why did russel get a divorce , was it adultery ?

Zico

I think it was a power struggle.

No clear evidence for adultery, and I don't think Maria even accused him of it.

megaflower

I question if it would have really mattered. I read some time ago that they had more of a business like marriage. It was a marriage void of sex.

They always had problems as he was arrogant and wanted to be head of the house while she wanted to be independent. She acused him of flurting with their adopted "daughter" ...that he would be alone with her in a locked room or she would sit on his lap...that he refered to her as his "little wife" .....when asked in court if she was directly accusing him of adultery she said no. The court transcript is on the net...very interesting.

Tyrone van leyen

I remember reading court transcipts that quoted him as saying, " I float about like a Jellyfish." I think he was refering to testing the waters with the opposite sex. I also recall reading that he was often behind closed locked doors with Rose Ball on several occasions. I think he was desiring to be seen as a powerful patriarchal figure.

In those days womens rights were practicaly non-existant. I don't even think they knew they had rights. Russels air of chauvanism and power lends itself to fitting the description of a guy who could easily have taken advantage of his position.

I don't doubt that he used discretion where he could, for his public personna. Same as When Rutherford was dating Berta Peele. It was ok for him, while everyone else had to live by the rules.

I guess we will never know for sure, but the court transcripts seem to say it without directly saying it.

If you were seen as the mouthpeice of God, were wealthy, powerful and chauvinist, in a world where women didn't know their rights, I don't find it difficult to make the connection.

I say that he did sleep with women! Women who were fearful of what would happen if his power were unleashed. Why do I say this? Lets just call it personal reasons. It was he who started this bullshit religion, and it was his sucessor that put everyone on trial and set up the elders ( Little Rutherfords) to police his organization.

No fair trials for anyone! Therfore,You are being judged now, Mr. Russel. No fair trial for you, or any of your cronies who like pointing fingers.

RR

Truth is, they had both made a vow of celibacy in serving the Lord, even before they got married. They spent so much time together in doing the Lord's work, it was decided so as not to cause rumors, they would marry.

Later Russell's sister would get involved with the women's rights groups and urge her sister to have more say in the affairs of the Watchtower Society. In 1897, she left Russell and in 1907, she filed for divorce. It was really a legal separation, as in those days there was no leagl term for separation. It was all divorce.

She never charged him with adultery, she did however charge him with mental cruelty ... because he wouldn't let her have her way ... boo hoo

RR

benjammin

I recommend the book "Blood On the Altar" by David L. Reed, a former JW elder. It is an insightful and fair assessment of the Watchtower's flubs, including an expose of the organizational history and CT Russell's curious personal affairs. Did you know he originally calculated the "time of the end" using measurements from the pyramids at Giza? And the "time of the end" date has changed no less than 7 times in the Watchtower's history? No wonder they don't teach from their older publications.

Leolaia

Very interesting interview with Russell published in the May 1, 1909 issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

RR

Did you know [C.T. Russell] originally calculated the "time of the end" using measurements from the pyramids at Giza? And the "time of the end" date has changed no less than 7 times in the Watchtower's history? No wonder they don't teach from their older publications.

Sorry Benjamin, but that isn't true. Russell didn't come up with his chronology using the measurements of the pyramid. In fact he borrowed the chronology from others. The chronology is based on Scripture and history, whether you accept it or not. He did however, use the Great Pyramid measurement as a secondary proof of end time chronology. So to say he calculated his chronology from the great pyramid is misleading. RR

lrkr

Related question- It appears from some things that I have read that the WT B&T Society of New York was formed so that Russell could move assets out of the WTB&TS of Pennsylvania. From what I understand the Pennslyvania corp was partially owned by Maria- so the creation of the New York corporation was really just an attempt to hide/shield marital assets from the divorce.

Has anyone here read something similar???