Rutherford and seven of his colleagues were sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to promote draft evasion during a time of war. The convictions were overturned a year later, but the experience hardened Rutherford's heart against public institutions and he referred to politics, commerce, and religion as "the three chief instruments of the Devil".
Rutherford thought deeply about a key passage in Romans 13, and concluded that the proper interpretation of the passage no longer required Witnesses to cooperate with secular law unless those laws were in accordance with God's laws.
The relationship between the Witnesses and the civil authorities deteriorated further as a result. This downgraded democratic elections as a way of choosing local elders, and brought in a highly centralised structure, obedience to which was considered obedience to God. Rutherford focussed the movement on missionary work, and soon every member who wanted to keep their status had to take part in visiting non-members to try and convert them.
In , to reflect its greater emphasis on the public witness of missionary work, the movement adopted the title "Jehovah's Witnesses". The Nazis were very hostile to the Witnesses, and punished them under conscription and other laws. The Witnesses, who had initially tried to reach an accommodation with the German Government to keep the freedom to do their missionary work, were intransigent.
They refused to give the Nazi salute, and refused to salute the swastika regarding that as idolatry. Overall, one in four German Witnesses died during the Nazi period. In America they refused at that time to accept any alternatives on the grounds that enforced civilian work was also conscription.
Witnesses suffered badly for taking this stand. Some were beaten up, others tarred and feathered, while yet others lost their jobs. Knorr was an organisation man, a natural backroom boy who worked hard to make the movement a more efficient missionary machine. The movement grew greatly in numbers during his leadership. Knorr strengthened the educational work of the Witnesses by setting up the Theocratic Ministry School in each congregation and introducing a range of textbooks and educational products to help members carry out doorstep ministry more effectively.
Basing his beliefs mainly from intense Biblical interpretations, Russell started to operate Bible classes and study groups in the early s. Barbour, a well-known Adventist preacher. Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence , recurring monthly magazine that still is published today under the title The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom and its companion magazine Awake!
The Time is at Hand, dealt with convictions that Armageddon would occur no later than Though it did not occur, it coincided with the start of World War I. In Russell coined the term International Bible Students Association to identify his Bible study groups all over the world.
Cragun, Ryan T. Knox, Zoe. Scriptural Injunctions, Civil Liberties, and Patriotism. Cole, Brendan. Inside are rows of chairs and a podium for speakers, but little special adornment. Their biblical interpretations and missionary work certainly have critics. But it is the political neutrality of the group that has attracted the most suspicion. But they do not vote in elections , serve in the military or salute the flag. For a hack that seems relatively simple, this little eyeliner trick has gone viral.
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