New Biography of Pastor Russell

by RR 83 Replies latest jw friends

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  carla

  just what this board needs, someone hawking the original cult of jw's. Haven't most of the ex jw's on this board been traumatized enough already?
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  fullofdoubtnow

  The current watchtower society is a false prophet, springing from another false prophet, C T Russell. He had no more grasp of "truth" than they do. I would have no interest whatsoever in reading about the crackpot theories of a man whose ideas spawned the bs organisation that I wasted so much of my life slaving for.
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  ICBehindtheCurtain

  Why oh why would anyone want to read about the person that iniciated this CRAP? I'm sorry but it was all CRAP, the Miracle Wheat, the measuring of a mans face to figure out if he is smart, the teaching that black people would become white, the pyramid measurements......all a load of BS, but hey, if you want to believe that, knock yourself out!!!! I on the other hand have given up on believing nonsense invented by another human with just as many faults as anyone else.

  IC
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  Pistoff

  "The author acknowledges that in this book he presents the thought that the Lord's saints might expect to be with Him in glory at the ending of the Gentile Times. This was a natural mistake to fall into, but the Lord overruled it for the blessing of His people. "
  
  um, naatural mistake if you think GOD is speaking to you, I guess.
  
  And of course he is not alone in making this mistake; hundreds of mental health patients have made the same mistake.
• 

  Amazing

  Hi RR,

  I am sure the book is an interesting read ... however ... the work and conduct of pastor Russell is proven over time to be wanting. You mention his divorce. One only has to read the court trial transcript to understand that he was a sick and selfish man. I am personally waiting for a book that a very credible ex-JW friend is working on that will bring out facts on both Charles and Maria Russell that have long been left out of history. It will shed important light on the history of the Watchtower. It will be teresting to see how the Bible Students react to that new book.

  Jim Whitney
• 

  lovelylil

  Jim,

  Please let us know when that book is released.

  RR,

  "Pastor" Russell was not preaching for 40 years the end of the gentile times was in 1914. He was preaching it was 1874. He changed the dates later on when nothing happened. I have proof as I once associated with a lady who was 100 years old (my landlady) and her parents became bible students under Russell. They knew him personally and were not just followers of his who read his material. She told me how due to his dating system he and many people who followed him believed that armegeddon would begin in 1874 and the system would end by 1914. As there was a supposed 40 year harvest of the earth. Russell was just wrong. And due to HIS wrong teachings, many people became disheartened as they sold their homes and farms to follow him and then nothing happened and many families were put in harms way and made destitute. This is the same practice of the current WT, many lives have been ruined due to false dating. This lady also told my that many men committed suicide due to hurting their families so much financially. This is what is called an "eyewitness" and this testimony to me is far wieghtier than anything the current bible students teach about Russell. Think about it - they have a motive to showing him in a better light. This is what they have done, they did the same thing the WT does which is change their history. And putting a forward in a book saying he was right about the date but not about what would take place does not negate the fact that he ruined people lives and falsely prophesied.

  IF you believe the BS are true because they admitted a mistake then do you believe the same thing is true of the Catholic Church? The Pope has admitted mistakes that his religion made too. So does he have all the truth?

  In my defense of Russell I will say this, unlike the WT of today and the one that was formed after Russell died, Russell NEVER taught the mass destruction of all who did not associate with him. The message of hope he taught which was not "new light" but always found in the bible is that God has a plan for all in the world and that Jesus is coming back to restore all things. I personally have read the book "The Divine Plan of the Ages" and believe it to be Russell's finest work. As he draws attention to God's plan and backs it up with scriptures and it is true as it is supported by the bible.

  That being said, most bible students today have imortalized this man and placed him in a position he should not be in. Jesus is the only way and truth and all other men used by him or God are just messengers of them. They are not to be elevated in any way over the rest of mankind or over the rest of us in the body of Christ.

