Thanks for the info everyone.
Does anyone on this board live anywhere near the hometowns of Russell or Rutherford.
Could they dig out anything from the local libaries or town hall records that could be of interest.
What JW fact would you like to know?
by sleepy 11 Replies latest jw friends
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sleepy
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Athanasius
Hi Sleepy,
I researched Rutherford's early life, even visited the site of the Baptist Church that he attended as a child. The Church was destroyed by a cyclone in the 1970s but the cemetary where his parents are buried is still there. Nothing remains of the original buildings of his father's farm. However, Rutherford's house in Boonville is still standing. It was for sale when I visited it last year.
Rutherford's father was a prosperous farmer and Joseph led a normal life. There wasn't anything in his background to indicate why he would later adopt the unorthodox beliefs that he forced on the Bible Students. Rutherford is the true founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Though some claim that Rutherford's doctrines came from channeling the spirits, I feel quite stongly that they were politically motivated. Rutherford merely used his new doctrines to destroy the democratic traditions of the Bible Students so that he could consolidate his power over the organization. During his regime the Watch Tower became a totalitarian dictatorship. It still is.
I haven't researched that much into Russell's early life, but according to Fritz Springmeir, in Ireland Russell's family attached themselves to an Arian branch of the Presbytarian Church. This would explain his theological leanings toward Arianism. The Masonic connection cannot be discounted either. This would account for some of the occultic symbols used in the early Watch Towers.
Hopefully this has helped you.
Sincerely,
Athanasius