August 11, 1995
Milton G. Henschel, President
Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society
25 Columbia Heights
Brooklyn, New York
U.S.A. 11201
M. James Penton
Dear Mr. Henschel:
Yesterday I obtained a copy of the August 22 Awake! magazine with its articles on "The Holocaust: Who Spoke Out?". On reading the articles in that issue of Awake!, I was thoroughly shocked and disgusted.
The Watch Tower Society has long attempted a cover-up of the most dishonest sort. While your organization properly censures other religious communities for their compromises with and support of Nazism, it tries to claim that Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jehovah's Witnesses alone, never were guilty of such compromise. Yet history tells a different story. The "Erklärung" or "Declaration" published by the Watch Tower Society at the Berlin Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses in June 1933 is, in itself, clear evidence that the Society's president, Judge J. F. Rutherford, as accompanied by N. H. Knorr, manifested anti-Semitism, hostility to Great Britain and the United States, and to the League of Nations. Furthermore, the "Erklärung" clearly states that Jehovah's Witnesses supported the aims of the Third Reich.
In addition to the "Erklärung", there is the evidence of the Society's letter to Hitler sent on or immediately following June 25, 1933, and the public statements made about the Berlin convention by Konrad Franke in lectures throughout Germany some years ago. All of this I have made public in my book Apocalypse Delayed (1985)-which I know has been read at Watch Tower headquarters both from court documents and inside reports-and in the spring 1990 issue of The Christian Quest. So it is impossible for responsible members of your organization not to know the facts. Thus the August 22 Awake! is nothing short of an historical abomination.
I am aware of the feeble attempt of the 1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses to exculpate Judge Rutherford and the Watch Tower Society in Brooklyn by claiming that the Society's German branch overseer, Paul Balzereit, "weakened" the "Erklärung". But the "Erklärung" or "Declaration" was published in both the German and English versions of the 1934 Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses as an official statement of the Watch Tower Society. So it is impossible to believe that it was not sanctioned by Rutherford and the man who succeeded him as the Society's president, N. H. Knorr. Therefore, the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses of that time attempted to commit what amounted to spiritual whoredom with the Third Reich in the fashion of the two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah of Ezekiel 23, according to the Society's own teachings.
Although I do not expect an answer from you, nor do I want one, to make certain that you, personally, are aware of the facts, I am sending you the following materials:
(1) A photocopy of the original "Erklärung"
(2) A photocopy of the "Erklärung" as it appeared in the German edition of the 1934 Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses;
(3) A photocopy of the "Declaration" as it appears in the English edition of the 1934 Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses;
(4) A photocopy of the Hitler letter, plus an English translation thereof;
(5) A copy of the Spring 1990 issue of The Christian Quest.
Since I am well aware that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, of which you are a senior member, is carrying on what amounts to a "Big Lie" campaign (1) to make Jehovah's Witnesses appear to be God's faithful and discreet slave class on earth and (2) to discredit other religions, as a former Jehovah's Witness, a professional historian, and as a Christian who
believes that God has no need of our lies, I feel forced to expose the facts to the general public. Hence, I am sending copies of this letter, plus the above listed documentation, to both religious and secular publications throughout the United States and Canada. I will, of course, also make them available to persons in other lands so that they may be made known wherever possible.
In closing, Mr. Henschel, I would beg the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, who carry heavy responsibility before God and humankind, to come clean and admit the facts. Hypocrisy and falsifying the historical record are serious sins, as I am sure you are aware.
Sincerely yours,
M. James Penton, PhD
Professor Emeritus
12 comments:
If you want to know the truth about the Holocaust, Visit Washington Museum of Holocaust.
no need to say anything else, history speak for itself.
Even the Washington Museum of Holocaust can be inccurate if supplied with inaccurate information and the half truths given to them by billion dollar corporations with the means and funds to make effective presentations. We are in the process of correcting some of those errors. Committees are being formed to provide that Museum with more accurate up-to-date information regarding Jehovah's Witnesses and the Holocause. Fortunately, the Museum is receptive to receiving any and all information because it wants to make sure that what is presently to the public is completely accurate.
