It's his enemies that suggested he made money from his books. Court testimony (the evidence was an examination of Watch Tower Society accounts) showed that the books were sold at a loss and on those few years where there was a prophet the money was ploughed back into the work. This is found in the original transcript of Russell v. Russell. Any other claims are false. Russell was a committed believer. Fanatic? probably. In it for the money. No. Russell provided the literature at a loss to the missionaries. By abut 1907 the full time workers' accounts were hopelessly in arrears. W. Hope Hay, a Canadian believer donated money to pay the accounts current. By 1916 the society was basically broke. Russell expended his own money. At his death he was nearly penniless.
Old Goat
JoinedPosts by Old Goat
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35
Pastor Russell Part Snake Oil Salesman, Tightwad, And Fanatical Religious Writer
by frankiespeakin inhe developed a printing corporation in which he was able to expond on his fanatical bible interpetations in print.
having gained considerable wealth at an early age managing a chain of clothing stores for men, he reinvested his wealth and tried his hand at running a printing corporation in which a dooms day warning figured prominantly.. he kept his readers glued to his fanatical writings by giving dates for when the end of the world would come.
eventually due to his style of writting it wasn't long before his dedicated readers started calling him the faithful wise servant, which in turn increased profitablity of the corporation.
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Pastor Russell Part Snake Oil Salesman, Tightwad, And Fanatical Religious Writer
by frankiespeakin inhe developed a printing corporation in which he was able to expond on his fanatical bible interpetations in print.
having gained considerable wealth at an early age managing a chain of clothing stores for men, he reinvested his wealth and tried his hand at running a printing corporation in which a dooms day warning figured prominantly.. he kept his readers glued to his fanatical writings by giving dates for when the end of the world would come.
eventually due to his style of writting it wasn't long before his dedicated readers started calling him the faithful wise servant, which in turn increased profitablity of the corporation.
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Old Goat
There are several inexpensive disks with most of Russell's writings, certainly all of his major works as searchable pdf files. Also there's a web site or two. Russell wrote surprising little about it. In 1894 his wife proposed the doctrine in a lecture in Chicago. By 1895 Russell was willing to believe that the Faithful servant was one man. He added an appendix to one of the volumes saying as much. He avoided publicly saying he was the slave, though he admitted as much in private. In print he shows it in an article in 1909 and in slight edits to previous comments.
Unlike today's governing body, Russell suggested that each was responsible for his own beliefs and conduct. Russell's claim, though misguided and a bit obnoxious, wasn't anything like the blaspheme of the governing body.
In context (I owe this to Schulz and deVienne's research) Barbour and Paton both claimed to be God's special voice to Christians. Russell's self-view was a reaction to these claims.
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Pastor Russell Part Snake Oil Salesman, Tightwad, And Fanatical Religious Writer
by frankiespeakin inhe developed a printing corporation in which he was able to expond on his fanatical bible interpetations in print.
having gained considerable wealth at an early age managing a chain of clothing stores for men, he reinvested his wealth and tried his hand at running a printing corporation in which a dooms day warning figured prominantly.. he kept his readers glued to his fanatical writings by giving dates for when the end of the world would come.
eventually due to his style of writting it wasn't long before his dedicated readers started calling him the faithful wise servant, which in turn increased profitablity of the corporation.
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Old Goat
worthless, oblivious ...
Those are a matter of perspective. Have you read his books? My guess is that you have not. In his lifetime opposers said things such as 'one can read pages and pages of his writings and find nothing wrong." Then, of course, there was the unorthodox statement that would make opposers cringe. Some deny that Russell claimed to be the faithful and wise servant. An article in the 1909 Zion's Watch Tower makes it plain that he did. When it first became an issue Paton and Barbour in their respective magazines ran letters from upset adherents.
