Both Russell and Rutherford recognised disfellowshipping for apostasy as a means of control and that that making all followers think alike on doctrine is what originally caused the great apostasy. Zion’s Watch Tower 1893 p.263 “The endeavor to compel all men to think alike on all subjects, culminated in the great apostasy and the development of the great Papal system; and thereby the “gospel,” the “one faith,” which Paul and the other apostles set forth, was lost buried under the mass of uninspired decrees of popes and councils. The union of the early church, based upon the simple gospel and bound only by love, gave place to the bondage of the church of Rome a slavery of God's children, from the degradation of which multitudes are still weak and suffering .”
In The New Creation pp.326-327 Russell stated that to be considered a brother one only had to “grasp the fundamentals” (that all were sinners; that Christ redeemed us by his sacrifice, and the need for consecration.) Pages 263 and 264 encouraged open questioning of doctrine;
“… God designed to instruct his people by means of each other; and that even the humblest of his flock shall think for himself and thus develop an individual faith as well as an individual character. Alas, that this important matter is so generally overlooked amongst those who name the name of Christ! … They are not to be machines, nor to be afraid to communicate; but by asking questions, calling attention to what seems to them to be misapplications of Scripture or what not, they are to do their part in keeping the body of Christ and his teachings pure—they are thus to be critics; and instead of being discouraged from doing this, and instead of being told that they must not criticize the teacher or call in question his expositions, they are, on the contrary, urged to communicate, to criticize.”
Watchtower 1920 April 1 pp.100-101; “If others see it in a different way, that is their privilege. There should be full liberty of conscience.”
Watchtower 1930 October 1 p.301 “Satans organization sails under the high-sounding name of "Christendom". It boasts of a membership of over 500,000,000 persons. Its members are in bondage to creeds, customs, rites and ceremonies; they dare not disown these or criticize or expose them. To do so would bring down on their heads taunts, reproaches, disfellowship and persecution. Many thousands of the Lords people are held in these denominations as prisoners , afraid to express their disapproval of the creeds, methods and customs of the organization.”
Until the 1930's disfellowshipping was not done by a small group of elders but by the entire congregation to minimise the potential for corruption. Russell promoted leniency in all but the gravest matters. In such situations an unrepentant person was judged not by a judicial committee by the entire congregation, in line with Matthew 18:17; “If he does not listen to them, speak to the congregation. If he does not listen even to the congregation , let him be to you just as a man of the nations and as a tax collector.”
The New Creation p.289 “ The administration of discipline is not the function of the elders only, but of the entire Church. … Thus it is evident that the Elders were in no sense to be judges of the members—hearing and judgment were left to the local body, or Church.”
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