by startingover 32 Replies latest watchtower scandals
But I fail to see why this is posted under "Scandals"?
Picture it. You're a ticket inspector on a train. It's Hallowe'en. You go into one of the compartments. You find two men in bed together. One of them's wearing a toga. And he's dead. (And that's the part they admit to!)
Thanks for the laugh FunkyD
Hippie, just curious, where would you have posted this letter?
Thank you for sharing this original letter. One of the many things that helped me make the decision to quit was authentic documentation. It's very impressive and hard to discredit the source. I had forgotten about the pyramid burial site, but when I read about the toga, I had to ask myself about how the witnesses began. After all, this was our leader and founder! The great Charles Taze Russell. His picture had been hanging in Kingdom Halls in the 60's and printed in publications for years. I laughed when I read he died on Halloween, burried in a toga. I started thinking, "so this is the beginning of the religion I devoted my life to?".
In the third paragraph it talks about the remains (body) being taken to The Temple for the funeral service.
Since the JWs didn't have temples as far as I know does anyone know what the Temple refers to? My suspicion is that it is a masonic temple since Russell was almost certainly a free mason.
Thanks for posting this; I've really enjoyed the various scans you've posted from your archives--things we'd otherwise never see.
It's interesting that they STILL sign their letters today with that same script signature. When did that start, and who wrote it?
I find it strange that Russell wasn't in a hospital as it is obvious he needed medical attention. I guess JW's have a long history of avoiding proper medical treatment.
I too wondered about reference to the "temple". I also find it interesting how the word "church" was used in the letter. I have other letters from family members that refer to a person who is dead as being "beyond the veil". They've ditched lots of words over the years.
So the founder of my lifelong religion breaks out a toga, what was I thinking? Oh yeah, I wasn't!
http://www.totse.com/en/religion/christianity/thelatepastorr179026.html
The Late Pastor Russell
by Joseph Franklin Rutherford
............"He devoted his private means entirely to the cause to which he gave his life. He received the nominal sum of $11.00 per month for his personal expenses. He died leaving no estate whatsoever. Like all great leaders of thought, especially pertaining to the Scriptures, he was, as was his Master, misunderstood by some, and therefore misrepresented.
At his death his remains were shipped to New York, where they lay in state in the Temple in New York City, the property of the Society and the place where his lectures were given when at home. There thousands looked upon him for the last time, as his body lay embowered in magnificent floral offerings sent in by loving hearts from all over the country. The entire Temple was decorated with a rich profusion of the most beautiful flowers. His funeral was attended by a great audience gathered to pay their last tribute of love and esteem to the great and good man whom they so loved and revered. It was a most notable occasion. The speakers gave glowing tribute to his life and work.
The body was then taken to North Pittsburgh, the scene of his earlier life and labors, where a second notable funeral service was held in Carnegie Hall, where interment took place in the Bethel plot in the United Cemeteries, the casket being encased in a sunken vault. The path to the grave was lined with flowers."
The letter ends with that a hundred thousand copies of a "Studies in the Scriptures" publication were getting ready to be printed....
The book publishing company never ended. Reminds me of a Sonny & Cher tune....
The beat goes on
The beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La di da di de
La di da di da
Charleston was once a rage, uh-huh
History has turned a page,uh-huh
The mini skirts the current thing,uh-huh
Teeny bopper is our new born king,uh-huh
Chorus
the grocery store the super mart,uh-huh
little girls will break their hearts,uh-huh
and men still keep on marching off to war
electrically they keep a baseball score
Chorus
Grandmas sit in jail and reminesce
Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
Cars keep going faster all the time
Bums still call hey buddy, have you got a dime
Chorus
Skeeter
Hmmmmmmm...toga robes, temples, mason sacred undergarments, mormons. .... : ) http://youtube.com/watch?v=6BxAl2L2HwY&mode=related&search=
