"Organized Religion" by Russell.

refiners fire

If this information has already been posted previously, I apologize.

Thy Kingdom Come By Russell.
Pages 140 - 190.
Selected quotes follow.Some of them heavily edited for brevity.

page 141:
..." the test of worthiness for Kingdom honours will be an individual one...not a trial of sects,to see which of them is the true one..
they combine the idea of individual responsibility with sectarian bondage

he says that sects (organized churches):

draw the cords,slowly,cautiously, yet tightly,upon all INDIVIDUAL thought and study on religious subjects, lest their organizations fall to pieces"...

How is this done we might ask.?
Russell immediately refers to Bible study aids, especially publications with a question and answer format.
page 142:

..."These uniform lessons have the appearance of an abandonment of sectarianism ,and a coming together to study the Bible in its own light..a thing which all sectarians refuse to do actually...each denomination prepares its own comments on the scriptures contained in the lesson...aiming for union....there is scarcely time to consider the gaurded, printed questions, with prepared answers,and no time is left...to bring out other questions..containing food for thought and profitable discussion...light is hindered from shining on the Bible student...by the very lessons which claim to aid him.His time for Bible study is skillfully directed so that he may get no new ideas.Learning is sacrificed in obedience to the words,' we must stick to the lesson, for our hour will soon expire'."...

Watchtower study!

ozziepost

RF,

This was written whilst he could only see the light dimly from afar off. Later the light got brighter and brighter and............

Cheers,
Ozzie

"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

- Ron Hutchcraft Surviving the Storms of Stress

refiners fire

page 144:

.."Where ever, here and there,..the teacher is independent enough to leave the prescribed lesson....he is marked...as an unsafe teacher.
Such teachers are indeed dangerous to sectarianism,and are very soon without classes...Others are preferred who can hold the thoughts of their classes,divert them..and keep them too weak to stand alone,and bound to the systems which they believe..they would die without....
Every spare hour of a zealous sectarian is filled with so many meetings,or projects, so that no time for untrammeled thought and Bible study can be had. The principle design of these meetings ..is sectarian growth..and the effect is bondage"..

Heres what CT says about people who insist on "speaking up' in meetings . Page 182:

..."if you persist in declaring the good tidings, and in exposing error, you will soon be CAST OUT for the good of the sectarian cause,or have your liberties so restrained that you cannot let your light shine in that congregation"..

Russell calls this:

..."utter and absolute slavery of individual conscience and judgement...his mind is supposed to be given up ...and henceforth not his own...The sect undertakes to decide for him what is truth and what is error, and he...to be a faithfull member, must accept the decisions of the sect...ignoring his own individual thought, avoiding personal investigation,lest he grow in knowledge, and be lost as a sect member"...

False sects preach :

..." the false idea...that membership in an earthly organization is essential...and necessary to eternal life...They decieve the people by claiming that it is NEEDFUL to come to Christ through them"...

seedy3

The WTS has thrown out virtually all of Russell's teachings, this started almost as soon as Rutherford got his mitts on the WTS. The JW's are actually more Rutherford/Knorrites, but in actuallity they are Franzites as most of the teachings they have are from Freddy boy. The Int'l Bible Students were not a controled group as an organisation, much of the day to day things were left to the local congragations and the teachings of Russell were more guidelines not dogma or doctrine.

But even now they are fazing them out to the point that in our life time the WTS may become closer to a mainstream religion.

Seedy

refiners fire

Obviously these passages, written By CT Russell, are included among the infamous "Satanic thoughts", published in WT publications prior to 1919.
Little wonder the org was sent into "captivity" to be cleansed and purified.

Nathan Natas

Allow me to live up to my family name and play "devil's advocate" for a minute.

Couldn't one argue that since CT Russell had "broken away" from the adventists, it is only logical that he would cast "renegade" teachers like himself in the best of all possible light?

The cycles continue, the gyres turn;
the rebel becomes the tyrant.

butalbee

You know most of his writings were written in a drunken-drug induced stupor.

refiners fire

Well religious movements are founded by rebels who resist the established order.
Leaders and followers.
Russell was a 'leader', it seems fair to say that the posters on this site certainly arent 'Followers'.
Kudos to then all for having the guts to think for themselves.
Russell would have been proud of them.

plmkrzy

I wonder if there is any Kin-ship between Rutherford and
L.Ron Huberford?
It sounds like they have the same ideas and took the advise of Russell (Russell not meaning for it to actually be "advice" of course)

http://ourworld.cs.com/pwmkwzy/PicturePage.html

accuracy

The pundits say that a government is merely a "cooled-down" revolution. Perhaps a mainstream religion is merely a "cooled-down" sect.

It seems that Russell was at least prophetic about something. His legacy has come to resemble the very thing that he wished to reform.

"Organized Religion" by Russell.

"If our hopes for peace are placed in the hands of imperfect people, they are bound to evaporate."

Share this