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The Watchtower and the Colored people


Jack Ryan

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For your reading pleasure this fine Tuesday afternoon. Today’s Watchtower articles come from the pen of our former and only loving Pastor, Charles Taze Russell and one quote from the 1932 Year Book of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Let’s dig into this spiritual food that flowed from God’s mouthpiece to our tables.

The Watchtower April 15th, 1900 p 122;

“There are probably as many as a hundred colored brethren on the Watch Tower lists, some of them very clear in the truth, and very earnest in its service, financially and other-wise .. [but they are not allowed to participate in the "pioneer work" as] although we have received letters from several of these, who had intended engaging in the volunteer work, expressing surprise that in the call for volunteers in the March 1, 1900 issue we restricted the inquiry to white Protestant churches. .. The reason is that so far as we are able to judge, colored people have less education than whites - many of them quite insufficient to permit them to profit by such reading as we have to give forth. Our conclusion therefore is based upon the supposition that reading matter distributed to a colored congregation would more than half of it be utterly wasted, and a very small percentage indeed likely to yield good results. We advise, therefore, that where the Watch Tower literature is introduced to colored people it be not by promiscuous circulation, but only to those who give evidence of some ear for the truth. We avoid, so far as possible, putting the pearls of present truth into the hands of the vicious and depraved ..”

The Watchtower July 15th, 1902 p216;

“The Negro Not a Beast .. that Ham's characteristics which had led him to unseemly conduct disrespectful to his father, would be found cropping out later, inherited by his son, and prophetically he foretold that this degeneracy would mark the posterity of Canaan, degrading him, making him servile. We are not able to determine to a certainty that the sons of Ham and Canaan are negroes; but we consider that general view as probable as any other.. We are not to forget, either, that Africa is inhabited by various tribes or nations of negroes - some more and some less degraded than the average.. While it is true that the white race exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other, we are to remember that there are wide differences in the same Caucasian (Semitic and Aryan) family.. The secret of the greater intelligence and aptitude of the Caucasian undoubtedly in great measure is to be attributed to the commingling of blood amongst its various branches; and this was evidently forced in large measure by circumstances under divine control. It remains to be proven that the similar commingling of the various tribes of Chinese for several centuries would not equally brighten their intellects; and the same with the peoples of India and Africa.”

The Watchtower April 1st, 1908 p99

“The negro and Latin races will probably always be inclined to superstition.”

Year Book 1932, pp 63-64

Colored Branch

When our colored brethren were made a separate branch there was considerable objection on the part of some, these have the thought that the Colored or Negro race was being pushed aside. This was not the case, however. It was thought best for the Colored brethren to work amongst their own people, and the results show that this conclusion was correct.

This concludes our racist study course for today.

Golden Age 1920-'Agriculture and Husbandry'

This was an old article speaking against the dangers of crossbreeding crops and the unusable 'hybrids' that resulted. Then added: "Even in the case of the human family, if the father and mother are of different races the children are sometimes unfit for brain work. Wonderful are the fixed laws of God."

I think there were writers of the literature that held views with varying levels of racism. There were articles (c.1914) that spoke about how great it was that the 'colored friends' wanted to watch the Photodrama of Creation (oh, but so as not to offend the white attendees, lets segregate them to the balcony.)

And... Watchtower 1952. "Really, our colored brothers have great cause for rejoicing. Their race is meek and teachable, and from it comes a high percentage of the theocratic increase. What if the worldly wise and powerful and noble look down on them as foolish and weak and ignoble, not on an equality with self-exalted whites? It is to God’s ultimate honor, for he confounds the wise of this world by choosing those the world considers foolish and weak and ignoble. Let us boast in Jehovah and in our equality in his sight, rather than wanting to boast in equality in the world’s sight."

Then... Awake! 1953 Oct 8 p.6
"South Africa's whole color policy is conditioned by this fact and this fear: 80 per cent of her population is black; if the color bar is breached, what new dike can stop a black flood from overflowing and destroying the civilisation with which white man have displaced the wilderness?"

