C.T. Russell: a confirmed Pittsburgh Free Mason

by kid-A 118 Replies latest jw friends

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  Nathan Natas

  Chrissy - see

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/29872/1.ashx

  for Chuck's grave & the pyramid of Jah

  My understanding is that the plot is tended by today's Bible Students - the true heirs of Russellism. If you get a chance to visit, I would suggest theat you consider doing a "rubbing" of the portions of the pyramid that list the names of those buried in the plot - or at the very least, compile alist of those names that are legible. As far as I know, no one has told us who else is buried on that site, and the information might be of interest to history buffs. How to do headstone rubbings: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8928/graverub.txt and here: http://www.savinggraves.com/education/bookshelf/rubbings.htm Medium-weight "pellon" is a GREAT fabric for doing the rubbing. It won't tear like paper might. Get it at any fabric store. rubbing wax may be hard to find locally. It is much harder than a crayon, in fact it is brittle. Fortunately, it is wax, so it can be melted over boing water and re-cast in a muffin tin with a muffin paper liner to form a contiguous lump. sources of wax: http://www.petersenprints.com/store/en-us/dept_65.html http://www.petersenprints.com/store/en-us/dept_14.html
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  luna2

  I must say that Masonry certainly appears to be a fun game for grown men. My paternal grandfather (who was raised by witness parents) was heavily into it as were all the men in my paternal grandmother's family. My great grandmother was the Eastern Star of something or other too. So I guess it was a game even the ladies could play. Heck, wasn't much on tv back in those days, so why not?

  There's this guy I work with who's a Mason. He's a very nice guy, but not too bright. I get the impression that belonging to a club like this makes him feel important. I know it tickles him that he can't tell me certain things cuz they are SECRET. Wooo...Cooool. LOL
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  Terry

  I have yet to read a clearly presented reason FOR Masonry; only complaints that one should be better informed before posting the opinion that it is puerile nonsense.

  T.
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  SWALKER

  The point I was trying to draw attention to is the fact that the terminology used by Russell was nothing "new." All the JW's think this is so exclusive to their religion when in reality this stuff has been around for centuries. They so wanted to be different from mainstream religions...we could not call our meeting place a church, but rather a Kingdom Hall. Isn't if funny that Mason's meet in Halls or Lodges??? They have "Societies"...Watchtower Bible and Tract "Society"...the list goes on and on. My opionion is they would have been more Bible-based had they stayed with religious terminology, such as "church".

  The Masons do a lot of good things around the world and the only way to become one is by invitation. Most if not all the presidents of the U.S. have been Mason's...33rd degree. They go after educated people to recruit and they expect these to give back to the community. Some groups have been known to get heavily involved in the occult and these may be isolated cases...as it is so secretive it is hard to find out what goes on exactly. As they all take an oath to never devulge any of the Mason's secrets, most keep this contract all their life. Even if they no longer attend meetings, (kind of fade) they still feel bound by the oath they took.

  I did have a friend tell me a few of the things he has done with his group and it sounds like grown men playing little boys games for the most part. However, this friend also helps out those in extreme need, recently sponsoring and raising money for a little girl to get a prostetic leg.

  I don't have a problem with the Mason's...it's just that the JW's don't need to turn their noses up at them, when I believe that early JW terminology is Mason-based, not Bible-based. Who is to say that Russell thought he could help people by starting this publishing company, just as my friend helped out this little girl?

  This is only an OPINION piece....

  Swalker
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  Nathan Natas

  
  Rutherford coined the term "Kingdom Hall" on a visit to Hawaii in April, 1935, if memory serves.

  Masons eat protein, fats and carbohydrates - Witnesses eat protein, fats and carbohydrates!

  Masons live in structures they call "home" - so do Witnesses!

  Masons wrap their feet in protective materials for greater comfort during their perambulations, and so do witnesses!

  Masons inhale and exhale, but Witnesses always exhale and then inhale.

  Masons employ the cytochrome-a electron transport energy mechanism, as do Witnesses.

  I could go on and on with the remarkable similarities.
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  TresHappy

  Russell's grave is an interesting place. Just tell a JW that he's buried next to a pyramid and their eyes pop out. Today's Russellites go out of their way to differentiate themselves saying he would have nothing to do with today's Watchtower Society. Funny, neither do most of us on this board!
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  TD

  Rutherford coined the term "Kingdom Hall" on a visit to Hawaii in April, 1935, if memory serves.

  You're memory is dead on, Nathan. Russell never used the term.
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  Cygnus

  My Witness parents once visited the grave of Russell and took a picture of the pyramid located some 20 feet away. Back in the '60s I guess it was considered a cool thing to do. My guess is not only are the vast majority of contemporary JWs ignorant about it, the vast majority couldn't care less about it.
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  SWALKER

  So I guess Rutherford would not have known Russell's viewpoint...Honestly!!!

  Swalker
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  jaffacake

  Rutherford was the real founder of Jehovah's Witnesses, something quite different to what the Bible students believed. Between Russell's death and the new name of Jehovah's Witnesses, Rutherford too wrote about the Great Pyramid being God's stone witness.

  I believe it was Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (1922?) that forced a change of doctrine.

  I don't believe Russell was a freemason. I don't believe any conspiracy theories. There is enough for the Watchtower to be embarassed about in cold hard facts, that we need not speculate. We have enough irrefutable material.