CROSS or STAKE
by Roy Lister (Condensed)

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ was tortured on a stake as opposed to "christendom's" belief that Jesus Christ was crucified upon a cross.
Quoting from "Mankind's Search for God", page 254, we read, "After Jesus had been passed from one to another, the Roman govenor Pontius Pilate, on the insistence of the religiously inspired mob, took the line of least resistance and sentenced Jesus to death. As a consequence, Jesus died in disgrace on a stake, and his body was placed in a tomb."
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society goes to great pains throughout many of it's publications, to show the diligent bible student that it's translation to torture stake is the correct one. References to supporting evidence is always given to show the societies correctness, and the evidence is always impressive. It is not within the scope of this article to look at any references but may I suggest that if you live near a good reference library it would be a good exercise to check these references (most good libraries would be able to source the books refered to). You might be shocked with regards to the societies ability to correctly quote.
Has the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society always held that Jesus Christ was tortured on a stake? Apparently not!!
I have been given a book by judge Rutherford called "The Harp of God" written in 1921 and published in 1928. The plate on the right is a scan of the inside cover.
The following are quotes taken from this book.
"And Pilate, more righteous than the clerics, posted over his cross the sign: 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.'" (page 136)
"When Jesus died upon the cross of Calvary............" (page 140)
"The ransom price was provided at the cross. The cross of Christ is the great pivotal truth of the divine arrangement, from which radiates the hopes of men." (page 142)

There is not one mention of a torture stake to be found in this book. It can only be taken that judge Rutherford, although denying many biblical truths and doctrines, did believe in the cross of Christ. This is also true of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society who supply the "preface" in the book.
Finally, there is only one picture of the crucifiction in this book, found on page 113. The following scan is of that picture.

Note: Judge Rutherford was the President of the Watchtower Society, the voice of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and his word is beyond despute to any Jehovah's Witness.