Upton Sinclair "The Profits of Religion."

by ctrwtf 3 Replies latest jw friends

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  ctrwtf

  What a great read. What's interesting is that this was written in 1917. Right about the time when the WT was being born. He doesn't mention JW's directly but does mention the Millerites. 

  Sinclair leaves no doubt about how he feels about organized religion. For anyone waking up he gives a unique perspective inasmuch as he observes that all religions are basically the same. "institutions having fixed dogmas and "revelations", creeds and rituals, with an administering caste claiming supernatural sanction." (read GB) 

  He continues, "It is the thesis of this book that "religion" in this sense is a source of income to parasites, and the natural ally of every form of oppression and exploitation."

  Didn't someone once write "religion is a snare and a racket?"

  
  
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  OrphanCrow

  He doesn't mention JW's directly but does mention the Millerites. 

  No, Sinclair doesn't mention the JWs because they were known as Bible Students at the time he wrote this essay.

  In Book 6 of The Profits of Religion, in the chapter titled Bible Prophecy (pg 203) Sinclair speaks of Pastor Russell and the Bible Students.

  Upton Sinclair was spoken of favorably in the Golden Age magazines during the years that the WTS was pro-Socialist.
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  ctrwtf

  Thanks OC  Sorry I missed that on my perusal.  I'm only a hundred or so pages in.  He definitely doesn't hold back in his derision for Pastor Russell.
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  OrphanCrow

  Ctrwtf, I actually thought that Sinclair was pretty light on Russell.

  I like his little footnote after his very brief mention of Russell:

  P.S. A few months pass, and while this book is going to
  press, “The Finished Mystery” is suppressed by the government
  and several score “Bible Students” are landed
  in jail for sedition.

  I lost my notes I had made on the Golden Age articles, but I seem to remember that Upton Sinclair got a plug for his book Brass Check in one of the issues. The early Golden Age magazines published many articles supporting socialist views.