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Probably the most superficial posting here on this forum because there is no concept of historical context.   Always placing old articles and using modern laws and attitudes to  defame Jws In Sou

.... and with that .... I rest my case.

For your reading pleasure this fine Tuesday afternoon. Today’s Watchtower articles come from the pen of our former and only loving Pastor, Charles Taze Russell and one quote from the 1932 Year Book of

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1 minute ago, The Librarian said:

Obviously God did not inspire those paragraphs. They read very badly in 2019.

Nevertheless, you shouldn't judge dead people by the morals of today. You probably have an ancestor that believed something similar yourself.

True but not any of my ancestors claimed to be the “faithful and discreet slave personally “ and God’s mouthpiece to the congregation of God’s true followers.

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15 minutes ago, The Librarian said:

Obviously God did not inspire those paragraphs. They read very badly in 2019.

Nevertheless, you shouldn't judge dead people by the morals of today. You probably have an ancestor that believed something similar yourself.

I am sorry, but this way of reasoning, contra-arguments and logic not working so well. 

 

Obviously God did not inspire those paragraphs

With this argumentation, do you try to say how some other paragraphs are inspired by God??

 

Nevertheless, you shouldn't judge dead people by the morals of today.

Perhaps you are right in this. But than you have to accept how today's people shouldn't be judge by morals of past  generations. What moral standards and from what past period of time we should to take as our moral standards today? Should we take moral standards of ancient patriarchs who had been in possession of few wife's and plenty of slaves? Because that was quite morally for people in the past. 

 

You probably have an ancestor that believed something similar yourself.

We all have ancestors.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Jack Ryan said:

Their race is meek and teachable, and from it comes a high percentage of the theocratic increase. What if the worldly wise and powerful and noble look down on them as foolish and weak and ignoble, not on an equality with self-exalted whites? It is to God’s ultimate honor, for he confounds the wise of this world by choosing those the world considers foolish and weak and ignoble. Let us boast in Jehovah and in our equality in his sight, rather than wanting to boast in equality in the world’s sight."

If Jack was not in such an all-fired hurry to prove racial prejudice, he would note that the above comment does exactly the opposite and is remarkable for its time (1952). The “worldly wise and powerful and noble” may look down on them (anyone care to argue that they didn’t at that time?) but God certainly does not, nor his organized servants. Blacks are paid the highest compliment for displaying godly traits that can be paid—of being “meek and teachable and form them comes a high percentage of theocratic increase.”

1 hour ago, Jack Ryan said:

the thought that the Colored or Negro race was being pushed aside. [pre-1932]  This was not the case, however. It was thought best for the Colored brethren to work amongst their own people, and the results show that this conclusion was correct. 

Even NOW overt racism is perceived by many blacks. It was 50 times worse a century ago. So, yes, the idea of not waving before a red flag before a racist world is not such a horrible idea. Given prejudice back then, the WT probably saved a lot of black lives by doing as they did.

Jack is just doing his usual Jack—trying to stir up hate when no basis for it exists.

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Probably the most superficial posting here on this forum because there is no concept of historical context.   Always placing old articles and using modern laws and attitudes to  defame Jws

In South Africa the JW brothers had to constantly ask permission from the government for assemblies to allow different colours of people to mingle...... and this was in the 70s and 80s....  When a white person wanted to preach in a black suburb  he would face personal danger and visa versa -  when a black person wanted to preach in a white area he would be thrown out and the npolice called.  It was society attitudes (and in case of SA - enforced by laws) which dictated what values one could hold.

 

I grew up in the 50s in Africa.  From young  age I saw black women with breasts uncovered in the streets.... I saw a murder of a black man killing another before I was ten.   I knew about Muti- murders (witch-doctor medicine from body parts)  and I thought it was depraved...even as a child.  .  How depraved must voodoo, witch doctors etc not bave seemed to those people living  in 1902 when colonists went to Africa.  British soldiers who underestimated the black "  impi" were slaughtered in war.  Read up about it on Google -  isandlwana.  The movie "zulu"  was the stand of a small group of engineers against a portion of this army.

