and whose words were recorded by those who heard him and witnessed his acts"

For having been a lawyer, and for having promised to write a book offering proof, "Judge" Rutherford's writings are rife with such unsupported statements which offer no proof whatever. In contrast, every Bible scholar and every historian worthy of those titles will point to evidence that the New Testament was not written by anyone who ever personally heard Jesus or witnessed his acts. The writing did not start until long after the supposed time of Jesus' death. Also, it's not true that Jesus "spake as never man spoke". Jesus didn't really say much of anything that was original. The "golden rule", for instance, was stated by Buddha centuries before. Check the facts for yourself; there's no room in a review to include everything.

From paragraph 18: "Wireless telegraphy and airships are modern discoveries; yet since they have been discovered we find that God, through his holy prophets, foretold centuries ago the use of such inventions. (Job 38:35; Isaiah 60:8)"

Go ahead and look up those scripture references: be prepared to laugh.

More from paragraph 18: "The railway train has been in use less than a hundred years; and yet the prophet of God many centuries ago gave a clear and particular description of the railway train and the manner of its operation, and prophesied that the same would be in vogue at the time of the end (Nahum 2:3-6)"

Look that one up too. See if you can honestly agree that it prophesies the railway train and its operation in a "clear and particular description".

Still more paragraph 18: "And he also foretold that at that time there would be a great running to and fro by other means of transportation, such as automobiles, electric cars, etc. (Daniel 12:4)"

That scripture reads: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro , and knowledge shall be increased."

"Running to and fro" hardly stirs up a picture of automobiles and electric cars! In all of these cases Rutherford took poetic references and, using a wild stretch of a warped imagination tried to mold them into prophecies. Any honest person can see this. All of his writings are like this: forcing the scriptures into the meaning he wants them to have. Readers with any intelligence of their own can merely shake their heads in amazement that he was able to hoodwink so many trusting souls.

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Original Review:

It was especially the writings of Rutherford that helped me to "see the light". The book "Enemies" in particular stands out: in this virulent work, Rutherford attacked all other religions and all governments for being "of Satan". I believe "Vindication" was one of the many books in which he described in some detail how horribly non-Witnesses would die at the hands of his god. But this is a theme that runs throughout his works: Those in my organization will live, and anyone outside my organization is evil and will be killed by my god in violent painful ways (and I and my members will delight at the sight).

What is particularly noteworthy is that current Witness theology holds that it was the selling of these very books (and the hyping of them at conventions -- really book drives) that fulfilled the pouring out of the plagues of Revelation!

They claim that these books (together with the Witnesses going door to door "preaching" -- which consisted mostly of either playing phonograph records of Rutherford's speeches, or parroting his words in order to sell his publications) caused so much painful embarrassment to other religions and governments that they symbolically suffered the plagues foretold in the book of Revelation. But the truth is that up until now most of the world has been blissfully unaware of these conventions and these books. In making these books available, people of the world can decide for themselves just how sane the writer was (or how much impact such ramblings would've had on sober individuals).

Overall, did Rutherford's "rainbow" further the cause of peace and love? Or did it spread enmity and a sense of separatism between his followers and what he called "the world"? You might find a clue from titles such as "Enemies" and "Vindication" without having to buy the works.

Oddly enough, today's Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged ("forbidden" might be more accurate) from reading Rutherford's books (known as "old light"). So, for all of his bombastic writing, no one believes in his works today: they are merely collectors' items for Witnesses to put on their shelves and never crack open (or in this case "play"). Their contents are largely an embarrassment.