  And I believe when Russell became haughty and prideful, whatever truth the Lord used him to bring out was brought to an end and then in the subsequent books "studies in the scriptures" he began bringing out more and more odd, false beliefs that were mere opinion of a man and not backed up by scripture. To say the 1914 date was taught prior to Russell putting this date in the SIS books may be correct but it was only AFTER he visited the pyramids that he came up with this date. And he even stole this teaching from a man named Taylor who was the first one teaching that the pyramids prove biblical dates. Go to the library and look it up - it is easy to prove Russell borrowed this teaching. Lilly
• 

  Forscher

  Honesty,
  
  

  You are quite obviously making the same mistake that many others do in equating the Witnesses view of Armageddon, obviously borrowed from the Evangelical tradition by Rutherford who was a former Baptist, with Russell's teachings on the subject. let me assure you that Russell saw things quite differently. He saw the "day of god's wrath" as a time when the worlds systems would collapse under the weight of their evil and the rich and powerful would lose their wealth and power. He considered much of the imagery we find in the Bible describing that day as just that, imagery, symbolic in nature, rather than something to be taken literally as both the Witnesses and Evangelicals do. Here is an example from The Divine Plan:

  Another testimony in proof of the fact that the Day of the Lord will be a great day of trouble and of destruction to every form of evil (yet not a time of literal burning of the earth) is furnished in the last symbolic prophecy of the Bible. Referring to this time when the Lord will take his great power to reign, the storm and fire are thus described-- "And the nations were enraged and thy wrath came." (`Rev. 11:17,18`) And again, "And out of his mouth proceeded a two-edged broadsword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God....And I saw the beast [symbolic], and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet....These were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." `Rev. 19:15,19`

  We cannot here digress to examine these symbols-- "beast," "false prophet," "image," "lake of fire," "horse," etc., etc. For this the reader is referred to a succeeding volume. Now we would have you notice that the great symbolic BATTLE, and the harvesting of the vine of the earth here described as closing the present age and opening up the Millennial age (`Rev. 20:1-3`), are but other symbols covering the same great and troublous events elsewhere symbolically called fire, storm, shaking, etc. In connection with the battle and winepress figures of Revelation, note the striking harmony of `Joel 2:9-16` and `Isa. 13:1-11`, in describing the same events by similar figures. The variety of symbolic

  figures used helps us to appreciate more fully all the features of that great and notable Day of the Lord.

  As I mentioned earlier, Joseph Rutherford changed the teachings entirely to something more resembling the Evangelical outlook in regards to end of time teachings, likely borrowing from what he remembered from his time as a Baptist. It is that change which continues to be enshrined in Witness dogma. Criticise Charles Taze Russell if you want. Just get it right when you do.

  
  
  Forscher
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  Forscher

  Interesting thoughts lovelylil.
  

  To give Russell his due, I am myself impressed that he did have the guts to apologise in the manner which RR documented in his quote from The Time Is at Hand. After seeing the attitude of the Governing Body after 1975, I at least give the man credit for writing those words. I consider the attitude you mention many bible Students as having as another legacy of Rutherford. during his life, Russell was never immodest enough to claim the mantle of the "faithful and discrete slave" for himself, however proud he may have become. That little honor was promoted by Rutherford when he took power of the WTBTS in an effort to legitimise his own authority and power through linking it to Russell. He taught that Russell was the "seventh messenger" to the church as well as the "Faithful servant" of the parables in Matthew and Luke and that as such Russell was still directing the WTBTS from heaven and through him.

  The two groups which left the WTBTS anhd hold the biggest influence within the Bible Students to this day, the Associated Bible Students and the Dawn, both left after Rutherford began promoting that teaching and still share that legacy to this day. You wrote:

  That being said, most bible students today have imortalized this man and placed him in a position he should not be in. Jesus is the only way and truth and all other men used by him or God are just messengers of them. They are not to be elevated in any way over the rest of mankind or over the rest of us in the body of Christ.

  I agree with the sentiments you express. Many do place him on a pedestal no man deserves. Others do not, though the arguments on where one can legitimately disagree with the Pastor and still be considered a part of the movement are understandibly passionate given the legacy I just mentioned. Still, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment you expressed that Jesus is the central figure of Christianity and no other man. You would probably be suprised to find out that after his own manner, RR would agree with you.

  Forscher
• 

  GermanXJW

  The bookstore at biblestudents.net does currently not work.
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  cabasilas

  I found this link that is still working:

  http://www.biblestudents.net/resources/books.htm

  The new biography is not listed yet but you can order it through PayPal as RR said. It worked for me last night.