In 1902 JWs definitely held the wrong view of Canaans/Ham's offspring but this was corrected afterwards.  Today,  JWs in the entire world are one United nation while many other religions remain separate.  I saw many churches in USA 5 years ago where only black people attended, and many where only whites attend.  Most  white churches still believe that these are the offspring of Ham because they have not been taught the truth about the bible.  We have matured and hold Jehovahs views on race.

I joined a forum  recently as a JW.  The group wanted my views as a JW.  I was shocked to learn how racially divided USA is now and how many people hate whites just for their skin color and perceived past inustices.  Black Israelites took over the conversation and i wish to add - this is a growing trend in USA. USA has a lot of problems to deal with because they have not corrected the historical problems.  JWs have corrected historical errors.

If you want to know more about the superstitions in Africa- even amongst the educated..... I can inform you.  Latin America also have many superstitions which Catholicism has not removed.   These practices are not tolerated by JWs when members revert back to old spiritistic practices.   These JWs are corrected and unrepentent ones removed.  There was  a special booklet,  against all forms of spiritism, written which I used extensively in Africa...... and it is also used in the Caribean and south America.   The muslims are also very superstitious about the evil eye etc.  This is realities....in the world .... not fallacies. 

JWs now preach to anyone who has an ear to listen in over 1000 printed languages.  The bible is not bias but in 1902 ..... the JWs were..........which proves this point: if one allows jehovah to correct you and you follow the bible's guidance - you will get it right in the end .......and after all.... it is not the beginning that counts but the end of the race.

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From what I have seen in movies, many black people are smarter than many white people.

Back when I was about ten or eleven years old, they used to have a TV show on at Saturday midnight, called "Shock Theatre". They used to show "Frankenstein", "Bride of Frankenstein" the "Werewolf", "The Mummy", and lots of haunted house movies, and stories of Edgar Allen Poe.. 

I noticed that groups of white people for some reason would go to a haunted house for some reason, and it would be some seriously creepy castle surrounded by thick fog, with wolves howling in the background, with cobwebs, bats, and in the entrance foyer would be a column of ice cold air. and the furniture would skittish across the room, and fall over all by itself, and a moaning voice from somewhere around the ceiling would say " GEEEEEEET OUTTTTTTTT !.

Then, blood would start pouring down the large circular staircase, and some stupid white guy would say "Hey!, lookit the blood coming down the stairs .... let's go upstairs and INVESTIGATE!!"

...turns out , this was a very bad idea for everybody involved.

Meanwhile, a black person would have been three miles away, running as fast as he can!

 

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4 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

black person would have been three miles away, running as fast

This  is about traditions which are spiritistic and cruel which people cling to.  Many caucamsian tribe used to practice cannibalism, spiritism etc.  a long time ago but christianity changed it.  

It is the judeo-christian traditions  which gave us human rights in the west...... but it took a long time for traditions of slavery and other cruel traditions to be abolished..... and unjust practices persisted. 

Female mutilation  and child marriage  is still prevalent  and a blind eye given to it.......which Jehovahs people do not allow - just as we do not allow for racism and bias in our congregations. Yes, spiritual maturity has helped us to see the error of our ways..... but many people who are so-called Christian's are still racist....... it just depends on the degree.

As I said before: our brothers in Africa  are doing a fine job as elders and servants in the congregations. 

 

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27 minutes ago, Arauna said:

There is a time for everything..... humor can also be derogatory 

So....who decides?

You?

... by the way ... I heard  that joke from a black comedian, Eddie Murphy.

I had the frame of reference to find it EXTREMELY funny!

OH! ... and I thought it was funny your attempt at black pronunciation.  You have real talent there!

linguistics.jpg

Lighten up! ... you will live a LOT longer.

People with no sense of humor ... it just FEELS  like they are living forever.  Especially if you have to be around them.

 

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