Russell probably had a degree of insanity, and certainly is guilty of presupposing his ideas as "the truth." But if you read "What Pastor Russell said" his humility is prevalent, and I believe, honest. He did not act like Rutherford or Knorr and seek to greatly increase his membership. His writings in the Studies of the Scriptures certainly are ludicrous, but time after time he responded to questions by saying, 'Here's what we believe... it may be wrong, we believe it's right... choose for yourself.' I have great doubts that he was inherently dishonest, or that he was a secret member of the Freemasons.
C.T. Russell: a confirmed Pittsburgh Free Mason
by kid-A 118 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
SWALKER
Cygnus,
I always believed the way you portray Russell, as a nicer person than Rutherford, and just deluded at the time. However, a few months back, there was someone who did a type of genealogy on Russell and found his divorce court documents. That really showed me what a con man he was...I can't remember the thread, maybe someone else does. They pointed out that he "adopted" a 19 yr old woman, named Rose, and she was seen sitting on his lap...if my memory serves me correctly. Sounds to me like he was just a better con artist than Rutherford, who didn't care if people thought of him as a pompous A#$! That thread is definately worth the read if you can locate it...
Swalker
-
Cygnus
SWALKER,
Please check out this web page: http://www.pastor-russell.com/life/immoral1.html
And this for commentary: http://www.pastor-russell.com/life/immoral2.html
-
outoftheorg
Sygnus
C T Russel also sold his followers and others his MIRACLE WHEAT with promises of much more wheat per acre than any other seeds available at that time.He was lying about this and was found guilty in a court of law.
Doesn't seem too loving or honest to me. The two url's you asked SWALKER to read, proudly announced IN HIS OWN WORDS. He was on trial denying the actions taken against him. He wasn't about to tell the truth. Using his own words to defend him is a pretty weak argument.
Outoftheorg
-
LittleToe
So, Ianone is back, huh? - LOL
-
Cygnus
C T Russel also sold his followers and others his MIRACLE WHEAT
Actually, Russell never made a thin dime on Miracle Wheat. After it had been tested and gradiose comments made about it, he allowed it to be advertised in his magazines. But Russell himself never profited from its sale.
"As respects my business dealings, ... I need not remind you that American Courts are very strict and that if anybody feels that I have wronged him out of a dollar, he would have no difficulty in haling me into Court. You have my assurance dear Brother, that I do not owe any man on earth a penny and that I have never taken a penny from anyone unjustly. On the contrary, as you know, I have spent several small fortunes in seeking to do good to my fellow-man?in helping them to a better understanding of God and the Bible. Having once been an infidel myself, and having subsequently found that I had confused the teachings of the Bible with the teachings of creeds, and that the Bible's teaching is a glorious, grand doctrine, it has since been my business and pleasure to do all in my power to help fellow-mortals out of darkness and into true light... Really I care little for what men may say or think about me. Of course, such things are painful; but they are only what the Bible tells us will be more or less the experience of all who would be loyal to God and His Word." —1914; "Zion's Watch Tower", 15 September 1914, pg. 286
"'Miracle Wheat' is a new variety of wheat discovered and so named by a farmer at Fincastle, Va. I copied an item about it from a newspaper in my religious journal, which carries no advertisements. Three years later one of the readers wrote me that he had bought some of the miracle wheat at $1.25 per pound and found it very prolific?up to 3,000 grains from one seed. He sold some of it and donated to the society of which I am the president.
"The following year he and another donated 18 bushels, fixed the price at $1 per pound and asked that it be mentioned in my journal and that we bear the trouble of mailing it. I merely gave their reports and a copy of a report by a United States government expert. The wheat was sold and in all $1,800 was thus donated by these two friends to the work done last year amongst the heathen. No one ever complained of the wheat, and all were offered "money back" if not satisfied.
"If anybody has a microscope that will show anything wrong with this, we would like to have a look through it. We presume the wrong was that it was not 'raffled at 10 cents per grain,' or grab-bagged for at a church fair!" —1913; Tacoma (Washington) Tribune, 20 June, 1913
In 1904 Kent Stoner of Fincastle, Virginia (USA) discovered an unusually hearty strain of wheat growing in his field. He named it "Miracle Wheat". When presented at the Appalachian Exhibition, and the Tennessee State Fair in 1910, it won first prize both times. When Pastor Russell came to hear about this "Miracle Wheat" in 1908 he was excited! Having the "restitution of all things", (Acts 3:19) and the restoration of earth to perfection always on his mind, he believed this was another proof that "restitution" had begun. An associate of Pastor Russell's purchased a large amount of this "Miracle Wheat," and desired to have it sold and the proceeds donated to the spread of the truth. A notice appeared to this effect in The Watch Tower, where Bible Students, and any others interested, could purchase a pound of it for $1. Ultimately $1,800 was raised. Nobody was defrauded. Everyone was well informed. Even the US Government recognized something was special about the wheat. When ministers began to criticise Pastor Russell, he offered a return of money to anyone who requested this. Nobody asked for their money back. (http://www.pastor-russell.com/life/rich2.html)
-
kid-A
Cygnus,
to reiterate another post, you are just quoting Russells own words to defend him. Of course he is going to tell the story in a manner that puts him in the most favourable light!
I mean, c'mon, this is like posting Saddam Husseins court testimony to whitewash everything he did and not allowing the testimony of any of his accusers to be heard.
(not that Im comparing the great Pastor Russell to Saddam, of course! LOL )
-
Cygnus
kid-A,
I've never read anything substantial that discredits Russell's own testimony as regards Miracle Wheat, or that he was a Freemason. There's a lot of gobbledegook out there for people to try and connect the dots and make him out to be something he wasn't, but the proof is lacking, I am afraid.
-
jaffacake
Can anyone eplain why the old Watchtower symbol is on the pyramid next to Russel's grave?
-
Cygnus
Can anyone eplain why the old Watchtower symbol is on the pyramid next to Russel's grave?
Well, the grave is several meters away, and I suppose the old symbol is there because that's the one the WTS and IBS used.