What do you know about the JWs' mansion named Beth Sarim in San Diego, California?

Question

Harley GI...: JW= Jehovah's Witnesses

Line Dancer: Wake up. Is it OK for you to do name calling?

I am passionate about this subject because you keep calling yourself Christians!

Line dancer: For you to call yourself a Christian does not make you a Christian. You do not even believe Jesus is God.

Moises_Frias: LOL. Who told you that I have ever given any money for the Ted Haggart?

Answer 1

What about it ?

Well, I just checked it out.......here is a link

http://www.geocities.com/paulblizard/deed.html

Answer 2

I know quite a bit because I wanted to know the truth of it, so I investigated.

Here are some facts that can be verified through Watchtower publications:

1. This palatial home was paid for by a wealthy individual who first had the house built and then transferred it to J F Rutherford .

2. According to the deed published in the Golden Age magazine (see Achtung's answer for date), the property was acquired and the improvements built thereon at Rutherford's direction, for the express purpose of being used by those who are servants of Jehovah God.

3. Rutherford made a provision in the deed that the property would be held in trust by the Watchtower Society for the use of the prophets in the Bible in Hebrews chapter eleven. (The May 27, 1942 issue of Consolation (now Awake) offers what it calls "proof" from the Bible that these men would appear "any day now".)

4. According to the Consolation article above, the deed was widely publicized, "scoffed" and "ridiculed" by the public press. (Page 5)

5. After Rutherford's death, the property was sold. Beth-Sarim has hardly been mentioned since in Watchtower publications.

6. The true history has been covered up by saying that it was a house built for Judge Rutherford's use, which is true. It just doesn't tell the rest of the story.

7. The above mentioned issue of "Consolation" contains in-depth information about Beth Sarim beginning on page 3 with the article "San Diego Officials Line Up Against New Earth's Princes".

8. The book "Salvation" of 1939 also explains the purpose of the house which was that there would be "tangible proof" of the belief that soon Abraham, etc. would be back on earth.
(Rutherford had already predicted they would return in 1925, but after that didn't happen, he changed it to 'any day now'.)

9. The house at the time was quite famous and given press coverage, some of which can be found on the Internet. Rutherford gave an interview to the San Diego Sun , and Time Magazine referred to the interview in its article of March 31, 1930 titled "California Cults".

10. Of noteworthy interest is the fact that the Consolation article mentioned above likens the building of Beth Sarim to the building of the ark; the ridicule heaped upon Noah is likened to the ridicule heaped upon Judge Rutherford's provision in this deed. And the Flood waters pictured the destruction at Armageddon of of those "scoffers" (particularly the members of the San Diego City Council) who scoffed at and or/opposed the provision of this deed. (Pages 5 and 14)

Edited:

It should also be noted that the "past" was once the "present". And at the time that Beth Sarim was in use, the Watchtower claimed that they had been "cleansed" of their past wrong ideas and at "present" (1930's and 1940's) all their teachings were Biblical. They claimed they didn't teach anything that wasn't "true" according to the Bible.

So - from past history - what are the chances that everything being taught today is actually the Bible truth? Watchtower adherents have believed untruths to be truth decade after decade, in spite of the leaders' claims to ALWAYS stick to the Bible.

Jason, if "numbers" prove that an organization has God's spirit, you should think about the fact that the Catholic Church has billions of members and survived for 2 milleniums, in spite of persecution.

Answer 3

Nina. My Wife and I also heard about the house when we were studying with Jehovah's Witnesses.

We also looked into the early history of Jehovah's Witnesses. We did see that past mistakes were made but changes were made. Other Religions today are to prideful to change.

There is nothing that Jehovah's Witnesses teach or believe at this present time that is not in harmony with the Holy Scriptures. The past is the past. They were humble and made the changes according to God's Word the Bible.

My Wife and I REFUSE TO BE PART OF A RELIGION THAT TEACHES THE TRINITY, HELL FIRE, AND ALL THE OTHER PAGAN HOLIDAYS THAT ARE CELEBRATED AND OBSERVED !!!

It's clear that Jehovah blessed Jehovah's Witnesses for making the changes. Look at all the people from all over the world that are studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. Millions of people are leaving false religion and becoming Jehovah's Witnesses.

It's clear that we have Jehovah's Holy Spirit.

Answer 4

Maybe if you started with who the "JW's" are, that would help. I've been in San Diego 19 years, and have no idea what you're talking about.