But Russell was not the first to claim to be the slave or part of it. Nineteenth century commentaries often pointed to clergy as the salve of Matthew twenty-four. This is as much nonsense as Russell's claim. The sad thing is, Russell had the right of it in his first statement on the verse, suggesting that any faithful christian was a faithful slave. Initally he did not see Jesus' statements as anything but an illustrative object lesson. And such it is, the modern governing body's delusions aside.
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35
Pastor Russell Part Snake Oil Salesman, Tightwad, And Fanatical Religious Writer
by frankiespeakin inhe developed a printing corporation in which he was able to expond on his fanatical bible interpetations in print.
having gained considerable wealth at an early age managing a chain of clothing stores for men, he reinvested his wealth and tried his hand at running a printing corporation in which a dooms day warning figured prominantly.. he kept his readers glued to his fanatical writings by giving dates for when the end of the world would come.
eventually due to his style of writting it wasn't long before his dedicated readers started calling him the faithful wise servant, which in turn increased profitablity of the corporation.
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Old Goat
Maria Russell's attorney did not allege improper relations with Rosa (Rose) Ball. He was unprepared for Mrs. Russell's comments and back pedaled. The transcript is out there. Doesn't anyone here look at the originals? Mrs. Russell herself denied accusations of improper relations. As I read the transcript, Rose was a scheming little twit determined to make Mrs. Russell jealous. The jellyfish story though presented third hand in court seems to have no foundation in fact.
The entire wiki article is second-rate and drawn from secondary sources.
I'm not saying that Russell was a saint. I'm not defending Russell. But if you draw your conclusions from the wikedpedia article, you will be misled. I think Schulz and deVienne's next book will be enlightening. Dr. deVienne tells me they're almost finished with volume one and to look for it early next year. In the mean time you should read their book on Nelson Barbour. Visit their public blog regularly
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Pastor Russell Part Snake Oil Salesman, Tightwad, And Fanatical Religious Writer
by frankiespeakin inhe developed a printing corporation in which he was able to expond on his fanatical bible interpetations in print.
having gained considerable wealth at an early age managing a chain of clothing stores for men, he reinvested his wealth and tried his hand at running a printing corporation in which a dooms day warning figured prominantly.. he kept his readers glued to his fanatical writings by giving dates for when the end of the world would come.
eventually due to his style of writting it wasn't long before his dedicated readers started calling him the faithful wise servant, which in turn increased profitablity of the corporation.
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Old Goat
wickedpedia is a poor source and frequently wrong. try: http://truthhistory.blogspot.com/
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A peek into the history of fanatical BLOOD DOCTRINE origins
by Terry insection one.
is watchtower doctrine on blood transfusions rooted in one or more of the following?:.
blood transfusions were the next target.. _________ _____________ ____________________.
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Old Goat
A mostly hidden bit of this history concerns a Witness patient whom his two Witness doctors thought needed a blood transfusion. This was in 1945 as I recall. The patient refused citing the scripture in Acts. One of the doctors, later a missionary to Mexico, wrote to the society seeking their assistance. The Society wrote back saying the Witness patient was right and the first blood transfusion articles followed. I think we can lay the blame at F. W. Franz's door.
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JW apologist Emeth dismisses teachings of Russell as irrelevant, uninspired and even funny.. Maybe in the future jw's will say the same about todays Governing Body?
by The Quiet One inemeth said: "russell never claimed to be a inspired prophet or without any failures or mistakes.
he was just a human as much as i and you are.
he is just a person who started a process of digging and searching for bible truths.
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Old Goat
"ALso lets not forget how he became head of WT, contrary to what we were told, his father and a banker owned the majority of WT shares before he inherited it and did his own thing"
The original organizational document dated Feb 1881 shows that Russell contributed the bulk of the founding money. Reports to the contrary are mistaken. The document was recently displayed in Brooklyn for a period. It showed A. D Jones contributing 2000, J. L. Russell contributed 1000; W. H. Conley 4000; and C. T. Russell 7000 dollars. Each paid in half up front.