All the lies and darkness of this organization will be brought to light for all those truly searching for truth.
Keep up the good work gov. body letters!
governing body letters: I grew up as a Baptist and the Jehovah's Witnesses I know are good people. At least they go door to door sharing what they know from the Bible like we all should if we are followers of Christ because he told us to do so. Is this all you have to do is put down others. You should be building people up! What religion is the true true religion? Remember " one Faith, one Lord, one baptism". You should be ashamed of yourself. They have even told me that their Governing Body does not claim to be infaliable and have not hid their mistakes from the past like all the other religions I have studied do, and that in the past Members expected something to happen on certain dates but did not say for a "fact" that it would, like Reverend Miller in the 1800's.
You need to examine yourself and your so called PhD, were did you earn that title? Mine comes from the School of Hard-Knocks!
"They have even told me that their Governing Body does not claim to be infaliable and have not hid their mistakes from the past like all the other religions I have studied do...."
They told you that, did they? And you believe them, do you? The Watchtower organization is like all other religions that has a foundation of falsehoods. They want to hide their true motives from the public but the truth is their religion is full of secrets and lies. Just because you are not aware of them, does not mean that these secrets do not exist. The Watchtower has never been forthcoming or truthful about their history.
You need to examine yourself because the Watchtower has made predictions that included definite dates just as Miller did.
Henschel died and Penton is sour grapes.
It is a shame that Penton gave up the upward calling for name calling.
ronde, how you can accuse others oc name calling is laughable. The Watchtower organization is the champion in the name calling contest. They have bad names for those of others religions, for those who no longer believe their lies, even for those who simply do not want to be a part of an organized religion. So when you talk about calling names, go and check out the name calling of your God, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Interesting how the WTS (Governing Body) can point a finger at the pedophilia problem in the Catholic church and not reveal to its own members a pedopilia problem that goes back many decades (see www.Silentlambs.org). Most JW's aren't even aware of that bad policy that was in place (and still is) that allows pedophiles to do their awful deeds in secrecy. And, isn't it hypocritical to point a finger at another religion when they "knew" the problem existed in their own religion? I never knew JW's had this problem, but then again, they don't advertise it, do they? Watching the World (a feature in the Awake) certainly never reported on these cases, as it did with the Catholic church).
joepublish,
"pedopilia problem" thats a whole different subject, but thanks for mentioning it.
the congregations are pedopilia heaven and the elders under direction of the gov. body actually protect the offender.
it is real sick, sick, sick.
it is a rotting organization.
GBLetters said:
"ronde, how you can accuse others oc name calling is laughable. The Watchtower organization is the champion in the name calling contest."
I keep telling you that there is no such thing as a Watchtower Organization. You ##$#$@#2 idiot.
Why can't you learn that?
" They have bad names for those of others religions, for those who no longer believe their lies, even for those who simply do not want to be a part of an organized religion."
Well, if the shoe fits...
" So when you talk about calling names, go and check out the name calling of your God, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society."
The Watchtower Society is your God because you continually write about it.
"Interesting how the WTS (Governing Body) can point a finger at the pedophilia problem in the Catholic church and not reveal to its own members a pedopilia problem that goes back many decades"
Actually, there is no pedophilia problem among Jehovah's Witnesses.
There may have been some people who did bad things to and with children, but that does not, by definition, make them pedophiles and a problem. It just means that some people did bad things.
" (see www.Silentlambs.org)."
That site is a farce.
" Most JW's aren't even aware of that bad policy that was in place (and still is) that allows pedophiles to do their awful deeds in secrecy. "
There is no policy about them.
They do what they want because they want to. People can prevent problems and scream and fight back like any other situation.
rnde,
have you, is there, lead in the heart of your soul in the sink of your diet. garbaage indeed.
so there.
Post a Comment