EDIT TO ADD: After seeing your question, I did a little more research, and found the following: http://www.bibletopics.com/BIBLESTUDY/91.htm
ALL I DID WAS A GOOGLE SEARCH... perhaps you should try it sometime? Google is your friend!

Answer 5

I know that it is a bug bad secret, and it is so legally hidden, that the paper trail to link it to the WBTS is long long long.

It was purchased in the 50's I think, for the physical return of Abraham, and some other Early Bible prophets. I will go look up who was supposed to return, and come back.


Abraham Joseph and David were to return in Physical form. Newer Witnesses do not have the truth on this property....The WBTS is a real estate grabbing publishing company, with no apparent concern for anything Biblical.



Line Dancer...Your reputation does not need any one to tear it down, it is torn without us to point out the flaws. And your snotty name calling goes on and on, so take the rafter out of your eye.


P.S. I tell dirty jokes all of the time! Still a christian too!

Moises is thankfully provided scriptural counsel for Line Dancer...Thanks Mo.

Answer 6

A a direct contribution was made for the purpose of constructing a house in San Diego for Brother Rutherford’s use. Unlike the slanderous statement of the usually unreliable Pedi C, it was NOT built at the expense of the Watch Tower Society. Concerning this property, the 1939 book Salvation stated: “At San Diego, California, there is a small piece of land, on which, in the year 1929, there was built a house, which is called and known as Beth-Sarim.”

Why are you and Unsliced Ham and Pedi C stuck on asking questions strictly about Jehovah's Witnesses? It is more than clear that your objective is to tear down our good reputation. Those who don't hang around apostate websites know the truth about us.

Don't you have poison to spread about other religions? Or is it your warped view that all religions are just fine EXCEPT Jehovah's Witnesses? You and the others wear your bigotry on your sleeve for all to see.

You call YOURSELF a Christian? I hope not. After one of your attacks on Jehovah's Witnesses, you went to the joke section of Yahoo Answers and posted a filthy religious joke. When I brought it to the attention of others, you quickly pulled it. Remember that?

If Jesus is God, WHO is God's only-begotten Son? John 3:17

What other little tidbits will you and the other JW haters dig up next from anti-witness websites? How about the one that says we don't eat Girl Scout cookies? That one was priceless!

Answer 7

Rutherford built it as a palace for the heavenly kings to live in upon returning to earth. The only resident of Beth Sarim was Rutherford. I imagine that place was built on the backs of poor JWs selling magazines.

Adams Rib must be a new witness.

Answer 8

No No No , we don´t want to be confused with the "Christians" , Jesus will destroy many Christians in the judgement day according to Matthew 7:21-23.

Yes I remember when you pulled the "dirty" joke that kind of "Christians" are going to be destroyed by Jesus Christ sooner.. Amen.

why don´t you never mention all the money that you gave to Ted Haggard and his hipocrisy?

your money was used to pay for gay sex, at least the money that was spent by ancient JWs were used to build a house, if I have to make a choice I prefer the money waste in a house rather that in a male prostitute, millions of americans saw in February "friends of God" and all that hipocrisy and you belong to them.

Jesus told you in Matthew 7:3 "Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to extract the straw from your eye’; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye?

5 Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother’s eye.

What don´t you follow the advice of your master?


65 millions of Christians in USA and he ruled 30 million so the odds are 1/2 or 50% of probability that you gave money to him even you don´t realize it, maybe you bought one of his books or anything else.

Answer 9

Jehovah's Witnesses have candidly discussed the history of "Beth Sarim" in their publications. No one disputes that it was likely a very nice home with a nice view of the rugged, unusable canyon below. The second president of the Watchtower Society lived there during the last few years of his life.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, page 76
[quote]
Brother Rutherford had a severe case of pneumonia after his release from unjust imprisonment in 1919. Thereafter, he had only one good lung. In the 1920’s, under a doctor’s treatment, he went to San Diego, California, and the doctor urged him to spend as much time as possible there. From 1929 on, Brother Rutherford spent the winters working at a San Diego residence he had named Beth-Sarim. Beth-Sarim was built with funds that were a direct contribution for that purpose. The deed, which was published in full in “The Golden Age” of March 19, 1930, conveyed this property to J. F. Rutherford and thereafter to the Watch Tower Society.
[unquote]

The property was sold soon after Rutherford's death. Feel free to look at the actual satellite images of the house and compare it with its neighbors.

http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4440+Braeburn+Rd,+San+Diego&t=k

Answer 10

I know rubberford lived in it while the great depression was going on. I know that it was deeded to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...It's a standing embarassment to watchtower false prophecies!

Check out the video in my sources and you'll get some good info on it.