According to R. M. de Vienne, one of the historians behind the Truthhistory blog, Conley was chosen president not because he contributed the most money, but because he was more widely known. His name gave weight to a small, new tract society. When the Watch Tower Society was incorporated, the concept of a share for each ten dollar donation was introduced. Russell held the bulk of shares until about 1907. There was no provision in the original 1881 document for "shares."
Pittsburgh PA, Feb’y 1881
We the undersigned – believing that much good can be accomplished and many people be brought to see the great loving plans of our heavenly Father, by a judicious and thorough use of tracts and reading matter treating on some of the salient points of our belief, as we find it to be gloriously and graciously revealed in our Father’s word, do hereby combine and unite our energies etc. for the purpose of so publishing and distributing “Zion’s Watch Tower” tracts etc.
The Lord willing and aiding us we purpose distributing said tracts etc. in all the large cities (north) of the United States and in the principal ones of Great Britain etc. etc. as the Lord of the harvest shall open the way and reveal his will.
This work will require millions of pages of tracts costing thousands of dollars; it will require thousands of distributors costing other thousands of dollars. (The purpose complying with the words of the Lord “Owe no man any thing” and will contract no debts.) And we the signers of this paper willingly contribute toward this fund the amounts set opposite our names. The money which we contribute is not ours, it belongs to Him whose we are – We gave it when we gave ourselves and our all to him. We now act as God’s “stewards” in distributing of His goods to His praise and glory and for the preaching of the good news to thousands who are in darkness and being (as we once were) led into infidelity and unbelief through the misrepresentations made concerning the character and plan of our loving Father.
Of the sum which we have set opposite our names we “stewards” of the manyfold grace (favors) of God will pay one half in cash and one half on demand after six months to the publisher of “Zion’s Watch Tower” who agrees to keep a strict acc’t of all moneys received and expended; and to make a showing of same to any of the subscribers to the fund whenever desired..
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21
JW apologist Emeth dismisses teachings of Russell as irrelevant, uninspired and even funny.. Maybe in the future jw's will say the same about todays Governing Body?
by The Quiet One inemeth said: "russell never claimed to be a inspired prophet or without any failures or mistakes.
he was just a human as much as i and you are.
he is just a person who started a process of digging and searching for bible truths.
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Old Goat
The soon to be released book by historians Schulz and deVienne shows that Russell started nothing. Russell did not claim to have an original idea. He claimed to have chosen the best of what was avialable in the various creeds. The governing body and Watch Tower Society want to distance themselves from Russell. This is a shameful rejection of their own past.
I doubt that "genteel" knows his own history.
I hope that more original and accurate research such as that by Schulz and deVienne dispells the myths that surround Russell and his sometimes really creepy associates.
You should visit this web page http://truthhistory.blogspot.com/
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Did Jehovah's Witnesses Plagiarize HWA's False Prophecy Of 1975?
by Bangalore indid jehovah's witnesses plagiarize hwa's false prophecy of 1975?.
http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com/2013/10/did-jehovahs-witnesses-plagiarize-hwas.html.
bangalore.
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Old Goat
A date in the mid 1970s was talked about among Witnesses in the late 1940s. Marcus Bach mentions this in one of his books, and I certainly remember it. The book New Heavens and New Earth (1953) had a chart in the back that furthered the discussion. As I recall there was a similar table in one of the 1954 Watchtowers. The 1975 fiasco ows nothing to the Armstrongites and everything to F. W. Franz's wild imagination.
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Question About 607BCE and How That Date Was Picked - Help JW Scholars
by Comatose inso i've been sharing some a little at a time with my sister.
she is married and very scared of actually learning too much.
she doesn't want to ruin her marriage.
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Old Goat
606 was a commonly used date in the 19th Century. It came to Russell through E. B. Elliott's Horae. 607 was an alternate date that accounted for the "no year zero" problem. Much of this story is told in Schulz and De Vienne: Nelson Barbour: The Millennium's Forgotten Prophet. It's on Barnes and Noble as an ebook, lulu.com has paperback. It's well worth the money.